Checking In

Ruby eyes watch the purple wolf as she enters and sits upon the fur, his smile warming with each passing moment. The conversation flows easily, the light blue boy always eager to help out and he is pleasantly happy for the social call. She speaks of the little things and he chuckles, nodding his head in agreement as he says, “I understand how busy you are and it is completely understandable to miss them. However, sometimes it is nice to slow down. It is easy to forget how beautiful the world around you is when you are only focused on tomorrow.”

The boy doesn’t realize he has gone off on a small tangent until his brain catches up and he ducks his head, waving a paw through the air as if to dispel his words and quickly changes the topic. Her words about how long it has been since the two brothers had joined her family pulls a huge grin to his lips and he straightens up, dipping his head in agreement as he excitedly says, “Yeah! Been a whole year now!” It is such a juxtaposition, the wise words of mere moments before are eclipsed by the unbridled enthusiasm of the puppy she had found all those months ago.

Tail gently wags as Ricin puffs out his chest, beaming in pride that she, the Matriarch of Elysium, remembers the blue brothers birthdays. But when she then speaks of them growing so fast and he lets the air out he had been holding in a soft sigh. The wise wolf makes a reappearance as he looks to Manea and muses, “So much has changed and so much will continue to change. Packs rise and fall, Mrs. Manea. Some of the wolves you know and love might leave to live their lives but, I know you that you will always be loved by your family. Blood or not.”

A soft smile is offered to her, ruby gaze falling to his paws as he adds, “Two years old. At one point… I didn’t think I would live to see one.” Looking back up, he captures her gaze and smiles, trying to show her how one action changed the course of two lives and bound the boys to her. For better or worse, Chade and Ricin will follow Manea and her family where ever they go. For the rest of their days.

"Ricin Dauner"