What hurts the most

He tensed at Charlie’s crypting opening, his muzzle pressing into a thin line. He was very much waiting for the other shoe to drop. Trouble followed trouble, and he wondered what wolf Charlie had met that made him so hesitant. Deluge. Charlie didn’t need to say her name for him to understand. But what was she doing at his back door? And where was Dread. He tried not to think of the whereabouts of his child. Dread had made his choice.

He hesitated, but heard the pleading in Charlie’s voice. He did not want to speak of it, and he was tired. So tired. He settled down in front of his son, and closed his eyes for a very long moment. A soft breath escaped him. Lately, it felt as if old age was catching up with him in leaps and bounds. “Directly after the raid, I found Deluge fighting to kidnap Dread. I did not know that they knew each other, I thought it was revenge for the raid. She knocked him down, and he hit his head. I saw him fall, and I stepped in. I stood over him and fought the raider, and when I won Dread got back to his paws and attempted to attack me. To put himself between me and Deluge. She tried to kidnap him, and he defended her. He made his choice, his feelings for me clear. He’s done living in my shadow, or so he told me. So I released him from the Armada. He made his choice, Charlie. He made it, and it wasn’t us.” Seer's fault, Dread had told him.

His eyes were closed again, and he raised a paw to the base of his muzzle, fighting off the emotions he would rather not display in front of his child. “I know I’ve made some bad decisions since the… since your mother left us. Clearly, the mistakes I've made are unforgivable. Forgive me, Charlie. I think old age is making me despondent” He said, turning his head to the side.

"Speech"