Time marches on, and oh how things can change

There had been so much on his mind, each thought, each thing that he needed to focus on rushing in at once. Rather than attempt to tame the thoughts, Charlie let them do what they needed to do within his brain as he attempted to search for a flower that Crux had mentioned back after the flood. Now that it was warmer and plants were blooming anew he had hopes he might be able to find the herb and help his brother stock up. Well, if he found it. He was not a healer like his brother in the slightest, but attempting to find the plant gave him something to focus on instead of all the things rushing through his brain. Plus, being in the woods meant that if Mortis’ children were out and about he would be able to hear them… the litter as a whole had faced challenges in that flood.

He had been scanning some of the undergrowth for the flower’s presence when the sound of excited paws tearing across the ground caught his attention. His head turned to see a delighted Wylan come bounding up to him. Hearing his nephew’s voice, and seeing that he was doing much better than that dark night was enough to calm Charlie’s thoughts in an instant. It felt like a weight fell off his body, making him feel light as his tail began to wag behind him. Thank the stars… His smile was bright as he reached out to ruffle the kid’s head - if Wyl let him that was.

“Of course you can. I couldn’t ask for a better companion to be with me today.” It was so good to just see his nephew acting like a kid again. There had been so much heaviness after the flood for all their members as they tried to rebuild and recover. Charlie was sure he could use a day to focus on what a kid would want to do to help relax himself too. “Did your mom mention anything you shouldn’t be doing? Don’t worry - I’ll still make sure we do something fun.” Though he wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything that might cause Wylan’s recovery to move backward, he wanted to ensure the kid he wasn’t going to be a stick in the mud either. There could be a balance.

"Speech," 'Thought.'