Together Again

Walk | Talk | Think

She had heard her mother's warning words but they had come too late, the growls of her father that followed loud within the enclosed space of his den. Belatedly her ears tucked against her small head, trying to quiet the sound, while simultaneously taking a slow step back urged on by the rising forepaw of the startled elder wolf. And in that moment, a sudden panic, an unusual sensation of fear, stole through her, not entirely from the fact that her father was turning on her in his surprise but because she feared he had forgotten her. Why else would he have reacted so to her entering his den and greeting him in such a jovial yet predictable fashion? Had they really been separated so long?

But just as the look of unhappy dawning tried sneaking its way across her soft puppy features he gentled, smiled if somewhat dismally, and spoke her name in the softest of rebukes. It was more than enough for the high strung youth. Her yellow-gold eyes grew misty as an answering smile quickly replaced the look on her face, tail beginning its wag all over again, and more tentatively this time she crept forward, moving back in to pick up where she had left off in her over eager greeting full of nuzzles and kisses. A quiet whine of apology was made for her brash entrance, and for having startled her father, but knowing he still remembered her and was still happy to see her was enough to take the sting off of her foolishness.

"I missed you," she mumbled into his fur, excitement once again beginning to return in full. She was grinning just as before by the time she drew back, tail a blur with how swiftly it was moving, and with a final lick to her farher's chin she took a few steps back, a glance given over one shoulder. There was everyone, watching her and their father having a small moment. Inexplicably it made her embarrassed and with an awkward splay of her ears she padded over to nudge each of her brothers in turn with her muzzle, sure that they were just as excited as she was even if they did not show it in the very obvious manner that she did.