Mother Like No Other

Surreal still didn’t know her answer. Her heart ached every time she thought of it. The inner turmoil was agony. She knew there ought to be a better way to handle this, but for the life of her, she didn’t know what it was. More than anything, she wished her mother was still around. Her mother had always been the kind of wolf who knew what to say to settle a racing mind. Surreal’s heavy indecision wasn’t aided by her heat. It messed with her emotions, rattled her usually stable routines. Even her children had begun to notice the tension in their usually steadfast mother. And, let’s be honest, how could they not, when she was avoiding their father, and sleeping in Alsander’s old den?

Her paws pounded the earth, a stride behind the rabbit that had been unfortunate enough to dart into her path instead of remaining safely tucked away in its bush. Another stride later, and her teeth snapped shut over it’s frantically fleeing back, dragging an agonized shriek from its jaws. She gave her head a vicious shake, snapping the spine, and resettled the limp body in her jaws to finish the kill if the shock hadn’t killed it already. The final crunch was overridden by the call of her eldest. Surreal’s head turned as she listened. There was no fear or urgency in his voice.

Turning, she loped toward his voice, pausing to drop the rabbit at the mouth of the ravine, giving a sharp bark to alert the others to a snack, before she finished the trek to her vibrant, massive son. He sat on the meeting boulder, and she paused to study the scene for a long moment. One day, her son - her heir - would be sitting on this boulder, calling his pack to meetings. If all went well. He had the makings of a fine King. Benevolent, fair, gentle, but not afraid to fight.

Finally, she completed her approach, greeting Cinder with a smile as she leapt up onto the boulder, taking a seat beside her tall, brightly colored son. His eyes reminded her so much of Erani it hurt. Leaning in, she gave his cheek and ears a good grooming, vaguely amused that she had to rise slightly to do so. Had it not been only yesterday, that she had to bend to kiss her children? Tornach was going to be massive, too. Would all her sons be huge? "Sea, mo mhac? Cad é?" She finally asked, choosing to speak in her most comfortable language.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think