It was so cold! Frigid in fact! Galahad shivered as he stepped out of the den, his soft puppy fur fluffing up around him. His emerald eyes glanced around the beach that they called home, seeing no green whatsoever. He frowned. He decided he didn't like winter. Too cold, no plants... he couldn't even play outside the den without feeling like an icicle. He grumbled and turned around, retreating back into the simi-warmth of the den. It was out of the wind at the very least. The black and white pup trotted around the den in a circle, fidgeting when he did come to a stop. He flopped down and rolled onto his back exasperatedly, flicking his paws to and fro. He looked around, wondering where his family was. He'd love to play with one of his siblings. Or his mom! Where was she? He whined softly and watched the entrance of the den, hoping that she would reappear soon. Speech Thought Others

. . . In the aftermath of Kestrel vanishing, Ocena had been reluctant to let her pups out of her sight. However, the truth of the matter was that she simply could not be cooped up for hours at a time with only three pups for company. She needed to be around wolves of her own age for at least a little, and the truth of the matter was that Ocena was conflicted. With Gargoyle absent, she had no one else to help her with her pups, and Kestrel had made her think. Could she, in good conscience, keep her children in the wilds, away from other wolves? Was this the best thing for them? She wasn't sure. And she was terribly conflicted, in all honesty. The female had retreated from her den to get a few moments of peace, though she had not been gone for long, and had stayed in the area to keep an eye on Odette, Galahad, and Oracle. She was still trying to let them have their freedom, for forcing them to stay close would only make them more rebellious, and more intent on leaving when they grew. Ocena knew that that was a part of life, but that didn't mean she wanted it to happen any sooner than it had to. Galileo and Avalon were becoming more scarce, and she wanted to keep her youngest litter close to her heart. When Ocena returned to her den, she found her gaze settling on Galahad. The female felt a smile cross her features, "How are you doing, Galahad?" She would ask her son gently as she settled back on her haunches, examining him carefully. He had grown so much since she had first seen him, and she loved him so much. If he went missing, she would be entirely crazy. Her heart went out to Mercianne in that moment. Leaning down slightly, Ocena moved to nuzzle the child, a warm smile on her features. . . . "Speech."

The black and white pup brightened instantly when his mother showed up in the den. His tail wagged happily as he trotted up to her, cuddling into her warm fur and nuzzling her affectionately. Everything seemed better when his mom was around. At her question he looked up at her with his wide, green eyes and said, "It's so coooold, momma." He frowned and cuddled deeper into her fur. "Why does there have to be winter? It's just cold and snowy and icy and there's no plants and all the animals go away and I don't like it." He gave a little nod, showing his opinion was final. Galahad looked up at his mother, wanting to know why winter had to come and kill all the plants. It didn't make sense to him. Speech Thought Others