He wasn't sure when it had started exactly. He'd started spotting them around the place and scooping them up. They reminded him of Odette, and he'd grabbed them just because. But as he headed back over the border, another feather in hand he wondered. Would his sister-cousin like them?

He had a long white swan feather, a vibrant green parrot one, and now a sleek black design that may have come from a raven. Not as shiny as Odette's wings, of course.

He went trotting through the cole, searching for the younger wolf. (And yes, a few days definitely counted. He was older.) “Odette?” He said, peeking into her dad's den.

Usually Odette was out on the outskirts of the territory enjoying the trees and climbing whenever she could. However, she had been a little under the weather that morning so her dads had made her stay at home in the den resting up a bit before she was allowed to go out. Honestly she hadn’t even given them much of a fight and was still snuggled there under her furs when she heard approaching paw steps.

The winged girl pulled her head from under her wing as she heard Citadel’s voice call from the entrance of her family den. Confusion was obvious in her voice as she replied, "Come in.” With a slight yawn.

"Odette"

An answering call told him he was in the right place. He trotted through the door  looking about him. He didn't enter this den much, but had been in here a few times now. He found his sister-cousin warming herself under some furs, and trotted over to her.


He made himself comfortable across from her, before reaching over and fanning out his little treasure of feathers over her blanket. “I got this one from the battlefield.” He said, pointing at the black one. “this one from the redwoods” that was to thr parrot one. “This one came from the cove.” his paw brushed the swan feather. “Did you… want them? They reminded me of you.” He said a little sheepishly.

Citadel appeared in the door like the prince that he was, perfectly happy and smiling with three beautiful feathers sticking out of his mouth. He lowered himself close to her, meaning she wasn’t forced to get up. He spread out the feathers and explained where each one came from, with every explanation Odette’s silver eyes widened in surprise. At the end he offered them to her and she gasped softly.

"For me?” She asked, not expecting those words at all. Cit wasn’t a sweet boy, but she did very much like her cousin. It seemed as though he felt the same for her. "I would love them!” She returned with an appreciative voice. Carefully she took the feathers, and one by one, arranged them at the base of her tail. She admired them for a long moment before returning to Citadel and thanking him, "thank you so much!” She said as she went in for an affectionate hug.

"Odette"

Sentimentality didn't often find purchase in Citadel, and he found himself embarrassed admitting Odetter had been on his mind, or that anything had reminded him of her. But something had pushed him to pursue the feeling, and so he had. His littermates and Odetter were important to him, even if he was often frustrated with them and struggled to show it.


He was surprised when she displayed them on her tail, as if proud of the gift. An odd, warm feeling moved through his gut, and then she was reaching for him. Panic flitted across his expression as the little winged girl hugged him. “Oh, hi, is thay what we're doing now…” he said with all the awkwardness of a gangly young boy. To change the topic quickly, he searched for something to say. “Did you want to explore with me? I haven't gone west yet.”

Ode didn’t have her own siblings, well she did but they were all so much older than she was. The girl had literally grown up with Citadel and his brothers and sisters. They were the closest she had to littermates despite that not being entirely truthful. Still, Odette would forever consider her cousins her closest siblings. Citadel warmed her heart letting her know that he had been out there in the wild, thinking about her.

They were both a little awkward when she reached forward and hugged him, but affection was the only way she could truly thank him. Odette grinned at his embarrassment, but was quick to let him go as he changed the subject. She pulled away with a smile on her face, feeling much better than she had that morning. "Yes, I’d love to!” If there was anything she loved more than climbing trees it was finding new trees.


"Odette"