Moonspear thanks, bathtub barracuda

Floki smiled as Aesop shifted, allowing enough space for Floki to begin digging alongside him. He positioned himself carefully, back feet braced in the slippery mud as his forepaws began to pull at the soggy dirt. For a few seconds, he didn't speak, satisfied with the task at hand and the pitter patter of the rain.

"I'm glad you're back," he confessed after a moment. He hadn't ever been all that close with Aesop, but since the older wolf had been there during the formative days of his life, he had looked up to him -- just as many children revered the adults they spent time with. "Where were you?" he asked, his tone curious and lacking judgment.