Wapun Meadow can you still smile, into my daugher's eyes?

for a wolf hardly more than two years of age, indra found nikai to be refreshingly erudite. she shouldered his words quietly, consuming them -- he was right, and she knew it. at least he said he was coming back. indra gave him a brief look that suggested she would hold him to his words, intention or not.

she kept repeating what he had said: you can't take care of everyone if you are unhappy. she knew she was unhappy; she knew laurel was unhappy -- but what could be done to change it? their life was not some idle reality in which to slip from; it was an all-consuming, unrelenting reality they could neither flee nor hide from.

"you're very wise, for a wolf who says he hasn't seen much." she finally offered at length, having nothing else to impart but her impression of the dark male. why hadn't he been at bearclaw -- why hadn't they run into him, instead of xan?