Moonspear leap of faith

When Charon came upon him, Gannet had just geared up and gone for a run. He was remaining in the flat area around where he'd been sleeping and making wide, sweeping circles, a bit like a runner at a track. The pace he set wasn't a sprint; still not there yet. But it was the patient, mile-eating lope that he knew he needed to master to keep up with the pack. So far, today, it felt pretty good.

He found that once he stopped focusing on how different it was, it became easier. Now, when he ran, if his leg missed a beat, the others would for the most part compensate. There were still moments of jarring uncertainty, but once he was able to sink into the rhythm, that familiar feel of the run settled in and he thought about nothing.

Likely he presented a bit of an odd sight to Charon, the swing of his gait and the pattern of his legs altered forever, but he wasn't the type to be self conscious. So he finished his circle when he spied the alpha, then diverted so that when he slowed, he was approaching. He was very obviously elated, though as he came in close, he ducked his head to pay deference, lowering himself and allowing his tail to continue going tentatively.