Solemn was almost 3 months old. His sweet puppy-blue eyes had begun to shift into a dull green, which would soon turn even further into a golden yellow. His paws had gotten wider, and they thudded loudly against the ground as he waddled around. Solemn had not yet spoken, but his siblings babbling became more coherent as the days went on. His ears had perked by now, but the right one still flopped lazily to the side when he was relaxed. He didn't really look it, but he was growing up.

While the child grew, his living conditions worsened. By no fault of his mother Solemn had begun to give up food for his siblings. There was not much going around to begin with, but the young boy was matured enough to understand this. Adeline and Stoic were too carefree and competeitive to notice-- they fought and argued over the scraps that came into the den while Odie ate her share silently. Once unsupervised-- which was quite often-- Solemn refused to touch it. He'd nose it to baby Odie and move to his corner of the den, refusing to eat or socialize. His stomach begun to sink in, bulging in weird places as malnutrition set in. The boy stayed inside to avoid heat, but was rarely without his soft pink tongue sticking out in a heavy pant. He was constantly exhausted and too sick to move. His puppy mind never wondered if anyone noticed-- he was too young to understand the problem. He only wanted Odie to be okay, and although he was starving he made no fuss about it-- so no one made a fuss over him.

Solemn was almost 3 months old when he collapsed into a small patch of grass. It was pathetic, barely able to stretch itself from the dirt and reach towards the sun. But the babe had noticed it, and he waddled from the den to see if the green had really come back. He'd collapsed into the grass as soon as his widened feet touched down, his green eyes rolling back as dust rippled up around him. His tongue rolled from his maw, although it was already out from his excessive panting. He'd fallen without ever breathing a single word of opinion or thought-- but perhaps that made it less of a loss. The brown pup laid limp in the small patch of grass as the dust settled around him, the sun beating down on the poor boy. 

Solemn was almost 3 months old when he died, and perhaps it was for the best.

Odette had been sleeping when it happened.  It had been a rough day today.  She had spoken with Krypton, all the commotion with Niita, Phocion and her Mother.  Now this.  Although Odette was unaware of this for the moment.  Yet soon she was destined to discover her brother's death.  Yet another death that would come back to haunt her.

Odette awoke a little while after her brother's death.  She had awoken with the sudden craving to go outside for some fresh air, it was then that she saw him... her favorite brother, Solemn, laying limp in a patch of grass.  Everything seemed to go in slow motion from there.  Odette screamed her brothers name at the top of her lungs and raced towards him, quickly, all though it seemed to take forever.  Then she was there at Solemn's side.  She screamed and screamed her brother's name over and over again.  Wishing and willing him to get up again, as she cried out her brother's name with screams of pain, grief and horror.

At first when her Mother came over Odie was about to burst all of her feelings to her, but she couldn't after that demand... her Mother wanted her to eat Solemn.  The brother that had given her food that she should have never taken.  It was all her fault, she could not eat him.  Odette was no cannibal.

So she did something that Odie thought she would never do.  The smallest of all the pups moved to stand between Solemn and her Mother, her blue gaze that was nearing green began to turn surprisingly ghostly, her lip curled to just the slightest and she rumbled out the growl she had once given to Stoic.

"Never."  Odette whispered sadly.  Of course this was very out of her character to disobey an order, especially from her Mother, so this took a lot from her to not backdown.  Yet this was Solemn they were talking about.  Whether or not Solemn should be cannibalized.  Solemn had sacrificed for her, so now she would try to do the same.  It was all her fault in her eyes, she couldn't let Solemn be cannibalized now or that too would haunt her forever.  A shadow always there.

Odette couldn't believe that this all was actually happening, playing out.  The pup felt relieved when her Uncle Steayd came into view.  He would never agree with her Mother!  Right?  He just had to be on her side.  It also really hurt to hear her Mother state that her brother was dead in a harsh tone instead of a sad one... did she even care?  It didn't really seem like she did to Odie.

A sob worked it's way up Odette and she crieed out again for a few seconds, then gulped and took a deep breath in attempts to calm herself just to say a few more words.  She looked up at her Mother - although not in the eyes, not even in this situation could Odette use that way of disrespect - and then uttered a few words in a greaving sad, yet rather harsh, edgy tone.  "You don evan car."  She whispered, then took a few uneasy steps closer to Solemn, as if to protect the body.

He stood by quietly after his comment as Zaria explained why she had told them to eat Solemn. After she walked off, Steady looked to the two pups, his gaze settling on Odette when she asked her questions. Sure, he said, and moved to pick up Solemn. He let Odette and Stoic choose the burial spot, and let them decide whether or not they wanted to help dig the hole. When it was deep enough, he gingerly placed the deceased pup in there, and covered him up.

With a heavy sigh, he sat back on his haunches next to the fresh grave. Your Mom is just trying to keep you alive the best she can, he said softly. I know you might be shocked about what she told you to do, but I hope you don't hold it against her. You'll understand one day, he explained. Standing, he picked a spot in the clearing to lay down and rest a while.