In her young life, Amelie had learned one thing for certain. Life was volatile and vulnerable. She had learned the crude reality of this when the pack had been struck with the tragedy of Osprey Junior's presumed death. During her erratic existence outside the pack she had never expirienced the death of a close relative. She had been born without a father, and her mother had left her but not died-- even if her brother's had met that unlucky fate after their split she didn't have a way of knowing.

It wasn't until she joined the Plateu and took the job of pupsitter that she realize the reality of the cycle of life. What she had thought to be a distant fable that only applied to aged wolves stuck her right in the face when one of the sweet pups she took care of took a step onto the afterlife. It was then that the truth fell on her like a bucket of ice water. No one was saved. Not even the pups who had just begun to breathe.

But even if that event had changed her way of thinking, in the end it turned out to be a lie; as the pup returned unharmed she forgot the cruelty of life and death for a second.

The borders had become nothing but a point of reference of where home was to the young girl. She often crossed the invisible line that outlined the Plateu to explore a bit of the outside world. Today was no different, as she jogged to the lands that laid beyond the security of the Plateu a black silhouette lined with silver hairs caught her eye. She wagged her tail joyfully as she approached her grandfather, she had not really had a lenghty conversation with him since he joined so she figured spending the afternoon with him would make up for her lack of attention over the past few days.


"Granpa!", she called to him as she reached him, burying her nose onto his shoulder inmediately after greeting him.

The now-yearling looked at the elderly male with warmth and affection in her eyes, she was no longer a child but that didn't rid her from the dangers of the world. Sun Spark was right and though she would've liked to mutter she was grown she nodded obediently at the dark colored male. She was enjoying her lonesome expeditions outside the Plateu but she made a mental note to at least say something about her journeys just for the sake of her grandpa and mother's tranquility.

She had been lucky to meet nice wolves in her treks but at any time she could run into the mouth of death without knowing so. "I know, I just like seeing what's out there.." she barked, slowly noticing the subtle dullness t¿in his eyes that betrayed what was yet to come.

As a yeraling she knew she couldn't continue to trick herself into thinking that the reaper wouldn't knock at her beloved grandpa's door, she casted her eyes on his face and smiled at him warmly."What were you doing? " she asked, she suspected the adventurer inside of him refused to give up exploring despite his aged joints.

A chuckle gurgled from her chest as he recommended spilling her secrets of her heart to the lurking shadows, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea, though they could not give her any type of advice they could 'listen' as she got her preocupations off her back.

She smiled brighter when he told her he had been adventure born, she had known that from the start, it showed in his eyes, right in the corner there always was a little glint that showed the reflection of his passion. She liked to think she had that same glow in her yellow eyes.Though she wasn't sure she'd like to persue the life of an Outrider she liked to see what lied beyond, there was something she hadn't seen before and something that awaited to be discovered.

When he said he was looking for her, Amelie tilted her head to the side, feeling a bit confused. Why would he be looking for her in the cold morning light. "I'm doing pretty well, grandpa, Blue is going to take me to the ocean soon and we'll meet some friends of her there", she barked, s¿not forgetting the promise her mother had made. She wished he could tag along but she knew that with bones as frail as his it would be a torture more than an adventure.

Yellow eyes lit up and eyelashes batted as the old man mentioned the birth of such wondeful and fantastic creatures everytime laughter was first released into the world. She imagined dozens of the tiny critters flying around as fast as lighting but still being as delicate as porcelain. She pictured the wings as well, thin and frail like butterfly wings but with a certain glow that seemed to have been taken from the most beautiful rainbows.

Her deep daydreams were interrupted by another piece of knowledge provided from the old man.She smiled kindly as his gruff voice told her that no matter where her feet took her and how gloomy thing were she should always return home. She had never thought of running away from the plateu, but she had sometimes thought of spending the night out in the open, oblivious of the risks that might arise.

She nodded to let him know his piece of advice would not go by without being taken into account. Had he had this same conversation with Blue once? If she hadn't even stumbled onto the plateu who would've taught her all these life lessons? Her mind strayed to the thought of her blood mother for a second, had she thought that by just teaching her and her brothers how to hunt they would've been alright?

Then the course of the conversation switched to her mother. The adoptive one. Amelie smiled brightly as they spoke of the upcoming trip Blue and her would soon take. She had been waiting to go for so long that the mere idea of the trip was enough to send adrenaline rushes down her bloodstream.

"Seaweed, got it. Is there a use for the ocean's water, I hear it's salty.." she barked while raising a brow slightly.

Amelie's head bobbed up and down as the man suggested she asked her mother to show her. Even if the idea of tiny creatures covered in stardust flying around went against the laws of nature there was no harm in believing innocently. Real or not real it was a beautiful thing to picture in her head.

Though Amelie had been thrown into the real world far too soon, the lack of guardian figures during the most part of her sixth month had left a mark in her spirit. She had always been the cautious one, while her brothers enjoyed throwing themselves into the risky rollercoasters of life, Amelie had always taken a moment to give her actions a second thought.

When he answered her question she blinked a couple of times; well she had learned a couple of things now, she thought as she inspected the man's face with her bright yellow eyes. Despite wanting to ask more about herbs and their medical uses she felt that no words were needed then. The promise of a close departure was written in the silence, she knew he was frail and like the sun falling under the horizon his light would soon fade as well. Without further ado, the black yearling walked up to him and hugged him close, letting her love for him show in an unspoken manner.

A rebellious tear tried to slip from her eye but she held it in knowing that it'd be a shame to spoil the moment by grieving something that hadn't even happened. When his heart stopped beating and his eyeids closed over his eyes forever, then she would shed a tear, but now that she had him by her side there was no use on crying. She held her face pressed to his chest for a little while, inhaling his particular fragrance and feeling the slow yet continous pump of his heart against his chest.

When he brushed his mouth over her forehead she smiled graciously just as he said she should. There was no reason to remember him with a heavy heart, not after all he had done was brighten up her day. "I would love one", she barked soflty, her yellow eyes setting on his aged face.

Death was innevitable, and though it seemed scary it was only natural. One day there would come a day she would not wake either, and though she hoped that day was still far away she was aware of it. It was useless to worry of it. Though no one knew their day and time until it was happening, it was probably the only certainty the world had. All things came to and end, like the day when the sun slipped under the mountains, or the night as the sunrays flickered again.

Sadly, his story also came to an end. As the last word exited his lips, the young girl continued to look at him in awe, the last scene of the story playing in her mind. She would miss him when he was gone, but she would also rejoice on his legacy, the millions of stories he left behind and the million more he had took part in. "That was beautiful, grandpa" she murmured, reaching out her muzzle to plant a kiss in his cheek one last time.