Blackfeather Woods For the night is dark and full of stories

When Burke greeted him, Cicero stepped from the shadows and licked the underside of Burke's chin in respect. Then Damien came bursting into the clearing, and Cicero watched his brother with calculated silence while more wolves streamed onto the site. The three-months-old listened to his mother as she spoke. When she finished he repeated in a muttered whisper, "Celebrate," turning his muzzle away from the gathering as he did, evidently speaking only to himself (or to unseen others).

Then Meldresi invited others to tell stories, and Twist was first to step up. Cicero listened in silence as Twist told a story about lone wolves. He heard only half of the story, distracted by various things along the way; his own tail, a bug upon a tree, pack mates doing things, and other such things.