Silvertip Mountain When Snows Arrive

Mason’s ears tipped upwards when he heard his Dad’s howl. Immediately his muzzle lifted to the sky, joining with the call for a few discordant notes, before he bounded towards the sound. He had not been doing much, just milling around the lands and trying to find herbs.  
    
He knew where Dad would be making the meeting point, and so he didn’t need much thought as he headed towards the lake. Although it was not the old meeting point, he knew what it meant to his Dad, and he innately knew this is where the Alpha would be calling them to. This was where he had been initiated. Ranger. A name only Dad, he and June knew. Something that even Zaria did not know, and Mason had decided, would probably never know. If he ever gave anyone that name, it would be his children. Perhaps if he met and fell in love and mated with a girl, he would give her that name. But for now it remained a secret between the three true Silvertips. 

Mason emerged from the mist like a ghost, on the opposite side of June. Of course there was a moment’s hesitation when he spotted the small cluster of wolves that incorporated his family. His favourite beings. Orange eyes burned through the fog, but without further hesitation he padded around the lake’s edge towards Fitz, June and Zaria. Brown/grey-tipped ears were semi-flat, wispy tail nearly between his legs, but he reached his goal nevertheless. Mason held his breath as he reached up to nuzzle at his Dad’s chin. He did not give Zaria a further glance, because he knew he couldn’t meet her beautiful eyes and keep up this braveness. Instead Mason turned to greet June with a brotherly lick square on her forehead. 

Mason wished his feelings were settled, but he did know this – he desperately wanted to banish all heartaches over Zaria. They were getting more and more infrequent. To help him in this, he had not spoken a word to her since that day when he had helped her with her wound. He had watched her from a distance, worried about her wound’s progress. He cared for her, and he likely always would. But he did feel like his ‘love’ for her was beginning to fade into the back of his mind. That was what he was focussed on, intent on moving it towards a platonic relationship only. Unrequited love was pointless and hurting everyone.

Mason turned around, sidled around the group, before settling into a spot at his Dad’s right side. The rightful place of the heir, taken back after all the silliness. Mason’s posture straightened as he waited for others to show up.