Phoenix Maplewood we'll ride the coattails to the finish line

Ukko watches the fire blaze in Reek’s gaze, watches as his mind rolls before he can form words.  The smile upon his own lips begins to fade and his face hardens.  His frustration had gotten the better of him in a short burst and the wolf weeping on the ground is replaced by the wolf he met on the borders, that he’s seen throughout the pack lands, that—despite a few minor details—Ukko had been willing to follow.  The emotion settling into Reek’s fire, however, doesn’t settle well.  The pit of his stomach turns, biting back his words and remaining steady.  

His own sunny gaze does not break and he begins to pick apart Reek’s weaker areas.  The wound to his jaw, his shoulder, and the thin sticks he calls legs. Ukko doesn’t go for them, doesn’t make it easy for himself, and feels a pull of gravity.  Fingers grip at his fur to tug him downward but he resists long enough to hear Reek spit venom.  Heat travels through his veins, filling his body with something new, something Ukko isn’t even sure of himself.  A growl rolls deep in his chest, this time audible, once the wolf speaks down to him.  

Reek goes on about something that barely seems relevant, barely gives someone that worth of leading, that forces Ukko to lift a paw as if he might take a step forward.  He teeters only a moment as the other continues, calling him a child and digging up what is presented to be imaginary.  His eyes narrow, daring the other to come forward, before he feels it dash.  The dark wolf doesn’t relax but his tail twitches enough to lower, as well as his head, but hardly an act of submission as his blood boil.  As if Ukko could help what Reek spits out, that because he hadn’t been there from the beginning makes him any less important.

Ukko tightens his jaws as he bites back shouting everything he’s done for the pack, for his leaders, only to have his accomplishments belittled. The rumble turns into a whine; small, quiet.  His nose tilts to expose his throat when all he wants is to expose his teeth, to show Reek his own weakness. The cold air bites at the open invitation, reminding him where he stands.  The wolf remains silent, thinking better of his actions—for now.