Phoenix Maplewood All the King's Men

The silence between them doesn’t linger terribly long before Reek begins to speak and it catches Ukko off guard.  He expected a conversation about what happened on both sides, a punishment—or at least, a warning—but the words that came from his leader surprised him.  Apologithe. Apologize. The younger wolf narrows his eyes a little to try and focus, ears cupped forward to catch every word as he waits for the apology but as Reek continues to speak, Ukko doesn’t exactly hear one. 

Ukko looks away once Reek goes quiet, leaving the question lingering between them.  The smart thing to do would be take whatever apology this is and go with it, to let Reek off the hook, but where would that leave him?  Still bitter? Unhappy? He suddenly releases a breath he doesn’t realize he’s been holding, licking at his lips to clear his mind. Part of him wants to take the apology and turn and leave and forget about it, but something keeps him from budging.  He recalls the words Reek spat at him that day left his thick fur bristled in anger and to an extent Ukko won’t admit, hurt. 

“I was carried away with my intention,” Ukko tells him.  His encouragement of his leader, albeit tough, hadn’t ended when it should.  He doubted his leader that day.  Whether or not he does now, he isn’t sure.  “But you wouldn’t have said those things if you didn’t believe them,” he adds, knowing most accusations in anger are often underlying frustrations, built up over time.  Ukko hadn’t thought he’d been so far under the other’s skin.