Phoenix Maplewood the old wolf remembers

The old wolf didn't have to squint to see the sudden flash of meaning in those murky eyes before her. And then she looked at the murky eyes themselves. At one blink ugly as sin, at the next blink peculiarly handsome, with a richness borne of living life. And the voice — that was familiar too, in a manner that made her heart twinge curiously. But perhaps that was because he had just said: "Do the names Adric and Cato Finch mean anything to you?" A loaded question.

Boris and Firtha exchanged glances. They were so young that not even their parents would remember Adric and Cato, but they'd heard those names — and fell silent now as they watched ancient history make a strange comeback.

Sons of mine, she said simply.

Brow furrowing in curiosity, Shreya took a few tentative (and creaky) steps forward to sniff lightly in the young male's direction.