Haunted Wood Home

Charon hadn’t expected the story that came for him. Not so much because Steady had eaten her mother – Charon himself had eaten one of his wolves during the famine, because sometimes you had to do what you had to do – but that she was out on her own. He wondered if Steady knew where she was, or if she’d run away for good. He didn’t respond visibly to the cannibalism-story, not with more than a thoughtful frown to show his sympathy (not so much for the cannibalism, but more for her being out on her own). ”Are you on your own now?” he asked curiously; if Odette really had no home to return to, it was perhaps for the better for her to stay with him for now. ” ‘cause if you are, you could stay with my pack a while if you’d like.” He wasn’t sure for how long, since he intended to tell Steady and hopefully he would give her the option rather than force her home, but it wasn’t good for her to be out on her own in these circumstances either.

She asked for the bad wolf’s name then, which he was eager to give. ”His name is Lazarus. He is white with grey fur on his back. He used to be a part of my pack, but then he hurt someone and he fell off a mountain, so he’s probably not in very good shape.” He didn’t want to burden a child with his plight, but on the other hand, who knew if she would ever happen upon Lazarus. He wanted to be sure that she knew what to do if she did see him — run and come tell him where he was at.