Blackfeather Woods tides that I tried to swim against

her first words sealed with ramming force the thought that had been eating at him, one brought on by thoughts as he watched his parents. for a moment, he felt nothing, simply blinked once, and then he realized fully what it meant. He had a father, somewhere out there, one he had never laid eyes upon. The thought felt as if suddenly a weight had fallen into his back, yet he kept his focus on his mother as she continued,  daring not interrupt as emotion gradually filled a void left by sudden shock.

not only had she come to the wood for him, not only had she searched so long and hard for him when he had wandered, but her sacrifice had begun before he was even born. she left her pack, left safety and comfort and a chance at survival so that he might live. And then she had found Terich, mated him not out of love but so he might have a better chance at life. And return to beg, to grovel, only to find her pack gone. his eyes glistened, and he did not speak. He simply watched her, fierce love dancing in his eyes, and then he approached his mother quickly, pushing his muzzle into the fur by her shoulder.

"you sacrificed so much. For me." he said finally, still reeling at the fact that his father was not his own, but not angered or hurt, but understanding. And how could he, after what Vuk had done and sacrificed for him, feel something as mundane as anger toward her? He quite simply could not, and when he pulled back to glance at her speechless, for gratitude could simply not cover what he felt now. But still, he said, "thank you. I- I promise, I'll make you proud." Simple, but his dancing optics showed clearly the greatness of his emotion, the awe and love that ranged there. And he felt as if he must be quite simply the best he could be, if only to somehow make his mother's sacrifices meaningful.

but still his father brought a deep longing for the wolf he would never be, and his heart felt heavy. Dead. he would never see the one that sired him, but perhaps... "My father. Wh-what was he like?" A trepidant question, still made with heavy words and stirred deeply by the thought of what had just been revealed.