The Heartwood a wild weird clime, that lieth, sublime

Lagan grinned bashfully at Cypress's complements, the dark male sure knew how to flatter. Lagan listened attentively as Cypress started to talk about a swamp- and about this Rian guy again. Now Lagan really wished he knew Rian, so he could feel in the loop. He was thinking about Rian and trying to imagine what he might look like, when Cypress threw in a wild card. A bear killed my parents. The grin flew off Lagan's face as if it had been slapped off. Cypress continued talking, but all that Lagan could think about was the other boy's dead parents.

Finley and Elwood were probably the most important wolves in Lagan's life. They were always there for him, always caring and understanding. He loved them so so much. If they both died, his world would be turned upside down. Shoot, if just one of them his world would probably implode on itself. Sure he would still have a big family to support him, all his pups, Raven, his big brother. But he would still be devastated. It occurred to him then that he wouldn't have Liffey, and suddenly he felt as if maybe he should go find her.

When Cypress finished his story, Lagan found that he had been about to start crying. Hot tears had prepared to stain the fur around his apple green eyes, so he blinked a few times to put them back. Then he said, I'm so sorry. His tail had dropped behind him, but he was doing his best to round his mood back up to a ten. Cypress asked if Lagan could teach him how to be funner, and the boy nodded, a smile beginning to return to his face.

Sure, I'm like the king of fun. I cut down boredom like a... uh... big stick! He replied, chuckling a little at his own snafu. He looked around at the forest, scanning it for something amusing. His eyes landed on a small grey stone, poking out from a patch of dirt. He bounded towards it and began digging it up, his big white paws scuffling around it. When he got it out he turned around and kicked it towards Cypress. Have you ever played kick rock? He asked.