Redhawk Caldera A brand new black hole in the solar system

Time for the parents to freak out? This is backdated a few days!

It wasn't strange for a few days to pass since Elwood had last laid eyes on Eljay. Although the whole family used the rendezvous site as a home base, they all came and went as they pleased. And despite the fact that Eljay had always been particularly close with his parents, he had, in some ways, become a more independent young wolf.

Perhaps Elwood should have noticed sooner, though -- especially after the commotion over Finley's heat. Eljay had been withdrawn since then, but rather than try and coax him back out of his shell, Elwood had simply let his son deal with his emotions himself. He assumed -- maybe incorrectly -- that Eljay would be fine in time, and would step up to be the biggest brother of the impending litter of puppies.

But when he was unable to find Eljay, Elwood became concerned. He wanted to talk to the boy about Finley's pregnancy and Eljay's role both as a caregiver and family member, and usually he was fairly easy to track down. Elwood couldn't seem to find a fresh scent trail, however, and he started to get worried. "Eljay?" he called, pausing. He was near the borders, having followed the most recent evidence of Eljay's presence. And while it wasn't completely fresh, it almost smelled like he had crossed into unclaimed territory. He frowned.

"Eljay?" he shouted again, and when there was no response, another name fell unbidden from his lips. "@Finley!"