Morningside Cuesta What if

It seemed that his soft reassurance was enough for the shy Lavender to run forward and join in the fun, and Sunny made a small oof as the she pup barrelled into his side. She was barely big enough to actually make any pain but he felt like he should pretend to give her confidence. He gently bopped her on the head with his paw as he remained on his back, his eyes wandering from pup to pup until they found Dauntless who was a few feet away and barking with excitement. He grinned and laughed his tail thumping against the ground between his hind legs and he made a low whuffing sound,inviting the boy to come forward. 


The belly flop from his brother was unexpected but he snorted and then cracked up, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he laughed loudly and without inhibitions. It felt amazing to play like a pup again, to have a break from the hunting and working he constantly did in Easthollow to train himself and keep his mind off of things that made him sad. Things like how he missed his father and his sister even more than he had expected to, and things like how he occasionally considered telling Valette he had made a mistake. Shaking his head and snapping out of his thoughts he picked up on what his father said and turned to look at him, offering a wide grin that he hoped hid the moment of sadness "Of course I will pa. There isn't a reason for me to stay away anymore" he said softly.