Blacktail Deer Plateau iii. time flies

Grayday's dropped his reproving expression as soon as Dawn looked sufficiently regretful. "You'll have plenty of time after you heal," he assured her. "Before winter, even." He hated chastening his children, even though he knew it was oftentimes for their own good. It seemed that, in this case, Dawn had learned as much of her lesson as mere words were likely to impress on her. Satisfied with this, the father's mind wandered to other, related topics.

"I love this time of year," he said to his daughter, tail sweeping idly behind him. "My mother - I wish you could've known her - she called it 'breathe deep'. It stretches from the last day of summer to the first day of the breeding season. It's a time for slowing down, and fattening up, and drawing close into the pack," he explained. "As the seasons change, they bring changes in our spirits as well. There's no season more lonely than winter, they say - but when you have a pack to share it with, there's nothing that brings you closer."