Blacktail Deer Plateau Missed You

Pema wanted to go in to the den, and Lavender was more than happy to welcome her. She bounced alongside the larger wolf and squeezed in to the den beside her, greedy for the warmth her body produced (at least until the den space had filled with their combined heat). I did! Of course, Lavender nodded eagerly, having spent so much time in the den now that it would be strange to see any mess. Everything was right where it ought to be - well, except for the pelt that had once lined the floor; there were some grass stains, some small tears, and it wasn't centered the same way.

On top of that, crumpled in the corner, was a fresh pelt which lent a strange aroma to the otherwise normal den. It was musky and perfumed like a coyote, and a mixture of darker tones that made the hide almost indistinguishable from the den's shadowy depths where it sat discarded. Lavender spotted this and grabbed at it excitedly, pulling it towards Pema hastily at first and then with some care, tried to set it up to show off for her.

Look what dad got me! The front limbs had been amputated from the skin and some holes had been torn in where the shoulders ought to have been. The rest of it tapered along the den floor and ended at a bushy tail. Lavender grinned at her mother and her little stump of a tail was wagging furiously. Dad said we were going to move soon, and this'll keep me warm!