Phoenix Maplewood down for me

he fell silent as she began to speak, happy that she was offering her story. the delight turned to sorrow, soon enough. his mouth curved downwards in a troubled frown, eyes soft as he looked at her, as she asked him her questions. without hesitation, he shook his head, and then nodded--'no' to her first query, and 'yes' to the second.

"desdemona, i wouldn't even know how to define 'vile blood,'" adi murmured, coming to a halt and giving her a kind--if intense--stare. "my opinion is there's no such thing. wolves should not be judged by flesh and bone. it is their heart and character that matter most, at least to me. and i hope to the rest of the wolves in this pack, as well."

he sighed, looking absently out past the trees, to the open land beyond. "i never knew my father," he continued. "he left my mother while she was pregnant. i suppose by that definition, i, too, am a bastard. but does it matter?" aditya returned his gaze to desdemona, shaking his head. "not here, it doesn't. you and i. . .our worth is determined by what we do, what we give. not who sired us."

the sentinel smiled. "i suppose, in that regard, family is everything and nothing here, too," adi reasoned. "we look out for each other, as if we all share the same blood--but where that blood came from in the first place. . .matters not." he touched his muzzle to her dark shoulder quite gently, holding it there for a moment before pulling away. "you're one of us, now. and i'm happy to have you here."