Hideaway Strath I still press your letters to my lips.

Ariel moved to embrace him, sweeping down to his weakened frame and envelope him in warmth. The sterling youngster let himself sag against him, buried his nose among his dark fur and breathed deep the scent of him. Too tired and too broken to acknowledge the alarm bells that this wolf was a stranger and not his late mother, he was content to simply lay there.

When a question came, directed at him in a voice that was foreign to him, the perfect image of Ariel's return to keep him safe melted away. Still, he could not muster the energy or even the will to struggle free and bolt, so he emitted a soft little whimper of defeat.

"Sundance," he answered as he lifted his powder gaze to look sadly upon his guardian's raven features. "Wh...where am I?"