Sun Mote Copse let the river run

The wind blew a few stray snowflakes off the trees, as if it was conspiring with his emotions to dampen his mood. Eljay glanced back distracted when he felt a soft touch and heard his mother's voice. A smile involuntarily tugged at his lips because there was something about mommy's presence that was always soothing, no matter the circumstances. Hey mom. He breathed a sigh that formed a cloud and then vanished into thin air as soon as Wiffle had vanished from his life. As soon as she had come. It hadn't been very long that he'd gotten to enjoy her presence. And then he'd lost Elfie, too. He blamed himself, of course, wished that he could've somehow kept Elfie closer, but it felt that with every well-meant step he had only pushed his son away.

His mouth opened but he just couldn't find the words to say. He didn't know what to say. Was there anything that could be said? She knew what hurt him, and she knew that she couldn't do much about it other than be there.

The grim tranquility was brusquely disrupted by someone else. The cheer in her greeting was so out of place that it made Eljay's hackles rise a little, although it was unlikely very visible to the others. They quickly smoothed when he looked at his cheerful pack mate and her mood seemed to instantly sour, overtaken by those of himself and Finley, and she offered to go. It's okay, he said. He wasn't sure if she wanted to stay, though; he wasn't exactly the cheeriest to be around right now.