Sun Mote Copse Let this moment be the first chapter: where you decide to stay

His mother sat back, and the tension between his Mom and his sister went unnoticed as he gleefully nipped, mouthed and slobbered at Nellie's cheeks and shoulders as he kept her pinned for a moment longer, growling and arching his neck victoriously before he graciously stepped off her, allowing her to get back to her feet. It was remarkable, how much she looked like a younger version of their Mom- but given the fact that she was now nearly an adult, the two would be difficult to tell apart from a distance. Nellie's caramel dorsal stripe and the slightly warmer, deeper shade of her eyes were dead giveaways- but the shape of her features and frame were still frighteningly similar and familiar. He smiled, looking into her eyes; they were just like his, and in being that shade, they were just like Colt's as well. The memory was slightly bittersweet- but the reality warmed him, knowing that at least this time, the one with the hot bourbon eyes had come back to life. 

"Missed you, dorkus," He said, straying from sentimentality for a second, before it caught up with him, and he reached out to gently touch his nose to her cheek in a brotherly way. "An' you better not leave us again," He said, pulling back, revealing the slight residue of insecurity left behind by loss.