Silver Creek red sky in morning

Oleander was nothing if not enthusiastic, if that was even the appropriate word.  Denial would have been more fitting, if he was being honest with himself, but when had he ever been that?  Shit, he was hundreds of miles away from his home and his family pretending like he didn't miss his mother like crazy.  The only thing keeping him moving forward as acting as though everything was fine and dandy; denying that anything was wrong seemed like the safest way to live.  Deny, deny, deny.  Did he genuinely think Mauti would be able to hunt for herself one day?  Yes. Maybe.  He didn't know, but as long as he kept ramming full speed ahead without thinking negative thoughts, he assumed things would be fine. "Yeah, which is pretty impressive considerin' how big he was.  Moved like a ghost." Actually, he moved like a bumbling, three-legged disaster.. but those were quiet sometimes.  Mauti was more lithe and agile, so he had hope she would succeed wherever Hale had failed. His ear twitched at her admittance.  "Well, do I at least smell nice?" he asked with a crooked grin, hoping to God she would at least pretend.  Oleander was a very clean wolf and took his hygiene very seriously, so any criticism would send him straight to a lake to bathe.  Maybe after he would roll in some flowers.  Anyway.  "There's deer out there.  You know what a deer smells like, think about it.  Let's walk until you smell it," he encouraged with a nod.