Blacktail Deer Plateau Think on me and Smile Chile

Three wolves crept forth from the plateau. First came Amelie, crawling almost hesitantly toward Sun Spark before whispering a sweet goodbye to him. Finley arrived next, approaching Peregrine and touching her nose to his neck. He turned, surprised by the woeful look on her usually goofy face, and returned the nudge. Over her shoulder, he saw Blue Willow approaching. Giving Finley an apologetic look and another nudge, he pushed past her to his grieving friend.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Willow," he said quietly, hugging his chest against her and running his tongue lightly over her cheek. He tasted tears. "I told him I'd bury him near Pied, on that little slope at the back of the plateau. He said he wanted to be buried on a hillside."

When the Beta female threw back her head to lament her loss, he stepped respectfully aside, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Finley. "He didn't live here long," he murmured to her, "but he was a great guy. Were you close?" He recalled the day the three of them had shared bear meat with Kaihra but, judging by the crumbled look on her face, she had spent significantly more time with the old timer.