Redhawk Caldera bury me with bourbon next to a moonshine still

A long time ago. Eljay remembered those kind of words well, but he also knew well enough from experience that it never got easier. He nodded, though, dropping the subject between them; hoping that Kivaluk felt comfortable enough with him to share if he ever wanted to. Eljay could feel that the older he got, the more he wanted to help out others with their problems. Perhaps it was because he could no longer contribute as much as he used to in the arenas of hunting and patrolling, so he found himself more and more desiring to contribute something else that would help others; that would make him less of a dead weight to the pack as he aged.

An involuntary chuckle escaped Eljay at Kivaluk's next question, but only because it was a question he could've asked. He had been such a worrier when he had first been a father — though, of course, having to raise the children alone while dealing with the grief of losing his first-ever mate so suddenly had fuelled that fire — but with the years, it had certainly gotten easier. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm making fun of you, the Blackthorn explained. It's just that I used to worry about everything myself, and while there are some things that never get easier, such as those first, fragile months of their lives, there are certainly a lot of things that do. Even for those who are prone to worrying. Eljay smiled softly and kindly at Kivaluk. Each litter is a little bit easier on the mind.