Lost Creek Hollow Nemo Sine Vitio Est

Gannet didn't even need to think long on her question because the answer was obvious and true. Yes. Sometimes. Certain things were a mystery to the boy and likely always would be - a good deal of bonding was in that category. In Gannet's simple mind, bonds came down to a binary. Either a wolf was a friend, or they were not. Either he was wanted, or he was not. And once a wolf was established in one of these categories, there they stayed until they indicated it should be otherwise. The distinction between family and friend, friend and aquaintance, even friend and stranger were not things he saw or understood. And this meant that in a good many situations he had been made to feel unwanted simply because he was wanted less.

Luckily, though, he had reached a point where this loneliness didn't bother him overly much, because he had come to realize there was a world full of potential possibilities out there. Even if one place he was not needed, the next he may be, and so on. So there wasn't a lot of sadness in the answer; just thoughtfulness.

I don't think I can not be, he added, wondering at it.