Phoenix Maplewood It’s Been Awhile

Spring had not seen @Ukko since the day she had joined Phoenix Maplewood.  The female found herself wondering what the male had been up to lately and how he was faring off.  Spring padded up to the border searching for the scents of any unfamiliar wolf, but found none.  Then she sat down staring into the distance, beyond Phoenix Maplewood.  Remembering what life had once been like, and how much better it was now.

Ukko doesn’t know what he’s doing in the days since Scarlett’s death. He’d taken some time away from the territory for a little while but he came back home. He always does. Most of his time is spent on the borders, keeping himself occupied and distracted but it does little. His feet only beat a well worn path but after a while he deviates, moving inward for something a little better to hold his interest.  

He stumbles across Spring, whom he hadn’t seen since the day she’d join, and wags his tail. A smile doesn’t appear on his features but he nods, chuffing quietly to draw attention to himself. 

After awhile Spring noticed Ukko stubble across her. but he looked different.  Something seemed wrong...  The brown female perked her ears confused.  She had not yet heard of the death of one of the pack members.  “What’s wrong Ukko?”  Spring whined, concerned.

I am sorry for the delay. :(

Spring catches on to his mood and he doesn’t try to cover it up. He doesn’t know what to do with everything coursing through him. Scarlett’s death tugging at him, information about the new pack forming to the north, and just trying to keep his head afloat. While concerned he’s not quite cut out for the job, talking to someone might be enough to ease his struggles, even if only temporarily.

“Scarlett passed a few days ago,” he tells her and shrugs, lowering his rump to the ground. He doubt the woman in front of him got a chance to meet her, she hadn’t left Reek’s den since the attack, and it ultimately took her in. 

That’s fine.  I understand.

Spring’s expression saddened.  She had never heard of this wolf named Scarlett, but still found this extremely sad to hear that one of the pack had passed.  “I’m so sorry Ukko.”  Spring began at a loss for words.  “I am truly sorry.”  The brown female sat, watching Ukko with a sad gaze, though made sure to make no eye contact with him, to show respect.  “What happened?"

Ukko resists the urge to lean his nose forward and touch the other, if only to comfort himself. He didn’t get a proper chance to say goodbye to Scarlett. Having never really experienced death of someone close to him, he isn’t sure where to put all these new feelings. “Thanks,” he says with a hint of a smile but it dies away pretty quickly. “She’d been attacked by a cougar a while ago and just… didn’t get better.” He thought she’d been improving, getting better, but he’d been wrong in the long run.

“I know how you feel.”  Spring responded sympathetically.  “Before I came here my whole pack died of rabies.”  Spring remarked, then added on a side note.  “I never got the rabies virus though so you have nothing to worry about, or I would have changed a long time ago.”  Spring then continued back on topic.  “The pain will never really go away, but everyday it will grow dimmer and dimmer till grief doesn’t seem to stab at your heart so much as it once did.”  Spring said in a careful tone, trying for the right word choice.  “I never met Scarlett, but I don’t think she would want you to be sad Ukko, I think she would want you to be happy."

Spring tries to make him feel a little better, finding a common ground in how they felt, but it did little to boost his mood. She lost her entire pack, Ukko lost Scarlett—he often feels he’s lost his own pack too, but in a different sense all together. He tries to smile in a way to lift the mood but it doesn’t do much either. He’d get over it in time, he’d remember her, and eventually he’d feel better even if he knew it would take time. 

“Thanks,” he tells her, picking himself up into a standing position again. His legs feel restless suddenly but he brushes it off as he takes a few steps to stretch them out. “Settling in okay?”

Spring nodded.  "I've been settling in well, it's a really great pack here.  Thanks for asking"  Spring replied, answering Ukko's question.  

Spring went along with Ukko's changing the subject, but she found herself still fealling bad for him, hopefully fate would have pity on him and the hurt would go away soon, although Spring doubted it.