Sun Mote Copse let the river run

It was not lost on Finley that while she and Towhee had been able to celebrate the safe return of their respective children, Eljay had been left to look on with still no word of his own. Fin too felt the sting that was Elfie's loss, but she knew it was different for a parent than it was for any other member of the family. She also knew that for a wolf like Eljay who felt as deeply as he did, it was ten times worse than it would be for any other.

Fin had been seeking him that day, and (as usual) he hadn't been to hard to find. She recognized the setting easily and felt her own heartstrings playing a somber tune. She strode up to his side and touched her nose gently against his temple. "Hey Jaybird," she said fondly, pulling out an old nickname that had first slipped her tongue when he'd been just a tiny pup, wriggling at her side.