Sun Mote Copse mandatory hugs every time you walk through the door.

Being the first taste of death since his father had passed away, the news of his aunt and uncle's passing made him shy away from others, incapable of dealing with how he felt. In part, he was transported back to the hurt he'd felt when he'd seen his father lying there, dead. It had scarred him to see his father so wounded, and to watch him progressively become weaker until the illness crept into his skin and took hold of him in its unshakeable grasp. He had recognized his father's pain and had been able to smell the scent of infection- but he hadn't realized then that it meant that it would lead to death. He hadn't seen it coming- and it had knocked the wind out of him. 

He couldn't believe, then, when he was told that Finley and Elwood had passed. He had noticed the signs of aging, of course- in the way Finley limped, in the coarseness of their fur, in the way their frame was less soft, and more hollow in places. But he hadn't believed that it would lead them to death this soon. What he didn't realize, of course, was that they had lived a life more long and full than most wolves did, but that didn't matter to him. The shock of their sudden, albeit peaceful departure, rattled him. He didn't believe it, and felt himself tied up and preoccupied with the realization that everyone died. His mother would, Towhee would, Nellie would, and he would. He'd saved Sugar Glider from an attack which could've killed her, if he hadn't intervened- and maybe she would never make it back from the Frosthawks. The world was more savage and unpredictable than he ever could have imagined and so, he was left thinking- why bother?

He probably wouldn't have noticed Figment had he not been silhouetted against a patch of white flowers. The wind was at his back, so he hadn't picked up Figment's scent. He balked slightly, more our of surprise than anything that he'd walked as far as he had without really watching where he was going...How long had he been lost in thought? 

He cleared his throat, as though to poise himself a bit more, when he considered Figment again. Out of the other male pups that had been born into the pack the same year as him, Figment seemed to have the best head on his shoulders. Bronco was quick to judge, and often held grudges horrible grudges- which was why he'd never forgiven Elfie, he'd never grown to like the easily-ruffled Crow, and found Penn's sense of humour to be a bit on the dark side. Figment seemed fairly rational and demure, which used to make him feel fairly grounded. But now...

"So..." He said, softly. He eyed the dark boy, who was a lankier than Bronco was- but they were both adolescents on the cusp of 'adulthood,' and that particular age tended to flatter no one. Figment being a bit lanky made him appear more unassuming, which suited his personality well; he didn't look like the sort of wolf that would ever grow into a frame that would be threatening. Bronco couldn't imagine Figment baring his teeth threateningly. But this guy- this was now...Well, they weren't just packmates anymore, thanks to their parents. 

Bronco shrugged, having begun a conversation that wobbled like an arrow with only two vanes. "You, uhm." He looked down at the flowers, which he thn realized Figment had been picking. His ears turned back. He knew what flowers were for. He remembered the sight of Sugar Glider, carrying flowers in her mouth. Maybe she'll never make it back... The thoughts crept into his mind like water slipping under a door. He swallowed hard, and shrugged again, trying to calm his anxiety, which presented itself obviously as he ran his tongue over his lips and furrowed his brow. His feet were squared, and his posture stable- but he couldn't keep eye contact with Figment- not knowing that death was on the air, and that this was his new, but undiscussed step-brother. "You doing okay?" What else was he supposed to ask? He knew his Mom would want them to get along- and he had no problem with that. He liked Fennec, and Figment was so much less a jerk than the other guys- who were actually directly related to him. Somehow, being related to someone by marriage felt different. His Mom had chosen to make Figment's Dad a part of their family- and now the rest of them had to acclimatize.