Worry was a near constant in my heart, my little Story is sick and my cures simply delay the inevitable. The medical mind takes over when I am with her, and I make sure to keep her apart from the other two pups in my litter, I am surprised neither of them are struck with the same crippling disease as Story. She has made it through late spring and summer, but I am not sure how long these symptoms will last, and the wobble she possesses is worrisome as well. And as if my daughter was not enough to worry about, Mortz spends every day trying to atone for something I cannot find the power to hold a grudge for. Why he continues to apologize for last winter I will never know, but it has been done. I have forgiven him and moved on, unless there is something that I am not seeing. Insecurity is eating me alive and I am slowly losing confidence to even teach the two young minds I have taken as apprentices. So much emotion to process.

I make my way to the beach through the dunes, Rune and Novel off to play somewhere and Story sleeping in her sandy den, Mortz off doing Mortz things, and I find myself with more time than I really know what to do with. Ravenna and Sciathan are off on an herb hunting expedition and I need some much overdue Riopat time. My white form cuts over the equally white sand of my beachy home, the rocks giving way to coast as I make my dash for the surf. It is not long before I spot the form of my king, and a smile breaks over my face. I have not spoken to Tesseract in some time, and I suppose part of me is angry with his decision to have Mortz escort the princess to Diveen for the winter. I needed him here too, but it was his decree, and thus I cannot dispute it - but, I could request he not do it again. There are others who would escort her. I could not bear to lose my mate to his imprint, it would crush me.

"Tesseract, hi!" My tones are open and friendly, not at all the sullen trap of misery they were when I arrived, my spirit in tact once more. In a way, Glorall and Tesseract have held me together, and if I must pay a winter for it, why not? Only the sight of my Alpha reminds me that I am a pack wolf, and I must keep the pack strong. Perhaps, in this season, it is time for Glorall to come together and make a feast of our own. I could hunt, and Tesseract appears to be in the act as it is. I wonder if he could really catch a sea bird.