It is maybe the furthest away from the forest he has ever been, white limbs and black marked paws carrying his ebony form further and further from the woodlands of his birth and deeper into the free lands. He is nearly a year old now, all gangly limbs and ungainly stride, dark form flecked with red angel marks that stand out like little embers across his forehead and shoulder as mismatched eyes of blue and gold and silver take in the new world around him. He is a colourful child, at least in appearance, perhaps he needs to be in an effort to stand out from his siblings who are all so much larger then he- the runt amongst them, the shortest by far. Perhaps the shortest of all the Angels so far and yet he hardly seems to mind. Short simply means it is easier to go unnoticed, to slip by his over-protective brother and out into the world. He follows the river today, content in his decision, the boy a truly quiet little being, given to mind himself and remain silent rather then speak out. He is pensive perhaps, given to mind over matter and as such his thoughts are truly busy today.

To be asked to choose a path, a role within the pack to train within, is a big decision and one the male has not taken lightly by any means. Maybe he has thought on it too much, his siblings seeming to choose quickly and with assurance and yet Tzadkiel had taken several days to decide to choose this so called life path. After all, choosing a path for life was…well, he thought rather terribly important. Maybe he did take it a little seriously and yet such is the sin of those whom often think to deeply and too much upon certain issues. He very near does not notice the ashen girl as she bounces about in play, his own little features frowned in contemplation, drawn upward at the last moment as he jerks suddenly to a stop mere moments before colliding with her.

“Oh.”

The little boy’s voice is still high-pitched, a girlish perhaps, for it is hardly old enough to hold any true taint of mainlines to it, the fellow seeming truly surprised that she had appeared so suddenly before him as mismatched eyes rest upon her. There is a moment of silence, the boy seemingly lost in thought once more.

“Why…..are you running around by yourself?”

That some did not have family or siblings has never occurred to him in the same fashion that some may run for the joy of simply running has never been a thought to previously consider.

“Why are you happy?”

He never had been as entirely…normal as the others.