I was getting OLD. I mean why else would I be yawning in the middle of the day and wanting to take a nap beneath the cool sunlight? A breeze ruffles my fur as I lay sprawled out in the meadows. The urge to stretch overcomes me and I roll onto my back, thrusting paws into the air and wiggling back and forth, tongue lolling out the side of my mouth as I concentrate on stretching as good as I can before abruptly rolling back over and spreading my back legs out. As I begin to lay my muzzle upon my forelegs with a huff of contentment a short howl breaks out.

My head shoots up.

For a minute I don't even breath. No... it couldn't be... but it... what if? My tiredness is gone, erased by the storm that sudden rages beneath my skin and my emerald eyes seem to darken much like my mothers, although the blue around my pupil stalls any comparison. No, my brother inherited her red mark. My brother who had been gone so long - my brother who was missing and who haunted my thoughts when I grew too elated in life, thrusting me back down to earth.

My brother who had just howled for me!

I send up a sudden howl and it is unlike any I have before. It is filled with fury and hope and strengthen and for a moment one might mistake it as that of my mother. Her raspy tones fill me in these moments of intensity. I lunge in the direction of the call, ears back and eyes narrowed as I race across the grasses. I am SURE it was this direction, positive, and as I float across the grasses I just so happen to look down a moment before I trip over my brother's prone body.

He is so small, so god awful small for his age. Malnourishment was the key but also his sickness from the moment of birth. I tumble over him with a yelp before rolling over and staring hard at his panicked face. "Laz," I say breathlessly, unbelieving, before I suddenly push my body at a half toss/crawl at him and throw my neck over his own, one leg coming around to cover his and drag him closer to me, shaking. "Laz! You are okay! Are you okay? How did you get here? What... what has happened? Brother!"

In my excitement I pull back and begin to pepper him with questions, my voice high and half hysterical as tears burn in my throat. I had been so afraid.. so afraid I would never see him again...