From atop the slight knoll his voice lifted, calling out across the expanse of freelands that lay before him. When his howl came to an end, Sleekwing's ears perked forward and he listened. For a time simply stood there, listening and waiting, watching and hoping. No answer rose in the breeze, and the juvenile frame of his son did not come loping into sight. After a while, Sleekwing shook out his coat before circling and lowering his frame to the ground. Despite a lack of an immediate response from Israfel, the elder male thought it best to give his son some time. So he laid atop the small hill, head raised and ears pricked to attention. Deep blue eyes haloed in lavender peered out across the landscape, and he breathed deeply of the air at this lower altitude than he was accustomed to.

Before long, the beat of a wolf's paws caused an ear to flick to the side, his head quickly turning to follow it. And there he was - no longer a boy, but a young man striding quickly towards him. A smile broke across Sleekwing's features, joyous to see his son, and a weight lifting from his shoulders. He oft worried about repeating the mistakes of his father - as many wolves do - creating an unbridgeable distance between himself and his sons like Alcide and Swallowbane had. But the happiness that was clearly etched on Israfel's features made his heart swell with happiness, and he quickly rocked up to his feet (though perhaps not so quickly as he might have in years past). Jogging down the hill he shifted into a lope, unabashed in his eagerness to be reunited with his son.

He couldn't help but chuckle at Israfel's greeting. "Israfel, come, let me see you!" He slowed to a standstill as the son circled the father, and pivoting to watch him as he moved. "Yes, just me - I'm sorry it's taken so long. But your old man is retired now, so we've got all the time in the world. Come then, show me around. How have you been? Well, it seems." Liquid Amber had been right, he seemed healthy and as though he looked after himself well enough. And despite Israfel's independence meaning more distance between him and the mountains of his birth, it also brought Sleekwing great pride to see his boy thriving.