For a pup so young, she moved of the slippery rocks with skill and grace. Halcyon felt his eyes widen in surprise more than once as the two raced across the crags. When they reached the den, both crowded inside comfortably and hid from the dangers outside. Halcyon waited for her to reply to him and smiled at how soft her voice was. Lailah was her calling and at the mention of Spirane his ears pricked up. The young rouge had been to the mountain pack not too long ago to find some of the lost members of his late parent’s old pack. What were the chances this child was a daughter of one of them? Probably too slim for him to even mention.

” Lailah,” he said, testing the name on his tongue. ” That’s a pretty name.” For a moment nothing was said as the two of them shared in the others warmth. Then the girl spoke again, her voice like honey and gentle like a summer breeze. ”You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone would have done.” There was a sudden change in the girl. Hal watched as her ears flattened and she avoided his gaze. Then she spoke and the young pup had to lean forward slightly to hear what she was saying. ”Why are you alone?”

It is the same question he has asked himself many times. How was he to answer if not even he knew? He pondered this for a moment. He looked out the den entrance and saw the first few flake of snow fall to the ground. This would be his second winter without the care and love of his parents. Was that why he was alone? For a long time he was silent and he thought how to answer. Then, without taking his eyes of the falling snow he said, ”My parents once ruled over their own pack. I don’t remember much but I do remember seeing how happy everyone was there. I was a prince, the youngest of all my siblings. But that didn’t last long. The pack was attacked and my parents were defeated. All the wolves ran from the land and I was separated from my family. Some ran to your home in Spirane. I only just learned that my mother died from her wounds and my father died from the imprint bound he shared with her. So, I guess to put a long story short, I’m alone because I have nowhere to go. “

He didn’t sound sad or angry about the situation, at least, not on the outside. Halcyon did his best to make it sound like he was talking about the weather. He returned his gaze to the small angel sitting beside him and gave a soft smile. It seemed to say ’Don’t worry about me. I will be fine.’ The, hoping to change the subject from himself he asked, ”What about you? What are you doing out here alone? Aren’t your parents worried about you?”