yesh, it is a shame. sorry for the wait!

Oak had never experienced a betrayal. His trust was always reinforced by the wolves of Crimson Dreams, his mother, Savina and Kansas, Ghita, and quite honestly, everyone else. He was surrounded by people who would never harm him and who always reassured his safety in their presence. His mother had taught him that not all wolves were so trustworthy, but he did not exactly know how to tell if he was being tricked. He was lucky with this male. Shawchert could easily had manipulated him after the initial assurance that he was a friend.

However, the man kept up his kindness, apologizing for frightening the boy. Oak furrowed his brow at him, laughing. Is okay, really! he spoke, wagging his ash-tipped tail. It wasn't Shawchert's fault that he had gotten scared, it was his own. I'm Oak. Nice to meet you. He dipped into a little bow to go along with his introduction. It was very important to be gentlemanly.

When the man laughed, Oak felt a small shock of disappointment, seeing before the other even spoke that he was not magic. He didn't allow himself to get too upset, however. This wolf's lack of magical attribute did not mean that magic didn't exist. He would just continue to look for it elsewhere. Besides, Shawchert had done something nearly as intriguing, for it was in common with one of Oak's favorite acitivities. I like to climb trees, too! he exclaimed. Looking at the Oak tree from below, he could see that its branches were too high for him to gain purchase upon them. He would be Shawchert's size soon, though, and climbing trees like this would be no problem.

Oak loved to pretend. Following the male's lead, he ducked low to the ground to hide from the "others," keeping his voice soft. Can I have wings too?

mr. shawchert menue!

Because of his mother, Oak was very familiar with the names of the plants and trees that grew all around them. He even knew a little bit about how they functioned, though that was a hard concept for him to understand. Plants were so different from the creatures that could move. The latter depended on other living things to survive, yet the trees took all they required from the sun and weather alone. The little boy was in awe of their existence, still often wondering whether or not the trees had thoughts and feelings just as he did, though his mother had informed him that they worked differently from wolves in that regard too. He respected the plants deeply. Without them, there would be nothing else; they were preceded only by the Sun.

Oak nodded vigorously at the male's information. I knows we do! My mama named me after this kinda tree, he shared exuberantly. Oaks grew big and strong, towering above many other of the tree species. He hoped he would grow into a mighty specimen of wolf just as the oak was a mighty specimen of the trees. Shawchert had an interesting idea about why trees were wonderful things, and Oak agreed. Their usefulness as vantage points was yet another thing to attribute to their magnificence. Yeah, an', an', they give us food, trees and plants. 'Cause, you know, deers eat leaves and bunnies eat grass, an' we eat the deers and bunnies, he explained seriously, aware that Shawchert probably knew already.

The adult spoke again before taking off in leaps around the trunk of the oak tree. The sapling giggled in delight, sensing a chase, and took off after the male. Before we fly dere, though, I'mma swoop down wiff my wings and get you! he shrieked happily.