300+ words.
_____For the sake of Heath's father, Vigilante hoped he would never have to meet him knowingly. His pack mate's father was the type he had normally been sent after, a sinner of higher caliber, and though he no longer chose to do that with his life, his beliefs were still very similar, and someone who had done that could never be accepted in his eyes. Instead of questioning further, like so many might do, all he did was nod his understanding. Those who did that did not deserve the life they had been given, and he could also relate when it came to losing touch with siblings. Unfortunately, he would never get another chance at having time with his only sister, but perhaps Heath's siblings might find him again later in life. He was still very young, and Vigilante assumed that his siblings were, as well, for that was the logical order of things, in his eyes.
_____"Would you mind if I came by the stables at some point and took some of the things that I might need?" he asked, his tone masking his hope, but he would not blame Heath for not wanting him to. After all, he didn't know if Heath would like anything from the stables going missing, including scraps of metal. He didn't think he could learn to read - wasn't he awfully old for such a thing? It wasn't natural to him, either - but maybe one of those books could have some pictures in them that he might be able to understand. That was all he said, however, because the fact that his pack mate knew he could not do something that seemed so natural to everyone here was embarrassing, and he did not want to dwell on that topic with Heath. He could handle learning to work with metal, he was sure. All he needed was something to work with first.