Talkative Slade is talkative.
Maybe bringing up Shawchert had been a mistake. Slade had no idea how long the pack's founder had been missing; when Evelyn joined, Shawchert would have likely been gone. Now he had to tell her who Shawchert was and why he had left, even though the brindled coyote's own feelings about the former leader were still unclear. This conversation was just getting more and more... odd. What a way to live life.
After trying and failing to figure out an answer, Slade spoke and tried to keep his opinion out of his words. "Shawchert founded this pack," he started, trying to remember his conversation with the man that they had had months ago, earlier in the year. "He was a good wolf, a fair leader who did his job well. I only got the chance to see him five times in my life, but only once was he... not himself."
Slade soon found himself talking as if narrating a story, which helped the words to come much more easily, even if he wasn't able to conceal his opinion any more. "The last time I saw him... it was a few months ago. He had called the pack to a meeting, but he hadn't been himself; he was pacing, and everyone else who was already there weren't happy. I was the only one who had no idea what was going on." His voice started to rise as he remembered the least pleasant of encounters with Shawchert. "Then when the meeting started. Shawchert told us about a murderer who had been lurking in the pack. This killer had killed Shawchert's son, an innocent puppy, and wounded one of the pack's members. Even throughout this, Shawchert managed to give a hopeful speech.
"The meeting ended with one of the members" --Slade tried to keep Mars out of this, especially since he was sure that the multicolored man had left the pack-- "making a fuss. None of us left happy that day.
"That was the last time I saw him," Slade concluded, forgetting that he had already mentioned this fact. "Next thing I knew, I didn't see him at any pack meetings that the other leader, Skye Collins--maybe you've met her?--called. I went to his house to see where he was... and he was gone." With that final word, Slade stopped his story. If he had gone on he would have started to talk about how Shawchert had left without a trace, didn't even give the pack a farewell, hadn't bothered to stick around long enough for Skye's puppies to be born so she wouldn't have to have the burden of motherhood and leadership.
Slade shook his head, realizing just how much he had spoken. If only he could start a conversation as easily as he could ramble.
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