apologies for the delay. my end-of-semester workload is ridiculous.
word count: 440
Admittedly, Theo had very little comprehension as to exactly how much wood a pack the size of Jaded Shadows would need to get through the winter. Was the main cavern the only one with a fire? Or did families sometimes burn their own? Was it a constant necessity, or only in the evenings? They were wolves after all, bearers of thickly luxurious pelts. Then again, maybe winters here were colder than what he was used to. Hell, he didn't even have an inkling how long the bloody season would last. He was quickly learning that not all of the old rules he used to live by governed here, and it would be a credit to his assimilation once he learned which ones to keep and which to discard.
"Scavenging for wood is difficult," Theodoric agreed readily. He fought the urge to grimace - as a child, it had been common duty for the youths of the family to gather tinder for fire starting. A tedious task, that was. "That's why I've taken to chopping it, see. The branches are easier to move and they burn better too, once they've dried out a bit." Although English was his native tongue, his voice was accented strongly. If his clothing and awkward mannerisms weren't enough, his manner of speaking would betray him as a foreigner.
Of course, hauling wood from point A to point B was never a pleasant task regardless of the size of the branches. Martin did not feel the need to state this fact, however, feeling it a rather obvious fact for both parties. "'s good to meet you, Endymion. I'm Theodoric Martin, but call me Theo if you'd like. My name's a bit of a mouthful. He grinned wryly, for he had always thought his name sounded rather grander than his station in life; like a name for a nobleman or great lord. Even if he became the master weaver he'd always intended on becoming, 'Master Weaver Theodoric Martin' just sounded ridiculously pretentious. It's not like there was a great shortage of talent among his fellow craftsmen.
At this point he thought of mentioning he was new to the pack, but then realized that if Endymion had taken the initiative to introduce himself then the younger fellow was probably already aware of his newcomer status. So he shifted gears and began to loosen the ax from the dead tree trunk where he had just swung and spectacularly missed. "Have you ever used an ax before? It sure is a handy tool." Theodoric was know for two things - his usual good humor and remarkable talent for stating the obvious.
