The broken wolf laid her head in his lap. Without really thinking about it, Hati began to stroke her brown fur, delicately avoiding the furrows where the blade had sliced into her skin. It calmed him to feel her warmth, to see her blue eyes mirroring his own as she met his gaze. The panic he'd felt since she was first carried home was beginning to ebb. The scary part was over now. "But you got so hurt, for no reason..." he whimpered, revealing some of his childish fear. "The Court has everything, there's no reason to leave. I want to stay here with you." She called him her baby. As much as Hati wanted to be seen as an adult, reliable, mature, there was a part of him that always wanted to be her child and depend on her. He continued stroking her head as she paused, laboring to breath. It would have been better if he had been hurt instead of her.
His brother Liam... he hadn't thought about Liam much since he left for the north. Being a younger sibling, Hati's feelings were mixed; getting more attention around the house was positive for him, though he felt it was an affront to his family for Liam to follow in Noah's footsteps. Liam should have visited home so that Ayita didn't worry, didn't have to venture into danger just to see him. And... A girl? It was true, there was no one in the Court that had sparked Hati's interest yet. There weren't many packmates his age here anyway, but he hadn't thought about looking for a crush outside the kingdom. Ayita and Vigilante fell in love here, hadn't they? He just assumed that the right person would come along when they were both ready. "Jiva and Liam will visit you, won't they? ...and I wouldn't want to be with someone who didn't live here," he admitted softly. The kingdom meant too much to him, he couldn't imagine ever leaving for the sake of some girl. "Besides,
He felt her shift, pulling away from him, and he watched her with concern. He hadn't hurt her, had he? She was smiling, though... putting on a brave face. Hati quickly stood, ready to fetch her the supplies she asked for. "Of course, I'll get them right away!" No need to wait for Amaranth, he could help her. The dark-furred wolfdog darted frantically from the room, swiftly locating the linen bandages in the cabinet, and a basin of fresh water from the washroom. He knew little about healing and medical techniques, and hoped fervently he would get the hang of it. Now was not the time to disappoint his mother with his slow learning pace. He padded back into the sickroom as quickly as he could manage without spilling the water, fastidiously placing it on the floor beside her. "Is this enough bandages?" he asked hopefully, plumed tail waving.
.hati001 b {font-weight:bold; color:#5b7c93; letter-spacing:1px; text-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.2em #; }
.hati001 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px;}
.hati001 {margin:0 auto; width:500px; background-color:#ffffff; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/bPhjJ.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #4d4b4d; padding: 265px 0px 5px 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#474747; letter-spacing:.3px; word-spacing:.8px; line-height:12.5px; text-align:justify;}
</style>