It wasn’t long after her howl had died that Sequoia heard the answering bark. It was like a whisper, an echo of the much louder sound, and she knew that it would take the leader a few minutes to reach them. The large wolf placed her head gently over her mother’s, sheltering her from the wind that ebbed and flowed as they waited. Her ears pinned back slightly against her head as she took in the stench of death that now lingered on Willow’s fur. It was overwhelming and she turned her face away from the smell. She did not want to think about that right now.
It took longer than she expected for X’yrin to greet them at the border but finally she appeared in the distance. Sequoia’s ears perked and her body became less tense as she let out a sigh of relief. The burden that she had bared alone did not seem so heavy now that she might have someone to share it with. She glanced to the older wolf beside her and nudged her very gently with her nose. “X’yrin is coming, Mom.” The elder wolf nodded slowly, the faintest hint of a smile forming on her gray lips.
They stood where they were until X’yrin was upon them. Without words the leader pressed her nose into Sequoia’s cheek and the earthen hued wolf closed her eyes and as a small whine escaped her. She had not imagined the kindness of this wolf when they last had met and for that she was grateful. She pulled back after a silent moment and looked X’yrin over. She noticed the round belly and the tell-tale sign of pups but gave no mention of it, only a slight wag of her tail in silent congratulations. “Thank you for coming.”
[/html]