02-03-2008, 10:50 PM
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No problem, no pressure. A few gulps of fresh air were all Phoenix could take before being forced to retreat back into the warmth of the den shared collectively by the entire pack. As antsy as he was to return to his usual routine, he knew he was not yet fully recovered from his illness and chose not to tempt fate once again. He was lucky to be alive after losing so much blood and then shocking his system even further with a sudden dip in the near-frozen water. But, considering that a member of his pack was still alive and safe, it had all been worth it. That wasn’t to say he had come out of the experience without any personal gain of his own. Awakening to so many concerned faces surrounding him helped Phoenix to realize just how loved and needed he was. Though he knew he had a large family that each loved him, in the past he had downplayed his own value. Also, the memories that emerged during time sleeping—a near-death experience, perhaps where his life actually had played out before his eyes—finally allowed him to see just how far he’d come in life. The brunneous wolf had started out with absolutely nothing and now he was the leader of a pack and the patriarch of a wonderful family. That was something. He had awoken from a stupor in more ways than one. The alpha had just gotten comfortable once again in his own little niche of the pack den when he heard a timid voice call out to him. Of course, this must have been the new wolf he’d heard about. Pilot had managed the pack well while he was sick, and Phoenix was proud of his son-in-law and brother. “Right here,” Phoenix said, trying to sound as friendly as possible despite the strain of his illness enhancing the already grainy texture of his voice. “C’mon closer, I won’t bite. You’ll hafta forgive me for not getting’ up, I still ain’t at full strength. You’re… Anderung? Am I right?” He was still unused to being called “sir,” though now he could gain a sense of amusement from the irony of seeing wolves treating him with the same formality he’d treated the previous alpha. Still, he didn’t want the members of his pack—his extended family—to be in fear of him. |