Sangre

    The white wolf padded down the tunnel, the muscles of his shoulders rippling under his bright fur. The stark contrast to his surroundings used to be an issue, but ever since he joined this pack he hadn't had to worry about it ever again. He thought back to the last few packs he had tried to join, how they were first apprehensive about his fur, then annoyed and angry when it lost them many of their hunts. He had been kicked out of pack after pack ever since he had left his birthplace in the mountains for somewhere warmer, not realizing in his youthful excitement that white fur and cold snow went together for a reason. He paused his long stride, sighed and shook his head, then continued toward the whelping den where he would meet his new pups.
    They weren't actually his, of course, he had never even considered the possibility of pups for himself since he was always just such a mess. No, this pack had provided him with the duty of pupsitting precisely because one; his fur was quite bright, but they didn't want to just cast him away, and two; many of the wolves in this pack were also more colorful than the average wolf and had learned how to work with it. He actually felt as if he could stick around this place for a while. At the end of the tunnel, he cast the thoughts away with a smile and pushed his way through the screen of roots to see a gaggle of small pups beaming up at him.

—

    Sangre called across the hollow, "Rasp! Get off of him, he isn't for climbing!"
    The grizzled white pupsitter gave an exasperated huff and then groan as he flopped back down and rubbed his paws over his face. This particular batch of pups he had been assigned were a lot to take— well, two of them in particular very much liked to just fight with each other until Sangre wanted to swipe them over the ears and send them to opposite sides of the hollow until one or both of them left the pack. He knew that was not his pup-rearing style, nor was it likely to work, but some days they just ground his nerves to nothing that way. He was so wrapped up in his muttering and clawing the dirt that he didn't notice the presence next to him until she cleared her throat with a poorly masked chuckle.
    "Rionach! I didn't- you didn't? Did you? Because if you did I was just- you know? It's their fault," he stammered, scrambling to straighten up and then jabbing a paw at the two pups who were still fighting across the hollow.
    "I- yes, I did. I'm sure it is their fault, it usually is," the blue she-wolf said with a smirk.
    'Her eyes are sparkling,' Sangre thought, getting lost in them for just a moment too long. This sparked another chuckle from Rionach and the white wolf ducked his head, ears burning.
    "It's alright, I think you're cute when you stress about your job. Just means you care," the she-wolf shot him a quick smile before flopping down beside him to watch the pandemonium that was Rasp and Juhan's fight.

—

    Sangre stretched out in his nest, paws clawing the air as he yawned. He had slept like a rock the previous night, which was unusual for him since he was a veritable nomad. He flicked his ears and went to roll over when he realized there was another wolf there with him, and that he was not in his den. Wide-eyed, he sat up and turned around slowly to see Rionach still fast asleep. Memories of the previous night flooded back and he smiled. Last night he and the blue-furred herbalist had gone to Ataahua to become mates. It had been her suggestion, too, Sangre thought in bewilderment. She had just come up to him, made her case that they spent all day together anyway and quite enjoyed each other's company, and then a couple of hours later they were a pair.
    The white wolf grinned, caught a ray of sun beaming down into the hollow tree, and realized he was late to go and round up the pups who were surely wandering off to the four corners of the forest by now. Trying to scramble as quietly and gently as he could, he shook himself off, found his footing and bolted out of the den to find his tiny obnoxiously adorable charges. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of bright blue eyes were watching him with a smile as he left the den.

[Starting 264]