i know the rules, the weaker trees bend; tamlin

[Tamlin]

It’s a victory that the blue wolf - Sky - does not run away but rather sits, as though she’s amused by his attempts to greet her. And then she speaks. At first, he doesn’t catch on. He’s too busy focusing on what she said. “Bird! Hey that’s not very ---” And then it clicks. The one thing that he couldn’t make his wolf-friends do was talk. No matter how hard he tried! He was learning what different howls and yips and barks meant through trial and error but talking was just something they could not do. “WAIT!” His shout alerts Thorn the Third and Tamlin drops his head in a quick apology before his attention focuses on Sky. “You’re not a wolf!” Another pause. “Well, you are, but I’ve got enough siblings to know a wolf shapeshifter when I see one.” These words, he realizes after the fact, would be absolute nonsense to someone who doesn’t know his siblings and how thoroughly wolves were woven into their identities. He decides against explaining right now, however, and just stares at her with joy and disbelief. The stories about his family would surely already muddle this already confusing situation up even more and he is trying very hard not to ramble and seem like a complete idiot for not guessing that the blue wolf wasn't a real wolf in the first place. “Sorry about the made-up names, I didn’t realize I could just ask. None of the others complained about what I named them.” He glances over to Thorn the Third and Sparkle Ear and wonders whether they had any objections. Of course not, those were great names! “What is your name? Mine’s Tamlin, but you can call me Bird if you really want.” The insult he felt just moments ago was exaggerated and he finds his smile again - wondering if it’s possible to befriend a wolf he has absolutely no way of controlling. tamlin

image from pixabay

@[winslow]