Wolvember Day 2: “We need to talk.”
“We need to talk.”
Phesniza glanced at Abaise at that, and stood up from where she’d been watching Snowswept Stone and Husa play.
“Is something the matter? Are the other pups alright?”, she asked, her tail bristled slightly, worried something had happened, as Abaise did not look happy.
“Walk with me.”, the pale she-wolf said, just turning and heading towards the way out of camp.
Phesniza stood and followed, Pihyaa seeing her and walking over to watch the pups.
Abaise led Phesniza out of camp and towards the river silently, the russet pupsitter a bit uneasy now. Abaise was rarely this cold, and Phesniza hadn’t seen her like this since Tasaka had become pregnant last winter.
Phesniza almost ran into her leader as she stopped, scrambling backwards a bit to avoid bumping into her as Abaise turned to her.
“I understand why you did what you did, but you need to be prepared for the fact that Husa is your responsibility.”, she said. “Winter will be here soon, and we do not know what these woods hold for us.”
Phesniza sat down, lowering her head slightly, her ears tilted backwards a bit. “I know.”, she said softly. “And I know it wasn’t my place to bring another mouth to feed here, but I couldn’t just leave her.”, she said. “She would have become something’s meal.”
Abaise sighed softly. “I said I understood why.”, she said. “I would have done the same. But we have many more wolves this winter than we did before, and we have lost pups in the middle of spring. You just need to prepare yourself to take care of her. I’m not asking you to hunt for her, but she is not blood, and she is too young to pull her weight yet. Food will go to those with duties first.”
Phesniza nodded. “I understand.”, she said, flicking her tail slightly. “If all else fails, I can always try to catch rabbits or squirrels.”, she said.
Abaise hummed slightly at that. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”, she said. “If my younger three were still pups, I would implement the same rules for them.”, she said.
“But they’re going to be adults soon.”, Phesniza said. “Hunters. They need to gain muscle and strength. We all know that.”, she said.
Abaise sighed, and nodded. “I wish they were ready now, it would definitely make it easier for us to hunt in winter. But for now we must just prepare ourselves for what’s to come, and make sure we’re ready to face what winter holds for us here. I pray it’s kinder than our winter in the other camp.”
Phesniza nodded. They’d camped in the woods to the east for awhile the previous year, including throughout the winter, and it had been a bit of a struggle, their hunters rarely coming back with more than a rabbit or beaver, even once spring had started. Abaise had moved them back closer to the grasslands they’d first called home, into the deeper, dryer forest, and they’d had much more luck, regularly feasting on elk or buck deer.
“Let’s hope.”, Phesniza said softly.
Abaise just sighed, and stood, the reddish pupsitter standing as well.
“We should head back to camp. I just didn’t want to put you on the spot in front of the others, or in front of Husa.”, she said.
Phesniza dipped her head slightly at that. “Thank you. It would have been a bit too much for her.”, she said.
Abaise nodded, and sighed. “You’ll learn with her how to make difficult choices when you need to.”, she said. “There are times that you must put the greater good of the pack above your own blood, and times where you must put your feelings to the side, no matter what position in the pack you hold. I only pray that you find it easier than I do.”, she said, before she brushed through the shrubs lining the river bank, and headed back towards camp, Phesniza following her leader, understanding her just a little bit better.