Cold. The air was cold. The ground was cold. Everywhere was laced with white stuff on the ground. The brown pup was playing with an old bone he found. Smacking it around the ground. He wasn't sure where he was. What he was doing. But he was having fun. Everything he knew was like nothing in his mind.

Fat and tall he was, waddling around as he would paw the bone towards a tree. All was fine until he smacked it right into a fox den. It was now stuck in a hole he couldn't get to, reaching his paw into the den trying to grab it out. Tail swaying with frustration.

A voice turned him from the toy he was playing with. A soft voice.. A familiar voice. It tugged at his heart. Almost like he could see an invisible blue string tugging him from where the voice came from.

Onto his white tipped toes he went. A swift flick of his chubby tail, ears cupped forward. Following the voice quietly until he found a den. Inside it was another. A brown wolf draped in various other colors. And she smelled of others.

But the voice.

He knew that voice.

Didn't he?

Mama? His voice called softly into the den. Reed hadn't seen a woman named mama in.. ages. Or heard of her, how he chased and chased for that familiar voice. The longing finally was no more.

Mama, is ok. His voice was sharp, uneven. Words were difficult since he had been alone.. for so long. Perhaps he didn't have to be now. He found her. Momma, I know thingies feel hard right now, but you not alone. If she so allowed it, he would move to try and walk towards her. A little chubby thing. But he was determined, this was mama. And hopefully not him picking a random stranger to be his mom.

This trudged back his memories.. A blank slate. How he was left alone for a while, everyone turned an eye to him. No one taught him anything. No one wanted to befriend him. How quickly he learned how things could turn harsh, but that didn't stop him from trying anything.

N/A

---

She moved for him to curl with her. Immediately he wasted no time to huddle into her fur.  Brown fur entangled with her warmth. His head rubbed against her chest, almost cat-like. And he snuggled up close to her. His chubby body pressed to hold the warmth he so desperately craved.

Otay He heard her but didn't process every bit she said. Reed knew, knew that this had to be mama. Even if she didn't know it, one day he'd tell her. Or she'd find out. Right now he wanted snuggles. Snuggles with the person he's missed for so long.

Skill: Heartbroken

---

The built man trotted back towards the place where they'd been last and he smiled around the blooms in his mouth, proud of himself for such a thoughtful gift would surely make the queen smile.

He smelled it before he heard her...

That ever looming scent of death...

He knew it well from his past, the way they'd sent the bodies to the sea on a raft covered in flowers and trinkets...

Stopping in his tracks icy blue eyes flung open wide and he had to do everything in his power not to drop the flowers to his alabaster paws. Thats when he heard her, his queen, his name, and he went running as fast as his limbs could carry him to the origin of the sound.

When he arrived he found Mauve pressing on a tiny brown puppies chest... He felt tears spring to his eyes... It was a child...

Riptide walked over to the scene and looked from Mauve to the puppy and back to Mauve, he placed the flowers next to the woman preforming CPR and a solemn look crossed his face as he spoke softly to her. Mauve... He's gone... Riptide whispered, his eyes tearing up, the sting of hot wet forming along the edges as he fought to hold them back by biting his lip.

I'm so sorry.... He continued as the man pressed his nose to the boys crown passionately and filled with compassion for the life that once was... The life he never knew...

Skill: Heartbroken

---

Riptide heard the crack of broken ribs and he winced away from them. The sound echoing throughout the area and he felt it rattle in his brain, his eyes shut tight as Mauve let out a scream that twisted his insides like a freaking knot. He shied away momentarily until she began speaking broken bits and pieces that he felt draw towards and the male, full of compassion and warm light, took a few steps towards her.

The slightly larger male, and only a tad bit larger due to gender, suddenly pressed himself to her. Hoping the closeness would help he closed his eyes and pressed his chin to her crown. Breathe... Breathe... You have to Breathe Mauve... The heartbroken male whispered into her ears as he tried to soothe her with the comfort of his body. When he was like she was all he wanted was a hug... Maybe this would help her too...