Such a lovely smile, Valeska thought. Éabha surely got it from her; the women in her family had always been praised for their remarkably straight and unusually strong teeth, with short but powerful jaws that were very, very good at holding on to things and not letting go.
Perhaps this grandchild shared those genetics. Valeska squinted to study harder.

Yes.

Perhaps.

Hmph. Her accent was strange, but it could be taught out of her, she thought. Although the older woman had been living amongst wolves who spoke the Common tongue for the greater part of her life, she still struggled with heavy accents and unusual turns of phrase, as even now it took her a few extra seconds to process what Éabha was trying to say.

I was relaxing, she said matter-of-factly, turning to prop herself up onto her side. But it seems that I shall rest когда я умру (when I am dead), as I have heard it put.

Had Dimitri taught her any Russian, she wondered?

Valeska flinched as Éabha stomped on the end of her tail, but at least it was far enough away from the infected portion not to cause more than a little jolt of pain. All the same, her features did not change, regarding her grandpup with the same warm, doting smile she always had - for this was still joy.

I am not sure where your mother is, she said, But who needs mah-maw when Babushka is ready to play!

(She was not ready to play. She was fucking exhausted.)

Nevertheless she hopped to her paws, swatting playfully at the young wolf who was pretty much her own size already, but what did it matter? Valeska barked and bolted down the hillside, anticipating Éabha to give chase.