It turned out that Amarte had been spending every day in the dragon wolf family's glade since shortly after she'd been allowed to go exploring on her own. She had always enjoyed their infant excursions into the forest the best out of all the little day trips Piper chaperoned them on and as soon as she got the chance she began stealing away into the cover of the woods.
She had met up with Kheiron and Avon's litter shortly after she began venturing out alone she decided to see how far she could go without getting lost. When she heard the sounds of puppies playing she was drawn to their clearing and with little regard for potential consequences she bounded right into the fray. Kheiron and Avon had been a bit surprised at first, but had seen no reason to take issue with her presence, she minded for herself and always came and went without seeming to need any assistance.
She quickly formed a bond with the clumsiest of their puppies, little Lubomir, and before long the two were nearly inseparable despite his chronic bumbling and her boundless energy seemingly being at odds with each other.
And so it had been going for weeks before she got caught by her nosy sister, Piper. Now here she was, sitting in front of her parents and the very sister who had betrayed her, awaiting her fate. Kristol looking apprehensive, Piper looking smug, but the look on Avery's face much harder for her young puppy mind to decipher, could it be... pleased? No way. She flattened her ears back and lowered her head, sure she was about to be told she'd never get to see her best friend again.
But Avery surprised them all with his gentle words. He was elated that one of his children had crossed the invisible boundary between the domestic dogs and the dragon wolves and made a friend in the forest. It was as though all the stories he'd grown up hearing and had tried to pass on to his own pups had finally had some purpose and he was beaming over how open minded Amarte had been for one so young. Amarte's heart leaped in her chest, she loved spending her days with the exile pack and couldn't believe her luck that her father didn't see anything wrong with it. But out of the corner of her eye she saw the scowl that passed between her mother and her older sister, this victory was going to come at a price, she could feel it.
Kristol had remained mostly silent throughout the discussion but now she cleared her throat and spoke up.
"I know you've always said that the forest is safe and that the wolves don't really mean us harm, but, Dear, I just can't believe that its really a good idea to allow her, Amarte, our very young daughter, to go wandering around alone in the woods, playing unsupervised with, with... Wolves!" She made a face and spat the word out as though it tasted terrible on her tongue. "I think it would be best if she didn't continue with this habit, at least not until she is considerably older, but even then, those... puppies... will be older also and could be more of a risk, I just don't like this idea, it just seems so dangerous!"
Amarte's jaw dropped, she felt horrified at her mother's reaction. How could she still think the wolves were dangerous, after all that her father had always said, after her real life experience with them being gentle and loving and caring. She whined, she cowered, she felt like her heart had dropped out of her chest. From the first day she stumbled upon the exile dragon wolf family she had felt like she had found where she belonged and somehow her mother couldn't get past her town dog upbringing to understand that.
Dolefully Amarte lay there looking pitifully up at her parents and sister, waiting. When Avery spoke next no one was sure what to expect, but as always he was wise and calm and had a solution.
"I know this is confusing for you, Kristol my love, but I know if you look inside yourself you can feel how much these wolves mean to our daughter, young though she may be. And I know you think that there's great risk in what she's been doing. However, I think if any harm would have been forthcoming from this family it would have happened already. I know that what I have to say about it isn't going to allay all of your fears, but this presents us with a solution to another problem we would be facing soon anyway," He turned and looked to Piper. Kristol followed his gaze with a puzzled look on her face, and from the floor Amarte looked up at her sister, also confused.
"Piper has been hanging about around the house since she was a pup, and while we can use the help, its not really good for a girl to be stuck at home her entire youth. I've been wondering how to get her out and about and I think this gives us a perfect opportunity. Since the two of you," he nodded at Kristol and Piper, "are so concerned about Amarte's comings and goings, perhaps she could use a chaperone. Then she would have someone present to assist her should she ever need it, and you, Piper, would have a reason to get out of the house more." With this Avery sat back on his haunches, pleased with his decree.
Piper looked intently at her sister for a moment, then back and forth between her parents. She loved spending time around the shop and taking care of things around the house, but now that the younger pups were getting old enough to be on their own she HAD felt as though something was missing and that she could use something to occupy her time. But chaperoning outings to a wolf encampment? She wasn't sure that was the ticket to filling the void in her life. But her parents had always looked out for her and supported her, and if this wasn't going to be a good move they wouldn't be pushing her to do it. Gradually she bowed her head in acquiescence.
Avery, still beaming about the situation and his decision looked from his daughters to his mate. Kristol sighed. This wasn't exactly what she had had in mind, but she honestly couldn't really argue with him, it WAS a pretty good idea and would get Piper out of her hair a bit more. She loved her daughter dearly, and appreciated all of her help, but it was beginning to feel as though she would never have a life of her own and that wasn't something that she wanted for her. She nodded solemnly at Avery, the decision finalized.
On the floor Amarte wiggled with excited puppy energy, it might not be a flawless victory, but the option to continue to go see Lubomir and his family under any conditions was still a victory!
* * *
The next morning bright and early Amarte bounded down the streets of Seren. One of the perks of being chaperoned was that she no longer had to sneak around to get out of town. She frolicked and danced as she made her way, Piper stalking behind her in a less pleasant mood.
They made their way to the clearing in the woods and Amarte shot into it like a bolt, bowling over both Lubomir and one of his sisters in her excitement. The three pups rolled tail over snout right up to Kheiron. They looked up at him sheepishly from their heap and he smiled down at them.
"Why the rush, Amarte? We aren't going anywhere," he chuckled.
Under her fur, Amarte blushed, suddenly aware that none of them knew that she was almost not allowed to come back and how excited she was to still be there.
She gave a nervous laugh as she and the other two pups got to their feet and shook themselves out. "I-I'm just really happy today. My, uh, my parents found out I've been coming here and-" but Kheiron cut her off.
"Your parents didn't know you've been here all this time?"
She had met up with Kheiron and Avon's litter shortly after she began venturing out alone she decided to see how far she could go without getting lost. When she heard the sounds of puppies playing she was drawn to their clearing and with little regard for potential consequences she bounded right into the fray. Kheiron and Avon had been a bit surprised at first, but had seen no reason to take issue with her presence, she minded for herself and always came and went without seeming to need any assistance.
She quickly formed a bond with the clumsiest of their puppies, little Lubomir, and before long the two were nearly inseparable despite his chronic bumbling and her boundless energy seemingly being at odds with each other.
And so it had been going for weeks before she got caught by her nosy sister, Piper. Now here she was, sitting in front of her parents and the very sister who had betrayed her, awaiting her fate. Kristol looking apprehensive, Piper looking smug, but the look on Avery's face much harder for her young puppy mind to decipher, could it be... pleased? No way. She flattened her ears back and lowered her head, sure she was about to be told she'd never get to see her best friend again.
But Avery surprised them all with his gentle words. He was elated that one of his children had crossed the invisible boundary between the domestic dogs and the dragon wolves and made a friend in the forest. It was as though all the stories he'd grown up hearing and had tried to pass on to his own pups had finally had some purpose and he was beaming over how open minded Amarte had been for one so young. Amarte's heart leaped in her chest, she loved spending her days with the exile pack and couldn't believe her luck that her father didn't see anything wrong with it. But out of the corner of her eye she saw the scowl that passed between her mother and her older sister, this victory was going to come at a price, she could feel it.
Kristol had remained mostly silent throughout the discussion but now she cleared her throat and spoke up.
"I know you've always said that the forest is safe and that the wolves don't really mean us harm, but, Dear, I just can't believe that its really a good idea to allow her, Amarte, our very young daughter, to go wandering around alone in the woods, playing unsupervised with, with... Wolves!" She made a face and spat the word out as though it tasted terrible on her tongue. "I think it would be best if she didn't continue with this habit, at least not until she is considerably older, but even then, those... puppies... will be older also and could be more of a risk, I just don't like this idea, it just seems so dangerous!"
Amarte's jaw dropped, she felt horrified at her mother's reaction. How could she still think the wolves were dangerous, after all that her father had always said, after her real life experience with them being gentle and loving and caring. She whined, she cowered, she felt like her heart had dropped out of her chest. From the first day she stumbled upon the exile dragon wolf family she had felt like she had found where she belonged and somehow her mother couldn't get past her town dog upbringing to understand that.
Dolefully Amarte lay there looking pitifully up at her parents and sister, waiting. When Avery spoke next no one was sure what to expect, but as always he was wise and calm and had a solution.
"I know this is confusing for you, Kristol my love, but I know if you look inside yourself you can feel how much these wolves mean to our daughter, young though she may be. And I know you think that there's great risk in what she's been doing. However, I think if any harm would have been forthcoming from this family it would have happened already. I know that what I have to say about it isn't going to allay all of your fears, but this presents us with a solution to another problem we would be facing soon anyway," He turned and looked to Piper. Kristol followed his gaze with a puzzled look on her face, and from the floor Amarte looked up at her sister, also confused.
"Piper has been hanging about around the house since she was a pup, and while we can use the help, its not really good for a girl to be stuck at home her entire youth. I've been wondering how to get her out and about and I think this gives us a perfect opportunity. Since the two of you," he nodded at Kristol and Piper, "are so concerned about Amarte's comings and goings, perhaps she could use a chaperone. Then she would have someone present to assist her should she ever need it, and you, Piper, would have a reason to get out of the house more." With this Avery sat back on his haunches, pleased with his decree.
Piper looked intently at her sister for a moment, then back and forth between her parents. She loved spending time around the shop and taking care of things around the house, but now that the younger pups were getting old enough to be on their own she HAD felt as though something was missing and that she could use something to occupy her time. But chaperoning outings to a wolf encampment? She wasn't sure that was the ticket to filling the void in her life. But her parents had always looked out for her and supported her, and if this wasn't going to be a good move they wouldn't be pushing her to do it. Gradually she bowed her head in acquiescence.
Avery, still beaming about the situation and his decision looked from his daughters to his mate. Kristol sighed. This wasn't exactly what she had had in mind, but she honestly couldn't really argue with him, it WAS a pretty good idea and would get Piper out of her hair a bit more. She loved her daughter dearly, and appreciated all of her help, but it was beginning to feel as though she would never have a life of her own and that wasn't something that she wanted for her. She nodded solemnly at Avery, the decision finalized.
On the floor Amarte wiggled with excited puppy energy, it might not be a flawless victory, but the option to continue to go see Lubomir and his family under any conditions was still a victory!
* * *
The next morning bright and early Amarte bounded down the streets of Seren. One of the perks of being chaperoned was that she no longer had to sneak around to get out of town. She frolicked and danced as she made her way, Piper stalking behind her in a less pleasant mood.
They made their way to the clearing in the woods and Amarte shot into it like a bolt, bowling over both Lubomir and one of his sisters in her excitement. The three pups rolled tail over snout right up to Kheiron. They looked up at him sheepishly from their heap and he smiled down at them.
"Why the rush, Amarte? We aren't going anywhere," he chuckled.
Under her fur, Amarte blushed, suddenly aware that none of them knew that she was almost not allowed to come back and how excited she was to still be there.
She gave a nervous laugh as she and the other two pups got to their feet and shook themselves out. "I-I'm just really happy today. My, uh, my parents found out I've been coming here and-" but Kheiron cut her off.
"Your parents didn't know you've been here all this time?"