• @Borlla :3

The exasperation in his sigh was enough to melt the powder around him.

His face was planted in the snow. Again

Awkwardly, he pulled his left leg out from under his body and set it in front of him. With a heave, the snowy boy rocked forward onto his only useful front leg. A small frown tightened what was usually a good looking face as the boy stared out across what, for a normal wolf, would have been a short stretch of snow separating them from the the river. But to Kyros is was a vast plain of frost that was proving to be impenetrable. Everyone was whispering that the snows had come early this year. They seemed frightened. Kyros could see why: it was nearly impossible to get anywhere when all this white stuff was brushing against his belly. It was heavy snow, with a thick, frozen crust that tripped him up and had rubbed his legs raw. He might as well have been sloughing through a bog. He didn't dare look back the way he had come — he would have been deeply embarrassed to see the signs of struggle in the laughably short distance he had managed.

He just wanted a drink. That was all.

So determined to reach the creek, however, Kyros hadn't been able to spend much time thinking scientifically. On some level, he was aware that snow was rain that had been frozen, but he was failing to connect that to the gurgling brook he had grown up with. Somehow he still figured that would be as it always had been. When he finally arrived at the bank though, he found himself gaping in horror at the glassy, immobile surface of the creek. He gasped. No wonder all the adults seemed so scared.

They would all die of thirst this winter.

Mournfully, the boy tipped his head back and began to cry.

"Darling, Darling."

And suddenly his mother was there, her muzzle pressing against his head as she pulled him into an embrace. Not knowing what else to do, the boy leaned into her body, though he found it awkward to be putting all his weight on his right, but his mother was there. She could be his crutch. Truth be told, Kyros hadn't been sure how to feel about his mother. She had been a very busy woman before... but she was a leader, that was how it was supposed to be. But when she had gotten hurt, for a moment Kyros had barely been able to contain his glee — mum would have more time for them! But the humming excitement he felt in his heart was more complicated than that, and he was ashamed to think about it. When Mum had hurt her leg... well, Kyros was excited. Excited to have someone else like him around: someone who couldn't use all their legs. His heart went out to her, for sure... but he misunderstood her pain, he imagined it was closer to his. At last there was someone to understand him.

He hoped she would stay that way forever.

But his mother was miserable with only three good legs. She didn't seem happy, her health wasn't good. While Kyros was more or less mobile, his mother couldn't find the strength the move around much. Kyros began to regret having ever wished for someone to understand him. This didn't seem right at all. Sickened by his selfishness, Kyros found himself withdrawing from his mother, from the pack out of guilt. He could never let them know about those dark thoughts he had borne and could still feel.

Perhaps he would never be able to stifle his disappointment.

"What's the matter?" his mother whispered soothingly.

"The water's frozen!" he cried, turning his head so that he could bury it into her shoulder. "We're all going to go go thirsty and dry up and..." His voice was broken by sobs. "And.. die! Is this why everyone is so scared? Cause we're going to die?" Suddenly he found himself growing angry with his mother, with his pack mates. Why had they hidden the truth from him? He pulled back and stared defiantly up into his mother's eyes. "And you've all been keeping it a secret from me!"

"Kyros, no one is going to die— " His stare was even, he found it pretty hard to believe her. How were they going to survive without any water to drink? How would he survive when all he could do was flounder helplessly in the snow? He was just going to be a burden. "— It's just cold, and when it gets cold, the creek will freeze. You need to break it, that's all. " Oh. The dose of reality his him hard, and suddenly he was ashamed with himself and the stupid conclusions he had leaped to... and — he wobbled slightly as his mother broke away from him— oh no. Suddenly he realized what he had done as he watched her walk away. His assumptions had made him look her in the eye and yell at her — his mother— and make accusations that he was now sure could never have been true. Though his mother didn't seem nearly as bothered by his atrocious behavior, Kyros felt himself overwhelmed with guilt at his capacity for harm. He was such a terrible son.

"Mother I'm — " The words caught in his throat as he fumbled closer to the creek, distracted by his curiosity. That ice looked pretty thick, and Kyros couldn't imagine how she intended to leave even a mark on it. Without any warning, however, his mother reared up on her back legs jumped, aiming herself down at the ice. The young boy found himself wiggling backwards, slightly startled but interested. But the ice had refused to give way. His stomach churned with uncertainty. His mother sighed, and Kyros looked up at her plaintively. "Momma I'm so— "

"Well, it takes a bit of effort, but it'll break. We won't die, alright? Why would you think I'd let you or your sister die? And no one has been keeping secrets."

Secrets. Her voice was so stern that Kyros mistook her attempt to instill courage into her son for trying to get him to talk. The boy's ears fell back against his head and his heart started to pound. Secrets. Kyros wouldn't know anything about secrets, would he? He was a good boy. He didn't keep secrets. Frantically he searched the snow at his feet for an answer. He couldn't tell her — she didn't need another reason to be disappointed with him... but... but keeping secrets was wrong. He fumbled for the words to tell his mother what had kept the two of them at a distance... "Mother— "

"— Ya know, snow is made out of water."

His eyes flicked back up,"Whaa— " His mother looked so silly chomping at the snow before him that Kyros found it hard not to laugh. A small giggle bubbled from his lips before he stopped himself. No, he shouldn't laugh. He had been a bad boy. His snowy white head slumped down again.