She started to speak and he angled his ears, listening quietly as she described his mother, a fresh tear started to fall down his cheek because he knew that it was true, he knew it, but he hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself because then, then he’d be acknowledging his mother’s death. Denying himself of the faintest, irrational hope that she had somehow lived and was out there somewhere, maybe even looking for him right now.
He had tried to give himself that hope for months, but it hadn’t worked, all it had done was cause him more pain in the end. Now, now he could see his mother’s soft companionate smile whenever he looked around. Lyanna was right, and it left him feeling just a bit lighter inside, like the world was just a shade brighter, just as it had been when he had tried to just smile about everything all the time. Living like everything was a miracle, just like his mother had told him as a child.
Slowly, he smiled, raising his head and looking directly at Lyanna, now though, there were some joyful tears mixed into the streams running down his cheek as he nodded softly. “You’re right.” he said quietly, turning up to look at the flowers around them, some of his old spark returning “Their beautiful aren't they….” he shut his mouth before another thought was given voice. just like you he had nearly said, but it wasn’t the time, nor was he sure what it even meant.
Briefly, the conversation that he had with Cheedo had returned, she had explained a lot to him about adulthood. Was he feeling it now? Love? Lyanna was one of the first wolves he had ever really been able to open up to and it looked like she might care enough...did he try...did he say it and see? He had never been one for subtlety and beating around the bush. The yearling had always preferred to just get something over with.
“Lyanna...thank you….I don’t want to ruin the moment but I think...being around you..” he fumbled a bit, already drained emotionally from the crying, he lost any tact that he did have left “I..I think I like you….a lot”