Cleja

I

Lăpuşneanca returns once more to the den, splaying her scarred body out on the ground with a heavy pant. She asks of the scouts; Penumbra assures they haven’t returned yet.

She locks eyes with Cleja now; she always seemed so fond of the she-wolf, and Cleja was striking, and she always wanted to believe fair to the lead and all others. And it surely was something to be looked at like that, eyes sparking dreamily, while all she was doing could be considered menial, unimportant – after all pupsitters, however vital, won’t easily be immortalized in pack tales. And Cleja had made her peace with this role lacking in glory, well, unless Lăpuşneanca were to make her blush looking at her, a mere, lowly pupsitter, like that. Cleja huffs at her own mental theatrics.

But Lăpuşneanca gets distracted, Alunelu drags a fresh deer carcass to the den and the lead wags her tail pleased as congratulation. The whole hunting party loosen their lips, not to droop in a lazy canine ‘smile’. Her Ladyship sniffs the carcass, but she’s not hungry and leave to the rest; the puppies gather to chew.

Cleja doesn’t make any moves yet, waiting, watching. And Lăpuşneanca seems to come straight to her, tail relaxed. She places down a beautiful mollusk shell, still glistening wet and spotted. A faint wag of the tail.

It’s a beautiful gift, she’s flattered, but unsure. To say yes would mean to take the place of a more deserving other, and Lăpuşneanca deserves someone to match her in might. The heart years in a way; it’s an honor. Cleja places her paw gently on the spotted shell, dragging it closer, ears turned to the back and pose meek. Lăpuşneanca seems to sadden at the gesture, she takes a step back, throws another hopeful gaze, at which she can only respond with a feeble wag of the tail, but the lead now leaves, head bowed low, on to keep on searching, on to keep gaining scars.

Lăpuşneanca’s a romantic; she would love her, she would spoil her, but it’s something she never dreamed of being. Or maybe she was just too noncommittal, and that shall lead to heartache in the end; for both their sakes...