“Family? Siira,” Aurem mused softly, looking down to the sleeping wolf. His gaze was dropped once more to the little runt at the far end. He reached out, and twined his fingers in the fur, seeing the glint of the light streaks shifting in the dim lighting. “I thought he was pure black last night. When you were about to…” Aurem frowned, not wanting to remember that.

“Magic,” Turuk grunted. “Weak one was dying, and magic saved, changed it. No Undari will want.”

Aurem tensed, and then snapped his gaze to Turuk, lifting himself up slightly. “What!? Because he was healed by magic, and healed, your people wouldn’t want him?” He felt himself bristling, anger surging through his frame. It wasn’t fair- would the little runt be kicked out of the pack, out of the tribe? He might have saved the pup’s life, but if he was cast out because no Undari wanted him-

“Different. Siira has accepted Aurem,” Turuk grunted, seeming unconcerned. The flippant way the man dismissed his questions, caused Aurem’s anger to boil over. He felt the crackling of magic at his fingertips, and gasped as he realized he had produced actual sparks. He tensed, expecting some sort of punishment. Instead, Turuk laughed at him, and leaned closer, grabbing hold of his wrist. He lifted his hand, and Aurem shifted awkwardly, watching at Turuk look at each individual finger, as if trying to figure out where the sparks had come from.

“I don’t- don’t think that changes my opinion on anything,” he snapped out, snatching his hand away from Turuk, drawing it to his chest. “I can’t believe it,” he started, and then pursed his lips, when Turuk interrupted with a grunt.

“No Undari want, because runt belong to magic,” Turuk grunted again, and then reached out, and placed a hand over Aurem’s chest. “Bond to people. Bond to mage. Aurem.”

Aurem blinked, and then the realization dawned. He looked down to the little runt, his dark fur stained with his own magic. He hesitated, and then touched the wolf’s rump again, letting his magic drift out, connecting to the little runt. He gasped lightly, seeing the magic coursing through the little pup’s body. Not only had he entwined his magic within its body, it seemed it had seared into the pup’s very soul.

Aurem gasped, and drew his hand away, staring in awe. He had no idea what that meant. He had heard of mages bonding with particular animals- of cats and dogs, and even birds. Of their lives being extended. But he had never read that their very souls had been entwined with magic. It was an art that had not been used in ages, as far as Aurem knew. What it meant for the runt, he didn’t know. What it meant for him, he didn’t know either.

He let out the breath he’d been holding, watching as the little pup shifted slightly, and then let out a whimper of hunger. He’d managed to get himself further away from Siira, somehow, and was now struggling to find his way back to feed. Aurem had heard that some mothers would reject the weakest of the litter, and was heartened to see Siira had no such intentions. She didn’t stir as the little pup wriggled, but when Aurem nudged him in the right direction and he latched on to feed, she simply let out a slow sigh.

Aurem glanced sheepishly to Turuk, as he felt the man’s gaze on him. He cleared his throat lightly, and then turned his gaze away once more. “So, the pup is mine?”

“Aurem is pup’s,” Turuk concluded, and then smirked, when Aurem sent him a glare. Somehow, the thought made him unexpectedly…happy. He’d never expected to want this, but now that it was presented before him, he wanted nothing more. He was beginning to think that Turuk had somehow drugged the food and water. It had been little over a week since they’d been taken. Was he really so weak of heart and will, to be turned so easily? His desire to escape and return to Delfin had waned almost entirely. He couldn’t delude himself that he was ever going to be a part of Undari. They hated magic as much as some Delfin feared it. Except, it seemed, Turuk. And maybe some handful of others that served underneath Turuk.

“So, when did Siira get her name?” He had no idea what he was going to call the pup. Just Pup seemed too cold, and he wanted something to distinguish him from the others. Aside from the coloring, and the magic alteration, of course.

“When Siira open eyes,” Turuk said, a fond smile coming to his lips. Something in the man’s expression caused a longing to wrench in his chest. Turuk very clearly adored Siira, as Aurem had never seen anyone do before. It was something Aurem couldn’t simply define. But as he looked down at the black runt, he felt the first tingling of that feeling within. And a great longing for more. He had also never felt more alone, than he did in that moment. It reminded him of how little he had, should he ever return home. A room, and a bed. A respected position, to be sure, but no one he could honestly call a friend. Or even an acquaintance. No family.

He gingerly touched a larger streak in the dark fur, and sighed softly, feeling an ache lodging in his chest. He pushed it away for now, and then grunted. “I should bring these to Soren,” he said quietly, and then lifted his eyes to Turuk, wondering if he needed an escort, or the man’s permission.

Turuk grunted, and then rose. Before Aurem could protest, Turuk hoisted him to his feet as he had the night before. Aurem barely had enough time to hold tightly onto the second bundle of clothing, as Turuk set him down on his feet. His legs wobbled a moment, but held firm, grateful that he didn’t make a fool of himself and promptly collapse. He scowled at Turuk, and only received a smile in return. “Come. To mage,” Turuk grunted, and then headed out of the tent.

Aurem hesitated a moment, and then stepped outside, wincing as the sun shined off of the snow all around them. He cursed softly, and lifted a hand to shield his gaze, allowing his eyes to slowly adjust as he followed Turuk’s frame half blindly through the snow. All around him, he heard faint whispers of the Undari. He could feel dozens of eyes locked onto him, and felt a shudder run up his spine, as he felt outright hatred from a few.

His eyes finally adjusted by the time they stood outside the tent, and Turuk stepped aside, speaking gruffly with the guard, allowing Aurem to hunch down into the tent. He cried out in surprise as something flung itself at him, and it took him a moment to realize that Soren was now firmly attached to him, and blubbering awfully against his neck.

Aurem blinked once, tensed, and then forced himself to relax a bit, resisting the urge to outright peel the other mage from his side. “Soren. Soren, enough, I’m okay,” he said quietly, realizing he must have given the other a fright. Soren had probably woken up alone, and with no answers at all. And from the position and brightness of the sun, Aurem knew it was mid-afternoon.

“You weren’t here when I w-woke up,” Soren managed to rasp out, sounding every bit like the young age he was. Aurem stifled a sigh, and simply patted the mage’s back.

“I know. A low happened last night, Soren. Hush, it’s okay, now,” he murmured quietly, slowly sinking down onto the bed of furs. Soren whined, but only lowered himself with Aurem, soon pulling away, and blinking a fresh set of tears away.

“S-sorry. Father always did say I was a cry baby,” he whispered sheepishly.

Aurem half smiled, and shook his head. “Nonsense. You were scared, and worried. Just don’t cling to me next time, and everything will be fine,” he teased, smoothing down the front of his furs. Soren peered at him, and Aurem let out a brief sigh. He supposed he wouldn’t have been told that, either.

A few minutes later, after he had told Soren everything that had happened the night before, Aurem watched the mage sit there, stunned. It took the younger mage a few moments to process everything, and when he had, Soren eyed him cautiously. “So, have you thought of a name?”

Aurem stared dumbly for a moment, and then laughed, and lifted a hand to his face, shoulders shaking as he tried to hold it back. All that had happened, and Soren was more concerned with a name, than anything else. The dark flush of Soren’s cheeks had Aurem laughing even harder, and he clutched at his stomach, trying to shake his head. He choked out a few words, and then let the laughter trail off into a few gasped breaths, wiping at the edges of his eyes. A few stray tears came away, and he let out a satisfied sigh. When was the last time he had laughed like that? It might have been at poor Soren’s expense, but it had felt good.

“You know what? I don’t know. I’ll have to think on that. If you have any suggestions, I’m open to it,” he said, giving Soren an apologetic smile. He hoped to mollify Soren’s obvious irritation, and soothe the young male’s injured pride. Gods knew he would have been mortified at that age, to be laughed at in such a way by a superior. “I’m sorry, Soren. It wasn’t you I was laughing at- well, no, it was,” he admitted, after Soren gave him a scathing glare. “What I mean is- I just expected more anger, and yelling about betrayal. Considering I saved an enemy, which has killed countless countrymen.” Truly, he had been relieved. Perhaps some of that laughter had been caused by the intense weight lifting off his shoulders. He hadn’t realized how much Soren’s opinion meant to him.

Somewhat mollified, judging from the light sniff Soren gave, the mage acknowledged his answer, and nodded. “Well, I don’t see the point in being mad about it, since it’s already done. And aside from that, I don’t find it bad you have compassion. It’s somewhat lacking these days. Even among mages,” Soren said, fiddling with the hem of his clothing. He hadn’t changed yet, but seemed to be inspecting the clothes with some trepidation.

“I suppose so, but such thoughts would get you reprimanded in the tower,” he mused lightly, lifting his eyes to the top of the tent. Of course, they were no longer in the tower, and Aurem wasn’t sure if they would ever return. And suddenly, it wasn’t a thought that filled him with much dread aymore.