Word Count: 1028

The morning was quiet. It was early - the sun had barely started to rise. Already the birds were chirruping merrily in the trees and the morning creatures were beginning to wake. Airle watched the pack's lands with sharp eyes. Until there was a Sentry, he would have to take this role as well.

It was exhausting. He had high hopes for the Alpha's son before the boy. Speaking of, the young white male was sitting with his pawns in the shallows of the stream that ran through the pack's lands. Mismatches ears flicked towards the stream, then away from it.

"Good Morn," Somhairle muttered quietly, but the other dog still flinched, jerking his body away from the stream. He scrambled up, righting himself, though he was shaking softly from being started. Airle gave awry smile.

"Good Morning," the other dog muttered back cautiously. His ears flicked forward, straining on hearing the other dog. He could figure out who everyone was by their voices, and usually by the way they stepped now. But it was Airle's job not to make noise as he moved.

"You shouldn't be out here alone, Gatherer." Airle sighed, tsking at the other. He moved a bit closer, making sure the other could hear his steps - no need to frighten the young one. Though he was pretty sure Damu was older than him - an adult before he had even been born. He just looked so young and helpless with his eyes wide and his ears poised forward, shaking like a leaf.

"I was..." he gave a wince, "looking for something." Damu's ears dropped in humiliation, but Airle just sighed, settling next to the Alpha's son. The other dog pressed against his side. Damu was small for a male dog - but Maziwa was small, and so was her mother. So maybe it ran in the family.

If anything, the family was extremely resilient.

"We'll find you a companion that will help, Damu." Airle found himself promising. "What were you looking for?" he nudged the mostly-blind dog, and they began to walk.

"I hate this," Damu started. "I was gathering berries when my vision left me. I... I'm done now. We just need to get this back to the Gathering spot."

The two made it back to the Gathering Spot quickly, dropping off the food Damu had collected. Airle gave a soft smile. "Come, I would like to speak with you further," Airle murmured. Damu pressed against his side.

"My vision is fading again," Damu murmured. His focus swam and he became dizzy and he wanted to sit. Instead he just pressed himself firmly against the larger dog's side.He was shaking and he felt so helpless. Airle frowned in concern.

"Close your eyes and sit - or lay. We can speak here." He watched as the other dog obeyed his commands, shakily sitting. It took a few moments longer for him to slide down so his body was flat against the ground. He gave a shuttering breath, throat hitching in an attempt not to sob.

Airle lowered his body against Damu's, allowing the heat of his body to comfort the other dog, who pressed into his side. Damu's whimpers were heart wrenching, even for the trained knight and now-General of his new pack.

He stayed as a solid comfort until the white male settled against him, breath only hitching every so often. "Thank you," Damu murmured, breath stuttering after the words. "I don't know what I would have done if I was alone. Probably fallen down a cliff," the blind dog bit out in self hate.

The General gave a sigh, leaning in to the other dog's space. "It's a hardship - but you're strong, Damu. You can overcome this - you can make it a gift. Use your nose and your ears, because that's what you have left." He kept talking softly to the other dog, small declarations of how strong he was.

The two dogs rested together, simply talking of the weather - of their pasts.

"It wasn't always like this, you know," Damu started. He rested his sightless gaze on the younger male."I used to be able to see clearly, and I wasn't always this..." He couldn't find a word, so he just tossed his head in gesture at himself.

"I used to be an advisor when Grandmum was the Hunter Leader of our old pack. She was amazing at what she did, but she always looked kind of tired." Damu paused, working his jaw a bit, unsure of where to continue his story. It was odd, he decided, having the General's eyes focus on him so completely.

"I hadn't been there when the pack fell apart. I left for an adventure, and that's when my vision started fading," he admitted with a whisper. "I ignored if for as long as I could, but I had to come home. I could barely see when I got back to the pack lands, only Momma was waiting for me."

"She took me to Grandmum, and we came here with all of you. I don't remember a lot of it, actually. I focused on Momma during the trip. I hadn't even noticed we were collecting members on the way here." He as shy to say it, hiding his face in shame.

Airle just gave a small smile and nodded. "It's okay. I would not have noticed much if I was in your situation." He offered a small, hesitantly intimate nuzzle, close to the smaller dogs mouth. It was a bold move for them barely knowing either other.

It was worth it when Damu positively beamed at him, tension leaking from the tiny male. He could feel the smaller dog bump his nose against his neck, breathing in the scent there. "Thank you... so much, General. I'm... I just..." he couldn't express his gratitude for the feeling of utter belonging he felt - it was nothing like the disjointedness of the old pack. The clans were so seperated, but supposedly together at once.

"Just Airle is fine, Damu," the soldier sighed back, glad for the other's relaxation. Maybe someday - someday soon - this could blossom into something more. He could hope.