They Grow Up so Quickly

My uncle arrived in the evening, and he wasn't alone. Tara as well as Teri joined him for the trip. "How have you been, uncle? Father threw the garden tending job at you once more, eh?", I welcomed him. "Haha, don't say it like that. I'm here to pay you a visit too. Besides, your parents are really busy thanks to those damned Corpse Dogs and whatnot. I'll try to help out as much as I can, so that you can focus on your Formations", he replied.

"I appreciate that. Thankfully, Leran is here as well. He usually plays with Dante, so I'm free to work. Anyway, there's some news too. If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you". Uncle Ulon was a bit confused about the news, but Tara figured it out rather quickly. "You mean the wolf puppies arrived?", "Hehe, you'll see", I said with a smile.

Once they entered my house, they saw a pack of wolves surrounding the three mothers and their puppies. "... They are so cute!", Tara exclaimed and rushed towards them. Before a warning could even leave my mouth, the wolves acted on their own. Growls and barks filled the whole house, making Tara stop in her tracks.

"Seriously though, can't you see how protective they are? You rushing at them will not help at all, even though they are familiar with you", I said before calming everyone down. "Approach slowly, and have a look. Don't simply snatch the puppies from them. They are delicate as well, and your big hands would only hurt them", I added. "Who said I have big hands? You got a problem or something?", she argued. "Hehe, wanna compare?", I taunted her with my hand extended forwards.

"... Not with a skeleton like you… Anyway, look how small they are. Their eyes didn't open yet... So, when can I take one?", she asked. "Hmm, I'm not sure. They have to grow up a bit, that's without a question. I think that once they're not dependent on their mothers, it should be fine to give them away. That may take a few weeks or months. I don't really know".

"Wolf puppies are indeed cute. Maybe I'll take one for myself, since you want to give them away, right?", uncle asked. "Sure, sure, I don't see why not. You can even take two, or three, I wouldn't mind", "Haha, no, no. I think one will be plenty enough. Though if you want, we can ask around Apium", he proposed. "Actually, that was my idea too. I can't keep more wolves than that. The space in my house is limited, you know? Besides, wolves are a rarity in the North right now. Who wouldn't want a rare pet? They can be hunters or even companions", I replied.

"Teri, would you mind going back tomorrow and asking? Note those who are interested, and perhaps invite them to see the puppies. Would that be alright with you, Anna?", uncle asked. "Yes, they are free to have a look. I'd like to see the potential owners beforehand as well. I will not give these puppies to wrong people". What seemed like a problem to me, had a chance of resolving itself rather easily.

While Tara and others admired wolf puppies, Dawn finally returned from her training. "Woah, you gave it your best shot today…", I said looking at her. She was tired and her clothes a bit tattered. "Yea, maybe I went overboard this once. Anyway, the puppies are here, right? Let me get a closer look… Waah… They are the cutest things in the world… To think something so tiny will grow up to be a large wolf", she said with sparkling eyes.

"You guys must be hungry, right? Tara, can you tell Leran, Dante and others about the dinner? I'll start preparing everything now". Since she'd get free food, Tara didn't even complain about such a mundane chore.

Since my return, our little home has gotten rather lively. Tauruses, including my Turry, wandered about the area and enjoyed themselves. The ever present pack of wolves, and even the little puppies inside my house. Curly became another addition to our family, and she seemed to enjoy the peaceful nature of our home. Our friends and those I'd consider family constantly visited us, making the place less lonely. I wasn't sure why, but this reminded me of a small village in the Endrosian Empire.

'I'm happy that Dante will grow up with more people around. He already has a few friends even at that age. Hehe, I'm a bit jealous'. When others heard about the dinner, they decided to help out as well. The Grey Lizards set up the tables outside, while my aunt and Suly helped with cooking. Others found something to do as well, or simply relaxed and enjoyed the company of everyone.

These sort of days were priceless to me. Just because someone enjoyed adventures and exploring, that didn't mean my family and friends were in second place. To me, these were much more important than anything else.

Our days slowly came and went. The fast travel Formation got closer and closer towards completion. My aunt and others became really motivated due to my father's promise, and their pace increased even more. Of course, my pace had to increase too. Rowan didn't give me a break, he threw all sorts of notes at me and even gave me homework. Whether he wanted to shine or not… I wasn't sure. After all, the amount of people going to Hatmandor was limited.

The wolf puppies were developing really well. Most of them opened their eyes before two weeks went by, which made them look even more adorable. 'Most of them', was the key word. One of Ivory's puppies struggled a lot. He opened his eyes after two weeks, but that was late when taking other puppies under consideration.

Ivory had two males and one female puppy. Nana had three females and one male, while Fluffy had two of each. Other puppies were really lively, and active. That one puppy was a bigger worry. I could tell that Rogue and Ivory cared a lot for him. The amount of care they put into him, was pretty much the same as the other two puppies combined. Providing much more attention to that little guy, compared to the others.

Though the little guy was weaker and slower than his brother or sister, he was alive. We discussed any possible medical treatment for the little puppy, but neither me nor uncle Ulon knew anything about treating such animals. Perhaps my father knew, but he wasn't around at that stage.

Another two weeks later, the other puppies played around with each other. They were much more active during the day, instead of sleeping and eating most of the time. Their teeth were starting to show up as well, which meant they'd be able to eat food by themselves once those were out. The little worry of a puppy had no sign of teeth showing at all. We already knew he'd develop slowly compared to others, but we didn't expect that to such extent.

Nonetheless, the other puppies could be regularly picked up and played with. Tara and Teri were both impressed with how cuddly they were. They already chose one puppy for themselves, as did Dawn, uncle Ulon and Leran. Moreover, my uncle's idea worked out really well. We got a few visitors interested in getting wolf puppies for themselves.

Of course they wouldn't get one just like that. Primarily because they had to grow up a bit more, though their characters and way of life were as important. Wolves required attention, at least when they were alone. These guys were tamed, therefore needed attention from their owners. Packs worked on a different basis, but no one would take a whole pack.

At the age of eight weeks, the puppies became pretty much little wolves already. They took care of their own needs, and had the ability to chew normal meat. Since they were still little and cute, we decided to let others take care of them. When we tried to take them away, the three mothers weren't happy about that. There wasn't much we could do about it, since another dozen wolves inside my house was really impossible.

They finally allowed others to take their babies, though a bit of persuasion was necessary. Other families arrived to take theirs, once we notified them. Of course they each picked a little wolf before, and simply collected their new family member. No one picked the sickly puppy though. Not that it would matter, since Rogue became really protective of him. Even Ivory didn't act like that, which was surprising.

"Don't worry, I know he means a lot to you. One wolf this or that way will make little difference. He can stay with us, we'll look after him together", I said while petting Rogue and Ivory. They seemed content with one little guy staying over, even those other puppies left our house… Except the one Dawn kept. "Arwoo..", Ivory licked me then took a look at her puppy. Though he was very weak after birth, and his start was slow, he survived. He was alive, and willing to live. Who wouldn't be proud of such a puppy?

"Hehe, he became a part of our family, so we should name him... Hmm, let me think about it". I wanted to take that little guy's life under consideration. How he didn't give up and continued on with the help from his parents. "Hope, I think that's a good name. That little guy gives me hope when I look at him, you know?", I said. "Awoo!", Rogue howled in approval. Since that day on, our little family became a bit bigger.