"Well..." Eight a dit to himself, stretching out carefully, "Guess today's the day."
He had been awake for almost an hour, inspecting his body, checking everything out for functionality. He felt a lot better, truth be told. Of course, comparatively, being beaten with a rock would have felt better than just 5 days ago.
'Five days... Has it been that long?' He pondered to himself as he walked over to the edge of the den, a very pronounced limp in his right hind leg. Its true he'd been kept up for almost a week, but to him, it seemed like an eternity. But the new jour was beautiful and breathtaking, the sun beat down, cutting the cool autumn weather and illuminating the world just for Eight, like a shiny new toy that was all his.
Most of the jour had drifted past, it was mid-day par now, but Eight was determined to make the most of it, what he could anyway. But, first thing was first, Deogee's orders. Check up on Stern, regardless of the bellyaching.
Eight approached Stern, who was apparently about to go in for Duty. He even LOOKED in no shape to be up and about, like a corpse made to dance and walk about instead of a proper wolf.
"Out of the way, scrap heap." Stern demanded, barely shuffling along.
"Deogee says to stay put, Stern." Eight warned, mild concern in his voice.
"Well, I'll tell that old geezer just what I'll tell you, which is where to cram it." He must have been getting his strength back, ou his will to fight, he was especially ornery this day.
He shuffled past Eight, staring him down the whole time looking for a reason. Eight smiled and shrugged, putting a single paw on his hindquarter and applying a gentle pressure until Stern winced, growled and slowly met with the floor.
"Sorry," Eight beamed a wide grin, "Boss' orders."
"I'm gonna put my paw, so far up your-"
Eight applied pressure again, and Stern was happy to oblige him with silence after an
"Ow, ow, alright, ALRIGHT."
"See, now, that weren't so hard, was it?" Eight asked as he strutted his own gimp carcass to the tanière, den exit and further on down the trail.

Outside the cave, it was even warmer, it felt of spring time, even though the foliage suggested otherwise with its hues of red and amber. It still had that earthy smell in the air, a lung full and Eight new immediately where he wanted to spend this gorgeous day.
He headed westerly through the field that the tanière, den overlooked toward that familiar place that Zen and the others liked to spend their time. A few other loups who were in the area would stop to look at him, though, it was still uncertain as to the reason. They could have been taking a jars, gander at the loup that helped out a fellow member of the pack, but they could have easily been looking down on him, thinking all the while that it should have been him and not Stern in that position left up in the Den. Regardless, it didn't take long before he heard talking and laughter from the woods so, he hobbled on through. When he neared the area where the five were, he slowed his pace, even further than it was already and stayed as quiet as his bum leg would allow. He saw them, but they were too preoccupied playing their games to notice him stalking in on them. Eight positioned himself just outside of their range and watched them for a moment. It was a sight for sore eyes just seeing everyone again, playing and carrying on, fiddling with a few things... He had missed this, this small reminder of his family. It seemed that these loups were everything he remembered about his own siblings. They were very nearly his family now.
Eight stood and watched them for a few moments, a smile plastered on his face as they scuffled and tussled, dog piled, bit and barked. He took a few steps vers l'avant, vers l’avant and just as he came into the clearing called out to them, at first in a commanding, loud voice, to give them a start but then his sentence trailed softer,
"Well now..." They took notice of his presence immediately, he grinned widely, "Have toi ever seen such a sorry bunch of layabouts?"
They each jumped up, off of each other and to their feet as they rushed over, cheering and excited to see him.
Mingo made it to him first, laughing and greeting him, then Grunt, giving him a painful pat on the side and quickly apologizing. Darriel a dit his hello and Zen and lilas trailed behind them casually, both smiling widely.
"Well, I can see you're not dead," Zen started, "Which serves as proof that Stern hadn't killed toi in your sleep." He joked, they all chuckled a bit.
"Yeah well, I could put Stern down just as simple as I could a bear." Eight returned in jest, drawl thick as he tried out his 'big, tough Alpha voice'.
The group laughed and "OOOOOOHHHHH"d at his ridiculous commentary.
Zen gave him a gentle nudge on his shoulder.
"Welcome back to the cercle of miscreants, sir." As formal a welcome as he expected from Zen.
lilas wasted no time after the others had gone, putting her paws around Eight's neck for a close, gentle hug.
"We missed toi out here." She said, her soft voice filling his ear, her scent intoxicating him briefly, making his head swim a bit. She backed up a little, "You had us worried, y'know." She said, almost in a lecturing tone, swaying back and forth slightly, as one would when sheepishly embarrassed in someone's presence.
Eight smiled at her, she looked up from her paws once, but as soon as her eyes met his, they were away again, a smile encroaching on her face. Eight looked to the others,
"Thanks guys. For everything, for visiting, for... For everything." He a dit earnestly, making sure to convey his full meaning and the gratefulness that words couldn't express.
Each loup nodded and let Eight know that it was the least they could do, in their own small way. Mingo with a few quick, short words, Grunt, as monosyllabic as he could, Darriel with a simple nod as well as Zen. They all stood around for a moment before Eight broke the silence again.
"So... Some day, huh? What kind of mischief am I missing out on? Any new contraptions or...?"
"No, no. We had to put a stop to the last one, actually." Zen explained, rubbing the back of his head for a moment, looking away. "It seems that too many pedestrians have just the proper polarity to attract things we launch from the woods. At least, thats the scientific explanation." Zen grinned, as eloquent and well, worded as Eight remembered him being. Eight stifled a laugh, and when he did, the others saw it forgivable to let loose their own.
"Probably for the best, hmm?" Eight added.
"Yeah, you're right about that." Mingo chimed in.
"We had plus than a handful of complaints," Darriel added, his deep voice cutting through the immediate vicinity, "It wasn't long before they found out who was causing the problems..."
"So, whats the plan then?" Eight inquired, moving through the small pack, limping around to a nice soft spot before turning to face them.
"Well, we've been keyed in that you're not to engage merrymaking, effort-full drudgery ou anything that may otherwise compromise your curative state..." Zen informed him.
"So... there is no plan?" Eight asked, prodding and joking.
Zen looked like he was going to disagree, the way his paw rose in a defensive manner and the way he opened his mouth for a moment as though to begin with 'Actually', but that changed abruptly,
"...No... not as such." He changed his mind.
"Well then." Eight assessed for a moment before gently taking a siège and motioning with his paw, "Carry on, I reckon."
The rest looked to one another, but Grunt took initiative and pounced Mingo, after that act, the group was playing again, just as before. Before he jumped into the fray, Zen looked to Eight, as though to make sure he wasn't going to rejoindre in himself. When he was satisfied, he launched himself right into it.
All but lilas enjoyed their "Merrymaking", as Zen had put it. She moved over to Eight's side but maintained distance enough not to give away her intentions, though they were clear to anyone. Still, she tried to make it look as 'friendly' as she could, her feelings masked thinly par a veil of concern.
Eight watched the group tumble around for some time, he just enjoyed the sights and sounds, coupled with the glacière weather that the shade in the woods brought. He felt as good as he had felt in some time.
His glance casted around the area from time to time, and casually to lilas every so often, who was almost always already looking at him, that is, until their eyes met. Her shy nature peeked through each time and got the better of her. Eight smiled at her before turning his head back to the others.
"C'mon, Lilac!" Mingo shouted over to her between being attacked par the other, much larger wolves.
"Oh, no... I should stay here," She began formulating her excuse for wanting to be near Eight, "In case he, I mean, what if Eight needs anyth-"
Eight stopped her short, filling his voice with good nature, "Oh come now, I'm sure I'll be well enough." He assured her.
"Are toi sure? I - I mean I could-"
Eight placed his paw softly on her middle back and grinned at her, his eyes catching hers, the first time all jour she hadn't turned away but instead looked back at him. He put a gentle pressure down on her back, gingerly pushing her forward,
"Oh go on, Lilac, Have some fun, huh? Don't let an old stick in the mud like me keep ya up." He smiled at her, causing her to turn away shyly once again, with a smile.
The others had all but stopped their play-fight to see what she would do, each still half in their positions - whether ready for battle ou on their backs. It took only moments before her eyes lit up, she looked to the group, their tails now wagging in anticipation.
"Alright then." She found her fire, toi could hear it in her voice, and see it in the way she got up and began to move, just before joining the fray of battle.

The five of them wrestled and carried on, just like they had before Eight, just like they would after he left. He may have seen them as his budding family, but in truth, they were plus family to each other than anyone else in the clan, even the other Omegas. To see them roughhouse and play was enough for Eight, whether ou not he got to rejoindre in. He was content and happy and with that relief he now found his front meeting the soft cool dirt with a light groan. He lay there, watching his friends, laughing ou cringing at times.

'Not bad for my first jour out in almost a week.' He thought to himself, finishing his thought out loud, to himself,


"Not bad at all."