québécois

[her_imperial_radiance]

The Golden Coven stays in Québec for one year.

When Harley is eight and a half, they start packing.

Zeus is inconsolable.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Zeus nods; it's awkward but he can do it. (He can talk to the other wolves in the Imperial pack who are wolfing at this time, but that's not the same thing.)

[pythbox]

[Elsie, Zeus is floofy and he wants to be on the brainphone so he can talk to me still!]

[her_imperial_radiance]

[There you are, then,] says Elspeth, to both boys.

[alicornucopia]

[Thanks! Harley, Harley, I wanna run, running's amazing like this, come with me, come on,] and he crouches low, so Harley could vault up onto him if he wanted.

[pythbox]

"Okay!" says Harley, and he jumps onto Zeus's back and hangs on tight.

[alicornucopia]

Zeus bolts at once, like a bullet, legs eating up yards of empty Québec wilderness with every stride. [I'm so fast!]

[pythbox]

[You aaaare, it's awesome,] giggles Harley.

[alicornucopia]

[It's better than roller coasters! Aren't I, huh?]

[pythbox]

[You're a fluffy roller coaster, oh man,] cackles Harley.

[alicornucopia]

They're approaching forest; Zeus doesn't slow down, although a few times he pushes a paw off a tree instead of the ground to maneuver. [That's meeee!]

[pythbox]

[This is so awesome, I love you,] says Harley, clinging to Zeus's back.

[alicornucopia]

[I love you too! And running! And being a grown-up wolf!]

[pythbox]

Harley giggles happily.

[alicornucopia]

[It's weird being able to hear what everybody else is thinking. It's not anything too interesting all by itself, just it's strange.]

[pythbox]

[I bet!] he agrees.

[alicornucopia]

[My dad's coming,] he adds. [I wanna see if I can outrun him!] And he puts on a burst of speed, runningrunningrunning.

[pythbox]

Harley giggles and clings.

[alicornucopia]

Bartholomew does catch up to them eventually and falls into step beside them. [Dad says I have to be careful not to drop you, but, duh, of course I don't wanna drop you,] says Zeus.

[pythbox]

[Duh!] agrees Harley.

[alicornucopia]

Running running running running it's the best thing Zeus could run all day long!

[pythbox]

Running is awesome! Zeus is awesome. Harley loves those things.

[alicornucopia]

Eventually Bartholomew seems satisfied that his son isn't going to drop Harley and turns back.

Zeus goes on and on and on.

[pythbox]

Harley clings to him and giggles intermittently.

[alicornucopia]

Soon they come upon a river.

[I dunno if I can jump that,] muses Zeus, skidding into a turn and running alongside it. [D'you think I can jump it?]

[pythbox]

[I bet you can jump it! Try!] he says gleefully.