Gwof's return was never just about having a simple gathering.
The feeling of reunion after a long separation was like an old wine buried underground; the mellow fragrance upon opening was just a prelude, the true flavor had to be savored slowly, gradually unfurling in the days to come.
How could a single gathering possibly accomplish letting these friends separated by years meet again, letting new companions like Lia and Ben integrate into this land?
Only now, the joy of reunion was like a layer of soft cotton, gently wrapping up all the hidden worries and questions in their hearts, making everyone subconsciously restrain themselves.
When Big Brother Wolf spoke of the kingdom's territories, his tail was held high, but he didn't laugh and pound the table like he used to.
The carving knife in Groot's hand caressed the wood carving, his gaze glued to Gwof, but he didn't pounce and hook his neck to ask questions like before—perhaps he had truly grown up; even the most impulsive Groot had learned restraint, pressing turbulent emotions beneath a gentle gaze.
The quiet in the hall was warmed by the crackling of firewood in the fireplace.
The firelight cast flickering shadows on the stone walls, softening everyone's outlines—Lia held an earthen cup, the sweet aroma of fruit wine mingling with the scent of burning pine, her eyelashes catching tiny specks of light, listening so intently she forgot to twirl the cup's handle with her fingertips.
Lettuce's fruit wine had warmed through, fine beads of condensation clinging to the cup's side, sliding down between her fingers to her wrist, yet she remained completely unaware, only staring at the leaping flames in the fireplace, as if the 'Night-Slaying King' from the story was stepping out from the firelight.
Gray Mouse ate oatcakes, crumbs covering its face, mumbling indistinctly about 'glowing wings,' its tail tip still curled around a half-eaten cake, gently swaying with its breath.
Ben's knuckles tapped against the glass, the rhythmic sound harmonizing with the fireplace's crackle.
His gaze swept over the Little Wolf Cubs curled into a ball on the carpet—the eldest buried its face in the second's fur, the third's tail still resting on the eldest's back, their even breathing like falling snow, softening the clashing swords and flashing blades in the story.
The story continued to flow, the fruit wine gradually cooled, but the fireplace fire burned warmer and warmer, brewing the wind and snow outside the window and the flashing blades in the story into warmth held in the palm.
As Gwof spoke, he suddenly slapped his thigh heavily, the chair legs scraping lightly on the carpet, his eyes shining with excitement, as if he finally had to spill a secret he'd been hiding for a long time.
"Go fetch that big cloth bag Little Bottle brought!"
He gestured with his chin towards the She-Wolf maid standing in the corner, the eagerness in his voice impossible to suppress.
"That bag is very heavy, call a few more people to help, don't strain your backs! Let everyone open their eyes and see the new styles from the human world!"
The maids curtsied in response, their skirts sweeping over the thick wool carpet like a few light clouds drifting by, only the fur occasionally clinging to their tail tips silently recording their path.
Before long, over a dozen maids carefully carried in an enormous coarse cloth bag, its body stretched round and taut, hemp rope leaving deep indentations, clearly filled with many things.
They gently placed the cloth bag on the long table, the surface emitting a dull thud, then reached to undo the triple-knotted rope—as soon as the knot loosened, the clothes inside 'rustled' out, like an overturned rainbow box.
Instantly spreading a dazzling array across the table, making everyone in the room's eyes light up, even the flames in the fireplace seemed to dance more merrily.
The most eye-catching was a pink gauze dress, its skirt layers overlapping like a blooming flower, silver-thread embroidered stars hidden in the folds, shimmering with scattered light under the lamplight, truly like a crushed night sky sewn onto it.
Gwof reached out and brushed the skirt, the fabric light as a feather, "This material is something humans call 'Organza,' it can float when the wind blows; Lia would look like she's treading on clouds wearing it."
He rummaged through the pile of clothes again, pulling out an indigo blue robe, the fabric slick, fingertips gliding over it like touching congealed oil.
"This is for The Witch,"
Gwof said with a smile, "She's always rummaging in the Herb Garden; this fabric is waterproof, dew shakes right off, and it's very light."
The robe's hem was embroidered with dark green herb patterns, almost invisible unless looked at closely, yet exuding a low-key elegance.
The short jackets were even livelier; the bright yellow one embroidered with leaping hares, a few clovers hidden in the stitching;
the lake blue one printed with a bird spreading its wings, the feathers edged with gold thread, looking like it might fly off the fabric with a move.
The lantern pants had elastic cuffs; Gwof said these were called 'Cuffed Pants,' wind couldn't get in when running;
the ones with tightened legs were embroidered with vines, winding and climbing all over the pant legs, like they'd just grown from the ground.
Scarves were piled at the very edge, red like burning flames, green like tender spring leaves, each with its own detail—the goose-yellow one had tassels, tiny bells strung on the tassels, jingling 'ding-ling' with movement;
the deep brown one was woven with thick wool, feeling like hugging a warm, sunny ball.
"This is for Sister-in-law."
Gwof picked out the goose-yellow scarf from among them, the bells on the tassels lightly colliding, emitting delicate sounds.
He walked over to Big Brother Wolf's Mate, handed it over with both hands, a look of eager anticipation in his eyes.
"Girls in the human world love wearing these in winter; feel this wool, soft like a newborn cub's fur, wrap it around your neck, no wind can get through, so warm it can heat your nose tip."
The She-Wolf quickly stood up, her fingertips touching the scarf, she couldn't help but let out a soft 'ah'—the wool was as fine as silk, golden threads hidden in the intertwining vine pattern, shimmering with a gentle light.
She wrapped the scarf around her neck, turned to look in the silver candlestick's reflection, in the halo of candlelight, the goose-yellow color made her silver-white fur look like it was dusted with gold.
"So beautiful,"
she lifted a hand to adjust the scarf, her tail gently swaying behind her, the tip sweeping the carpet, stirring up fine fur.
"Thank you, you've gone to so much trouble."
Psyche had long been captivated by that ink-black short jacket, its collar embroidered with silver cloud patterns, the edges of the patterns adorned with pearl-like sequins, the fabric stiff, feeling heavy in the hand.
She walked up to Groot, draped the short jacket over his chest, teasing with a smile: "Why don't you try this on? Guaranteed to look ten times sharper than that silk robe you're wearing, look at these cloud patterns, a perfect match for your carving knife."
Groot's face flushed'suddenly,' spreading from his ears to his neck, even the tips of his ears turning pink, almost dropping the carving knife in his hand.
He lowered his head, his eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, but didn't avoid the short jacket, letting the fabric rest against his silk robe.
"I... I'm not used to such stiff fabric."
His voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, yet he still didn't move away.
Gray Mouse had curled up in Gwof's pocket for a while, the soft fabric wrapping around it, still carrying the scent of pine from Gwof, originally wanting to take another nap, but the laughter filling the room was like a handful of itching powder, seeping through the pocket's seams, tickling its heart with curiosity.
Finally, unable to suppress that curiosity, its little nose twitched, first poking out a furry little head.
Its black bean-like eyes darted around twice, scanning the clothes spread on the table like a sea of flowers—pink delicate, blue serene, red passionate, and those adorned with silver threads, embroidered with patterns—instantly shining like obsidian touched by morning dew, full of excited light.
"Pretty clothes!"
It squeaked in a high-pitched voice, its little paws scratching at the pocket's edge, its tail tip proudly raised.
It was one of Gwof's very first friends, so of course it wouldn't miss out on its share of these new goodies!
As if steeling itself with immense determination, Gray Mouse suddenly shot out from the pocket. Its little body traced a gray arc through the air, swift as a pebble being flicked.
Gwof, quick-eyed and swift-handed, was just about to reach out to catch it when he saw it nimbly twist its body mid-air, using its momentum to perform a perfect diving maneuver—front paws pressed together against its chest, hind legs stretched straight—and with a soft 'plop,' it plunged into the thickest pile of clothes, sending up a spray of soft 'waves.'
The silks and cottons instantly swallowed it up, leaving only a tail wagging outside, its tip adorned with a pink thread like a swaying foxtail in the wind, making Lia beside it clap her hands in delight.
A moment later, the sleeve of the lake-blue short jacket suddenly stirred, and with a'swoosh,' a dusty little head popped out, still sporting a shiny silver thread on top, looking as if it were wearing a fashionable little hat.
Its tiny paws gripped the cuff, and its black eyes warily scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one trying to catch it, it finally relaxed and shook its head.
Lia's heart melted at the sight, and she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, gently reaching out with her fingertip to stroke its head.
But Gray Mouse reacted faster than anyone, 'whooshing' back into the folds of a pink gauze skirt, leaving only two black eyes blinking from between the layers of fabric, like two little stars hidden among flower petals.
For a moment, the laughter around the long table grew even louder, bubbling up like boiling water.
The She-Wolf held up the goose-yellow scarf, discussing it with Lettuce: 'Don't you think tying it like this makes it feel softer?'
Her silver-gray tail tip lightly brushed against Lettuce's sleeve, stirring up a flurry of fine fluff. The two exchanged a glance, and a ripple of soft laughter followed.
Groot was forcibly pressed into a chair by Psyche, the jet-black short jacket thrust into his arms. The silver-thread cloud pattern on the collar brushed against his chin, and his fingers unconsciously stroked the fabric, his ears turning crimson, yet he obediently stayed put, making Psyche suppress a smile.
The three Little Wolf Cubs, perhaps awakened by the laughter in the room and the rustling of fabric, rubbed their sleepy eyes and emerged from the pile of fluff.
The eldest, with the sharpest ears, perked up its head at the sound of tassels clinking by the table. Its eyes, like black grapes, lit up, its tail whirled in a circle, and it dashed over on its short legs.
Spotting the scattered scarves by the table, it lunged straight for the crimson one, nudging it back and forth with its wet nose, causing fluff to drift down with each touch.
'It smells so nice, must be newly made! So much softer than the scarf Mom knitted!'
The second and third cubs wobbled over, and the three fluffy little ones circled the scarves like three moving snowballs.
The eldest cub picked up a goose-yellow scarf with tassels, trying to wrap it around its neck like Big Brother Wolf. But the tassels were too long, dragging on the floor and tickling its belly, making it giggle uncontrollably. It pawed frantically to straighten the scarf, only to tangle itself tighter, ending up wrapped like a plump little dumpling, with only two flailing paws and a wobbling tail tip visible.
'Woo... Mom!'
The second cub, the clingiest, saw its elder sibling tangled and immobile and grew frantic itself. It grabbed the corner of a lake-blue scarf and, whimpering, nudged its way toward Big Brother Wolf's leg, bumping into his boot and looking up pitifully.
'Dad, save me! This ribbon is bullying me! It won't play with me!'
The third cub, the most mischievous, not only didn't help untangle the mess but tilted its head to study the eldest, now wrapped like a dumpling, before suddenly pouncing, trying to tug at the dangling tassels for fun.
The eldest, knocked by the impact, rolled over with a 'thump,' and the two cubs tumbled together on the carpet, tangling the scarves even more—crimson mixed with goose-yellow, like a crumpled rainbow.
Their fluffy tails swept back and forth on the carpet, stirring up fine fluff that mingled with the flickering warmth from the fireplace, as if someone had scattered a handful of gold dust, shimmering in the air.
Big Brother Wolf burst into laughter at the scene, bending down to lift the second cub by the scruff of its neck.
The little one still held onto the lake-blue scarf, its tiny paws kicking: 'Let me go! I need to save my brother!'
The eldest, meanwhile, wriggled on the carpet, whimpering pitifully, though the tip of its tail betrayed its delight, clearly having a grand time.
The third cub, the cleverest, took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the scarf pile, snatched a tassel, and ran toward Gwof, presenting it to his palm as if seeking praise.
Leaning back in his chair, Gwof watched this chaotic yet heartwarming scene and suddenly felt it was more comforting than any grand ceremony.
Even the air carried a sweet scent, mingling with the warmth of the candles, the fragrance of the fabrics, and the laughter filling the room—like a freshly brewed honey wine, warming from the tip of the tongue to the heart... Just then, a milky gasp abruptly pierced the laughter, and Gwof instinctively turned toward the sound—only to see the Little Wolf Cubs, who had been tumbling on the carpet moments ago, now striking a hilariously endearing pose.
The eldest had somehow gotten down on all fours, front paws firmly planted on the carpet, hindquarters slightly raised, its fluffy little tail stretched straight, looking every bit like a little wolf ready to pounce.
But its plump little body wobbled back and forth, and its run was a bit unsteady, making it seem more like a puppy begging for attention.
And perched steadily on its back was Gray Mouse.
Gray Mouse had somehow dug up a pointed red hat, its brim neatly trimmed with a circle of snow-white fluff, perfectly fitting its furry little head and making its black, beady eyes shine even brighter.
Around its neck was tied a thin red string, attached to a tiny copper bell—the very one that had fallen from the goose-yellow scarf earlier.
It proudly planted its tiny paws on its hips, its fluffy tail raised high and swaying with the eldest's movements, the copper bell tinkling merrily. It was the spitting image of the Santa Claus Gwof had seen in the human world in his past life, only infinitely smaller and brimming with a childish cuteness that warmed the heart.
'Oh my!' The She-Wolf was the first to exclaim, forgetting to put down the scarf in her hand, her eyes wide with surprise. 'This look... is absolutely adorable!'
Lia covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with delight, and whispered, 'It looks like a little elf from a story! Wearing a red hat and even a bell.'
The eldest seemed to understand the praise, proudly shaking its head as it slowly crawled across the carpet with Gray Mouse on its back.
The red hat swayed gently with the movement, the snow-white fluff brushing against the eldest's back, the clear, pleasant chime of the bell like a string of flowing notes dancing around the room.
The second and third cubs were drawn by the commotion and immediately began circling them joyfully, whimpering excitedly, their little tails wagging like drumsticks, as if cheering them on or urging them to run faster.
Leaning back in his chair, Gwof watched this absurd yet heartwarming scene and couldn't help but grin, laughing out loud.