Sixth

It had been a trying few weeks with its high points and low. He had started before he went on his trip and now he had found time to finish it.
Leaning back in the chair he finished the last of the ale that he had poured himself, studying the work he had done and part of him felt proud. This time around he could say what it was, even if it still mirrored an oddity that his mind carried. The other was his attempt to make something normal but even then he had to add oddity to it. One part belonging to the other, it is how it was.

Folding his arms he lent back in his chair, balancing on the hind legs as he cast a look out the window. He had made his apology but it seemed it matter little to her, though it was not to his surprise.
Everything he did and said was wrong one way or the other, his actions, his thoughts, his words, his dreams and his motives judged harshly and assumptions made that to them was always true. If he did the same, even for a moment, he was wrong and he had no right. He never did make the mistake of assuming and claiming things he did not know about, he could only voice his thoughts, ask his questions and make simple guesses to try and find the truth. This however, he was judged by. They say they understand but they never do, they only understand what they want to understand.

Then again, they were not fully to blame, even when he wanted to. He sighed and rubbed a finger along the aching scar that divided his face.
Even after his mask had been shaddered he held desperately onto the pieces left to hide behind, not wanting himself to be seen as he truly were. The mask held well for short stays but their visit had dragged on and more and more pieces had fallen. This time around he had no where to run, this time around he had to face his problems and the hurt he may cause. It was a bitter reality and one he still had to learn to deal with, a reality he had to learn to live in.

A sigh escaped him and his eyes wandered to the patterned wolf's head. At first simple to understand but the longer he stared the more complex it became and harder it was to see its meaning. Perhaps the very reason he had found himself enjoying these drawings, this busy work that calmed his mind.
The other, a test of his memory. He had only seen a wolf once in his life from a fair distance but a neighboring dog had given him the idea to try.

The same, yet different.
One part belonging to the other.

He smiled to himself, he knew what he had drawn. Even so it was nothing he could show. She had asked again about his art when he hoped she had forgotten, he could not show her this and so he would have to try again, he would have to try and draw something normal so that she could see. Something that was expected an artist to make, something that people knew, something that felt real. He would have to stall a little further until he would manage something. At least this time around he had managed halfway.

He heard shuffling from the other room and he wondered if his brother would be able to guess the meaning of the image. In truth he'd be disappointed if his brother wouldn't get it.