Ever since last winter, when I had stood up to Leonidas and questioned his motives, I rarely felt his watching eyes following my every move. On occasion I saw him lingering in the trees, but now he practically avoided me. It was probably for the best; his obsessive stalking of me through our puphood had perplexed me. And while I was quite the independent girl, I sometimes found myself wondering where he was, if he had chosen another wolf to follow about needlessly. The idea caused a tiny twinge of jealousy to pinch at my chest, but I would quickly disregard the emotion. To want a wolf to constantly shadow my every move? It made little sense, but some remote part of me did miss his presence. It wasn’t like he’d been some sort of guardian to me; in fact he had looked upon me with loathing that could almost rival that of my brother’s morose tendencies. Everything about the painted boy puzzled me, and perhaps that was why today the roles had reversed. Today, I stalked him.

My paws pressed softly against the snow covered earth, following him at a lengthy distance through the pack lands, sticking mostly to the trees and shrubbery that did not lose their foliage in winter. Thus far, it would seem he was oblivious to my being there. Good. When he stopped, I stopped. When he jogged, I jogged. Surely excelling at stalking was a superior talent to have. I had made myself the predator in this situation, and he was my prey. Luckily his chosen path allowed me to remain downwind of him, so he couldn’t possibly know I was there unless he was looking for me. As Leo put on a sudden burst of speed I made to match his gait, but then paused as the boy launched from the ground. I watched as he scuttled his way to the top of the rock, and a smile pulled at the edges of my maw. He would certainly be completely devastated if he knew I had seen such a thing. And I debated about revealing myself then and there, to get back at him for the way he had spoken to me last winter. But I refrained, thinking better of it. To seek revenge for such petty things was childish, and I knew full well that I needed to grow up much faster than those around me. In just over two years it would be my responsibility to lead the pack. Humiliating a pack member was no way for a queen to act.

Curiosity drew me closer to him, however. I remained within the confines of the winter bushes, keeping myself hidden from his searching gaze. For a while, I simply watched him. Why did he seek out solitude? Why didn’t he want to be as pack should be? I knew he had lost everything, but so too had Taliesin, and he did not resent me. Spirane was home to many orphans. The mountain welcomed all who sought refuge, who needed a new family. A soft sigh escapes me, and finally I can stand it no longer. Emerging from my place of cover, I immediately move into a run and leap, using another rock to aid me in my climb to the top of the boulder where Leonidas rests. As I landed, my hind left paw slips on the edge of the boulder and I nearly fall backwards into the scramble that Leo himself had endured. I only just manage to catch myself. Before he truly has any time to react, I pivot my body so that I stand confidently beside him. We are matched in height this day, although someday he will only just surpass me. My eyes search the land before us for a silent moment before I say, “Find what you were looking for?” I then turned my head just slightly towards him, a cheeky grin only just creasing my lips. We were a year older than our last encounter; how much had my painted stalker grown in that time? What a strange dynamic we held, but perhaps I could find a friend in Leonidas yet.