“Have you ever considered that maybe it is your Mother that is lying, hmm? I am the best game player there ever was.”

I smirked lightly, chuckling as I continued to hold the girl in place all the same, one of her own white paws moving to bat at my muzzle, content to allow her to do such a thing, ignoring her pitiful struggles all the same. Hmm, maybe I can continue to pin her in this fashion while I sleep and allow all Diveen a rest form it’s Princess and potential future ruler. It would seem however, that the game I suggest is evidently a stupid one, one violet eye lifting all the same in mild amusement at her strongly spoken words. I like this one. Though I have no desire to tell her. Since when did praise ever help a child to develop? No, it is far better to inform them that everything they do is simply not good enough, to encourage them to try harder and harder still until their mediocre effort is significantly above the best of another, lesser bloodline. Cruel perhaps- but it works. Then again, I always did have an unfortunate soft spot for my daughters and granddaughters, heaven knows why. For now however I am content to loosen my hold slightly and at least allow the girl to believe she had managed to struggle free as she continued to prattle one. Where she got her talkativeness from I hardly know. I may be good with words, but I am hardly one to pour them out like a waterfall- no, that must be some infusion of Devils blood, I blame him for such a trait in our grandchild.

Fortunately, the girl seems to have something by way of manners, the snow of her fur held against my muzzle as she reached to lick at my chin and cheek, earning her a passing if not slightly doting grin, tail flicking in the barest hint of a momentary wag of delight at such a thing before moving to hide any such gestures of affection so open, ears pricking forward once more as she moves to press against my chest, leaning upward in an effort to meet my gaze. Truly, how little does she think of me? I have raised countless children and I am entirely aware of this trick, her efforts at innocence surely an attempt to sway me towards whatever activity it is she wanted, her words confirming as much as my lip quirked slightly upward once more. I suppose to some extent I have missed this. My own children are grown, many have children of their own and indeed it is I suppose they don’t…..need me, not anymore and though I may well be loath to admit it, some part of myself needs to be needed, I like that- so shoot me, but I do. My grandchildren still content to offer me what I can no longer have, or at least, not without being unfaithful to Zen, then again, I believe indeed my days of raising my own children may long be over. I lack the patience for it and the energy and yet these few stolen moments with a granddaughter are enough for me to feel at least slightly important once more. It is hard, I suppose, to grow old. Once……this land was mine, every wolf in all Moladion knew my name and every wolf bowed. I had the world and yet old age takes so much more then youth from us. At least I still remember, at least I still dream and indeed there is peacefulness of sorts in watching my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren grow in my image.

“Perhaps they chase you away because you annoy them, have you considered that?”

I chuckled once more, scowling slightly as she nipped at the fur of my neck, leaning back and arching upward and rising into a sitting position as my gaze returned to her own and she continued to speak, features forming a frown as she did. Really? I always knew Kane was an irresponsible Father, useful only for his blood, yet Isola I believed to be more and yet their child remains clearly uneducated. I sighed, eye rolling at her playful bow, the girl clearly unable to decide whether she wants a history lesson or to play some silly game that I have little intention of indulging her with, choosing to speak instead, lowering my head to her own, voice easing to little more then a whisper as if what I shared was indeed some great secret, after all, I find children are far more inclined to listen if they elieve what they are being told is secretive.

“You are Angel born, Calliel. This means you are descende from the Angel above, wolves of pure white with wings that fly the skies and look down on our world from above. Many, many years ago, far longer then any wolf can count there was a war most great between the Angels of the skies and the Demons of the world underneath our own. Demons are being most sneaky creatures and many of them came to this earth, black pelted wolves they were, yet they sought to increase their numbers and their armies. They bred with mortal wolves, wolves that lived here and produced the wolves of black and red whom live in Iromar. A true demon is black or black and red and feeds upon the flesh of others. Though many in Iromar carry these colours and are descended from such creatures, not all are true to their ways and feed upon wolf flesh.”

I paused, waiting for the girl to understand the story, allowing her to take in what was said before I was given to continue.

“When the Angels from above saw what the demons did, breeding and feeding, they too scent wolves to this earth, wingless angels, wolves marked in white and red, the red is a Mark of Angels, a Mark to remember why they are here, a stain of blood on coats so white so that they will not forget they were born to hunt Demons and to keep safe those whom Demons pray on. You carry the Mark Calliel, it shows your bloodline and your connection to Angels. This is what it means to be called Angel. You are born to be an assassin, to hunt Demons, or you are born to be as your Mother, to protect others from them, the choice is your own. Do you understand now?”

I suppose it was a bit of a crash course, but I hardly have all day, he desire to be an assassin met with a passing grin once more, lips parting to tell the girl indeed that to become as such there was so much she had to give up, so much she would need say goodbye to and indeed I doubt very much Isola would approve. We will see. Her final words however brought a chuckle to my lips as I looked upon her.

“Baby Girl, it pleases me to hear you say such things and perhaps you are right, perhaps I merely pretend to be old, but we must keep this between ourselves, alright?”

If only I could pretend it were true…..