My eyes sought hers, and she was given to meet my gaze readily. There was an ever present vitality in her stare. Perhaps for much of my life I had not known her, but in the months we had spent together I had come to recognize her strengths. It was the duty of an alpha to know the strengths and weaknesses of her pack. Orca’s strengths were many, a plethora of knowledge she was willing to impart upon me at my bequest. But her weaknesses; these were harder to place a paw upon. At the forefront there was her devotion to our family. This was both a strength, and a weakness, as caring for any wolf could be. I pushed back these thoughts of mine as she was given to answer me, her words flowing eloquently across her tongue. I knew that each of the wolves that had taken it upon themselves to make their pursuit of the position of my hand were intelligent, and there was much to consider about each individual. Today was the day to bring Orca into that contestation.
As her eyes drifted away from mine, my gaze lingered upon her. I studied the way she held herself, the way her head moved as she spoke. Her words were caught in eager ears, tipped forward and trained upon her so as not to miss a word. I gave no reaction as she spoke, merely listening, attuned to her spoken thoughts. Doubtlessly, she had given great thought to the information and ideas she presented to me now, and I appreciated her composure. Though many considerations popped into my mind about her ideas, I voiced none of them. Today was not a day for me to confirm or deny her ideas. This conversation was meant to open the door to the possibility of her rising among the ranks to a position in which her advice would be of the utmost import. This was not to say that I did not value what she said to me today, but no action would be made upon the suggestions she gave at present.
Once she had concluded her speech in its entirety, I smiled. “You have a great mind for inter-pack relations, Orca. It is clear to me that your mind teems with ideas such as those you’ve spoken to me today. You are, undeniably, a great asset to me. Words cannot define the gratitude I felt when you gave up the life of a gypsy to live by my side. Your loyalty shall not go unrewarded.” I paused for a moment, letting these words marinate for a moment. Then I continued. “You have a great many visions for Spirane, as do I. But tell me Orca, why should I heed your advice?” If my prior question had been a task she had met with ease, perhaps this was something that would offer her a true challenge. “What is it that makes you most suitable for the role of Hand? Better yet, what faults do you recognize in yourself that could hinder your duty in said position? What then, of Pan or Lavender? To each of them, how would they benefit me and obstruct me if I were to award them the rank?” They were not meant to be easy questions, and I observed my sister with great interest, curious to see how she would process the numerous inquiries.