My breathing had slowed, returning almost to normal as I greeted Natu. Flexing my toes, I dug my nails into the earth and stretched the muscles of my legs. The exhilarating burn faded, and I moved to rest my weight upon my off hind leg. I had been lucky in the battle with Purge’s she-man that no damage had come to my legs. It had left me capable of maneuvering throughout the fight, and in the aftermath my stride was as strong as ever. These days my tail had healed entirely, and only scars remained. Even the deep lacerations to my neck had healed well, aided by the many healers who had flocked to me to ensure there was no long term damage. Meryl, Ceal, and Niviaq had all done their part, and I was thankful to each of them every day that they had prevented infection from festering the wounds that I could not clean on my own.
Even though I had endured such a battle, the scars that I had retained did not age my appearance. I still held a youthful beauty and grace, the only visible scars being the twin slices along the right side of my neck. The hair had not grown back over the blackened scars, but in truth they were only visible when the wind part my gray overcoat and revealed the black undercoat beneath. The slight gust of wind lifted the fur there now, and revealed the precise scars. I was not ashamed of them, and I did nothing to lay the fur back where it belonged. They were tattoos of my experience.
A smirk pulls at the right corner of my maw, glad to hear she was well. “I have no room to complain,” I replied, figuring from her concise answer that she had more on her mind than the small talk that had preceded. My postulations were found correct as she proceeded. She seemed a determined type of wolf, aiming to rise further within the ranks. I had little doubt that she would succeed, but the role was not an easy one to bear. I contemplated for a moment.
“I admire your tenacity, Natu. The role of Spider is not an easy one to fill. It takes a certain type of wolf, which you will need to prove to me you are capable of being. There is much more to it than simple thievery.” I paused, studying her, finding myself curious to better get to know this wolf who stood before me. Trust was acquired over time in most cases, but a true Spider would need to be able to foil wolves into trusting her quickly. “I have two tasks in mind for you to prove your capability for the rank. You have already displayed your talent for stealing. The next two tasks will not be so easily completed. First, fool a wolf who knows you fairly well into thinking you are a stranger, by whatever means of guise you find necessary. Once you have mastered the ability of disguise and fraudulence, go forth into Moladion and find me a secret. A spider must be able to both weave among the shadows and listen to words spoken not for them, but also to walk among wolves and let them think they can trust you, when really you will whisper their words in my ear. That being said, I do not wish you to place yourself in harm’s way, which is where the ability to cloak your true identity again comes into play.” A wolf that could complete such tasks would be invaluable to me. To have a wolf who was able to deliver me the whispers of Moladion would prove extremely useful; not only would we know if there was a potential attack planned against Spirane, but if a threat arose against our allies then we would readily be able to offer them warning and strengthen our alliances.
Flicking my tail, I waited for Natu’s reply. I had little doubt that she would accept the tasks presented to her, for she clearly felt a determination to make herself worthy of a higher rank. I was certain that these tasks would not be completed with ease, but in their completion I would find a faith in Natu’s ability to keep me well informed of Moladion’s goings on.