Something about the wolf that stood before me left me unimpressed. A thought flickered through my mind - delusional. Furthermore, he continued to stand before me, unmoved by my shows of dominance. Even so, I remained stoic, watching him with a continuously level gaze. His words proclaimed what he thought he could offer to the pack. I took a moment to consider what he had said.

Putting aside his delusions of grandeur, I had to at least give him the benefit of a fair consideration. Spirane was slow to grow, though our base numbers had been fair enough. The skills of the wolves who had chosen to remain were spread quite well. Healers, diplomats, even a few thieves. But where our numbers did lack was in brute strength. Sleekwing was the only trained warrior Spirane held, though I knew I could count Taliesin, Ailith, and even perhaps Leonidas among such numbers. Did I really require a shield so greatly that I need welcome a wolf such as this into the fold? Pompous and foolish?

“Your physical capabilities I do not doubt,” I said, having previously noted his musculature and mass. But his words were another thing. Power of thunder? Watching from the heavens? Something itched at the back of my mind, telling me that perhaps quantity was not so important as quality. “But the rest, I’d care to see you prove such claims before I even consider allowing you to walk among my pack.” Now, if he could muster a storm from nothing and thunder and lightning were to magically clap overhead, my judgment might be swayed. But the way things were going, if Zeus did not at least yield himself to me, he would be turned away as quickly as he had come. Something just wasn’t quite right about this wolf, and I highly doubted it was that he carried the powers of the sky with him.