In the predawn light I stretched, rising from my curled position in the base of my cave den. Emerging, I yawned, jaw expanding widely as my tongue extended towards the roof my mouth before my teeth clicked shut once more. I made a cursory check of my surroundings, looking first to the left of the cave entrance to see if maybe, just maybe, Leonidas had been by in the night. But there was nothing. Part of me feared he had gone again, broken his promise and left me alone. I knew my words had hurt him, the night Meryl had come to heal my wounds in the aftermath of the fight. And I hadn’t seen him since. For a time he had continued to leave me meals, and his scent always lingered around my den. But even now that was fading, and some part of me was angry with him for breaking his word to me. For breaking my heart.

Turning away from my den, I jogged away, doing my best to leave such thoughts in my wake. My pack was slowly growing, and those who had joined in their youth now sought to rise among the ranks. Three boys wished to begin their training – two aspired to the Armament and one to the Occult. Devit and Sven would train under Sleekwing, but was of Cae? My upper ranks were dwindling as the lower ones grew. It had been some time since I had set forth the tasks for Natu to rise to the rank of Spider. But I was patient, knowing that they were not so easily completed as a simple steal. I had given her a challenge, and I had every faith that she was executing them to the best of her abilities. Time would tell.

I approached my throne, shifting into a lope as my distance closed, and I leapt gracefully from the ground to the stony dais. Circling once, I relaxed and lowered my bodice, lying down sternal. My forepaws stretched before me, and my tail curled around my hindquarters. I found this to be a good place to think, to plan, and of course it was a location that my pack could easily find me if they so desired. And so I rested, pushing around ideas in my mind for ways to challenge the youth of the pack; both those who knew the path they wished to take, and those who did not. I thought on my younger siblings, dear Haven and Idunn, wondering if either of them would take up the art of healing. Perhaps young Galileo would follow in his father’s pawprints and strive to join the Emissary. And what of Gaia? Her brother had chosen his path, perhaps she would soon as well. I decided then that I would like to meet with the girl again, her father’s rise to leadership in Asteraia perhaps giving the opportunity for her to test the waters as a diplomat. And if that was not to her liking, maybe it would give her insight into another direction she might wish to take.

The tip of my tail twitched as I mulled over such thoughts. Mahogany eyes gazed off into the trees, not truly focused on anything, when suddenly a movement to my left caught my attention. My eyes flicked to the approaching form of Natu, a small smile creeping across my features. Her greeting was met with a cordial nod of my crown, though I did not move to rise. “Greetings, Natu. Beautiful indeed, and the morning air is just the right amount of crisp, wouldn’t you agree?” I mused, though I hardly assumed Natu had come to me simply to discuss the weather. Shadowed ears cupped forward, listening as my would be whisperer shared information she had come to gather. My brows rose inquisitively as she spoke of Old Moladion, a land which I had never known with my own eyes. But Solevion of old had given birth to Spirane of new. The truly interesting information, however, came at the mention of my brother Taliesin. So his father had returned? I couldn’t remember his name, for Taliesin rarely spoke of his heritage. For all intensive purposes, Alcide had been his father as much as mine.

At mention of Leonidas, I blinked. Much of his history was a mystery to me, for he rarely revealed much of himself, other than his unyielding desire to be with me always. A bitterness rose in my throat, and my nostrils flared momentarily. But I disguised it as a simply deep inhale of breath as I processed the information. Their names did not ring any bells, until the last was spoken. Fenrir, of course. Fenrir and Doe. I wondered for a moment if Taliesin was aware. Something like this should not be kept from him. Especially if…”Most interesting. Do you know if he intends to seek out Taliesin?” I would not let my brother be taken unawares by the wolf I knew he harbored a great distaste for. Perhaps this information would seem trivial to some, but to me it felt greatly important. For nothing surpassed the importance of family – blood, pack, or otherwise. Yes, it would seem Natu was rising to these challenges I had set forth to her quite well indeed.