The shadows cast by the immense evergreen trees began to creep across the ground towards me as the sun moved from its zenith in the sky, mark the pass of midday and the movement into afternoon. A slight zephyr sifted through the trees, rustling their branches in a wave of motion until finally it reached me, blowing the scent of the trees and wildflowers to fill my nostrils and caressing my fur. My eyelids slid closed, enjoying the moment and familiarizing myself with the scents aside from Coszcotl’s that made up this land. Beyond the scent of tree and flower and foliage, many lupine scents mingled. I inhaled deeply, wondering if I might come to know each of these wolves individually. It had been a long time since I had been able to serve a leader, to carry out that duty which I was best at. When last I had provided myself as judge and jury to a group of wolves, it had been with the clan that had been by home for some seven years. Much had changed since then, but my skill set was not among that which had.

When I opened my eyes, it was to see the colossal form of Coszcotl venturing towards me. A smile graced his features, and I was glad to know he was happy to see me. As he approached, I rose, though it did little to make my size anything comparable to his own. My stature had never bothered me, however, originating from a realm where a small wolf was far more suited to the landscape than a large one. Coszcotl would have found survival much more difficult in the deserts of my homeland, for he required much more water to sate his thirst than I did. But that was of little importance now, as I stood upon the fringes of what was now his homeland.

“I am glad not to be forgotten, my friend.”

Despite my years away from home, my words were still thickly wrapped in an Arabic accent. I smiled up at him as he came to stand before me. I looked him over, curious about the scars that marred his face, but this was not the reason for my visit. If today went as I hoped it would, there would be many opportunities to make up for lost time.

“Coszcotl, your forest, it is….Ya Amar. In the common tongue, I believe beautiful is the rightest word here.”

Behind me, my own tail began to wag softly, swinging as a pendulum back and forth. Finally my paws had led me back to these splendid lands of Moladion, and there was little doubt in my mind where amongst the populations I belonged. For so long I had wandered, aiding wolves in passing in making decisions or helping them to judge a situation in their life. But it was time that I finally put down roots, and there was no wolf I would rather serve than he would first I had met in these lands what seemed like so long ago now.

“I would like to share in this land with you, if you should have me, Coszcotl.”

Instinctively my ears folded back and my head lowered slightly, though it was hardly necessary to show that I was no threat to him. But even amongst the population of a clan such as that which I was brought up in, submission to the leader was paramount for your acceptance. Such was the way of the lupine world.