“I am certain they will find just as much joy in your company as I do. Do not fret, my friend.” I replied to her remark, extending my muzzle to nudge my nose reassuringly against her shoulder. The wolves of the mountain were, in general, kind hearted and open to new ideas and wolves. Of course there was the odd man in every crowd; Swallowbane tended to prefer to keeping to himself, and Pan was a different sort of personality to stomach, but I knew that no wolf within Spirane would find any reason to reject Attila. She would be well received, and I hoped that she would find fast friends among our population. With a nod of finality I rose, gesturing for her to come with me and I would show her more of her new home.

Together we made our way towards the opposite side of the clearing, and slowly wended our way up the mountainside. For me, the higher altitude was natural, but as I often experienced a discomfort at lower elevations, so too did newcomers to the mountains. So we took it slow, using cut backs to ascent the mountainside at a slower rate. Occasionally I would glance over at Attila, always aware of whether or not her expression changed. If discomfort or exhaustion became evident, I would cease the ascent and change our course. Showing her my den could always wait for another day; this trip was hardly worth exploiting all her energy. But she seemed unaffected and carried on happily as ever, and so I was glad to continue onward.

Once within sight of my den, I jogged forward to rest upon the ledge just outside its opening. I looked back over to Attila and saw the way her jaw had gone slack. A smile curled my features, not entirely surprised by her reaction. For many, such a view was something they had never fathomed. To me, it was my daily bread. It was what I woke up in the morning for, and the last thing I saw before I settled into my den to sleep at night. I was always glad to share such a view with a newcomer to the mountains, and I was excited to share such a beautiful sight with my friend. When Attila moved to join me, I spoke of how she could easily find me here if she otherwise had trouble locating me. But her eyes were upon the horizon, the beauty that splayed before us both. I lapsed into silence then, merely smiling joyfully at how awestruck she had become. In this moment I knew that she belonged here, though there had never been any doubt in my mind. But part of me now knew that she had realized it as well.

The words she speaks make me beam with pride, though I have no claim to the beauty of nature. Finally her eyes tear away from the scenery that lay below, and she expresses that I am a lucky wolf. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that – that I am fortunate in many ways, despite the losses I have endured. Grinning back at her, I say, “You can count yourself as one of the lucky ones now, too.” This view belonged to her now just as much as it did to me. There were many places along the eastern face of the mountain where she could easily dig out a den for herself. In fact I was fairly certain there were at least a couple of abandoned dens that she could refurbish to her own liking if she didn’t wish to start from scratch. I would gladly show her those dens, or help her pick out a place to dig on afresh. But for now, I simply wanted to soak up the mid-afternoon beauty of Moladion with my dear friend.