The moment her own howl broke the air around him, he instantly redirected himself towards its direction. She had been much closer than he had initially expected, surprised almost that the response came so quickly. He expected her to be far too busy to merely come to his beck and call, particularly when the rest were likely just as baffled and confused Astaroth might have been over the entire ordeal. In a way, he liked the response time. It showed him that, maybe, she was not going to be all that unprepared if she could spread her time and efforts so well already. Hell, maybe he could even learn something from her. This wasn't just some standard meeting, though, and even he knew that. Both of them surely had the intentions of scoping out the other, testing the waters so to say - Astaroth even wished to test Aithne's opinion on, well, the circumstances he had found himself in with Denali. Though Andras had seemingly accepted her, he did not wish to risk her life or well being simply because of some power changeover. This was an important day, or at least he thought so.
Vaguely, he could hear the mashing of paws against mud, turning slowly to face towards the dark shadow that came forward. The tension was barely palpable, a mere breeze that moved over his head and out of his worries. He rarely felt tense, at least not in these kinds of situations. Had he desired for power? Yes, of course, but that desire had been a tepid thing at best, never a burning hot coal. He only desired enough to be respected and to keep himself and his family safe. That was all; honestly, he was likely far too passive and unconcerned with the politics of it all to be much use as a lord. Of course, that was a barely known fact. He'd never made such a thing explicitly clear and so, it only made sense for Aithne to approach with a particular caution. It was the smarter thing to do in a situation that could quickly turn volatile.
When she spoke finally, he found himself chuffed over the prospect that he could be considered swift. His ears fluttered as the tiniest indication of such an emotion, though his eyes remained as passive as ever, refusing to give away any secrets just yet. He was loyal, of course, to Iromar but... he had to be certain.
"You never stole a title. I was never Heir. Mother favored Siren and father never spoke a word. There was no title to be taken from me."
He shrugged off his comments, though they were astonishingly true. He'd never been a very good liar on the off chance that he had tried, after all. Though his father and he were alike in several ways, they differed in just as many. They'd always butted heads and he'd always been ready to try make him proud. But now? Well, it would be easier now at least. He didn't have to worry about heirship and all that - he just had to worry about being respected and useful. Still, he cannot help himself and the most crass of smiles marked his lips as his brow raised.
"Though, if you are looking for an Heir, my blood would solidify your claim to any who question it."
Was he serious? Frankly, yes, and perhaps it showed a little too much in his eyes. Though she was marked with white, a colour his mother was adamant in avoiding, she was otherwise a high standard of female. She had good markings, good colouration and was larger and more well built than even Denali. They'd make good children, at least. They'd be strong and full of good blood. Consider it a peace treaty, Aithne, or so he figured. If anybody questioned her claim, well, he'd do whatever he could to put their minds to rest.