The undertone of my name echoed on Luxe’s breath made the hair around the edges of my ears prickle, the grin upon my features growing to a wider smile. As I relaxed into a sitting position, I noticed the way her eyes grew slightly, seeming surprised by my nonchalance in the presence of one I had only just met. But everything about her spoke of how she meant me no harm, that she was far from a threat, and I only wished to convey the same to her. Even as she followed my lead, her eyes fell to the earth, and for a moment I wondered if she was merely a shy soul, or if something – or someone – had made her timid of the world around her. My tail beat once against the ground, glad she had trusted me enough to sit with me, and then I asked her if she was new to Moladion.

She seemed distraught by the fact that I could easily discern such a fact – although it had less to do with her appearance and more to do with her scent. It was growing faint, but she carried the fragrance of the great beyond, and world I knew naught of. The farthest I had wandered beyond Moladion’s outskirts was when I had chased Purge from these lands, and then I had returned home again. Everything I had ever wanted or needed was here, and even though I wondered what else was out there from time to time, I harbored no desire to go out and discover it. My sisters were the wanderers – Orca and Idunn – and though I would never deny them that pleasure, I knew how greatly it affected those of us who remained behind. Now that my family had grown and I had children, I could never imagine leaving them to explore whatever else was out there.

I chuffed softly at her remark and shook my head. “It is only that Moladion’s odor has not yet completely consumed your perfume that gave you away,” I said with a smirk, hoping to reassure her that she did not come off as some lost pup. Sure, she was hesitant in the face of what she did not know, but there were plenty of wolves who shared such a trait as that. It did not mean she was inept. Luxe was new to these lands, and I did not want her to feel as if she was unwelcome here. From what Orca had told me of her journeys, Moladion was a place unlike any other, for nowhere else was prey so abundant and the land so accommodating to such a mass of wolves.

“I was born here, within the peaks of the mountains of Spirane,” I said, gesturing over my shoulder at the behemoths of my homeland. “It has been my home since I took my first breath, and will be until my last,” I commented as I gazed upon the silhouette of my territory. My tail had begun to thump against the ground, and I turned back to Luxe with pride glowing in my features. “What sort of land do you come from? I have only heard tales of the regions beyond Moladion’s fringe.” I hoped that perhaps shifting the conversation to something she was more familiar with might continue to help her relax and enjoy our conversation. If only I had known it might do exactly the opposite.