I stopped just over the border line, eyes of violet gold turned upward to marvel at the towering trees above, white and silver frame so very small beside them even though I had grown these past few weeks and months, my yearling body gangly and gawky and honestly a little detracting from my overall appearance, as if it tried to hide the perfection of my long limbs and evenly muscled frame behind this deluded look of ungainliness I truly did not feel showed off exactly how fine I was to the eye. Oh well, I suppose this stage won’t last long- maybe I should try running up hills more to bulk up my muscles a bit, although that seems an awful lot of effort. I had climbed the Spirane mountains though and I think that is deserving of a prize all it’s own- but I feel myself getting off track. I was here to see Taviora today, our sister pack, or so I am told and the home of cousins Solaris and Shiloh although I had never met either of them. I’d heard about them though and I decided to see their home, after all that would only leave me with Glorall to see before I could claim to have visited every pack- the thought of such success pulling my lips into a grin as I wandered further forward, eyes lifted upward to marvel at the trees once more as I did. I should have brought Orfiel with me, he would liked all these leaves, my own gaze scowling as one threatened to land atop me, form dancing lightly to the side before continuing on.

This was a nice pack, maybe even nicer then Hyrule Field- maybe I should make this my pack instead and rename it something far more exciting then Taviora- what is that anyway? Nothing. A made up word, at least, it sounds like a made up word. I’d have to ask about that. If it was up to me I think I’d name it the Lost Woods pack- because I think I’m pretty lost, maybe Faron words because they are damn far from where I came from. I grinned loosely at my own internal monologue, evidently content to find myself amusing as white paws strode across the earth and over the mossy, damp ground beneath the trees. I don’t think I’d like quite SO many trees though, they detracted from the overall appearance. Solaris and Shiloh could keep their pack and be spared my almighty wrath. What? Why can’t it be almighty? Someone has to be mighty don’t they?

I could scent other wolves, a lot of other wolves and yet I hadn’t run into any yet, no border patrol having come passed like it would in Diveen. Although I think that is because Isola is…how you say…paranoid. I don’t really blame my aunt, they say she has even been to war, that she has fought off more challenges then any other in recent years and that she and Uncle Kane had defeated them all, for such is the power of Angels. Maybe I will have to tell her not to worry so much, after all, I’ve seen what’s out there, I’ve travelled from Diveen (without Mother and Father’s permission exactly), I’ve seen the other packs and the next generation, the young ones, like me and as far as I can tell she really does not need to be worried. I liked those boys from Spirane, I even liked that girl from Iromar- sort of. Only the girls in Asteraia had been mildly dislikeable and yet even then, were they something to be worried about? I doubt it. They angered too quickly to be intelligent, or so I thought. Isola should probably lessen the border patrols- maybe one day when I get to be in charge I’ll do just that. Though for now I have far more pressing matters other than my eventual kingship. I’d look good a throne I think.

I could smell Solar I was sure, or maybe it was Shiloh, that scent of Isola and Kane lingering upon the earth, a scent I smelt each day and yet it was lost in so many others I could barely follow it, a slight touch of worry coiling within my chest at the thought that maybe I was more lost then I realised, surely someone would come by soon, right? At least I haven’t seen any mushrooms yet. Never liked mushrooms, not since Belhara. It was the sudden cracking sound that made me look up, birds exploding into the sky as the violet gold of my gaze narrowed slightly at the screeching sound they made before something decided to plummet toward me, eyes widening suddenly at the realisation of the falling tree branch as I scrambled frantically sideways in a manner not befitting anyone of my blood.

“Hiyah!”

It was more of a tuck and roll really, shouting as I did as the limb collided with the ground and my heart hammered in my chest. It had only just missed me….just….by inches at best.

“Is this because I renamed your forest?”

I suppose I was speaking to the tree branch, after all, it had just attempted the murder of myself. No- this pack was not one I was going to earmark for the future, murderous trees and loud birds are not at all entertaining, although I found myself curious of the limb all the same- one paw reaching forward to press against it, rocking it slightly, flinching back suddenly at the sounds it made before grinning and tapping at it again in game of sorts. I wonder if they’d be cross with me about the tree, did these wolves keep track of trees?

“Sorry I broke your tree? I mean, I just found it like that. It did try to kill me.”

I sounded the excuses out loud, attempting to discover the best of them before someone arrived to question my about it





h y r u l e
The Once and Future King