Why he was concerned about her or what he really wanted I suppose I don’t know, or find myself particularly caring about. I had met Micteca before, in passing, seen her at pack meetings and moving around Diveen when it was busy and loud and active. It was hard to keep track of anyone really, but Heyel always had. He watched a lot I guess. I would understand it one day- the value in that, in what could really come from just listening and watching though as it was right now my mind was busy and full and I found I had to much to say. That had been another of his lessons- learning to be quiet, learning to only speak words worthy of being heard and I think, really, that’s not a bad lesson to live by. Speak words worthy of being heard. Maybe one day I would understand it fully- for now it seemed more like memorable quote or flight of fancy. Heyel always did say I should use my mouth less and my ears more if I truly wanted to learn. Malina had been the same, he said, talkative and loud. He was different when he talked about them. He missed Trenus I suppose and the lands that didn’t exist anymore. Old age truly is a discouraging thought and one I hardly care to incline my mind with now, nodding once more in response to this Sabriel and his apparent contentment with my own answer. I shifted my paws atop the earth a moment, one foreleg folding back over the other in a habit I was beginning to develop more and more with each day, head tilting slightly in my own moment of consideration.

I would need to go to the mountain again soon to speak with the Prince’s there, to see Achilles and Guardian, to organise with Calliel before taking Orifel and branching further out once more. So much to be done and yet- we had time, a fair bit of time really so I suppose I was hardly feeling all that rushed on the matter. It would come to pass in time, the things I had begun- even if all the pieces did not fall so perfectly into place as I had anticipated, enough surely would as to bring me what it was I desired, what I had been told I should do. I would have done it anyway, I think, even without the guidance of my Mentor and Grandfather. I asked after Sabriel’s wounds then. I was making some effort to learn after all. I had seen the weaknesses where they had existed, seen what needed to be repaired and made stronger to better equip the next generation….I would not let those same weaknesses exist even if I myself had to better them personally with my own paws. No leader ever existed that was too afraid to do things for himself.

The other male’s mention of wounds saw my features brighten a little in the hopes of true practice, violet and gold eyes moving to rest upon the leg he mentioned as I stood once more, white and silver pelt aglow within the morning sun as my Angel Marked ears flickered briefly at his words before I paused at his side and let my attention rest upon the injured, scraped leg.

“Well- it’s not much of a wound is it?”

He’d probably scraped a log while he was running or tripped over his own overly long and disproportioned limbs. I felt my handsome features scowl slightly, rather disappointed in his overall lack of lacerations or gaping, half torn off limbs. I suppose there was merit in starting small though, a sigh leaving my lips as I turned.

“Walk with me. I mean it, come on now.”

I waited, head inclined back towards him, making sure he followed as I moved to break into a lope, heading towards the nearest of my dens. I had decided to take more than one, after all, there were plenty of spares and I saw no reason why I couldn’t expand a little. I had some healing supplies, having collected them from what Meryl and Hadrian had left behind, nothing truly exciting and yet enough, I was sure, to deal with a grazed leg and at least stop it getting infected. White paws moved with an easy smoothness across the earth, young body not yet possessing of the grace it would one day have as I placed myself outside the nearest of my spaces- ducking momentarily inside before emerging with the large leaf so often used my healers to hold things. There was no much of the paste left, a combination of leaves and water and some sort of tree sap I think (I never had bothered to actually learn how to make it just yet) one paw moving to press into it before reaching for Sabriel’s limb. It painted on fairly easily and would at least treat any infection or stop one starting by covering it a bit. The smell was, questionable I suppose.

“Don’t worry, no one is coming to chase you off for being inside the borders I assure you. The only adults around are my Mother and my cousin really, maybe one or two others. I don’t know where Covet is, I hold very little doubt he will chase you out though, he tends to only find himself irritable when someone hurts his feelings.”

There was a tease to my words, a taint of amusement, shoulders rolling in a shrug before I moved my paw back, gesturing now to his limb and the work I had completed. It wasn’t….perfectly neat but it would do the job. A grin of sorts managed to work its way back onto my features all the same, one eye lifting ever so slightly as I regarded him now. Yearling or not….I was hardly a foolish creature now was I?

“You owe me now, you know, I gave you information and I helped fix your leg which was in danger of becoming afflicted with spiralitis, you could have died had I not treated it- nasty thing that it is. I will collect on this favour one day- just so you know. You can go now if you want though.”

I allowed my lips to pull upward just a little more, almost daring the male to argue with my logic as I regarded him before gesturing back towards the border, Sabriel free to go else stay around if he chose, I hardly minded either way. I had done my job and Covet could hardly complain about that. As for spiralitis- well, it sounded exactly like a real disease and Sabriel would surely have no idea either way. Why not start gathering a few favours? Who knows when I may need them….



h y r u l e
The Once and Future King