i am the blood of the mountain

I felt the return of pressure as he leaned into my embrace, accepting the gesture I had made to welcome him into the pack and returning it in kind - accepting me as his alpha. As I stepped back to stand before him once more, I did not miss the smile upon his features. Though his eyes were lowered in a sign of respect, there was something about his reserved nature that also spoke of his sheltered confidence. Whether that confidence was in the choice he'd made, in me, or in himself, I couldn't be certain, but I was glad for his decision no matter what. Spirane was a large pack, but we resided within a sprawling mountain range. There was always room here for another capable wolf to join the ranks. And with some of the younger wolves flying the proverbial nest and branching out on their own, it was nice to have a strong young wolf such as Tithe choose Spirane as his home.

A moment of thoughtful silence hung in the air between us after I asked him what rank he desired for himself. There was no pressure in this moment from me, and I was reminded of my encounter with the young shewolf who had decided to leave the mountain during the winter months. The choice for what your future would hold was a decision not to be taken lightly, but I wanted those of my pack to know that they would never be forced to perform a task they felt no desire to complete. If my brother Sleekwing were to come to me tomorrow and tell me he no longer wished to serve as the mountain's Castellan, that he wished to train to become a healer, I would do everything in my power to help him see those goals come to fruition. With young wolves I felt it was even more important for them to understand that just because they choose one path early on in life, it did not mean they were shackled to it. Within Spirane it was my hope that all paths could be connected, so that if a wolf decided they wanted to change roles later in life, they would feel capable of doing so.

When he spoke, I was once more reminded of his aptitude for eloquence with words. Apparently he, too, understood that he had a way with words, as he requested to be placed amongst the Emissary rather than the Armament. I nodded my agreement with this request, thinking it was a fine choice for the male. Any rank in the pack was welcome to join in and assist the armament on a hunt, but it took a certain kind of wolf to handle diplomatic affairs - both inside and outside of the pack's borders. Tithe's next words seemed almost troubled, though they were spoken strongly and I agreed with him completely. "The Emissary will do greatly to have such an addition to its ranks. Such thoughts alone show your potential for such a role." In the back of my mind I mused over my need of a Warden, and perhaps in due time Tithe would prove himself as a capable candidate for such a role. But for now I required something of him to establish his ability as a diplomat. "Asteraia is somewhat of an...anomaly. I have yet to personally meet either of the plains' leaders, though I grew up in Moladion and as such I have heard many stories about Tobias - none of which are particularly good. However, I will not discredit them on rumor alone. I would like for you to learn of their pack by whatever means you choose, whether that be meeting with a pack member or perhaps with a wolf who has chosen to leave the plains since the black wolves' takeover. Your opinion on how to proceed in regards to relations with Asteraia is what I seek."

Little did I know, Tithe had already met the very alphas I spoke of.

daenerys