i am the blood of the mountain

The surprise seen in Tithe's expression at the task I laid forth for him was soon enough reflected in my own features. As it were, Tobias had been the first wolf Tithe had encountered upon arriving in Moladion. Though my brows lifted in a momentary show of my surprise and interest in what he would share with me of that meeting, my facade quickly returned to something of a more neutral air. My attention was still his, and my curiosity still evident, but I suspected that Tithe may already have much of the information I sought. He could give me a firsthand account of what it was like to exchange with the rulers of Asteraia. With rapt focus I heard all he had to say on the matter, ears pricked forward to catch each syllable that he spoke. Tithe recounted how he and Tobias had engaged in play of some sort, and told me of the volatile nature he had displayed, as well as the peculiarities of the overall experience with Tobias and his partner. A deliberate blink saw mahogany eyes close and reopen once more when he mentioned how the female had made him feel. His gut instincts on matters such as these would show me whether or not he was made for diplomatic missions or not.

He came to what at first I thought was the end of his thoughts on the matter, stating that he would give them the same respect he'd been shown when visiting them the first time. This was the first truly positive thing I could accredit to them from what Tithe had told me, and I felt incredibly wary about dealing with the Asteraian's at all. Pan's recommendations still whispered in the back of my mind, that if war were to come to Moladion again, did I want to bet against a wolf like Tobias? But...did I want to be in league with him? The present neutrality was something I wished to sustain, and perhaps with more information gleaned by Tithe and Malina alike, it was something that could be achieved. In any case, my maw parted as I was about to reply to him, until he pulled his gaze away from mine and my mouth drew closed once more, concerned about the look that crossed his face in those moments. I was uncertain what it was - pain, sadness, guilt? Rather than pry, I simply waited for his eyes to return to mine, but instead I was given a final statement. I would never trust them with my life. Nor the lives of those I care about. It resonated deeply with me, for these were the important factors to consider when connecting Spirane with other packs. Could I trust them not to harm those that fell under my protection?

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Tithe. You have shed new light upon what to expect when the time comes that I should meet with the alphas of the plains myself." At some point it would come down to a face to face discussion between myself and the head female of Asteraia. But when that time came, I wanted to be well prepared for what I would face, and what to expect in conversation with her. Tithe's comments about the way she spoke to him as if the words meant nothing was a valuable thing to know going in. Because of wolves like Tithe, I would not be blind going forth into a meeting with the rumored terror of the hills. "Stay safe in your endeavors, Tithe. I trust you." Perhaps he had only just joined my pack, but he had shown me that he was worthy of my trust and my protection. If harm were to befall him while he sought out information for me, the blame would fall upon my shoulders. Such was the burden of leading, of being the Protector of the Realm.

daenerys