The challenge howl had woken me from my sleep, the gold of my eyes searching through the blurry darkness outside as the rain poured down and the sounds of snarls and snaps poured out into the night air, my ears laying back in momentary concern as I shuffled further forward and towards the entrance to my den. I didn’t put more then my nose out really, it was raining after all and I always was a fairly skinny, scruffy creature, once I get cold its hard to get warm and rain tended to make me cold. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness and yet even then I couldn’t really see anything, the fight to far away though I could hear the sounds and scent Mistress Jaidah on the air once more. I hadn’t thought she would come back, to again, not after she had lost to the Forest place and lost to Master Tobias himself. I had always liked Mistress Jaidah, she had been good to me and this I would not forget though I think perhaps our pack is more alive beneath Mistress Impa, more wolves are coming, the pack is growing and I like that. I would be sad to see her go I think, maybe not her mate so much, Tobias makes me…uncomfortable. I had only ever tried to talk to him once but all he had done was stare at me until I felt embarrassed for existing so I left. I would stay either way though, Asteraia is my home, no matter who has it I think though a part of my desired to see Impa come back. She was strange, but I liked her all the same.

The battle went for a long time, at least, it felt long as I sat in the dark and waited, golden eyes turned back to make sure Embla was still asleep as my earthen and golden frame sat within the darkness until everything went silent and I held my breath…waiting….waiting. before the victory howl of Impa sounded and I sprung upward onto my paws, tail waving excitedly now.

“She won! Embla, she won!”

My efforts to let Embla sleep had clearly gone to waste in those moments as I hurried out of the den, leaving my imprint to follow if she wanted, dashing across the fields and through the rain and storm towards the group that was already gathering, my eyes cast briefly backwards the way Jaidah had surely slunk away from the lands. I would find her again, I think, it was my job after all and there were things I needed to ask. For now though my attention returned to my pack. I knew most of the wolves gathered save for the one who suggested Impa put something on her wounds, my head nodded briefly to this wolf in greeting before I hurried forward to sit just to the side. Tobias always seems a bit…snappy and I hardly want to upset him tonight, waiting until I caught Impa’s eye before flashing her a grin, content to stay away from the black male, Flare and the children that belonged to….well all three of them really. If Embla came I would introduce her too, it was surely about time, my tail waving still as I sat on the damp earth and waited for the rest of the pack to come.