He does not flinch, he does not even sway or lurch back with indignation. He is steadfast and so, I shall give him the benefit of the doubt for that alone. I am more interested in how he shall proceed from this point on now that we are eye to eye and almost toe to toe. I could easily reach out and take him apart and yet, he seems to either not consider the option or ignores it. I like that, I think, in the youth. It shows potential for growth in a sense; if they are born fearful and weary, they'll seldom be freed from such a curse. I keep my face smooth despite the thought and the curiosity it brings, my head slowly tilting as he begins to speak now. Good things about me? The sheer mention makes the corner of my lip rise up in an amused sneer, yet I won't press for what those good things might be.

When he finishes, I slowly step back, parting the space between us as I eye him once more, assessing his stature and posture again and again. He has come seeking a purpose? My brow rises up as I mull it over, and it does not take me long to address him now. "I do not think you will find a purpose here," I state simply, pausing for a moment with taut lips as I allow the air between us to permeate with the tension such words ought to bring and then I shall continue, "But perhaps we can make you one." It is something I believe entirely. Some might find their way and yet, I believe it to be more important to create a path for one's self. If I was to follow any other's, I would not be here before him today. I would still shadow Solaris and wake each morning in a musty hollow within Taviora.

I am patient as I allow the idea to sink in, watching him curiously; I keep my eyes fixed on his face, observing the fine tuned muscles that often give emotion and thought away. It is like a hunt in itself, exhilarating in the possibility of what one might discover about another. I am tempted to begin prying immediately; I wish to peel back the scalp and feast upon what his mind might know, what he might think and how he sees this world around us. Yet, for now, I shall do as alphas do. We are to be polite, purposeful, neutral in our acceptance of others. It is the image we are to depict and I am not inclined to break the illusion quite yet.

"I am inclined to ask, however," I begin, my voice sly and smooth in its unspoken implications, "just who you are?" The words are pregnant with expectancy, with curiosity. I ask it to so many wolves, after all. It is a way to taste their identity, their place in this world and within their own world too. Are we not more than simply a name connected to others? I believe so, though it seldom seems others can break away from such a simple mindset. I am interested, then, to see how this boy views himself. Is he a fighter? A hunter? Merely a child? A child of who - and why should I care? I will not turn him away and yet, it is the best way to begin prying through his brain with insatiable, curious hunger.