A protective rage had fueled the fires of my counterattack the day the obsidian boy had laid harm against my daughter and niece, little consideration for his age or intentions given in the moment when the two girls had fallen victim to his malice. His origins meant nothing to me then, but since that day the thoughts had lingered at the periphery of my mind. The boy had been hardly more than a yearling. What, in so short of a lifespan, could have driven him to attack two innocent young girls playing within what they thought to be the safety of their home? It still bothered me, how easily he had slipped within Spirane unnoticed. But the mountainous realm was a vast one, and the patrols had been moving away from his crossing point. It was a fluke, bad timing. Still, I had encouraged Sleekwing to seek out stewards and apprentices alike and feel out whether there were those among them worthy to join the Armament. To increase our vigilance in guarding our home could never be seen as a bad thing.

Whether he was born to parents with psychotic tendencies, or with a mind addled by his own form of madness, the crime he had committed was still a very real one. And so I had made it a task for those who sought to rise to the position of the pack's Mercenary to capture those who were labeled as adversaries of Spirane. The onyx boy with purple eyes was on that list. I did not want him brought here to be beaten or executed - in my eyes I had dealt him injury enough when the incident had occurred. No, I wanted to give him a chance to explain himself, for he had fled without a word after submission had been forced from him. And perhaps during his time upon the mountain those strong and capable enough to ward off any other advances could teach him a different way of life. I would listen to the advice and opinions given by his captor and my justiciar, and together we would decide the best course of action for the boy.

For many years now Ailith had aspired to rise to the challenge of serving as Mercenary for the pack. In recent months she had pursued the position with renewed vigor. So when her howl rose upon the icy winter breeze, calling not only for myself but for Taliesin as well, I knew that she must have succeeded in apprehending one of the pack's foes. I moved quickly down the mountainside, navigating through the snow and around the rocky spires of our home with practiced ease.

As I grew closer to the borders I slowed my pace, jogging into view of the small group gathering at the borders. Taliesin arrived just before me, coming to a standstill as I trotted towards them. My head inclined towards Ailith in recognition of a job well done. And then my eyes moved to her prisoner, and my hackles bristled at the sight of the large boy. He'd grown in the two seasons that had passed, and I wondered if he would someday rival even Drogon in mass. My tail arched upwards, though I doubted he would need any reminding of who I was in regards to these lands. As I reached the trio of wolves I moved first to Taliesin, rubbing my shoulder along his in greeting before moving to Ailith and doing the same. The child was always in my periphery, never forgotten or ignored. I stepped back then, turning towards him as I lifted my head slightly and looking down at him. I saw no reason to waste time with small talk, and so I moved straight into the matter at hand. "You stand accused of attacking two children of Spirane, without just cause. I, Daenerys, Alpha of this pack, in company with my Justiciar Taliesin and aspiring Mercenary, Ailith, will serve as your judge and jury in this case. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"