To be entirely honest I had no idea how I was going to find where her grandparents den had been or even that of her parents without asking someone who had lived her before Jaidah had taken over and I really don’t think there were many left. I suppose I could find out though, how hard could it be to track a few wolves? Of course I could always just pick a den and tell her that was it, would she really know? Then again I suppose if she ever found out that would make her mad and I’ve seen when girls get mad about things like that. It’s not even regular sort of mad its like….loud and shouting mad and they become all irrational. Maybe I will just find the real den. That’s when she started talking about a beach, of all things, my violet eyes widening slightly as I moved to look towards her with no small manner of consideration. Why on earth should she want to go to a beach. I mean, I needed to get a contact in Glorall sorted so I had to go to the beach too- but it was hardly a pleasure trip and to be honest I found the thought mildly, well, lets go with offensive. I have heard about these beaches after all. Water, sand, weed- things that smell. To be honest it sounds like a veritable mind field of potential pelt destruction. Maybe I can just send Zelda when we need to go to Glorall, I suppose if we can find this small beach today though I might be coerced. How bad could it really be. I managed a smile all the same though, unwilling to disappoint her although I am not sure I managed to look as entirely excited as she did, not that I think she would have noticed. The things we do for those we…..like.

“Oh the beach, that sounds……really fun.”

It didn’t. For her sake though I suppose I was willing to go, my own tail waving slightly as I waited for Impa to show herself. Hopefully she would come quickly before Zelda decided she wanted to climb a mountain or go spelunking or something. I don’t know how much dirt I can do in a day. I do so enjoy the way I look after all I mean, I just, look at me- I’m marvellous. Not the Zelda isn’t of course, in fact she is easily one of the prettiest girls I think- especially when you compare her to some of the females around here, like the one coming towards us. I gave a dip of my head all the same to the somewhat…injured Queen of the fields, the one I had decided to name Impa for lack of a better name, her gaze drifting from myself to Zelda and back again.

“Yes, she is, you don’t have to worry about her.”

Well, I hardly needed Impa thinking I’d brought some sort of spy or something into her pack, Zelda hardly further from the truth as my demeanour shifted slightly. I am capable of being a child when I want and of being well….something more when I choose to, my ungainly young form straightening slightly now as I moved to speak of some business I suppose- things I was sure Zelda was not aware of and yet it hardly bothered me that she should hear them. As I said, I trusted her in much the same was as I trusted Impa, the Alphess calling me by my other name though I hardly bothered to say anything to the contrary- she one of the few to know what I really looked like. She was useful to me though, this Alpha and for that I suppose we needed a little trust between us. For now however, there was a moment of business to be had. I might be young- but there are things I understand as others do not.

“I am pleased to see you won your fight, I had some assurance you would, this Jaidah has lost too many times before to be a true threat, though I suspect the daughter, Widow, will return in time. I met her once and even then she held delusions of grandeur- shame really. Do you need me to look at your wounds again or have you gotten yourself a healer?”

One eye lifted slightly, inquiring, curious perhaps of what she had manage to achieve since our last meeting as I shifted until I sat right before her. I would be taller then her one day, though for now her head still existed well above mine, the violet of my gaze attempting not to focus upon her scars although really they were so damn obvious it was hard to look anywhere else.

“My companion and I would like to head to the beach on the other side of your pack and later on, come the spring I need to gather my assassins here so if you have any business you might desire we look into let us know, my informant tells me Achilles came to visit you, that is good, I attempted to encourage that relationship.”

I paused a moment, considering a further thought before allowing it to pass, white and silver form shifting slightly as I continued. I wasn’t exactly asking permission to travel through her pack- I was going to do it anyway, consider it more a notice of my presence.

“My companion would also like to ask a few question of you in regards to the wolves who were here before Jaidah- if you know anything of them. I don’t ask these things from you for free of course though. I have information for you all the same. Do you happen to know a wolf by the name of Viora, by any chance? She feels you have caused imbalance in her life and has made a declaration of blood for blood against a wolf fitting your description exactly. Maybe you know this already, maybe it does not concern you but I bring it to you all the same. Consider it…good will between us.”

No one can say I don’t pay my dues now can they? I paused then, gaze returned to Zelda, offering her a chance to ask after her parents and grandparents just in case Impa should know anything and allowing her to introduce herself, if she wanted too- giving her name was her option alone.


h y r u l e
The Once and Future King