i am the blood of the mountain

A mother's smile clung to my lips as I watched the female half of the duo move to touch the elder shewolf for comfort. It was a faint expression, but feelings that only a mother experienced welled within me at the display. My eyes roved over the three children, taking note of the scars that the young girls were marked with and concern washed over me. It was clear that something had gone terribly wrong for them in the past, and I hoped that nothing would keep me from accepting them here. To offer them haven would be a relief for my own mind; I could not imagine how it would feel for the aged golden wolf that stood before me. A small smirk pulled at a single corner of my lips as she apologized, the mirth in my eyes clearly stating that no apology was necessary. After whatever they had gone through to get here, something was bound to slip.

Amusement vanished from my eyes when she introduced herself, replaced with momentary shock that I quickly blinked away as she turned to introduce each child in turn. Neutrality settled upon my facade as I looked upon each of them, suddenly finding a glaring level of similarities in each of their faces. I swallowed hard, pushing down the preconceived notions that I had so long held for their mother, seeing each of them as individuals before I finally returned my gaze to Doe. It had been many years ago when I was first presented with a similar dilemma; but it had come in the form of a black wolf with far sharper words than she. Doe came to me aged and battered, and without the demands or biting words her former mate had spoken. The abandonment of their children had given me no reason to trust Fenrir or Doe in the first place, but it was Fenrir's demeanor in regards to my actions to ensure the safety of my pack that had solidified the probationary period I had deemed as necessary for him to prove himself as worthy of joining. He had scorned my offer, and I had not seen Natu since that day all those winters ago. Now I was presented with the long-thought-lost mother of my brother, and the issue was raised once more. Could she be trusted? The circumstances were far different now than they had been that day.

The fact of the matter was that it was not her alone that depended upon my acceptance for survival. There were three other mouths to feed, mouths that the surplus of prey upon the mountain could certainly sustain. Could I turn them away with winter fast approaching, to fend for themselves? They were young, potentially untrained, and Doe was clearly too old to provide any proper sustenance for them. I would seek out Taliesin immediately, but I knew what I had to do. I knew the gentle, yet fiercely loyal, heart of my brother, and I knew he would want this. "Rhaeys, Isaerys, Casimir, it is a pleasure to meet you all. Welcome home." A soft smile once more graced my features. "Doe, I know of a large den here in the foothills that will accommodate you all so that you can recover from your travels, at least until you are ready to find a place of your own upon the mountain." I gave Doe a meaningful look. It was for them that I accepted her with open arms, but I had my reservations. Perhaps she was no true threat to my pack, but she had done things in her past that spoke of her character, and it would take time for her to prove herself as someone deserving of my full trust and respect. The question was if she was willing to do something to gain it.

daenerys