I loped easily down and towards the river, silvery white paws sliding slightly in the mud, the earth damp from where melted snow had pooled and small trickles of water formed rivulets that ran into the larger river. The world smelled…fresh today, more so then it normally did and out here in the free lands it smelt far less of new mothers and that sort of odd smell I had come to discover puppies had. I don’t think I’ll ever discover exactly why everyone is so enraptured with puppies. Honestly I fail to see anything exciting about them at all. I understand I will need them one day, purely to secure a lineage and a crown when I take one and yet aside from that, well, I really have no idea what to do with them. That’s for females anyway. That will be Zelda’s job one day, after all I’m fairly sure I’ve already decided that one day she will be my mate. She should be flattered really, I, future King of All had chosen her- mostly. I hadn’t told her yet but how she wouldn’t be thrilled I don’t know. Maybe that was something to worry about bringing up in a year…maybe two. I shook the thought away for now, loping down and onto the bank and towards the agreed meeting place to wait for the Spirane prince himself. I’d always liked Rheagal, maybe more so then his other siblings, at least he always seemed the most willing to talk. Drogon I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about. He was either simply unfriendly- or just plain unintelligent and generally confused by intelligent conversation. Maybe I didn’t know him well enough for that generalisation but we’d met once or twice and that was enough, as for the other brother, well, he seemed alright. I still preferred Rheagal though and honestly, if he proved to be decent enough I might even consider making him appraised of my plans a part of the change to come. Lucky him.

I moved to seat myself beside the water, evidently having beaten Rhaegal here- not that I was surprised. No one ever really was on time- Heyel was right. Not that wolves have exactly an excellent concept of time all the same. I simply made myself comfortable, red-back ears pricked forward as I moved to peer briefly at my reflection in the clear water below. God I was good looking and honestly I truly don’t care who knows it. Maybe I am egotistical but I make no apologies for it. Anyone can be anything they want to be, they just have to believe it and if they believe it, eventually, others will as well. That is the key to success I’m sure. Belief. With a bit of cunning. I let the violet of my gaze drift briefly downstream to where a wolfess hurried by with a fish between her jaws, a few birds scavenging over what bits were left as I yawned, white teeth flashing in the sun as I did.

Come on Rhaegal, we don’t have all year! Maybe he fell off the mountain, it always did look hazardous, or unsuitably rocky. I’d have to ask him about that.