The voice that emerged from the depths of the den was young and this surprised Nakato. Ears up and eyes gazing forward with both curiosity and motherly worry, she waited for the little one to come out. She sounded confident, but so did Jaukta at times, and this did not always mean that the pups knew what they were doing. As she growled about the older wolf not being able to make her leave, the healer offered a small smile.

“You’re right, this is not technically Asteraia and I cannot make you leave, but this is still a dangerous place. This pack is full of wolves who some may consider monsters.” At once, her thoughts went to the dark king, Tobias. She still lay awake at night thinking of how he had come very close to ending her children’s lives and she had been powerless to stop him. If he found a pup not of a pack living this close to the borders… there was no telling what he would do to her.

The pup that emerged from the den was very young, but still beautiful. Her colors were unique and her eyes gazed with a piercing whiteness that seemed to stare into Nakato’s very soul. Cocking her head to the side, the grey wolf listened to the child. It did not go unnoticed the way Tiamat had said her father’s name was Fenrir. He was dead, and chances were so was her mother. Why else would she be all alone out here?

She could not help the sudden instinct that overcame her. A pup without a family or a home, a girl who could not be much older than her own children. It wasn’t uncommon for wolves to adopt another’s child and the healer found herself growing fond of Tiamat’s boldness and desire to live. What a brave child. “If you want, you can come live with me and my daughters. We have a warm den close by and plenty of food to share.” The mother wanted to keep this child safe, not just from the world, but from the wolves who would try to hunt her down or turn her into something dark. Nakato wanted to help, as a way of continuing the legacy of her parents. She sat on her haunches, soft eyes gazing at the girl and waiting to see what she said.