A somewhat sad smile entered my eyes and altered my facade as Niviaq commented on how the mountain missed me when was forced to leave, and how we were perhaps owed some kind of peace in the aftermath of how the pack had been upturned. Even now I did not fully believe that everything had been righted, for I sensed the unease around me, the hesitancy to put oneself forward to work for a rank that might not exist if another wolf came to take what was ours again. We were owed peace, this was true, but I could not help but wonder how long it would last. After all, had we not been the largest, strongest pack in all of Moladion when Roman had toppled it all for his own personal gratification? The need to call oneself "King" had outweighed the need of dozens of wolves who had called this land home, and the usurpation by a wolf who had only walked the soils of Moladion for months had uprooted the lives of many who had lived their entire lives here. There were many who sought power, and my loss against him would only encourage others to try against me again, despite how the pack had barely sputtered with activity in the year of my absence. Perhaps Tithe had breathed some semblance life back into the mountains, but they were nothing compared to what they had been before Roman had destroyed it all for his own gains. Though he had not been vindictive or malignant, he had damaged the very heart of the mountain.

These were matters of the past, though, and I had refused to call either wolf an adversary of the pack. What was important to me was the future of Spirane, helping the pack to rebuild itself from within and flourish as it had for so many years before. So I turned my attention back to Niviaq, asking her a question that was perhaps not so simple to answer, but that I knew she would be honest and open with me about. I was thankful for her many years of service, and no matter if she held a title or not she had long been the master healer of the realm. As she began to answer, I listened raptly, and joy returned to my visage once more, taking delight in her company and her candidness. One side of my maw quirked as she spoke of how many years she had been in Moladion, and I wondered how many of the greats she had known - those from before the meteor had decimated the region, and after the land had been reborn.

But it was her words about how power could change a wolf that truly resonated with me. In my heart I truly believed that the touch of power had sickened and deluded Tithe, that he had been transformed by a role that he was not ready to take. I swallowed the thought, maintaining my focus and attention on the wolf who kept my company, nodding as she came to a questioning pause. "It does make sense, Niviaq, and I respect the choices you have made." I paused for a moment, then added, "I think you are, perhaps, the most pure of heart wolf I have ever met. Spirane is lucky to have you." It was a sincere statement, not meant to bolster pride but simply to give her the recognition that she so deserved.

A wide smile graced my lips as she spoke of how those younger than us were our future, and I nodded my agreement. "They are, indeed. Though I think they may need a little encouragement to put themselves out there." A slight chuckle came to my lips, thinking of my own children. It was high time that they began seriously training, to serve some higher purpose in life than their own desires - especially my boys. "I wonder if I was ever so foolhardy in my youth," though I knew that much of that time was stolen from me when my parents had been killed, "And what about you, Niviaq?" It was a more conversational tone, hoping to spark interesting banter between us, and wondering just what I might learn from - and about - the woman who had called Spirane home for so many years.