I recognized the timbre of the howl that summoned me as that of Arthfael; but more than that, I noticed the slight tire to his tones. Exertion of some sort had given a minor distortion to his voice, barely perceptible, but evident to me nonetheless. Moving quickly I descended the mountainside, picking my way along familiar well-worn trails and cutting across passageways that were less frequented but customary to me. There had not been a sense of urgency to Arthfael's call, and yet I felt the need to reach him hastily - perhaps some alpha's intuition. The young male had been among the first - and only - to declare their desire to work towards an upper rank within the pack's hierarchy. Mercenary was a rank that had long stood empty within Spirane; only Ailith had ever come close to attaining the title, and yet fate had always intervened in some manner. Now, two young and promising wolves worked towards a common goal, and I wondered if Arthfael was keeping stride with Aurelia and had completed one of the two tasks required of him. It would be a close race between the two until someone rose the victor, and I still mulled over the possible paths for the one who came second to pursue in the aftermath, for their work would not go to waste just because the other had completed the tasks first.

Reaching the lowlands of my mountainous home, I picked up a lope, ears pressed forward as I made my way closer to where the call had originated from. As I drew nearer, the sounds of snarls and clashing bodies filled my ears, and I put on a burst of speed, intent on reaching my pack mate and aiding him in whatever dispute had befallen him. I never checked my pace as the scene unfolded before me - the black and white form of Arthfael tangled in an aggressive dance with a russet strewn stranger. Barreling forward, I snarled a warning to Arthfael so that he would not be surprised when I pummeled into the wolf he held in combat. My intent was singular - to separate the two without causing further damage to either, as I did not know what had given rise to the fight in the first place. But my concern was Arthfael's safety first, and questions second. Though I did not doubt his capability to hold his own, that did not mean I would stand and watch as this other wolf caused bloodstains to blossom across his pelage. Shoving my shoulder into the ribcage of the unknown boy, the force of our collision pushed him backwards and potentially off his feet if he wasn't prepared.

When they were separated, I swiftly moved to circle around to the foreigner's opposite side, so that he was blocked from two directions - Arthfael on one side, and me on the other. "Enough," was all I said, effectively putting an end to the brawl between the two males. It was then that my mahogany eyes shifted to my would-be Mercenary, quick to assess to damages done to him. There were a handful of superficial wounds along his neck and face, but he didn't seem any worse for wear. I then looked to the multi-toned brown boy between us and assessed his wounds as well, the worst of which seemed to be too old to have been inflicted by Arthfael. Anything fresh was small, shallow, and would likely only cause a bit of soreness. My mind worked quickly to make sense of what had happened here, and I glanced back to Arthfael. I saw no malice in his features, no disdain for a trespasser who had infiltrated our home. And yet the boy who stood between us seemed offended, critical of the situation he'd found himself in. Had Arthfael brought this male here with him - was this his chosen wolf of the freelands, one worthy of Spirane?

My curiosity piqued, my attention honed in on the brunette boy. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Daenerys, Queen of Spirane and Protector of the Realm." It was an abbreviated form of my name and titles, but I wanted to give both he and Arthfael the chance to speak as well, perhaps to allow some explanation to be given on both sides. I did not look upon his ravaged form with pity or disgust, rather with curiosity. What was it about this young male that Arthfael had seen and decided he would be a fruitful addition to the pack?