With calm reserve I listened to what Kalseru had to say. A knowing smile quirked the corner of my maw as she spoke of her brothers and their well known self-involvement. And yet, of late the dynamic between my three boys had even begun to shift. I'd noticed the way Rhaegal had taken over his larger brother's position at the forefront of the group, and it did not escape me that such a shift came when Semele had disappeared from Drogon's life. In the same beat, Rhaegal also seemed to spend more and more time with Bastille. Viserion came to me on occasion with ideas of how to help the pack flourish, and I knew all three cared about the wellbeing of Spirane. But their sister, although just as much a part of their quartet, was also a wolf apart from her brothers. Her individuality set her apart. She was my shining daughter, and I felt my heart swell with pride as she made her intentions known to me. Outwardly, however, I kept my composure, eyes fixated upon her features, studying her for a moment in silence.
Hand was perhaps the most important rank in the pack. It was not one that I was willing to set simple tasks to check off a list to complete. For so long the rank had been filled by Pan, his intelligence and knowledge unrivalled. The small golden wolf had set a precedence for what would be expected of any future advisor to me. But in the years since returning to the mountain, no wolf had stepped forward and reached for such a goal. Even in my mind I was not sure that any wolf could replace him, that the role might remain vacant until such a time that I stepped down and Nymeria named her own advisor. There had been a brief time when I had thought to ask Malina to stay in Spirane and serve as my Hand, but without ever having asked I'd learned the answer. Her fate led her elsewhere, and I harbored no grief towards her for that.
After a moment of considering Kalseru's statement, I inclined my head slightly.