This was a unique situation, to be certain. Perhaps Arturio stood before me now as some kind of herald for the changes still to come in Moladion. Rather than bide his time and turn back to try to regain the throne he'd lost, his attentions seemed focused on the goals he'd wished to accomplish during his reign. Even without a land and pack to stake his name upon, he was pushing forward to enact the changes he'd set out to make during his short tenure. That was something to be admired, I thought - a man who was not deluded by power, as so many others could be. The power of alphaship had ruined many friendships, family ties, and individuals throughout Moladion's history. It was nice to see that such a thing had not become of the white knight that stood before me now.

I listened carefully to what he had to say, considering the implications of involving Spirane in the ongoing events. We had yet to interact with the wolves who had invaded the swamps and pushed Pine and her followers out; they had not moved against us so far as we knew. (Though the vanishing of a wolf who had arrived in Spirane only shortly prior to his strange disappearance still itched at the back of my mind as suspect.) Still, though we mountain wolves had gained a reputation in recent years of keeping to ourselves, we were not deaf to the whispers and rumors that flew through Moladion on the wind. Arturio's words gave substance to the rumors that these new wolves of the swamps were disgraceful enough to use children as a means to an end. It made the fur along my spine prickle with agitation.

His use of the term 'demon' was interesting - from my youngest formative years my family had told me stories and taught me lessons about Moladion's history. The last time war had raged across Moladion, Demons and Angels had gone head to head in a battle that had forever stained the soils of the Ruieze Lake island with their blood feud. I wondered inwardly if Arturio's feud with this latest 'swamp demon' would end as bitterly. My heart beat a little quicker at the prospect, and my warrior's soul nearly jumped at the opportunity to aid in the fight for good to prevail. But I had to put the overall wellbeing of the pack first. Always.

I was equally sure to choose my words carefully in my response. "We have skilled healers in our pack, and are also close allies with other healers across Moladion that would come to our aid if the need arose." Yes, we would shelter those injured in whatever battle was to come. Our borders were not so far from those of the moors, if Arturio intended to bring the battle to them. "These lands are well fortified - by forces of nature and by mechanism." It was one of the things most alluring about this place to those who sought to take our power and make it their own - and it was also what had always brought about even the most triumphant usurpers' failures. "Spirane will always welcome those in need," I said, with a nod of finality. If that was the help that he sought from our pack, I was certain that I was not alone in vowing such a thing. I could not speak for them on whether they would aid in the fight, but that was each individual's choice to make.