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"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."

She had to wonder about the wolf before her. What did he live for? What was his motivation? She had to believe the female he imprinted on had a lot to do with his life's course now. The way they looked at each other was so intense, Avery could swear her skin got seared just from being close to them. Did the male plan on staying in Iromar though? Maybe he'd want more than just a guest status? Avery could only hope. Any wolf was welcome in the swamp. The numbers were welcome and she wanted to get to know them all individually too. She knew him and the female needed their time to get caught up first so she would give them space but the male had sought her out so that had to mean something. She just had to be patient and willing to listen now.

The male greeted her by name and she nodded her head in acknowledgement, ears pricked toward him at full attention. He got right to the point, saying he needed to talk to her about his status in Iromar. Her brow lifted expectantly in a "go on" sort of way. He told her that he used to do mercenary work but her face never changed. She knew of mercenaries. Wolves for hire. Anything from killing to kidnapping, anything that got them something in return. He wanted to move up in Iromar, to make something of himself. That was admirable. Then he said his name was Dirge. He gave the names of his parents too, though she didn't know much about them. She thought maybe Elijah was a son of Tobias, the Monster's imprint back in Asteraia? She couldn't guarantee it.

She didn't really know a Stella either but she didn't keep up with the packs a lot then. She was a warrior, made to know of her trainee's and those she was defending. He was open with her at least, telling her his loyalty wasn't known to be steady in his line of work. He told her that if she was worthy, his loyalty would be unmovable. Her lips twitched, humbled by his admission even as he said he wanted to know who he was pledging to. She smiled and nodded. "It's only right that you know your leader before you sign over anything so valuable as your loyalty. The right kind of loyalty is invaluable to any alpha. I am Avery, daughter of Chernobyl and Beowulf. I was born here in Iromar but my parents abandoned me at a young age. Andras, the alpha here at the time, took me under his wing and trained me. He believed in me when no one else did. His imprint, Lillith, helped me with a gator when I was just a yearling. Andras was my role model, my idol. When Aithne took over, I fought for the warrior rank. I was in charge of defending the pack and training up other warriors. I loved my job. I held spars for the kids and watched them grow and develop, become strong fighters.

"It was an accomplishment in itself just to see the end product. I had children of my own and watched them start to grow but I was needed elsewhere so I left Moladian. I wasn't here when I was needed most, when Aithne was killed and another took over Iromar. I failed the pack and I failed her. When I came back and saw Iromar abandoned and in disarray, I took it upon myself to bring it back to the glorious place I know it can be again. If there's only one thing you can believe, it's that I will fight tooth and nail to do what needs to be done for the good of Iromar. I know how to do that and I won't hesitate." She took a deep breath, letting those words sink in, knowing he'd have to take time and process it all. "I look forward to seeing you develop and grow in Iromar, Dirge. Where do your skills lie? As a mercenary, were you a fighter, a killer, or a thief?"