My tail thumped happily against my stone lounge as Eldrax's excitement radiated off of him. I smiled, nodding at his proclamation that I could even teach him. The education of the pack's youth was not beneath me, in fact I thought it was perhaps one of my most important duties as an alpha. He went on to explain that he'd already been spending time with Yuki, learning about Moladion's history. I gave an approving nod of my head. "That's wonderful, Eldrax." I was also happy to hear that Yuki had found another individual in the pack to share her knowledge and passions with. Eldrax went on to explain that yes, he had learned hunting from his father and that - true to form - his mother had kept her secrets more to herself. But I had little doubt that Bastille would refuse her son if he explained his ambitions to her. Such promise in her son, it could not be denied.

His reaction to my informing him of the rank of Windwalk saw me push up from my laying position to sit upright before him. My tail continued to thump against the stone as it wrapped around my forefeet. The prospects for his future seemed to blossom before his very eyes, and I could tell that his paws sought to carry him off to see to that future immediately, and his words echoed that energy. "You're welcome, Eldrax. Good luck!" I called after him as he jumped up and away, heading off to find one of these wolves and get to work.

As his hurried pawsteps faded into the distance, I stretched and rose to my own feet. It was time I got home to Vortigern and the girls. The girls. Someday in the not so distant future it would be Vhagar and GreyWind's turn to learn it all. To take the steps necessary to learn each facet of pack life, so that they might choose for themselves if a life like mine and their aunt's, and their grandmother and great-grandmother before us, was what they wanted as well. And if both did? Or neither? Well, I would cross that river when I came to it. For now, I simply began to cross the distance of my territory to return to my small, happy family.