She was pregnant – she had known it to be the end goal to her means of surprise seduction upon Ice, but the thought also unsettled her in a way – Ice had more or less become her mother’s mate in many senses and she had bore him a litter. Her brother’s, to be exact – now, the children she carried would be Serach’s cousins.. and also his half siblings.


Grimly, she knew it was something she could tell no one, and so she busied herself, taking quiet note that she would seek Lachesis out later for any herbal remedies he might offer her. The father of her unborn children would be pushed from her mind – a conquest that her own stubborn nature had not let go even after all of these years. Ice had fallen victim to her – but she would never let him feel the burden of what had transpired between them. He no doubt would have felt mixed emotions on the matter.


Distraction came in the opportunity of a lone wolf – the call rang out across the lands, and the tawny woman was quick to respond with her own echoing howl – she would greet him there.  Moments passed, and she found the stranger upon their borders, her bright eyes studying him quietly. He was a large wolf – the scars upon his muzzle the first thing she noted before she sidled closer, her own slender form arching upward to flash her dominance to him and demand respect upon her borders. “Welcome to the borders of Hearthwood River.. I’m Kisla, one of its leaders.”

Patrolling the territory certainly suited Aleksei, more than most other tasks. His size made hunting smaller prey in the snow difficult, not that it ever stopped him from trying. It was just so bloody frustrating chasing things down when they would weave around the trees, or make sudden sharp turns, and leave him skidding after them like a fumbling fool. And the speedy little shits always seemed wolf lengths away from him the moment his jaws opened, ready to snap shut on their target! It was as if they were taunting him! Fishing, he decided, was a much easier job; he need only stand as still as possible before launching his head down to snap up his quarry—a (hopefully) fat fish. Though, thanks to the cold, it took an age for his coat to dry, and he wasn't keen on the soggy feeling.

When it came to scouting—well, if someone wanted him to go prancing off to some distant pack after the months he'd spent trudging across Relic Lore, they could get stuffed. He wouldn't be leaving Kingsfall any time soon. He wasn't made for long distance travelling, thank god.

Teaching? Well, perhaps. When the pups would inevitably emerge from their dens, Hearthwood would no doubt need everyone to chip in, but considering it was not his mother carrying a litter this year, he found himself feeling surprisingly bitter about babysitting children that were not his mother's—he was certainly not pleased with the idea of taking care of Inna's little mistakes, but he'd try to love them all the same. After all, regardless of whoever their father may be, they shared Aleksei's blood.

Patrolling was certainly the perfect pursuit if it gave him a chance to get away from those perplexing thoughts. Gods, he'd have to do so much hunting … but, for now, he appreciated the slight peace and quiet he had on the borders. All he had to think about was the job at hand—marking, scent checking, and, on a rare day like today, tending to loners.

Because a call requesting permission to join was definitely not going to be something he'd pass up on investigating.

With a quick trot, he turned and doubled back on himself to find the lone wolf. It didn't take too long, thankfully, and it wasn't long before he was standing before a pale agouti wolf, who was standing before his very own mother. She stood tall and proud and respectable, and Aleksei felt a twinge of pride shoot through him as he drew up beside her. His gaze settled on the loner. Whoever this fellow was, he certainly looked the capable sort, scars to prove it and all—at first glance, he looked like someone you'd definitely like to have on your team. “'Lo. What's your name, stranger?” What's your worth?

Aleksei sidled up nearby, and an ear flickered in his direction in acknowledgement to his presence. Her son had grown to be a steadfast presence in the River since his return, and she could only hope his interest would remain within their borders. She found comfort in having him home – especially now, given the turmoil that wracked Hearthwood River between her daughter’s illicit pregnancy and the attack of Lilya from one of the Monadnock wolves.


The male was respectable – all the tawny she-wolf truly asked when a visitor came to their borders. Her eyes studied him intently, and offering a small nod to his listed skills, she was grateful he cut to the point. “And how is it you wish to grow?” It was his first statement that intrigued her – and one she dwelled on. It would do him no good if he wished for something different in life than what the River would offer him – but she was also not keen to turn away a potential pack mate when they had so many litters on the way. This year could prove to be complicated for the River wolves.. but she was determined to see them not falter – and if she had to rely on their neighbours to take care of.. certain aspects of their life, she was certainly not too prideful to do so.

Aleksei's question was answered without a moment's hesitation, and then some. That thoroughly pleased the River's second, and he nodded slowly in appreciation—this Laike Artemieva's attitude and words had landed him in Aleksei's good books with a positive first impression. A wolf capable of being a guardian, but willing to throw himself into task asked of him … respectable qualities, there was no doubting that. He cut straight to the point, didn't waste their time with unnecessary words that would spoil his meaning in fanciful poetry.

Were he not feeling as protective as he was of his home, he might have cracked a smile. He couldn't afford to drop his steely appearance, though. He remembered Askan's words—an attacker not yet caught—and thought of the mystery man who had mated with his sister.

Aleksei needed to keep an air of authority in the face of strangers. He needed to be a wolf who didn't come across as a pushover. He needed to emulate the stoicism of his father.

And so he stayed silent when Kisla questioned how Laike wished to grow. Aleksei himself was curious now that she had brought it up—he hadn't considered what a statement like that could mean, and he found himself thankful for his mother's experience in questioning loners. There were lots of ways to grow as a wolf, after all, and to assume it would be a way that benefited all wolves within Hearthwood may end up being a mistake. Aleksei would be damned if he'd let his parent's pack be used as a stepping stone in another wolf's path to greatness—not again.

He kept his mouth firmly shut, but his gaze remained fixed on Laike, expression settled somewhere between neutrality and judgement, as if simply sizing up the older male. His job here was to watch, to guard, not to run his mouth and ask questions; the River's highest ranking female was present to handle that task.

“That’s quite the risk then, isn’t it?” Her question was formed more from her own bemusement, though the question seemed to be posed at a more serious tone, despite the gentle smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Strengthening your morals but joining a pack you know nothing about,” she clarifies, her eyes only now tracing to her son before drifting back to the lone wolf. Perhaps it was her own bitter understanding of the world now – she had become jaded over time. But somehow, she felt the wolf before her hadn’t quite figured himself out yet.


Who had, really? She had thought she knew herself.. and now her mate was dead, her children consistently throwing her for a new surprise daily, and she had to once more determine who Kisla Baranski was.


“Welcome to Hearthwood River, Laike. I’m sure my son, Aleksei here, could offer you a tour.” With a glance between both, she took a step forward, her slender form, soon to round with her pregnancy, brushed against the tawny wolf’s – allowing her scent to mingle upon him and embrace him as one of theirs. They could use the numbers, for the pack would be bearing three litters this year.. and she was determined, despite how everything had come about, to see all of the puppies survive. With that, the honeyed woman took her leave, allowing Aleksei to continue with their newest recruit.

Letting the two older wolves go about their business, and wrap it up quite quickly. Their exchange was a perplexing one, with Laike explaining that he wished to grow as a wolf, and Kisla finding it somewhat curious that he'd join a pack without knowing their beliefs. Aleksei didn't break his silence, and chose not comment, remained a stalwart pillar at his mother's side … that was, until his mother spoke his name. It seemed that Aleksei was being put up for the role of playing guide, and whilst he would have liked to finish his patrol—he wasn't one to half-ass things these days—he wouldn't deny his mother either.

“Of course,” he said as Kisla pressed her scent into Laike, a temporary transference. With time, he'd gain that tell-tale earthy, woody smell that clung to the territory and the wolves who lived there. Aleksei watched as his mother was quick to leave, apparently having more pressing issues to deal with. Or, perhaps, she was simply giving her first born child a chance to really find his feet in her pack once more. If that were the case, it was a decision she would not regret. Aleksei was sure of that.

With his gaze settled back onto Hearthwood River's newest recruit, the second offered him a smile. Finally, he would be able to chat. “Good to have another in our ranks, Laike. Come, this way—our communal den is the first place you'll want to memorise the location of.”