He raised his brow at Datura's words; Taima was born here. The girl confirmed it with a singsong hum, a wag of the tail. Judging by her age, it meant she was probably a pup of Grizzly Hollow. No harm could come from asking, would it? No doubt she knew Kade, perhaps even Ava. Maksim had been a Hollow wolf himself, albeit not for a long period of time. Before he could inquire about it, the silver girl spoke on.

She wished to do her father proud, something that the agouti leader could admire and empathise with. Even now, Maksim wanted to honour his family, especially the wolves who had raised him since a whelp. His father was a stoic, sturdy king—it was obvious where Maksim inherited his behaviours from—and his mother a thoughtful, collected spirit. She was the wind to Vaas' fire; she could fuel the embers, or put them out. Slowly, the regal king nodded his head at Taima's words. Datura was her escort, eh? Well, he had certainly been off the mark with his belief that these two were mated. Honest mistake, really. Seeing two wolves of such an age together immediately set off the thought.

Lifting his chin ever-so slightly and shifting his weight, Maksim's eyes darted between the two younger wolves. “Forgive me if I am wrong,” he began, “but you say you were born in this forest, which leads me to believe that you were one of Grizzly Hollow's cubs. Am I correct?” He waited for a response before continuing. “I was a friend of Kade and Ava Attaya, if you know them.”

“I'm Borden and Jaysyek's daughter.”

The words were so hushed, Maksim almost mistook them for the wind speaking. The agouti king offered her a smile of his own, nodding his head ever so slightly. “Then, truly, it is a pleasure.” He need not divulge the fact he didn't know Borden personally—not unless she asked. Honesty was extremely important to the agouti wolf; how could he lie to this girl and her “escort” when he expected the truth from others? No, he simply could not do that. Not now, not ever. Sometimes, and it was an unfortunate fact, the truth hurt and other times it simply disappointed.

Kade was her mentor, she said, and the information warmed the Baranski's heart. The dark man had always seemed a noble fellow, someone who was respectable; compassionate beneath his stoic shell. “Have you seen them by chance?” Maksim shook his head, the memories of the flood still bitter in his thoughts. “Not for a while. He left the Lore with his mate and children.” Two of their children. Even then, one had returned and now? Who knew where the youths were. The cubs he had sworn to protect became lost in the vicious winter, one by one. “He said that the forest felt dead without your family.” Or so Maksim presumed that's what Kade meant when he had said brethren. “For some time the pack resided in the Eastern valley.” Before the storms flushed them out and separated the pack.

Briefly, the River leader's eyes darted to Datura. He wondered what the golden lad thought of this all. Perhaps he already knew. His verdant gaze returned to Taima. “I can see why; he was a good man and a good friend.” Kade and Ava both held Maksim's undying respect. Their departure circumstances were unfortunate—tragic, even—but when Mace had returned with the news that they were alive, it lifted a heavy weight from the male's chest.

Maksim could probably have divulged more about the Attaya family, about their unfortunate disappearance, reappearance and disappearance again, but it wasn't necessary at a time like this. The agouti wolf still held them in the highest respect. They were the ones who took him in when he had just arrived in the Lore, who had allowed him to grow as a guardian in Darkwater Rapids. He owed them so much, just being able to say thank you to their faces would ease his sorrows for not saying it sooner. He was a king now, one who had risen through the crumbled Attaya empire. A morbid thought flashed across his mind; would he be where he was now if they hadn't disappeared? He was snapped from the thought as Datura finally chipped in, dragging the conversation away from potentially troublesome small talk.

“So, what do you say, Sir? Would you be willing to have us?”

The River king remained silent for a moment, his gaze once again drifting between the two younger wolves. “Yes,” he began, “welcome to Cut Rock River. You should know this: this is a pack of hard working, honest wolves. They are family to one another. You will be expected to pull your weight. We don't ask much other than that, and loyalty. Though, judging by what Taima has said, I doubt that will be a problem.” Cut Rock River was not a temporary home unless the Baranski leader offered his shelter to those who needed it.

Wordlessly, Maksim stepped forward, sealing the deal with the transferral of the marshy, damp scent that belonged to the River wolves. As soon as the deed was done, the agouti regal gestured with a gentle nod of his head further into the territory. “I'll escort you both, show you where you can get settled.”

With the younger wolves following behind, Maksim Baranski led them to their new home.