Maksim’s condition was a lot worse than the healer had anticipated. It was nothing he couldn’t handle—but he couldn’t handle it while temporarily standing in Maksim’s place. It wasn’t something like a minor infection, where Lachesis was able to give him the necessary herbs as needed and was able to leave him to rest. No—this was far more serious. It worried the ghost being away from the green-eyed leader’s side for too long. How was he supposed to lead a pack and take care of their actual leader at the same time? This was Maksim’s pack; it was nothing without him. Lachesis couldn’t let anything happen to him. He needed to focus all of his attention on ensuring that Mak healed quickly and without any problems.

It was while these thoughts were plaguing him as he re-dressed Maksim’s wound that a brilliant idea came to mind. Before initiating his plan XIX had quickly run it by Mak in his medicated state (which may not have been the best idea, but it would work out in the end). It was settled—he would seek out Karpos. While it may not be ideal to have a wolf so young take the position of leader, it was temporary, and it would also be beneficial for the Slayer. He had been thinking about leaving Hearthwood eventually to create his own chapter with Relic Lore; this would give him the opportunity to see if he was ready. Lachesis had complete faith in his young nephew; he was more than capable and he had grown quite level-headed as he left his traumatic childhood behind.

The fresh air was welcomed as he left his den behind, his pear-coloured eyes squinting against the morning light. He stepped away from his den to seek out a quiet spot along the river that cut through their territory, both his head and shoulders weighted down as he folded his hindquarters against the ground. Without delay, he threw back his head, calling for his nephew. We need to talk, he called, hoping that the shadow was nearby. Leaving Maksim, even for a few moments, worried him. 

Although the Slayer was young, the healer did not doubt his capabilities in acting as leader. There was so much potential for the youth to grow, and this would give him the opportunity to see if he was actually capable of leading his own pack in the future. Lachesis had a tremendous amount of faith in his young nephew; he did not doubt for a second that he was fully capable of acting as temporary leader.

It did not take long for his nephew to answer his call. Relief flooded him as the shadow approached, eyes wide with curiosity as he questioned why he had been summoned. There was no hesitation as the long-legged ghost responded; the more time he wasted, the longer he would be away from Maksim, and XIX wanted to get back as soon as possible. “Maksim is getting better, but slowly,” he started, a soft frown forming on his lips as he spoke. “I know he wanted me to take his position as leader while he is recovering, but I have thought it over and decided in order to ensure he makes a full recovery, I need to make sure he actually gets better. He is stubborn and eager to get better;  I would feel more comfortable if I was able to focus all of my attention on him to make sure he doesn’t make his condition worse.” He paused, his head heavy as his chartreuse gaze rested on his young nephew. “I have already discussed it with Maksim already, but I would like it if you took my place as leader until both Maksim and I are able to return to our respective positions. Of course, I will help you when needed, but I think that this would be the best choice, for both Maksim and I. I cannot patrol the borders and worry about possible intruders when my attention should be solely on getting Mak back to full health.” He exhaled slowly as his final words rolled off his tongue, hanging in the air between them. “Would you be okay with that, Karp?” He asked once he had caught his breath, his head cocked slightly to one side as he waited patiently for a response. 

There was no doubt in Lachesis’ mind that Karpos would take up the offer. The ghost knew that there was no way he could continue to fulfill his duties as both leader and healer with the condition that Maksim was in. If the pack had another healer (i.e. Amisun) perhaps XIX would have held onto the leadership role until Mak’s health returned, but there was no one else. Although Karina’s medicinal knowledge was growing to be just as vast as his was, Lachesis still worried too much to leave his leader completely in her care. Maksim was a father first before a patient; for Karina, it was a conflict of interest and XIX worried that she wouldn’t think clearly while treating her father. Of course, he would never refuse her help—he just wanted to present most of the time.

“Thank you,” he breathed in relief, his pear-coloured eyes focused on the darker youth. “I will be at your side when you need me and I will do my best to get Maksim healthy.” Lachesis would never throw Karpos ‘to the wolves’ without believing that he was ready. The boy was strong and level-headed, and while he was in pursuit of his own pack, he was not above doing everything possible to help his current pack until he decided to take the plunge.  XIX knew that Hearthwood was in capable paws. “Now you’ll be able to tell if you’re really leader material,” he added with a lazy smile as a feeble attempt at a joke. With a roll of his shoulders he stepped back, away from the river, his soft gaze heavy as he glanced over in the direction of the dens. “I feel like a worried mother—I can’t stand being away for too long. I know he’s going to pull through, but I can’t help but worry,” he sighed as he returned his gaze to his nephew. “Thank you again, Karp,” he said with a final flick of his tail as he stepped toward the dens, his ears falling back against his skull as relief flooded through him. Now… time to play doctor once more.