The clouds had parted as the sun began to set, loose tufts of white dotting the vermilion sky. The thunder had receded, rolling further out over the tundra to give room for a perfectly lovely evening. The two dark wolves had taken turns dragging the half-eaten calf through the rising grass, doing little talking as they worked. Only when the weeds and green stalks gave way for golden fields did Drestig pause, taking in the full view of the rolling hills, basking in the warm joy in his chest, the feeling of returning home. He couldn't help but look to Askan for a reaction, curious how someone else would react to seeing the shimmering ears of rye stretch before them. No words were needed though, the look in bright, ember eyes spoke clear enough; This is home!

Finding the winding creek, the graying wolf continued to lead his graying counterpart through the fields along side it, towards the tree line slowly appearing in the distance. Once they'd rounded the pond, standing in the shade of the first, dark pines, the elder man stopped again, squinting into the shaded woods. After taking his companion all this way, fully intent on and committed to introducing him to Jessie and making him part of their family, protective feelings suddenly stiffened his legs. He breathed deeply, reminding himself that he had to let someone in if he wanted a pack; What is he gonna do anyway?! Really, his hesitancy was ridiculous, even in her current state his gray partner would be more than able to chase off some young rascal, should the need arise, and certainly with him by her side there was no need to worry; Why would he even WANT to hurt her? He sighed to himself, shaking his fur lightly before looking back to Askan. "Wait here," He bade in a hushed voice, slipping into the trees alone. Making his way towards their den, he kept a soft tone as he called out for his lover, a faint smile on his lips; "Jessie, are you awake? I've brought something back for you."

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Jessie appeared quickly out of their den to greet him, her distinct scent filling his nostrils as they embraced briefly. It was still a marvel to him, holding her like this, touching her so casually, it made his heart skip a beat. His muzzle moved down along her side to caress her swollen flank, the mere sight making joy bloom in his chest. Then all too soon they parted, the grey woman's interest clearly peaked by his statement. He didn't blame her, surely she was hungry, and he had brought the smell of blood with him. He was quick to follow her back through the woods though, not intending on letting her face Askan on her own; Both because he knew of her discomfort with strangers, and the protectiveness was still brewing within him, an instinctive need to watch over her when at all possible.

She managed to introduce herself calmly though, a kindness in her voice that he had rarely heard before; Perhaps just a means of covering her nervousness. The young man before them, in turn, managed to answer with an impressive amount of words – easily the most Drestig had heard him utter all together since they met – giving his own name as well as a short summery of why he was there. The elder wolf snickered at the comment about their hunt, but said nothing, it was true that he likely couldn't have made the kill without the other wolf's help, even if the same was true the other way around. In the end he was thankful for the lad's help, and equally so that he had agreed to join them; Drestig might be the one offering Askan a home, but in turn he was getting support, both in hunting and protecting their home.

The young man's last words did make his prospective new leader snort, though it was a good-natured sound, followed up with a toothy grin. "We won't demand too much," He assured, looking between Askan and his petite partner; "You help hunt and protect the territory, and at night you'll have a full belly and a place to sleep. A win for all of us!" He turned his attention to Jessie, sparkling, ember eyes softening as he looked down upon her; "Of course the children will be top priority, but with another wolf or two on our side, we should be able to care for everyone. Askan here's been traveling for a while, I told him he'd be welcome here if he was tired of it. " His gaze moved to meet Jessie's deep green eyes, then continued to lift, looking back at the dark boy before them. He was sure they could all easily come to an understanding. He had no plans of ruling with an iron-fist, the amount of respect he required only extended to him having the ultimate last word, but he would be more than willing to listen and discuss.

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Everything seemed to be going civilly. The whole situation was so domestic, there was an old, autonomous part of him that screamed for him to turn tail and flee, before he got himself too deep in all of this. But it was the dying remnants of a former life, lived by another wolf who'd known nothing but abandonment and betrayal. If there was one thing he had learned in his years in Relic Lore, it was the value of family. And he was looking at it now, small and vibrant despite her grayscale fur, with a smile so vibrant, it was hard to believe she was the same wolf he'd known in Spectral Woods. It still made him tickle inside, like a pup, even more so when his eyes travelled along her swollen flank. No, he wasn't running anywhere, he was finally getting all he was dreaming of.

Jessie, now with her business face on, made her own small addition to his words, and Drestig nodded along, letting his wagging tail lightly brush against hers in silent compliment; She was doing very well, though he'd never doubted her leader abilities. To Askan he smiled inclining his head towards the she-wolf, a what-she-said, motion. The boy replied with the neutrality that his elder was starting to expect, though he seemed both understanding and accepting of the hierarchy. It also seemed like he was ready to help and work to get the pack up and running. They had plenty to do yet, but it felt like they were in a pretty good place now.

At the questions, the graying man pursed his lips, not the least bit off put by the show of ignorance, this was new to all of them. He let his eyes drift out over the fields, thinking for a moment before drawling: "The plan yes…" Ember gaze returned to the youth, a light in them despite the seriousness of the words that followed; "Well we've got this land, and hopefully we can hold onto it until we've gathered enough wolves to claim it for good." He smiled toothily, glancing down at Jessie before continuing: "For now it's just the three of us, then the pups when they come. I'd say one more capable adult, and we'd be strong enough to defend the territory, start marking borders and all that, call ourselves a real pack." Gaze strayed to the salt and pepper woman again, looking to see if she agreed with his assessment. He was itching to put down some real borders, finally feel like his family was fully safe, but without the force to back up such a claim, it would be useless. With a light, and more sincere, smile, Drestig looked back at his first recruit, voice honest as he added: "Can't say how long it'll be kid, I'm out looking every day, practically asking everyone I come across, I'll encourage you to do the same. Give them the once over, if they seem alright to you, you can bring them here and we'll check for ourselves, yeah? Not much more we can do I'm afraid." He shrugged faintly but there was a hopeful light in his eyes despite the bleak speech, they'd managed this far, it was only a little more to go.

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