It had been a long time since there had last been a call at their borders, thought it wasn't something the queen thought much about. The Woodlands were thriving, strong and capable members only seeming to grow stronger and more capable as winter drew nearer. The young boys especially, maturing into thoughtful and supportive young men. And of course there was the pups, seeming bigger every time she laid eyes on them, between their rapid and common adventures. So when a deep voice suddenly sounded through the Thicket, Aideen paused curiously, perking up her head to listen. She was still not accustomed to being summoned by name, she might never be, but at least it was better than the oblivious call for 'leaders' from a loner.

She moved swiftly to answer, slipping through the naked branches even easier than normal, soon catching sight of the dark figure up ahead. There was a smile on her face as she came to a holt in front of the Notch wolf, tail wagging casually behind her; "I thought it was you!" She greeted him warmly. Her familiarity with Gent mostly came from hearing Nina speak of him, but that in itself served to make her more kindly disposed towards the man. And what contact they had had, had shown him to be a gracious, if a bit formal character. His likeness to her husband probably also served to his advantage, and made the petite woman react in a way much like she would with @Miccah.

"It's good to see you again, Gent," She offered, meeting his glacier-blue eyes earnestly; "What brings you to the Woodlands? Nothing bad I hope?" The last was added in a casual tone, as she didn't really think the dark chap would have called her, alone, to deliver shocking news. She was curious though, as to what exactly he would call her for, after all, his visits were usually for Nina; Even if she doesn't lead anymore… Which made her wonder if Gent might want something that the matriarch could no longer grant him.

Word count: 345

The question came naturally to her, caring as she was by nature, and of course, Nina had been a large influence on her. She had no idea that it might affect the Notch King so much, though all she saw was a quick flicker in the pale eyes, which she was left little time to ponder on as he quickly answered. Shaking off the weirdness, she quickly forgot the fleeting expression, smiling as Gent assured that he didn't bring bad news. Instead he asked about the Woodlands and their pups, widening the queen's already bright smile. She nodded along, tail swaying happily as she responded: "Very well, thank you. A boy and two girls, all strong and healthy!" She couldn't hold back her joy, though she did her best not to tout more than necessary, instead taking a more professional turn: "They seem to have taken well to the pack, and we're all doing good."

There hadn't been many incidents since the dark man and his mate last visited, and what little transgressions Aideen could think of didn't seem worth mentioning. Instead she looked up at her quest with a slight tilt of her head, still smiling as she asked: "And how about yours? How is @Raela doing?" With Gent's assurance from earlier, she felt sure his answer would be as positive as hers. Still, she was curious, and she wanted to allow him the same chance to boast as he'd given her. The promised proposition also had her interest piqued, but she was in no rush, trusting that the gent would get to it eventually.

Word count: 266