Word Count: 343  

It had been an eventful few days.  Since deciding to officially become a member of Whitestone Monadnock, Roose had shared a private meal with his queen, had a productive conversation with both his leaders, attended a pack meeting and set his goal to earn his alphas’ trust, and been on a trip to visit their neighbors with Wraith.

All in all, very good.

The elder man was now out just beyond the borders, hoping to find something to munch on.  He’d given the previous day’s catch to Piety – never a wrong decision, giving an expecting mother food – and now he was hungry. This time he would eat before returning to avoid the obligation to share.  He did not begrudge his leader her right to eat first; she was eating for more than just herself, after all. But Roose had the right to eat as well, and he was going to do just that.

If he could find anything, that is. Before he could locate anything, however, he heard a voice drifting on the wind.  It sounded like someone talking.

With a sigh of resignation, Roose turned and began scanning the surrounding tundra for the source of the voice. He saw a dark shape in the distance.  He could easily turn and head back into the territory, but what sort of man would he be if he just let a loner wander so near their territory without at least gathering some information from them?

He picked up his pace, trotting towards the stranger and uttering a short bark to announce his presence as he approached.  The scent informed him this was a girl, still very young.  He slowed as he finally reached her, giving her enough space for her to feel safe. “Greetings.  I am Roosemooth, advisor to Whitestone Monadnock.  May I inquire your name and business in these parts?” Formal, perhaps, but polite.  Enough that she would hopefully not feel too threatened by his presence, but respect his status as a pack wolf.  With any luck, this would prove to be an informative meeting.

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Word Count: 307  

It would seem he managed to startle this girl after all.  The advisor sighed.  Young people these days… they just never learned how to pay attention to their surroundings.  Still, he kept a friendly smile on his face and listened as she stuttered her response. His ears pricked at the mention of their ally’s leader.

“Actually, I do.  I have just returned from a meeting with Drestig.” He told her.  “And you are not yet within pack borders, so don’t be afraid.” As long as she didn’t threaten his pack, or appear to be causing any trouble, the advisor would have no issues with the young girl.  So this was the niece of Wild Rye Fields’ monarch? How interesting.  

“Might I ask where you come from?” She couldn’t be from nearby if she didn’t know where her uncle lived, and it made Roose wonder just how big their neighbor’s family was.  If it was as extensive as Rosalind’s appearance suggested – even if it was one sibling who lived in another pack – it was a good thing they were allies.  Being enemies with someone who had such close ties with another pack could be useful.  Since this girl existed, it meant her parents were likely alphas as well.  This meant the ‘Triell’ family was noble. Which in turn meant many wolves at their back.

Perhaps their neighbors, which he had been unsure of, could be useful someday after all.  Logging this information away, the dark wolf turned his muzzle towards the Rye Fields.  “His pack’s territory is over that way.  It shouldn’t take you too long to reach it.” He told her. “I can take you, if you’d like.  I’m sure @Wraith and @Piety wouldn’t mind.” After all, escorting the king’s niece would be sure to increase their new ally’s faith in their pack, and doing favors for them wouldn’t hurt their standing.

"Speech"  Thought

Word Count: 374  

This girl certainly was… odd.  She kept stuttering, despite Roose’s attempts to help set her at ease.  Was it possible she had a speech defect? He didn’t dare mention it; to do so would be incredibly rude. Instead he simply smiled and nodded as she stammered to explain where she came from.

“I myself and from the north. I traveled a long way to get to my last pack, and even longer to get to where I am now. I have seen enough of the world to know a long hard journey deserves a peaceful ending.” He said, hoping to further alleviate her anxiety. When she mentioned going alone, his tail swished.  Should he insist upon joining her? Would it be irresponsible for him to allow such a young woman to go traipsing across the tundra on her own? This time of year could be particularly dangerous.  But would it be rude to force his company upon her? Doing so would suggest he did not think her capable of finding her way from the Monadnock to the Rye Fields, and it was such a simple path.

He finally nodded. “I understand.” He did; awkward meetings were things he was very familiar with. He specialized in turning such a situation into something he could use. Her question about Piety and Wraith, however, earned a rare chuff of laughter. “No,” he shook his head, a smile still gracing his maw. “Piety and Wraith are the alphas of Whitestone Monanock; my leaders. It was with Wraith that I recently visited your uncle.” He glanced over his shoulder at the barren land he’d decided to call his home. “If you would like to rest for the night, I’m sure if you asked politely they would let you stay, so you can be well-rested for the last leg of your journey tomorrow.”

That was another big difference between the new patriarchs and the old.  Craw – and Morganna, he assumed – would never have allowed a stranger to stay even one night in their land without paying some sort of price beyond them, if at all. Wraith and his queen wanted to cultivate positive feelings with their neighbors, and would likely not mind having Drestig’s niece for one night. He hoped.

"Speech"  Thought

Word Count:  229

Roose rarely smiled much unless he was trying to manipulate someone.  Here, he was trying to be polite and set the girl at ease, and he’d found young wolves often liked others who smiled.  It made them more agreeable, if that was anything to believe in. But here he felt it was well-deserved. Even if she didn’t stay with them, she could carry news of their helpfulness to her uncle in the neighboring pack.  The advisor didn’t trust the Rye wolves, but he wasn’t a war-monger like the Morelli man had been. He wanted peace.

He also wanted to earn the trust of his alphas, and what better way to do that than to show that he only had the pack’s best interest at heart? They’d agreed to help their neighbors. Wouldn’t sheltering the king’s niece and helping her reach him be considered help?

“Not far at all.  The border is a few paced that way, and the den is on that rock over there.” He gestured to the Monadnock protruding from the ground a short distance away. “It looks windy but there are some boulders up top that provide good shelter.” He promised. “I can call for my leaders to meet us at the border.” He offered.  As good as his intentions were, it would not be wise to take a stranger into the territory without permission first.

"Speech"  Thought