The return of the rains had been like a slap in the face, attempt as they may, to wash away all traces of the summer draught, they had come too late and there was no room in Leo’s heart for gratitude. In the time since returning from Dead Empress Backwater, the Vuesain yearling had buried himself in work, doing his best to pull his weight for the pack as well as staying too busy to think much about anything else. With as many pups as adults, there was more than enough work to go around, thankfully they were old enough now that they didn’t need to be constantly minded, but they still required some supervision.

Dutifully, their older brother/cousin would take his stint with the kids, and he enjoyed it too, in small doses. But he preferred the solitude of a small game hunt, or walking the border, keeping his family safe from outside threats, the only ones he had any control over. It felt strange, leaving his own marks where his father’s should have been, though Aleister’s scent had long since faded from the familiar mixture of the Cove’s wolves.

The sun had set, and Leo was losing his ability to concentrate before he finally conceded to retiring for the night, half asleep on his feet. However, when he came across the fresh trail of a particular pack mate, the yearling paused, debating for a moment before changing directions. He’d been thinking about seeking out the new leader for a while now, but they’d both been so busy; Better to grab the chance now, then…!

Thoughts ”Speech”

It was no surprise that the former guardian was out patrolling late as well, Nash had always taken his duty very seriously, and now as leader, that duty had multiplied. Leo wanted to help his new leader in any way he could – that was why he was following him now, pushing his tired legs into a lope in order to catch up.

He let out a bark as he drew close, to draw attention, before finally coming to a halt at the dark man’s side. “H-hey, Nash,” he gasped, winded from his short run; “Can we… Talk?” He didn’t really know how else to open, short of blurting it all out at once, which wouldn’t exactly be proper. This needed to be done properly, a mature conversation, man to man – he just hoped Nash would be open to that.

Thoughts ”Speech”

Face to face now with his leader, Leo felt a sudden lump in his throat. He was awfully glad this was Nash, whom he’d known since he was born, or he feared his stammer would have shut him down completely. But next after Stella (or his dad), the dark Eastfall was probably the wolf he found it the easiest to talk to.

Clearing his throat, the yearling stood up as straight as he could, looking squarely at his Alpha, Leo started: “I thought… Now that you’re leader, you’ll have a lot more to do, you know?” He paused for just a second then, before pushing forwards, afraid to lose his nerve; “That is, maybe you could use some help? With borders and that, whatever…” He had to stop for breath then, casting his eyes down to where his front paws shuffled awkwardly. Finally, taking another deep breath he sought to meet Nash’s eyes directly, stating earnestly: “I want to help.”

Thoughts ”Speech”

Of course Nash responded kindly, Leo wouldn’t have expected anything else. But more importantly, he took the yearlings offer seriously, treating him like a fellow adult whose help could actually make a difference. It made the boy smile briefly, happy at finally being old enough to properly serve the pack. But he quickly grew serious again, nodding his head solemnly.

The question was more proof of his adult status, though one Leo hadn’t really thought about. Other than the shaman, and leaders of course, he wasn’t really sure which other roles there even were, or what jobs were unique to them. Mostly he just wanted to be useful, the exact manner of it was less important. Brows furrowing, he repeated slowly: “Guardian…” He liked the sound of that, a protector of sorts, seemed to fit him. “That’s what you did, right?” He looked to his leader again, earnest in every fiber. The young Vuesain was used to being compared to his father, and it was an example he desperately wanted to live up to – but Nash was another big role model in his life, and unlike his dad, the Eastfall was still around to make proud.

Thoughts ”Speech”

Perhaps one day, Leo would look back on his childhood and feel resentful, that his mother’s disappearance and father’s illness had robbed him of a normal childhood. But for now, he had no reference, this was the only life he had known, and he liked his role as family protector.

So, then it seemed an obvious move, to take on that job officially, becoming a Guardian of Sanguine Cove. Nash’s answer only served to reinforce this, Leo’s tail wagging lightly as he looked reverently at his leader. “I’d like that,” he answered with deep seriousness; “What do I need to do… To become a guardian?” Whatever it took, the Vuesain heir would do his duty.

Thoughts ”Speech”