Things were looking up! In another dramatic turn, the Halex once again found himself on top, and despite the empress woods being flooded with smoke, he felt glorious. Isla had returned home, healthy and strong despite her ordeal; meanwhile, Sharlee and her paramour had both vanished, dumping their spawn on her already overburdened brother – the mere thought brought a devilish grin to the pale man’s face. And to top it all off, Eros had stepped up, kicking Rochus from his second position.

It was enough to make the old man almost giddy, throwing himself fully into working for the pack once again. Today he had wandered from the territory, his first such trip in a long while, hoping to scout out some potential prey. It was the time of year to start filling up the caches for winter, and with the fires dispersing the herds, that required even more work than normal. So Vasco was on the prowl, following every trail and track he came across, drawing up a mental map to bring back for the packs next hunting party; After all, we don’t have a scout anymore…

Thoughts ”Speech”