Though Marsh suspected that, for the majority of the pack, Borlla's brief reappearance had been a non-event, the Second knew very well how much it had done to affect the two leaders. He had witnessed first-hand the stress in Corinna just moments after she had turned her back on the young Tainn, and a few days later, he had unintentionally overheard Indru and Corinna's wary conversation regarding it. He had been resting nearby, the invasion of privacy of his leaders completely unintentional. It was, perhaps, fortunate that he made a very poor eavesdropper, for the idea of listening in on his superiors made him supremely uncomfortable. In the end, he had only remained for a minute or so before carefully slinking away, anxious not to disturb the mates' tense encounter. It had been a surreal thing, judging the state of a wolf's mind and their meaning based solely upon their tone of voice.

The entire thing had only made him feel guiltier for misjudging Indru. The more he thought on it, the more he was sure that Borlla's rejection was likely his doing. Though at the time, Indru's behaviour towards his sister had appeared as though he were proving a point about her new behaviour, it made more sense this way.

He doubted that Indru had ever really known of his Second's private grumblings, but with newborns on the way, newcomers in their ranks and potential tension still lingering in the leadership, he thought it appropriate to reaffirm a few loyalties.

Nose to the ground, Marsh sought his leader's freshest tracks. Actually seeking out one of his packmates was quite a novel thing, for he rarely intentionally looked out for company. Ice was, perhaps, an exception, but that was just to make border patrol a more interesting venture. Pleased at Indru's strong presence, something which he had truly missed during the leader's absence, the Second eventually found the best track and trekked after it, eyes and ears alert for signs of the large tawny male. With luck, he would not mind some company.

Though he was lost in his thoughts (a common occurrence of late), Indru had managed to retain at least a vague awareness of his surroundings and so he noticed his Second's approach before the wolf's form fell into sight. Marsh was a conundrum to Indru, he had known the wolf a long while and while he wouldn't question his loyalty to the pack, he couldn't help but wonder towards the male's feelings towards himself now. As Marsh fell into view Indru adopted his typical demeanour instinctively: the proud rise of his chin, his tail rising from it's relaxed position to rest above his back and his eyes turned to meet Marsh's in the silent challenge that each leader issued whenever a subordinate came into their presence.

Each of Indru's movements had been typical but this time there had been an extra tenseness to his movements as he wasn't entirely sure he wanted company and perhaps particularly not Marsh's. His added loyalty to Corinna certainly wasn't unwelcome (he would never resent extra protection towards his mate) however it hadn't gone unnoticed, but with the recent tension's he wasn't entirely sure of Marsh's intentions by seeking him out. He knew the Second wasn't a big speaker, so it was unlikely he had come to argue on Corinna's behalf but perhaps he had more physical intentions? And it was that thought that had caused the added tension and dominance to his posture.

Almost on instinct Indru had nearly opened his mouth to express a greeting but he remembered in time and replaced it with a curt nod once his dominant rank had been established, watching Marsh with a curious eye as he waited for his intentions to be made as clear as the male could.

It was strangely comforting, the way in which Indru's posture shifted as Marsh approached, and the instinctive manner in which he responded. Almost without thought, his eyes dropped beneath that of his superior's, his ears back, head lowered and tail curved down beside his leg. It was not difficult to stand below Indru, the large beast that he was, but Marsh had come here with the purpose of making his stance on the situation as clear as possible.

The tension in Indru's body spoke volumes. It truly had been a long time since the two wolves spent any significant amount of time together, particularly alone, and with Marsh's shifting object of devotion, it had been a curious time for him. Indru, and everything he represented, had never been questioned, not to any significant degree. He may have made a habit of disappearing, but he also made a habit of returning, and with Corinna's belly full of the pack's next generation, and the pack itself swelling with able wolves, there was little to begrudge the Tainn.

Besides, Marsh had been wrong in his judgements. The wolf may have been many things, but a dissenter was not one of them. The only thing which could have altered his position towards Indru, as everything stood now, was Corinna's command - but that was an element of the Second's psyche which was never going to disappear.

Shuffling up beside his leader, he twisted his head underneath Indru's muzzle, a low whine in his throat as he licked the other's chin, seeking acceptance from the only other wolf he craved it from. He did not want there to be any reason for tension between them. For as long as he and Corinna remained united, Marsh would serve them both without hesitation.

While he found the purpose of Marsh's approach curious and perhaps a little confusing—as it seemed a fair assumption to say he had been sought out by the male—his behaviour and motions were ones Indru was more than familiar with and these were not confusing at all. As Indru stated his dominant rank as clearly as if he was shouting it, Marsh responded in kind, accepting it and submitting to his leader and superior. The Second responded with enough submission to sate him (especially with the formality and fealty renewing aspect this meeting seemed to be having) and he had no need to push it further, a lower wolf Indru would likely stand over and force to the ground but with the closeness of their rank this was all that was needed to make Marsh's fealty clear.

Contention within the ranks was not something he enjoyed, it weakened the pack and thus in turn made them more vulnerable and when Marsh had whined and licked his chin in a clear sign of seeking acceptance and reassurance it was with eagerness that Indru stretched forward to try and grip the male's muzzle firmly between his own. A low rumble of a growl escaped his muzzle in response to the other's whines and Marsh would most likely feel the vibration on his muzzle more than he would hear it. Indru's grip on the male would be hard at first were his grip succesful but not painfully so, but it would speak of his control over the other and the strength of his iron will in this matter, but slowly it would soften and the hold he had on Marsh's muzzle with his own would be easily breakable—but here, this was the test, as only a wolf willing to pay true fealty would not break it even then until their superior did.

The ritual was a comforting one, for establishing a wolf's position within a pack, making it clearer, was always a comfort and a reassurance and not a hardship. A pack was family and no wolves should enjoy tension between them, especially not with new cubs on the way. Indru did not feel threatened by Marsh—truly he had not felt threatened by any male since his father and Honijo—and the leader felt confident in his own strength and abilities, or else he would not be a leader at all. No one had challenged him and so that made him the strongest overall, the best to father the pack's future, and Indru knew that were that ever to be contested the wolf would have a fight upon their paws.

The Second barely flinched when his superior's jaws reached out to firmly hold his own. Instantly he relaxed, taking comfort from the reassurance of where they stood with one another. Contrary to how he appeared - particularly to the unfortunate new females - Marsh was not wolf who needed to be dominant. All his life had been spent serving one wolf after another, latching onto somebody new when the last died, vanished or otherwise failed to prove worthy of following. His insistence on the submission of his lowers was nothing more than the requirement of his rank; what kind of Second did not keep their members in line? It was his job to uphold authority when Indru and Corinna were not present, and what use had Swift River for wolves who could not bow to their superiors?

It was true that he had grown rather accustomed to his rank, though it would have been no great culture shock to the beast to have been at the bottom instead. He simply worked to reflect that which he represented.

His whines softened as he relished the strength in Indru's hold, the pressure on his muzzle, the growl which reverberated through his muzzle and down to his chest, the heavy scent of Indru's breath. His eyes slowly closed, and in this moment, he was every bit Indru's.

This was why he had attached himself to the Tainn in the first place. Indru simply... understood. In a world where wolves relied more on their tongues, this simple but totally effective means of communication went unappreciated. But it was this which spoke volumes, and it was this that Marsh drew his worth from. No verbal conversation could be as reassuring as being firmly held in place by your superior.

His leader's grip lightened, and it was more than enough for Marsh to twist free - but of course he did not. Indru had to comprehend the loyalty he was being offered, and for that, Marsh had to give everything. Free of doubt, and without hesitation, he did so.

The ease at which he could communicate with Marsh—which Indru knew others often struggled to do so with the male—was refreshing, it meant that much less had changed than he had thought over the long while they had known each other. It was effective and it was easy and Indru had never truly questioned why Marsh disregarded speech so much, why was it necessary when so much could be said without words? There was no tremor, no flinch, that betrayed Marsh's willingness to accept Indru's control and dominance and after waiting a further beat Indru suddenly clenched his teeth like a metal vice catching it's prey around Marsh's muzzle, but it would leave no pain like the move so easy could have, simply because Indru had no wish for it do so.

He held the male firmly between his teeth for another beat, two, three, before he released his grip entirely and pulled his jaw's away. The message was clear—the dominance was his—and he knew that if his eyes were to meet Marsh's now the other male's would fall. A gruff rumble escaped him and though his posture had relaxed from when Marsh first arrived it was still quite distinctly dominant; from the set of his shoulders, to the proud rise of his chin and his tail which was held just above the height of his back.

Yet, Indru would not entirely accept Marsh's fealty, he would not let the male feel his tongue lash against the top of the male's muzzle in true acceptance for even though he knew Marsh accepted his lead, Indru was not naive enough to be unaware that he did not have his true loyalty. Unlike most wolves, Marsh's loyalty did not lie equally between the leaders, Indru knew that his loyalty was only his for as long as Corinna allowed it. While Indru did not resent this information, for he felt that while Marsh could cause him damage were a fight to come he felt confident he could hold more than his own, it was perhaps lucky that Indru was a confident leader—a leader unsure of themselves, wary of their strength and ability to hold their rank, would not likely tolerate this potentially dangerous challenge amongst their ranks. But it was this knowledge that would stop Indru ever fully accepting or trusting Marsh's submission entirely for he knew very well that it could only be fickle and temporary and that it was not unwavering like it once had been.

It was true, of course. In every way, Marsh was the loyal subordinate - save for the significant thing which made him him. Even before his first birthday, the strange quirk which gave him his obsessive nature had begun to manifest, and ever since Albion had unwittingly encouraged it, he had never been able to grow out of it. It had come to define him more absolutely than any other aspect of his behaviour or actions. It drove him, it gave him reason to live, and though he was aware of it - so acutely aware of it - he had never truly possessed the capacity to think critically of it. It was simply what he did. He was always destined to be the satellite to somebody's moon.

Indru had won that devotion, for a time. It had not been an effortless transition, as most of his attachments used to be, and it had been broken. It had also cost Corinna an otherwise capable subordinate, for Marsh, lost without his compass - his very sense of purpose! - had sought his master without a thought, with nothing but a passing consideration for the female and her offspring. For a time, she hadn't mattered. Nobody mattered but the wolf who commanded him.

But something had changed. He had never been able to follow an absent leader; abandonment was not something he endured easily. Something had shifted. He had returned to Swift River, the last home he had known, once more a leaderless wolf. That had been six months ago, now. Corinna had listened to his pained gibberish, and had taken him in again, even though he did not deserve it. His loyalties had shifted once more, and there they had stayed.

It was true that, with one simple command, Marsh would have flung himself at Indru, teeth bared. Whether or not he would have reservations, well, he had never truly craved the acceptance of a wolf who was not his devotion, not to this magnitude. Marsh's loyalty may have been heavily divided, but his capacity for it was extreme, and so long as Corinna remained rational, Marsh could be more dedicated to Indru than even his own family. But that tiny condition, that vital condition, would always exist.

Even knowing all this, it still confused him when Indru failed to complete the wordless ritual, and despite all of his surrender, Marsh was not able to give Indru absolutely everything, and the Tainn knew it.

Something cold and horrid turned in his gut as he was denied total acceptance. With a weak exhalation, Marsh bent his legs, his belly all but laid on the ground. His tail tucked deeper underneath him, and he looked nothing like the fierce, near-proud creature that so many believed him to be. This was the wolf, shattered and torn between forces he could not control, but forces which he only had himself to blame for.

Had this been a bad idea? He had wished for the removal of tension, and in coming here, had only discovered another source of it. He did not know whether to collapse with torment or fury. How dare Indru reject his fealty? How could he deny all of Marsh's devotion, his punctuality, his submission, his total acceptance of his place, his lack of questioning... well, lack of open questioning. But it had only been for Corinna's sake.

Everything looped back to Corinna.

Staring off into space, Marsh hovered there, centimetres from the ground, stuck in the subtle immensity of the one action which Indru had deliberately omitted.

Even though he was aware of Marsh's peculiarity, the thing that had made Marsh so unique but also so dangerous in ways, Indru was somewhat surprised by the effect his unwillingness to accept him completely had. Quickly Marsh dropped beneath him and near to the ground and his tail tucked beneath him and Indru watched him still, disguising him emotions quickly as he analysed the behaviour. For the second male to submit so entirely without demand nor request from his leader to do so was not typical behaviour, but it still was clear what purpose he sought—Marsh needed something from him and Indru was not willing to give it.

He took no pleasure in denying Marsh this thing, but neither was he able to accept Marsh entirely knowing what he did about his loyalties, it would have been naive and stupid, things which Indru felt he was neither. Slowly, while Marsh hovered beneath him, Indru ducked down to take Marsh's muzzle in his mouth once more, the gesture was meant to soothe and reassure and, like before, after a pause he pulled away, yet again he refused to complete it. Indru knew that he could not guarantee completely loyalty from many wolves par perhaps his own blood, however with all River wolves at least he knew they had a moral compass to guide their actions; if Indru gave many of those sworn to his and Corinna's lead no reason to dislike his leadership it was unlikely they would challenge it, however, with Marsh he knew that with a simple word any loyalty he had could soon be forgotten.

While an awkward tensions remained in the air, Indru's posture did not change from the dominant one it still held. His ears remained perked forward and his tail raised as he stared down at Marsh with a hard (yet undeniably curious) gaze.

So the cycle repeated, and though Indru dipped his head to take Marsh's muzzle within his once more, allowing Marsh a moment to believe that Indru would satisfy him, he was again denied the completion of the ritual. He could not fully comprehend it, and the sickening crunch of rejection twisted again in his gut. He did not know how to process it. Anger and hurt and confusion melted together and he could not lash out, could not express his torment more than he already was, for Indru was his leader and Marsh was obedient, always obedient, and that was why it hurt so.

Had he been more critically self-aware, he may have wished for a bitter word from Corinna to give himself a reason to treat the Tainn with the hostility that he currently so desired.

Again his gaze fell to the near distance, relatively unseeing, oblivious to the curiosity with which his leader watched him. This was unendurable. He could not stay here and be expected to submit to this, for how many times was Indru to tease him with complete acceptance? Marsh was nobody's toy. The Tainn had made his opinion perfectly clear, and though Marsh would linger and endure it if that was Indru's wish, he would not do so happily. Stiffly he rose, still keeping his posture beneath his leader's, and moved his nose beneath Indru's chin, a heavy whine in his chest, asking for dismissal. He very much doubted that Indru had any further insights to offer.

Though he doubted it would be much consolation to Marsh, Indru took no pleasure in their suddenly-turned-awkward encounter. The leader did not enjoy his second's torment as a sadistic wolf might, for Indru was far from it and as much as he wished to give Marsh what he wanted—he couldn't. It felt foolhardy and stupid to give a wolf your full trust who you knew would turn on you without a second thought at a word, whether or not an attack was morally just or not. Indru knew he was not a bad wolf and with this alone he had a degree of reassurance that all the wolves within his pack knew that and could think for themselves over whether a attack was deserved, yet Marsh, he knew, would lack this free-thought.

The large male quickly came despondent and Indru watched as he rose to his feet, his body tensing at the stiffness of Marsh's movements in preparation of whether the male planned to express his displeasure further. Yet, it seemed the sharp body movements were not a challenge as soon a whine broke from the male and it was clearly a request for dismissal. Slowly, just a fraction, Indru's tail dropped from it's full height and his let his ears slick back briefly to his skull before they shifted forward once again—it was not much, but an apology was all he could offer the male. For surely no one would expect him to give his complete trust to a wolf who could only give him secondary loyalty. Stretching forward his nudged the top of Marsh's muzzle with his own, the meaning clear: he was free to leave.