Winter was rapidly closing in on them, and Viorel knew there were some conversations that needed to be had before it truly set in. Even today the snow lightly fell and it was cold enough that instead of melting when it hit the earth it actually clung to the frosty grass. Waking up from his afternoon nap he had only one of these talks on his mind and after a leisurely stretch he shook the snowflakes that had settled on his pelt off.

It didn’t take long to find Asmund’s trail, his pawprints melted into the snow as he moved throughout the territory. Viorel hurried after him until the small dark form came into view along the border up ahead. Chuffing in greeting the leader broke out into a quick trot until he caught up to the younger man and fell into step beside him.

Taking a moment of silence he looked ahead, trying to find the right words on how to approach this. He wanted Asmund to want this and not feel forced into it, even though Viorel knew that he was ready. In the end he just went for it, ”I would like for you to be my second, Oleander’s gone and I think the position best belongs to one of my sons.” And he should know by now that included him, even if it wasn’t by blood.