Eager for his family to arrive, even if it was not all of them, he was not disappointed to see Jessie's face emerge first. His tail wagged once more for her, the loyal female who had long earned his trust. Accepting Cali had definitely been one thing that Indru had done very right, and Marsh did not like the notion of a Swift River without the Swiftpaw sisters. Until Cali had joined, the female ranks had been a joke, with wolves coming and going with no respect for the pack at all. They had managed to change that, and though it could not be said for all their members - or their leaders - he had seen a change in the pack since then. Fewer impulsive acceptances, more focus on the pack as a whole. Having young puppies had not encouraged them to welcome outsiders. Perhaps it would change from now, with winter coming, when the pack and lone wolves alike sought strength in numbers. He would have to make those decisions now, who had the right to entry and who did not, just like Indru had. Hopefully he would not make poor choices. Corinna's support of every one of his actions was critical. She was still mourning her lost mate and stolen son, so Marsh felt the weight even more than he may have otherwise. He did not want to fail her.

Jessie greeted him politely, and he pressed his nose to her cheek briefly, accepting her nod of thanks with a pleased rumble. She was too thin. When did she last eat something substantial? He would have insisted she either eat the cat or go to their caches when the sound of footfalls drew his attention, and his tail rose to wag anew at the sight of Fenru. Marsh had not mourned Rihael as he had done Torrel, for Rihael was a wolf young but grown, and entitled to wanting his own life. He could have waited another year, perhaps, but such was the way of the headstrong boy. Knowing that Fenru and Kisla kept their loyalties tied to their parents' pack, though, was ever a joy, and as they grew older so Swift River grew stronger. The pack of his own parents had consisted largely of family, the act of accepting strangers into their numbers more of a rarity than here. It made everything feel right, that they stayed. Perhaps Fenru would one day inherit the pack, or Kisla, and where once the Tainn name had been tied to the burned tree, it would be rooted in this very grove.

Marsh waited for Fenru to approach, as ever noting his willing submission, and when the nudge to his chin came Marsh took the opportunity to swipe his tongue over the boy's muzzle, in love and respect of his own. When the young Tainn went to inspect the bobcat, Marsh watched him with fondness. It was at that point that Rissa's enthusiastic call rang through the air, and the copper wolf huffed in amusement, though felt a surge of anticipation for the arrival of yet more wolves that he deeply cared for. Rissa's bouncing introduction made him chuckle anew, and Marsh bumped her on the rump with his nose as she turned away from him, letting her investigate the bobcat with Fenru. Content, he glanced up, and saw Ice and Aiyana stood watching. When the black girl came up to do her own rounds of polite greeting, he rumbled and briefly caressed her crown with his tongue, enjoying the look of wonderment on her face when she also went to inspect the corpse.

That just left Ice. The white wolf took his time reaching Marsh, or so it felt. As if sensing a confrontation, he tensed slightly, the fur prickling down his neck and shoulders when those grey eyes moved over him, assessing him. It was not out of anger, but a faint panic. Ice's stance hovered somewhere between respect and too bold, but Marsh did not want to put him in his place, to demand proper treatment. They had both jumped one in the ladder, so why did it feel so different? But worst of all was the idea that Ice, out of all of them, would be the one to harbour disquiet over his leadership. Jessie, Fenru, Rissa and Aiyana - three of them Indru's own! - had all come to him, given their affection and respect, and he wanted nothing more than to give it back. Ice had it all and more.

The panic grew as Ice hesitated, as he felt how acutely he needed their acceptance, Ice's trust, Ice's respect. He saw the hesitation and read from it Ice's doubts.

When the grey eyes relaxed, the guardian grinning in that way he had, the heat down his spine cooled, but he didn't let himself believe that this would be the end of it. Ice had shown his cards. Once upon a time, Marsh had expected a challenge, waited for it... but it had never come. Otherwise, their roles may have been entirely reversed right now.

He pressed down on Ice's muzzle when it came under his, needing the pressure, the reassurance. As Ice pulled back and gazed at him again, he felt his concerns melt away, hidden somewhere he didn't need to worry about yet. When the cleaning commenced, he growled in half-hearted grumpiness at the ministrations, though did not pull back. He would want to spend time with them all - and Jessie still needed to be fed - but he could put up with it for now. With both Rissa and Aiyana present, the pack's most vulnerable assets were well protected, so he could afford to relax for a time.