There were no questions, much to Chan's surprise. When telling tales to young children, he'd found they often interrupted with commentary or queries. Leo, however, remained quietly attentive, reminding the Eastfall of the boy's father. Those still dwelling with in the cave were hushed as well, and so he happily pushed on for his rapt audience.
"What was missing, was love," he continued.
"As queenly as his partner was, love did not grow between them. Vespertio thought this too could be brought under his control, that he simply needed to make it work, but her destiny was elsewhere, and there was no keeping her from it. Likewise, Vesper's destiny would not be kept from him, even if he couldn't immediately recognize it. You see, where we want to be where and we are at home, at our best, are not always one in the same. It can take years for life to lead you to a place, or wolf, that makes you feel whole. Namid Macieo was the missing piece, but it took time for her to make her way to the Cove, her final home, and of course time thereafter for the two to uncover the wealth of love between them.
When it finally was found and fostered, that love did not just benefit them; it effectively became the heart and soul of the pack as they shared kindness, patience and encouragement with each and every one of their pack mates. No longer was he the king of a castle made from stone and ice. Vesper and his pack became family, and boy did that family grow. Without their love, not a single one of us would be here. Not Aleister, not myself nor Nash, not even you," he lifted a paw and used it to poke Leo gently. He'd meant to take the story farther, but it had taken long enough to reach this point, and so he decided to taper off before anyone went into deep sleep. After all, that just meant he'd have more new stories for later.
"Of course, that's just what started our story. It wasn't long after that a trio was born on our lake's shore; calm Cernan, headstrong Neha and adventurous Aleister. They saw bear maulings, invading boars and an army of coyotes. They welcomed war heroes and scholars to their ranks, each leaving their mark on wolves and land alike. There's a story for every inch of this valley, thanks to the Vuesains."
His gaze returned to little Leo, and he gave a wink while promising; "We'll make sure you hear 'em all."
Before too long, the boy would be making his own stories as well.