3/11/2025, 12:35 AM
The young woman's defense was stammered and mostly nonsense. Aubergine would get them? The quail? And then the silver she-wolf sat back on her haunches to use her paw to mime a feathered crest, and Solulfur observed all of this with as neutral an expression as she could muster.
She didn't understand, and she was not going to be made to look a fool because she didn't.
Apparently, one of the quail was more...hunter than prey, or was perhaps Awakened like Bjarki. Evidently, he was going to fetch the rogue quail without harming them, which seemed pointless to Solulfur. If they were not Awakened, they were prey. If this she-wolf could not catch her own meals, she wouldn't last on the mountain. Sol shifted an unconvinced glance toward the scattered quail, most of which were doing their best to find bushes or mounds of snow to hide behind. Which one was the woman's companion, she couldn't tell.
I'm angling to be a caretaker, she began. Solulfur pasted a warm, mild smile across her features briefly, seeking to ease the obvious nervousness tangled in the woman's words.
Oh, I see.A guardian, then, of the Courage Pillar. A good choice; it would help round out their ranks and maintain balance.
When I'm able to tame them...give or take a few generations, Solulfur's brow arched, a faint frown creasing her features.
Tame them?In a few generations of trying to keep her Awakened quail alive and corralling the things?
They will repopulate if not over-hunted.Solulfur delivered the statement precisely, clearly under the impression the little she-wolf simply didn't comprehend how the world worked.
Can you not catch your meals if they are not led to you?She spoke quietly, evenly; kindly, perhaps, but Solulfur's kindness was rarely offered clothed in the softness she wove around her insult now.
Alizee introduced herself; naming herself a Resident. Sol supposed there was room within Dawnbreak for a wolf to remain unranked for a time, as they proved capable of the rank they desired or decided what Pillar they wished to pursue. Still, her faltering opinion of Alizee meant Solulfur interpreted the admission as a sign of lack of commitment, another indication of a potential weak link amongst their ranks.
The mountain would deal with those unworthy of its gifts and tests, Solulfur knew. But until the mountain took its due, she did not have the luxury of allowing the unworthy to poison the pack.
Still. Such thoughts were drastic, considering this was only a first meeting. And then, Alizee mentioned Solulfur's surname - one of the two, the one she rarely heard acknowledged. Her snow-filled ears pricked, interest resurging in her golden gaze.
Yes, on my father's side, and his mother before him. How are you familiar with the name?
