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Any wolf who had seen Dubhe in his youth would be hard-pressed to recognize him now. The injury that had laid him up in his adolescence had done him good. He had been fortunate: The only lingering effects were psychological.

Of course, Kalain could have healed the wound at any time. That he didn't was proof that he knew all too well what he was doing, what effect it would have on the youngster. He had been right.

Dubhe had spent many long nights with nothing but prayers to Rhiavet to keep him company, and it had awakened in him both renewed spirituality and a sense of quiet, of purpose. Gone was the hyperactive, brash youth that had tried to take on a herd of deer alone. In his stead was someone wiser, focused, intense.

And so the ashy-furred wolf had descended from the mountain top, setting out on his rites of adulthood, prepared to commune with his spirit animal and take his totem to heart.

But things hadn't quite gone that way. In the valley, he had found not a spiritual experience, but a fellow wolf -- a large, quiet fellow whose markings could have made him almost a brother to Dubhe. His name was Sindre, and he was lost, and so Dubhe did the decent thing and extended him his company.

And so the two journeyed for a time, Dubhe still searching for his spiritual fulfillment and confused by its absence. In the evenings, they would share stories, for Sindre had come from a religious pack as well, and they had much to compare. But by day, they wandered, keeping an eye out for whatever it was that would appear to Dubhe and allow him passage home.

--

The pups had made things different. In the last month before their births, it had not been enough to traipse merrily across the map, singing songs and studding their fur with daisies; the women had been slow and tired, and it proved to be an omen of their future. Pretending at roaming gypsies didn't work so well with 8 new mouths to feed, 8 squirming bodies to look after and protect. It made them all more earnest in their search for a home, and it made Cue feel a fluttery panic in his chest as he was unable to stop imagining that the Light had left them.

But still. Even if it had, they needed somewhere safe to settle, and so they traipsed.

Cue was right enough about that, though it was perhaps swifter than he would have imagined -- and, fortunately, more friendly.

Dubhe slid into view, ears pricked forward, not precisely in aggression but clearly showing that he was aware. Sindre slunk in from nearby, his hefty size seeming to take up a surprising amount of space beside his slimmer, sinewy companion.

Dubhe sized Cue up in one long, thoughtful glance, and then said, without preamble, "Where are the rest of your party?"

Dubhe's brows raised, impressed at the moxy. He exchanged a quick glance with his companion, who tilted his head in a slight shrug as if to say 'beats me'. He flicked violet eyes back on the other wolf. "It's my business what strangers do in my home," he said. He didn't have a light ball at his disposal, but he had Sindre, a canine pile-driver, and that was worth something.

"Apologies for our rudeness," Sindre said, in his deep rumble, clearing his throat. He glanced again at his companion, then shook his head. "Dubhe here is right to be concerned. Not many travel this way without purpose. But we mean you no harm, if you don't mean any toward us." He took a step forward. "My name is Sindre. What's yours?"

Dubhe's ears flicked dismissively. "It's fine," he muttered. "You can stay if you don't cause any trouble."

Sindre smiled. This was a fairly warm welcome, all things considered. "Where are you traveling to, Cumulonimbus?"

Dubhe's brow furrowed. That didn't make a damn bit of sense. But he noted the way it was said -- both the way it was directed at his larger companion, and in the odd inflection in Cue's voice -- and that was off-putting and intriguing all at once.

But at a look from Sindre, he shut his maw and let the other fellow do the talking.

"Sounds like quite an adventure," the large wolf said amiably. "I imagine you're all very tired. We're a long ways from anything, up here."

And indeed, that was true. Aves sat at the very north of Telk, nestled in the mountains. Beyond those mountains, there was...what? Nothing any wolf Sindre knew had explored. This was, as far as he was concerned, the edge of the world.

At this, Dubhe's brows shot up, a gesture that was perhaps comical considering the frown they'd creased themselves into moments before. "That's a lot of puppies," he pointed out, unnecessarily. "Too many to try and travel with."

Sindre smiled. His own family hadn't been precisely small, and they'd done all right on their own -- but then, maybe not so well, considering he'd ended up here by himself. "He does have a point," he said, nodding to his companion. "That's a lot of mouths to feed and mischief to watch out for, never mind the trouble of moving. You should think about stopping for a while. You'd be safe, here."

Dubhe's ear flicked, perhaps annoyed at his companion's eagerness to invite strangers into his home, but he couldn't be too annoyed -- he would've offered the same, if given the opportunity. This was an interesting thing for Rhiavet to drop in his path, to be sure.

This guy needs all the help he can get, Dubhe thought a little sourly. He smelled weakness in the wolf's effulgent gratitude, and it made him very uneasy. Just what kind of a pack did he think he could run, acting like that?

Now, Dubhe, that's not being very charitable.

He sighed. Impatience and lack of understanding had gotten him in trouble with his gods before, and he had to work on his humility. That was the point of all this, right? This little mission he'd set to himself?

You didn't want to give Sindre a chance either, and he turned out all right.

"No one will hurt you here," he said, finally, sweeping his eyes back to Cue. "Not if you stay close enough to me that I can explain, if my family were to find you. But I imagine we won't get much company in the valley anyway. How is your hunting? Are you able to bring in enough game to feed everyone comfortably?"

Was there just a bit of eagerness in that question?

Was he just a little excited to show off his own prowess?

...And was that something he should have been ashamed of?

Dubhe's maw twisted into a smile. "We'll go on a proper hunt, then," he said, as if the idea was settled, no further discussion necessary. "The three of us. I imagine your family will appreciate some proper meat, and the prey here is finer than any."

Yes, there was definite pride there. Even Sindre could hardly hide his amusement.

"But my condition. If I'm feeding a mouth, I'd like a chance to meet the wolf it belongs to."

Dubhe wouldn't admit it, but he was rather starved for company. This religious journey he'd set out on was leaving him lonely for the comforts of his large family atop the mountain. And there hadn't been any pups since his own youth; he rather looked forward to meeting the little ones.

But it was all business, of course.