Ahren listened to her brother, flicking her left ear in mild annoyance. He didn't need to express his disgust about the whole situation in order for her to see what was wrong with it. She knew just as well as him what a strange ordeal this all was. She did appreciate his honesty, however. As annoying as it may be to hear that her brother was right...she was glad to have his support.

"Thank you, Chaos." she said, shaking out her coat. "I know this is all new and strange and...bizarre." She stared at the den floor, trying not to second guess herself. Had she made the right decision for the pack? She agreed with her brother that it felt odd and a bit sad to let the dog blood mix with theirs. But she shook herself of those thoughts and once again put on a confident air.

"Well as long as I have your support," she said, sighing as he nudged her. She gave him a small smile and suddenly flattened her ears against her crania, snapping her teeth at the air in front of his face as fierce but playful growls and barks escaped her throat. She raised her tail and let her hackles raise. "Now go on!" She scolded playfully, raising her tail in dominance. "Get out of my sight!" It was obvious she was messing with him in play, but to any other wolf who wasn't used to her type of banter would not understand and assume she was angry.

The large female flicked her brother with her tail as he left, saying he'd straighten them out. "You'd better behave, or the pack will have you as our next meal!" She barked teasingly after him before sighing and walking further into her den, curling up against the far wall to try and nap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahren refrained from chuckling at Luro's words. "Ah yes, official official is how I would describe the ways of wolves." she said, flashing him a light teasing grin. "Public speaking shouldn't be that hard for you. Just imagine yourself up on that rock, speaking your mind to the countless canines below." She nodded towards a large flat-topped rock that jutted from the earth near the center of camp and grinned at him teasingly.

Ahren began to walk as Luro asked what prey she would like to hunt and where. "There's a huge open clearing about a mile from here," she said. "Deer like to graze there about this time and in the early morning." She paused, looking up at the colorful evening sky. "It's been a few days since we've seen any there, I want to check and see if by chance they're there tonight." Her voice sounded a bit wistful, as if she was wishing with all of her being that there would be some sign of life there tonight. But despite her somewhat hopeful and sorrowful tone, her jaw was set with strict determination.

The handsome canine began asking more questions about how she functioned as a leader. "I grew up with most of my pack," she said, answering. "So yes, I got to know them because of that. But I try to put some effort and time into getting to know the newer arrivals." She swiveled her ears as she spoke, listening for any prey that may be nearby on their journey to the small meadow.

"It's especially important for me to get to know the pups," she said. "Their birth means new life and strength for the pack, and one day they'll become warriors and hunters. Some of them mothers of yet another generation. There's many ranks and positions in the pack, but to me..." She trailed off, her voice becoming softer. "To me the pups are the most important. Sure, the leaders and Gammas, and Betas and Deltas all make sure the pack functions to the best of its ability...but the pups are who will continue the pack. They are quite literally our future."

She stopped walking for a moment, letting the cool evening breeze rush through her thick coat. "I worry for them, Luro." She admitted quietly. For a brief moment, she felt as though she could connect with this dog, and a place in her heart softened as her tougher shell began to crumble, even for just a moment. "The two-leggeds threaten their chance at life. They threaten their home, their family, their food..." She peered down into the tiny stream of water that bubbled near her paws. "Their water..." She dipped her massive head down to sniff a plastic food wrapper that was lodged between two small rocks that sat in the small stream.

She shook herself and moved on, aware that the sunlight left was quickly fading. If they wanted a chance at catching anything decent, they needed to move quicker. "For you," she spoke again, going back to attempt to finish answering his question. "You obviously did not grow up with my wolves, and I don't know of your relationships with the dogs in your previous small pack. But I would suggest maybe talking to them." She looked back at him, her pale blue eyes shining silver and violet in the dying light. "Not all the wolves will treat you different. Selene is a great one to start with."

Ahren gave him a small smile. "She's our Healer. She loves meeting newcomers, and she's kind. Nigeria is also kind. She's my Beta. I'd start there, and word of you and your kindess will spread. I can't promise that every wolf will be as kind or give you as much peace," she said truthfully. "But I can promise that they will obey my word, and eventually they will come around to respect you just as much as I do."

She wasn't sure how he would take those words. He didn't know her that well, but she was being honest. Even though she second guessed herself about her choices, she did respect Luro and truly did see him as a strong fit for a leader. He may be a little unsure of how to do things now, but she had faith that he would learn quick and blossom.

They both raised their heads to sniff the air, and Luro informed her that he smelled squirrels. Ahren nodded, thinking the same as he suggested they find water for a chance at easier scent tracking.

"I'm not sure of what the other dogs will think," she admitted. "But if they don't like it..." She trotted forward, her gaze held steady at the ground. "They can leave." She wasn't sure how many dogs she would actually need in order to help her pack, but she didn't want to deal with uncooperative dogs who threw fits about their own representation. She would not tolerate fights breaking out, and wasn't willing to risk potentially losing Luro if that were to happen. She would gladly send some of her wolves to drive them out.

"I don't want to have to approach any more packs," She said, answering his question about the other dog packs out in the forest. "But I am worried for this one." She cast a nervous glace around at the newly empty spots in the forest. Where once clumps of trees stood was now stumps and disheveled dirt. Even though there were still plenty of trees, those small empty spaces made her feel so much more exposed.

"Joining more canines into a pack this large is dangerous," she said to him. "Especially when food is scarce. It's more mouths to feed. But sometimes strength in numbers is worth it. All we have is each other."

Finally, as they grew closer to the meadow, Luro spotted some bark scraped off of a nearby tree. She came over to where he was looking, and sniffed it with him. She raised her head, hope flooding into her chest. It was the unmistakeable smell of deer. Specifically a buck.

"It's a bit stale here," she commented. "But not stale enough for me to rule it out. I think it's a young buck."

Ahren tried to refrain from arching her brows in amusement at his statement. "I suppose it could be awkward," she said. "But most wolves have the decency to remain silent as their leader speaks." She gave him a knowing look, as if a slight reminder that the dogs would have to try their best to learn some of the wolf way, including the respect.

"Perhaps seeing their leaders galivanting through the forest chasing after one another like pups would not be a good look to the rest of the pack." She agreed, tossing him a friendly smile with a friendly glint in her eyes. She missed being able to run through the forest with not a care in the world. Ahren remembered racing through the trees with her brother, seeing who could reach the river faster.

"Of course going on hunts would be good." she answered, looking him up and down as if confused why he would even question that. They were hunting together for similar reasons, afterall. "I would suggest finding Choenyi and Amaira tomorrow morning just before sunrise." She suggested. "Choenyi is Lead Huntress, and Amaira is one of the older hunters on morning patrol."

He began asking more questions, and Ahren continued to walk with her eyes forward, the only sign of her listening being one ear flicked towards him. "I have a brother," she answered, lowering her head to sniff the ground. "His name is Chaos. He's a hunter on evening patrol." She looked over at him. "You don't need to apologize for something you wouldn't know." She continued walking. "It's only been a few days, and there's lot of names to learn."

He asked if any of the wolves gave her problems and inquired how she dealt with it. "Of course they do," she answered casually. "Everyone has their days, and not everyone shares the same opinions as me. But most straighten out after a good nip or two." Ahren tried her best to be a fair and good leader, but even she had to admit she'd inherited her mother's temper. She was very easily irritated, and didn't like to be proved wrong. She held a high standard for respect, and when others didn't meet that standard it was easy for her to get impatient and angry.

"Most all wolves know my level of tolerance for things by now," she said, following the scent trail. "I value respect, and to a certain degree obedience. I will hear what others have to say, but at the end of the day it is my decision, and as part of my pack and as wolves under my leadership...they are expected to obey. If they truly don't agree with my ways...they are more than welcome to leave." She paused. "Of course I always try to make the best decisions for my pack, but not everyone will always see eye to eye."

He thanked her for her advice and encouragement, and she responded first by simply nodding. "The wolves here are expected to help you and our new members figure things out, and there are a few who will be happy to." She looked over at him, her gaze a bit softer than before. "I don't expect you to be perfect, and I don't expect you to try and learn as fast as possible. It takes time and experience." Even she was not as good as she could be, even though she was raised in pack way. She'd only been leading for two years afterall.

Luro made a good point about how many canines there were going to be if the other dog packs decided to join. She wasn't sure how she felt about having more canines join, but if it came to it...and if there were enough benefits that outweighed the risks...

"At the end of the day...I will make whatever decision I need to make in order to keep my wolves safe." She shook herself, a few leaves fleeing from her thick auburn coat. "And now the dogs. You are new members, but members nontheless, which means you are now family."

Luro let her take the lead, and so she did, traveling briskly through the trees. Despite her weight and size, she moved rather quietly and confidently through the undergrowth, her muscles working smoothly underneath her coat. Soon the scent grew stronger, and she nodded in agreement to Luro's assessment of the situation, picking up the pace to a briskier trot. She let Luro in front of her slightly, watching him closely. Now was her time to observe his skills quietly without an outward expression that she was doing so.

He soon signaled a halt, and she slowed her pace to a silent stop, her ears pricking towards the large clearing in front of them. Her pale eyes stared ahead, seeing exactly what Luro had said. The buck did indeed have a few puncture wounds on the lower part of his chest and scrapes on one front leg. "Good eye and nose," Ahren complimented quietly. "While this is a small group and not a herd, I still want to at least teach you a little hunting trick." She said, her hackles raising in excitement. It'd been awhile since she'd been able to be out hunting.

"I want you to wait here, and wait for me to get around to the other side. Once you see that I've made it, spring out and scare the deer, they'll flee in my direction. Always remember to separate the target from the herd."

With a split second analyzation of the surrounding area, Ahren moved silently through the undergrowth, her pelt fading in and out of the dark shadows of the coming nightfall. She reached the other side rather quickly, and got into position, waiting for Luro's move.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” he laughed awkwardly, “That they wouldn’t interrupt their leader. I just know there is normally one family member or so who is willing to make things awkward.” They were used to announcements being informal, but he believed the dogs would see that not all 20+ canines could talk at once and accomplish something. That was one adjustment that might take getting used to mentally, but logically would fall into place easier than other adjustments.

He ducked his head. “Try to not think I am too crazy at least about everything. I guess I’m just brainstorming outloud.” He dipped his head taking her seriously. “When we get back will you point them out to me?” He made a mental note of Ahren’s siblings. “That’s a contrasting name to your own. Do you know if you and your sibling’s name if your parents had a special meaning or reason behind them?” He realized he didn’t even know how wolves get named. Perhaps their parents didn’t name them.

“I guess I was wanting to know how far you let them be a problem before you did something about it, but I guess that’s a case by case basis and you wouldn’t be able to just tell me.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “A nip you say. So many forms of discipline and you choose a nip. Have you tried other forms and found a nip to be the most effective?” He had seen that lecturing in his pack didn’t work. They normally resorted to giving the offender the most distasteful chore.

He dipped his head again acknowledging her words. He was not familiar with his limits but he was quickly becoming aware of how much she expected respect and obedience. He wasn’t sure if she was accepting his thoughts because of the position he would soon hold or because she really was open to hearing other’s ideas. He believed that she tried to do the best for her pack, but she seemed very independent, prideful, and stubborn. She had asked Luro without asking anyone else. She had invited the dogs in with minimal advice. It sounded like she had plenty of wolves she could ask for advice. She was trying too hard to do this on her own. What would a partnership with her actually look like?

He tried to be comforted that there would be willing wolves and that she would be patient with him, but he knew he would have to figure out who was willing to help and how. He needed to figure out the limits of her patience and expectations before he would feel more comfortable. He did believe she could empathize. She was young and could not have been leading for long.

He tensed a little when she said that she would do whatever she needed to do to keep the wolves safe. How much of a family were they really? She didn’t refer to them as a pack. He supposed it would take her a while to get used to, but it still made him cautious. He could not take their position for granted if she decided that they risked her wolves. Would half dogs half wolves be considered wolves in her eyes? Would the wolves try to keep their blood pure?

He pushed it from his mind once they found the deer. He was glad that his assessment agreed with hers. He flicked his tail acknowledging her instructions and being a little anxious that his nerves would cause him to act early. He kept an eye out for her movement with his peripheral and kept most of his focus on the deer and the surrounding area. He knew that something else could startle the deer or put them on edge. When she stopped moving and seemed to be in position he made eye contact with her to make sure she was ready before he leaped into action. He moved slightly so that he would cut the buck off from the does. The does ran off into the forest right past where Ahren was and the buck headed directly into her path.

When the does noticed Ahren they bolted in a different direction. The buck went to follow them. Luro tried to join the fray and help bring down the buck. He had to avoid the flailing legs. He ducked under them quickly and went around. As far as he was aware there was only the neck to latch onto but there was also a lot of fur. He snapped on but only got hair in his mouth and did not have a secure grip. The buck managed to shake them off and stagger away with additional injuries.

"Do we run after them? Try to find something else?" He didn't want to ask if they should go back and sound like a quitter. "How far do deer go before they stop running?" He was certain that with persistence they could catch the buck. He could see the blood trail, but he didn't know how much time Ahren wanted to put into it. There was that ceremony and announcement to make, and it didn't look like the pack needed food urgently. He was relieved that he had waited until she got into position. He didn't think he had done the best at herding it toward her or had been quick enough about finding a vulnerable spot to help bring the buck down. "Feedback?" he asked. He knew that he could improve his work, and he wanted to show that he was making an effort and knew that this was important.

Ahren gave him a somewhat warm smile. "You're not crazy," she reassured him. "You just don't know how wolves operate yet, and that's okay. I will point them out to you after the announcement this evening." He asked about hers and Chaos's names, and she shrugged. "I was named by our mother, he was named by our father." she said. "I'm not sure their reasonings behind the names, but my mother did tell me she thought I was destined for greatness." She shook herself, not comforted by the memories. Truth be told, Ahren wasn't even certain that she deserved to be leading the Windtooth Pack as she was today. Her mother hadn't even been the Alpha at the time, her aunt had been. Sadie was Ahren's grandmother, mother of her mother, and a previous ruler.

At the time of Ahren's birth, Sadie had already stepped down out of power and had given it to her eldest daughter, Ahren's aunt. Ahren's mother had been Beta Female, and according to the stories Ahren had been told as a pup...her aunt had been barren, unable to have pups of her own. Fear of the lineage dying out pushed Ahren's mother to commit acts unspeakable, and it ended in Sadie losing both of her daughters. Ahren hadn't even known her mother for more than a few months, and even to this day most of what she knew about her had been through stories.

Sadie had stepped back into leadership, and had assigned a nursing mother to care for Chaos and Ahren until Ahren was old enough to step into the role of leadership. Now, Sadie was Gamma Chief and Ahren was on her second year of leading the Windtooth Pack. She wasn't proud of her history, but she was thankful to Sadie for never having judged her despite her mother's choices.

"It is mostly case by case," she said, agreeing. "As for nipping...I just find it to be most effective for me. Lecturing works for some and not others, and warnings for me are frivolous. If someone is bugging me, my growls should give enough of warning. Mess around and find out what awaits you." She was a large and very muscular she-wolf, the second largest in the pack next to Dravina. Most wolves knew Ahren's personality and didn't dare disobey, but those who did found out quickly she was not as tolerant as some leaders before her.

"I'm a bit of a bitch and they know it," she said carelessly, trotting through the undergrowth. "They'll have to learn you, too. My form of dicipline doesn't need to be what you choose. Each individual chooses what's best for them. Find what's best for you, and they'll need to learn your ways." Ahren knew she was a stubborn and independent wolf. She didn't like being told what to do, but she did seek advice when she felt she needed it. She had felt as if she had been thrown into this position, but wanted to figure it out on her own. Poor Sadie had been through enough, and she knew a good chunk of the pack operated on instinct for most things. The council was there for her if she needed them, but at the moment she wanted to see how things would go.

She had made Sadie aware of her decision earlier that day, and the old previous Alpha had seemed to agree with her. She was cautious too, but expressed that she would be here if anything were to fall south. Ahren was a little concerned how the rest of the pack would react, considering Chaos's reaction. But she hoped that they would be willing to work with her. If they didn't...they could leave.

She cared about them, but she would not tolerate inner circle fights, not after what had happened with her mother and aunt. Respect and loyalty to each other was important to her, and she was determined to make this work. She wasn't the kindest wolf, and any who knew her knew she was prone to doing whatever it took to achieve what she thought was right, even if sometimes it wasn't the best moral option.

She was hoping that Luro could offer the pack something she couldn't, and she was hoping secretly that he could teach her balance. She hoped he could keep her in check for future things.

As she lay in wait in the shadows, Luro made his move. The deer scattered, and the buck charged in her direction. Her muscles rippled as she sprang forward from her hiding spot, her jaws latching onto the buck's left hip. As Luro joined the fray, her grip loosened, and she felt the buck slip from their grasp. It ran off, following the does. For a few moments, instinct kicked in and she chased it several paces before slowing to a halt and listening to Luro's question.

Glancing up at the rapidly darkening sky, she debated. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted, staring in the direction where the buck had disappeared. She knew the time was approaching to make the announcement to the pack, and she knew they'd eaten well today. But she also knew that there would be many more mouths to feed in the coming months after tonight, and she wasn't sure how the two-leggeds would act with their food. Normally, it would be a quick choice, and it would be to leave it. But there was a nagging feeling inside that told her perhaps they needed to catch it.

Glancing up at the sky again, she huffed in aggravation. There was no way they would be able to catch the buck and make it back in time with the extra weight of a kill slowing them down. "Let's go," she growled, snorting and brushing past him. "We don't have time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moon was glowing high in the sky by the time Ahren and Luro entered camp. She was still disappointed, but knew now she'd made the right choice in letting the buck go. They would have been late. She held her head ad tail high as she walked towards the big rock, wolves watching her closely. She could see a few dark shapes of the dogs mixed in here and there, but noticed that most of them stuck with each other and away from their larger and wilder cousins.

She flicked her tail, motioning for Luro to stand or sit on the ground, at the base of the rock. She climbed up on top, sitting and curling her long tail around her haunches before lifting her head to the stars, a howl escaping her maw. At once, the voices of the pack joined hers, shooting into the stars. After a few moments of howling and joining their voices as one, Ahren silenced them with a flick of her tail. All at once the voices stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the camp.

"Let all wolves and dogs who are able join me tonight for a pack meeting!" While there were already many wolves present for the howling, a few more (mainly elders) joined the circle, crawling out of their dens to hear. "As you all know," she began, her pale eyes scanning the audience below her. "I've made the decision to allow several dogs into the pack to help us live in these trying times." Silence still held, her strong voice echoing within the trees.

"Two-leggeds are beginning to run rampant through our home, and many of you have witnessed their destruction. Many of you have lost loved ones, and our food will continue to disappear, as well as our home." She flicked her tail to acknowledge the dogs in their presence. "These canines are well adapted to live among the two-leggeds with little harm. They're here to help us." She straightened her already regal posture, and the glow of the moon and stars surrounded her in a silver blanket. She almost looked as if she was a ghost.

"I have decided that it would be best to join our packs as one." Instantly soft murmers erupted. Ahren said nothing, letting them discuss quietly amongst themselves before continuing. "But in order to truly make things as fair as they need to be...I have chosen an Alpha Male to join me in leadership." Silence fell once again as the audience anticipated her next words. "I have chosen Luro of the dog packs. Respect him as you respect me, for in two days time...he will undergo the Crowning Ceremony and join our ranks as one of us."