Laika dips her head,"As am I. I wasn't looking forward to having to limp around for a while." Laika grimaces, if the limp had lasted till the next Great Gathering, how would the other Alpha's perceive her if she arrived limping. Laika chuckles,"It wasn't as interesting as it may sound or look. He pounced towards me, got me across the face, we tussled a little, he threw me across the clearing. I got up and got him pinned down. Then my brothers helped escort him out of the territory." At Ferox's worrying statement and gaze, Laika shakes her head,"No. Even Phantom wouldn't risk being so close to pack territories. He would have gone further out." Laika flicks an ear,"Besides, the Elders would never believe an exiled wolf." Laika narrows her eyes,"Mine wouldn't."

Ferox grinned as Laika went into the details of the fight. "That doesn't sound not interesting," he said. Then he sat down, looking at her thoughtfully as she reassured him. Ferox trusted her, and he allowed himself to relax fully as he nodded his head. "I believe you," he said. "And neither would mine, unless it was about something pretty serious. Even then, i doubt they would outright believe them" He shrugged, lightly shaking his head. "I wouldn't know, though. It's been a few years since we last officially exiled someone. There have been some runaways, but that's not the same thing."

Laika shrugs, chuckling,"I guess not." Laika dips her head,"We don't usually have to exile." Laika agrees,"My Elders would believe me over Phantom, especially after he insulted them." Laika frowns,"Ignis Lupi wolves may be aggressive and fiery, but we have honor." Laika sighs,"I wish I didn't have to exile him." Her gaze flickers out,"Despite the fact he attacked me and insulted my Elders, our pack, and our Laws... I hope he's doing alright." Laika sighs again, did that make her soft? Or did that make her normal?

Ferox tilted his head curiously. She was worried about him? That was not something Ferox had expected to hear. Maybe all Alphas feel like that after they banish someone, he thought to himself. Knowing how Laika felt about exiling Phantom made Ferox admire her even more; she was not some heartless wolf who could exile someone with no regrets. Ferox didn't know if he could say the same for himself. "I'm sure he's fine," he said, leaning forward to nudge Laika. "If there's one thing I've learned from all the stories my pack tells, it's that the Ignis Lupi wolves are tough."

Laika leans against Ferox, being careful of her wounds,"Really?" Laika chuckles,"What kind of stories do your pack tell about mine?" Laika was genuinely curious. Were Ignis Lupi wolves told as stories to scare their pups to keep them in line? Or did the Terra Lupi wolves admire the Ignis? The Ignis admired all the other packs. They believed in balance, and despite their aggressive behavior, they actually upheld the laws well. And they were a close-knit pack. Laika flicks an ear, but how did the other packs define the fire based wolves?

Ferox chuckled and turned his head to lick Laika's cheek. That was something he was still not used to, and he didn't know if he ever would be, but he liked being able to do it. "Well, I don't know how much truth there are to these stories," he said. "Your pack is used by mothers as a method to scare pups into staying in their dens at night and not go wandering off, but as a wolf gets older, the stories change. They aren't about flaming terrors that eat pups, but about brave wolves who are great fighters." Ferox broke off and shook his head, laughing a little. "Even though our packs aren't friends, the Terra Lupi pack respects honor and courage." Ferox took a deep breath, then asked, "What kind of stories does your pack tell of us?"

Laika's heart speeds up as Ferox licks her cheek. A feeling she was not quite use to. Laika chuckles at Ferox's response,"I figured other packs would use our fiery flames as a terror story for their pups." Laika shakes her head amused, but she liked that those weren't the final stories about the Ignis Lupi wolves. Laika flicks an ear,"My pack honors each of the other packs. We don't use other packs as terror stories." Laika tips her head,"We use rouges as terror stories. We tell stories of the clever and strong Akvo Lupi, the fast and loyal Caeli Lupi." Laika blinks affectionately at Ferox,"And the fierce and brave Terra Lupi."

Ferox listened to Laika closely, a smile on his face while she spoke. "Well, I'm glad to know that our packs don't hate each other as much as everyone thinks they do," he said, wagging his tail. He had noticed the way she looked at him before mentioning the Terra Lupi pack, and blushed a little in response. "We use rogues in our stories too, but you won't hear as many stories about them as you will about your pack. The stories revolving around the rogues tend to be a bit... darker. Not the kind of stories you'd want to tell a pup, unless you really want to scare them." Ferox shook his head lightly, remembering how he had convinced his father to tell him one of those stories, only to find himself laying awake at night, shivering in fright and terrified that he wouldn't last till sunrise.

Laika chuckles,"I am to. I figured we were all the pack's biggest horror story." Laika dips her head,"The rouges are our biggest horror story. However the big scary ones aren't told until later. The pups hear the calmer version." Laika shakes her head amused as she thought of the current pups of the pack. They were a wild bunch and growing older every day. They would be the first group that Laika would have to find trainers for. The idea nerved her, but she believed she could find the right ones. As the pups grew older, she was planning to spend more time with them to get an idea of what was best for them. Laika flicks an ear as she nuzzles against Ferox. "I just wish our laws would allow this."

Ferox tilted his head slightly. "What, are the Terra Lupi wolves not scary enough for you guys?" he asked, sounding teasingly offended. At Laika's last comment, Ferox grew more serious and nodded, meeting Laika's nuzzle with one of his own, and he prolonged the contact. "Me too," he said softly. "It would make things a lot easier." He put one of his front legs over Laika's shoulders, then said, "But whether the laws allow it or not, I don't intend to stop seeing you. I love you too much to let an old law get between us." Ferox gave Laika a gentle squeeze, then took a step back. "I hate to criticize our Elders, but I think this is something they're seriously wrong about," he said.