The chaos of the fire had seemed to go on for an eternity but not once while he was seeing to his packmates did Odysseus forget about Noir. He'd thought long and hard about what he'd seen. About what needed to be done. He'd known that Noir had his problems, but he'd considered the boy to be a child with a child's abilities and limitations. Odysseus hadn't been too concerned with how he might act out, instead focusing on how he might flip the boy's unsavory tendencies and use them to make him a well rounded individual.

He still thought his approach had been the right one at the time. Now though it was time for something harsher. If the boy was a danger to those around him then he needed more intensive care. It was with that in mind that he now howled for Shaye and Rhyme. Enough time had passed for things to settle down but no doubt the alpha pair were still as exhausted and soot-stained as Odysseus. While he would have liked to wait he didn't think he could. In his opinion this sort of thing needed to be dealt with swiftly. He no longer thought he knew what the boy was capable of so the sooner Noir was taken care of the better.

Shaye was beaten down and weary, her fear of the fire hadn't abated at any point during the trying experience. At some point evening had turned to night, and the fire had waned. Their beautiful thicket was destroyed, and many of her wolves where beaten in body or mind. She wasn't sure what had kept her going. Fear of letting then down, perhaps. they relied on her, and she had led them to this. She shouldn't have seen what a hazard the dry grasses of the thicket had been…

There was no helping, it, what was done was done.


When Ody called to her, her first thought was ‘what now’ before she shook it away. She knew her diplomat had thrown himself into the choes without a second thought. He deserved a moment of her time, no matter how weary she was.


She limped towards him, she had lost track of Rhyme at some point in the night, and was sure he would meet her there. “Ody,” she said, her voice gentle despite its exhaustion “what can we do for you?”

Rhyme was indeed exhausted, all he wanted to do was dip himself into some clean water and sleep for the next week. The fire had devastated the thicket, and wounded many of his pack. When the sound of Odysseus voice reached him Rhyme was reluctant to answer it. A heavy sigh left his tired lips. It was never going to end. Ody deserved to be heeded though, Rhyme had no idea what he could want and found his icy paws carrying him in that direction.

Shaye barely beat him there, but she stood just as exhausted as her male counterparts. They’d given and given, and here they were to give more of themselves. Rhyme knew he had to out the pack before himself, especially with the unexpected disaster. There would be a lot of wolves looking to them for strength and they couldn't be disappointed.

He nodded low to both wolves, though it was mostly from how tired he was now that the adrenaline was fading and his body was catching up with his mind. ”You look about how I feel after all that.” He tried to chuckle, when things were at their darkest it was good to try and smile. Helped cover up the pain a little better.

Despite the recent events that were surely still dominating the alpha pair’s attention they both answered his call promptly. Odysseus could tell they were both tired and he thought it fair to assume neither had rested since the fire. There was nothing to be done about that - the matter was rather pressing - but he still regretted that he was taking up valuable time. Time that could be - and should have been - spent on tending to Abaven’s collective injuries.

”Shaye, Rhyme, thank you for coming. I know you’re both very busy right now.” Rhyme joked about looking exhausted but Odysseus couldn’t bring himself to muster even a pity smile. It wasn’t Rhyme’s fault that they were there and Odysseus appreciated the attempt to lighten the somber mood. Ignorance was bliss and he was saddened by the blow he was about to deal Rhyme but there was no way around it and he would have been remiss if he tried to handle the situation on his own. It wasn’t his place.

Unhappy with what he was about to do Odysseus sighed tiredly. He’d thought long and hard about how he was going to present the information to the alphas and finally decided that a bit of slight of hand in the beginning would be better in the long run. He didn’t want them to think of Noir as their child when he told them about what he’d done. Not in the beginning anyway. He wanted them to hear about the crime first, to understand the weight of it and feel in their hearts that something needed to be done. He didn’t want them to brush the boy’s actions off as a mean spirited but otherwise naive act of a petulant child. Odysseus wanted them to see it for what it was: a symptom of a bigger problem - one that might one day get away from them if they weren’t proactive.

”I believe I witnessed an attempt on someone’s life in the thicket.” He paused to let that sink in before continuing, ”I saw someone get pushed into the fire. The act was deliberate; I am certain of that and I would bet my life on it.”

He glanced between them, trying to gauge their reactions while giving them time to think before saying, ”Had things been different the perpetrator would be here before you now, but there were more pressing matters at the time.”

Despite her exhaustion, the words sent a jolt of shock through her, and the alphas lips parted. She didnt speak yet, her stomach churning at the thought. She had hurt of so many wolves that has risked their lives in the fire to help others. She had heard of those that had pushed the Abaven mentality to the limit, giving more then she would have asked as they frantically sought to help others reach safety.

She didnt want to think that anyone had done the opposite. Who, who could have done such a thing. Her heart ached, because the only thing that had kept her sane was the goodness of her people.

"Then the three of us will have to form a decision here and now, we are the highest ranking wolves in the pack, and I trust in both of you" shays said, looking to ody and Rhyme and hopping they didnt see the pain her eyes. She hates to ask so much of then, after they had already given anything.
"Before we begin, I have to ask. Could this be a misunderstanding on the perpetrators part in relation to the lioness?" Many had made that mistake and she hoped, for a moment, she hoped the act had been made with some good intent, and not purely evil. Her heart ached for that hope, despite having heard nothing of cannival being pushed.

Rhyme felt himself put on edge as Odysseus greeted the alpha pair, his attempt at humor was not acknowledged, The slate alpha felt his brows furrow, but it wasn’t anything against Ody. Something was amiss. Rhyme waited patiently, blue and lavender gaze searching the closest Abaven had to a beta before he spoke. After a long sigh the truth was revealed. ”I believe I witnessed an attempt on someone’s life in the thicket.” Rhyme felt like he’d been punched in the gut as Odysseus spoke.

He didn’t want to believe the words as presented to him, but Odysseus was firm and had no reason to lie to them. His next thought was who could possibly be capable of such an act? ”...in relation to the lioness?" He was ashamed to say that his thoughts had gone to Cannival first, but he kept it to himself. Shaye wanted to make a decision now. Ody mentioned their culprit not being there, would they have run off by now? The feeling of dread grew deeper as he looked to their third highest ranking adult.

”How do you know they’ve not gotten away yet?” He couldn’t argue that Abaven would be better off without an alleged attempted murderer. However that also brought up problems for the future if they returned to finish the job. ”And the victim? Why didn’t they come forward with you? Why was Odysseus being so cryptic?

In response to Shaye's query Odysseus shook his head slowly. The lioness hadn't been nearby as far as Odysseus knew. Even if she had, what he'd seen had very clearly been between Noir and the other child. "No, the lioness wasn't there."

As for Rhyme's questions... The alphas now knew his opinion on what had happened. They knew he was convinced that what he'd seen was an attempt on that girl's life and they'd had a chance (however briefly) to come to grips with the knowledge that one of their neighbors had committed a crime. Odysseus felt that they had been prepared enough to hear who the perpetrator was and how close he was to them.

"I don't know that, but I suspect this person hasn't gone far." Where would Noir go if he ran? What hope did he have of not being found immediately? While Odysseus wouldn't have put a foolish escape attempt past the boy, the odds of him actually getting somewhere weren't in Noir's favor. Besides, he wasn't even sure Noir understood the severity of what he'd done and if he didn't he had no reason to think running away was an option. "There are...factors at play that led me to believe it wouldn't be wise to seek her out and bring her here just yet." While they would have to talk to the girl eventually, she was still a child and Odysseus thought it would be easier on her to involve her only when absolutely necessary.

Alright, he'd delayed it enough. His voice grave, he said, "It was Noir. He pushed one of your daughters into the fire. She was alright, she rolled into the water, but it was obvious he wasn't just being cheeky." He'd seen the smirk on the boy's face. The glee. And he'd seen the disappointment when she made it to the water. Gently he added, "He was visibly disappointed when she made it to the shallows."

Her partner would ask the next question that was on Shaye’s list - the name of the perpetrator. His question about the wolf fleeing was a valid one - Ody had a great deal of authority in the pack, and him witnessing the act can’t leave the one who did it feeling very hopeful. So why weren’t the affected parties with him?

She was still churning through the acknowledgment that someone in her pack had done this. They could easily have succeeded, that they didn’t was only luck. They had intended to. Someone had almost been murdered. She felt the stirrings of anger in her breast. Abaven had been in the middle of a catastrophe, and some idiot not right in the head had used it for personal gain, for destruction over another.

Odysseus took away her last hope, informing her that it had nothing to do with Cannival. He was still talking cryptically, and would simply say that the wolf had not gotten far. He didn’t want to bring the victim before him for reasons he didn’t yet explain… come on Ody, a part of her thought. Spit it out already.

It was Noir

A growl escaped her before she could escape her, and she just about charged through her Liana one of your daughters Motif.. Poem… it could also be Verse or Theory of course, but her motherly instincts raged. She managed to calm herself before she did anything stupid, but there was anger in her eyes as she looked to her friend. It wasn’t directed at him, he was just the messenger, but the anger was there, all the same.

“I knew he was a bully… but this, this” She whispered, sagging a little. How had they failed so truly with that boy? “He’s your son” she said, looking to Rhyme, worry in her gaze at how he might handle yet another blow. So much, especially family-related had hurt him recently. “But we can not allow someone so ready to murder another for pety jeliousys in Abaven. The timing is terrible… the timing would always be terrible, but now especially, because the only thing I can think to suggest is searching for humanity within him. Punish him, give him a jailer, and set him to work. Let him see wolves in pain, let him see suffering, and see if he holds a heart at all. Elsewise, we give up on him, cripple him for his crimes, and banish him.”
She said softly, eyes looking to Rhyme, and then to Odysseus. “Please, someone suggest something.” she said tiredly, looking to the two men she trusted most with authority within her pack.

Rhyme’s heart seemed to stop as Odysseues invoked his son’s name. His jaw slipped open and he lost focus as Shaye’s growl echoed in his ears. Noir tried to kill one of his sisters. Rhyme’s mind shifted quickly to Poem. He felt the tension between them, but Noir had behaved himself well throughout the whole trip. They were frequently in competition though, Noir had been almost.. desperate for his attention at times. He hadn’t seen it at the time, but with this accusation..

”He’s your son.” And Rhyme hadn’t seen it in him. Everything Rhyme had been through, and he’d never guessed that Noir might make an attempt on his own sister’s life. Dark ears fell to his skull as his gaze grew distant. All he could see was the tiny blue striped form, his first breath that gave such huge relief after Darilnor. Now he couldn’t breathe, ”...we give up on him, cripple him for his crimes, and banish him.” Shaye’s voice was quiet, but anger laced her quiet words. His son. Exhaustion did nothing as he processed all that had been said. Finally he found air in his lungs and he lifted himself up, blinking back the vivid shadows of his memories.

”I..” Rhyme lost his voice for a moment as the words stuck in his throat. He didn’t want to accept what he’d been told. ”I don’t know if my decisions could be trusted.” His voice was a hoarse whisper as he admitted his bias. ”He really meant her harm?” Rhyme’s words were quiet, he wanted to question the facts as presented not wanting this to be true. Surely he had fallen over in exhaustion and the whole meeting was a nightmare. How could he face banishing his own son?

Odysseus kept his expression neutral as Shaye spoke. He knew there would be anger - he'd expected it - so when her thoughts went to crippling the boy and casting him out, Odysseus said nothing. All he did was slide his gaze to the side to judge Rhyme's reaction. He wanted to have an idea of what he was dealing with before he made any suggestions.

Rhyme was equally distressed and Odysseus remained quiet as the man struggled to process what had been said. "He really meant her harm?" He studied Rhyme's face for a moment. It wasn't an accident," he said softly but firmly so that there was no mistaking the strength of his certainty.

When it became clear it was his turn to offer something, Odysseus began with a simple declaration of the obvious. "He's a child." Even though Noir had done a terrible thing they all needed to keep that in mind. "But that doesn't excuse what he did. In my opinion it means he is deserving of a...lighter hand. You know him better than I do, so perhaps my hesitation is misplaced, but I'm afraid too heavy a hand will push him further away for your values."

He sighed and pursed his lips before stating his position as plainly and honestly as he could. "I don't know how this should be handled. I really don't. The only thing I'm certain of is that he shouldn't have access to the girl at all." With that statement a plan began to form. He glanced between the alphas and then suggested, "A talk with him, perhaps, is a good place to start. He needs to know why he is being punished. He needs to know that what he did was not only wrong, but that it goes against what you believe and what you hope for him - and that is why he's being punished. Not because you're mad at him or because you like his sister better, but because you are worried about him and you want him to learn from his mistakes."

More pieces began to come together as he mulled the problem over. "Why her? I haven't mentioned a name but I bet you know which one it was because there have been other incidents, haven't there? Am I correct? If I am, the root cause of his animosity needs to be addressed."

Shaye looked to both Rhyme and Ody, and the darker part of her speech seemed to dominate their minds. Neither of them addressed her suggestion that they give him a warden and set him to seeing the pain others had gone through in the fire. Perhaps they thought that that was too far also, perhaps she couldn’t separate her emotions fairly from this.

She sat down heavily, trying to rattle her own thoughts together. Ody began to speak again, saying how he believed a lighter hand was necessary, and that his punishment should be done in a way that very clearly expressed why he was being punished. She agreed with him there.

“Yes.” she said with a heavy sigh as he said they all knew who had been injured. That the root of the problem lay there, somewhere, and she nodded, slowly, piecing together the things she had seen as well. “Poem has a mother, a raven, a place as heir to the pack. He is deeply jealous of her, but how to handle that? I am not about to remove any of these things from her…” she pointed out dryly. She had calmed a little at this point, she had seen Poem in passing, and she knew her daughter hadn’t been too badly hurt, she was one of the wolves with only light injuries. The knowledge that she could have died… not dwelling on that was the only thing she could do for Noir’s sake. “I had entertained the idea of seeing him as lead warrior one day, i did not wish for him to think he had no place in Abaven, but his tendencies as a bully kept me from suggesting it to him.”

The slate alpha swallowed hard as he tried to accept what Noir had attempted to do. He felt a little foggy, but he knew he had to center himself. He was an alpha, he was the one trusted to deal with these problems. He’d never expected such troubling behavior from his own son. Odysseues gave them his opinion, and Rhyme had to agree that Noir would not respond well with violence returned against him. Shaye seemed to lose a bit of her tension as their Beta explained his own point of view. His wisdom was evident as he laid out what his own plan would be.

”Odysseus you make very good points.” He offered as Shaye gave what were likely all of Noir’s reasons for animosity. Rhyme couldn’t help any of it. He hadn’t wanted Tana to leave the pups, Edgar and Poem seemed made for each other, and she was the most obvious choice in their heir. ”The three of us recently took a short trip to Auster, and it felt tense between them, but I'd never guess he’d go so far over the line.” Maybe the signs had been there, but he’d been willfully ignorant. It didn’t help that Poem was so independent, she would never ask for help with something like her brother picking on her.

He looked back up to his two most trusted wolves, his heart felt torn again. How could Noir do this? And during a disaster no less. Would they need to give him a guard, or one for Poem? Should they seek out the boy tonight or wait until they’d all gotten a good sleep?

As he’d expected, both alphas knew which girl was the victim. Shaye was quick to list the reasons she thought Noir disliked his sister and Odysseus immediately seized on the problem. Jealousy and perhaps a low sense of self worth that came with having been abandoned by parent. Odysseus was no stranger to that. If that was the case with Noir he could relate.  

In response to Rhyme’s statement about the points he’d made, Odysseus dipped his head in humble recognition but made no comment even though he appreciated his alpha’s statement. It would do them no good if he stood there and patted himself on the back.

It struck him as odd that such a young child had been named heir and he could see why that was a problem; it created a rivalry and probably reenforced the belief that Shaye and Rhyme liked Poem best. That wouldn’t be an easy one to fix. Neither was the raven. And while Odysseus understood why Shaye hadn’t mentioned the position of lead warrior to Noir, she had missed a key point. By not giving Noir something to strive for she had left him purposeless and in a good place to hate the sibling that seemed to get the best of everything without any effort on her part. “Let me make a suggestion, then. He needs something to strive for. It’s not too much of a leap to assume he feels that Poem has gotten everything for free while he has been given nothing. Perhaps when you speak to him you can hint at what you’d like to see him become one day and what it takes to become lead warrior.” Odysseus wasn’t speaking skills of course, but character. The best fighter in the world could still be a shitty lead warrior if he lacked certain vital characteristics.

“No matter the punishment I would like the opportunity to continue teaching Noir. We’re not so different, him and I, and I think hearing from a kindred spirit might do him some good. And I think...Noir needs some one on one time with those he looks up to which is why I would like to also suggest that you both make a point to spend time with him.” Speaking to Shaye, Odysseus said, “I know you aren’t his mother and you are understandably angry with him right now, but you are the mother he doesn’t have. While I don’t expect you to mother him - and I don’t know how wise that would be anyway - you are still part of his family and the mother of some of his siblings. It would do him some good to spend time with you. Take him on border patrols, trips outside the pack if your work takes you over the border, make him feel like a vital part of the pack and your family. Stress that he matters.”

To Rhyme, he said, “You are his father. To a boy his age you are probably the most important person in his life. He needs to know what you stand for and why you specifically are disappointed in him for what he did.” He studied Rhyme a moment, then added, “And he needs to know that despite what he did you love him very much.”

Since neither seemed to have a solid punishment in mind, Odysseus decided to forge ahead and offer the plan that had been slowly forming since he’d begun speaking. “As for a punishment I agree with you on some things, Shaye, and I’d like to suggest his movements in the pack be restricted for awhile. Confine him to his den and only let him leave it if one of us is with him. No fun, no games. He goes on patrol with us, he helps with whatever tasks arise, he gets taught his lessons, and that is all. If he gets upset we stress that we’re doing it because we care about him and we want him to learn.”

Shaye listened to what Ody had to say, and well she couldn’t help but feel that idy’s suggestions let the young man off early - he had some very good points. And, at the end of the day, he was still just a kid. He may have done something that an adult would be dearly punished for, but he was still struggling to learn who he could be. This was his turning point in his life, this was what decided who he would go on to become. How they handled this today mattered.

She straightened, and took a step forward, pressing her forehead to Ody’s if he allowed it, then stepping back again. “I chose well when I ranked you Odysseus, you are level headed when no one else is, and you see to the heart of the matter.” she paused, and glanced to Rhyme, no doubt he was glad for this path that Ody had showed them, one that put Noir in a redeemable light. “We will do as you suggest, we will give him a rank to work for, and spend time with him. He can help us rebuild, and perhaps he will find things worth fighting for, instead of things to hate.” she said, letting out a soft breath as she said her breath, and took another step back, letting Rhyme take the floor and add what he might.

Rhyme felt a bit like a failure as Odysseus spoke of his son and the route he would take to get him back on track. The slate alpha tried not to think about what they might be forced to do if none of this worked out. Their second seemed to have put much thought into his words, and for that Rhyme was thankful. He was still trying to come to grips with what Noir had done.

For too long now he’d known he didn’t spend enough time with any of the pups, but now Noir needed to become more of a priority. Of course it wouldn’t be fun and games either. The boy’s feet would likely feel like they were falling off by the time they finished with him. How long was a while though? The rest of the season, the next season? Until he was two? They could start with the rest of the season and see how he might be progressing. Then they could go from there. It was not as harsh as it could have been, and he was lucky he was young. Rhyme shook himself internally, they didn’t need another emergency on their hands.

”I agree, you should continue to mentor him. Especially after the advice you’ve given after I have faltered in a solution.” He tried not to place too much doubt upon himself. They could only change the future not the past. ”It’s probably the best option as punishment, if we rely on anything more hash he will start to resent us.” He didn’t let his mind wander too far towards the direction they might be forced to take if their efforts had little effect.

”Do you want to keep Theory and Verse with you for a few weeks?” He knew Shaye’s den was large, but with two more pups? Being alone with Noir at night might help as well though, being able to be close to the boy for many hours without any of his siblings present. His time with Poem would be cut down, but he could continue his lessons with her while Noir was paired with Shaye or Ody. ”Or would you like him to den with you, Odysseus?” Rhyme was afraid he might end up being too easy on his son. He’d already allowed his behavior to manifest so violently, could he be trusted so heavily with Noir’s rehabilitation?

Shaye's gesture caught him off guard and humbled him further. Whether or not she saw it the same way, Odysseus thought the gesture intimate. It was the sort of touch one might share with a dear friend or a family member and until that moment Odysseus hadn't thought himself worthy of such a gesture.

Though he'd been able to get away with saying nothing when Rhyme complimented him because it had been said in passing, there was no way for him to wiggle out of responding to Shaye's statements. This was not his forte and it made him uncomfortable. Vulnerable was perhaps a better word for what he was feeling, but he could do little else besides push past it and focus on their reason for gathering. "Thank you, Shaye, Rhyme." Even though it made him even more uncomfortable he forced himself to make eye contact with each as he said their name before flipping the attention away from himself as quickly as possible. "I only hope he can be reached. If at any point either of you think the plan isn't working or learn anything new, we can always try something else or make some changes."

Odysseus was surprised that Rhyme would consider placing Noir with someone else. He'd briefly considered the possibility on his way here but dismissed it as improper for him to suggest that a young boy den with an unrelated adult male. While he was harmless, Odysseus didn't like how it might appear for him to suggest it. But it was different coming from the boy's father. He frowned thoughtfully, then said, "If you think it would be best for him to stay with me for awhile I wouldn't mind having him."

She knew without Odysseus, this would have gone terribly different. Both of the Alphas had been known to lose their temper, and she hated to think how this might have turned out in the ‘heat of the moment’ type of setting. Instead, they had calm Ody leading them gently down the path he wanted, and both the Alphas appreciated his wisdom.

She was still angry at Noir, worried about Poem, and stressed in the aftermath of the fire, but she wasn’t about to let any of these feelings rule her. She would try this Ody’s way, and see if they could save the young boy.

She showed Ody her appreciation, and he seemed a little embarrassed, but pushed past it and brought their thoughts to a wrap with his conclusions. “Agreed” she said softly, shifting her paws. She was anxious to be back helping her pack, and starting Noir down the path they had decided for him. “Do you want to call for the boy Rhyme, and we can explain some of this to him?” she suggested, between the three of them, Noir would be under constant supervision.

Odysseues grew serious, and humbly thanked himself and Shaye. Rhyme wasn’t sure if he was worthy of being thanked, it was his son that was the cause of this stress. His fault that the boy had strayed so far from the path they all had hoped for him. It was all he could do to continue to hold his head high and nod slightly as the dark man made eye contact. He nodded again as their Beta was quick to suggest they intervene if the program seemed to be stalling or at worse didn’t work at all. He couldn’t lose hope in his boy yet.

Shaye and Ody both agreed to his suggestion of Noir spending more time in close proximity with his mentor. He did believe the action would lead them in the right direction, it had to. Rhyme sighed softly as Shaye suggested Noir be brought here. Hopefully he would be smart and heed their call. ”Yes, the sooner he is given his boundaries the sooner we may start his.. recovery.” Rhyme wasn’t sure what to call it. An intervention, a rehabilitation? Without giving himself another moment to hesitate Rhyme tipped back his head and called out for Noir.

”Fuck.” Noir cursed as the sound of Rhyme’s voice reached him. He used the word he had learned from his uncle’s with a satisfaction that wouldn’t last. He hadn’t thought Odysseues would tell his dad so quickly with the fire having not even been fully put out yet. He knit his brows as he debated for a long moment about not appearing at all. He knew he was about to get the lecture of a life time. Rhyme didn’t tolerate him teasing his sisters when he caught it, what would he do now that Ody had caught the boy trying to cause real harm?

If he hurried he might have been able to deny everything, to feign innocence. His dad was usually a pushover when he widened his eyes just a little bit and said sorry in just the right voice. Surely if he was pushed something like that would work this time as well.

With Summer perched on his hips Noir reluctantly made his way from his secret place to where Rhyme was. As he rounded the bend surprise flashed over his features as he caught sight of Shaye and Odysseus. He really had ony expected his father. As quickly as it appeared the tallboy attempted to cover it. His gait was easy and he did his best to appear confident in his steps. It would do no good to look guilty already when he hadn’t even been accused yet. He held his head a little higher as he let a look of confusion come over his features as he looked to his father and carefully avoided Ody’s red gaze.

”Yes, Dad?” He asked in his most confused voice. ”Do you need help with the fire?” He used Poem’s excuse for running towards the fire, hoping it might further his innocent appearance. Slowly he lowered his haunches to the ground and curled his blue striped tail around his paws as Summer shifted to the ground beside him.

Noir wasted no time in heeding the call and arrived on scene promptly. Odysseus didn't miss the brief flash of surprise that overtook his features. He wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he kept it and the boy's behavior immediately after it in mind. For now he would say nothing and simply let the scene unfold. Noir wasn't his son; he had no business taking charge of this talk and he would try not to assume a leadership position in it unless he felt Rhyme and Shaye were expecting it from him. Instead he would simply sit, watch and let his presence keep Noir honest.   "Odysseus" and "Olafur"