Athena was always excited to welcome new members into her pack. New blood and new perspectives were always welcome, especially when the new members held skills that wolves of her pack didn't already have. Haruka came to mind, one of the most recent additions to Bevroren. The red-hued fea had taken to Athena it seemed, always just around the corner or hiding in the brush near her. Some might think the woman's stalking was strange or unnerving, but Athena found it sweet in a way. A smirk crossed Athena's muzzle as she suddenly came to a halt, her split-tone gaze glancing around to see if she could find the small fea that was sure to be near-by. This stealth and dedication was exactly what had caught Athena's attention and had helped her decide to put Haruka in a high-ranking position so soon. "Haruka? I know you're there. Come talk with me," she called, chuckling softly as she looked around and waited for her messenger and guard to appear from the shadows as she always did. Speech Thought

Of course she was nearby, she always was. Haruka took her job very seriously, she felt like she needed too. She had been handed a high rank as a new member, and she would not let her Queen down. So when the silver lady had made a move, the small fox-like dame had stuck to the tree line, easily keeping her tiny body hidden. That was, until Athena called out to her. Letting out a small giggle, Haruka stepped out into the light to Athena's left, making a bee-line for the Soeverein. "Why talk when I can just watch from the shadows?" She asked teasingly, bumping her nose against her gray shoulder. She had really taken a shining to Athena, which was unusual for her. She didn't like most wolves, but this one was different. She was a strong young wolf, leading a pack at only a year old. She may only be a year older than her, but she had never even had the thought to rule over a pack.

The small dame took a seat, having to look up at the taller woman. "Is everything alright?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she studied the Soeverein. She had been going through a lot, with taking a stand to set up her own kingdom and her own father taking some of her own members. She didn't like this bastard already, just the thought of him made her hackles raise. If she ever ran into him, she would be out for blood.

Sure enough, moments after the words left her mouth there she was, questioning why she couldn't simply watch from the shadows. Athena laughed and returned the friendly bump to Haruka's shoulder before settling on her haunches as well. "Watching is a very one way street. You know a lot about me and I don't know much about you." Athena smirked softly, looking at the smaller woman fondly. It wasn't unusual for Athena to quickly grow attached to others, especially when they gave her a reason to think kindly of them, but it seemed like she and Haruka had both clicked very quickly. Athena smiled and nodded her head to Haruka's question. "Yes, everything is fine. Well, there is no immediate danger anyway. Father is out of my fur now so that's got to be one bright side." Athena wanted to make light of Isardis leaving and taking two of her members with him, but it had really bothered her. "Anyway, I wanted to see how you were settling in. How are you liking Bevroren? You're one of our newest members so I figured that if there was anything we could change to attract more wolves or to get the wolves here more involved you would have a fresh look on it." Speech Thought

The dame bumped her back, commenting on how she knew very little about the fox coloured girl. "Ever think that is on purpose?" She asked, raising a single brow. She wasn't keen on talking about herself, plus she knew all she needed to. Her name was Haruka and she had a brother. There honestly wasn't anything else to tell, she was for sure a closed book. "You know me better than anyone here, that I have a brother and you know when I am around. What else could there be that you would even want to know?" She couldn't help but be curious, it wasn't like Haruka was that interesting at all, so what could Athena possibly want to know? Her past? That likely would not come from her lips for a long while yet. She listened to her words about her father, her head tilting to the side. She didn't seem to want to talk about it much, so she wouldn't push the information. They then moved on to asking about her, and she snorted. "It seems that all know my name, but I don't know anyone besides you. I'm the wrong wolf to ask Athena, I stick to my shadows. I'm not much for crowds... I like to survey and keep watch. As you know I have a hard time letting others in, so I don't really trust anyone. But perhaps that makes me a good ally to have, because wolves have to work their way in. Maybe I should inspect all new members." She said with a dry laugh, her white muzzle shaking back and forth. She was a strange wolf, but could be a very powerful tool if Athena knew how to wield her. Walk "Talk" Think

speech,





Athena nodded in understanding to Haruka's rebuttal to her comment, knowing that in reality that was more or less all the information she would need to know about the fox-colored fea. But it seemed that she and Haruka had different definitions of getting to know someone. That was something Athena would have to adjust to when working with her, but she could state her case none of the less. "It's not really the amount of information that I know about you that I'm trying to increase. It's more... just getting to know you and your personality and your skills. You're so different from everyone else I've met, but in a very good way. I just need to know how you work, for lack of a better term, so that we can work better together." She smiled and hoped her explanation would help Haruka understand her thinking a bit more.

The Soeverien listened quietly while Haruka spoke, her head tipping slightly to the side while she considered what her Graaf told her. They were all good points. Athena knew Haruka's last suggestion had been in jest, bust maybe she had a point. Athena was quiet for a moment while she processed her thoughts and when her gaze finally focused on Haruka again she smirked, her gaze curious and hopeful. "Maybe that's exactly what you need to do. When someone comes wanting to join, you should either hide and watch or meet them with me. You can be like a second opinion. Even more than that... Why don't you watch some of the other pack members like you watch me. Keep an eye on them, make sure they aren't breaking our laws. You can be like my second set of eyes." She watched for Haruka's reaction, hoping that this offer would be more up the sneaky fea's alley.

Haruka admitted that she was rather shocked at Athena's words, there was a true meaning to them that she had never thought of before. In order for the pair of wolves to work well together, they would need to know how they moved, and what was their downfall. Her gaze had become thoughtful as she observed Athena, rather impressed by her knowledge for one so young. "Well, as you know I am good at hiding and keeping myself from being seen. I'm not too good in large groups, as I do have a problem with trusting people. I will instead observe them and learn all I can from a distance. To me, first impression is everything. If you turn my fur up the first time I meet you, you will have an even harder time getting close to me." She paused, her white tail swaying behind her. "I have a pretty level head, it takes a lot to make me angry. My one downfall on that would be the protectiveness I feel over those I care for, and I am rather sensitive about my height. That is a match to my fuse, if you ever want to see me angry." She said teasingly, her brown eyes inspecting Athena's to see if this was the kind of information she was after.

The lady's next words shocked her even further, making her let off a sharp, barking laugh. She was being handed over something that she considered much of an honour, even more so for being such a new member. "I would love to, almost like a secret spy within your own ranks. You have given me so much already Athena, a high rank, a home, and a new friend. And now you hand me something that I consider a very high honour." She did not say those words often though, but she did consider the younger girl to be a friend, a good friend at that. Her smile was sweet, her head softly butting Athena's shoulder. "But why? Why all this power so early?" She was curious, she wanted to know why this alpha thought her to be so special. She had already told her that she was unlike all others, in a good way. But why? It was a lot to trust such a new member with a high rank.