Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, mindless of the cerulean eyes that tracked their progress. Behind them the back drop had turned from blue to yellow and now seemed to rest amidst a blaze of fiery hues. It was a calm evening, warm without humidity, and the crickets sang to Valeriya as she lay there watching it all pass her by. Birds must live the good life, she thought, happy despite her terrestrial fate. Getting to fly right up there in the good stuff. She rolled away from her inverted position, laying now on her stomach instead of her back. This was not to say that she did not find the lake to be wonderful. In fact, the mysterious attraction it seemed to hold for the local fireflies was one of the reasons she'd been drawn to it in the first place. Right around this time of night was when they would begin to emerge, and she always liked to be there to watch it happen. A handful would become a few dozen, and then a few centuries, before the earth would become a prelude to the coming night, be-speckled with starlight in flickering yellow guise. She sighed happily, tasting the summer in her lungs through the deep inhalation. A certain peace seemed to fill her as well, but it also gave her paws an itch that was bound to send her out to the borders tomorrow, or even beyond, as she'd done occasionally. But thinking of the future seemed to dull the edge of her good mood, so she let those thoughts slip away and returned to the calm of the growing night. "Talk" Think "You"

The man had been headed home from a long and unsuccessful day of finding the rare plant called trillium. He had a lot on his mind as he still had a few lessons to teach Callisto before he could declare to his queen that she was ready for a promotion. He couldn't find some of the difficult to find herbs and he felt still felt bad for speaking to his queen in the manor he had the day Katja had left Ebony's fate in her paws.

Though the man had meant every word he had said, where he said it and how he said it was what was inappropriate. He should have waited for the other pack members to leave before he spoke and he should have chosen his words more carefully. Yet he all he could do now was apologize to the young woman who had, so far, proven herself worthy of the tittle queen. So far no lives had been lost and an alliance had been restored. He was not totally convinced but he would come around eventually.

When Maximous spotted Valeriya he would debate upon leaving her alone so she could enjoy the soothing calm of the fireflies by the lake. But he couldn't pass up the opportunity to apologize to her. After a quick glance around to make sure there was not one around this time. When he was sure he would walk up to her and bow his head "Lady Valeriya?" he would speak her name as if he was asking a question. If she were to send him away he would wait another day to speak his peace.

The arrival of another was a dull pinprick on her radar. She noticed his presence through a haze, the recognition taking a moment to sink in. It was just so peaceful, so tranquil... She'd slipped into some sort of meditative state. Regardless, she did not view his arrival with any sort of ill will. Languidly she rose to her paws, leveling the older male with a calm, clear gaze. His greeting was somewhat uncertain, and she couldn't help but wonder what plagued the dark healer. "Maximous. A pleasure, as always. What can I do for you?" Ah yes, the mannerisms she knew so well. Courtesy was a lady's armor after all. She could banter with the best of them, though these dry niceties did wear on her from time to time. He had thought so little of him when all this began, but Val believed she had settled in well, all things considered. At the very least she had started no wars, unleashed no plague or grand misfortune. For those who favored peace her reign had been a success... even if she yearned for something more fulfilling. It was not an emotion she would allow to reach the surface, however. She buried it deep within her core, away from the light and the oxygen in the hopes that it would die out. The young Queen forced herself to focus on the man before her, and on maintaining a look polite interest. "Talk" "You" Think

The man would raise a brow to her words, as she damn well knew he wasn't always a pleasure to have around. Yet he debated on saying nothing just as he should have said nothing when Katja left. No this was downing himself, not the queen so it was ok to call him self names. "Valeriya, you know just how much of an ass I can be. So you know that its not always a pleasure to see me."

He would give it a moment, knowing something was there. Almost as if she didn't like being nice all the time but he would say nothing on the matter. "Anyway, I stopped to apologize for when and how I spoke to you at the meeting the day Katja had left you with Ebony. I am still not entirely sure that your ready for the position but I do think you have done a good job so far.

Max's hind end would find the ground and his icy blue eyes would remain on Valeriya. He did hope the girl would forgive him for his 'outburst'. However if she didn't, he wouldn't blame her. She was the queen and had the power to take his job away from him, give his student to another...even though there wasn't another healer to teach her, and kick him out of the pack if she saw fit to do so.

He was blunt, but perhaps rightfully so. Valeriya listened to his small speech with the same mild interest, taking in each phrase and ruminating over them. It was a show of humility she had not exactly expected, though not for lack of faith in Maximous' character, but instead she herself had very nearly forgotten about it. In her mind many of his claims were well founded; she only wished for a little faith that in time she might prove a decent leader. He had denied her that, publicly and with something close to vehemence... But such was life. In closing, he would allow that he did think she was doing a good job, and it brought a small smile to her lips. "I bear to you no hard feelings," she would begin in a soft, polite voice. Despite her good opinion of him, it was hard to show him the same relaxed nature so many of their pack mates received. "I know Ebony is not the glorious congregation it once was, I'm no fool. I am not the leader Raisa was, but I hope time might change that. Until then, I will need wolves like yourself to keep me on track." She lacked advisers, this was painfully obvious. She lacked companions, even, excepting her brother of course, and perhaps Ullr. Was Ebony in truth a sad, dying creature? The thought was painful, but she tried to keep her peaceful visage from wavering. "Talk" "You" Think

The man was glad to see the smile on the young queen's face. The emotion only grew when she stated that she held no hard feelings for him. He truely did feel as though she had done a good job despite his insulting words that day at the meating. Sadly he didnt think he could ever make up for making those words public.

He would sit silently for a moment as he listened to the last of what she had to say. She was correct on three counts. Ebony was not glorious, she was no fool and she was not the leader that her mother was. But she wrong on one..Ebony had never truely been 'glorious'.

Max would think a moment on what to say. Not to discourage her but rather to incourage her. She was doing a good job of staying on track but in a way she was right as she could need help from someone like himself some day. "Ebony only seemed glorious because Raisa had made it sound good. To be truely glorious everyone must be loyal not just the pack to the alpha but the alpha to his or her pack." He would pause a moment to let his words sink in as if he were giving a lesson. He wanted her to fully and completely understand what he was saying yet he did not wish to treat her like a child.

After a few moments his deep voice would ring out once more. "Your right about not being the leader your mother was. She was, in a way, a coward. Raisa not only left the pack she created and claimed to love but she also left youn your siblings, both blood and adopted, along with the other woman she had claimed to love. You however, have done none of those things. So far that makes you. A better queen than she ever was as I dont think you will do any of those things.