Bad Weather, Good Company

He wondered how much thought she might put into his question, and whether or not she would take it as seriously as he desired. Not to say that he would not relish in any feedback from the girl whatsoever, but he was really looking for something he could work with, could somehow use to his advantage. No, he didn't like the word 'use'. He'd never use her, though he was fairly sure he'd never get a chance to anyway. He would shift as she commented with a breathy note, one that hinted that she really was giving some thought to his inquiry. Good, he'd wanted a thoughtful response, it would be all the more beneficial to his cause - whatever that may be. His body was growing stiff remaining in the same position, and it was probably clear with his jarred movements that he was not used to staying still for too long. Perhaps he was a bit too driven for his own good, but no matter what his faults, his bodice would simply not allow him to do anything but move at this precise time. Though his back had been previously pointed directly to the back of the den, curved with the same arch that the wall provided, it now flattened out more as he shifted more of his bodice toward her - whether on purpose or not he was not sure - and allowed his head to rest sideways upon the hard floor of the den. This particular area had not been built up or padded by anything, as some wolves did, in fact none of his den was padded or decorated in any fashion.

When he'd settled he allowed his tail to tap twice upon the earth, noting how much closer in proximity they were now that he'd moved. He now mirrored the way she lay, and if he were to stretch - even innocently - their paws would entangle, and his long lanky limbs might just caress her underside. But he was not quite prepared to make such a move, though every fiber of his body begged him to. He would wait, at least for her response. 'Definitely not something with the warriors' he would hear her remark as the gentle drumming of the rain picked up again. "Pity," he would say truthfully, though with his wit she would probably take it as jest. He would have liked to train closely with her, even for a short while. 'I'd get run over out there,' that one made him laugh. The light, rolling chuckle echoed in the den and he quieted himself to keep from deafening them both. "I'll be sure to warn you before I lead the warriors on our daily stampede." She might be small, but he would never underestimate what speed she must possess - and cunning to boot. "You might be surprised, I bet there's a warrior under there somewhere, she's just waiting for the right moment.." Every wolf had that moment, that breaking point where they merged from meek-minded to knights of the round table. Leon's moment always fell somewhere between a stranger and the need to defend his home or someone he cared about. He'd only fallen into that moment a time or two in his career. The last time had been frightening.

"Hunting is more than respectable, you can bet the warriors wouldn't be half their salt if they were starving." A lot of being a warrior meant keeping fit and keeping well fed. Leon prided himself on both, though he rarely took from the pack's food cache. He preferred to catch his own meals, almost feeling guilty for eating what others provided. Only when he needed to, he would steal away just enough to carry him on until he could properly hunt. Those occasions had been few and far between. "You'd be a fine lead hunter, no offense to Thane. You've got the intelligence, the speed, and the agility. I imagine you could lead wolves too, if you tried. I have a feeling though, that you prefer to be led." Some wolves were just followers. Leon had always thought himself one, until one day he'd snapped and asked for the rank of lead warrior. He was still questioning that decision, but was a bit too prideful to relinquish it to someone else. It wasn't the vanity of the title he prided, it was the responsibility behind it. Who else sought after the rank for that reason alone?

As he'd expected, the question was promptly turned back on him, and Leon lifted his head slightly to gaze at her more easily. "I'd have to say I'm happy where I am too. Maybe one day I'd consider something like Beta, but I wouldn't want to be King. I could do it for a while, I suppose, but.. I don't think I have it in me to make those decisions all the time. I don't envy Collision one bit, that's for sure." And he didn't. Leon had never aspired for the rank of King, not even for a second. He relished in responsibility, and a job to do, but that was a step too far for the mild-mannered Adravendi. Everyone had to draw the line somewhere, and Leon's was nowhere near King. "I don't aspire for ranks much anymore, I guess my mind is.. elsewhere." He trailed off, half wondering if he'd done it on purpose to lure her into questioning him further, or if he'd just drifted off for the sake of it, for the emotion behind it. Whatever the reason, his head would fall back to the earth gently and the floor cradled it there as cerulean gaze sought purple and gold.

"speeeeech"