Along the Western Wall

The eagerness to learn that he saw in Amos made him grin anew, tail waving behind him as he pad-bounced along beside the boy. It was easy to see where Aurielle had gotten her kind nature, at least half of the reason. Solveiga, too, bore a gentle sweetness and willingness to help others.

He nodded gravely at the speculation about the raid, huffing out a sigh. “In this case, we had no reason to expect a raid. Dragon Ancora, Talis’ alpha, is my cousins’ cousin, and Creed Ancora was his cousin, and took two of his sons, Valor and Fable, to Talis for a visit when they were still pups. I personally count that as cordial, even friendly terms. Then last year Creed was murdered by a bitch up north, defending Valor from her attack. Valor’s sister, Justice, took word of the death and attack to Dragon, personally. And shortly after, in Spring… Here they were, raiding us.”

He shrugged, frowning. “He said they were desperate, that night, but if you’re in charge of a pack that is running low on healing herbs, the last thing you should do is lead them on a raid where injuries will happen, and there is no guarantee that you’ll manage to obtain the supplies you need.” He flicked his gaze across the plains, before turning to smile, somewhat sadly, at Amos.

“They lost the raid, and went away empty pawed, but not before one of my wolves was fully blinded, two others were half blinded, another was maimed in the leg and now has a permanent limp, and I myself have this crippled hind leg. Not only that, but Dragon took his own cousin, Valor, prisoner. Not without consequences. Justice blinded him right afterward… That girl has such an ironic name. I love it. Anyway—if you are desperately low on supplies, the last thing you should do is take on another mouth – a reluctant one, at that – with wounds to heal that need herbs. My guess is that this was more of an act of hubris than real desperation.”

He finished his story and pondered the questions Amos asked, before smiling easily and answering, “As an alpha, you visit the leaders of the other packs, to get a feel for where you and they stand. It’s a chance to suggest an alliance, or at the very least an agreement that if they don’t mess with you, then you won’t mess with them—a Neutrality Agreement, essentially. Alliances can be sent for to ask for aid in times of need, such as an enemy pack sieging yours, or perhaps you’d like assistance in sieging an enemy pack. Favors are useful, and inter-pack training or swapping of members, trading of supplies like meat and herbs, or water. We in Celestial at the very least, can store water in cleaned stomachs and bladders of the prey we harvest.”

He paused, allowing Amos to absorb the information for several moments before continuing, “When I go to visit other packs, I may take someone with me, Aurielle, for instance, will come with me to the closer packs, like Lirim to the north of us, as Lirim was founded by my Littermate, Faite Adravendi, and are essentially a sister-pack. Aurielle will need to learn how to handle herself with diplomacy. Would you say she’s already pretty good with that?” He grinned at the boy, a soft chuckle escaping.

Finally, he gave a thoughtful ‘Hmm’ at Amos’ suggestion of both, and smiled, “I’ll begin with a watered-down description of the ranks, shall I? You can definitely ask for more details if you like. Mine is known as the Archangel, or alpha. My secondary alpha would be my Right Wing. Aurielle’s mother, my mate Solveiga, is also my Consort, and is one of the three leaders. Archangel, Right Wing, and Consort. Keep in mind, Aurielle may completely change the ranks and the laws when she takes leadership.

“The second Tier down are the Shields, my betas. We’ve none at the time, but the first male to become a Shield will be our Shieldknight, while the female Shield will be a Shieldmaiden. Aurielle is my Heir, or the Future. She will take over from me at the age of Two. “ He chuckled as he and Amos broke into the meeting clearing, and he leapt to the boulder and flopped lazily, going on with his descriptions.

“The Third-Tier ranks are the Grandmaster ranks of the various career paths in the pack. These are wolves who have surpassed simple mastery, and have earned their way to the rank through hard work, dedication, and constant training. It’s also the highest level of the messenger career. Ambassador. They do the same things as I or my second would, if I am unable to carry out such things myself. Carrying messages and news to me from other packs, keeping me informed of the other packs’ movements and who falls or is founded.

“Since the Grandmasters and then the Masters below them in the next Tier are in the same lines of Careers, I’ll tell you what the initial ranks for those lines are, eh? In Tier Five are the Legionaries – straight Warrior with no dual career-work – Healers, who handle healing and not hunting or fighting with it. They’d be the wolves who handle birthings most commonly. Hunters—self explanatory names, certainly.

“ But I also wanted ranks that wolves could choose if they wanted to be able to do two tasks at once and still be doing their jobs without having to choose between two loves. So, we have a few ranks that I’ve worked on already, but I’m also deciding on others that will be a dual skilled rank between fighting and hunting, healing and hunting, etc.” Regulus paused here and grinned down at Amos, letting him soak it all in until he figured the boy had gotten it all.

“Rangers are our wolves who are both hunter and fighter. Paladins are those who specialize in fighting, but also wish to be skilled healers, and are likely to be best at healing battle wounds. Clerics are the flip-side. They specialize in healing, but are also fighters. They would be the wolves who stay back at battle camps to do the healing and also guard the injured and get them behind the lines of battle. Druids are both Healers of body and of mind and emotions, as well as hunters.

“There will be more to choose from, I think. It’s a process that will likely never end. I’d like everyone to have a choice in what they can do, and not have to leave one calling for another. Emissaries are also part of the fifth Tier. They are the secondary level of the messenger line.” He chuckled softly, stretching to a seated position and gazing about them before turning back to Amos.

“The Sixth Tier is our Common Tier, essentially. Ancestors are our elders. Mothers are the pregnant and nursing females. The Unit rank is essentially the Commoner role, and not one wolves are encouraged to languish in for long. Apprentices are Yearlings in training. And our most cherished are the Promises. Children.

“Tier Seven is where the lowest of the low are ranked. Wolves who broke laws of the pack or haven’t been holding up their own end of the deal in being part of a pack. These are the Punished wolves, and they are expected to work harder than the rest to show that they can do better and will. If they do not, then they will be banished from the pack and encouraged never to return.

“And, of course… Prisoners. Whether they trespassed and refused to leave and were disruptive and ended up force claimed, or were captured during sieges or raids, this is their rank. They won’t be mistreated as long as they behave, and good behavior will be rewarded with release, unless they decide they like it here and wish to stay.”

He chuckled as he came down to the ground beside the boy, asking, “Is your head spinning yet or are you ready to ask questions?” His jaws parted in an easy, toothy grin as he waited, finally silent, for Amos’s response.