Pale Spring Sun (TRADE FAIR)

Red lifted his head and pricked his ears as an unfamiliar call rang out from the neighboring land. Aurielle gently nudged his shoulder and he swung his heavy head to glance at her inquisitively, only for his question to be answered as she rose to her feet and called for her father and Paladin. Ah, so this voice, then, was Eligos of Aerie, who had invited them to his trade fair. He hadn't met the man, but he was eager enough to trade some of the goods he'd spent his days crafting when he wasn't doting over his young children - admittedly he spent most of his time doting on them and their mother, and so there were far fewer of his crafted goods than he might have normally had ready, but that didn't matter to him. From the moment the children were born, he'd been absolutely smitten with each and every one of them. He'd gladly give them the moon and the stars from the sky if they'd asked for them, so he set aside his crafting without the least regret to spend as much time with them as he could.

He rubbed his cheek to Aurielle's as she moved past him, then waited while the pups tumbled after her to pad along behind them to bring up the rear and be sure there were no stragglers or escapees. Cairo fell in behind the pups, and Red obligingly gave him a little more space to accommodate his limping. The pace was slow, particularly for the much-larger Red who towered over his mate and pups and had to moderate his naturally longer stride, but the little group made it across the border into the other pack's territory, and despite the circumstances that brought them there Red couldn't help the protective alertness that gripped him when he watched the puppy pack frolic over that boundary. He pushed away the urge to snatch them back and bundle them into the den again safely away from all of the strangers they were about to be exposed to - it was a foolish sort of fear, and he knew that this experience would be an important one for them and he wouldn't begrudge them that.

He studied those already gathered solemnly, including the alpha that Aurielle introduced him to. He politely gave the other man a nod of greeting, then gave his pups an encouraging smile before he faded back into seriousness and swept his alert gaze over the assembled wolves again.