Heart and Crown of Molten Gold

She joked about her name, implying the lack of creativity in naming a black pup "Pitch". He grunted softly when she spoke about her father having had the right by their traditions to name pups. He thought maybe his own father might have had a hand in naming them - his name in particular was a traditional sort for their family, and his brothers' ran along similar lines. He wished he could have had the opportunity to ask him questions like that now. He dragged his attention from his melancholy thoughts, and his gaze from watching her paw in the water, thinking he missed something in his reverie. "Two packs?" he asked. "Ah... you mean Armada? No, no I don't belong to that pack. I am alpha of a pack much further west, well on the other side of Armada, named Aerie." He wasn't sure which other pack she meant, but tactfully gave his own pack in answer rather than mention that. "I imagine this land is likely to get a lot of traffic from Armada, with it being so near, and them such a large pack for the amount of territory they hold. It seems likely it is somewhat overcrowded and well hunted by this time." It made him think, again, of his own pack dwindling death by death. They were small for their own territories, even with the one a ravine, and growing smaller. His own death would reduce their numbers yet again... but it couldn't be stopped, merely postponed. Maybe Pyrrhic, or Deus most likely, would be able to bring Aerie back after he was gone.