the pros and cons of familiarity

Gil assesses the three females in front of him. His daughter, his new pet, and his... not daughter? He wasn't sure what to call Rivin, but pack mate and friend weren't it. No, he felt a more fatherly emotion toward the girl. Her opinion would be just as important as the other's. And in surprising fashion, she spoke up first. Nodding to her words, agreeing that they definitely needed more resources for supplies, his attention then turns to his daughter, Flurry. Gil nods too at her points. There is a vulnerability to claiming the beach, he knows that. Choosing Daager Isle in the first place had been a risky move all in itself and even the archipelago. Yet, the islands made his wife happy and they would be keeping them for the time being. Plus, other than their current enemy, Gil saw them initiating more of the raids rather than those coming to them.

His gaze moves then to Jael and he nods at her points too. Yes, the pack would grow, surely they would have the capacity to do more patrols. The older wolves who remembered the beach might want to move back to the mainland. Gil decides to address Flurry and Jael's concerns first. "As you all may know, I allow the archipelago to be open to anyone who may come across it. While there are resources there, they aren't of any specialty that wolves could find elsewhere. And until we find possibly greener pastures, the beach will probably remain open as well. The isle is and will always be closed to trespassers without approval," he pauses there and looks at the girl. Unfortunately, the one he would want to make that pointed comment toward was actually planning on separating into her own band anyway.

"As long as we can protect what is ours on the island, I am sure we hold the capacity to have sufficient response times for any danger that may meet us at our doorstep," Gil looks now across the beach. Indeed, many memories had been laid out here and he couldn't say he was entirely eager to claim the beach, but it truly was just a stepping stone to better opportunities as Jael had guessed. "The beach will merely be a way for us to hold onto the mainland until we can reach out farther. If one day, we outgrow the isle, it will help us move onto the mainland easier," he hesitates again. Giving up the isle was one option he didn't want to entertain, but if everyone wished to leave, he would not be a dictator and tell them no.

"Like Rivin said, Fern Gulley is not far. We could move there and to other places. There are the lands Ashen used to inhabit though I wish not to entirely take what was once theirs. Yet, there are some plains as well that we could look into. Thoughts?" Gil poses the question now, leaving the floor open for the ladies to add or subtract to his thoughts.