She had been considering, and weighing, and contemplating in the long hours spent curled around her young children as they grew, and she had come to the decision that she could not leave to chance the fates of those who had left Yfir without a word. There were a few options, and she would not trust to a single one when many would increase her chances of success. She would spread the word to the other alphas, warn her own pack to keep eyes and ears open, and Warja was out there, somewhere, searching for her father but also for Kismet. But Yfir had among them a wolf of many possibilities, with a penchant for the saboteur that was wasted by simply sitting and playing good-little-pack-wolf. He had asked for a thegn position - but he was wasted on it. He was more use to her outside the bounds of pack law, as unfettered and chaotic as Ginnungagap. And she had a task for him.

Slipping from the den, leaving behind sleeping children, the alpha made her way down the steep side of the gorge to the center, casting silver eyes over the darkened cave-mouths that housed her slumbering pack, and she sent out a single low summons for Harekr.

Stretching on his belly Hárekr's claws dug into the earth, eyes slowly opening to the call of his Drottning. Hers would erect alert upon his head as stretched once more for good luck. The call did not seem to be terribly urgent but Háre did not wish to keep Katja waiting for longer than necessary and so he got to his paws and slipped out into darkened gorge. A crescent moon offering a glimmering sliver of light. Slowly he approached the darkened form of his alphess, a smile on his face as he gaze at the brilliant silver of her eyes standing in stark contrast against the deeper shadows.

"God kveld, Katja. Du ringte for meg?"

Harekr was prompt in answering her call, the white-and-black form cutting through the night to approach her with a greeting. "God kveld, Harekr," she returned gravely, settling herself with striped tail tucked next to her hocks, and took a moment to study the other wolf. He was not the steadiest wolf in Yfir, nor yet the most reliable, but she had no need of him to be anything but what he was. "I have a task for you, if you will accept it," she continued after a beat. "Or rather, a purpose. You are not and would not make a leader... nor are you a follower." She was as ever painfully blunt - she had by necessity learned to smooth her edges as an alpha, but she would not hold herself to that when she did not have to. "The traditional structure of a pack does not quite suit you, does it, Harekr? And so I would make you an offer I feel may suit you better than follow-the-leader - I need a ghost. A phantom. I need you to travel beyond the borders of Yfir, beyond even Alacratia. I need eyes and ears far beyond what I can travel with a pack and a family, and you, Hárekr Kaltharsis, are a clever enough and durable enough scoundrel to play the part I need." She raised an eyebrow. "Thoughts?"

The evening air was crisp and cool, its frigid touch pulling Hárekr's mind further into wakefulness as the Drottning greeted him. As she moved to sit Hárekr would do the same the tip of his tail twitching with curiosity and excitement as Katja mentioned that she had a task for him. His eyes glittered at the prospect. Háre would not interrupt and instead let her continue. The bi-colored man would make no protest of her evaluation. He knew very well what he was though surely he had some potential for either? Or might have if it weren't for certain events. However, he could not deny her next words. The typical pack structure did not suit him. "I am afraid I can't refute your assessment Lady Katja. I have been left to my own freedom and devices so long I have little talent in picking up the ways of pack life. Though that will not stop me from trying." He did not wish her to think he'd given up on the idea of being in a pack, far from it. He just had yet to settle into a suitable role, or make one for himself.

Hárekr would lean forward ever so slightly at her next words. A ghost? A phantom? He would grin, oh this sounded fun. "I think, my Drottning, that you are a shrewd woman and you have me well figured out. This task of yours harkens to my strengths and I look most forward to it. But tell me, is there a particular goal you wish me to achieve? Am I simply to gather any smatterings of information that may be useful or would you like me to tune my senses to something in particular?"

Harekr did not argue with her words; if anything, he seemed to agree with her. She dipped her head in acknowledgement. "You are... shall I say... sneaky. A trickster. Touched by Loki's hand. I can think of no better, no slyer wolf to do this task. I have faith in your abilities." He asked about what information he was to seek, and a faint smile graced her muzzle. Either he was perceptive, or luck favored him in his words. "A little of both. I wish you to keep your ear to the ground for whatever information might be of interest, and specifically I wish you to seek any information on any of our erstwhile pack members. The deserter Kismet - Warja is also under orders to seek him out and may prove helpful if you find her while you are away - and one of our thegns who went missing. Vereux... he is likely either dead or a deserter himself. If he is not dead... he is an oathbreaker, damned by his betrayal and you have our full support if you wish to... deal with him yourself." A fiercely cold expression settled over her, as though she were both completely, frighteningly under control, and ready to burst into violent action all at once. "Otherwise... if you hear of either of them you are to report it to me or to a stallari, and any other items of interest you may find. Does that suit you?"

Hárekr shifted lightly on his paws but not out of discomfort but rather like a child being praised. He knew his knack for tricks and deception, his talent at getting a rise out of others, getting close to them and even manipulating them to his own ends when he saw fit, or as tended to be his style, for the sheer fun of it. There was those that might shy away at being considered touched by Loki's hand but not Hárekr. The man would settle suddenly still, ears forward, eyes glinting with eagerness as he took in more details of his task. Apart from the usual information gathering he was also hunting for deserters and, if he desired, he might deal with them, well one, as he saw fit. Now that was enticing indeed.

Háre dipped his head. "This mission pleases me greatly, Katja. I will leave tonight and be glad in serving as an extension of your senses."

She was pleased with Harekr's eager acceptance of his mission. His presence in the world at large would be good for Yfir, and just as importantly it would be good for Harekr as well. She would be no kind of alpha if she put no thought to those who supported her and the pack, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he began to feel stifled and bored of a monotonous pack life. "May the gods go with you, Harekr. I have the utmost confidence in you." She stood, offered him a nod, and added with traces of amusement - "Just be certain you are around during the raiding season. I wouldn't want you to miss out." With that she turned, and slipped back to her den before her pups could awaken and take it into their heads to go night-exploring.