When One Door Closes, Surely Another Will Open
Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
He had been under admonishments to rest, but that wouldn’t stop him from completing his duties as both a leader and a member of his family. Acapella had fought, and fought valiantly, and she had paid a great price. As a wolf whose life was hunting, he knew she would be beyond dispirited by the loss of her vision at the paws of the Talisian male she and Marina had gone up against.
So, it was on a warm day that he lay in the open area outside the mouth of the cave, soaking up the summer rays that he tilted his head back and called for his cousin. Paladin hadn’t let her leave the main family den, so the howl was quiet, with no need for the far traveling volume he might have used otherwise.
His own scent trail was thick just outside her alcove, a fresh trail leading outside, easy to follow. He’d laid it, already intending to speak with her. Paladin would help guide her if she needed it.
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Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
He regarded his cousin quietly as she emerged. He regretted, honestly, not enforcing a battle training lesson as his mother had done. He knew there was little that could be done to teach a wolf how to combat the devastation that came with being blinded in a fight, but his blindness training with his mother had helped him prepare himself for at least fighting without the help of his sight.
He waited until she settled beside him and gave her muzzle a lick, being sure to let his breath precede his touch to allow her time to know he was coming in. “It will take some time to adjust, but with practice, you’ll be able to travel the territory as though you can still see it. Try talking to Kalliope for tips on exploring new terrain.”
He leaned into the hunter, allowing her to feel the shrug in response to her question on his healing. Paladin and Solveiga were both excellent healers, and Paladin in particular was handling the majority of the healings. “I’m healing well. We’re in good paws.”
He had to commend Paladin, when his mother was ailing and any progress seemed to have been lost over the last while. With the kidnapping of Valor during the Raid, it only added to the stress the young healer was facing. A heavy sigh threatened to escape, but he bit it back in favor of gazing down the ravine. If raiding a pack wasn’t foolish enough, taking a member of that pack prisoner during the raid was a declaration of war. Even if that hadn’t been added to the list of offenses, the damage done to his pack was grounds enough for a siege, in his mind.
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Regulus Anatolii Adravendi |
He nodded slowly to himself at Acapella’s question about plans, and the upcoming winter, then blew out a sigh. “Even with this raid, there are wolves who have not, as a long run thing, been active enough to warrant keeping them. Mask has called multiple hunts, and gotten very little response from the rest of the pack, from what I’ve seen and heard. I’ll need to call a meeting, and I’m afraid there will be hard words as much as praise.”
He paused, thinking over his next words before speaking again.
“I hate to say it, but even with the swift response from the entire pack when Talis attacked, I am disappointed that it took a bloody raid to garner a reaction at all. And part of that is my own error. I’ve been too lax, and too forgiving. I, myself, should have been calling pack-wide fight training. And I have not. Perhaps, if I had been, Celestial’s injuries – especially your own – would not have been so severe.”
He shook his head, silent for a moment before continuing, “There will be some promotions for high ranks, however. Gwenevere was already a Legionary when the raid happened, and she will be due for a promotion in honor of her participation in the fight, for one. Mask has been bringing in kills—every time I look up, I see him carrying in something new.”
He sighed softly, falling silent and letting his chin settle between his paws, even as his thoughts continued in his head of who he needed to promote, and whom he needed to send off into the world, as painful as the decisions would be.
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Acapella has a Dhole companion that is almost always with her unless stated otherwise.
Greed is allowed in any of Ella's threads regardless of the tag.