Autumn had arrived in the north. A cold wind blew down and stirred the pine trees that stretched out for the warmth of the sunlight and bowed in the wind that blew past them. Drífa had found a nice sheltered place to settle and rest. She was moving slower these days. Age had caught up with her but so far illness had now. She'd been feeling sick for most of the summer but with rest and treatment she was beginning to do better and though she ultimately knew the tumor would take her she expected to have another year of life or more ahead of her. Drífa looked over to Swala, her little barn swallow companion. The bird snuggled up close to her but so far the day was nice for a northern day. Drífa would need to finish lining her den at a later date. She still had her mountain goat hide that would make a comfortable bed for the chilly nights that lay ahead.

She was out and about doing her rounds around the border today for a patrol. That was...an alpha-ish thing to do, right? Her father had opted not to formally train her for the role, instead choosing to throw her to the wolves so to speak to see how she'd do on her own. Of course, she had also brought that on herself. She had said she wanted to try it on her own without help unless she asked, and man...she felt way in over her head. Of course, she knew her father wouldn't just let her drown in the position if she truly needed help, and so far, things weren't as difficult as she thought they would be. Now that she was in a way training for the alpha role, she knew she had to buckle down and actually get to know the pack that she might lead in the future...right? She wasn't sure if that meant she couldn't go out and adventure when she felt like it, but for now, she was content with the idea that alphas could do whatever they wanted to do whenever they felt like doing it. She was on her way out for another venture when she spotted the elder healer Drifa, however, and she paused. What was the harm in stopping for a quick chat? She was, after all, one of her fathers more trusted members. Maybe she could learn a thing or two from the elder...deciding to approach, she offered a smile and a respectful dip of her head. "Hello Drifa, how are ya today?" "Speech"

Drífa reached out a paw, claws digging into the earth. The ground was dry for now but it wouldn't be long now before the snow came down from the north. She could see a ridge of dark clouds on the horizon. Hopefully it wouldn't be a blizzard. A nice light snow would be delightful. She loved to watch snow fall in the moonlight while snuggled up in the warmth of her den aboard the ship. She had a nice circular window she could look through that didn't let in as much cold as a bare hole. The humans had at least a few decent ideas it seemed.

She looked up as she heard someone approaching. It was Winter, the new alphess. Drífa smiled. "Well enough, Winter. How about you? How are you finding the role of alphess?" It was a lot of responsibility but Winter seemed a bright, young lady.

"Well enough, Winter. How about you? How are you finding the role of alphess?" She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. She was doubting her abilities and was wondering if she was even suitable enough to be an alpha, but she did agree to take on the role for a short time at least to decide if it was something she wanted to do. "I'm doing well, thank you for asking. As for being an alphess...well...I dunno. Kinda seems like any other role, though I haven't gotten the chance to do any of the stuff my dad's had to do yet." She shrugged. Other than leading the pack...she wasn't sure what to do. Her father had offered to train her and help her along, but she had refused because she wanted to see if she could do it on her own. It was quiet in the North. They didn't get many visitors - if at all - So she hadn't exactly gotten a chance to exercise her role as an alpha in that regard..."Hey Drifa? My dad trusts you alot. Do you maybe have any advice for me? My dad offered to train me but...I told him I wanted to figure it out myself. But um...he doesn't know that I don't really know what I'm doing...and I don't want to disappoint him..." She frowned, wondering if that was something she should have even said in the first place. She didn't want anyone to think she couldn't do this or that her dad was out of his mind for even putting the pack in her paws to begin with...

Drífa nodded as the girl spoke. She'd only been in the role for a short time and had yet to really stretch her legs. For the most part the pack members had their roles and were fulfilling their duties. She was grateful to be retired and have a less regimented role in the pack. Mainly she focused on cataloging and storing herbs in preparation for the winter season ahead.

She smiled as the girl asked for advice. She was all too happy to share her thoughts. Drífa pondered the girl's question for a moment as she tried to pick her words carefully and of course she wanted to be helpful. "Well, I think taking advantage of the resources around you would be a good start. Your father is a wealth of knowledge but I can understand wanting to forge your own path." Her instinct was to direct Winter to talk to other leaders within Winterfell but as far as she knew he Tier 3 ranks were empty. Still, it might not hurt to talk with the other members. "Maybe you could speak with the other members of Winterfell. Ask them about skills and qualities they want in a leader. Then work to achieve those."

Her ears perked when Drifa decided to offer some advice, and Winter was all too eager to absorb what she had to say. She sat down, practically leaning forward as she did so that she wouldn't miss a word. She gave all her attention to Drifa, nodding as the elder woman spoke. "Well, I think taking advantage of the resources around you would be a good start. Your father is a wealth of knowledge but I can understand wanting to forge your own path." She took in a deep breath at the end of that. She did want to forge her own path, and she wanted to make bother her father and the pack proud. Even though her father had discussed taking over the pack with her before she was made leader, she couldn't help but feel anything but doubt since she had taken on the role. She'd been feeling like she had bitten off more than she could chew, and felt like someone more...stoic? Level-headed? Leader material? She wasn't sure what the quality was, would be more suitable than her. Her brother Snow often came to mind, but she wanted to try a little while longer before making the definite decision on whether or not she wanted to lead or hand the position back to her dad or...hell, maybe even pass it to one of her more capable siblings.

"Maybe you could speak with the other members of Winterfell. Ask them about skills and qualities they want in a leader. Then work to achieve those." She thought about it...and it was honestly something she hadn't quite considered doing before, nor had it ever come to mind. "That's a great idea, Drifa! Honestly, it never even crossed my mind to do that." She glanced down at her paws for a moment, absentmindedly realizing how large they were still compared to the rest of her...lankiness before returning her gaze to Drifa. "If you don't mind, since we're already talking, are there any skills or qualities you think would help? I of course, wanna be like my dad...he's brave and loyal and always seems to know what to do..." Even despite the whole debt to someone else thing, she'd been a little too young to understand that whole thing at the time, but he had done his best with what he could to help someone else, even if they hadn't asked for help. She wondered if the other members of the pack were mad at him for that still, or if they had been to begin with. It seemed to be a topic that would rather be better left forgotten, but she wondered how difficult something like that would be to deal with...would she have to make hard decisions like that someday?

Drífa pondered the pups question as to qualities of leadership she'd like to see. She had little experience living in a traditional pack. The pack she'd grown up in had been more like one big family than the structured packs here and that worked for them. "I think self-reflection is an important quality for a leader. It's how you'll grow and learn. Think of how the leader you want to be would face challenges. Think on leaders you've considered to be good or bad. What qualities make them so and do you possess these qualities?" That was a some what vague answer she supposed so Drífa offered at lease something a bit more complete. "As for qualities themselves I think it is important to own your decisions. You are young and will likely make mistakes and that's ok. Take them, learn from them and if needed apologize for them. You'll be more respected for owning your mistakes then trying to make excuses for them."