Moonspear who can blame him

Charon was glad that Alya opened up about her thoughts. He didn't want to keep Rannoch and Liffey out of any of it, really, because somehow he felt that it would prove whether they were loyal. Maybe they should tell them false plans that could help them somehow if they'd run off to tell Redhawk, he thought. Then they would know to root out the traitors and use it for their plans. Charon wanted badly to believe that Liffey and Rannoch wouldn't betray him, for Rannoch was Eshe's child still. But then again, Eshe was dead and what had she really been to him all along but some vague relative that complimented him round every corner? Now Charon began to wonder if maybe she hadn't been a sincere friend at all, but he was quickly distracted by Alya, a thing he needed because he didn't want to consider Eshe being a part of this all.

Alya's next suggestion to kill Liffey made Charon frown deeper, but the reality of things was slowly beginning to seep through. They could use Liffey in some way, just as they could use Gannet. And he couldn't deny the truth of what she said — Osprey's children seemed so much better incorporated in the pack. "Maybe we should tell them a plan. A fake one, in case it goes wrong and they get away. If they choose to be traitors, we will kill them on the spot and dump their bodies at Redhawk Caldera's borders. They can be emotional about things, so we'll know if they are going to betray us by their faces. They are either with us or against us, I don't tolerate any inbetween-shit. If they love Redhawk fucking Caldera so much, they should've stayed there to start with." His tone of voice was cold, because he thought that it didn't matter either way: either they were wolves standing in his way and needed to die, or they were loyal and would prove it so. There was only win-win in this situation as far as he could tell. He studied Alya's face, wondering if he would find anything there, even though they had taken a lot from their mother in the regard of emotions.

He added: "I don't want disloyal wolves in this pack. If there are things we cannot tell them, they do not belong in this pack. I will not tolerate such betrayal." The more Charon spoke, the angrier he felt himself become — had he really been this blind? If his daughter thought they could not be trusted and would sway at the first signs of violence towards Redhawk Caldera, then he somehow must have missed that. They had taken in Rannoch when he was wounded, and for what? They had received nothing in return so far, while Liffey had promised to return the favour twofold. Nothing.

Charon's head snapped up when Alya said she had met Vaati, an angry expression on his face that had been building up throughout talking about impending betrayal. He still did not trust Vaati, though mostly because Potema, his own mother, had coldly said that she cared nothing for him. "Is that so," he said, his voice still cold and face still scrunched into an angry mess, though his head still thick with thoughts of all the wolves in his pack, suddenly finding himself wondering which he could trust and not. He thought to ask whether he had a plan for Blackfeather's survival, but he changed his mind, for he cared little about 'alliances' and didn't really want to think too much into it. He wondered if there was anything Rannoch'd done to trigger Vaati's attack, then, though considering their one meeting Vaati had seemed pretty hair-triggery and Rannoch seemed like the kind of weak-spined blob that might pull in such a creature's anger. He didn't feel like speculating any further on it, as it didn't matter much. He then realised, considering his daughter's solid opinion on things, maybe: "Have you seen or heard anything to prove Liffey's betrayal? Or Rannoch's?" Not because he did not believe her, but because he wanted to have something to throw in their face when they were confronted. "Anything we can throw in their face? I will speak with Hydra and Ame about this so that we have a plan ready for when Drageda is back to their homes."