Following the discovery of Indra’s maimed body, he was more alert than ever; it didn’t matter that she’d been attacked outside of the valley, the risk of danger was still there. She had survived her encounter with the assailant, but who was to say that their next victim would be as lucky? He wanted to say with full certainty that the valley was safe, that no one would dare to trespass, but he couldn’t—he couldn’t lie to himself. There were those out in the world that didn’t respect the boundaries put into place by packs, as well as some that viewed themselves as far too great to ever be caught. He knew these things and could not deny the authenticity of either, not wanting to imagine what might happen if he did.

Alexander took to the entrance, pissing and leaving his scent behind where he could all along the Boulder Path, set on making his claim—and message—clear: stay out. And when he reached the end of the path he stopped, staring out into the distance, momentarily standing guard outside the walls of his kingdom.

Past observations of his father at work along the borders made him believe he was doing as any proper guardian might. It made sense to hold still and gaze at his surroundings, that way he might spot any unwelcome visitors long before they reached him; he had seen Kove do something similar in the past, though the albino was most definitely lingering for far longer than his father ever would. He didn’t think himself to look ridiculous, nor was he able to sit in silence long enough for the thought to eventually cross his mind as his ears twisted back. The sound of incoming footfalls wasn’t so easily missed, though he didn’t turn back to see his company until she chuffed—and when he saw her, his expression softened ever so slightly and he nodded in turn, extending a silent greeting whilst he considered what to say.

“How is she?” was all he could come up with. He wasn’t sure about checking on Indra himself, having left her in the company of her sister and the medic instead; caring for the wounded was far from a specialty of his. In fact, he was probably the least qualified to be left alone with someone recently hurt, his sympathy not so easily given—only, this time, he felt genuine concern for her well-being, which both confused and bothered him. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was something that came with being a leader—he would have to ask Desna about it sometime.

Although he secretly hoped that she was, by some miracle, doing a lot better, logic kept him from getting too sucked into the desire; her response further contributed to this, though the former was what really kept reality from crashing down around him too harshly. In time, her wounds would heal, he was sure of it. As long as Poet continued to tend to her, then she’d pull through, physically, and then Laurel could handle the mental and emotional aspects of her trauma—yeah, they could handle it, they’d fix her right up. And though it was his belief that they had everything covered, he still wanted to help in some way—it was what kept him by the borders, hoping that her attacker might just appear out of thin air someday so that Xan could tear out his throat—if only he would realise that he did not know the attacker his entire fantasy would come to an abrupt close but, like with many things, he remained selectively oblivious.

Nodding—he didn’t know what to say, how to console her, for he’d yet to even notice that she, too, needed someone’s support—he looked back out over Rising Sun. “Fine, for now,” he answered, looking to his right before back at her. “Want to walk with me? I haven’t checked around the walls yet.” Not that anyone could get in that way but, still, he felt better knowing that no one was even attempting it.

Normally, there was no need to check on the exterior walls of the valley, given just how sturdy they were, but he had to keep busy somehow—besides, the more done meant the less likely anyone else was to get hurt, which prompted him into action more so than just needing to keep in motion. As soon as she agreed to walk with him he was on the move, having turned right outside of the valley’s entrance. Honestly, he’d expected meaningless small talk, despite not really wanting it—but it was better than delving into his past, as the topic wasn’t one that he visited with others too often.

He slowed and glanced her way, considering the questions as they came before resuming his previous pace. “I was born here, yeah,” he said, seeing no harm in telling her the basics. “My parents led a pack here at the time—that’s what I’m trying to rebuild. Eventually, everyone went their separate ways, though. I was taken away from here and grew up farther south, on the other side of the mountains.” The finer details were left out, such as names and everything that had happened between then and now. “Stuff happened and I found my way back here,” he finished with. “This was always home, so I guess I’m glad that I have others sticking with me here.” Like Laurel, he noted silently. Her, her sister, and everyone else—they were breathing life back into the valley.

As they walked, his gaze scaled the walls countless times, searching. Although it’d been a while now since he’d seen the children climbing, he couldn’t help but look out for them—and anyone else. Really, he didn’t worry too much when he thought about someone trying to sneak in that way. The walls, though climbable as some points on the outside, were far too steep to maneuver down on the inside. Anyone that tried would surely fall to their death—or, at the very least, fall and nearly die. Still, he kept an eye out anyways, wanting to get rid of any potential infiltrators before they fell into his home; the idea of having to get rid of a body somehow didn’t appeal to him, seeming like a total waste of time.

He didn’t answer her immediately, her question taking him by surprise. He’d never liked talking about his parents or what happened, especially when every time he’d made an attempt at bringing the topic up a fight broke out between him and his sister. But Laurel wasn’t Desna—she didn’t have the same connection to the events as the siblings did, so the chances of an argument occurring were slim to none. “They split up,” he told her. “I don’t have all of the details, I just know that my mom ended things and took my sisters away with her. And then she died soon after.” And for a long time, he’d hated her because of it. For breaking their family apart, as well as for dying. “I don’t know where one of my sisters is, but the other two live in the pack next to us,” he added after a brief pause. “One of them leads that pack, actually. Only reason we haven’t had any trouble with them.” Had the pack been led by someone else, he doubted his sisters’ presences there would have mattered—his claim to the valley still would have been challenged.

Glancing her way, he asked, “What about you? Are you from around here?” She’d asked him questions, so he figured he should make an effort to get to know her better in return.

There wasn’t much shared on her part, and he wondered if that was because there wasn’t much to say or she just didn’t want to tell him. Whatever the case, he nodded and thought about the name, wondering if he’d heard it before—he hadn’t. “Never heard of the place,” he muttered absentmindedly, momentarily distracted. His attention latched onto an area at the base of the wall, which looked like the footing was sturdy enough for someone to get up. He crossed over in front of Laurel to rub his side against the edges—which snagged a few tufts of loose fur—and then continued walking, remaining on her right.

“What about your parents?” he asked, this time more attentive. “Are they alive?” It didn’t really matter if they were—Laurel and Indra were both adults, their parents couldn’t drag them away, but he was curious.

He maintained partial focus on her, watching her from his peripheral—but, because of this, he assumed something was amiss when she appeared to be startled. He slowed and glanced her way, assessing their surroundings before figuring that his words had been the thing to take her by surprise. Curious, he wondered if he should ask more questions on the same topic, but her frigid response put an immediate end to that rumination.

Instead of asking more about her family life, he just nodded; Alexander understood how touchy of a subject family can be, given his own background and emotional issues developed from it. He just kept moving, tossing her a sidelong glance every once in awhile, but continued the rest of the patrol in complete silence.