Noctisardor Bypass Why does he look like his head is only there to keep the top of his neck warm?

Arbiter went to the borders.  After the report of some fool in Maplewood, she put more of her attention on that side.  Hopefully whoever it was would be gone soon enough.  Tomorrow she'd go investigate it herself -- if she found them there, it seemed likely they weren't going to be ready for a round two with someone who hadn't been in the first fight.

Right now, it all looked clear -- well, clear for everything except snow, which seemed to be permanently falling from the sky at this time of year.  More prey had returned, and all things considered, she was fairly sure that in another month or so perhaps it would be hard to tell anything that happened.  Regardless of what happened then, she still needed to do her duties, and after a bit of staring off into the horizon in search of distant movement, she looked away and back to the tree that was next on her list to mark.

His three-day trek outside the bypass hadn't provided him with anything particularly useful. He'd run into the fool again, considered her less of a fool, and that was about it. No clues as to Raleska's whereabouts or where Rusalka had gone. Kaertok knew that when he came back, he would track down either Arbiter or @Terance. The latter was especially elusive, seeming to be nowhere at all whenever the Tartok attempted to find him. It was frustrating, but at least he'd managed to find Arbiter today.

The Tartok wolf fell into line alongside her patrol, giving her a quick nod. Arbiter, he greeted. The fool who was attempting to make her home next to us has abandoned that plan, as far as I can tell. I ran into her in a forest some ways from here while out searching for Raleska. There was hesitation then. Kaertok had left many packs before, telling off their leaders in the process. This wasn't one of those cases, but he did have concerns. Terance, your mate. I don't think he will make a good leader. There it was, laid on the table.

She dipped her head in greeting. It was good to have another along with her on patrols at times -- not because she felt she needed the help or anything, more because then she could make the time more useful, catch up on news and all that jazz. She found it far more awkward to stand around talking without doing anything. Good, but I think it's wise we continue to check to be sure she's gone. I've been planning to go out there and see for myself sooner rather than later. Ironic that we moved to gain space between ourselves and other packs only to have another appear and some upstart make an attempt. She trusted Whitebark Stream to at least be reasonable like Easthollow -- the other wolf hadn't bothered to check in with the neighbors, so they were probably going to be trouble even if it did make sense for them to live there.

His next statement did give her pause from scanning across the various scent trails that lined the path. Arbiter looked over, searching his expression more than anything. Her tone remained even, Little late on that one. He's been leading for years. Beta before me, alpha before me... Then a rather wry smirk, Though if you have problems with him, I can only imagine what you'd have thought of the ones who first started the pack. The smirk faded, back to practical, So tell me what brought you to this opinion? Some wolves would probably outright offended, but she'd rather have honesty (even if she thought his complaints were likely unfounded at this point) than someone griping behind their backs. There was also the question of what Kaertok wanted to get out of it -- after all, Arbiter herself had been bold about her complaints when the pack was on the Sunspire, but it was Terance who had listened and promised her things then.

Kaertok nodded in agreement. Keeping a close eye on the lands around them was going to be crucial to making a claim here. Without that, they would likely be forced out by those wishing to settle too close for comfort. He wasn't surprised to hear that was part of the reason they were here in the first place.

When she turned to face him after he'd expressed his concern, however vague it had been, Kaertok didn't wear anything other than a neutral expression. Why should he? He didn't have any ill will toward Terance, and he certainly wasn't here to ruffle Arbiter's feathers, but he knew that he needed to be confident in his leaders if he was to be a loyal member of Legion.

To hear that Terance had been leading wolves for years was surprising to the white bear. He certainly did not act like any (competent) leader that the Tartok had met before. A decent wolf, for sure, but he seemed to lack the drive that Kaertok sought in a leader. And this, of course, would answer Arbiter's question. It's nothing personal, he assured her, Terance just appears to lack the ambition that I seek in a leader. If he had met Terance on the borders that day, rather than Jomyo and Arbiter, his opinion of Legion might have been very different.

Perhaps the years of leadership have caught up to him? he suggested. It wasn't uncommon for wolves in Tartok to step down after a long reign of leading to seek a period of refreshment. It reinvigorated the mind and body.

Eek. I wrote this in two sessions and I think it was a bad idea, heh.

Kaertok still seemed fairly reasonable about it, and since Arbiter wasn't one to jump to overreaction on something like this, she was perfectly fine waiting to hear him out at the very least. From all the wolves I have met here, many are not as driven as my kin. It makes some things easy, and others hard. So few seemed to be willing to spar, let alone fight if it came to it. Terance may not be the most bold, but he is reasonable. And unlike some, willing to make decisions that need to be made. Unlike Rannoch who was swayed by Liffey. 

But Legion is still young -- and much that's changing from the way the Hollow was is becoming more the way my family has done things and there's no saying the final form would appeal. I won't demand he lead, but if at some point he does not, it has a higher chance of making things complicated with the way things stand now. Timing. Suggesting Terance should step down, even if only for a short time, meant that in spring there might be a period where there could be only one leader who was out of commission in a den -- and right now between Jomyo suggesting she may leave in the spring and Kaertok being fairly new to the pack Arbiter wasn't about to just promote someone on a whim. She wasn't fond of the idea of being solo though -- the pack always needed a strong alpha available at all times. It brought up other questions that she didn't particularly want to ask or answer at the moment either. Later, later. At least right now she was fairly sure that Terance was planning to continue leading beside her. For now, not something to worry about.

Kaertok had always been a rather open book when it came to his opinions of his leaders, and seeing Arbiter's reaction to his complaint was a good sign. Instead of telling him off or banishing him, she seemed to contemplate on it to some degree, which was promising. It would take more than just a lack of passion from a leader for Kaertok to up and leave. He was much more likely to do so if the leadership was unstable as it had been in so many packs he had been a part of in the past. A stable leadership was one which could stand the test of time, and that seemed more important than anything else. He did worry that any weakness as a leader might sway some to challenge Terance later, but he supposed they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

She mentioned that it would make things complicated if Terance stepped down, which prompted another question from Kaertok. How so? he asked, wondering what problems Arbiter might see in the days, months, or years ahead. The Tartok wolf could already feel the tendrils of this pack gripping him in ways he remembered feeling back with Rusalka. A little pang of guilt hit him then, wondering if he should be so invested in a pack he was most certainly bound to leave if Raleska asked him to. He wished he had found her by now, but that didn't seem to be on the menu just yet.

Perhaps she should have been more precise, but given that she had been hunting for a den while exploring the inner workings of the new territory, it may have just been closer to the front of her mind than for others'.  Well, that and she'd already given it some thought if Terance ended up being injured at an inconvenient time -- like Rannoch had, I expect to have pups again this year. That means there is... Up to a two month window where I won't be able to be fight like I normally could. I wasn't happy about it last year, but I could rely on the rest of the leadership, including Terance, to ensure duties were done. Sure, there are things that any wolf in the pack could do, but not everything -- the pack always needs a strong leader to be there, not in a den. It would be easier if she was male, but there were some things that couldn't be changed in this world. Well, that and she wasn't going to be surrendering her right to breed, that would only open the door for someone else to do so without permission. Thus if the timing is wrong: complicated. She wanted her pack to be stable. To not have a question that a leader would be challenged, to not leave that gap. To not have to show up at the borders like a bloated whale and be forced to rely on others when she otherwise wouldn't. The obvious answer was to promote someone if needed, but she was not going to rush it if she didn't have to.

Arbiter explained the potential problem, and Kaertok pursed his lips together in thought. He agreed that it wouldn't do for the sole leader to be den-bound with children for a month or two. This of course, meant that if Terance didn't end up leading, it would put them in a precarious situation. As capable as Kaertok felt that he was, he wasn't pushy enough to suggest that he be put in that role. For one, he himself had never led a pack. He knew the workings of it through his mother and the various wolves he had served under, but it had never been asked of him. Sure, he might step in and help as needed in keeping others off the borders or making sure things were in order, but he'd never had to do it for more than a few days.

It could, however, be an opportunity to do so if the cards fell a certain way. Kaertok didn't know if they would, or even if he would be willing to accept if the offer came to him. For now, he set the hypothetical aside, preferring to remain rooted in the present. Who knew what would happen between now and then? And there was the possibility their claim wouldn't be solid enough when the time came for Arbiter to conceive. He wondered if their desire to have children outweighed their desire of a pack for themselves, but it was too personal a question for him to ask.

Content that his questions and concerns had been addressed, the Tartok wolf continued along their route in silence, leaving the door open for any thoughts Arbiter might have, but not forcing further conversation.

He seemed to have moved on to silent acknowledgement. Fair enough. Arbiter was fine with silence as they patrolled, but it did bring up something else, so she would transition that way. At the very least, it is no emergency, and may it remain that way. Hopefully in the coming weeks we can find a few more wolves. From there, considering an additional leader among the loyal is a wise thing to do anyway.

She looked back at Kaertok, for what she asked was another case where she found it best to judge by expression as well. Do you have specific ambitions? Besides to find your friend. For if he was planning to run off into the sunset with her, there wasn't even any point to considering him. Unless she could go about promising that what Legion could offer would be better than what he might find or make elsewhere. Not necessarily the easiest feat.

Kaertok nodded. An additional leader, even if Terance remained, would be a smart idea. That would put his own mind at ease, knowing there were two driven leaders at the helm, even if there was a third not-so-driven one standing alongside them. It seemed like a more than fair compromise to soothe his worries while still allowing Terance the place he appeared to cling to.

She asked about his own ambitions, something Kaertok had spent much of his youth determining. Sure, they had shifted now and again, and Raleska was at the epicenter of his decisions these days, but finding her still felt like it was a ways off. That will be more clear to me once I've found her, he answered honestly. He wasn't sure how she would receive his return. Raleska hadn't been entirely pleased with his departure, but at least she had known his reasons. It wasn't as if he had disappeared one day without a word.

What was with some of these wolves not giving her a straight answer to a question where she was clearly asking for one? Then again, when she'd tried to ask Sarah, she'd gone off on a tangent about loyalty then disappeared soon after, so she was probably clouded by the guilt of knowing she was about to run off into the sunset. That was about all Arbiter could figure. And good riddance if she was too much of a coward to bring up whatever issues she might have had to try and have them fixed. Arbiter had been willing to give her just about anything she'd wanted at that point. Too bad.

Still, at least choices being partially reliant on someone else's existence made more sense than just being cagey for the hell of it. She shrugged a shoulder, Mm. Well keep in mind I do like making sure that those who are deserving get what they want as time goes on. And with the pack being young, there's more flexibility than there otherwise might have been. All can be considered, just let me know what you may want in your future. There wasn't really much else to offer in that case, other than to just make sure that he knew how Arbiter worked. If only she knew how Raleska was supposed to fit into things as well -- it might help tailor her approach.

The Tartok wolf had a feeling that, if he stayed with Arbiter and her crew, it would be easy to work his way up and become a respectable member. Leadership had never really called to him, but he also knew that as he grew and changed, it was entirely possible his mindset would shift on that, too. He'd spent much of his life in Tartok, where he was plenty happy as an underling who followed. The times he hadn't been in Tartok were with packs who had unstable leadership, and he had chosen to leave when that was the case. This talk with Arbiter had, at least, stifled those concerns for now. She had a good head on her shoulders.

Never being much of a talker, unless he had something to say, the white bear fell back into silence, ambling along and assisting Arbiter in her patrol. It was nice to feel like he was back into a routine, although he knew that he'd be itching to stretch his legs again soon. The search for Raleska had not yet concluded, and Kaertok was still insistent on finding her.

That was pretty much all Arbiter had to say for now. As long as he knew that she wanted to make sure the subordinates she wanted to keep did have the opportunity for reward and advancement, that was all she could do right now. Once he knew what he wanted, she would make sure that things started shifting that way. For the short term, now, their attention could focus on the patrol itself. All was quiet. May it remain that way.

She'd have some things to think about, other things to carefully discuss with Terance once she figured out the best way to breech the subject. Assuming he had nothing to bring up, it was all just back to work!