Northstar Vale Wanna be a man? Then,

He had a daughter now, but from what he had heard from other's so did maman. He should be happy, but something was eating away at him nonetheless.

They had not spoken since before Pala's birth, he had not had the chance to tell her of Julienne, but he was not so sure that it mattered now. If a daughter had truly been born, healthy and purer in blood than his own offspring, the choice of heiress was clear. He had to respect the traditional values of his grandmaman, the values he carried over mountaintops into the new settlement.

Intending to pay his respects to his mother and recently born sister, Chaudry stepped into the den of the Matriarche. His keen eye was quick to notice something strange, something flawed. The puppy, suckling from his sleeping mother, had a leg that looked nearly twisted.

Maybe the choice was not as clear as he once thought.

Lessons learned harshly after her second litter, the one in which Chaudry came into the world, had made Viskani all too fast to react when in the presence of her young children. She never slept too deeply, the sound of a leaf dropping to the ground able to wake her.

Lifting her head at the sound of pawsteps she had expected it to be Seal, or maybe @Noctaryn if she allowed her thoughts to drift to something more exciting. But when it was Chaudry who entered her sights instead, she almost jumped. He really had grown into his father's silhouette, and the light of the falling sun behind him did no favours.

Releasing a breath, her tail covered the back end of Chandra unconciously. What is it, Petit? You have children to attend to as well, yes? She knew of his litter, but with her and Pala's due dates so close had not been able to visit.

She wished he would not be so stoic. The consistently neutral expression grew unsettling after a while.

She woke quickly as he expected, questioning his presence in a tone which betrayed her exhaustion. Without providing an answer to her, his own question slipped from his tongue abruptly.

What's wrong with it?

He spoke of course, of the pup. The leg. You should have ate or killed it maman. He furrowed his brow, unable to understand why she had let it live this long. She would not be so cruel, not usually. Do you need it to be done for you? That had to be it.

He felt his tail curling upwards, but did nothing to stop the abhorrent display. A child born in such a way should not be tolerated in the vale, especially not when born to a Matriarche. It would taint their bloodline, taint their pack. The mother pack had allowed it only once, and it gave them @Phobos. From what had become of the healer, Chaudry thought the answer clear: a child born flawed would strive to become more than it could be, growing resentful and dangerous. If not that, then at the very least their weakness would drag down the pack. They were destined to die brutally; why drag it out?

Maman should be grateful. Not only would he clean up this mistake for her, but he had provided her an heiress to replace this flawed creature: Julienne, his @Julia.

Her son's harsh words came quickly and without her providing them a prompt. The scare of Njall's silhouette in the form of her son had already given her a scare, but his casual offer to kill Chandra did nothing to quell her fears.

No! She cried out, appearing nearly disgusted by his words. She is just fine Chaudry. You leave her alone! The Matriarche was quick to scold, her body nearly coiling around the pup.

She understood well where his mindset had come from, but that did not mean she had to accept it. Chandra did not need to be the heiress, but she did not need to die either.

Hardened gaze nearly slicing through the Grande Gurrier she had half a mind to lurch forward and snap her teeth at him.

She had struggled for this long to have a daughter, so Chaudry supposed that he could understand why she was so attached. That was why you were meant to kill the duds as soon as possible.

He concluded quickly that she must simply be worried that another would not come. No mother would keep this child alive out of love, only duty.

You do not need her Maman, it is okay. He attempted to reassure where he thought it needed, even offering a rare chuckle. Pala has given birth to your granddaughter. You have an heiress in Julienne. She is a healthy girl, properly suited for the role. He was sure of it. A child born of two warriors was bound to be everything a Matriarche needed to be; so long as she did not take too much from her mother's looks.

He took a single step forward now. Let me take her away.

So that was why he wanted Chandra taken care of so badly. But who was to say that if he got rid of her that Viskani would choose a child with the blood of a dog? It may be a small portion, but they both knew it was there.

At the slight step forward, she finally took that lurch. She did not graze him, but the threat was clear.

Chandra is to be my heiress. She growled, settling down once more. The decision was made abruptly, and out of spite. Leave. I do not want to see you here until you change your attitude.

Looking back to Chandra, now disturbed and squealing, she felt herself grow callm once more. These first two weeks in particular were to be for Viskani and her daughter alone; she would not let Chaudry disturb her peace.