Somewhere in the darkness shines a little light on a blue horizon

Charon snorted out a ridiculing laugh when Osprey said that she chose to be in the middle of the ranks where she could contribute. What wolf didn't want to be way up high? It seemed a silly notion to Charon. He countered, "That's not true, if you were queen and Alpha you could do whatever you'd want. Not all leaders do the same thing, and having adventures, being a hero and getting to know wolves of other packs are all good for the pack, too." This felt like the first time that he and Osprey differed on anything; but perhaps it was also because Charon was growing up, and he no longer merely listened in awe to anything an adult told him, instead creating his own views of the world and how it worked.

As Osprey asked about Thistle and Ragnar, Charon said, "They're good. Thistle is like getting pretty huge, 'cause they're having puppies this spring." After a short moment of silence he added, "I guess I should go look for a new den or something, for when the pups are born and get bigger, if there's lots." Charon had never struck out on his own just yet, but it would be fine. It'd be a good preparation to show that he was mature enough to be a leader, and he could just visit the pups lots and lots.