Horizon Ridge anathema [j]

Inkenoah introduced herself with a mouthful of syllables, and though he tried he knew he would not keep her surname for long in his memory. Between the Nereides and Kesuk lines there were names both Greek and Inuit and from other tongues besides, but most were simple enough to pronounce and carried over from one generation to the next to honor the dead. Still, Inkenoah was a pretty name, and Akhlut smiled at the golden female, hoping to encourage her to lighten up. Submission was one thing, cowering fearfully another, and she was erring on the side of the latter.

"Inkenoah, I swear that no one of this pack will harm you while you are under my protection. Outside of these borders, I cannot vouch for the behavior of other packs or vagabonds, but if you are in trouble, howl and if any of the Ridge hear you, they will come. " Akhlut had been about to mention the alliance with Blacktail Deer Plateau, but something made him hesitate; he had heard little from those quarters lately and knew not how Hawkeye's pack faired.

"Come, let's find a stream and perhaps I know where a rabbit is buried. You are no longer Inkenoah of nowhere in particular. Now you are Inkenoah, Kappa of Horizon Ridge, and for tonight you may be the guardian companion of Akhlut, its Alpha. I'll do a quick patrol of the southern borders before we sleep for the night. " Though couched like a demand, the suggestion was only that, intended to familiarize her with the borders and give her time to relax around him and feel secure within their claimed lands. If she preferred to eat, drink, and fall into a deep sleep somewhere in the territory' midsection, then that was just fine as well. Regardless, Akhlut was pleased at the new addition.