[J] Descending into Darkness

Still being a child, Xan was not nearly as patient as his father, and perhaps never would be. Waiting for the appearance of the woman his father had referred to as being their queen made him antsy, eager to meet whoever the stranger was. Normally he was not a fan of strangers, finding them to be highly annoying—especially when they didn’t know who he was. The way Kove had spoken of this Meldresi lady, however, had made those usually feelings die away. He wanted to meet her, and to see what his father’s life had once been like. He found he knew nothing of his dad’s past, of what he’d done before the boy and his sisters were born, and especially not what he’d done before meeting his mother. He was curious, at times, but often refrained from asking whatever questions he’d come up with, figuring he’d learn about it all when the elder felt like telling him.
 
Alexander was looking up at his father, a defiant glint in his eyes as he’d continued to move around while they waited, when the dark wolf had arrived. He heard her voice, but did not turn to look in her direction until his father had done so. It took him a second, then, to spot her shaded self against the darkness of the woods, but once he did, he couldn’t look away. Even from a distance, she seemed extremely different from his mother and the other woman of Bearclaw—and not just because of her colouring, either. When he finally looked back to Kove, he noticed the Inuit was bowing his head to the woman, confirming his suspicion that it was the same wolf he’d been told about. Realizing that, Xan bowed his head as well, though the motion probably looked sloppy in comparison to the older male beside him. He wasn’t use to giving such a demonstration of respect, after all, having been reluctant to submit practically since birth. He stood silent as his father answered whatever question he’d been given, growing more and more curious about what else resided within the shadows Meldresi had emerged from.