Horizon Ridge Dusky Dawn and Furry Paws

Pump listened carefully to every word her pack mates had to say. She frowned, when Thistle and Bjorn so readily assumed that one of the options were to kill the healer right there and then. The wolf-dog was no fool, she knew, how valuable the girl was to them all and, how she had earned both her place and rank here. It hurt a bit that they thought of their leader as a ruthless killer, who cared only about the rules and nothing else. She would not let it pass though.

Gavriil didn't speak much, but what he said was wise and convincing. They weren't going to have children this year, because neither did Pump have a mate, nor did she have any desire for raising her own kids. They were a lot of trouble and could bring nothing but heartbreak, if they died young. She had seen, how a parent changed, if their kid passed away before him or her, she didn't wish any of that. This probably was a way around the rules.

Kennedy didn't say anything - either he had nothing to say or his opinion differed from the rest of the folk. Her gaze lingered at him expectantly, waiting for him to utter out a something, but after a while it was clear that he was not going to join the round-table discussion.

"Very well... I have heard your opinions," Pump began slowly, still thinking matters over. "Thistle, Bjorn - I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in you for thinking that my intention was to kill our healer. I hope that in the future before making any assumptions about my actions you will ask me first," she was not the kindest person in the lot, they may not know her that well, but she didn't feel like she deserved that kind of judgement.

"Bjorn, I respect your input about your former home, however, I was raised differently and I intend to implement similar rules here," she said. If every female and male in this pack were allowed to mate and bring back their children, they would run out of resources very soon. They couldn't sustain too many and Pump was not goint to let that happen. "But before I do that - Thistle - you did a lot of work to help us all after the rockslide. I am indebted to you and, since I don't like to owe anyone anything, I grant the permission for your children to live and grow up, once they are born. We are clear from this point on."

This decision didn't come easy for her, it run against all of her better instincts and she was determined never to get in that kind of situation again. "However - don't forget that this is a privilege. I will have no tolerance to bastard children in the future - play this game again and there will be no voting - I will kill them all. Life is a precious gift - it should never be wasted because of someone's irresponsible decisions," as she spoke, her stern gaze was fixed on Thistle. Pump meant every single word she had said.

"You also seem to be very keen on having a punishment," she went on. "So be it... Your kids won't belong to you, but to every single wolf, who spoke up for you today. Meaning that if you ever desire to leave, they will have to stay, until they are two years of age. They will be born without a name and will stay that way, until they earn it with a hard work and dedication," a name was a defining trait, another privilege that should not be given, but earned. She had succeeded in doing that at her old pack, so why shouldn't others be able to do that too.

"I don't require those, who have a different mind about my decision to take care of the kids, yet your duty will be to keep them out of harms way," she now spoke to the rest of the folk. "Those, who approved - myself included, will take care of Thistle and will help in raising the kids so they become a valuable asset to the pack," she finished her long speech and sighed. Then she remembered one more thing: "Bjorn - your help in finding the guilty party won't be neccessary. I and Thistle will handle it ourselves."

And another: "If anyone has anything to say about the matter - speak out now. If not - you are dismissed."