King Elk Forest if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

There was a moment of hesitation, a hint of suspicion, at how readily Rexxar accepted her invitation. Saena wasn't used to wolves taking her offers. The last few times she'd attempted to recruit wolves had gone poorly, and those who ended up under her lead were often those who sought it, for one reason or another. She wasn't privy to the man's history at the creek nor want to live beside it, so for a moment she wondered what he did want. Surely it was something. Reek had shown her that all men were in want of what they didn't have, and Luke's sudden disappearance had taught her that even the most well-mannered of men were devils in disguise.

But of course, none of these thoughts showed on her face as she worried the stick and considered Rexxar. She'd expected his rejection, almost relished the thought of it if she was honest with herself, but she could work with his acceptance as well.

He offered a name, and she offered hers: "Saena." There was naught in a name anyway, and never in her life had she seen a reason to hide hers. He asked about orders, and she smirked as she told him, "all you need to know is I'm the head bitch," as in the canine variety, "and what I say, goes." Surely Rexxar would have no problems with that, she told herself. There were many a wolf who were too arrogant to follow the orders given them by a superior without question or complaint, but he didn't strike her as the type, even if she was mildly unsure of his easy acquiescence either.

"We are hunters, not scavengers," she said, pondering, and then decided, "ours is the old way. We kill, we eat, we guard the kill, but we don't put it in the ground." How did Saena know about the old way, anyway? Magic, she thought. The knowledge of hundreds of generations of wolves worked into her DNA, an instinct as old as time that told her to guard a kill. Besides, they'd lost a lot when they left Phoenix Maplewood, and she would not lose anything on that scale ever again. "Caches only invite predators and serve as spoils of war," she attempted to explain, and with a pang, she thought of how undeserving wolves like Reek and Tavi were surely enjoying the remains of her former caches. "Anything you catch yourself is yours to do with as you will, of course."

"Oh, and the defense of my children is priority number one." The defense of comrades was number two and the territory was number three, but Saena would be damned if ever they were pushed to leave the place. She'd sooner die than run again, but her children were of paramount importance, and no harm would befall them while she still drew breath. "Any questions?"