Ankyra Sound There's a line never crossed

lol ondine thinking about puppies and i'm over here like: "omg next month kja will be old enough to spawn >__>" xD :p

Ondine greeted him and showed submission as to which the Jarl accepted with an acknowledging dip of his head. She informed him that her wound was healing well and then admitted she might have exaggerated it in a tone that held her apology. An amused smirk pulled at the corners of his lips, and he offered her a lofty shrug of his broad shoulders as if to say “no sweat” mostly because he wasn't sure what one said to that kind of admission. If anything at all. She was allowed to be over dramatic if she wanted to be. She let out a frustrate snarl as she struggled to explain to him why she'd been angry. His ears slicked back to rest at half mast atop his skull, his expression contemplative. Kjalarr canted his head ever so slightly, assessing her, trying to make sense of it. He still wasn't entirely sure what had happened between the two women that day. Perhaps he would never understand. “You can tell me if you have concerns, or grievances, Ondine,” Kjalarr encouraged her softly, after a moment. “I value honesty and everything you tell me will be confidential. I can't help or try to offer a solution if I don't know what's wrong.” And that was one of his many roles as Alpha, wasn't it? He was the one they looked to, to solve problems, to lead them. “I can't promise that I can fix everything, or that I'll always have the solution but it's my job to try, regardless.”

But he had no intention to push. If she wanted to open up to him then she would and if she did not then she would not. All Kjalarr could do was let her know that he would listen, that he would not judge and he would not punish her for her honesty (or any of the others at that). He wanted to be the leader that his father had been: the one that his wolves would follow into Hel and back, he wanted to be a good Jarl to them; and on the opposite side of that he wanted to have their backs, he wanted to do for them all that he could. Their loyalty was important, but their trust, their friendship was much more important. Loyalty only went so far without affection, without trust. It was a balance that Kjalarr knew needed to be struck between them: Jarl and subordinates. They were more than a pack: they were a family. Rag tag, sure, but family nevertheless.

He inhaled deeply, the breath hitching as he swallowed furiously, fighting the grief that gripped him ice cold in his heart as their conversation went to Caiaphas. “No,” His accented voice was thick, heavy with the emotion he tried to keep at bay. Losing Caiaphas wasn't easy, and putting her aside, having to make Saltwinter his priority over her was not a decision that was easy for him to make. “The Blackwater Islands were empty. Its been a very long time since any wolf had ever stepped foot on them,” And that was very likely because the passage to them was mostly cut off to them by Saltwinter's claim, lest they wanted to swim all that distance from an adjacent shore. The grief choked him for a moment and he looked away from Ondine, into the horizon, clenching his jaw tightly. “It's not a decision I make lightly, or without a heavy heart but we don't have the manpower to spare in extensive hunts for her,” He drew in a deep, heavy breath. “I may be able to send scouts out to neighboring packs to ask if they've maybe seen her but our priority should be preparing for winter. It will be upon us soon,” And they weren't ready. They had a few months yet, but they had their work cut out for them, especially since they were small. “Caiaphas is a survivor. She will find her way back to us, eventually, but I need to look out for you and the others. I need to prioritize the pack. I think she would understand.”

Even as he spoke the words he still felt that crushing guilt. Yet, there was little else he could do. It was apart of being an Alpha: making the tough decisions.