Blackfeather Woods Utjitunnik

The man had known from the moment he’d noticed Nemesis’ pregnancy that his children would serve a purpose. They’d been born in the woods and had lived in the darkness ever since then, hearing tales here and there in order to keep them interested. Though they’d yet to hear anything regarding the Brotherhood—to his knowledge, that is—it was his hope that they might each someday wear the mark just as proudly as they were meant to. Nothing would pull or push them from the woods, and this he was certain of. For as long as they breathed, they’d remain within Blackfeather, serving in a way that might restore the pack to its former glory. The thought had been encouraged by Damien’s words, the deeper meaning behind them having not been missed. For as long as his heart still beat, he’d keep his children on the right path. Although many had come and gone before them, he’d not allow for the same to happen with the Apaata children. They would remain, they would grow, and they would assist in paving the way for a greater future for the pack.

As the former ways of the land had been mentioned, Kove had been able to offer little more than a nod. He could recall what it was like and how exciting everything had been—how close they had been to reaching their fullest potential. Then the Queen had fallen and everything went backwards, the lot of them having been turned down a path most unlike the one they’d previously been marching along on. “We will,” he’d said after a short while, nodding once again. “It won’t happen overnight, but we’ll get there. With you leading us now, we’ll become just as Meldresi had wanted us to.” They would be known—infamous, even—but they would also become nothing more than a rumour. A story parents tell their children to keep him from misbehaving, or a threat to dangle over the throats of the wariest wolves. With the False King existing no longer, there would be nothing to prevent them from fulfilling their purpose.