Noctisardor Bypass When the days are cold

Gwen raised her head as Semira approached, giving a friendly chuff in return to the woman. Her tail wagged warmly as she smiled, for a time happy in what she was doing. But that could not last - happiness did not last. She had come to realise that now, and she had accepted it. She would never be truly satisfied in life, but that was all there was to it. She had lost all she loved, but she was still here. She was still pushing herself through it. She would make it, even if the suffering continued throughout her whole life.

But that was not what she was here to talk about. No, there were pressing matters needing to be discussed. "We have some things that need to be sorted." The Empress spoke smoothly and calmly, despite the stir of emotions within her. The scar left by Knew's disappearance was dug deep - it would never truly heal. "Pups, firstly. I though we should begin with a lighter conversation." She had many ideas for the pups that were on the way, but one had been in her mind from the very start, and that was apprenticeships.

"You can sit down, by the way." She gestured for the Segundo to sit, hoping she had the time. "I thought about it for a while, and I think each pup should be assigned a mentor. A more experienced wolf to teach them about all sorts - preferably a trade. I want the youngsters to be able to learn a lot about all the different kinds of trades so they can begin to study whatever they like from a young age." She wanted Semira to have some sort of input as well, seeing as she would be helping run the pack from now on.