King Elk Forest Tell me, Grandson

Mato weighs Burke’s words: the two sides of the coin. A self sufficient pack that does not need to rely upon others and stands strong for it, and then the Fen which had not been strong in numbers but he brings up the point that because his father had been friendly with them the Caldera took them in. Though the druid thinks, tersely, that it came at a price. “Yes but the Caldera’s friendliness came at the price of your life, grandfather. They’d have left you die, they stole food from your mouth for their children. If that is how I can expect allies to act if Tindómë would ever be in a time of need then I do not want any.” Perhaps it is childish of Mato to think this way, to hold this grudge. And yet, he would not let any member of Tindómë suffer as Burke has been made to suffer all because they are the mercy of an overpopulated pack whose leaders kept reproducing when they clearly did not have the resources to do so. No, the wolves of Tindómë were and would always be the starlit king’s first priority and woe to whomever hurt, double-crossed or wished ill intent upon them.

“Eight, we have eight adults.” Mato corrects softly, albeit not looking to be disrespectful. Burke suggests that they get friendly with at least one pack and Mato visibly hesitates at the thought. What the Caldera did to his grandfather is still too fresh in the empyrean’s mind, still too unforgivable and the druid is not so willing to throw his lot in with another pack, at least, not until he irons out something solid. Something that states that all members of Tindómë, young and old alike, are to be provided for in a time of need if it ever was to arise; but he does not seek to dismiss his grandfather’s wisdom. “I will think on it,” Mato speaks, eventually. “first we need to survive out of our infancy.” Mato is not so naive to the world to believe that the hardest part was over. Winter was coming and Tindómë needed to survive it, first. Then, perhaps, he could return to the subject of possible alliances. Perhaps, by then, he’d have a better feel for what Tindómë would need in an ally, or if they did not need alliances at all.

In the meantime, however, he could send out a scout. “Not yet.” Mato replies when Burke inquires as to if he has a scout in mind, but he has plenty of faith that one of his wolves would step up at the chance.