Northstar Vale friends in high places

He did not want a high rank. She understood him, at least a little. The pressures of leadership were immense, especially in a territory as vast as the Vale. At the same time, though, she wondered if it didn't get under his skin just a little bit to know that young upstarts like Chusi had the run of the place, when Regan was much older and more experienced himself.

Nevertheless, she shrugged it off, choosing to answer his question instead. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I've only met a couple of you guys. I don't even know how many wolves live here. Or how much game there is. I know I can survive the winter. . .but it would be sure as hell easier to survive with a structured pack."

Bending her head to the carcass, she began to eat again, though her mind was swarming with questions. Where was everybody? Even in her own fractured family, it was still easy to find everyone around, save her absentee father. They banded together and put up a strong front. In Miyako's time here, Chusi had not made any effort to bring the pack together for hunts or gatherings. They were wolves bound by allegiance, not necessarily by loyalty or trust.

Miyako wondered whether Mouse had painted a rosier picture of the Vale than reality warranted. The physical beauty was there, but the camaraderie was sorely lacking.