Dragoncrest Cliffs You had other plans

Hvitserk was highly attentive, listening closely to every word that left her mouth. He was interested in her, he always had been, and was fairly excited to learn about how life had treated her in his absence. At the news of her new titled, his tail began to wag and he reached out to run his nose through the fur along her cheek, congratulating her; she had always been a hard worker, especially in his eyes, and he was glad to hear of her ascension into something greater. As for her comment regarding Dio, he simply smiled and nodded, acknowledging her words and confirming his prior knowledge of his title; he had nothing against the current Wocha, he just couldn’t get as excited for him as he did Portia. Never had the yearling formed a bond with the man, nor had he really set out to do so—he was content being nothing more than a fellow member of the pack to Dio.

Tilting his head, he looked at her questionably. Seek out her daughter? It certainly made sense that he should befriend the young girl, given how close he was with her mother, but he wasn’t too sure how he felt about it all. Sure, she was Portia’s child but, even still, she was a complete stranger to him. Even if she wasn’t too keen on the idea of speaking, either, the thought of requesting her company felt… weird. He frowned—briefly—as the thoughts swarmed his mind, though they were quickly set aside and his lips turned upwards into a smile as the woman continued. Looking for Dalia to try and make friends seemed odd, but spending time with her to teach her about plants didn’t sound too bad; he was not nearly as well-taught as Portia but, during his time away, he learned more than what he’d known as a child. Without giving it a second thought, he nodded again eagerly, agreeing to assist the girl in any way that he could—however, he wasn’t entirely sure how he would locate her, given that he wasn’t permitted to venture into the depths of the territory.

At her last remark, his eyes widened in surprise. More children? He wasn’t sure how to react—what was appropriate? Wouldn’t more children mean less of her time would go to him? He didn’t like the idea of that at all—but then he realised something: the joy she seemed to feel from having started a family. Unable to do anything to take away from that, he inched closer and tucked his muzzle up beneath her chin, assuring her that he wasn’t going anywhere. This time, he would stay, and he would be there to watch her children grow.