Silvertip Mountain Trespass

With his final remark, Goldry committed himself fully to this venture. A new confidence surged through him as he shucked the shackles that bound him to a lifeless pack. Ookaan was no more. This pack was; and it was strong. It was new. It held the promise of purpose and unity the likes of which could rival his natal pack. This stranger seemed to know it, for Goldry could tell she was proud. Cult or family, the difference mattered little. He wanted to feel a piece of that pride for himself.

He nodded as he listened. Her philosophy seemed inline with his own ideals and those of old Beartooth Pass, so much so that he could hear his father behind her words. Aptitude, strength, and adaptability were the hallmarks of his kin. The weak grew strong or succumbed. Trespassers were chased out of the territory, or killed if they were caught. The Pass belonged to his family and no other. It was their home and hearth; it provided, and they protected. Goldry realized, and felt relief, that his good luck continued to hold; this she-wolf would not have granted him forgiveness it he had trespassed. With the exception of retribution, which Beartooth wolves did not seek or see wisdom in doing so, her pack now sounded so much like home that Goldry felt shame for thinking any less of it. To a stranger and a straggler, Beartooth could easily come off the same way.

Goldry's eyes narrowed, committing all she said to memory. But her last sentiment elicited a smile, and his ears twitched in silent laughter. “I understand,” he said. So, the whole pack would not suffer a fool to live, even if it was one of their own. A harsh, but not undeserved atonement for the sin of arrogance; for if a pack mate risked his or her own life, they jeopardized the well-being of the pack itself. “And I agree.” But he wondered just how far this sentiment extended, and whether it was truly as black and white as she made it out to be.

Regardless, this woman sounded like an exceptional leader; like she had been groomed specifically for the role. He wondered whose pupil she'd once been, and what training she'd undergone. Whether her proclivity for ruthlessness had been part of the curriculum, or if it was simply in her nature. “Is there anything else I should know?” he asked.