Moonspear fortune definitely favored us, but no one celebrated

Here, have a one-post cameo!

Considering he knew little to nothing of the undercurrents that had washed away half the pack, Dune was more blind-sided than the rest when he discovered that half the pack had packed their figurative bags. Wraen and Terance, two wolves that he was just getting to know, along with Rannoch and Liffey, had left. He supposed he had not been close enough to any of them to warrant a goodbye from any of them, which was a shame. He had liked them—at least enough to consider them potential friends—and Wraen had made a fine hunting partner.

Judging by the tone of the voices that called out, many of the nuclear pack was distraught, angry, and sad with these departures. Dune thought back to when he had first come to them seeking a place among their ranks, which had not been that long ago. Charon had warned him that he expected loyalty for what seemed like forever, and for a moment, Dune wondered what sort of feelings would be put upon him if and when he ever decided to leave. Would they feel the same way, no matter his reasons? Considering he did not know the reasons for those who had left, it was likely he never would. He would not want to bring up such a delicate subject to anybody.

There were good things about this, though. Provided he stayed—which was the plan—this would put Dune in a good position. He would have fewer wolves above him to impress, fewer wolves to prove himself loyal to. Perhaps this was a good thing. Then he remembered the gift, and he stopped to scratch at it. Maybe the gift had some part in this. Maybe it was helping him, but not without cost. Then again, what in this world came without cost?

Dune furrowed his brow, trying to work through all these thoughts when he came across Amekaze on the prowl. He stopped where he was, flattened his ears, wagged his tail, and said all he needed to in those movements. When he passed by Hydra only a few minutes later, he did the same, passing her a sympathetic look, but also one that exuded his own stance: he was not going with them.