Dante listened with rapt attention as Peregrine told of his past. His brother seemed a familiar character to Dante; sounded just like Melusina, or rather, what she would have been should Atrix have passed before Dante left. "Seems you ended up where you meant to be, then." He responded, wondering at fate's curious ways. "Honestly I wouldn't recommend the lifestyle. Sure, I enjoyed it well enough, but I had little choice." Given the alternative, he'd much rather have had this all along. He was here now, though.
Peregrine asked about his past and he faltered. He had figured the question would be directed back at him. "I... I don't much like the wolf I was back then." He admitted, looking down. It hadn't been that long, but he marveled by how much a single revelation had changed his life. He didn't make a habit of talking at length about his upbringing, but somehow, he felt Peregrine would understand.
"I grew up in a pack that taught its members survival of the fittest in a big way. There was no peace with neighboring packs like you have here. If a wolf wasn't pack, they were an enemy, and enemies were dealt with accordingly. I killed for the first time when I was a little over four months old." He paused, then looked up. "It was a pup they had captured when they had led an attack. My father gave me a choice; either he died, or my sister did. So I chose. After all, he meant nothing to me. He wasn't pack."
"My sister, Tarin, was a better wolf than I will ever be. And for it she was ridiculed, attacked, and thrown out. She was the only wolf in the pack that I loved, and it was she who showed me how wrong they had been about everything. I should have followed in my father's footsteps and been Commander when he passed honorably in battle, but instead I left with her."
"We wandered a while. She found a mate and a pack, but for some reason, I wasn't content. So I left and ended up here." His life as a loner had been long, and much had happened, yet none of it of much consequence. His turning points had been two in number: one, when he followed Tarin that fateful night, and two, when he stumbled upon Peregrine on the borders of Blacktail Deer Plateau.
Dante sighed, then gave Peregrine a wry smile. "I may have regrets, but life's put me in a pretty good spot now." He shut his mouth then, having already spoken far more than he was normally comfortable with.
