Blacktail Deer Plateau In these trees there's no escaping truth

Liri seemed seemed interested in the news, which to Rue translated to a job well done. She nodded at the suggestion that Elysium might be sought out before winter-- they were close enough that a quick excursion shouldn't pose any problems. 

"I agree entirely," Rue replied to Liri's remark about allies. Rue had grown up in a small natal pack with a dozen or so allies, and these bonds were truly what had allowed each family unit to survive. Grezig had told Rue of her journey to the eastern pack-- Easthollow, Liri called it-- but Grezig had not mentioned the possibility of an alliance. Perhaps the beta had wished to run the news by the alphas first? Even so, Rue was somewhat baffled that Grezig hadn't shared that bit. The leadership tier seemed to like their secrets. Rue wondered if she would ever know what was going on with the three of them-- there was obviously something.

"I thought the same thing," Rue agreed with Liri's assessment of the advantages of having close allies. Neighbors could be a wonderful asset, if they were the cooperative type. What sort of wolves the Elysium bunch would prove to be, only time would tell. 

"A little bit," Rue admitted to being travel-weary with a small chuckle. "But I'm happy to stretch my legs one more time before winter." Rue knew that if she turned down the excursion, she would be kicking herself for not taking the chance to travel once the cabin-fever of winter set in. 

Rue blinked at the swift subject change. She blinked a few more times in surprise at the praise that followed, ears flattening in disbelief. Liri then called her family, and Rue swallowed the emotion that welled in her throat. "You.. don't know how much that means to me. To hear that," she said quietly. She looked down, affected. 

But Liri wasn't finished. Rue's gaze cut upward, and she nodded along as Liri listed the events of the last few moons. Even with the (as Liri put it) "long winded" wind-up, Liri's final question came as quite a shock to Rue. Her brow knit in confusion as her mind whirred. Many wolves had been present for hunts and for the times at which the borders were defended. And Liri could have taken anyone to negotiate those alliances. Rue was neither the most decorated wolf nor the longest-standing member. Liri's beta selection didn't really make sense to her logically, and yet..

And yet, Rue trusted Liri wholeheartedly. If Liri thought that Rue was the best selection... if Rue was the packmate Liri had come to trust the most, just as Rue trusted the alphess most, then who was Rue to question her judgement? Rue was not the type of wolf who stepped easily and comfortably into a position of power and responsibility, but maybe that was what made her the right candidate for the job. Maybe Liri wasn't looking for a ruler or a diciplinarian. Maybe Liri was looking for someone with a softer touch; someone who would work to open lines of communication and strengthen the ties that held their community together. 

"I.. thank you. Thank you, Liri. I.." Rue swallowed again, trying to get her thoughts and words together. "I'm sorry, I'm just surprised," she admitted with a small laugh. "Beta.. is not a position I had ever hoped to imagine for myself." Honestly, if Liri had instead been demoting her to Omega she would have been less surprised. "But if you believe I am the woman for the job, I trust you."

No doubt some of their packmates would raise their brows at Rue's rise in station, and Rue was not looking forward to any uncomfortable encounters -- or stars forbid, confrontations-- that might follow. But she would face all the doubt and bitterness her packmates could summon a thousand times before she would disappoint Liri, the woman who had given Rue a new chance at family. "If.. if I have new responsibilites, I..." Rue trailed off, unsure of what was expected of a Beta or even how to ask. "..I will do my best to fullfill them." She nodded almost to herself, as if reassuring herself that she was capable of this.