Arrow Lake dogs

"you do not need a history of interrogation to know how to ask your packmate if something you heard is true or not," he said, looking at the male skeptically as he now felt fully aware that whatever he said from that point on would be taken personally, and therefore probably the wrong way. "but i understand why you have chosen this course of action, now that i know you were a soldier." it explained a lot, really. and the fact that corvus did not see them yet as family was to be expected, so the wolf did not comment on this, but if he was incapable of learning how to operate their way, regardless of previous experience, then they might have come to an impasse.

"you are not a soldier here, corvus. we have tasks for you, not orders. you will see the difference in time, but it must start with you understanding that i do not control you or anyone else here, and i am not in the business of punishing wolves for their pasts, especially those who have done me or mine no wrong." the only thing he needed corvus to understand was that he had only come to stigmata with problems and no mention of a solution.

corvus went on to unnecessarily explain his reasoning for not going to redshank first - reasons stigmata understood well enough but did not condone himself - and it left the tactician to wonder why the mercenary had come to join them so quickly if what he wanted was a slow build. why not then go with wolves he was more familiar with? "you have not made a mistake coming to me," he thought to clarify. a mistake would have been to physically accost redshank on the accusation alone. "but i would have appreciated you saving me the trouble, by first asking redshank himself about his involvement before coming to me."

stigmata sighed. "i just need to know if you can do your own reconnaissance from now on, or not. i do not expect you to keep things of this nature from me, but i do expect more of an initiative, especially if you ever want to see us as your family and not just as fellow expendables." why was he being so sensitive about talking to his own packmates anyway? they could've moved on already if corvus could understand and move on from the fact that stigmata simply wasn't "most alphas." he didn't expect to be in control of everything, and even though he had lofty goals - goals that even a non-believer like corvus had decided to back for a time - he went on about things in an entirely realistic mindset.

his expression changed slightly as corvus described the proposed trumpeter, and annoyance passed over him like a cloud. "i see. and was redshank the only wolf of diaspora she had something negative to say about?"

corvus was forthcoming with what he knew, but their relationship may have been irreparably damaged in the short exchange. they would not have the chance to revisit their differences again before the geist had taken his leave, and stigmata would regret the loss of him only briefly before being forced to move on.