Ankyra Sound sharp edges

things had changed in the time that they had spent beside the sea. illidan was a different man than the one who had arrived there. he had been hurt more than he would have thought, but he had pushed beyond a serious mental block that had crippled him before. there was more to work through, but he had managed to endure that long without faltering. he had even found a position of leadership in his mother’s pack.
 
with that, so had firefly and rosalyn.
 
the ability to compete for rank was smart. it provided those who felt they had earned it a moment to test their strength. illidan had not been overwhelmingly active in his leadership role. he had spent a great deal of time patrolling the borders and scouting the nearby territories so that he could know them better. he had learned a good deal in his short time as beta of the sound. he knew when it was important that he show his face.
 
the lean-bodied ghost made his way to the other two just in time to hear the trailing end of firefly’s remark: ’…we could move…’
 
“that would definitely be a worst-case scenario,” the dark-hooded figure stated in an even tone. “we have pregnant women with children that could be seriously harmed by a move. besides, you’d be hard pressed to find a way to convince my mother to leave this beach.” there were many reasons why he did not think that moving their group was an intelligent plan. it risked more than if they were to intentionally spur war with the drageda wolves again. even he did not believe that he could endure another uprooting.
 
“i will speak to her… about the drageda wolves. i will do what i can to temper her spirit… but you should know, she only acts how she believes is best for her group. she might not be right, but at least she is true to her own beliefs.”
 
in truth, it was not his job to make excuses for his mother. illidan did not believe that he even knew the woman well enough to be saying such things. he only hoped that he could help them in that moment. if they wanted to move, the young ghost knew that it would divide their pack. that was the last thing they needed when they were so weak. it was a time to build strength.