Arrow Lake rivers and roads

as the news delivered first hit him, stigmata became eerily still, unaware that he had begun holding his breath.

what?

he appeared quite dumbfounded, for a wolf usually so intimidating; his shock laid as bare as if he had been struck. this was a complete blindside - for while he had worried about betrayals from nearly all fronts, there was one he had neglected to fear, and he had never once considered that the threat might come from lady ruenna. so he stared at her - gaped, really - speechless until mahler saw fit to name the place of their claim, and his eyes snapped to the gargoyle manically.

WHAT?

shrieking eyes darted back to ruenna; he saw in her hesitance and shame that it was true, and that they both knew how he would receive this bittersweet decision. he started to prickle uncontrollably, but with a great bit of strain, the wolf creakily resumed a neutral posture, and his expression became a steel grimace to conceal the genuine sorrow he felt. stigmata's ears folded back. "could the timing not be helped?" he started off bitterly, unable to help the way his thoughts fled to his soon-coming pups and the crew of fresh strangers among them.

he sighed, and tried again. "i am... glad to see you with your family again, ruenna. it is where you belong." he returned steadily enough, though as he continued he seemed unable to completely keep the growl from his voice. "yet, this feels dangerously like betrayal, though i know such a thing could never be your intention. i am simply confused as to why you would chose to settle your family in a region you know very well we have named for the descendants of diaspora. you must already know my decision, if i am compelled to choose between aligning with foreign allies or with the children of my own wolves, so why do it this way? why not continue to expand under our stead, instead of subtly challenging it with your own?"