Sleepy Fox Hollow To the house in the pines where the road ends

Tenacity. Mahler had that in spades. Losing his children to fever, escaping it himself, losing Grimnismal, losing her—that errant thought was nerve-wracking but she was learning to take it in stride. The nerves weren't necessarily a bad thing. It wasn't like he was creeping into her bed chambers ...

She stopped that thought when her heart jolted in her chest and banished it.

I didn't, she said honestly. I think you were the only wolf who ever treated me like a leader. It was more stressful than it was enjoyable. She'd been proud to see Grimnismal rise, proud to stand with her brothers in the land of their birth and know that it was theirs, but all the pleasure was taken out of it by subsequent events. In all that time the only wolf she could remember showing her any actual respect was Mahler. There were others but they were forgotten.

It was a weary memory now, and one she had no hope of repeating anytime soon, so she was glad to depart from the topic with the General's offer. Sure, said Wylla, who didn't know the first thing about herbs, but did know that ending things on a pleasant note sounded nice. I can help you carry them or whatever you need done.