Emberwood For A King To Do His Part

The man was terribly polite; Easy goggled at him as he spoke, remembering the etiquette lessons her father had worked so hard to drill into her and thinking that they would fall a little flat with such a well-spoken conversational partner. She wondered if Grayday would've been just as charmed by the man.

Before she could ask for her well wishes to be passed on to Valette (as well as the news that there was no news, but she was still keeping an eye open for Sunny and Steph), Greyback shared news of his own. Easy's breath caught in her throat, her heart seeming to leap along with every name. That was everyone — or nearly everyone, if she only counted the wolves she'd had any true hope of finding. Then she felt a twinge of guilt, because she'd just been thinking of Steph and had just as easily forgotten her. She remedied this now: "And Steph? Was she with Sunny?" she asked, feeling uneasy at her omission, but hoping it had merely been for her own benefit, as Greyback might not have thought she was interested in hearing about those outside her bloodline.

Regardless of his answer, she pressed on: "If Minnow is there, his son should be brought to him as well. Do you think there's room in Easthollow for one more little boy? Well, not little; Valiant is nearly nine months, now, and he's about where you'd expect in his hunting skills, the last I checked up on him. But our family comes from a long line of excellent hunters, so he'll likely be worth the investment." The last sentence was said somewhat lightly, as though she was making a joke — but she hoped it would sway the male all the same.

She startled when Bhediya appeared, and blinked at her dam before stepping back a fraction to welcome Greyback inside. "Of course," she agreed, and then her gaze slid back to the male, grateful and admiring.