Otatso Wetlands Moonjock

From the weight of her nod and confirming words, Malachi understood that Tuwawi had once lived a life not unlike his own. He felt a connection through this small history they shared, he and this Valley wolf, even if their commonality was as dreary as having been a vagrant wanderer. Malachi nodded thoughtfully at her question. Tuwawi had been generous in all her words, and Malachi felt compelled to speak the same. "I haven't had the chance to watch the packs of these parts yet, maybe they're different, but I felt tension between others everywhere I've travelled. In our Vale, we trusted the packs that lived around us like they were our kin. If one faced hardship, we would all help them stand. There... was a time that we fought, but that's only told to us through the histories. Our forefathers came to realize that we could be stronger together than on our own, and now our whole life revolves around that belief." Of course, they had had their disputes, but that was why they had formed the Council. Though life hadn't been easy in the Vale - abundant prey led to an increase in other predators the packs worked fervently to chase from their land - they had learned to live in trust with the wolves around them, a distant memory Malachi wondered if he would ever experience again.

Malachi grew silent and Tuwawi explained her predicament further. He noticed the subtle changes in the woman's features, her bout of silence and the uncertainty of her final words. Malachi felt his brow crease. He cast his gaze in the direction of the mountain she'd scouted, staring again into that vast, vast copse of trees that separated them from her new and distant home. With pups in the picture, the journey sounded more complicated now, and far more dangerous. The boy felt a burden fall on his shoulders at the thought of the family trekking such a great distance with four children to lead. Tuwawi had every right to be concerned with their safety, and Malachi felt that concern trickling into his own chest as she spoke.

'Why don't you join us?' The boy blinked and Tuwawi continued, 'Perhaps you would prefer to rest your feet a bit in the comfort of claimed lands? We could be family, you and I.' Malachi let a silence settle between them as he processed her invitation, though he'd decided his answer even before she had asked. He could never live with the guilt of turning his back on this family in their time of need. "I would be honoured to ease your burden, both you and your family's. It will be good to be useful again." He gave Tuwawi a gentle smile and let her final words somersault through his mind. 'We could be family, you and I.' Family. He did not know how long he would stay, but he liked Tuwawi, and he felt his chest tighten at her words. "Will you howl for me when you leave?"