Moonspear like the vapor of a vale

Tehama hadn't expected the warmth that she felt from Hydra.  The woman was welcoming and earnest towards the petite newcomer, and it was clear from her words and tone that she adored her children and family.  As her story was revealed, it was made clear to Te that just as her own ancestors had claimed Mount Mirror, Hydra seemed to have inherited Moonspear from her parents' rule.  The dark leader was made for the mountain, and, it seemed, an astute decision-maker.  Tehama nodded at appropriate moments through the woman's recounting, her approval growing as Moonspear's future fortunes were obviously Hydra's focus.  The Mu couldn't deny that the talk of children specifically pulled at a tender spot within her breast, for she had not considered the possibility of procreation as a possibility for so long. (She gently laid aside the rising half-formed thought of another dark-pelted wolf with jade eyes.)

Yet Tehama had tethered her loyalty to Moonspear and its service, so whether the future of Moonspear contained her own blood offspring or not, its good fortune and continued prosperity was her own. 

These thoughts swirling lightly in her mind like the little flakes of snow that surrounded them, Tehama said, "When I first came to Moonspear, I didn't know if my stay would be for the winter season or for good.  But I've come to love the Mountain and those I've met within it, and I hope I can be of service as long as you'll all have me."  She was sure that Dirge would have reported to Hydra upon bringing her into their fold, and wanted to ensure the ink-hued queen knew where her new recruit's loyalty lay.  "You are a pragmatic leader with clear foresight.  You do what you must to keep your pack and your flesh and blood safe."  Tehama dipped her tawny head, a moment longer than a nod, an expression of respect for the woman's position and for Hydra individually.  

Training her silver gaze back toward Hydra's features, Tehama asked, "Is there strife among nearby packs, further abroad than Firefly Glen?  My path into these lands was from the south-southwest.  I passed by another pack but did not encounter them, and my other acquaintances along the way were loners."  She had felt utterly safe and sound since arriving within Moonspear's stronghold, but she had begun to feel the tentative desire to explore the surrounding areas, and wondered how safe she truly was.  "Surely Moonspear's numbers and strength are well-known in the area?"  Would belonging to this mountain fortress offer a measure of security and safe passage outside of their borders?  "Do we engage with neighboring packs... politically?" She bit her tongue then in an attempt to not swamp Hydra with many questions all at once; she let her existing inquiries lay between them in the cold air.  Her silver eyes glimmered with renewed interest in the possibility that her childhood education, previously collecting dust, might yet prove useful in her new homeland.