Stavanger Bay you always knew you'd be the one to work while they all play

private for @Thistle Cloud !

Thistle Cloud had grown bigger and bigger over the past time. Charon wondered why there were no other leaders to stand beside her, and most of all, why Ragnar had not stepped up to take his rightful place beside her. Thistle and Ragnar were like parents to Charon, so not only were they a few of the only wolves for whose well-being Charon cared, his pride also reflected in their status; and Ragnar belonged as Alpha, in his eyes. He had not mentioned this to them, however, had just watched with surprise.

Luckily the wounds in his neck had healed over well with the care of Thistle Cloud, and the remnants of the encounter with the monster in Dawnlark Plains was barely visible now. Charon, a little over six months of age, now stood at the height of the adults, even though he still lacked in strength and balance, still learning how to use his body.

Charon had spent the morning on the beach, and now he made his way back to the den, which awaited the arrival of Thistle and Ragnar's newest litter. "Thistle?" he called out into the den, wondering if she was inside, because he had something important he wanted to talk to her about.

Thistle herself had briefly wondered, why her husband hadn't stepped back up. She had not however, thought long or hard on it. Nor had she asked him about it. Because, it was a fleeting thought mostly. She knew he did his own thing, and he would step back up, when he was ready too. And not a minute before.

Charon, was now large enough that he too towered above Thistle, just as everyone always did. She was not a large wolf, and most were much larger than she. He was turning into a wolf to be proud of, and she gladly would claim him as her own, if he wanted it. Levi as well.

Thistle heard the quiet call, and pushed her head and body out of the den. She smiled at him softly, her sides round and large. Hello Charon. She nudged him gently, and licked his one ear. She did not know what kind of affection he would take, being a teenager now.

Even though Charon thought of Ragnar and Thistle Cloud as his parents in a way, he did not call them mother or father. It somehow felt awkward, even though they had pretty much raised him and they felt like his parents and all. It didn't really matter to Charon, anyway; what he felt was more important than what name he'd tag to anything, anyway.

Thistle came out of the den, and Charon bent down to lick the underside of her chin in respect. Although Charon was in a pretty difficult stage of his life (mostly for those around him), he still showed proper respect to the few wolves in his life that mattered, especially those that had raised him (when no one cool was looking, of course). Thistle looked funny, all round and now shorter than him, though he would never say this out loud.

"I was thinking," Charon said casually, "About how the pack needs good leaders. Then you wouldn't have to do everything alone, and you can spend more time with the pups when they're born." Charon looked at Thistle while he spoke to see how her reaction would be. "And anyway, I was thinking about how I should be a leader, 'cause I would be great at it. I love Stavanger Bay so I'd wanna do what's best for the pack and I've always been with this pack so I know everyone and everyone knows me." He waited silently for Thistle's response. Charon expected her to say he was too young now, but that would perfectly lead into his next argument that he could fill in the leader position as soon as he was nine months old -- an adult -- which was still pretty far away, but not like super far, so he would be able to wait until then.

Thistle would not have minded, had Charon called them mother and father. Neither would have Ragnar she was fairly certain. However, she understood the misgivings of it. How it would seem strange, she could never call anyone other than her own mother, mother. The same with her father, it just would not feel right.

Thistle hummed softly at his respect and nudged him herself. She could not reach his head, so she nudged his shoulder. Hello Charon. It is good to see you. She waddled backwards and sat down, her sides rotund and large. She waited for him to speak, clearly something was bothering him. Something he wished to get off his chest.

Thistle listened to his words, and she was surprised, but not displeased. She could certainly see how he would make a good leader, but so would Aesop. Both were warden like, though Aesop had time and experience on his side. She honestly hadn't thought of another leader, but there were the beta spots to be filled. You want to be leader. So tell me Charon, can you handle yourself with a level head at all times? Are you able to not let your emotions rule you? I am not saying no, but nor am I saying yes right now. you have some time before you are old enough to take that spot. And i would need to be sure you would be a good fit. So what can you offer the pack as a leader? That someone else cannot? 

She was in no means giving the boy a hard time, and she made that known with a small smile. She would not damper his enthusiasm or his want. He very well could make a good leader, she didn't know.

Charon wondered how long - or short - it would be until Thistle Cloud would give birth to the new pups. He was eager to meet them, his new siblings, in a way, even though he also didn't want to lose any of the attention he was given; a thing that was bound to happen, anyway. He'd just have to see how things would turn out when the pups were there. For now, the arrival of new pups made him feel very mature and adult, and maybe that was one of the reasons he thought now would be a good time to rise up to the occasion to become a leader, even if it would be a few more months until he would be an adult to the pack officially.

Since Charon hadn't expected Thistle Cloud to accept without saying a thing, it did not come as a surprise to him that she had questions lined up for him. He was young, after all, and though he was certain that he'd be capable, there was always some sort of test to becoming something really cool; whether it was slaying a real dragon to become a knight, or proving your worth to become a leader.

"Of course I can, I'm very good at being cool in any situation and being level-headed and fair when judging a situation," Charon was quick to answer to Thistle's question. "I know it's three moons before I'm old enough, but I wanted to tell you now so you know I'm willing. I grew up in this pack and I know everything about it, and I love the wolves and they love me." Maybe that wasn't the whole truth of it, but it didn't matter, for now; even though he didn't get along with all of Stavanger Bay's wolves, Charon still liked them and he would always be fair to them; and whatever was broken now, he'd fix it. To Thistle's question -- what would he offer that others would not -- Charon answered, "I was born here, and raised by vikings. It's not only my right as your, uh -- as being raised by you and Ragnar -- but I know this pack, I know what's good for it." Charon watched Thistle's face while he talked, though made sure not to make eye contact too much, to estimate if he was saying the right words.

Thistle would do her best, to make sure that all her children, got attention from her. It would be hard at first, of course. But once the little ones were no longer so little, she could go back to paying proper attention to all of them. Thistle appreciated the fact, that perhaps it was the impending birth, that caused Charon to look into leadership.

Thistle listened, and she had to admit his argument was valid. It was all true, he was raised by them. He knew their practices, their thoughts. He knew how to fun the pack. And he had been her since birth. She frowned in thought, and nodded her head. All your reasons are valid, and I have to admit you make a good point. I will of course talk to Ragnar and see. I will let you know. He is going to want you to have trades, though. Are you pursuing any actively?

Charon hadn't felt nervous in his life often. Usually he was brimming with confidence, and even though he was confident of his own qualities even now, he also felt nervous to have to prove himself towards Thistle, his foster mother, whose opinion he held very highly. Charon couldn't suppress a smile to creep across his face as Thistle said that he was making valid arguments and that she would talk to Ragnar about it. Charon thought about how he'd treated Ragnar wrong when he had returned to the Bay, when Charon had felt bad, but he didn't think that his foster parent would hold it against him; Ragnar was used to Charon's spunk, after all, and wouldn't hold that one moment when Charon'd been hungry and tired against him, surely.

As Thistle asked Charon about his trades, he nodded fervently. "I'm a Naturalist, as you know," he said with a smile that betrayed his pride about this fact -- Levi didn't have an official trade yet, and Charon wasn't sure if Gunnar did; even many of the adult wolves hadn't yet gotten a trade -- and then added, "And I'm working for Warden, keeping the borders safe, and Chronicler, so I can tell stories about the pack and other stories." Unbeknowst to Charon, many of his stories had good morals and values -- though many also had awful ones -- and he loved making them up and telling them to pack mates and other wolves.

Thistle had to return the smile. It brightened up her foster son's face. He was a happy child, almost a man all things considered. He had a rough start to his early life, and Thistle regretted that he had to go through that. He and Levi, she did not think of the other two. It was true she worried of them, and sometimes wondered. However, the simple fact was she needed to save her energy for the living and present. Ragnar would not hold the youth's words against him, if she had known what he thought of. He had been young and scared and almost dead when he had come home.

Thistle nodded Yes I know. Tell me Charon, how do you plan to use your Naturalist trade to benefit our pack? She gave him another smile, and a small nudge to the nearest limb to her, probably his shoulder. She was not being mean, just curious. After all, she needed to know what he could do with his trade, did she not?

She nodded her head, So you could entertain the pack and puppies? ANd you can keep our borders safe? I'd say you are pretty well rounded. Charon, you make me proud.

Thistle asked Charon how he would make his Naturalist trade benefit the pack, and he immediately had an answer ready, as he always did. "Well, I for example learned about giant fireproof trees in Ravensblood Forest, so if there was ever a fire and we were stuck in that forest and couldn't escape we could all hide inside those trees." Not that the situation was very likely, but it was certainly good information to have, and if they ever did get into that specific situation, they'd all be very happy to have a Naturalist leader. "I also think that everyone feels more comforted to know that the ones they lost are up in the stars, you know? So they would like to hear stories about the stars and have a leader who knows their loved ones are all part of the billions of stars up there, and they'd feel safer and happier talking to me about the ones they lost." The story lost some coherency throughout, but Charon hoped the message came across (and, if anyone'd ask him, he thought the story was pretty coherent anyway).

As Thistle said that Charon was pretty well rounded and that he made her proud, Charon visibly glowed under the attention; he loved to be told that he was great and be appreciated by those around him... Especially if those were wolves that he respected as much as Thistle, his Alpha and surrogate-mother. "Thanks," Charon casually said with a controlled voice, though it didn't take a detective to figure out that he was jumping with joy on the inside at the received praise.

Thistle smiled at his answer. Then she blinked, Fireproof trees? Tell me about them? Now it wasn't even about his want for leadership. She was curious, she had never heard of fireproof trees, and it made her wonder. She enjoyed learning new things herself after all. Yes although vikings believe that their warriors are feasting in Valhalla which I believe is also in the stars. So many could listen to your stories and be comforted

Thistle smiled softly, she knew he would be pleased with the praise. What boy wasn't, and if Thistle had any skills, one of them was raising boys. She nudged him gently, happily. I will definitely consider it.

"Yeah, they're the really big trees in Ravensblood Forest." Charon looked to see if this rang a bell with Thistle. "The uhhh... Sequoia, I think the tree is called?" It had been a while since Scarlett had taught him about the trees, so Charon wasn't too sure if he had remembered the tree's name correctly -- but he was pretty sure that this was its name, and this was also what the area was named after.

Charon nodded when Thistle told about Valhalla; he knew the stories, and like Thistle, he liked to believe that Valhalla was a place in the skies, among the stars, too.

As Thistle said she would consider it, Charon smiled brightly. He considered it a done deal, since he honestly didn't think that any wolf would be better for the job than he, and Thistle clearly needed the help. He would do his very best to prove to Thistle that everything he said was true in the next months, so that when he came of age, she would definitely choose him to be a leader in Stavanger Bay.

"Anything I can do for you or the pups right now?" Charon asked helpfully, eyeing Thistle's belly.

Thistle listened and nodded her head. Ah I have heard of them and I have seen them. I actually think Ragnar may have mentioned that so long ago. I had forgotten. She smiled at him and nodded her head. She knew what it looked like now, very well. And if her memory served Ragnar had told her of these trees, when they had first gotten together. Possibly the first time actually. Though it was all mixed up and jumped now.

Thistle smiled as she thought of Valhalla. Proud of the fact that Charon was willing to believe in the culture of her husband and she.

Thistle laughed, and tapped her paw against the ground in thought. Sure I could handle a snack if you can find me one? These babes have decided that they are hungry again. And they get what they want after all. She smiled again and simply settled more comfortably to the ground, ready to listen if there was anymore he wished to say.

unless thistle has more to say, feel free to fade this out with your post :-)

"I'm on it!" Charon said hastily when Thistle said that she and the pups were hungry. "Seeya in a bit, I'll go find you guys some food." With those words, Charon turned around and ran off. He hadn't done a whole lot of hunting on his own yet, but he'd been taught quite a bit by Gunnar and other wolves of the pack. He'd catch something, eventually, and it would be good practise.

It took Charon a couple of hours before he managed to catch an old emaciated rabbit. Maybe others might not have thought much of a catch like that, but Charon carried it proudly to Thistle's den, head held high in pride.

Thistle watched him go, warmed by his happiness, and his thrill. She was so glad he was a part of their bay. He was a true son of the bay, and she loved him as fiercely as she loved her own. in her own mind, he was her own. She had practically raised him, and she had loved his mother just as fiercely.

Thistle took the meal gratefully and made sure to praise him for the catch. Good Job Charon. This is a meal that will be delicious.