No-one had challenged her nominations at the pack meeting, but the honour had been somewhat overshadowed by Tuwawi's announcement. It wasn't until several days later that Bazi realized they would need to plan for this. Had it been anyone else, she would have asked them to take care of their own mess - but Tuwawi was different, and the entire pack adored the Sveijarn pups.
It was early morning when Bazi called to Galileo and Danica again, seated at the rendezvous site where the pack meeting had taken place. She was calmer now; she had a Beta, her relationship with Shadow was on the mend, and a never-ending stream of wolves still flocked to their borders. They might never replace Tuwawi or her mate as individuals, but their head count would not be affected for long.
But right now, they needed to talk logistics.
She knew what this was about... that much was obvious. Danica gave Bazi credit for even considering assisting. She was a bigger wolf than Danica herself would be in this situation. She would have seen their leaving a personal slight. As it was, she herself was not representative of this pack and therefore did not really have cause to take it personally.
Bazi seemed rather collected currently, though. She was glad; she would hate to see Njal and Tuwawi completely outcast. A part of her hoped that she would still see the family from time to time.
Galileo's sleep was heavy that morning, he had not slept well the night before for reasons that remained yet unknown. However when the new Alpha's howl travelled through the air, he was able to grasp it in his subcouncious and make himself awake.
Slowly he crawled out of the den he had claimed as his own and followed the sound of Bazi's voice until she was in view. He greeted the female with a low bark and a swift nod of his head and then settled besides the blonde girl that had been probably the first member he had met on the creek. A soft smile planted itself on his face as he took a seat next to her, "Morning" he said to both and blinked his still-groggy eyes a couple of times
"Morning," the Alpha told him fondly, buffeting her small head against his shoulder. She cast a curious look at Danica, blissfully unaware that the pair of them were due a very strange conversation in the coming days. Was it her shoulder? Or was she unimpressed with the decision to aid Njal and Tuwawi? Bazi cleared her throat softly and got straight to business."We need to talk logistics. I don't want Njal and Tuwawi to leave, especially not with the pups.. but if they are going, they need to go far away from Swiftcurrent. I don't want competition. That said, we all love those pups, and I want them to have a chance. I want to send a number of us with them on their journey, maybe stay until they have a few more wolves in their ranks.. what do you think? I was thinking Kieran, but there's a chance he might actually stay if we let him go.." She blinked her big, blue eyes at the advisors. Did it matter of Kieran left? The pack would replenish, and he hadn't done much to prove himself.. but Bazi was not a fan of losing in any way, shape, or form.
Once they got to business, however, her input became necessary. Forcing her tired brain to function was like trying to work loose a rust bold but she managed it, however slowly.
"I think the wisest course would be to send those whose loyalty to you is unquestioned." She knew who she would pick were she Bazi... Galileo and Scimitar. The creek would be fine without the beta for the amount of time it would take and neither of them were apt to leave anytime soon. She might have named herself among that number at one time, but she, unlike Bazi, knew what was coming.
The peppered male casted his eyes to the ground as the Alphess spoke, he was completely oblivious to the tension that had settled between the blonde and the snow coated female, never not even in his wildest dreams he would've imagined that the reason for that uncomfortable setting were matters of the heart.
He was far more focused on finding a way of helping the Sveijarns without compromising any member of the pack. If they did as Bazi said there was a chance their rented wolves would never return. "Do you mean like giving them borrowed packmates?", he asked with an uncertain tone. It was then when Danica voiced her own opinion on the subject, which made the older male stare at her as he analyzed her suggestion.
The decison was ultimately Bazi's but he would've liked to help the young ruler to think through her options before acting.
Yes, of course. That was smarter. She nodded curtly in agreement, irritated that the idea had not been her own - but this was exactly why she needed advisers. Given time, her own wisdom would grow to fill the seats they occupied, but she was still two seasons shy of two years old.
Galileo sounded less convinced. "Yes," she responded to him, "Is that a bad idea? What if I send you? I know the pups like you."
But she also understood Bazi's desire to ensure the safety and future of the pups who would be making the transition. It was a tough balance to hit, and problem that would need to be approached with care.
She simply nodded in silent agreement as Bazi came to one of the same conclusions she had, offering to send Galileo if he so chose. Hopefully he would be able to resist the draw and return home to them.
When the young Alpha suggested he should be one of the rented members of the Sveijarn's pack, he blinked at her with suprise. A part of him felt he was testing his loyalty with that question, asking him to go only to see if he would return. There was no doubt in the freckled man's heart that Bazi was a good leader for the Creek -- she had been the one who had brought him here and to be honsets she had been more of a leader to him than Fox had ever been. Her heart; loyalty included belonged to the immaculate Alpha.
So as tempting as staying with the loving family of the Sveijarns could be, he was sure he would decide to return even if leaving the young family would leave him with a heavy heart, abandoning the place that took him in would tear him up completely.
Him wanting to stay wasn't exactly the problem.
It was in fact that the possibility that he was forced to stay which pressed upon the male's mind. Galileo was not a yearling that was no secret to the world, and while he wasn't exactly an elder at the brink of death either, a long journey across the unknown especially with mountains involved, would definitely take a toll on his body. Despite the fact his age didn't intervene with his hunting skills or his strenght, he had already begun to experience back pains and aches that crawled upon his hips and settled on his joints making his muscles tense and his body stiffen.
"I don't think it's a bad idea, as long as you send the right wolves" he barked after a minute of analyzing his options. "I'm not going to lie" he began while setting his eyes on his Alpha, "I am afraid I might not return --not because of treason but because it's a long journey to endure he barked hoping they'd get what he tried to say without having to actually mention his fear of dying half-way.
She turned her eyes on Danica. "What about you? You're young, strong.. and you would come back to me." It wasn't a question. Bazi felt a strong bond with her golden warrior. There was something.. Fox-like about Danica, and Bazi did miss Fox - despite what she might say or do in public. "If your injury is healed up by then, I mean."
She could make it though, and would indeed return.... if Bazi still wanted her by then, of course. Whatever was going to happen in the next few weeks would be done by the time they left, though, so if she was gone by then, obviously this offer would hardly matter. There was no reason for her not to agree with this. "I would go." And she would return. Much as she enjoyed Njal and Tuwawi's company, this was her home. She wouldn't forget that readily. "If I am able to by then." The preparations would take some time, she was sure, and she was hoping this wouldn't take too long to heal up.
Galileo casted his eyes to the ground, watching the pebbles and dirt as the two females spoke. Galileo was four years old, he was walking the tightrope between the stage of old adult and senile wolf, and while it may be true that he carried himself with a youthful vigor and a fresh smile on his face the joints and bones in his body were in charge of giving him a constant reminder of his age.
As much as he'd like to follow his leader's orders he found no use in lying about his health, after all it wouldn't be worth the trouble to send him on a mission that would end up being the death of him. If he was going to be useful he might as well stay and serve the Alphess while the pack got used to the Sveijarn's absence.
He was ashamed to say he was not in his best shape, and even more to his Alpha who had accepted him into the pack with the mere condition he would pull his own weight--not that he could not sustain himself, he was perfectly capable of hunting and if there were a day he needed to battle he would go head to head to protect the Creek's honour.
Galileo's amber eyes then climbed up to the blonde female's face, she had been his first friend --aside from Bazi-- that had welcomed him into the pack. He gave the girl a comforting smile and a nod that signified he wished her the best, little did he know that would be the last time they'd be packmates.