A Leader's Questions...

Rain was hesitant to speak, slightly worried she would cutoff someone else who wished to answer. With a sigh, she lowered her gaze, ears flicked back, but she held her voice steady. "There are many things I've seen that could be classified as horrifying, unspeakable, cruel, some by my own paws. Though if I had to pick one, it would be an incident in my old pack, where I was born." She paused for a moment, recalling the time. "You see, my father was the leader of the pack, and I believe he could be classified as a tyrant. But he was also a puppet, and that's what factors in to what happened. A shewolf, who could only have been a year old, had a litter of pups sired by a different male. When the puppeteer, and subsequently my father, found out, well.. Her pups were killed in cold blood, under no code or moral, and she was torn to shreds by her own packmates." It was the most cruel and horrendous sight Rain had ever seen, and was partially why she ran in the first place. She was a deserter because of her own father. 

Rain cleared her throat after staying silent for several moments, raising her head and shaking it briefly.  She scanned for a moment before picking a wolf at random. She was conflicted whether to keep the dark direction, but decided to out of curiosity. "If you care to share, what was a cruel or merciless thing you have seen or done in recent memory? Many of us have blood on our paws, how about you?" 

Chianti dipped her head in respectful silence as Rain finished speaking- truly, a terrible history to overcome. It was a reminder of the sort of pack she never wanted to see her own descend into. Chianti's ears pricked as the next question was called, her mellow green eyes taking on a cold glint as they met with Rain's blue gaze.

"I hail from a strict land. You are born into a role chosen by fate, and you will die in that role. The path of change is one only open the unfortunate- or the cunningly cruel," the young queen began in a soft voice that dropped as she spoke. "There is one chance every yearling pup has to prove their path deserves to be redirected. A tournament between every willing year-old wolf is held in a deep cave system around a river. We are led in with our eyes covered and our noses distracted by mint leaves, and we must find our way out. We aren't discouraged from helping one another..." she trails off, her eyes drifting to a stone under paw.

"But we aren't required to, either." She pressed the stone into the dirt with a sigh. "I was desperate to escape my role. I didn't want friends, I didn't want allies, or help. Once I found a trail of slightly fresher air, I sabotaged my fellow yearlings. I had saved some mint leaves in my mouth, and I covered my trail so that no-one could follow me out." She shut her eyes, pausing to relive the memory. "I left them all behind. At the end of the day, only one other pup made it out. The others weren't found until a scouting party went in to retrieve their bodies. That is the blood that stains my teeth to this day," she raised her voice with determination, "And I will never allow it to happen in my pack so long as I live."

Turning towards someone on her left, she rolled the stone in their direction. "You, there; let's lighten the mood. What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever said to try to impress someone?"

Skua listens carefully to the thoughts of the green-eyed wolf, Chianti. Expecting a far more serious question, his ears fall back and his tail thumps behind him in embarrassment just thinking about it.

"Well,  I'm not one for trying to impress, but I've done many a thing wish I hadn't. I was exploring through the coniferous woodland once, and I encountered one of fastest whitetail bucks I'd ever met. Still somewhat of a youngster, and after giving up on the chase, we sort of fell into a truce. Chatted for awhile. After it all, he'd paid me a compliment for my endurance and commitment to the hunt. I responded by saying he was the 'most affable prey I'd never eaten.' It seemed to make him rather uncomfortable, still sitting there with me... so he bid me farewell and bounded off. It was very embarrassing."

Skua politely turns to the wolf on his left. "I've been meaning to ask. Before coming to this land, where were you from? What was it like? Unless of course, you were from here, in which case... where did the first leader of you pack come from?"

“Oh boy. A tough question.” Rose responded immediately. “I was born in a forest far from here, in a Pack ruled by the legendary killer wolf Talon. My litter was sired by Steele, who Talon wanted as her own mate. When I was two moons old, our den flooded. I got abandoned. I was rescued by a kind human, who took me in. I lived with her and her Pack for two moons, but then her enemy tried to set fire to her den. I howled for help with all the might I had at four moons, and my birth Pack heard. They took me back. I only left them a few moons ago because I was sick of Talon. My mate, Fang, came with me.”

She then looked over at another wolf. “Are you faithful to your mate, or do you have affairs?” The look on her face showed that she knew the question was bold, and somewhat inappropriate to ask a stranger.

Rain tipped her head slightly, and stayed silent for several moments. "Well, I came from the south, quite a ways from here. I was born in a pack ruled by my father, a tyrant of a wolf. It wasn't the most pleasant life, fairly strict with the constant threat of humans or death. It was tolerable until a combination of events, including a brutal set of murders, messages from the stars, and an argument with my father, that I ran. I became a deserter, met Crystal along the way, and the rest is history." She paused for a moment, debating if she should continue speaking, but went with it anyway. "The rules were also very strict on love, or lack-there-of in some cases. Same-sex mates were outlawed, and mates could really only exist for the purpose of reproduction. Considering where I swing on the spectrum, it should be clear why that bristled some fur." 

Rain realized apparently too late she yet again interrupted someone, and answered the same question. It was too late to go back now, so she just awkwardly coughed, avoiding their gaze, and answered their question. "I'm a loyal mate, affairs are out of the question. Though monogamy isn't very common in our pack, polyamory is fairly common, all things considered. Though Crystal is still the only wolf I've ever fallen for, and I don't see that changing now." 

Rain glanced around for a moment, before choosing a wolf across from her. "Why not keep this topic going? Where are you from?" She looked them in the eye, and flicked one ear. 

(Edit: Shoot-)

Blossoming Flower didn't really know what to say but she still answered. "I'm from the mountains, though after.. one too many accidents related to rocks, my mate and I thought it'd be best to move to the riparian woodland. We may move again, the prey has been difficult here, especially in the winter." She scolded herself silently for admitting there was difficulty in her pack but continued.

"How far have your scouts gone before?" Her scouts were known for staying close, but she wondered about others.

Talon's snout rose as she heard a question she was willing to divulge information about. Hey eyes gleamed like that of an Arctic champion hunter killing its largest prey--the great brown grizzly bear of the frostbitten mountains, "Our scout is also our highest ranking male. He has told me plenty of stories about his adventures in vast lands. Ranging from such dampness that makes his pawpads rot, every animal is venomous, and being the smallest predator, to venturing into the coldest temperatures that make is nose crack and bleed and his paw pads become too frozen too feel."

Talon is silent with awe for a moment longer, "I have only gotten to the border of those vastly snow-blanketed territories. My fur is too accustomed to the dry and hot weather of our desert home. Fox Tracks in Dust has told me he has seen great ancestors brighten the night sky and speak to him of wolves past. Great caribou with antlers so large, they outweigh him and are larger than a single stride that he can take, even at his swiftest speed." Talon hoped that one day she, too could see the glimmering stories of their hardy ancestors. But she knows the desert will always be her home, and its treasures are vast, too. Her next question is inspired by her thoughtfulness:

"What is the most glorious event you have experienced in your own territory?" Her amber eyes shimmer with curiosity. 

Magic turns her head to answer the question " one of the glorious events so far in my pack was the i brought Holly back to life. Holly was one of Aurora's pups that passed away. when Holly was alive before she passed she was the favorite pup' she says. 

after taking a pause she continues "  this happen during Christmas day . that was the most glorious event so far in my pack. it made Aurora very happy". 

it is true that Magic has powers. she only uses her powers for good. one of Magic's powers she that she can see and talk to spirits. Magic has always had a connections with spirits. 

turning her to head to another wolf she asks " what is the most best thing you ever did for a pack member"?

Talon is struck by the white she-wolf’s question; for somebody else? She couldn’t think of something she would do for another pack member out of the kindness of her heart. No other wolf would step forward to answer the sincere question. She decided the best way to answer was with honesty: “I allowed my first-born daughter to live.” Her daughter, King Salmon of River,  was more capable now, but when she was younger, she was sickly and weak, unlike her other daughter, Lone Feather on Path.

Despite the stacked odds, however, Salmon survived adolescence while Feather did not. Talon decided to offer these details to the other wolves. “I was disappointed that Feather had died facing a pack of coyotes instead of her sister, Salmon. But if I had killed Salmon as a pup, I would have lost two daughters rather than one and have no heiress to speak of.” Talon’s voice was level as she spoke of her beloved daughter, not betraying the slightest hint of affection. She was an expert in remaining stoic in these circumstances.

The mood was lifted when Talon offered her next question to the other leaders, “What is an event you wish to experience? Spiritual, physical, or anything of the sort?”

double post whoops