The morning was still relatively young though the sun had risen, it was far from its peak. Fenris had taken to the borders early this morning, leaving Quinn sleeping soundly in their den. Her belly would soon start to show signs of their young, and for that he was overjoyed. He was ready to start over, to have a family once more. He knew the importance of family, and how much it could mean to someone, and that was the reason he had found his way to Eden's Hollow this brisk winter morning. He had spoken with Delta Rose the day prior, and requested her help in sending a new member of their pack, the young pup from Erenyx to meet with him. He had heard snippits of her story, but was unsure of what held truth and what was simply hearsay. He wanted to make sure she was adjusting well, and ensure she felt at home here. Delta Rose had mentioned spending a fair bit of time with the pup, which please the Alpha greatly. She was a kind and gentle hearted wolf, someone whom he thought perfectly suited to be a mentor of sorts for the young fea.

He took in a deep breath of the crisp air, feeling it nip at his lungs as he held it captive for a brief moment before exhaling. The cloud of smoke that billowed from his nose and mouth was quickly whisked away by a light breeze. The sun shone down on the blanket of snow, shimmering like little stars as if to represent their own piece of heaven right here. He was curious to see whether or not Aleu would come. Whether she would be brave enough to seek out the Alpha by herself. He hoped that she was, but only time would tell. A low flying crow caught his attention, drawing his deep amber eyes in, following its carefree flight path. His massive body stood still in the winter landscape, with only the fog from his breath and the steady thrum of his heartbeat giving any sign of life. He enjoyed this quiet, this peace that was the winter. Many animals took to warmer lands for the winter, only to return with the spring blossoms, but wolves were unlike most. For the wolves, this was home, and they would endure the harshest winds and the coldest nights, knowing that they would be stronger for it. A soft howl began to resonate from his chest formulating a deep melody that carried on the whispering winds, filling the hollow with the sound of strength. The sound of the wolves.

The large alpha did not have to wait long in solitude before the presence of another, the one he was waiting for, became evident. Her scent hung on the air far before her voice broke the silence. he turned his head over his shoulders to see the young pup present, her head dipped in respect. With a light, at ease smile, he shifted the rest of his body so that he was now facing her. Though she was young, she had been through a great deal from what he understood. He could only imagine the toll of such disruption and losses would take on one so young, so new to the world and so yet unmolded by its experiences. She was strong, of that much he was certain. It took a certain strength, not physical, but a strength of character to persevere through the trials and tribulations of life, and he hoped he could do everything in his power to change her life around for the better. "A most wonderous morning woulds't thou not agree young Aleu?" he said softly trying to make the clearly rigid pup feel at ease.

He did not wish to frighten her. He simply wished to know what he could do to make things easier for her. Pups were far more important than most gave them credit for, and the wellbeing of the young wolves of the pack were of the utmost concern to him. They were the pack's future after all. His deep amber eyes looked at her with a kindness that was reserved for those he held near and dear, "I assure thou art in no trouble Aleu. T'was simply my wish to speak to thee about a few things. But only shoulds't thou wish to talk of course." He wanted her to trust him, to know that she could rely on him for anything and everything. "But only should thou wish it dear." he added to assure her that she was not obligated to stay if she did not want to. But he felt the need to protect her from Teren. If he had anything to do with the reason she was here, and motherless, he would not rest until that devil was dancing with death itself. That monster had been the cause of enough pain already. He would do everything in his power to insure Teren could not harm anyone else, so long as he drew breath.

His words were met with silence and hesitation from the pup. His initial thought was that his olden tongue was perhaps too much for the pup to comprehend. It was not the easiest to listen to lest one was fully focused. Perhaps he ought to attempt to speak more like those around him did, in a far less formal way. But then again, what if she was simply confused by his kindness. She had been born to Erenyx, and kindness was in short supply for that lot. If that were the case then he felt a pang of pity for the poor thing. He had grown up in a loving family. His mother was kind and caring, as was his father though he pushed his pups to better themselves constantly. He would never let his own young grow up without the reassurance that they were loved, and that they always had somewhere to call home. Finally she managed to spit out a few words, agreeing with him that the scene laid out before them was indeed beautiful, though her voice was shaky and still uncertain. A light, calm smile fell over his face as she agreed to talk with him. He had hoped she would comply, but he would not have held it against her had she not wished to.

"Most excellent. It brings me great pleasure that thou art willing to have a chat with a big old brute such as myself." he began, trying desperately to speak in the more common tongue though it was hard, with the occasional hint of his true tongue slipping in here and there. "I simply wish to ask thee what thou thinks of Helidos. Art thou happy here? If not I do so wish to hear why. I know.... or rather I have heard that unto this point, your life has been scarred by trials and tribulations of a most unfortunate nature. It pains me to hear such things, and I wish only to do what I can to ensure that thy future glows with none but the brightest light of hope and happiness." he said softly. He hoped that she would open up to him, that he could gain her trust, but he was willing to work for it if he had to. His duty was to the pack and ensuring the best for each and every one of them.

He listened carefully as the pup before him began to speak. He could see the changes within her when she spoke to him first of those whom she had befriended here, who had stepped up to ensure her life was good, and when she spoke of her past. He had known that Beta Juno and Beta Marrok had taken on the task of caring for this pup, but it was a relief to hear her speak so highly of them. And then of course there was Rose, who had assumed the role of mentor/sister for Aleu. He was glad to hear that things had been going so well with her too. He wasn't sure that anyone could find anything bad to say about Rose. She was kind and caring, and full of encouragement. She was exactly what Aleu needed in her life at a time like this. At hearing her plea to be able to do more for the pack, he had to chuckle. He himself had been an eager pup, always wishing to take on far more than he ought to. It brought great pride to his father, and even more worry to his mother that he would end up in trouble because of his drive. He had turned out quite alright, or at least so he thought, so he saw no reason why the pup before him would not find a similar fate.

But then the glimmer of light in her eyes began to fade and the eagerness inside her seemed to be snuffed out when she began to tell him about her past. He listened carefully to each and every word. It pained him to know that she had been forced to endure such a life. Though he did not wish that she be separated from her family, he was glad that she was now safe in the borders of Helidos. The mention of Teren's name caused a swell of anger inside him that he was forced to subdue for Aleu's sake. She looked up at him with a sorrow in her eyes that she was clearly trying to hide. "Aleu, Teren is a non more than a tortured soul, determined to harm those around him. No harm shall come to thee so long as thou doth call Helidos home, of this I assure thee. The burden of knowing such a monster continues to live among us pains me day and night, and I shall stop at nothing until he meets his end for mine own family hath been scared by his evil. Thou needn't fear him, for the monsters never win in the end." he said assuredly. With a far lighter tone this time, he spoke once more, "Now tell me Aleu, thou speaks of wishing to contribute to the pack. T'would be foolish of me to say no to this, but I ask thee this, what is it thou wishes to become? Does the art of combat call to thee? Or perhaps the thrill of the hunt?" he questioned, trying to decide how to proceed with her and what advice he would offer her, and what guidance he could provide her with.