Boredom had called the white wolf to awake. His golden eyes looked to the world around him, seeing nothing of interest. Moving from his large den, he made his way towards the other territories within their homelands. In days like these, Azul liked to think of things, many things. One thought was the changes in the pack. Nothing was the same as before. He headed for the thicket he knew to be the favorite place of his deceased best friend. It was quiet and peaceful. The woods protected the world from the blazing sun, though in this season it would never be so bad. As he wandered, he could smell the scents of the pack here. Some were faded and old, while one was fresh and new almost. It smelled like Helidos, but it also was laced with something young. Lifting his eyes, he stared of into the distance. Something came tumbling down the hill a few feet before him. Tilting his head slightly, he watched in interest. It was a young wolf, a male. He had known that two mated pairs had birthed litters within Helidos. One belonged to the Alphas, and the other an Elite and Warrior - now Guardian, duo. This pup was strange, now covered in mud and leaves. He smiled to the young wolf and followed after him silently. For a while he followed the young lad, keeping a close eye on him, in case some danger was to be found, though doubtful here. The large white wolf finally decided to speak to the pup. "Excuse me, but you seem rather lost. Is there anything I can do to be of assistance to you? Who are your parents?"

As startled as the young wolf was, it was no surprise to Azul that the lad had a sharp retort. Azul made no change in his appearance, no growl or snarl. He knew how wild and aggressive young males could be... especially the ones who felt they needed to prove themselves. This wolf was the son of Elite and Guardian pair. Azul had known both of them well, as they had both served him as Deltas, together. "I know your mother and father quite well, in fact I gave them both the rank of Delta when I was Alpha over these lands. That was a long time ago, however. Even before you were even a thought in the minds of your parents." When the young wolf added his name and asked for Azul's, he could not help but to smile. "My name is Azul, and that is what I wish for you to call me. My title is no longer of any importance. So Thane, it appears that you were quick to obey the commands of your parents. That shows a good foundation for you. I once had a son who was just like you. His name was Lucas. He was intelligent and brave, much like you are. But I must ask, what brings you so far from the pack clearing? Do your mother and father know you are out here all alone?"

"Worry not, young Thane. I will not speak of this little incident with your parents. I understand that young pups need the chance to just get away and live a little. If you constrain them too much, they will rebel in the worst way possible." Azul rested his haunches on the fresh green grass. The canopy of leaves allowed the sun to barely seep through the treetops. The Elder smiled to the young wolf as he asked about Lucas. How much was he wishing to tell the little one about his son? Eventually the pup would learn about the horrid ways of other packs around them. Someday he would learn the difference in life and death, loss and suffering. But most importantly, Azul wanted to make sure that what happened to his young did not happen to anyone else.

"Lucas was a brave and very cunning male. He took to hunting and fighting as a fish took to swimming. He was a natural and he put all his efforts into training. He wanted to be the best, especially since his father was Alpha of a pack. He did not wish to live beneath my shadow, instead he wanted to make a name for himself. When he reached the age of one, he decided to venture off to prove that he could make a large kill all on his own. Me being the Alpha and his mother was ill, I didn't have a lot of time to give him. When he went out on his own, an old Elite we had followed him. His name was Kenai. He was a brave wolf, intelligent and one of my very best friends. Lucas had found something he was going after, but it appeared something else had found him. A large brown bear had a den in the area, and heard him. It attacked, but Kenai was able to be a buffer so my son could escape. He lost his life and when Lucas came back to tell me, he thought I was more concerned for Kenai than I was for him. That of course, was not true. But he did not want to listen to me. He left Helidos and rushed off into the wilds." Thinking if he should stop right there, he decided against it. Erenyx was dangerous and the new Alpha in place was even more dangerous. Every single pup in their pack should know the truth about the monster that ran it. "My son, Lucas, found himself accepted into the pack of Erenyx to the east. I did not hear from him at all, and never saw him again. One day, my daughter went to the neutral lands and she found Lucas. They spoke for a while and then the Alpha found them. Apparently, he killed my son for being so kind to a member of my pack, and he almost killed my daughter. She came back home to tell me what had happened, but the wounds she suffered, forced her to die as well." He paused for a moment, allowing it all to sink into his mind. There was so much he had told the little wolf and he hoped Drogo and Nnlya would not be too upset with his decision. "Erenyx is a dangerous place. They kill their own members for fun and they do not help the wolves in need. If you ever meet a wolf from their pack, be very careful. Never let them see your back or show any fear. They feed off such feelings. Lucas was a brave soul and he left this world too fast, I only tell you all of this so your parents do not have to go through the pain and the suffering I went through. Do you have any questions about anything?"

"That is a difficult request." Azul thought back to the time when Erenyx was first founded. It had ben ran by a completely different wolf, one that Azul actually trusted. "You see Thane, this wolf, he was not always the leader of Erenyx. It is said that he killed Steele, a wolf who used to serve as my Beta. He was a good wolf. We had little reason to start a war and they were not as crazed as they are now." He knew this would not really make any sense to a young wolf, let alone any wolf now. Only those who had sen the good in Steele's heart would understand anything he spoke of. The Elder looked to the young lad and gave a smirk. "One would think it would be so easy, but it is not... unfortunately. You must think about everything that you put into jeopardy when you try and keep everything safe. You risk the lives of your own pack, or your family, friends, the loved ones you know. We don't know anything about Erenyx, how it is now. We don't know their tactics or beliefs, so we would possibly get our own selves into so much danger. As an Alpha, I could not allow something like that to happen. It's a balancing act that one must learn when they take over the throne. And it takes plenty of time to learn such a thing. If it were so easy, every wolf would wish to lead their own pack. So tell me, young Thane, do you aspire to be an Alpha someday?"