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Kesho sat silent while introductions and greetings were exchanged, taking in what names he could. It seemed to him that some of these canines were related to Kaena; an interesting point that he might investigate later. Who had sired them? It didn't matter, he knew, but still he was curious.
The dark, jackal-looking female who addressed Kaena as grandmother glared at him in a way he did not at all appreciate, and accompanied it with a low growl. Had she noticed his unpleasant regard for Gabriel, or was he just unwelcome to her on general principle, being unknown? Either way, he dismissed her aggression by raising an eyebrow curiously, an ear flicking briefly in her direction. Her opinion of him mattered little to him at the moment; he was focused on Kaena and his apparent new leader.
Although he certainly was uneasy about a wolf hybrid running the coyote clan he once adored, he reminded himself that Kaena was still a very prominent member, and a hybrid herself. He would trust her judgement, but remained wary of the hulking beast.
Kaena spoke next, and his head turned eagerly towards her, ears swerving in suit. She spoke briefly to her granddaughter--the one that had growled at him-- and he turned away. Several minutes of silence passed as a few more clan members added themselves to the queue, all waiting as silently as he for her to speak. And she did. His full attention turned to Kaena once again, and his tail wagged once. He was just happy to be there, despite his slightly ill reception. She explained why they were gathered, and it sent him back in time again.
He remembered that time, too; they'd been together on a much similar beach, not far from here. It seemed she expected a story from him, and he would certainly not deny her one. Crimson eyes peered around at the canines grouped here-- hybrids and purebreds alike, together. He was somewhat uneasy speaking in front of them, only knowing one face from the crowd. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat, though his voice still came out rough.
"It was on a coast very similar to this one that we'd come together. Most of us," he nodded respectively to Kaena; she was not counted among "most". "had no idea what we were doing then. We were a band of coyotes held together with nothing more than a word." He smiled, mostly to himself, as he remembered that day. "A word wasn't quite enough-- we were pretty unruly; caused a bit of trouble." another pause. He looked around, trying to judge his audience. He couldn't. "It was fun though." He grinned again almost boyishly, mischievously. Kesho wondered if he might still have some fun in him.
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