825 words. WotD: Veritable.
####A modest nod and calm smile was all that met Jacquez’s words of his promotion alongside the pretty little collie mix that he recognized as Ruri, though he had not yet formally met her or spent any time with her. She was standing with Heath and Haven, though, and Vigilante did like both younger men. They were, as far as he could tell, level-headed and intelligent, wonderful additions to the pack. Ruri seemed like a sweet girl, and if she was in the company of both young men (as friends or more, he did not know of any relationships in the pack other than his own), then he believed she must also be as good-natured as they were. Jacquez seemed to be very impulsive, so he would not have been surprised to find out that he had promoted someone with a similar personality—his thoughts turned to the former Constable and Serf, Svara—but he was pleased to see that it appeared a false idea. Vigilante made a mental note to seek out the Dauphine relatively soon so that they might get to know each other a bit.
####The war was an unpleasant topic, one that the doggish man had not heard anything about until this very meeting. It seemed that he really had been keeping to himself very much, and it would probably do him some good to become more familiar with the other packs in the area. When Alaine had asked him about what he knew, he had been reminded that the knowledge was a very small amount. Now, he was reminded again that he was not up to date in knowing what was happening in the entire area. If Jacquez was going to go out and be involved, then Vigilante knew he would need to keep close to the pack lands in the case that a leader would be needed for anything. He hoped that the King did not plan to do anything that could get the rest of the pack involved in the war; this was not something he was interested in being a part of. As far as he knew, there was no reason for him to want to be involved. He had not known what it was that Haku had done to any member of their pack, and it was not his battle to fight. Regardless, he would need to be readily available in the pack lands, which would not be difficult for him. Vigilante was not one to wander, generally choosing to keep to himself.
####Firefly seemed to know much more about the situation than he did, and it seemed as if she was planning to become involved, as well. Haven’s warning was appreciated, and the questions that passed between members were not ones that he could answer, so he listened intently, brow furrowed at the idea of the war touching their pack. It was not something he wanted to let happen, but if Jacquez or any other members were planning to throw themselves into the midst of the fighting, it was not as if he would ever be able to stop them. They probably had their own reasons for wanting to fight, even if he thought it a foolish idea to let this affect the pack. It was good that they knew now, but it was unnecessary to tell everything that was happening. The more that were from the pack that found a way to be involved, the higher the risk for those that did not want to be involved. His mouth set in a firm line as he sneaked a small glance over at Ayita, hoping beyond all hope that there would not be a way for her to be involved. The risk of losing her would be too much for him to handle; she meant too much to him.
####His mate’s question concerned him, as he did not know what it was that she wanted to talk to Jacquez about. There was veritable concern in his eyes as he shifted his gaze back to their King, unsure of what it was that he should say in this situation. “Please be cautious, Jacquez,” he asked of the collie man, repeating Ruri’s plea in his own calm tone, the short statement the only thing that he could decide to say. Usually, Vigilante was a man of very few, carefully selected words. There were some exceptions, of course, such as Ayita, but generally, he did not speak much. It would not do for them to lose a leader, especially the King. As it was, he did not think it would be a good thing for their leader to be absent, either, but he knew that he could not dictate what the collie man should, could, or would do. Jacquez would do whatever it was that he saw fit, and Vigilante would need to be available to the pack. There was not much else that he could do, now.