Slay's ruff bristled at the approach of yet another flirty male. This one seemed interested primarily in Mew, just as Haku had eyes for Firefly. Oh... Perhaps Haku would resent the attention given to his sister. Maybe Slay didn't have to be the one to act uncomfortable. But that didn't seem likely. He let his ice-blue eyes flutter shut, ignoring all the subtle glances and inspections going on around him. Cercelee had acknowledged him; that was enough to endure the meeting, for now. The tall arctic wolf let his chin remain resting on the stone before him, haunches planted firmly in the tall grass. The group of two-leggers no longer bothered him as much as it had in the beginning; he was beginning to see the usefulness, from Hanna's medicine to Mew's music. It still seemed a bit unnatural, though, at least when the luperci chose that form as more comfortable than being on all four paws...
Slay's musing was not interrupted until Cer announced the rank changes. He what? He had been promoted?! His lazy posture was immediately rectified, sitting bolt upright with his white-tipped ears perked ramrod straight. He dared not to say anything aloud, since it would interrupt the Rosea in front of her subordinates, but it honestly surprised Slay. Cercelee had actually taken his offer to heart! It was not a huge promotion, but having the power - no, responsibility - to recruit new members was vital for their small pack. Growing, to be sure, but still small. Cer wanted his help after all! It both brought a smile to his face and a huge weight in his chest. Having a higher rank than most of the others sitting around him was a strange sensation, and for him, not a pleasant one. But he asked for it, he had to come through. Don't run away, you made a promise... Just think of it as orders...
Who could he get to join Dahlia de Mai? Wait - hadn't Labyrinth Glen disbanded recently? He could ask his friend Iskata! It would be pleasant to have her around, he thought with relief. He would go look for her when this meeting was through.
As the news continued, most of it bad, Slay felt his spirits dropping again. So Colibri was gone for good, after all. And it wasn't just border tension, but actual war? Haku's words... He was not speaking of defense, but of an attack, a retaliation. Slay had been lucky; throughout his wandering, he had not been attacked by anyone. He had not even seen a coyote, or at least that he knew of. Being new to these lands, he didn't have memories of Inferni whatsoever, and to be completely open, didn't know exactly what a coyote looked like, except that they were supposed to be smaller than wolves. How could they be dangerous?
"I... would prefer a good defense," Slay muttered, looking away. He thought of saying something humble and polite, like "if I may speak my opinion", or "with all due respect", but he did not feel respectful at the moment, and would rather be blunt. He was, as always, non-confrontational, but squabbling with a leader was better than fighting in some war he had nothing to do with. "Establishing connections sounds good, but when you speak of 'standing up for ourselves', what does that entail...?"
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