Violet Stag was thrilled. Once again, he had a home.
Whenever the male could, he socialized. Wherever hunting parties went, he accompanied. Unless Violet chose solitude, he was never left within it and his joy knew no bounds. His faith knew no bounds. It was remarkable what prayer could do for a wolf who believed. That Mother Beneath The Mountains was a good Mother indeed.
But nothing was ever perfect. Not for long. It was a truth that had been keeping him up at night, ever since his initial welcome. The balance of all things, he had thought when the going was really good... Where was it? Where was the conflict? Where was the tension to keep it all from floating away? The question hung like a mound of snow on a thin bough, creaking and threatening to fall at any given moment. Perhaps it was in the longing he felt for his old home? Or in the nights when the pack went hungry.
Or perhaps it was on its way. Steady, ready to turn everything on its head for the sake of...
As a distraction, Violet took to the forest. Alone. Searching for the thrill of the hunt. Looking to run until his legs couldn't carry him any further. But his heart wasn't in it. Lazy sprints across the blanketing snow all loud and clunky, alerting prey at every turn. All the while his thoughts (filled with warnings) blinked in and out of frame. It's coming. Something's coming. It has to be coming. Things are too good. They're never too good for long.
Have faith. When the running had exhausted him and the day turned to night, those words were what comforted him.
Have faith. This is all a part of the divine plan. Blessings and lessons alike. You know this. Have faith.
Early into the evening, Violet returned to the pack's border empty-pawed. The worrying had subsided, luckily, and it allowed him a chance to breathe. To really breathe, and to mutter prayers beneath it all, willing The Mother of the Mountain to hear his plea. He followed the fringes of the Dawnstar territory, wasting time by tiring his psyche out with his greatest weapon: Spirituality.
Protect this place. Protect them. Please.
Mediciner
