Alastor

    Alastor stepped lightly as he seemed to float through the hollow. A neat, short line of puppies tried their very best to mimic his movements behind him, but all too often one stumbled or veered off the path, earning a swipe on the tail-end from the pup behind them. Alastor himself was not particularly strict or demanding, but his poise and precision in movements and conduct inspired the pups to try to foster the same qualities. They were still pups, however, so when one messed up royally the next in line took great pleasure in letting them know, which often resulted in a scuffle. Today there was no scuffle since they were moving too fast, and, Alastor being a younger pupsitter who meant well but wasn't quite as attentive as other sitters, the pups did not want to be left behind.
    Eventually they arrived at their destination. The meadow was a bright, lush spring green and it was studded with flowers of all varieties. The blue-furred pupsitter sought out his favorite spot, sat down and signaled with his tail that the pups were free to frolick. As they let out a collective breath and ran off in all different directions to chase and play, Alastor let out his own pent-up breath. He took his job seriously despite his almost aloof and often too-direct disposition, and every time he safely transported pups from one place to another with no mishaps he had to let out his worry and take a moment to collect himself again. As all of the terrifying possibilities left his mind, he began to feel more relaxed. Now he simply watched his little charges, declining requests to join in their play as politely as he was able— which wasn't very, but he always tried his best.

-

    Alastor batted a pup back toward the fray in front of him with a raised eyebrow. The twisting knot of pups was steadily growing and kicking up more and more dust. At this point it covered most of the center of the hollow and all the defeated pupsitter could do was sit and watch with a flat look as pandemonium ensued. 'I don't know when I became the pupsitter for all of these,' the blue-tinged wolf thought to himself.
    A couple of wolves edged along not far away and Alastor dipped his head apologetically, averting his eyes from their gaze. He just figured that if he could keep from getting in trouble long enough, and if the pups played long enough that eventually they would tire themselves out and he could finally go and stick his head in the river and yell.
    "Having some issues?" A voice sounded too close by his ear.
    "Yeesh!" He exclaimed and jumped straight into the air, whirling on the voice with a growl.
    "Hey, it's alright. Sorry," the golden she-wolf said, lowering her voice and smiling while keeping her gaze pointed downward.
    Alastor's hackles smoothed once more and he let out a breath. He turned back around and sat, then saw a group of the pups sneaking after Hufen, the lead hunter, and sunk to his belly with his paws over his face. After a moment he felt the very ends of the golden she-wolf's fur brushing his own as she sunk down next to him. Oddly enough, the longer she sat there the more at ease Alastor felt. The pair spent the rest of the afternoon sitting beside each other until the pups did wear themselves out. Then the she-wolf got up with him, helped him herd them into their den and left him with a smile and a soft 'goodnight.' The pupsitter was gobsmacked. He realized as he stood there watching her go that he no longer felt the need to scream at fish, and he smiled.

-

    The blue-tinged wolf came to the top of the hill panting, the wind buffeting his soft fur. He closed his foggy blue eyes and let himself enjoy the sensation. A moment later Daya joined him, her fur just brushing his. Things like these had been easier since she had come to sit by him that first day in the hollow. Actually, most things were easier with her. It was as if she took all of the overwhelming and scary feelings away and replaced them with butterflies. He opened his eyes once more and turned to look at her. That had become easier too, but only with her. Gazing into her impossibly light eyes he actually laughed, his light voice full of emotion.
    The she-wolf laughed as well, beaming at the wolf she had helped to excavate from within the reserved pupsitter. His cloudy eyes could meet hers with total confidence now, and there on the hill she knew just how much he cared for her. Tentatively she gave him a lick on the nose, which made him take a step back and she giggled softly. He scrunched his face into a squint and sprang forward suddenly which sent her tumbling down the other side of the hill. His eyes went wide, then his ears flattened apologetically, and then he grinned and threw himself forward over the crest of the hill as well, eventually landing just beside Daya. She grinned back at him and bumped her forehead to his, and they spent the rest of the day frolicking like this across the valley with the wind ruffling their fur and the sun warming their ears as they went.

-

    Alastor sat in the center of the training clearing as the horde of pups wrestled and frolicked around him in a flowing mass. Thankfully it had rained the night before, so there was no dust for them to kick up. The blue-furred pupsitter had come to hate cleaning dust off of himself— the sensation on his tongue was not one he could handle very well— but he had also learned throughout the years that he was not responsible for cleaning mud off of them. So, wherever there was a damp patch of earth he was sure to bring the pups there for a good old fashioned day of play in the mud. He smiled to himself now as he watched a couple of his charges try to decipher the half-solidified muddy tracks of the older pups' earlier lesson with Peregrine. He counted down as the one following the tracks forward made his way toward headbutting the one following the tracks backward.
    A presence he hadn't sensed before cleared her throat then, and called out, "watch out, there! You're going to- yep. Alright." She sat down at what she had learned was an appropriate distance from Alastor and addressed him, "mind if I add mine to the mix?"
    Alastor turned toward her, gazing just past her ears with one eyebrow cocked, "I suppose so."
    "Right, go pups!" Whistle called happily to her own gaggle of pups who were already running off toward Alastor's.
    The blue-furred pupsitter shook his head with a slow exhale, wondering how he was supposed to turn this young one, not much more than a pup herself, into a half decent sitter. Sangre would've had some good tips. The old pupsitter had been endlessly patient with him when he was training. 'Perhaps that's just it. Being patient,' Alastor sighed again, 'and perhaps that positive reinforcement stuff Daya's always talking about.'
    "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" He asked Whistle aloud, and the young she-wolf let out all of the questions, comments and concerns she had been holding in since she sat down.
    Taking even breaths and closing his eyes as they spoke, Alastor answered each question, and even asked a few of his own before the afternoon was out. Once it was time to leave, Alastor cleared his throat and swished his tail and most of his puppies gathered to attention around him. Whistle hurried around collecting up the stragglers and her own bunch, and then reappeared breathless by his side.
    "How on earth do you do that?" She asked, bewildered at the respect the pups had for him.
    "I can teach you, if you like." He glanced sidelong at her with a curt smile before turning and leading the group back toward the hollow.

-

    Alastor padded into the meeting of Aleifr and the wolves who were going to be a part of this so-called final fight. The Diplomacy den went quiet as he strode right into the middle of the meeting and came face-to-face with his alpha. The fog had made him strangely confident and he felt as if he knew exactly where this party needed to go to find what they were looking for. Aleifr quieted as well and looked straight into his eyes with a questioning look.
    Alastor was strangely unfazed as he met his alpha's gaze and announced, "I can lead you to the source of this strangeness. I confess I don't know how, but I know I can."
    Aleifr was taken aback. He took a moment to think about this new information and then he nodded slowly, "I trust your judgement, Alastor. My sister has told me you're really quite wise and I believe she's correct."
    Alastor dipped his head to his alpha, stepping back to wait until he was needed once more. Eventually the meeting concluded and the party readied themselves to leave. Aleifr said goodbye to his mate and son, and Alastor resolved to do the same. He padded toward where Daya stood with the younger wolves and pups in the center of the hollow and touched his nose to hers.
    "What's this about? Did- did you go to the meeting? You offered to lead them, didn't you? What has gotten into you lately?" The golden she-wolf said with a smile.
    "I have no idea, but I'm going to try and be helpful and brave while I can," Alastor said simply and nuzzled into her once more before he turned to leave.
    "Alastor," Daya called and he paused to look back, "good luck out there."

-

    A few days had passed since he had led Aleifr's party into the final battle with the shadow creature who had overrun the forest, and Alastor was swiftly returning to his usual self. He could no longer meet his alpha's gaze— or anyone's for that matter. Daya was, as always, a different matter, but he generally didn't count that since it was something altogether different. She was special. No, Alastor had had his moment of greatness and, if he was honest, that was quite enough for him. He was content to return to his pupsitting duties with Whistle and now Alious. He trained Alious and continued to give Whistle his tips and tricks of the trade. They joked and laughed and played with pups. Well, the younger sitters played with the pups. Alastor still only watched.
    The blue-tinged pupsitter also checked in on Nicht periodically. The herbalist had earned his greatest respect during the events of the battle. She had respected his usual wishes even though he was emboldened at the time, hadn't questioned his leadership even though she might have wanted to, and she had faced off against that thing without blinking an eye. He had watched from afar, of course, having no fight or hunt training whatsoever, and he respected that even though she was in the same position she had still tried to fight the creature.
    He was visiting her now while his pups slept under Whistle's watchful eye. He gazed down at the blue-furred she-wolf, remembering the events to a curious and still enthusiastic Raea who sat on her sister's other side applying more poultices and tonics to Nicht's wounds. The younger she-wolf's rapt attention was broken, however, by a shadow that passed over the den entrance as their alpha poked his head in, blocking the sunlight.
    "Aleifr! Nicht hasn't woken up yet, but I'll tell her you stopped by when she does." Raea smiled up at the large, colorful wolf who shook his head.
    "That won't be necessary, Raea. Let your sister rest. I must speak to Alastor," Aleifr turned his gaze to the pupsitter's eyebrows, "if you would come with me, my friend?"
    "I'm not sure we're friends, but I will come," Alastor replied uncertainly, nodding a farewell to both Raea and the still sleeping Nicht.
    The two wolves exited the den and sat a ways off in the sunshine, Alastor glancing sidelong at the alpha and Aleifr staring off into the distance, obviously mentally reminding himself not to look at the pupsitter. This made Alastor snort out a quiet laugh which startled both of them. Aleifr's ears flattened and he looked rather uncomfortable.
    "You can speak even if you aren't looking at me, Aleifr," the pupsitter prompted and the alpha seemed to relax slightly.
    "I just wanted to... to give you my thanks for leading us in the right direction the other day. I have no idea what we would've done without you, but I have a feeling we would've wandered for days before finding that cave. Something tells me it wouldn't have appeared had you not been there." Aleifr sighed a long sigh and almost turned toward Alastor once again before stopping short and staring at his paws. "I wanted to let you know that I've already promoted you to the ranks of the Wise. I wasn't sure if you'd want a whole ceremony, so I thought I'd let you know first and then, if you want, you could have a ceremony alongside Nicht once she's well."
    Alastor leaned away from his alpha as if he had gotten too close or lunged at him, fixing him with a nearly square stare in the face. The space between the eyes, to be exact. He thought for several moments, then turned away again, "a ceremony alongside Nicht would be an honor. But keep it short... she's still recovering and all."
    Aleifr beamed at him, obviously quite pleased and catching the pupsitter's meaning, "of course. We wouldn't want her to strain herself."
    Alastor returned his gaze to the other side of the hollow and nodded, "exactly."