Lugeiros Moonwalker

Starter Wolf and Original Breeding Male.

~~~

Lugeiros watched as the fish swam by in the river, lazily passing by the time by counting them as they passed. He was alone, for the last member of his pack had died a fortnight ago. They were elderly, and admittedly, it had been a long time coming. But still, it had been the two of them together, and that had been his pack. All the others had left a long time ago, seeking to start packs of their own.

The words of his elder still swirled around in his head. "I want you to prosper, Lugeiros," they had said between death rattles. But how was he supposed to prosper on his lonesome? He'd wandered around the mountainside the last two weeks wondering just that.

Which lead him to the stream. He'd found himself hungry and so he'd feasted upon the fish of the stream until he was satiated, but before long he found himself watching them swim around. After a while the fish became boring, and he moved on.

It was not long until he was approached by another wolf.

The other wolf was a she-wolf, pale in color with yellow eyes. She had cautiously introduced herself to him and plainly stated her desire to form a pack and find a home. It had given him an idea that made his tail twitch with a wag, though he stamped the motion down before she could notice it. Why not join up with the she-wolf and make a pack together? Everyone else was long gone, and she was the first contact he'd had in weeks. It wasn't his worst idea, so he suggested it. To his surprise, the she-wolf agreed and they both shared their names.

Reythyra Starbeam. It was a strange name, but he found he liked it.

Lugeiros knew the area well, having grown up in the mountains. He led Reythyra to a series of caves hidden in an overhang not too far from a lake, and they agreed to set the place up as their den.

"You don't have a family name?" Reythyra asked him while they were fixing up the den with the rocks, leaves, and branches they had gathered from around them.

"No," said Lugeiros, "it wasn't a tradition in my pack."

"Well then," Reythyra said, tilting her head towards him. Night had fallen and they were bathed in moonlight. Her fur practically glowed. "I name you Lugeiros Moonwalker."

Lugeiros huffed a laugh. He looked to the moon above and wondered if that had been her inspiration. "Moonwalker, huh? I like it."

And from then on he was no longer Lugeiros, but Lugeiros Moonwalker. Packmate of Reythyra Starbeam, his quiet and wise (but not so creative) leader.

~~~

Time passed and their pack expanded. It was still small, but there were others, and they all helped out with their own duties. Lugeiros was assigned to a hunting party with a few others, and he took to the role seriously. They mostly hunted for easier prey, but occasionally went for the larger animals when the mood suited them. Either way, the pack had plenty of food.

But soon came the day when Reythyra confessed to him her desire for pups, and who else would step up to the role but he? The pups were born early, and the entire pack feared the worst. But they were both survivors, his Valtris and Daerona, and they grew stronger by the day. When the pups were strong enough on their own, Reythyra had approached Lugeiros about becoming the pack's breeding male. He already had two healthy daughters and had proven himself a capable father. He could not refute her claims and so he agreed.

Winter soon approached and he had fathered many pups. One night, as he lay in his den, surrounded by his sleeping children and packmates, he wondered if he had managed to prosper as his elder had told him to. He had a pack, he was a skilled hunter, and he would father the next generation of pups. He was still young yet, and had a full life ahead of him, filled with a bright future with his pack. Was this prosperity? Lugeiros liked to think so.

At the very least, he was happy. And that was all that mattered.