The First Test

On the fifth morning after the Oath of Claim, the Eastern Hollows pack sent six wolves to the edge of the Moonscar Plains.

They did not cross the boundary markers. They stood at the northern tree line and waited, which was either a courtesy or a test, and Lira decided to treat it as both. She went to meet them with Sable at her left shoulder and Fen at her right, because those were her people's two fastest decision-makers and she wanted both dispositions available.

The Eastern Hollows wolves were young — all male, all in the physical prime that pack Alphas liked to send for first-contact situations where intimidation was the opening move. The one at the center had the practiced ease of a dominant wolf accustomed to being the largest thing in the room.

He was not the largest thing on the Moonscar Plains.

Lira stopped ten feet from the boundary stones and waited. She did not cross to them. She did not invite them to cross to her. She stood on her own land and let the distance be what it was.

"Alpha of Eastern Hollows sends his acknowledgment," the center wolf said, after a pause that had been designed to establish hierarchy through making someone else wait. It hadn't worked as intended. "He requests clarification of the territorial claim registered four days past under pre-founding codes."

"The claim is valid under pre-founding Moonborn law," Lira said. "The ritual was performed correctly, witnessed, and registered with the old law's provisions. The Moonscar Plains is Moonborn territory."

The wolf's eyes moved to Sable, then to Fen, then back to Lira. Measuring. "The Eastern Hollows Alpha questions whether pre-founding codes carry standing against the current system."

"He's welcome to make that argument to the regional council," Lira said pleasantly. "That's the correct venue for a legal challenge. If he has evidence that the founding compact formally repealed the old codes, the council will want to see it." She paused. "Does he?"

A beat. The wolf had not expected this response. He had expected either aggression or submission, and he had prepared for both. He had not prepared for a woman standing on a plain she had just claimed, citing legal procedure with the calm of someone who had read the relevant texts.

"He will be in contact," the wolf said, finally.

"I look forward to it," Lira said.

They left.

Sable waited until they were gone and then said, very quietly: "That was well done."

"They'll be back," Lira said.

"Yes. But now they know you're not going to flinch." Sable watched the tree line where the Hollows wolves had disappeared. "That matters more than you'd think."

Fen was already turning back toward camp. "I'll put Cade and Rowan on the perimeter rotation," he said. "Four-hour shifts. We should assume observation from all three directions starting now."

"Yes," Lira said. She looked at the boundary stones — the flat river stones she had marked with charcoal, humble and specific, carrying more legal weight than anything she had ever held in her hands. "And we should start thinking about what comes next." She turned back toward the camp, toward the people who had come to this plain with her, toward the work that was only beginning. "Because this was the easy part."