Parva Leones [Claiming]

[Coal]

Parva Leones... The phrase drifted through the little dog’s head like a dream as she sat beside the ornamental pond of the gardens, a dream that she had latched onto in recent days. The phrase was an old Latin one that had been a favourite of her mother’s, and apparently meant ‘little lions’. Whether this was true or not, Kuhne believed it, and had already decided that it would be the name of her new pack. The thought was an exciting one, and as always when she thought about her plans, Kuhne felt a flush of pride and anticipation.
But her plans had been faced with some setbacks recently. She hadn’t anticipated how long it would take her to find a suitable territory to claim, and until she did that, she could hardly go about recruiting members. She had surveyed several areas already, but had rejected them all for various reasons and now she was starting to get tired. He little legs ached from her wanderings, and she was beginning to feel a little crest-fallen.

That was why she’d come to this old garden to rest. She’d spotted it while checking out the nearby manor house, and, thinking that it looked quite safe, had decided to recuperate some of her strength there. She had found the area very pleasant, the statues and exotic trees being interesting to look at even if they were half-choked by weeds, and the flowers offering a sweet scent that was practically bliss compared to the grimy streets of main Haliton. Kuhne shifted her weight, getting into a more comfortable position. She was beginning to wonder if there was any dog pack in the area, and if not, whether it would be a good place to settle permanently. The thought hadn’t occurred to her before, tired as she was, but now that she was a little better rested she was returning to her usual opportunistic self.

Despite her body’s protests, she got to her feet and began to explore a little, getting to know the area whilst keeping a nose out for the scents of other dogs. She did run across a few, but they were all fairly stale and were all of single dogs, not groups that might have been a pack. Kuhne’s hopes began to rise. Once she’d explored the whole garden and found nothing that put her off she was decided; this territory would be hers.

Now that she had made up her mind, the first thing to do was go about scent-marking, which she did with great vigour so that any entering the garden would know it was claimed. Once that was done and she’d worked her way back around to the ornamental pond, she sat down. She gave a long shrill howl and called out, “I am Kuhne and I am the supreme alpha of this land.” She wasn’t sure whether there was anyone in earshot, but she infused the words with authority and dominance all the same. She was home.