Morning covered the village with its soft light, the sun's flame playing over the mist that touched the forest floor. A clean feeling pervading the air with the earthy scent of wet soil and the faint but satisfying aroma of woodsmoke emanating from the village hearths. Zayne woke to the sound of his father's voice outside, calm yet authoritative, as he spoke to a group of villagers.
"Zayne," Orion called from the threshold, his impressive stature visible against the sunlit sky. "Dress quickly. Today, you'll walk with me."
Zayne jumped out of bed, the urge to be out there, with his father flooded him. He did not have a daily opportunity to go with his father on a walk like this, so, this day was a rare opportunity. Within minutes, he was dressed and they both step foot outside.
The village was alive with hums and blasting from a distance, Zayne, marveled at how the village seemed to come alive at dawn—the chirping of birds, the rustle of leaves, and the hum of villagers starting their day.
"Why do you walk through the village, father? Zayne asked, glancing up at his father.
"To lead is to know your people," Orion replied. An Alpha is not one who sits idly in a throne and just issues orders. He listens, observes, and acts when needed."
Next, they went to the marketplace where villagers have set up a vendors market to exchange news, and sell food and merchandise. There, sort of, Orion would just give a head nod or a smile, stopping to ask about an old mom's ailing child or the amazingness of a boy's wood carving doll. Zayne watched closely, absorbing his father's every move.
A young female stopped before Orion and presented a flower crown she had made. 'Alpha, look!' she beamed, holding it out with pride. Orion knelt, inspecting her work with a smile. 'Beautiful craftsmanship, Layla. You'll make a fine weaver one day.' Zayne noted, and described the shimmer on the girl's skin elicited by his father's utterance. However, there was more than just power that allowed Orion to become a leader, his ability to motivate also played a role.
Being split apart by shouting on the street outside the blacksmith's forge. Two broad, muscular men faced each other, their noses practically touching, their faces contorted in rage.
"I told you not to hunt so close to my traps! " one of them shouted. "You scared off the game, and now my family will go hungry!
"But it was so close to the river." The other man said.
As soon as the men started their argument, a crowd formed and their murmur became fiercer and louder, exuding even more suspense. Zayne witnessed a man paying a contained amount of attention to a woman in the process of taking hold of her child. 'What if this escalated?' Zayne wondered, his heart pounding. However, the minute Orion took a step forward the spectators fell silent. Zayne could not help but be amazed by the kind of focus it is possible to gain from a single lexical unit, derived from his father's own utterance.
"Enough," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Explain yourselves."
Two men began to talk at the same time, their statements chaotic in a stream of fury. Orion held up a hand, and the silence returned.
"One at a time," he said.
The former apparently expressed his opinion and the other did. Zayne stood at his father's side, his young mind racing to make sense of the conflict.
When both men had finished, Orion nodded thoughtfully. You are both wrong to worry about the issue, but neither of you went to far the effort to understand the other side of the equation. The traps must be moved farther from the river to protect the water supply, but I'll ensure extra rations for your family until the game returns.
The men exchanged reluctant nods, and their anger subsided. All of them reached an understanding and then went their separate ways.
Still walking, Zayne marveled at his father. "How did you do that?"
"Fairness and diplomacy," Orion replied. An Alpha does not partition, but rather solves problems such that the whole group can gain. Remember that."
Shortly afterwards they reached the limit of the village and the forest continued right into the distance. Orion knelt down beside Zayne and pointed to a disturbed area of vegetation.
"Do you see this?" he asked.
Zayne frowned. "It looks like something heavy passed through."
"Exactly," Orion said. "But it's not from any of our packs. The scent is unfamiliar."
Zayne sniffed his nostrils and a clean sweet odor, behind of which is an acrid odor, made his nose wrinkle on a subtlest component of the odor, namely an acrid. "What does it mean?"
That means we need to be alert, Orion said, scanning the woods edge. "The forest speaks in signs, Zayne. An Alpha must learn to read them."
As they walked back to the village, Orion shared stories of past challenges—times when the pack had faced drought, sickness, and even rival packs. Each story carried a lesson, a glimpse into the strength and wisdom that made Orion a great leader.
The village was on the verge of starvation due to lack of water, and drought damage had ravaged the land. We even divided the rat's possessions down to the weight of the gram of wheat," he added.
However, because we lived and moved in packs together and shared what we could, that pack, too, lived. Zayne listened, imagining himself in those moments. Could he make those kinds of decisions one day? Didn't he always have the option to withdraw the worries of the pack for his own pain? The weight of leadership felt immense, but his father carried it with such grace that Zayne couldn't help but feel inspired.
"Do you think I'll be as strong as you one day? he asked.
Orion smiled, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Strength isn't just in the body, Zayne. It is in the brain, the heart and the decisions you make. And if you remember, you'll perform better than I might hope to.
Nonetheless, when they left the village street again, the familiar discomfort in Orion's eyes did not go away. There was something strange, he could feel it but couldn't place his hands around it.