Elvis

Bella went right to Valdera when she got back from the Auction House. "Deim is going to kill me! she said. "After she made all of us promise not to buy anything!"

Valdera eyed the new hatchling. "A Wildclaw? You know how they are, Bella. And a male! He'll be wanting to fight everything that moves!"

Bella looked down at the Wildclaw hatchling, then back at Valdera. "I don't think so, Val. Little one, tell our progen here why you were at auction."

"I wouldn't fight her, it was stupid! She's only half my size!"

Valdera, intrigued now, squatted down until her eyes were even with his. "Stupid, was it? Why was it stupid?'

"She had to know I was going to thrash her! And she's already got scratches all down one side! She's going to get herself killed! It would be..."

"Stupid. Yes, so you said." This, Valdera thought, was some very interesting thinking for a Wildclaw male to have. A Wildclaw that would think before fighting? Would even refuse to fight without a good reason? She looked up at Bella, who looked down at her. "I couldn't leave him, Val. What clan would have him, but for us?"

Valdera nodded. "You're absolutely right, this is no usual Wildclaw, that's for sure. He'll fit right in." She stood and mantled her wings. "Now to talk to our very sober Spiral business manager!"

Bella laughed. "She'll kill both of us!" Valdera grinned, then looked down at the hatchling between them. "Maybe she won't. Come along my principled little Wildclaw, let's go meet the rest of the clan."