Frightened by predators, the herd broke into a run. Storge jumped from the grass, where she had been trying to hide. They screwed up, and the animals rushed away from her too far. But the queen refused to give up. She chased after the horned animals. Their hooves raised a cloud of dust that hindered her vision. Storge tensed her muscles and tried to bite the closest animal. But it suddenly sped up, putting a distance between them. The hunter was left with nothing. Dust made her sneeze when another wolf approached her.

'What are you doing, silly?' Hailstone laughed as he watched his sister's failure. "Your legs are no match for their speed magic.'

Storge shook the dust off her fur. Her brother's remark was without any malice, but her pride as a hunter still suffered a little. As if sensing her frustration, Hailstone rubbed his muzzle gently over her shoulder.

'I'm glad we had the chance to hunt. You've been really busy lately.'

It wasn't an exaggeration. The construction of the nest was still underway. They had finished "kindergarten", a few storage rooms and a herd room, but workers were busy getting food and caring for the aphid cows lately. Additional tunnels and exits, as well as more storage rooms, were still under construction. The queen's room was also finished. This was both a joyous and somewhat sad event for Storge. With their new home nearly complete, and the swarm becoming accustomed to their territory, she had to move on to another important task of the queen - she had to find a mate.

Storge followed the herd with her gaze. The horned animals ran towards the horizon at incredible speed. Her brother looked at her worriedly. She had to answer him, but her head was empty and filled with thoughts at the same time. 'I wish I could ask for advice from my dad.' But Kindhearted, while diligently helping the swarm, still looked at the east every dawn. Afraid that her question would disturb his wounded heart, Storge kept her worries to herself. Clear-Eyed depressed look also did not make the situation any better. The queen hoped that her salvation from heavy thoughts and duties would come in the form of her visits to Iphrita.

Remembering the last time she was with a scaled woman, Storge's ears went down.

'What do you do there anyway?' read her thoughts, Hailstone.

The memories of her last visit to the tree house made Storge groan. Iphrita's constant repetition of the same words was like an annoying chant.

"Concentrate. Get rid of any useless thoughts in your mind."

When Storge closed her eyes, she thought this way would be easier to do what she was asked to. But she couldn't help it - all kinds of worries slipped into her mind. A feather-like stick hit the queen's head. She opened her eyes and saw the grimaced face of a scaled woman, irritated. "I said get all useless thoughts out of your head!"

'She tells me to empty my mind, to abandon all thoughts, like that makes any sense,' Storge snorted, and continued to complain, 'I'm not sure what she wants herself. She's impatient and her mood is unpredictable.'

'Maybe she is just playing with you.'

Her brother's assumption was not baseless. Even if, from the swarm's point of view, the scaled woman's actions were ridiculous, Iphrita did not make any attempts to defend her point of view. She just did what she wanted and chased the queen away whenever she was bored or tired.

The wind brought a familiar smell, and Storge looked in its direction with anxiety.

'Oh no, it's Spot.'

'Is it bad?'

'Lately he clings to me too much. I can't make a step without bumping into him.'

Storge moved towards the grove, not towards the direction of the smell, but away from it. Hailstone followed her.

'He just likes you,' he assumed. 'Maybe he wants to impress you?'

'Like you, going to the hive territory and sighing from a distance?'

Storge's remark made her brother jump and bite her gently by the paw. She started running, but he continued following her.

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'I assure you that you won't gain the queen's favor through such actions.' Annoyed by his persistence, just like Spot's, she lashed out at her brother.

The siblings ran to the west, bickering under the trees' thick crowns. Their play ended when they reached the river bank, where they quenched their thirst and cooled off. Storge looked at her brother impatiently.

'Now it's time to go back,' he noticed, looking at the sunrise. The cool of the night was slowly fading.

'You go first,' replied the queen, with feigned calmness.

Hailstone stretched his back and grinned. 'Just so you can go to the village alone?'

Storge flinched and looked away. 'It's just for observation.' Her brother was still grinning, and she added, 'It is quiet there, and Spot doesn't bother me when I am so close to the village.'

'I don't mind, but I want to have a look at your pet human.'

Storge grumbled at him, but it had no effect on the wolf. Reluctantly, she headed to the village with Hailstone. His high spirits made her feel even more gloomy than the failed hunt.

When they reached the familiar slope, the person she was used to seeing was already there. However, his smile faded slightly when he noticed that the she-wolf wasn't alone this time. Out of habit, he still took a pair of fruits out of his bag. He rolled them to the wolf ant. Hailstone cautiously sniffed the treats. But looking at how Storge was chewing on her share, he tried one too.

'It's nice,' Hailstone shared his opinion after the fruit was finished. 'I like it. It's so crunchy. What was it?'

'He called it 'apples''

'I want more,' Hailstone looked at the guy hopefully, but the human showed him empty hands.

"Sorry, I only brought two. I didn't think she would bring a guest."

The soldier wolf sighed and sat down on the grass. The queen was amused by how easily his trust could be won with a single fruit. If it were Rainstorm, he would hiss immediately.

Unlike his older brother, Hailstone was more interested in human than in showing off his power. He sniffed the guy and his belongings. Ferko waited patiently, and when the wolf had finished with his investigation, he took an album out of the bag.

The flat white object immediately captured Hailstone's attention. He watched as the human drew. The golden eyes of the wolf ant were fixed on the pencil, as if it was the most precious prey in its life. Storge laughed at her brother, panting. 'It's as if the human has enchanted it.'

When Ferko raised the album and showed it to Hailstone, the wolf stared at it.

'Can you see it?' he asked his sister, who was not hiding her laughter. 'What is it? How does it do that?'

His reaction was amusing to Stooge and human. Ferko chuckled and reached out to the she-wolf, petting her and scratching behind her ears and neck. The sight made Hailston even more amazed.

Somehow shy, Storge tried to defend herself. 'It just feels good. It doesn't mean anything.'

Hailstone exclaimed, 'I want to try it too' and moved towards the human, pushing his muzzle towards him.

Ferko laughed, gently petting the wolf. leased, Hailstone closed his eyes.

"If you were a cat, I bet you would purr," said the human. "I wonder if you are her mate?"

His guess made the wolf burst out laughing. Storge stared at the impertinent fellow. The queen's rage and indignation were overwhelming.

She almost screamed, 'He is not only clumsy and weak, but also stupid!'

Ferko flinched and looked around. His eyes searched for something that he couldn't find.

"Strange..." mumbled the human to himself. "I'm sure I heard something."

The wolves froze, staring at the guy. Both Hailstone's joy and Storge's rage evaporated. Surprise turned into fear. Thoughts they always shared with each other, something that even their parents and the whole swarm couldn't do. Somehow, the human heard her.