Ankh

The death toll in the Valley came like a sharp slap across the canine's face, especially as so many had begun to grow ill and weaken just as the weather was warming up, and food was starting to become more plentiful. The Ancient Guardians had been hit powerfully hard, and rumor had it that even some of the Haunters were falling ill. Ankh held his ground until his own pack was hit by the unexplained blight, where it took the live of one of his sons... and seriously weakened several others, himself included. It was at that time that he and Owl made the decision to flee, first to the Silver Glades with their allies, and when they were falling ill, to escape to their old stomping grounds at the Alleys.

Compared to some of the behemoths in the Valley, Ankh was a waif of a creature, not even reaching 90 pounds with his slim, ebony frame - though his dense fur and laughably thick ruff made him look a few pounds heavier. He'd always relied on his confidence and ego to carry himself, and it had never failed... until now, when his weary body and wheezing lungs warned him that he may be the next victim for the unexplained sickness. That's why he'd left a message with Snowy Owl to have ShearWind come speak with him when she returned from her latest outing, to speak with his daughter on the future of the Ankian Lurkers, in case his time here was cut short.

Human savy, though not so much as the Lurkers thanks to his fiery attitude and aggression, Ankh nonetheless kept himself to the small alleyways that wound along the back of the stores, where he wouldn't be at risk of being hit by a vehicle, and was far less likely to be seen. Plus, in the back of the stores was where they kept their trash, and potentially his next meal.

ShearWind

After getting the message from her mother, ShearWind set out immediately for the heart of the city, using her mental roadmap of the streets and various shops to guide her towards the 'quiet food block', as they knew it as, where her father was supposedly waiting for her. During the early morning hours, with a thick fog rolling up from the nearby river, her pale gray coat allowed her to blend in better with an otherwise human environment, but it didn't exactly make it easy for motorist to see her. She had to dodge away from the curb several times to avoid passing cars before she finally turned down one of the narrow alley ways and took up walking behind the buildings instead. Once she begun navigating through the crowded corridors of structures, it didn't take long to pick up on her father's scent, and shortly thereafter, to trail it and catch up to him behind the Cafe. "Dad, you wanted to talk with me?" Mindful of keeping off the human's radar, ShearWind's voice was a low woof of a sound as she called to her father and slowly padded towards him.

Ankh

Ankh had his muzzle buried in an overturned rubbish bin, and smeared with a streak of ketchup when he drew it out to reply to his daughter. A deft flick of the tongue cleaned away the bit of dressing, and though it also made his stomach rumble for more, he moved forward to close the distance between himself and Shear, and to give her a fond nuzzle. "Your mother and I have been talking about this for a long while, and we've come to a mutual decision." Looking proudly over his daughter, whose size made him look even smaller, Ankh allowed for a short pause between his words, "We both agree that you would be our best replacement for leadership of the pack, when that time comes. You've got your mother's even-temper, and the Lurker's honor and ferocity. It's not something we want to force on you, but we'd like you to think about it."

ShearWind

Knowing that her father had begun to ail, and not knowing whether it would be a passing thing, or... bring his demise, the idea of replacing him and Owl as leader of the pack was a bittersweet honor. Being complemented by the sharp-tongued, hot-headed brute would have made her blush if only her face was covered in the pale gray fur that it was, and she chose to lean towards the brighter end of the discussion, rather than the depressing notion that her parents were getting old, "Leader of the Ankhian Lurkers?" A half-smile tugged at the edge of her muzzle after she'd given her sire a nuzzle back, "It means a lot coming from you... I would do my best to lead everyone, but... " She trailed off there as various thoughts hit her. 'Am I strong enough to be their leader? Who would rule next to me? It would be a lot of pressure..'