Born of Storm and Purpose
Long before House Æthelwolf bore its name, there came a night where the sky split open and thunder called down to the earth. In that charged silence between lightning and rainfall, Zeus entered the world — not with a whimper, but with eyes that held the storm. Agouti in coat, his fur swirled with nature’s contradictions: dusk and fire, shadow and flicker. The old ones say you can still see the storm in him if you meet his gaze during a tempest.
From his earliest steps, Zeus chose his path not through fear or dominance, but through observation. While others wrestled and roared for rank, he sat — still, calculating. He learned the land before he ruled it.
Guardian of the Bloodline
Zeus was not born into power. He earned it. Monkeys dared test the borders of House Æthelwolf once — only once. It wasn’t rage that drove him, but purpose. He defends not to conquer, but to preserve.
Where others bark, Zeus speaks. His voice is a deep, resonant call — not just to his kin, but to the earth itself. A vocal sentinel, he patrols his domain with dignity. Wolves might call him too calm, but those who know the weight of leadership understand: he is not calm. He is anchored.
To the pups, he is the quiet shadow who always watches. To the matriarch, he is unwavering strength. To outsiders, he is a flame behind the eyes — a final warning.
The First Howl of Æthelwolf
Zeus was the first to howl for the house — a low, echoing call that shattered the silence and marked the return of instinct-driven legacy. He is not the loudest, nor the most playful, but he is the standard. Others may bring color, speed, or cunning… but Zeus is the foundation.
His presence commands without asking. His loyalty is unshakable, his authority uncontested. And long after his patrols end, the memory of his howl will guide the next flame-willed protectors of House Æthelwolf.
