The glares exchanged by his kids did not go unnoticed. Eisleif was quick to abandon the expression but Stori seemed determined to hang onto it; something that displeased him. If they had to establish a pecking order, fine, but here in front of the pack was not the time for it. As his expression shifted to one of approach Laufey lifted a forepaw and aimed to flick Stori's ear with it. In a low voice he commanded, "Behave." Katja's gaze drew his attention away from the boy and he returned her simple nod. The arrival of Harekr and his familiarity with Neith instantly quipped a feeling of jealous in Laufey. How did they know one another? His imagination took that tiny snippet of information and ran off with it - and he did not like where it took him. What saved him from being an ass were the thoughts he'd just moments prior had about the sprouting rivalry between his kids: this was not the time nor the place. With much effort he smoothed his feathers and managed a simple, unobtrusive statement. "We both are." Katja began the meeting and Laufey turned his attention to her. He made a note to move Neith and Eislief back to the gorge. So Vereux was gone, eh? Laufey wasn't surprised. The man hadn't struck him as Yfir material. Whether he was dead or traitor didn't matter much, although Laufey would jump at the chance to tear into brute if he was the latter. Next Katja announced her pregnancy, which brought up a whirlwind of unexpected emotions for the brute. Pride, yes, but also a kind of uncertainty he couldn't quite place. He needed to speak with Katja. Undoubtedly they had different takes on what had transpired between them and what the future entailed. From there the meeting turned towards ranks. Without hesitation he stepped forward and sought Katja's gaze. "I wish to try for the rank of Stallari." He was intentionally vague as to which Stallari position he wanted. There were three positions to try for and Kaprasius held the first. Whether or not he was going to give his uncle a run for his money hinged largely on how he handled the coming test. If he made it into the ranks he just might have to try to keep the old man on his toes.

Katja informed Eis that she was too young to train as a student yet. Good! That gave Stori more time to get ahead of her. The alpha asked what Stori wanted to train in and he immediately knew. He stepped forward, facing Katja, his head bowing for a moment before he spoke. He knew all the proper protocols for addressing someone of a higher rank and he followed them. He'd like to see Eisleif beat that!

"Drottning, I wish to be strong and courageous like Thor. I wish to be able to stand and fight and one day go on raids. I wish to carry the physical strength of the gods and use it to help carry the pack and fulfill its glorious name! I'd like to train to get the rank Thegn and then, if the gods see fit, I'd like to one day claim one of the places of Stallari."

Stori tried hard to speak clearly and purposefully. He thought of all that Katja had taught him about ranks and gods. He thought about how he always felt like Thor was telling him to be strong. Maybe it was just because Thor was one of the first gods he had learned about, but he always felt a kind of kinship with him. He felt like he could pursue the warrior rank, and that the gods would be filled with joy at his decision. He felt like they were listening to him now, so he choose his words carefully. They wouldn't sound quite natural, but they weren't unbearably choppy either. After Stori finished, he bowed his head again to Katja, waiting for her response.

There was little time spent interacting among themselves. Enough, Bernadette thought, to be welcome. She needed to reach out more to her packmates for certain, as well as work on honing her skills. The bi-colored eyes of the femme would glace to Hare, then to Neith. They were the only two she had interacted with one on one thus far. But there was time yet to get to know her other packmates. Come the next season, Spring, she would be sure to become more active within the pack. To get to know the rest of them. This much she vowed. There was definitely a good deal to discuss. She was not entirely pleased about having to abandon her den... However the thought of having all of the pack together in the same sort of area made sense. There was a moment, a brief moment, of longing for her own kin. To have them here would have been bliss. But alas they were not present in Alacritia. She had left her brothers behind with her parents, seeking out her own path. She couldn’t hold onto their paws forever like some overgrown pup. There was also news of a missing wolf. Bernadette particularly found this interesting. Was he dead and gone, or was he a traitor to the ways of Yfir? The thought of being the one to find such a traitor, to bring them before the pack for judgment... Now that sent shivers of excitement down her spine. But only time would tell if this wolf showed up or not. There was more news, which Berny was also rather interested in. So Katja bore the children of the gods? Bernadette wasn’t sure how possible or impossible such a thing was... But the idea was rather amusing either way. These children would certainly be respected at the very least, for they were the children of the Drottning. The next bit of news continued to keep the black and red femme’s attention. Ahhh ranks. She had been sitting as a Karl for too long now. She was determined to improve her rank, and to progress within Yfir. Perhaps she would one day become a lead warrior, but first things first, she needed to become a Thegn. After several others had spoken the femme too would speak up, expressing her wishes. “I wish to prove myself worthy for the position of Thegn, Drottning.”

Hani shivered. Her pelt was not nearly thick enough to keep her warm. The icy winds stabbed at her skin. Her eyes eventually leveled off at Katja, looking as if she was about to speak at any moment, but never making the move to actually speak. Her mind was a painful slurry of sharp moments of strong activity interrupted by moments of mind-numbing dullness. It was almost like falling asleep... then waking up by being thrown in a river. It would take a while before her mind would level out without her drugs, but hopefully she could find more before then.

Hani's eyes stayed on Katja. Even as Stori spoke, even as Laufey spoke, Hani remained unflinching. She didn't feel anything besides the pattern of sharp and dull. Her vision zoned into the patterns of Katja's fur. The pack spoke, though not to Hani and Hani didn't hear them. She sat, about to speak, but never speaking. She didn't even know what she would say if she did speak.

His gaze was visibly merry as he turned to face Katja, eager to see Yfir's reaction to the news. There was little greater news than to hear that the Finnvi line would continue on - and to Katja, no less. It had come as a surprise to him, and it was even more incredible that Laufey was the father, but he had heard that Katja had seen the gods that night and he knew better than to question their judgement. Still, his eyes widened as she spoke, feeling pride swell in his chest at her words. He noted a bit of attention from Laufey's daughter, and found himself chuckling - she, too, had a small tall though likely for reasons far different from his own.

Next on the agenda was to discuss ranks, and which ones the wolves of Yfir desired for. He found himself grinning a bit deviously at Laufey's vague answer, wondering if his nephew would challenge him. The thought was not surprising, but rather something he found himself looking forward to, if the time came. Stori's eagerness, and the goal he voiced, was commendable too and he offered the young boy a respectful nod. "I would prefer to remain as fyrstr Stallari," he would offer after a moment of thought. He had sworn his service to Katja long ago, and that was not destined to change; though his fate lay in her paws as much as it did the hands of the gods.

She watched silently as each wolf interested in a new rank spoke up, and she tilted her head in acknowledgement of them all. Laufey's interest in the position of Stallari pleased her - he was ambitious, not content to simply laze about, and he had proven himself a capable warrior in the past. Perhaps it was time for him to prove himself in a more tactical position as well. "Very well," she spoke up as they fell silent. "Inga, you have more than proven your wisdom and intelligence, and your loyalty to your pack. I am honored to bestow the rank of huskarl upon you that you may be better placed to pass your knowledge on to our young." And to Lyndvarr: "You are correct that, with so few healers, your knowledge would be best used among the Hirdha, though it would be a great shame for your skill in battle to fall unused. You would be welcomed to continue to train as a fighter and to fight and raid beside us as a warrior as well as a healer. To that end, although your skill in your rank will be today tested by treating the wounds of the embattled rather than through battle, I would like you to stand in as a proxy Thegn to test one of our potentials, whether you feel ready to take your oath as Hirdha or not." To the two would-be thegns, Harekr and Joker, she spoke very seriously. They were not seeking simply to become warriors, but to become the elite, the lifeblood upon which the pack rested. "You are aware that there is more to the thegn than simply being warriors, yes? The thegn must take an oath of fealty to the pack. It is an important decision, but if you are ready to make such a step, you will be tested and allowed to take that vow." She stood and stretched, stiff joints and muscles popping and loosening as she did. "If you are all ready to make such vows - Kaprasíus, as Stallari you will be testing Harekr's skills. Lyndvarr, as proxy thegn you will test Joker. You are not to cause crippling wounds, but it would do no good as a test for you to hold back overly much." She turned her attention to Stori, the enthusiastic would-be apprentice, and considered him a moment. He was young and untrained, but he would be entering into a violent field where he would eventually make the same oaths as any thegn. It would certainly do him no good to let him assume things would come easily. "Neith," she summoned without turning her head, "you will be standing in to test Stori. Stori, you do not have the benefit of much training, but every warrior will eventually meet an opponent of greater skill and experience. Neith is not a warrior among us, but she is older, and far more traveled than you are. How you fare against her will have as much to do with how determined you are to succeed as it does your level of skill." Now she turned a penetrating gaze to Laufey. "Do not think I have forgotten you, cousin," she added with faint humor. "The rank of Stallari has as much to do with trust as it does with skill. You proved yourself a capable warrior against Vereux before we traveled here, and you have proven to have great loyalty to Yfir. Your judgement has on occasion been flawed" his two trysts with outsiders, and the children that came of that being evidence enough of that "but you have always taken responsibility for your mistakes and sought to rectify them. You will have your chance to prove yourself as a leader, as a Stallari - but you will first test your skill against me." He was far larger than she was, and his youth too would be an advantage against her, but you only truly got a sense of someone's skill, the way their mind worked in battle, by testing it yourself. ""

OOC: I want all spars to begin by next Friday and to stick to normal default times. Get together with your partner to decide who will be posting first so there's not a huge delay. I have a major preference for two round spars, not one round, because one round spars do not do much to show fighting ability and whether you achieve your desired rank will in part depend on how well you do in the fight (not necessarily whether you win or lose, but your own personal scores so try your hardest).

So to recap:

Harekr vs Kapra
Bernie vs Lyndvarr
Stori vs Neith
Laufey vs Katja

She watched as the various pairs arrayed themselves and began their battles. Some fought better than others, and her eyes narrowed in keen thoughtfulness as she watched, but she could not watch for long, as she had to test Laufey herself momentarily. She let the spars go on for some few minutes before calling out easily, "Very well, that is enough." They would break apart or they would not, if they heard her or if they were too deep into the spar. Either way, she already knew what she needed. And a short time later, as she broke apart from the spar with Laufey, she was pleased to have learned his skill as well. Panting - how could she not? He was much younger and larger than she and had given her more than a run for her money - she leaped back up onto her perch. She dipped her head to Laufey first, then gravely said to the pack, "Laufey has proven himself worthy to bear the rank of annarr Stallari. Laufey, you may meet with Kapra later and decide among yourselves how to split Yfir among your bands. Report to me your decisions." She turned her attention to the would-be thegns. "Harekr, you have proven yourself worthy of the rank of thegn, if you wish to swear the oath to it, or hirdhmadhr if you do not wish to. Lyndvarr, you too have proven yourself capable in battle - treat the wounds of your packmates and you have earned your right as either hirdha if you wish to swear the oath or fostru if you do not wish to swear. Joker." She turned her eyes to the dark female. "I am not satisfied that you are ready to take the rank of a warrior. Work with the thegn, attend training, continue to spar on your own and try another time if you still seek a rank among the thegn." And to Stori, who had not performed as eagerly as she would have hoped for a potential student, she spoke sternly - "Though you have not had formal training, there are certain traits we look for in potential dreng. It is a great honor to be a student of the thegn, and were you not your father's son you might have been turned away today. It is on sufferance that you are being accepted as a dreng, in the hopes that you will live up to the example provided you. You will need to work very hard to prove worthy of this chance you have been given." Her gaze roamed the faces before her thoughtfully before picking from among them. "Laufey, until we have more thegn ready to mentor, you will continue to train Stori." She dipped her head to them all in dismissal, then hopped down again to await Lyndvarr to treat the wounds of her pack before she would approach him herself. "" ""

OOC: anyone who did not reply to their spar I assumed to have defaulted and lost, though since the spars were not begun the defaults are not "official" defaults. Those who replied last to each spar are assumed to have won. Sorry it took me so long to reply to this, I didn't realize I had not actually posted. No need to reply to this again unless you actually want to.