It hadn't been too long ago that he'd spoken to them. That Shaye had offered to help by loaning him a couple of members from Abaven to help get things started. And after confirming with those he had recruited already, the day drew closer and closer for him. For them. For those who wanted to join a pack built from the ground up. A pack that was his. That would belong to them. A pack that would seek to right the wrongs committed against their own. First, he would let Shaye and Rhyme now before he went to find Actaea and Ignis. After all was said and done, they would head North. It only seemed fitting that the pack would be born in the North...Winter, the girl he loved had been his life at one point. And his pack would even be named after her. Of course, nobody else knew that...but it didn't matter, did it? It was a tribute for her. To honor her life. The one she didn't get to live with him. Feeling somber, he approached a clearing and uttered a low call for the alphas. It was now or never. speech action

The call that rang for her and Rhyme had an official flavour to it, even though she immediately recognised the voice. She paused in the act of teaching Motif to fish, through her young daughter used the distraction to splash water at the Alpha. Shaye laughed and kissed her, telling her to keep at it and she’ll get the hang of it in no time.

That done, the drenched wolf exited the stream and shook out her coat. She knew the direction Acere had called from, and started out with a gentle loop. It warmed her muscles which had begun to chill beneath her damp coat.

She found the white male in no time, and stopped near him, offering him a warm smile. They had finally managed to settle their differences, and it sounded like it was just in time. “Is it time already?’ she asked him, eyes crinkling at the corners with a smile. She had made peace with him leaving, and truly wished him all the best. “Come to collect Ignis, Actaea, Solor and Vail?” she asked of him. Quite a few of his new members were residing in Abaven. She wondered how many there where outside of that number that would be joining him.

He wasn’t that much older than Acere, but he was still aloud to feel proud of the man. He’d been nothing short of a mess when he had appeared at Abaven’s borders with his young niece and nephew in tow. He quickly soared to the lead warrior position, and after a disagreement with Shaye the decision would be made that he needed to his own leadership role. He wanted and deserved a mantle, and as the call came for him over the rapids Rhyme knew it was time.

He more an amused grin as he approached the clearing within the thicket. He appeared on the other side of Acere, facing Shaye as she greeted the white warrior. Rhyme offered an encouraging grin and a deep nod of respect. Acere had long earned his place, and Rhyme would be lucky to call him a friend and equal.

Shaye arrived first, "Is it time already?" He nodded. He hadn't anticipated for it to be so soon after speaking with her, but each day that passed urged him forward. It was like a thirst that couldn't be quenched, and this is what he needed to quench it. "I have," He smiled back, glad that they had managed to talk it out and thay they had managed to settle their differences for the most part.

His gaze turned to Rhyme when he approached, a smile tugging at his lips. He had spoken to the alpha Male as well about this, and the pair of them had given their blessings for what was to come. After some thought, however, he decided he'd take a different approach. "This may seem like a last minute thought...but in the event I can't find those who pledged to follow me, I may end up resorting to a different tactic." He was always the headstrong warrior, but he thought things through the best he could when he could. If he couldn't track down his potential followers, he figured he might as well challenge someone for leadership. He didn't know what his two friends thought about it, but whether they approved of it or not he was going to follow through with it anyway. Perhaps by taking that route...others he hadn't met might be drawn to the call and he'd have a better opportunity.

Acere’s return smile eased her heart, she knew how different things would be if they had parted on the the bad terms they had sat on for a time. She respected the white warrior, easily as much as she did her Alpha Partner. Of course, if it was Rhyme leaving her side, she wasn’t certain she could let him go so easily. She mentally moved her thoughts on, and kept up her smile. She knew this wouldn’t be the last she saw of Acere, and she had begun to adjust to seeing a lot less of him, he hadn’t been spending a great deal of time in Abaven’s borders lately.

He mentioned having trouble finding members, and she wasn’t terribly surprised - in that she hadn’t heard him mention any other wolves outside of Ignis and Actaea. Even with her lending Vail and Solor, chances where it wasn’t quite enough to hold down a territory. Especially since Vail and Solor where only on a temporary bases. “What different tactic where you thinking?” she asked him, but she could already guess. Traditionally you formed your own following, chose a land, and started a pack - or, if you wanted to take a different path, you challenged for one that already existed.

Rhyme came to a halt beside Shaye, his dark frame a slightly taller compliment to Shaye’s midnight body. Acere gave him a smile and the slate marked alpha nodded knowingly, their time as packmates had come to a close. He was pulling ahead in the ranks and rising above to grasp his own pawful of leadership. While he expected Acere to build from the ground up his words sounded like he meant to do otherwise.

The self named man took a couple of steps closer to Acere, his lips pulling back into a half grin as Shaye asked what the white warrior meant by his words. ”He’s going to challenge someone.” Rhyme wanted to think the best of Acere, he would never expect that his… friend would suddenly rise up and challenge for Abaven. The blue knight was ashamed that the thought was even entertained, but he still felt his gaze harden slightly as he looked to Acere for his answer. Though he still wore the good natured grin, ”Who’ve you got in mind, Acere?” His voice was light, hiding the thoughts that had been hastily shoved aside.

"What different tactic were you thinking?" Ah Shaye. Despite her time as a leader, he felt that sometimes she was a bit naive. Perhaps hopeful even that the world could be built purely with peace. But that wasn't the kind of world Ace had grown up in, and though he tried that approach before, it never quite worked in his favor more often than not. Rhyme went to stand by here before taking a step closer, and he knew that Rhyme knew what he was talking about. "He's going to challenge someone." He nodded once to show he was right. His own grin didn't quite fall away, and he didn't reply right away, either. He left a few moments to linger before he revealed the mystery. He wondered what they thought, if there might be a plot twist and the next words that came out could be Abaven.

But no. Abaven was not the pack he sought to take over. "Who've you got in mind, Acere?" a hint of a serious but mischievous look entered his gaze, "It's safe to say it won't be Abaven." That should ease any possible thoughts about that, right? "I've done some traveling while trying to find some followers. And I've noticed a couple of packs have been rather...quiet. Stagnant, even. Celestial and Fyri have been rather quiet, and they might as well be non-existent at this point. However, since I'm more partial to the North...Ignatius of Fyri is who I intend to challenge." He let that sink in for a moment. While yes, Fyri and Abaven had intended on allying and doing something with that alliance, Ignatius hadn't gone further than that. "As far as I can tell, Fyri is a smaller pack. And I've not seen much nor heard much from them in some time. So perhaps this might be a blessing in disguise, I think." He planned to challenge soon. Perhaps in the next day or two.