After the meeting had wrapped, Theory had beckoned Corvus to come with her to help round up any stragglers and put together the pack's herb and food stores for easier transport if need be. The herbs would be vital throughout the course of this disaster - and, truthfully, she needed a quiet moment away from the pack to compose herself. She felt as if she was reeling out of control. It was as if the alpha position had thrown an ugly spotlight on her. Soon enough, everyone would find her out: she was a foolish, young, stupid, idiot fraud.

The thought made her chest tighten in new and uncomfortable ways. If she could just get a breather apart from the meeting, she could pull it together. If she could just... Theory shook her head. Verse and Noir were conspicuously missing from the meeting and it tore at her heart. She had thought that she'd glimpsed her brother, but just for a moment. Had he finally decided to forsake them? So be it. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him pitching her into the volcano, Theory thought bitterly.

"Okay, so, I think we should start by just collecting all the herbs from the stores and Epitaph's garden over here..." she said quietly, gesturing towards a rock beneath one of the trees nearby. "Then we can figure out what's most important and go from there?" She wasn't that experienced in the art of healing, but she had picked up the basics from her family. The bitter scent of herbs reminded her of early days in Tana's den, before she had outgrown it and before her mother had died.

With everything going on - and so close to them, too - Corvus wasn't quite sure anything was as important as fleeing these lands as quickly as possible. But they needed to make sure nobody was left behind, and in the midst of panicking over what was going on, it was hard to take a proper head count. He hadn't seen Aiden - where was he? There were a handful of other wolves he didn't think had been accounted for either, but it was hard to tell with how much had been going on. Corvus had to agree that stepping away from the chaos of everything going on was a welcome moment of peace, though the illusion of calm was shattered almost instant as he felt the earth continue to tremor beneath their paws. Fuck. This wasn't going to stop any time soon, was it? "Alright, sure," Corvus replied simply to Theory's suggestion. He really wasn't sure what the best course of action was, but maybe he could scout out for anyone left behind on their way to the pack's stores. Nodding, he began to trail after her, having no issue with letting Theory take the lead on this one. He sniffed at the air, following the scent of herbs as well as Theory's lead. Perhaps he should've paid more attention when he was younger - he had no idea what was important to take, but he supposed as much as he could carry would be a good start. "Are you okay, by the way?" Corvus asked after a moment, glancing at her with a worried look. Theory had just suddenly been announced as heir to Abaven, and now this was happening. Her age meant little in terms of how she was handling things, at least in his eyes; anyone would be freaking out right now, right? "Just with.. everything going on," Corvus clarified vaguely after a moment, averting his gaze as he continued on.

Ash continued to spill out into the air. The sky was dark and ominous and the very Earth rocked beneath their paws. "Uhh, no, I'm not okay," she said simply. There wasn't an easy answer to his question, so she went with the truth at the very least. Theory didn't want to put on false airs, especially around the higher ranking wolves of the pack. Abaven could only be successful if they were operating as a team. Lying to Corvus wouldn't get her - or the pack - anywhere. "Sorry to be so blunt. No real way around it," she tried to laugh, but it came out as a hoarse cough. "It's all an awful lot to take in," she added as she surveyed the herb garden. Epitaph hadn't tended to it in quite some time. A fine layer of ash already covered the plants. She dug up the plants quickly and piled them up in a messy heap. The smell of freshly dug dirt covered the acrid scent of volcano in the air for just a moment. Theo closed her eyes and pretended for just a second that she was somewhere else - in cave far away, needling Thalia, or sparring with Poem on a sunny day. Thousands of scenes flashed before her mind's eye, all of them better than this. "Do you think relocating to Ibis Islands is the best choice?" She asked, a hint of distress creeping into her voice. There were so many choices that could have been made... how did you ever know if you made the correct one? "Speech"

She didn't lie, which he was grateful for, and he found himself letting out a hollow laugh in response to her answer. She wasn't okay, and neither was he - but they would survive, just like they always did, right? What a way to be introduced to leadership, he thought somberly to himself. "Yeah, I'm not okay either. So no need to be sorry," he assured her quickly. He'd never been the best at masking his emotions, or lying about how he felt about anything... this included. This entire situation was deeply unsettling - where was his brother, anyway? - and he'd be surprised if anyone was totally okay with everything that was happening. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't about to.. like... have a mental breakdown on me," Corvus tried to tease lightly, not sure if he'd help lighten the mood or maybe trigger a mental breakdown anyway. Hopefully not the latter. In all honesty Theory seemed to be holding it together pretty well, even if she wasn't entirely okay. Unsure if he'd be much help in digging up the plants - ruining them in the process seemed counter-intuitive to what they were trying to do - so he hesitantly hung back and scouted the borders of the garden, taking in any scents that touched his nose. Once he identified them he tried to remember if they'd been at the frantic meetup that Shaye had called. His focus was broken by her question, though, and he paused before answering. Was Ibis Island the best choice? It was further away from the volcano, so that was a plus.. but he worried it maybe wasn't far enough away. None of them could know for sure, though, but it seemed like the water that separated the island from the mainland was a huge benefit. "I'm not sure it'll sustain us for long, but I don't think it's a bad choice," he answered carefully. "I think it'll keep us safe from things like... fires, but I worry we'll grow hungry quickly." Abaven's lands were generally quite fertile, and keeping everyone fed wasn't a huge struggle, even in the winter months. But the island was smaller, and though he remembered prey there when they'd visited for the festival, would it be enough? "I think it's the best choice that could've been made. Everything considered. What do you think?"

Theory breathed out a long sigh when he confirmed that the choice was the best one to be made under their circumstances. It was embarrassing to be so anxious for a pack member's validation, but Corvus was more than just another pack member - he was her Blackthorn and her family. Although the situation looked bleak, she was pleased that he was being as supportive as he could. It was obvious enough that he was nervous and upset, but who wouldn't be? This whole situation was horrible. So many terrible things had happened this year - her mother's passing, the wildfire, and now this... what a way to start her life. "I agree with you. It's the best choice to be made given the circumstances," she said, still piling up the herbs from Epitaph's garden. Theo tried to be diligent as she worked. "And I'm hoping that it won't last for more than a season at most. Since we'll be surrounded on all sides by water, at least we'll be able to fish." She wasn't much of a navigator and didn't give too much thought to the cause of the volcano. Theo couldn't know that the tremors began underground and the ocean life may be just as effected as they were, if not worse. "I'm worried about the little ones adjusting... and honestly, I'm about ready to start thinking of alternative living arrangements," she laughed hoarsely. "The fire and now this? It makes me want to pack up everyone and move." If only she could keep them all safe, against every lurking threat and the harsh elements. "But I'm not sure everyone would agree with me." The other Abaven wolves were far more attached to these lands than she saw. Although it would pain her to leave behind Tana's grave, weren't there safer places for them to live? "Speech"

Corvus nodded glumly. "I agree,"  he replied gently, knowing he didn't really need to verbally agree for a second time, but he wanted her to know he agreed it was the best choice. Not that his opinion really counted all that much, anyway. "Hopefully," Corvus agreed to her hopes that their relocation wouldn't last for very long. Spending the winter here wasn't such a bad plan, was it? Maybe the weather there would be somewhat more mild than home, though he wasn't sure if that would be the case. She was right about fishing being a good way to sustain themselves, and he nodded thoughtfully. Theory was smart, and insightful - he realized now more than ever why she'd been chosen as Abaven's heir. She had a good, stable head on his shoulders, and she seemed inclined to at least think of letting Abaven evolve... which sounded like something they should at least consider, even if he wasn't completely sure about the idea himself. "Yeah.. I don't know. I just worry the rest of the world is just as dangerous, if not even worse," Corvus admitted with a sigh. He wasn't very well-traveled at all - the furthest he'd ever gone was up north to Ignis's pack, and even then he hadn't exactly hung around to explore the lands. Once he'd been feeling better, he'd come back home.. and since then he'd hardly strayed from Abaven's lands at all, save for the festival. The thought of how much he didn't know earned a heavy sigh. Perhaps some of the other Abaven members, the older ones, had explored more of the world and might have some insight into that thought... "I'm not sure everyone would agree with you either," he admitted after a moment, pausing from where he'd been pacing near the edge of the garden. His gaze had strayed from her toward the horizon, but he found himself focusing on her once again. "I think there's a reason Abaven has persevered for so long, after everything we've been through, but..." He shrugged. Change was a difficult thing to think about, and threatening the livelihoods of their own packmates was a difficult thing to gamble with, if they decided to up and move permanently. "Need me to help carry some of those?" He gestured with his nose toward some of the herbs she'd pulled up already.

Change was never easy. There were wolves that had lived in these lands long before she was born who had had families and lived and died here. She was sure that Tana's grave wasn't the only Abaven mausoleum. Generations of wolves had called these lands home. Even thinking about the possibility of relocating felt like a betrayal of some kind, but there had to be some kind of proactive approach to their situation. She hated the idea of returning to fire-ravaged lands once again. "Well, the rest of the world is certainly... different, that's for sure," she said carefully. "But maybe not dangerous, especially if we're all together. Right? We've survived wild fires. We'll be okay." Theory said this with a smidge more confidence than she felt. "Yeah, grab as much as you can. We can distribute it among the pack so it's easier to carry." She dug up the last of the herbs and eyed the pile. It wasn't much. Many of the plants had already wilted or gone to ground. The seasons had turned before she knew it. "We will persevere," she said simply, with plenty of conviction. Whether they would remain in their ancestral lands or forge a new path remained to be seen. "And... thank you, Corvus. You're a good mentor." Having the space to bounce ideas off of him without judgement was more than helpful. He didn't have much in the way of strong opinions, but he helped her form her own. She'd have to speak with Shaye soon about their options. "Let's touch base once we reach the island - we better get moving." Theo gathered as much as she could and doubled back towards the meeting site. "Speech"

If they moved anywhere at all more permanently, Corvus's gut instinct was that perhaps moving north might be a good option. But there was that pesky volcano in the way - Corvus glanced warily toward it, remembering that whichever direction they went, it stood in the way. Surely, they could travel away from the base, but that added a large amount of travel time in whatever direction they decided to go, if they left home at all. Even the journey to the island, with whatever supplies they had and with trying to make sure the pups were accounted for, sounded like a difficult feat.... let alone relocating somewhere further away. But that was a problem for a different day, he supposed. "Hopefully," he replied somberly to Theory's words, forcing a faint smile. Being optimistic had never been his strength, but he could put on a hopeful demeanor for those around him, even if deep down he felt far less certain of things. Corvus nodded at her instructions, deciding then that he had no issue with being given orders by Theory. Sure, she was young, and had far less experience than a much older wolf... but that didn't really matter. If Shaye had decided she was Abaven's future, that meant something, right? Somehow she seemed wise behind her years, even behind her obvious nervousness, which was something he couldn't blame her for at all. They would persevere, however hard it might be. Because that was what Abaven had always done. All the stories his parents had told him had echoed that same sentiment - that Abaven, and the whole of the Destruction family, were unshakable in the face of whatever the world threw at them. The compliment that Theory threw at him, however offhanded it might be, caught him off guard as he found himself caught in his thoughts, rendering him temporarily speechless. "Well - it helps that you're a good learner," he offered lightly, chuckling softly. Really though, Theory seemed quite perceptive and insightful, which helped things quite a bit. It was a shame that their lessons were being pushed aside in the face of disaster, but he hoped they might find a way to continue training even as they settled down on the island and things hopefully normalized. "Sounds good," he acknowledge with a nod, hurrying to gather as much of the plants as he could before the two of them headed back toward where the pack had gathered. -exit Corvus-