Ardyn Adravendi

Ardyn trotted down the ravine and up the three steps into the main chamber of the Alcoves, glancing in as Legacy where she worked over sorting herbs into neat rows before he passed the alcoves and ducked into the passage that led farther into the hill. He padded down the hallway and turned into a cave, taking a seat facing the opening as he waited patiently. He’d sent Sädir and Lyr out to gather the warriors and fighting inclined for a meeting. Expansion was part of his hopes for Valhalla. And for that hope to come to fruition, action was needed. The cave was large, rounded, and overgrown with many plants and herbs. At the heart of the ceiling a hole allowed a shaft of light into the room, illuminating the flat stone boulder that lay at the chamber’s center like a table. His paws crossed lightly on the stone, long digits tapping lazily as he waited, ears perked. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ----  "Hear" ---- Think

Word reached his ears about a meeting for Valhalla's warriors. Not one to skip out on important things, Tyto dropped what he was doing and went to wash himself off real quick. He had been digging out a new storage den in the moor, more specifically, a quiet spot where he could work and store the traps and other things he tried to craft. He had been digging into a decent-sized mount several feet from one of the stones, heather, and lavender making a nice aesthetically pleasing entryway. Not that he cared much about aesthetics, but it was still nice. After he washed the dirt off his legs and face in the stream, he headed towards the alcoves in the ravine where the bulk of the pack could generally be found. Following the more recent scents, it didn't take him long until he made it to the cave where Adryn sat and waited. He had to admit, this place was impressive. On the outside, it didn't seem like much. But he could tell that years of work had gone into making these alcoves and passages, and just about everything else that Valhalla had to offer. "Lord of Cinder, good to see you." He greeted with some amusement. He hoped Ardyn wouldn't mind his little nickname. After all, it seemed appropriate considering what his king's fur did. "Speak"

Before his mother's death during the Long Night, Fili wouldn't have really considered himself a warrior. A hunter, yes. A provider. But it wasn't until Justice was gone that he had solemly stepped up to her mantle as a protector as well. That contributed a little extra discomfort on top of the usual as he approached the meeting of warriors. The two desert cats that paced alongside him he had long since grown accustomed to, fellow hunters as they were and spending so much time together. The fellow wolves he was meeting, on the other hand, still made himfeel anxious and awkward. Seating himself out of the way, to one side of the door, he kept his head turned away as he fiddled with his bracers as though they needed adjustment.

Amorielle Adravendi

Oops! She was running a little late, wasn't she? She had been out scavenging for herbs before Winter's frost settled in, so when Adryn's companion had flown overhead with the message that a meeting for the warriors was being held, she quickly finished digging up the bulb of a lily in the avian estuary before heading back home. She made a beeline for the cave where she knew the meeting was to be held, but first, she'd drop off her satchel at her den in the alcoves and wash up real quick before attending! Scurrying along, she reached the ravine in no time and slipped into the community alcove, uttering quick and hurried greetings to those she passed before slipping into her room, dropping her satchel, and quickly dipping and scrubbed her forelegs in a makeshift basin that was fed by a trickle of water in the wall. Once satisfied that she had gotten the dirt off, she quickly dried herself off with a piece of rabbit hide and then went to join the meeting. Upon arriving, she realized she wasn't running late, and in fact, was only the third warrior to arrive. Feeling sheepish, she tried to calm her racing heart from all the hurrying she just did before taking a seat, nodding to Fidelias and Tyto (and looking at him curiously because she hadn't officially met nor seen him up until now), before turning to her brother and dipped her head in greeting to him. "Latha math a bhràthair, an dòchas gu bheil thu gu math." She glanced briefly at Tyto again, a small grin on her features as she leaned in closer to her brother. "An e sin caraid Caelia?" Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

You couldn't kill me if you tried She felt...uncomfortable. She was another year older, and with it, came her second heat. She felt tired, a little irritable, but nothing that would cause her to lash out at anyone. While she was aware it was natural for a female, it still didn't help the fact that she was reluctant to go to this meeting that was being called. Amorielle had dropped off some herbs a few days prior to help her relax and to aid in masking the scent, so Tel decided that if she was going to be in a room full of other warriors, she might as well go ahead and take them to help calm her nerves. The shiny babe took them in haste, hoping they would take effect sooner rather than later. Whether or not it helped (she wasn't sure), she slipped out of her den in the alcove and made her way to the room where the other warrior's waited. So far, she found Ardyn, Amorielle, and Fidelias there, along with a newer member she didn't recognize yet. She quietly took a seat, doing her best not to look too uncomfortable. "Speak"

The stallion trotted through the woods clustered around the base of the hill. He was a little late, having been at the far fields watching over the herds, picking out animals that looked like they might not weather the winter well. Isolde had met with Lyr, and borne the message for him to save the raven a little flying time, and soon Taliesyn was cantering toward the meeting. He slowed and squeezed through the mouth of the ravine, carefully picking his way down and breathing a sigh of relief as the walls widened and ferns were no longer tickling his sides. Wangui eyed the mouth of the cave dubiously as it came into sight. Taliesyn paused to study the cave entrance and its three natural steps, ears flicking in thought before he bent his knees and squashed his way through the tight entry. It was a struggle, and he was sure the clattering scrape of his hooves echoed well into the cave system to the keen ears of the wolves, but soon enough he was through and carefully stepping his way into the tunnel. If he held his head low, his withers just barely brushed the ceiling of the cave, and soon enough he peered around the opening into the meeting room, surveying it before deciding there was enough room that he wouldn’t trample on any paws if he entered. Once the meeting was over, he’d be able to circle the “table” and leave. He entered, glad the entry of this cave was wider than the main entry, and took a place toward the back of the cave, providing his own source of light as he nodded to the others, lips twitching in a small smile as Wangui grumbled, clambering her way back up his mane to his back from the ground where she’d hastily dropped as he’d entered. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

He’d been in the middle of processing a rabbit caught in his snare when Lyr had passed above. Ardyn had filled him in on some of the meeting’s points the previous evening, but not all of it. The king liked leaving a few things to find out so that those hearing it would be on the same footing in most parts, regardless of status. He’d finished the rabbit and left Enito to set the carcass to smoking and prepping the pelt while Cairo went to wash off before heading to the meeting. He came just in time to see the … interesting view of Taliesyn scrabbling his way through the main entry. The beta bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering. Sure, Taliesyn was good natured enough to see the humor in the sight, but it’d be rude to laugh at the stallion. He followed the horse inside, moving to take his place at Ardyn’s side, sapphire eyes scanning the faces. Caelia had yet to arrive, but there were a few faces already gathered, and he nodded to each with a smile as he sat, waiting for the rest of the fighters and for Ardyn to get the meeting started. Crystal swooped in, joined by Taliesyn's Isolde, who arrowed up to keep watch above the opening in the ceiling while the owl perched on a thick vine over Cairo's head, her own swiveling to observe the gathered participants. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aurielle Adravendi

She was returning from a trip to the Mistveil Peak, a little travel-weary, but invigorated, when Lyr flew overhead, passing the word of a warriors meeting. Ah well, a nap could wait. She broke into a brisk trot, heading for the chosen meeting room. She did wonder if Taliesyn would be able to get in, but as she caught his scent when she padded down the ravine, she decided he must have been able to squeeze through. There were a few fresh scuffs on the marble, which she could only wonder at, having come too late to catch the scene Cairo had watched. Loshir and Ayodele accompanied the former Spirit as she padded down the hall and stepped into the chamber, filling the room with light until Loshir ducked out and returned with an extra cloak, dropping it over her white fur and blocking the brilliant light as Aurielle took a place near her son’s side, offering the wolves gathered a smile, glancing up with an added grin to Taliesyn. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

It was just as he was returning from patrol that he had caught word that Ardyn wanted those who were inclined to fight for Valhalla, join him for a meeting of sorts. While he wondered to himself exactly what his brother's intentions were, he did not ask. He was sure that any and all questions would be answered at the address. With that, he made his way to the alcoves.

As he arrived, there were already quite a few gathered- including his sister and mother which left him with an odd twinge of emotion in his gut. Not that they weren't entirely capable of defending themselves and others. He knew they could hold their own, and do a damn good job at it too. Coran just hated to imagine the idea of conflict where his family was jeopardized. Forcing his attention from that rather grim line of thought, he looked to make eye contact with his brother. Offering a silent greeting in a stiff nod, before settling in a place off to the side and out of the way.

Red stretched and started back towards the caverns that made up the core of Valhalla's lands. He'd just finished up prepping supplies for setting out traps for the winter and had stashed them to let the wolf-scent fade before he set them up. For now, he had a meeting to get to for the pack's warriors. He wasn't certain what his son was up to, but Ardyn had a good head on his shoulders so Red was sure it was something that would benefit Valhalla greatly. Entering the caverns, then ducking into the alcove to join the rest of the meeting, he immediately beelined for his mate's side and joined her, nuzzling her in gentle affection.

Aoife had returned from her travels in time to not only be informed of the meeting of warriors, but also to wash the road dust off and nap before her brother's companion had told her. So when she walked into the meeting alcove she was refreshed and chipper, sending a bright grin to her siblings and parents before flopping down on her belly in the group.
She didn't even try to hide her amusement at seeing a whole live horse crammed in with them - it was very much like her family to have picked up a warrior horse, after all, so of course he would have found a way to be there like the rest of them. There were new faces, though not as many as she had grown used to seeing with her being gone so much.

Ardyn Adravendi

Tyto was the first to arrive, and Ardyn chuckled softly at the man’s nickname. It suited well enough, and his firebrand eye flicked shut in a wink as more pawsteps echoed down the hallway. Fidelias came into sight, tucking himself to one side as he was wont to do. Ardyn offered the Ancoran a smile, then flicked his ears to catch the scramble of paws, rushing about in the caves, recognizing the steps for his largest sister. She came into sight, freshly washed, and Ardyn grinned at her, responding in kind, features mock stern but tone teasing, "Tráthnóna, a dheirfiúr, tá mé sách maith. An raibh tú ag traenáil?". His eyes flicked to Tyto and he smiled, shifting to the common tongue as he introduced, “Amorielle, this is Tyto. I believe he’s acquainted with Caelia. Tyto, this is one of my three sisters, Amorielle. We call her Amory for short.” Tel was next into the chamber, and he regarded her with a smile, nodding in greeting. “Afternoon, Tel. How was patrol last night? Anything interesting?” Moments later a clattering, scrambling scrape of hooves on stone and an equine grunt heralded Taliesyn’s arrival. Ardyn elected to cough softly under his breath, clamping his jaws on a laugh. In his interest in holding a relatively private meeting, he’d neglected to consider that the cave system might be a little… small for the stallion. The stallion in question li the hallway outside before his glowing, horned head peered around the mouth of the chamber, assessing the room. Ardyn watched the stallion squeeze through the entry and pick a place to one side, leaving plenty of room for the rest of the wolves expected to come. “My apologies, Taliesyn. I neglected to think that the interior of the caves might be a bit small for you.” Cairo had come in on the stallion’s heels, taking his place at Ardyn’s side, and the King smiled to the Adravendi, nodding. The rest to arrive were each his own family. Aurielle lit the cave, and between herself and Taliesyn mostly banished the shadows until Loshir draped a dark cloak over her shoulders and back. Coran was next, and Ardyn flashed a grin at his brother. Their father was next, and shortly behind him, Aoife. Ardyn gave each of them a warm smile full of affection before glancing to the cave opening. Several long moments passed, but Caelia, the last of the warriors, didn’t arrive. A frown flickered over his features, but finally, he set the matter aside. If she came, she came. If she didn’t, it’d be recorded. Straightening his shoulders, Ardyn cleared his throat, lifted a stone in his right “hand” and let it knock against the stone “table”, asking for the group’s attention before setting it to one side once he had it. “I’ve little doubt you’re curious about why I called you here, so, I will get to the point.” His mismatched firebrand and ice gaze flicked over the faces of the warriors gathered and then to the cave opening as he announced, “Things have been getting stale. I called a warrior training session, quite recently, and none of you came. Hence, I’ve decided that we need things shaken up here.” His voice came hard, firm, but quiet. He kept the chastisement short, moving on to the planning. “It’s time for Valhalla to set their eyes on raiding; if only to gain experience and unity. That being said, I’d love to hear each of your thoughts on the various packs available to test our skills on. We’ve raided Aerie and won, however, the returning raid that Eligos arranged with mother never came, and they are no longer a pack but a wandering band. Aoife, if you can track down Asmodeus, I’d like you to see if they plan to raid us at all. If I can track down Eligos, I'll ask him if he's open to our raiding them once again.” He drew a short breath then added, “For the time being, until we have all formed a working, cohesive unit and cut our teeth on several raids, I’d like to avoid engaging with the Armada or any packs aligned with them.” He scanned their features, letting the words settle before he went on, tone business-like. “We have many high fighting ranks standing open. I’d like them filled. We lack four Commanders, and an Admiral to work alongside Cairo, here. In time, when I sire children, there will be openings to be their guardians, one for each pup. I don’t know when that will happen but pay attention to the possibility. Only the most trusted will be allowed as their guardians. Step up your games, and in time, challenge or prove your worth for the Commanders places.” Ardyn sat back, forepaws crossing over the gavel-stone, having slid it toward himself mid-brief at some point, letting his long digits drum as he regarded the gathered wolves and stallion – and companions as Lyr fluttered to perch above the cave opening with Isolde – before he posed, “Now, I’ll leave the floor to you. Who should we consider as targets? Not counting the aforementioned Armada and associated, and Aerie, there are Plunder, the pirates, and a fledgling pack neighboring the Redwater Rocks here in the west. If any of you are aware of more, please, bring them to my attention.” He fell silent, letting the gathered warriors absorb the briefing and consider any options and reasons behind why those options would be good or bad as a target. _____________________________________________________________________ Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ----  "Hear" ---- Think

He waited patiently as the other Valhallan warriors showed up. One of the younger, unknown warriors arrived first. He didn't know who he was, but perhaps someone to meet later when all was said and done here. The young warrior seemed to keep to himself, sitting near the door and fidgeting with his bracers. Tyto of course understood. He had never been one for socializing growing up, either. Even now, he still felt awkward in big gatherings. But he was trying to make an effort to change his life around, and not remain invisible and in the dark. An alabaster female with rustic red markings showed up next, looking quite flustered like she had been in a rush to get here. Tyto looked at her curiously but didn't have a name to place. Though his ears perked up when she spoke a language he didn't understand when she spoke to Ardyn, but he did make out a familiar word. Caelia. And...why was she looking at him like that!? He felt his face grow hot as his gaze urgently found the stone table, almost as if there was something there that was important to look at. He suddenly heard his name and his attention drew up to Ardyn and his the she-wolf. “Amorielle, this is Tyto. I believe he’s acquainted with Caelia. Tyto, this is one of my three sisters, Amorielle. We call her Amory for short.” "Oh uh, it's nice to meet you. And yeah, I know Caelia..." He felt heat rise to his face. Okay, so maybe he wasn't the best in social gatherings...he'd have to get used to it, right? Next came another wolf that looked like something out of a dream! He had been amazed by Ardyn, and it seemed Valhalla had no shortage of creatures that looked like they were born from dreams themselves. The warrioress that showed up was impressive in size and looks, and she seemed elegant to boot. Something he noted as she chose a spot in silence, and the Strix male offered her a nod before a clamoring of hooves against stone captured his attention. He had seen horses before...but he never expected to see something quite like the one that entered the cave. He was big. He was glowing. He had a horn...he barely fit into the cave. It was an amusing sight, and if he was friends with the stallion, he probably would've joked along with the others that had followed the steed in, but as it was, he did his best to hide his amusement. A few others showed up (seriously, how many glowing, celestial-looking wolves did this pack have!?) and he nodded to those that greeted him, and finally, the meeting began. He subtly peered at the door, wondering if Caelia was going to be walking in any second now, but before he knew it, the meeting was starting. Ardyn started off by saying things were getting stale. He quietly glanced around, curious about what he meant. He hadn't been in Valhalla for long, so he wasn't sure how stale the pack was compared to before or...well, he wasn't sure. He'd been doing what he could when he could around here since he joined, so perhaps it was an issue from before his arrival? Whatever the case, he was interested in what Ardyn had to say next. Raiding. Admittedly, he didn't have any particular targets he had a preference for going after. There were many options, though hitting one of the newer, smaller packs didn't sound like a bad idea...it was a start, right? "I'm not particularly familiar with the packs that are around, but I do know there is quite a number of newer ones...perhaps one of those to start? Hitting a smaller group first may help us learn to better coordinate and prepare for the larger scale packs." He knew there was at least a handful of new packs that had cropped up...surely one of them would make a decent target. He didn't know what the deal was about the Armada or who was really aligned with them, but that was a matter for another time. As for ranks...he listened intently, his interest clearly piqued. Sure, he was a newer member here, but it wouldn't hurt to throw his hat in the ring now, would it? "I apologize if I'm being too forward, but I'd like to make my interest known for one of those ranks." He cleared his throat, almost wishing he hadn't said anything, but ambition was something that had never left him, it seemed. It had just been dormant until recently. "Speak"

Caelia was late. It was hardly for lack of caring, though she wasn't sure whatever excuse she came up with would fly. She didn't plan on missing the meeting though, and by the time she arrived she was breathing hard, a sign she'd hurried here from wherever she'd been. It was rare to see much emotion outwardly from Caelia, but it was clear she looked frazzled and at least a little apologetic for her tardiness. But she was here, and she hoped that had to count for something.

Barely thinking about where she sat, her attention zeroed in on Tyto and she settled somewhere near him. She was certain her absence at the meeting's start wouldn't go unnoticed, but she didn't necessarily want to draw attention to herself.

She heard the tail end of what Ardyn was saying. Things in the pack were getting stale, a sentiment she didn't disagree with, and he felt they ought to redirect their focus on raiding. Caelia didn't feel she had anything to contribute, nor did she feel she'd earned a shot at a rank, so she stayed silent and chewed on her tongue. Tyto surprised her by speaking up, making his interest in a higher rank known. She cast him a quiet glance, impressed but not making it outwardly known.