The spring had come with a bang, the snow had seemed to melt in a blink of an eye. But the river was pushing its boundaries, flowing far too quickly for his liking. He knew that before long it would be completely flooded, making that part of their territory very dangerous. It had pushed the prey away, and the muck that had settled in the rest of the land made everything gross. It had sucked his paws all the way to the rustling thickets, coating his pale legs all the way up to his knees. His nose wrinkled as he fought his way to a more dry area of the territory. At last he spotted a rocky outcrop, and he picked his way to the tallest rock, leaving the lower ones for his member to settle on. Tipping his head upwards Bass called out for his pack, demanding that every member show up. He had a plan, and was excited to put it into action. Not everyone had been able to fight at the siege, and Bass wanted the whole pack to be prepared for anything that came it way. He wanted to elect two captains and allow them to pick their teams, dividing the pack into two seperate halves. From there, he wanted a false war to be launched. Everyone would be fighting, just like it was truly a war, even the healers. His tail curled around his muddy legs he waited, obvious excitement in his yellow gaze.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

The call would ring out, and the newly made woman would leave her den in a haste, bounding towards the call... well, as well as she could in this terrain. Her nose wrinkling with every step, each paw sticking to the mud, she forced her way through the thickets to where her alpha stood waiting. Curiosity swirled in her green eyes as she stepped onto the rocky outcrop, each of her paws being shaken to get excess mud off. A quick glance around would show she was the first to arrive - good. A small smile graced her lips as she tipped her head back to watch Bass. What was he up to? Best to think on that and not on the heat that was starting to rise up again.

note to self: having this set after bacchus and lark threads as to prevent issues with timing


"Speech" "Language" "Farrym"

Art by Lunarsailor

Sparrow had noticed the rising waters and muck. She had used it to collect herbs. Her body had been coated with mud. Recently, she had been thinking. She had heard her aunt out on all the things about trust and had decided that she didn't know how much she had trusted her pack, or how much they trusted her. In the end, as she reflected on the events, she decided neither side trusted either much. Her dad had told two of his kids about the war, but not others. Then, he had acted like they were betraying him by being confused and not agreeing. Sparrow wanted to believe in her heart that her family was good. She couldn't think that the war was all that good, but she had come to understand that they probably thought they were doing the right thing.

She had to realize they weren't bad for fighting. She had to realize fighting was a part of life. Just like he had said... Sparrow needed to accept that. Like he had said, if she wanted a family of her own one day, it would be important to learn how to fight or she would put them all at risk. She didn't want that. She didn't want to fight. She only ever wanted to heal and have a nice family.

It was hard, but she finally realized that if she never fought, she would never understand why others fought. So, she had made a resolution: She was going to fight. She was going to step up in the pack and make her father proud. She wouldn't shy away anymore. If even her father couldn't trust her, then she had really become useless to the pack. She wouldn't be crazed by the ideas of fighting. She wouldn't call others traitors for not believing in it, but she was going to find out for herself what all the hype was about.

Coming into the clearing, Sparrow shook her coat out, flinging bits of mud everywhere. Oh, Lillianna was here. Cool. Sparrow set her expression firm and went up to her father. She aimed to bump her cheek against him to avoid coating him in her filth, "Father I'd-" She lowered her voice, looking from Lillianna back to her father, "Voglio parlare con te su come combattere. Sono pronta." Her eyes sought his. She wanted to know if this was the right move. She felt like she would never be able to get recognized as a healer when everyone knew Starling as a healer. Even though she talked to her Aunt Harmony about healing, it wasn't always needed. Having both Harmony and Starling would surely drown her out. If she wasn't even noticed, how could she expect her father to trust her?

Pulling back, Sparrow offered a small bow to her father, "Maybe after the meeting?" she asked. With another small nod, the mud-coated girl found a place to sit near the front, facing her father without crowding him. She looked forward to the meeting. She had high hopes for her new future.

Karabela peeked her head through the grasses, eyes scouring the border of Abaven's newest territory. She was enjoying her patrol, eyeing the first signs of spring that were gracing the area as a summons from the alpha rang out. Oh! Well, it was time to end her patrol then. Karabela slipped through the grasses to arrive at the meeting place. "Hello Bass! What's up?" She moved to take her seat as she waited for everyone else to show so they could get the meeting underway.

"Speech"

He had woken up to a rather...interesting surprise. It wasn't the sun of spring nor the fleeing cold of winter that woke him, but rather an odd feeling in his sleep. At first he paid it no mind, subconscious mind thinking it was a dream. But the more he felt it, the more he realized and he woke with a jolt. His den had been steadily flooding, and being near the rapids it didn't take too long for it to flood completely. Struggling out of the dense mud and sucking water, the large male managed to pry free of his once den and stared forlornly at it, standing up to his elbows in mud. Flattened ears and grumbling were all that possessed him, a certain emptiness that he no longer had his own safe place where he felt he could go when he was feeling depressed.

When he heard Bass' call, the male sighed and turned away from his den. Now ruined with mud and water. His coat was wet and thick layers of mud clung to his pelt as he made his way towards the thickets,and while it didn't hinder him as much as it would the smaller members, it was still hard. It took him a little while to get to thickets, blue gaze finding the alpha and a few members already sitting around the rocks. Hopping up and leaving the sucking mud behind, he chose his own rock that seemed it could seat another one or two companions...if they chose to sit anywhere near him. Irritated gaze looked up at Bass, a nod if respect for once offered. While they had gotten into a fight of their own sometime after the siege, Bass had beaten him fair and square...albeit with dirty play. But Zell was over it, and so he sat wondering what was in store with this meeting.

The young man too had noticed the peculiar melting of the snow and the rising of the rapids, and he saw it as a sign. Perhaps his father was angry with him for whatever reason he couldn't quite decipher. Surely the spirit wasn't still disappointed with him because of his wonderful contribution to the siege. However, he wasn't aware of the mock-up war that the Azat had planned, and the opportunity to make a difference. The melted snow had also soaked the surrounding green, making it lush though also sludgy with mud. Stained ebony paws lifted as he trudged his way through the muck. The foul substance didn't really show up against his chestnut fur, unlike the leader whose alabaster legs were covered in it. A pang of disappointment brew in his chest when he didn't see a familiar blue pelt within the crowd. Instead, he seated himself by Karabela, exchanged a small greeting and waited for his friend to arrive. Would she get jealous seeing him beside another girl? Well, she did the same with Lark, so why couldn't he? "SPEAK"

Arkay had been sleeping quite peacefully within the den he shared with his siblings and Feli, though now that they were working on being a year old it had gotten quite cramped. He'd have to find his own den soon, but maybe he'd be able to share with Faro. She was.. still really weak and he was scared for her. He didn't want to have to take her to Ahlon like father had been forced to do with their mother. He still missed them, but he knew Novella was getting better and he'd see them again someday. As he heard Bass's call he'd drop whatever little mud game he had been entertaining himself with and would hurriedly made his way to the meeting. Seeing Tinaro he'd brighten up and make his way over to the older wolf after saying hi to Bass quite enthusiastically. "Hi Bass! Hi Tinaro, can I sit by you?" His eyes were bright and his tail wagged behind him excitedly. "Speech"

The season's change had not brought relief to the ache in her joints, but rather a renewed pain and swelling which certainly had not been helped by her mid-winter swim that had resulted in a chest cold that was just now clearing up. She wasn't going to complain about a cold when she could have drowned instead, no. She'd just self-medicated and moved on with her life. But waking up one day to find her den leaking and most of her herbs ruined had been a harder blow, and she'd had to rush to save what she could before the rising river water claimed her den. She still wasn't sure where she was going to store the rest of her herbs now, let alone what she was going to do about someplace to sleep, but for now she'd spread the delicate dried plants out on a rock away from the river to keep them out of the mud and dry them out a bit from the damp and keep them from molding. She'd had to go back into the water for her pelts that she'd been saving up, dragging them from the water-filled hole and back up the muddy way to her herbs one by one and spreading them out over the mud to dry. They'd dry dirty, but unless she could figure out some way of pinning them to a tree branch that would have to do. She still didn't know what to do about the ruined herbs though... most of her anti-inflammatories and pain killers for her joints had been among the losses, and she would very quickly run out of what was left. The question was if they would last until the spring's herbs were ready for harvest.

She was still at a loss when Bass' call rang out calling the pack together. She blinked - partly in surprise, partly in gratitude at the distraction - and dragged herself through the mud toward the call. By now every bone in her delicate body was visible with her wet coat plastered down, her pelt more brown than white from the dirty water she'd had to dive into to rescue her personal effects and her underside coated from chin to tail in thick clingy mud that splashed up her ribcage. Still she threw Bass a good-natured grin and stuck her tongue out at him playfully, hiding the ache in her body beneath good cheer, and chose a slightly-less occupied rock that contained only a red-marked cream colored fellow to settle herself neatly upon. She politely chose not to shake to rid herself of the water and mud despite the way it made her pelt itch so abominably.

>>Mud. Mud everywhere! The poor creature struggled through it all as he tried to make himself power through the muck to get to the meeting. His thick bushy tail was slick and completely coated, his whole body looking like a sewer rat. The whole time he pushed through, his steps were accompanied by loud "Ughs" and "Eews" of displeasure and disgust. While he didn't hate mud, he certainly hated this mud. It took him a lot longer then he thought it would take, and by the time he reached the meeting he struggled to climb up onto the nearest rock. Claws scraped at the surface while he struggled to pull his behind out of the thick stuff, with a loud sucking sound, he was free! Looking pitiful and very embarrassed about his appearance, he just had to shake as much of it off as he could. Mud flew in all directions, though most of it decided it wanted to keep hugging his body. With splayed ears and an embarrassed look, he glanced at Bass with a sheepish grin before he remained standing. There was no way he was sitting his butt in cold mud, no way no how! He looked bad enough already...no way in hell was he going to get a stick up his ass with all the crap underneath him and possibly on him. Ah well, best to deal with it until he could bathe and live in a tree like the birds. "Speak"

The rivers were flooding, the snow melting alot faster then when he'd first come to these lands. He didn't know what had changed since he left, but it seemed a lot had since he'd been back. Having made his den in the thickets as opposed to near the rapids, Hansel was a little close to where Bass had called for everyone. He missed his old friend...that was one memory he couldn't forget. With his sister gone, and everything else gone...this place was the last thing he had to live for. At least, that's how he felt...He was in a decent mood today, the older male hadn't met anyone else that lived here, but he didn't mind. They would probably find him too grumpy or harsh to be around anyway. He was grateful that Bass had allowed him to stay, and in turn, Hansel would do what he could to help his friend and the pack. Age would not stop him. Striding towards them with mud coating his legs, the grey toned male hopped up on a rock near a young reddish brown female. He said nothing to her, except nod his head in a silent hello before turning his icy gaze towards Bass. He had arrived after the war, but he knew all about it. Bass had told him of their success, but it was more then that. Whether it was right or wrong, he didn't really think about it. It had nothing to do with him, nor was he a part of that history. He had fought in a war long ago, and that had been one of the most important events of his life. He had saved his sister, and that was the longest and hardest battle of all. Ruffling his fur against the waning chill of winter, he waited to see what this meeting was all about. "Speech"

It had been so long...since she'd seen her family. So long since she had been left alone. She wanted to know why...but the more time passed, the more she felt like maybe they abandoned her. The ebony girl had stayed around the territory, the pack taking care of her yet she felt it wasn't their responsibility. She had fallen into depression since her parents had left. But what could she do? She followed at a distance behind Tinaro, the last person she'd really spoken to and cried in front of. When she arrived, she stopped on the outside of the group looking for him. When she spotted him, she scrambled up to sit next to him. She wasn't sure whether or not to call him a friend yet, but she felt a little more comfortable around him then anyone else. "H-hi.." "SPEAK"

She felt.. awkward. After so long with little interactions with wolves, she was in a pack - something she wasn't completely she was prepared for. Regardless, the white female would step towards the sound of Bass' voice, picking her way delicately through the mud. She had not been far away, but her nervousness, her awkwardness, made her slow; even slower still when she caught scent of the individuals who had already arrived. She came up on the meeting from behind, and in a powerful jump, cleared the lower rocks and settled on one rather high up. Golden eyes reflected her worry as she attempted to meet Bass' similar yellow gaze. "Bass," she greeted softly, a sigh leaving her as she glanced around. So many she didn't know - shouldn't she be excited, like so long ago? But no, things had changed. "Talk" "You" Think

OOC;// Just breaking up the greetings so my post isn't stupid long. The rest of the pack has until January 8th to get into this meeting, no shows WILL be punished.

The first to arrive was Lillie, and he was hit by the scent of her heat right away. He eyed the muddy girl, well woman now, with a touch of a smirk on his lips. Oh to be a female, it must suck. Bass was more than happy that he had been born a male and didn't have to deal with any of that crap. She seemed rather disgruntled, but who wouldn't be by all of this mud. He returned her head nod of a greeting, yellow gaze drawn away by the sight of one of his daughters. Bass smiled at Sparrow, nuzzling her cheek as she came up to greet him. When she spoke though, he was somewhat taken back by her words, blinking rapidly as he pulled back to study her features. "Questo non poteva arrivare in un momento migliore, Sparrow. Possiamo parlare dopo l'incontro, ma ho anche qualcosa di pianificato. Solo se si è certi, però, io non voglio che tu spingere te stesso." He said softly, pride shining in his eyes. "Sei cresciuto così in fretta ..." Came his next words, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. When had they all gotten so big?

Karabela moved in next, always the chipper being she was. Tossing a greeting his way he smiled at her, head dipping in her direction. "You'll find out soon, Raba. Let's wait for the rest of the pack." However long that was going to take, he had no idea. Tail twitched in slight irritation, but then the wolves began to pour in. All were covered in some sort of degree of mud, and they really all looked like drowned rats. Concern took over his features for a moment, if the flooding got any worse the rapids would be useless to them. Zell, Tinaro, and Arkay came in next, only the youngest boy giving him a verbal greeting. The other two got a nod, while his eyes rested on the growing Destruction boy. "Greeting, Arkay. I hope the mud wasn't too much for you." He said teasingly. Next Harmony came in, and right away he noticed just how thin his sister was. She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him, but he eyed her carefully. Harmony had gotten very good at hiding whatever was going on in that mind and body of hers, and he didn't care for it much. With a slow shake of his head he chuckled slightly, giving her the eye that he wanted to talk with her later. He was worried for his sister, and now that Motif was gone she was the only family here he had left. Well, litter mate anyways.

Dart made quite the entrance, and the alpha had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling at the poor fox. He was a lot lower to the ground then they were, he could only imagine the struggle he had to go through just to get here. Hansel, Quake, and Vali were the next group to arrive, and he greeted each in turn. He would have to remember to introduce their two newest members of the pack once the meeting got underway. His gaze rested on the dark female, worry making his brows knit together. She had pretty much been left her alone, he had no idea where her family had wandered off to. It seemed to happen in Abaven far too often, something that really irked the pale man. Letting out a sigh he realized that the wolves had now stopped coming in altogether, but this was far from the whole pack. Eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted in place, glancing across the horizon for any more members. "We will wait a bit longer for more to come before the meeting gets underway." He said loudly enough for all to hear, slight irritation heard in his booming baritone.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Things at home seemed to be calm, at least for the moment. With the children reaching closer to a year their den had become cramped, though truthfully Félicien was a bit glad for it. He welcomed the chance to remain close with the young ones, though he was sure that soon they would be seeking their own dens. Farore had him worried though -- she was weakened and spent most of her time in the den it seemed. But Arkay and Thalos were growing into fine young gentleman and he was very glad for that. He knew that Novella and Frith would be proud of them. He was still worried for Mystic and her family as well. They were still out there in the wilds, alone without a pack to protect them. It had divided his attention, though he had tried to go about patrolling Abaven when there. His other time was spent making a couple trips down to south Alacritia to see Mystic. He had yet to meet her father or little brother but he was sure that it was only a matter of time before that occurred. He just hoped that they liked him. Bass’ call would distract him from his thoughts. He had been laying outside of the den, keeping an ear out for Thalos, Arkay, and Farore in case any of the three needed or wanted him for something. He couldn’t help but want to coddle them secretly. He knew he had to reach out to the boys more however. Félicien would rise, glancing towards the den before calling softly inside to Farore and Thalos. “I’m going to the meeting you two.” He wasn’t sure if Farore would come with Thalos or not, but he was pretty sure the brown and cream male would make his way to the meeting before long. The trek through the mud and muck was hardly welcome. Félicien would make his way there mostly alone, until a certain feathered companion decided to hitch a ride upon his back the last leg of the way. Sophitia had greeted him with a warm hoot, settling upon his back naturally. At least she didn’t need to deal with the mud, right? He would arrive to find some of his packmates already present. Arkay was among them, and the golden and brown male would settle himself beside his cousin. “Having fun with the mud?” He’d tease the younger wolf. Sophitia would hop off his back onto the rock next to him, gazing up at Bass with bright bi-colored eyes. “Hoo! Hello there...” It was directed at Bass, though this was the first time she’d seen him so she didn’t know his name. Félicien would glance at her, smiling. “That’s Bass. Bass, this is my companion, Sophitia.” Félicien would say softly, glancing at the Abaven leader. "Listen to me talk," 'but read my thoughts.'

Table by:: Eldarwen

Distant. That was the only way to describe his behavior lately. He had spent only one moment with Bass within winter, a moment with his mother just after the Rustling Thicket had been added to Abaven’s territories... Shrike would sigh softly to himself. He had done next to nothing for the pack during winter... And though he had enjoyed his solitude for a bit it left him realizing just how much a pack couldn’t function without effort from all members. That was why, he swore, this season it would be different. His boundless energies were going to be put to good use for the good of Abaven! But despite his high level of energy getting through the muck and mire was no easy task. Flooding had begun with the thawing of the snow and ice, and Shrike wondered how the rapids would handle the additional water. If the ground was already this soggy... What would become of it come later in the spring? Would their lands be able to sustain all of the water or would they have to temporarily move from their home? Hearing his father call Shrike would immediately change direction to head towards the source of the howl. His bi-colored eyes were shining, excitement within them. A meeting after the lull of winter. It was definitely time for such a thing. Perhaps even to discuss the flooding situation... Or maybe more! The possibilities, when one thought about it, were endless. With his father in charge there really wasn’t such a thing as a dull moment in his eyes. He was hardly the first to arrive to the meeting, but certainly not the last. Shrike would sit near Lillie. He still wasn’t quite sure what to make of her... But he wasn’t about to judge her before he got to know her. Shrike would take a breathe, giving a nod to his father as he settled upon one of the rocks. He wasn’t so pleased with all this mud... But what could he do? It wasn’t like he controlled mother nature after all. After a moment of uncertainty he decided the polite thing to do was at least try and make conversation with one of his packmates in the lull before the actual meeting started. So he glanced towards Lilliana, speaking up. “Not the best conditions, huh?” Okay, so he was a liiiittle awkward there. But at least he was trying to be friendly. ""

Meetings. He hated them. Once upon a time, he'd loved them.. it meant he got to listen to his father, listen to the words of wisdom that he had to offer, to prove he was an able-minded part of Abaven and that he was willing to participate. But the last few had devolved into nothing short of a cluster-fuck. Nothing but arguing and squabbling over the most ridiculous things. He felt overwhelmed even before he joined the gathering, and fought the urge to sigh to himself as he heard his father's call. There was absolutely no way he would ignore it, but would he be excited about it? Definitely not. He was already pissy enough about the mud. The river was nice when it was its usual, slightly-frantic self, but it was getting more uncontrollable by the day, it seemed. The water seemed to soak into every inch of land, including the entrance to his den, and he frowned quite visibly and he trucked through the mud, feeling the squelching beneath his paws with each step. The first one he saw there was, to no surprise, his father. He'd been dwelling on their conversation they'd had before the siege for quite some time now, though he'd made no real headway in the... leadership area. His gaze found Lillianna next - sitting near.. his brother? His nose wrinkled as he searched for his other siblings, finding only Sparrow. No Finch, and no Starling. That wasn't surprising, but it certainly didn't make him happy. He didn't fight the urge to sigh this time - instead he inwardly said fuck it and let out an exasperated sigh. Even Calypsei was not here, though he spotted his friend Tinaro and offered as friendly as a nod as he could muster. He couldn't find a single wolf he felt inclined to sit with, for perhaps once in his life. Not today. All he wanted was to see Finch, to comfort her and to lean on her - as she always did to him - but even she was not here. Feeling at a loss, he'd pad nearer to his father, plopping down without a word and letting his gaze trail to the horizon, feeling oddly out of place today.

Thalos was honestly at a loss. Faro wasn’t doing well... She hadn’t been for some time. Though he wanted to protect her, to shelter her, it seemed that there was little he could do. He hadn’t spoken to Arkay or Félicien about it but he was wondering if Farore might need to go to Ahlon with their parents in order to get better. The thought of that had his heart grow cold. He wasn’t sure he could bear to lose anymore family... They’d already lost so much. All they had left was Féli, Sophi, and each other. He wasn’t eager to go to the meeting either. Hearing the howl first, then ‘licien’s voice he’d sigh deeply. He really didn’t want to leave Farore’s side... But he supposed, to be a “good” little wolf he’d better go check and see what it was that Bass wanted. With a quiet promise to be back as soon as he could Thally would emerge from the den. He’d definitely need to speak to Arkay and Félicien about Faro... But for now that could wait. Thalos was far from the first to arrive, but he didn’t care. The travel through the mud had made the trip less than pleasant, and the bore wore a grumpy face as he trailed up behind Arkay. Only a gentle, affectionate nudge was given to his brother as any sort of greeting. Then he’d find himself his own rock to sit on, eyes and ears towards Bass. He was looking forward to getting this over with. "Speech"

This would be his first meeting upon joining Abaven. He would be lying if he didn't say he was excited. Even if he wasn't here for a previous intention, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do. As his paws carried him to the group of wolves, his cyan eyes looked towards Bass. The only male that he knew of. The one who had seemed almost solemn when they met, however Decim still wore a smile upon his face. They said that wolves were mirrors, if you smile they were bound to eventually smile back. As he dipped his head in greeting, he decided to take a seat comfortably a few feet away. Not too far in the back where he seemed to be anti-social. He was in no way the anti-social type. If anything Decim didn't seem like the type he actually was. So perhaps in due time it would seem he had trouble trusting others until they proved themselves otherwise to him. He just appeared to be a kind male - yet with all things. They were cared for carefully in the back of his mind.

Starling really didn't want to go. He felt like he couldn't breathe, his chest hurt, he was so nervous and anxious and he didn't want to go. He didn't want to be home, didn't want anyone to see him. All he could think about was how disappointed they would all be in him. It was all he could think of for the passed season, and he hated it. As brilliant as his mind was, he just wished he could shut it off sometimes. So before he even entered the area of the meeting he was so worked, finding it hard to breathe and think straight. His big blue eyes were so wide as he slunk along close to the muddy grasses. He had seen a few of them, namely Lillianna, Lark and his father...but, oh this wasn't going to be good. He thought of Aunt Harmony and the last look he had seen on her face, and thought of Sparrow and how hard she tried and how out there she could be. He longed for that confidence, longed to feel something other than this. And in that moment, all he wanted to do was run away, find Cathaoir, and hide in his embrace from the world. Stiffling a whimper, he crawled into the group near the back, keeping his gaze to the side so he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. He sat at a distance, close enough to hear his father speak but not close enough to touch anyone. All he wanted to do was sit through this meet and then go...somewhere else. Perhaps busy himself with recreating his store, or go find Cath...most likely the later... "Talk"" | "Italian"

OOC;// Calypsie, Tordo, and Sandpiper are excused because of absences. Finch is excused for plot reasons. Wren has received a demotion for being a no show. Qualm has been removed from the pack until re-adoption has occurred.

After he had spoken to those gathered, Felician was the next to show up. He smiled at the brute, about to say a greeting when a brown and white owl spoke to him instead. He wasn't surprised that there was a talking bird, Starling and Finch's companions spoke their tongue as well. The owl did not know his name, so Feli filled in the blank for her, and shared her name for her. "Well hello to both of you. A pleasure to meet you, Sophitia." He was distracted when Shrike made it to the meeting, a smile on the man's face as he watched him settle in beside Lillie. Lark came in next, and the look on the young man's face made his brows knit together in concern. He seemed rather... displeased with something. He tried to catch the massive wolf's gaze, but it would seem that Lark was more fond of looking at the horizon. Bass sighed softly, his ears tugging back softly. "Stai bene?" He muttered, for Lark's ears only. He looked at the brown boy as long as he could, hoping for some sort of reaction.

Thalos came in next, pulling Bass' yellow gaze away from his son. He dipped his head to the young boy, who also looked unhappy. It would seem that everyone was a bunch of grumpy butts today, and he couldn't really blame them. All this mud and ick was not fun at all. He hoped that this meeting would be better for them. Another newer member, Decim, made his way into the meeting and the Primo grinned, nodding his head. One more to introduce to the pack. He waited for a little longer, seeing if anyone else showed up, when a slight shuffling was heard from behind. He turned around to see that Starling was settling in near the back, and he shared a look with his other son. They had shared a moment, a very raw one at that. Since then things had felt a touch awkward, at least on his part. Looking forward he waited, longing for Finch to show up, and his wife as well. But when the moments ticked by and no one else came, he let out a sigh, head hanging for a moment. He would be telling the pack about Finch today, and he was not looking forward to it.

Lifting his head, Bass decided to start with the better news. He would end on the note with Finch before splitting into captains. "Thank you for showing up everyone. I have some good news, an activity to start, and then some not so great news." He cleared his throat to keep the bite of sadness that touched his vocals, shaking his head slightly. "First off, I wanted to say that I have made a few changes to Abaven." (-insert explanation of rank names and changes here- Please see Abaven's pack page for rank and rule updates! "Mentors and apprentices will be assigned, but I want to take this moment to let all the pups speak up to chose their ranks first. From there, I will assign everyone I can. If you have a request for someone to be your apprentice or mentor, please say so now!" Bass paused then, letting it all sink in as well as leaving time for wolves to speak up.

After everyone had said their bit, he moved on to the activity. "Since the siege I have been thinking of a way for the pack to train together as a whole pack with all ranks involved. So today we are going to have a false war. I will pick two captains, and those wolves will each take a turn picking a wolf for their side until the whole pack is assigned to each group. From there, we will lead an attack. Every wolf must participate in this, and I want everyone to treat this like a real war. Well, except for the injuries. Please don't maim each other." He said, a small smile touching his lips. "I have chosen Lark and Karabela as captains, and after the meeting, they may break off and call their teams." He looked at both wolves, dipping his head at each. He wanted each of the younger wolves to be able to pick their teams, and with Karabela being newly appointed and his thoughts for Lark, he couldn't think of anyone better. "We also have a few new members in the pack. Vali is an old friend of mine, and was once part of Abaven before. She holds the rank of Seconda Medico. Decim is new as well, and is a son to Allen Walker. He holds the rank of Guardia. Hansel is also a returning member, and he holds the rank of Guardia as well." With that out of the way, he paused as he sighed, head hanging slightly.

It took a little bit for him to gather himself, brows pulling together slightly as he looked up. "Now for the not good news. Finch, my daughter, is missing. I tried to follow her scent trail but lost it in a storm. I am worried, and I would like everyone to keep an eye and ear out for her. I would like a search party to go out and look for her, but it might be hard with all of this water about." He swallowed hard, looking over to Lark. He knew how protective he was of his sister. "Its only been a few days since I lost her scent trail, and I am hoping that she didn't get far. So please everyone, look out for her." He said. Nodding his head, he brought the meeting to a close, giving the floor up to the two captains. He looked to Sparrow then, a sad smile on his face. Turning to all his kids, and to Lillie, he tried to reassure them. Finch would be fine. She had to be.

OOC II;// For the captains! Please reply to THIS thread to pick teams, cause spreeing out one post per one post might be painful. xD A coin flip has said that Karabela gets the first pick. Everyone has until the 15th to post here again, and Bass will start the war after that. Please remember your teams! Like a real war, its all going to happen in one thread. Its up to the two players who end up fighting if they want the fight judged or not, I will leave that up to you guys. And YES, Bass is up for being picked, as are all of the wolves of Abaven. For those wolves on absence, please check to see if they will be back in time for it or not before you pick them. If the numbers are uneven, it is up to you guys if you jump into a 1 vs 2 or wait until someone is knocked out. I would like to treat this like a real war and wait until everyone has been knocked out, or until its slowed down enough that Bass calls it quits.

"Speech"
'thoughts'