Mandatory Pack Meeting

OOC: I will start the next round of this thread on Friday, February 19th. I cannot promise you a time, so probably best to have your charries in here by the 18th. I want to get ranks hashed out, and get some lessons started. Woo, who's pumped??! -pops firecracker-

It was time to bring it in once more. The flood water was starting to recede for now but storms were still frequent in the area. He was unhappy with the lack of order, and lack of action taking place within the pack. Several members had shone out to him, Esarosa and Ullr being two in particular. He still had no professed healers, which troubled him deeply. It was time to get things in order, now that everyone had settled. He decided to finalize ranks today, and make sure everyone was familiar and comfortable with one another. Perhaps in a week or so he would host a pack hunt, or a scout training for the pups and Kyvernos. Food for thought. So, just past midday he tipped his head back and let out a loud howl, forcing his voice out over the land. He called everyone in, young and old, and made it quite clear that this was not optional. He was excited to see everyone again though. He'd been working hard to make sure he spent at least a little time with as many wolves as possible, trying to get to know them and letting them come to know him in turn. He was eager to see how he was doing. He needed to introduce the youngling boys to everyone as well, he realized. It was hard enough to hunt for the family he had now, never mind doubling the young mouths he already had to feed! He'd certainly need help, but soon the girls would be learning how to hunt on their own. All the more reason this meeting had to happen, he thought with conviction, and waited for the first to arrive. "Talk" "You" Think

The call rang in her ears, and Ainia would not hesitate in answering it. She would dart towards the brilliantly colored star wolf with the hopes of being there first; it was time to start working towards... anything, really, in the pack. She had been lax, simply drooling over the man's... whatever Faria was, and just about nothing else. That needed to change. So, the ebony female would pad into the meeting, a grin on her face when she realized she was the first to arrive. She plopped her butt down directly in front of Mithras, a small grin on her face as she dipped her head in greeting to him. "καλημέρα, Βασιλιάς," she greeted formally in her native tongue. When she had learned the King's rank, she had been delighted - she knew that language! She knew what it meant. And perhaps, finally, she'd find a wolf who shared her language.

Taking a big whiff of the grass Wyndelin sneezed. The area was finally starting to dry out and so was he, the remnants of a respiratory infection still clinging tightly to his lungs. Over all though he was feeling much better stretched out on his belly with the sun warming his back. Wynde was content to lay there til the sound of the star wolf's howl rang out through the land. Mithras…. dad? Wyndelin's nose wrinkled. He wasn't really quite sure how to feel about their new situation but he did feel that it was better than being alone. Ears flicked forward and he got to his feet, shaking out his coat before trotting toward the meeting. He gazed at Mithras for a moment, eyed the woman he did not recognize and ultimately held back from joining them as a little knot twisted in his stomach. Crap! Why didn't he wait for Gabriel! "Talk" "You" Think

Ullr limped around his den, or the remnants of it anyway before he laid down heavily on his side, panting through another wave of pain and nausea. His left hind leg was badly wounded in the flood. He'd done what he could which unfortunately wasn't much but he'd survived such wounds before and he'd survive them again. Slowly the sharp stabs of pain would start to receed into a dull humming in the back of his skull. He was content to lay there for awhile… well… reasonably content anyway. It wasn't in Ullr's nature to sit still for long and being unable to hunt and wander as he wished frustrated him. Mithras would howl and slowly Ullr would get to his paws, limping toward the small gathering which so far consisted of… a woman and a pup. He could not recall the names of either of them and was fairly certain he hadn't see the pup before. Dipping his head in greeting toward Mithras Ullr gingerly took his seat. ""

Enjoying the humid spring day, a day in between dark and stormy weather, Esarosa heard the call for a pack meeting and changed her direction. She bounded across the valley, ebony paws carrying her with little grace but her stride was confident and powerful. The feel of grass brushing beneath her paws was something she'd been born to, and she was finding that she really enjoyed the valley. Never would she have thought she'd find herself so content ending up in a place that was nearly identical to the home she'd left behind so many seasons ago.

At last she came upon the meeting. Mithras was easy to spot, as always, standing out from his surroundings in the most peculiar but fascinating way. As she joined the wolves, she nodded and smiled in greeting to Ullr, then looked to the other she-wolf, acknowledging her with a wave of her tail. She noticed a pup holding back from the group, wondering who he belonged to. She supposed he must be waiting for someone else before he joined the rest of them. Her emerald gaze, as vibrant as the green valley itself, rested on the star-wolf as she came to seat herself amongst the others. There was little to say until the meeting began, but she hoped she'd be able to gain a rank this time around, and she would speak up if asked.

"Speech" thoughts actions Her brother called the pack together, which was probably overdue. The flood had been an unforeseen disaster for the pack. So many had been injured, but luckily, none had been lost. Massive paws collided with the earth as she headed towards her brothers call, head low between her shoulders. The muddy earth did nothing to cloak her approach, squelching mud between her toes and making obnoxious sucking noises as she lifted her feet. Whorls of colour that traversed her long limbs were obscured by mud and grass from her patrol. With the waters receding, scent markers had to be placed back along the borders. It was laborious, and the warm spring air was weighing her down. The rest of her winter coat was still trying to cling desperately to her, and it was only hindering her movements. So far, the gathering was sparse. A few wolves, only some of which she recognized from when her brother claimed the pack. The rest were unfamiliar, but she took note of their appearances. One of them was just a child, plain in appearance but exuberant in posture. A lazy grin found itself upon her face as the celestial titan wove through the group to take a seat beside her brother. "Popladne, golema oaf. SekoJ što sakaš da se vika denes?" She questioned, making use of the few words she knew in the common tongue. She reveled in knowing she could, and would, speak freely and casually to her brother in their native language, since no one in the pack understood it. Not to mention, her brother was abysmal when it came to maintaining order with his voice. He was gentle and kind, having left her with the angry, bitter genes in the womb. After surveying the rag-tag group, the cosmic dame busied herself with cleaning the mud from her fur. The filth higher up her legs was already mostly dry, and she pulled it from her coat with her teeth. "Where is little hobbit? Trying to round up the mongrels?" She questioned in the common tongue, glancing up at her brother. Her english was still awful, and the thick burr of an accent would probably never leave her voice. She resumed cleaning, observing the pack for new arrivals to the meeting. It was unusual for the cobalt pixie not to be glued to her brothers side by now, all smiles and cheer. If anyone would know where she was, it was Mith.

Mithras' summons released a swarm of butterflies into the boy's stomach. He wasn't too keen on walking up to a group of strangers and standing among them; he assumed everyone knew each other so that meant he and his brother would stick out. Gabriel could see it now, all eyes turning on him and Wyndelin as they approached. Everyone would get quiet and stare at the two plain boys. Aw, shoot, where was Wynde? "Wynd?" he hissed quietly. "Wyyyynd-eeeEEEE. WYNDELIN." No response. Shoot, shoot, shoot! Now he was going to have to walk up there all by himself! Gabriel swallowed hard. That sounded like no fun at all. Reluctantly he made his way to the meeting feeling sour the whole time. It wasn't until he laid eyes on his brother and noted that he looked a little lost that his countenance lost its uneasy edge. He couldn't be nervous if Wyndelin was nervous because that would probably just make his brother even more nervous. For a second as he stood out of his brother's line of sight a frown depressed the corners of his mouth. He didn't feel good about walking among strangers, but he was going to have to. The boy steeled himself and darted forward into the small gather of wolves. Exuding confidence he didn't quite feel, Gabriel made a beeline for his brother and attempted to bump their shoulders together. "Come on, Wynde, let's sit closer to Mithras so we can hear him." He had his sights set on a spot just a couple of feet away from the big guy. Close enough for Gabriel at least to draw a little comfort from the nearness of the only other person he knew in the gathering. "Talk" "You" Think

Ria was indeed trying to round up her children, not that the woman would have any luck in the matter. She'd been dozing near the den when she heard Mithras call out for the pack, and it was no surprise that none of her babies were anywhere to be seen. She'd huff heavily as she pushed her small frame from the earth and poked about for any sign of her three girls. Of course there was nothing. She'd spend too much time looking for them, likely they'd already be there waiting on her like the rest of the pack. Giving up her search and letting her daughters find their way on their own she'd trot up beside Caia and offer her an affectionate nuzzle, missing the words sad about her being late. She'd move on and give Mithras a similar greeting before taking a seat herself. Noticing quickly that none of the girls had appeared yet. Wynd and Gabe were both present however. She'd give a curious look towards the girl's father, wondering if he had any better idea of where they might be than she did. "Talk" "You" Think

Most of the wolves here were.. unfamiliar to him. He knew Mithras and Faria, and Esarosa now too. Argead was not entirely unfavorable to him but his progress here was quite stunted. Not that he'd expected anything but. He could leave any day - he was certain he wouldn't be followed or punished as a deserter. He wasn't worth that much effort. He just hadn't left. Something kept him here. It was.. some semblance of normalcy in his world that was anything but. He roused from slumber at Argead's leader's call. He moved slowly and with precision. He was not eager to show up to this gathering, though he knew he shouldn't miss it either. The brute would move slowly through the valley, noting the earth was still damp on his paws, as it had been for weeks now. Luckily summer was just around the corner, and hopefully that meant drier days were ahead of them. As he approached the group, he noted he didn't know most of them. It wasn't a surprising fact. Warily he would make his way near to Esarosa, settling down silently and lifting his gaze to Mithras to await whatever he had to say today.

OOC: Next round is due by Monday, February 29th. Anyone who does not post by that round will be removed from the pack!!

Ultimately, Mithras was disappointed by the turn out. He had hoped for something a little more exuberant, and he wasn't sure if it was too early to get mad. It was the first meeting though, and he himself had been a little less than focused lately, what with the new pups and cleaning up after the flood. He fought to keep the displeasure from his face for Gabriel and Wyndelin's sake. He was very pleased that they had shown up, and planned to have a stern word with his daughters. One of them would likely inherit Argead one day, and he expected better from them. He looked out over the small group and smiled at them. He decided to focus instead on the wolves that clearly had more to offer their group. Many of the faces were very familiar to him, all but one in fact, so he smiled at Ainia first. He hadn't seen much of her before now, but he was glad to see she'd stuck around. The boys seemed a little uncertain so he quirked a brow at them and said, "Showing up the girls already I see? Well done!" He shifted his quirked brow to Caia, to see what she made of that. Ullr and Esarosa both appeared and he offered warm smiles to wolves he was hoping to soon call 'friends.' Faria gave him a warm greeting which he returned and lastly he directed a friendly nod to Steel. Then he began to talk. "I had hoped for a bigger turn out than this. Hopefully the others will join before I'm through here." He let the statement hang, implying their would be consequences for ignoring his summons. "I suppose thank you who came would be a good place to start. Part of what I'd hoped to do today was assign ranks for those who are still in limbo but that will be harder without them in attendance." He looked over their gathered group. Ullr had proved himself a leader and a quick thinker when flooding came to their land, and Esarosa had been the only so far leading hunts and the like. Still they lacked a healer of any merit. "Ainia, Esarosa, and Steel. Have you committed yourself to any one school?" He pictured Esarosa as Polemistis, a hunter, but he wasn't sure about the others, and awaited their responses. It was a good place to start at least while he waited for stragglers to trickle in. Perhaps if more arrived he would be able to set up mentors for the pups like he'd hoped, and announce the first forum Argead would soon host here in the coming weeks, once summer found its peak. Perhaps he could even ask their opinion on what fate ought to await those who could not be bothered to attend... Yup, he was still salty about it. "Talk" "You" Think

Wyndelin remained where he was, petrified as other wolves, other strangers, started to gather around. His eyes drifted to the man with the injured leg and he swallowed nervously, off-put by seeing someone limping into the meeting. Wynde started to back up, as if changing his mind about showing up at all until suddenly his brother was there and he took a deep breath. He nodded at Gabriel's words and moved to bump his right shoulder against his brothers let before moving with him closer to Mithras. "Showing up the girls already I see? Well done!" Wyndelin blinked for a moment, flustered as Mithras spoke. "Um…yea, I guess so? Thank you." The boy answered quietly, he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. A few more wolves appeared and then the meeting began. Wyndelin kept quiet. He wasn't really sure what to say so for now he just listened. "Talk" "You" Think

Pain throbbed from his leg up his spine and right into his head. Ullr did his best to stomach it though he was swiftly beginning to feel nauseous again. His luck had been better just resting in the den but he wouldn't miss an important summons from his alpha, especially after the disaster that had recently befallen them. The meeting would be underway swiftly and the purpose became clear. To rank the unranked or at least set them on a path of study. He'd need to ask if there was a healer about that could help him with his injury but he supposed it wasn't the end of the world. He'd survived worse at the paws of his negligent family and at least he wasn't crapping worms this time. It could always be worse. Having nothing else to add to the meeting Ullr remained quiet and listened. ""

She was late, oh she was so late. Estelle was just barely keeping her panic down as she limped as fast as she could to where her alpha’s call had come from. She knew she should have headed out earlier but she often times forgot her own impediment. She had been lounging happily in the sun when the call had sounded and she had almost completely disregarded it. When finally she had rolled onto her paws it had started to set in how long she had waited. Now as she hobbled as fast as she could she found herself cursing her missing limb for the first time in nearly a year. Finally she skidded to a clumsy stop, tipping precariously forwards before catching herself with a frantic scramble backwards. She was still behind the majority of the group, and she watched her alpha with some sudden fear. Swallowing the lump in her throat she moved in to the main portion of the group and settled herself hesitantly upon her haunches. "Pouvez-vous m'entendre?" Hover for translation

Late he was, but the male had been feeling down in the dumps. Since his near death experience during the flood, he felt sick and like his lungs weren't like they used to be. He had low energy and some difficulty breathing since, the wheezing didn't help either. So when Mithras called, Domino had been on his way, slowly...across the valley. He hated his life right now. His brother up and vanished and he was left to deal with his feeling sick by himself.

When he finally arrived, he noted there were only a few wolves in attendance, and he was sure Mithras wasn't happy about it. Probably less so now that he was showing up late. He approached with a dip of his head, an apologetic look in his eyes as he weakly smiled at the star studded male. "Sorry I'm..late." He wheezed, his breathing slightly hitched and obviously labored from his attempt at trying to hurry up and get here.

Esa looked around, wondering where everyone was. She was sure she'd seen a lot more wolves at the original recruitment gathering. Were these the only wolves that remained? A few more stragglers would arrive, including Steel, who quietly chose a spot near her. She smiled to him, though not sure if he'd see it. Then she looked back to Mithras, who began to address the few gathered wolves. Clearly, he was also disappointed with the turn out. Perhaps others would make their way before the meeting was over... but it was certainly a poor show of loyalty or interest in the pack. Esarosa had never found herself caring about something like this before, but she was beginning to enjoy herself more and more in Argead. As she looked around once more at those gathered, she noticed a couple injured or ill, including Ullr and Domino. She wondered what had happened. Had she.. missed something? Oh no... something happened while I was away, she thought with a pang of guilt, licking her fur self-consciously. While she'd been away from pack lands getting into trouble and visiting a friend, her pack had been struggling with something, and she wasn't there to help. She didn't even know what had happened. The poor wolves, they didn't look like they'd been tended to at all. Were there any competent healers in Argead? She perked up as Mithras stated the main purpose of this meeting, to assign rank to anyone still hanging in limbo. That would include her, so she leaned in with interest. As her name was called, she bounced to her paws, tail waving into the air. "Mithras, I'd like to be a hunter!" she called out, curious about what her rank title would be, "I promise I'll do great!" Her mannerisms were certainly not formal, but her determination and poise shone through - she only knew how to do her best, so there was no way she'd fail. Besides, she had more than just one motivation to give it her all. "Speak" "Listen" Think

”Showing up the girls already, I see....” Gabriel beamed up at Mithras before attempting to reassuringly bump his brother's shoulder again. See? he wanted to say to him, We're doing good. It was a good start, wasn't it? Already Mithras seemed to be happier with them than mom had ever been. It might just work out this time. Soon the meeting got underway and while it all felt very important it didn't yet pertain to him so he simply sat there quietly and listened, half wondering where exactly the aforementioned girls were. He assumed families were fluid, constantly changing things so part of him was a little worried for them. What if they didn't do well and Mithras sent them away? Being without a grown up was really scary even when you had your best friend with you. "Talk" "You" Think

Mithras always seemed so... eager. Way more positive than he ever was, but that wasn't saying much, was it? Not many wolves had arrived, fewer than he knew lived here, and he wondered if some of them had vanished already. He'd considered it himself, but here he was, looking as solemn as ever. His posture was stiff and he offered a slight nod to Mithras in greeting. His ears perked as their leader spoke, considering his words. What would they like to study? It was an easy question. "Fighting," Steel would state without missing a beat. His father had been a fighter - he'd never seen it, but his dad had worn the scars proudly, and he'd heard his stories. Briefly his gaze would drift toward Esarosa as he proclaimed with exuberance that she wanted to be a hunter. He almost smiled; he expected nothing less, especially after their first meeting. Maybe Argead he thought, wasn't going to always be so terrible. Just maybe.

Leto slunk in after her dad had already begun the meeting, in time to hear what he'd said but clearly very, very late. Well so what. She'd thought maybe she should have just skipped the meeting, then Da would know she was really really mad. But then she realized, maybe he wouldn't know she was mad. Maybe he'd think she was just lazy. So, showing up meant that she wasn't just lazy, and he'd be able to see how mad she was. She kept her face set in a stubborn scowl as she slunk in, though she eyed Wyndelin and Gabriel warily. She didn't know what to think of them, really, except that she associated them with the travesty of her da's not throwing that awful trespasser out on his ear. She dropped her haunches next to the always super serious Steel and sent a grumpy frown her dad's way. Well, he had asked what the people who showed up wanted to do in the pack, right? "I want ta learn ta fight and be a warrior, so's I can beat up trespassers an' make 'em leave!" she called out defiantly, then after a split second thought added, "An' I want ta be a hunter too so's I can get all them squirrels."