Esarosa had noticed all of the youths running about on her traipses across pack territory - and what a wide array of personalities, indeed. It was great to see that Ivalice was thriving, and she was happy for Avalon - the woman was such a kind, motherly soul, but she was tough as well. The only thing that worried her about it all... would there be any room left for expansion? Her season was here, and the emerald-eyed woman desperately wanted to fulfill her biological calling. She didn't want to bring offspring into the world at the risk of her new pack mates... what if food became scarce with so many mouths to feed? At the same time, she didn't want to leave Ivalice. She had to find Avalon. She had to ask, at least. Maybe things weren't as dire as she imagined. Maybe her hormones were just making her worries blow out of proportion. As she padded along the border, the Alphaess' scent became apparent, so she followed it until the woman's large form came into view. "Avalon!" she called out, her black paws picking up speed to catch up to her leader, "Are you on patrol? Mind if I join you?" "Speak" "Listen" Think

If there was one place anyone could usually find her, it was almost always somewhere along the borders. It had become her usual routine, seeing as how nobody else was really doing it. It disappointed her how lax the members were getting, but it would change soon once she called for a meeting soon. Or at least she hoped. She didn't want to make anyone leave, but if they continued to choose to do nothing, then she would have no choice but to do what she had to do. As she stopped near a tree and strengthened the border marking, her ears caught the voice of Esarosa.

Turning around, she smiled as the ebony woman approached, a nod and a tail wag finding their way to her. "Of course! I'd love the company." She was happy to have some company, usually she patrolled on her own. Turning around again, she continued along at a slower pace, falling in step with Esa. The heat scent coming from her wasn't missed, and it reminded her that she would be getting hers this coming season. Oh joy... "So, how are you and your friends doing? Settled in I hope?" She'd not really had the chance to talk to then since they joined due to her recent litter, but she hoped all was well and that they were doing fine.

Esa was glad when Avalon turned and said she'd love some company. "Thanks!" she yipped as she bounded over to the woman. She'd never actually been on a patrol before; not that she hadn't explored the entire territory already. She'd certainly been everywhere. In fact, she enjoyed navigating the lands, taking note of things and finding new places. But guarding territory wasn't her strong point. Fighting in general wasn't her thing. She'd use her teeth if she had to, she had before - and boy had that felt good at the time - but she was not a violent wolf by nature. She was a hunter; she loved the thrill of the chase, and challenging herself to catch something new. Loping to catch up with Avalon, she tried to match her pace with the Alphaess, not wanting to slow her down. When Avalon asked how she and her friends were doing, if they'd settled in, Esarosa smiled dreamily as she thought of the den she and Steel had made. "We love it here," she replied with a nod, but then her smile faded somewhat. She couldn't speak for all of them. Valentina seemed to be holding her own, although Esa wasn't sure if this was the woman's favourite place to be. There were a lot of wolves that didn't like the north. And Itri... she hadn't seen the boy in a long time, and she worried that he'd run away. "To be honest, I haven't seen my little adopted brother in some time," she said as she padded along beside the Alphaess, "I fear he may have ran away... maybe pack life was too much for him. I just hope he's alright. It wasn't what she'd come to talk about, but it was good to catch up and let Avalon know some things that were going on - she just hoped the woman wouldn't think too badly of Itri for not showing himself. Esarosa was sure Itri was fine, even if he was on his own, the boy was strongly independent, but she was definitely going to look for him soon. Maybe after her talk with Avalon... oh, why hadn't she thought of it before? Ivalice was a pack, pack looked out for one another; maybe they could all keep an eye open for Itri! Even if he wanted to be on his own, it was better to know, than to just think he disappeared without a trace. "Speak" "Listen" Think

A smile formed when Esarosa said they loved it here, though mild curiosity formed at the "we" part. Did the woman mean she and her friends? Truthfully, she hadn't gotten the chance to talk to them all and get to know them, but she'd change that soon enough. She wasn't one to stand by and just let everyone feel forgotten, no. She would find the time to talk to everyone and make sure they felt at home. That's what Ivalice was made to be, to feel like home and a place where one could belong and strive to be better. "That's good, I'm glad you like it here."

She led the pair towards the side that bordered Yfir, and while she didn't think they would try an attack, one couldn't be too careful when living next to a pack that harbored the firm belief that one of her members still belonged to them. Of course, she still didn't know what she'd if Katja came knocking, but those were thoughts for another time. Her attention snapped back when Esarosa made mention of the yearling that had come with her. What was his name? Itri? He was a rather grumpy one, but he was a member of the pack regardless. Concern crept up on her as she stopped then. "Perhaps...but just in case, I'll have the pack keep an eye out for him. Hopefully he isn't hurt...He's a part of our family, so we need to look out for one another. If I find anything out, I will inform you. And I'd appreciate if you did the same."

Picking up her pace again, she couldn't help but still wonder what the "we" meant. And the more she tried to ignore it, the more it gnawed at her. Finally, she just had to ask. "Erm...when you said "we", who did you mean? You and your friends? Or you and a special someone?" At that last part, a mischievous grin split her lips. She wondered who it was, assuming that's what she meant by "we".

Esarosa smiled in return to Avalon, glad with the way their conversation was going. She followed the Alphaess as they continued along the border. She wasn't familiar with their neighbours at all, but she could definitely smell another pack scent in the distance. Briefly she wondered if they were friendly or not, but if Avalon wasn't making a big deal about it right now, it must be nothing to really worry about at the moment. Of course, rival packs could always cause trouble at any time, but usually there would be signs well ahead of time. Keeping pace with the Alphaess, her ears swiveled as the tall woman made note of Itri's disappearance, informing her that she would keep an eye out for the boy and would mention his disappearance to the rest of the pack. Grateful, she dipped her head. "Thank you, I'm worried about Itri..." she said, but trying to keep her hopes up, she would express her appreciation for the woman's concern, "I'm sure once the pack knows, there will be many eyes open for him. Someone ought to see him. I will keep you updated if I see him, or hear any news of him. Again, thank you." As they continued along, she had to work her legs a little harder to keep up with Avalon's increased pace. She grinned a little shyly as Avalon asked her exactly who she meant when she'd said "we love it here". Did the Alphaess suspect anything? No matter, she would have to tell her, after all that's why she'd really come to seek out the leader of Ivalice today. "What I really meant was, me and Steel," she admitted, blushing slightly, "We've really grown close. I'm very fond of him, and..." She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a little nervous. She had been thinking for a while now that she wanted to start a family with Steel. What was going to happen if there simply wasn't room in Ivalice? What if something happened by accident? After all, she could hardly keep her paws off Steel these days. There were so many other pups already, and many adult members as well. Still, she couldn't stay silent, she had to ask. "Actually, Avalon, this is really why I came to find you today," she continued, tail twitching anxiously - she knew the Alphaess must be aware of her scent, but she'd say it anyways, "Spring is my season, and I've really been wanting to start a family, but... I know there are so many pups already in Ivalice. So I have to ask, is there any room for more?" Now that the question had come out, all she could do was wait for Avalon's response. She knew with capacity running high in Ivalice, something like this would weigh on the mind of the leader. It might not have been an issue at all if there weren't already so many small mouths to feed. Her insides churning nervously, Esarosa waited quietly for any sort of answer. "Speak" "Listen" Think