ooc: Mandatory meeting, first round is due the 14th but I won't post heather till the end of the 15th(pst 2 pm Ardent time)Those who do not show will be set at a default rank unless on absence. She was three years old now, and her goal of being Queen had been fulfilled. Although, it didn't really feel much different than when she was princess. Regardless there was a few changes to be done and not neccarily to rank just moving wolves around. In the end her mind was reeling with thoughts and she needed to discuss them out in the open to begin with. As her paws carried her into the mangroves. She raised her head and called a rally to the pack. Nobody would really be surprised that Heather was at the front, her father had been saying she'd step up soon. The most important thing was that she got everyone up to speed. What was what and what needed to be done. What with all the border warnings but now with another pack bordering them it made one less border for the stranger to come to unless of course invading Dragoste. Regardless she wanted this to be relatively calm. No freaking out or anything, after all it was her and her siblings birthdays. "Talk"

For as laid back as Archelaus usually was, it was obvious the man hadn't felt comfortable simply laying around for some time now. He had been staying up later, and waking up earlier.. just to make sure their perimeter remained secure. He didn't fail to notice the new pack that moved nearby, but it seemed there were parts where Fiori and Dragoste crossed.. leaving him to believe that perhaps a new alliance was happening. He honestly could not assume, and he was not the type to keep up with the gossip of Fiori so he simply made sure to keep an eye on the area, just in case their new neighbors decided not to be so friendly. The tall, smoke cloud of a man was already out and about when Heather made her first call for a meeting. It was bittersweet, not hearing the booming sound of Leo's voice summoning them. His uncle had been the leader of Fiori for so long, even Bacchus couldn't shake him from his throne. His ears flicked as he thought over the last meeting, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for walking away with the Princess instead of remaining there for the King's last meeting as their alpha. Oh well, it was probably a good choice to leave and talk with Heather. Especially since she was now Queen. He lifted his head a bit as he entered the mangrove, the sight of budding trees and growing foliage aiding in the air of new beginnings. It was a good feeling, but more importantly he wanted Heather to see the smile on his face as he came to greet her. He wanted her to see it from a mile away so that she would know she did have supportive pack members to rely on. He remembered their talks when she was younger, and although she had grown quite a bit.. he hoped to prove to her what he'd told her back then, that the pack would always be here to help. Archelaus wasn't the formal type by any means, usually slouched and relaxed. He came in today with high steps making up his trot, a grin and his tail swaying as his ruby eyes found Heather. He didn't say a word until he was close enough to stand before her and take a bow, one muscled forelimb stretching out ahead of him as his body slanted- his other forelimb bent at the ankle to make for a royal kneel. He did not look up to her during this bow out of respect, instead he remained focused on the ground in front of him until his bow was over. And then? He couldn't help but grin in pride as he looked back up to his cousin. He looked around himself, making sure that they were still alone before his baritones finally broke the silence. "Good morning to our new Queen! You are going to do great." Perhaps she already knew that, but he wanted to reassure her anyway. He took a few steps back and settled down on his haunches.

Leo smiled when he heard his daughter's howl. Spring had brought in a lot more than warmer weather. His children were unbelievably three years old now and Heather had rightfully earned Fiori. He hurried to get to the meeting, his tail wagging when he saw her sitting where he once had. Of course she had been joining him at the front for a while now, but this was her turn. He trotted over to her and pressed his nose to her cheek. "Queen looks good on you, sweetie," he said softly before he turned to walk over to where the rest of the pack would gather. He gave Archelus a nod and a small smile before he settled on his haunches. He was sure everyone would be joining them before too long, or at least he hoped so. He really wanted Heather's first pack meeting to go well. Fiori had some rebuilding to do, but he was confident that Heather could do it. "Talk" "You" Think

A mildly unexpected voice howled through the territory and Tiburtius considered it for a moment. He knew that Fiori was going to be under new management sooner rather than later, but somehow it was still a little surprising to hear Heather calling them for a meeting. He pulled himself onto his paws and headed toward the meeting. Tib was even more surprised when he saw his brother sitting there along side Leo and of course Heather. Archelus had never seemed like the type to be into the whole pack thing, but more and more lately it seemed like his littermate was being more involved than himself. He sat down next to Archie, giving him a little grin and nudging his shoulder playfully. He needed to spend more time with his family. It was becoming increasingly apparent that things with Finch weren't going anywhere fast and now that it seemed like he would be in Fiori for the foreseeable future he felt bad that he wasn't spending more time with them. At least he had plenty of time to catch up for lost time. "Talk" "You" Think

Lionel had made sure to stick close to home lately. Their birthday had finally come around and he couldn't help but feel excitement about it. They were three already! That meant Heather was stepping up as Queen and he couldn't help but feel immensely proud of his sibling. She'd worked so hard to prepare for the position that she was nothing less than deserving of it. So he'd been doing his best to pull his own weight by patrolling the borders constantly. He hadn't forgotten the intruder he'd smelled before the last meeting, hence his tardiness, and had doubled his patrols. If anyone slipped across the borders without him now then he'd be convinced they were magic. He hadn't missed the new pack near the home either. At first confusion had set in considering he'd never met Ganta, but Roza's scent was clear so the irritation quickly wore off. It'd been some time since he'd seen his pale sister and he missed her presence. At least now he had an easy way to visit her when he wanted with the added bonus with one less border to patrol as frequently. He still couldn't help but pass by it though. He didn't know this wolves in this male's pack, but none had trespassed which was a relief. At least it had double the protection now. Heather's howl stopped him mid patrol. Ivory colored ears flicked towards the noise before a soft smile crossed his face. She was calling her first meeting! At least he wouldn't be late to this one. The male padded towards the meeting place with a grin on his face. He greeted his father first with a friendly tail wag and then flashed Archelaus and Tib a polite nod before he padded over to Heather. He attempted to nuzzle her cheek for a moment before taking a seat beside her as he waited for others to file in. Walk, "Talk" Think

Spring was fresh within the lands and the prey had returned home from their winter travel. The grass was green and plentiful providing a lot of food for the herds. He had spent every day tracking and trailing, counting and preparing. It was time for another hunt and it was perfect timing now that babies were being born. As far as he knew none of the women in Fiori were expecting so for now there wouldn't be any new mouths to feed. Though the Baron also knew he had to meet with Blue, but he was giving the boy a chance to approach him for his lessons instead of hunting him down. The boy would come, that Jackson was sure of, but it may take him a little longer since he was so shy. The baron was ready to call another hunt, but now he just had to pick the right day to call it and this time he hoped there would be a better outcome. Last time it was him, Ara, and one of Quelt's daughters were the only to show and this time he hoped for better attendance. He needed more help to take down larger prey so he wasn't wearing himself out catching twice as much small prey to feed the pack. He was also considering on going outside of pack territory and maybe meeting up with some loners to expand his knowledge of hunting and better himself. The call made his ears perk especially since it was from a different voice. Leo had mentioned at last meeting that Heather would be taking over, but Jackson didn't know how soon that would be. He smiled thinking of his younger cousin at such high of a rank, higher then himself then picked up his pace and headed straight towards the call. When he arrived already a few had gathered and he dipped his head to them in greeting before taking his seat beside Leo. Thankfully this time he wouldn't have to sit alone. "Talk" & 'Think"

The call from Heather made the boy wince, his ears pinning to his head. Dropping his head he sighed before pulling himself up and slowly heading towards the call. He knew he couldn't simply ignore it but he really didn't want to show his face there, not after his orders from Leo had gone unfulfilled yet. Though he had to go and show that he was still here, but he hated the crowd it would bring. He needed to simply push back his fears and his anxieties and just get it over with. He needed to get his lessons done so he could figure out what his skill would be in the pack. Although the boy was still unsure about everything and continuing to live where all his nightmares began. Living in the pack lands was a constant reminder of his parents death and the disappearance of both his sisters. None of the pack members were at fault for his feelings but he found it extremely difficult to get past everything especially since he witnessed first hand the gruesome death his parents had. He was not good at discussing his feelings either leaving him to constantly struggle with them on his own. He just didn't know what to do. Carletta had been doing her best to help, which it was somewhat working, but he had a lot longer road to walk before he could fully get over everything. When he arrived there had already been quite a few there and the boy slipped in and sat down at the back of the gathering. "Talk" & 'Think"

Athena tugged the bracelets back onto her legs just moments before Heather's voice rang out to call them for a meeting. It was the first time she had worn them since the walk she had taken with Ara, but it almost made her more sad to see them sitting unused in the den than it did to wear them. She walked out of her den and gave her fur a shake and for a moment she just stood there, giving the clearing around her den a slow look. No Amalia. No Jayne. No Diana. No Bacchus. No Vitus. Of course Archelaus and Tiburtius would be waiting for her at the meeting already, but the silence around her was deafening. No one was left to walk to the meeting with her. She sighed and finally made her paws carry her forward to meet up with the rest of the pack. She looked around for Ara when she arrived, but the golden-hued and black woman was no where to be seen. That was more of a disappointment than she thought it would be, but she shrugged it off and walked over to where Archie and Tib were sitting together as expected. She settled down beside them and tried to put a smile on her lips. She was beginning to wonder what she could do with the rest of her life. What left was there to do? She looked toward Heather and attempted to reign in her focus and give the new queen the respect she deserved. "Talk" "You" Think

I have my mother's dreams, I have father's eyes, This time Alfie came in with Carletta. The femme had begun reaching out to him as well, and, combined with the efforts of his sister, Alfred felt prepared to get back to tackling pack things. He wanted to get better… stronger. Maybe he could even learn herblore from his Ara? Just because he wanted to be strong didn’t necessarily mean that he had to be a warrior! No matter what he was going to find himself a place in Fiori. The pack needed him. Heather needed him… and he needed them too. This time as he arrived at the meeting Alfie actually looked happy. Koron bounded up by his other side, letting out a soft, girly giggle as she tumbled in the grass. Despite being an adult age, the fox still was playful like a kit. She glanced up towards Heather once they were close enough though, straightening herself into a proper position before dipping her head respectfully towards Alfred’s sister. She missed Roza a little… but she was sure that Heather meant a lot to the brute too. Alfred sat, watching as Carletta drifted away from him to sit near Bluemoon. The femme had been running all about trying to get everyone into a good state. She wasn’t the most efficient at the job perhaps, but it was clear Carletta had a lot of heart for the younger members of the pack. "Talk," 'Think.' You can't take that from me; Just Go ahead And try!

The woman had been working with Alfred through much of the morning and learned quite a bit about his family. About how his mother, Leo’s mate, had gone off when the children were young… it hurt her heart to think that a mother might abandon her pups but Carletta was sure she had a reason… still… it was obvious the children were a bit broken because of it. Alfred with his anxiety, and from what she picked up on she guessed the strain between Alfie and Heather was likely due to their mother’s leaving as well. Carletta knew she was going to have to reach out to Lionel and Heather too, but one thing at a time, right?

Once they arrived at the meeting Carletta bid Alfie goodbye and walked over to her other young charge, Bluemoon. She offered the boy a smile, though she hadn’t really been stern with him about starting his training yet. Something that was going to have to change after the meeting. “We talk after this, okay?” The femme said to him, her blue eyes gentle. Then she lifted her gaze towards Leo and Heather, feeling her heart skip a beat as her eyes landed on the former wolf. She was a bit excited about the fact Leo was no longer going to be an alpha, truth be told…

A bit selfishly, perhaps, but she wanted to spend more time with him, and with his children, so not being so busy could certainly help with that.

Ara hated being late to meetings. Usually she was there fairly promptly, but this time she'd been outside of Fiori's territories when she'd heard Heather's call. Only briefly was she surprised, as she quickly remembered the conversation she'd had with the girl awhile ago - maybe a year ago, now? - where she'd given her some advice on leadership. Ara didn't mind who ruled Fiori, but hoped that Leo's daughter would do as well a job as he had, and she had no reason to believe she wouldn't. Moving a quickly as she could, she navigated toward the gathering spot. Most wolves had arrived already, most familiar to her though shew knew very few of them well at all. She spotted Athena, and noted Amalia was absent again - a shame, she thought quietly to herself. Part of her always hoped her wife or sons might make their return and hear Fiori's meeting calls and show up to them, but she found a pit of disappointment weighing in the pit of her stomach anyway. Letting out a nearly silent sigh, she padded toward the group, settling down near Athena. She was a more familiar face, at least, and her comfort was reassuring to Ara.

Epiphron felt unexcited about pack meetings as of late - actually, she hadn't given much thought to them at all for some time now. The older woman was simply content to be living in a pack ruled by her son, living a rather simple and quiet life, and she found little reason to complain about any of it. It was surprising to hear Heather calling for a meeting, but she'd known that Leo was preparing for her to take over the pack. Truthfully, better an Adravendi than anyone else, but either way she hadn't worried about Fiori's fate. She took her time in arriving, stretching out her limbs before navigating through the mangroves. She shivered as a breeze ruffled her fur, noting it was cooler than usual today. Once she arrived, she loped over toward Leo, offering her son a faint smile before her attention was directed to Heather, wondering what she might have to say to them today.

Wolves began to filter in, and Heather would make note of who was here and who wasn't. She hadn't seen her aunt Amalia in some time. Something that was disheartening, but Heather knew her mind had to remain focused. Her ears flicked as she watched Carletta and her father, she could kind of guess what was going on. Part of her didn't like it, the other half was glad now that he wasn't king anymore perhaps there was the possibility of siblings in her future? The happiness of her father meant a lot to her, same as her family. Arch was actually the first to greet her with words. A soft smile on her face to the man as the words sent shivers down her spine. Queen. Was it just a word that really got her that excited she didn't know. Her father was next to arrive though she gave a soft laugh. "I'm still the same old daughter that you know dad." she said as she watched him move away. Lionel's greeting was far more personal, the nuzzle on the cheek as the archduke sat beside her. She had no intention of changing his rank, after all Lionel was her rock. He kept her grounded and as the rest of the more silent members filtered in. Heather stood up and took in a deep breath. Leaving a soft smile on her face. "Today's season marks the third birthday of me and my siblings. With that, a change in leadership. I know all of you have been going through tough times as of late and the borders have been a bit alarming, but I want you to know no matter what the pack is a family and we are here for you." she greeted them with that. "I don't intend to change much about the pack for now, I want to preserve's Fiori's peaceful lifestyle for future generations. Yet I do think, with the coming of spring it is a time we need wolves to pick up the pace. Get out of your shell, if you see a loner try recruiting them to the pack. We could use the numbers. " she noted looking at all of them. "Now some ranks have moved around, Leo my father as you know has retired from being king. He's going to remain as a squire unless he wants to try for a higher rank. Lionel my brother will remain as Archduke. What I really want to announce is Archelaus has been promoted to Knight. His mother previously held the position and last meeting I was watching him very carefully that I thought hard about the decision. I look forward to seeing him in action over the position." She smiled, waiting to see a few reactions or two before she continued. "Sad to say as well, as many of you may know we have some wolves missing. Amalia I haven't seen in some time, so, for now, I am demoting her from her head healer position to a normal healer. Should someone see her and if she wants the position back contact me and I hope she is well." Her eyes moved over Amalia's immediate family for a minute. Especially Athena a role model that Heather had held dear for some time. "That's all I have for ranks, but I implore you if you are interested in a higher rank let me know. The pack needs the help." she nodded her head. "I'm sure many of you have noticed the new scents near the weeping woods. Some of you alarmed, the pack that is now bordering us is Dragoste. It's alpha is Ganta, my sister Roza is his mate. So we must treat them with respect and peace. They won't bother us, there's no need to panic. It also adds a bit of security to that side of the border. I plan on talking to Ganta soon about a potential alliance unless any of you have objections. I also will be patrolling the borders often, as I expect that of Lionel and Arch as well to ensure that we don't have any more uninvited visitors." she tried to reassure them. "One last thing before I release you or take questions. I've decided that we will start celebrating birthdays of yearlings. Becoming a year old is a big deal to some and I feel like yearlings should be made to feel comfortable. Bluemoon we didn't get to celebrate your birthday so consider this season special to celebrate with me and my siblings. I want the pack to hunt for nice prey and sometimes this spring I'll call us together to feast and have a bit of fun at the falls. I'll try and organize some games as well. With that, this meeting has come to an end, if you have any concerns, questions or want to speak with me let me know." "Talk"