Ashmedai came up to the borders casually. He visited here often enough to where he wasn't really scared of being approached by the pack. He had been wondering what Sparrow was up to and decided to check in on the little bird girl.

Oddly enough, when he came to the edge of the border, the scent was different. Had Abaven moved? Where was good old Bass's scent? Sparrows? Okay, Sparrow's was sill there, though it was faint. There appeared to be... a new alpha? He wondered hoe Sparrow felt about all this. Had Bass passed away? Had he given the pack up? Ashmedai didn't hear anyone challenge for it.

A cocky sort of smile appeared on Ashmedai's face. Well, he guessed he'd have to do a little investigating. He kept close to the border, perhaps stepping in just a little if there was something interesting, but not really enough to offend anyone. Borders were a little spread out by nature, not a vivid, straight line, and besides, this one was getting pretty faded.

It didn't take long for her to spot the blue-coated male; not at all. An ear flicked as she watched him hug the border, an insolent - which was not a word she generally used - expression on his face. It was, Vali decided, pretty ballsy for a loner to toe the border of a recently-marked border... and it made her wonder just what sort of trouble this loner planned for the pack? To test their defenses? Just to be an asshole? He seemed more than familiar with the land, and it rather bothered the normally friendly woman.

Blinking once, she slowly backtracked along the places she already marked, fiery yellow eyes glued to the male. Her head cocked to the side, and even though he was much, much larger than her, she didn't hesitate to bring her eyes to meet his, and she did not cow away. "Is there something I can help you with?" she questioned, already not too fond of this stranger. It'd be one thing if he was being respectful, but this whole... following the edge of the border, stepping over every once in a while was a bit... much.

Ashmedai skirted along a while until he heard another. He pretended not to notice, though he kept his guard up. Eventually the woman called out to him, her tone not missed. It only served to widen his smile. He made sure he was out of the borders. Before turning to face the woman, he tried to change his expression to a surprised one, though it was obviously fake, "Oh! Sorry, I wasn't quite sure anyone still lived here. You see, I was looking for ol' Bassy. You seen him around?"

Ashmedai noticed the scent of the woman. She was the new alpha? Ashmedai looked her up and down. Well, she wasn't much younger than Bass, that was for sure. Nor bigger. She didn't have any cool scars. It was strange. Was she a relative? A past mate? A new mate? Did she know the culture and language Bass tried to instill on his children and in his pack? Really, what made her qualified to be alpha, Ashmedai wondered.

Vali swallowed down a light growl of irritation. Who the hell was this kid? Why was he trying to start trouble? She vaguely remembered scenting him before, but never crossing the border; only at the border with... Sparrow. Was this Sparrow's doing? Was the young girl really so bitter and angry that she'd have someone else try to stir up trouble because she was upset that Bass left temporarily and didn't choose her to hold the pack? Vali hoped that wasn't the case.

Her head cocked to the side at his words. "Oh?" she hummed. "I'm sorry for that. I suppose it would be rough to have your sense of scent fading away. As for Bass - who are you, and why do you want to know?" She wasn't going to just... give out information. Not to a stranger who clearly was disrespectful and didn't care about it.

She tried to sass him. Oh that was funny. She said his sense of scent must be fading away. Ash snorted a little, "Must be rough maintaining a pack that's so docile and lazy." Really, though... Where was everyone?

She asked for his name and why he wanted to know where Bass was. Ashmedai quirked a brow, "Really? Don't tell me you don't know? Did Bass really give the pack to you without knowing its history, pack relations, and at least a handful of his relatives?" Ashmedai was growing a little suspicious. He had no idea Bass was so senile. For this woman to not know of the siege, or Ashmedai's family- though he was being a little overconfident thinking the Abaven wolves would remember who they enlisted help from- did she really know Abaven at all?

"But being rude aside, I do feel like you should tell me what happened to my half-uncle. Usually I'd ask my cousin, Sparrow-" Ash left out the part where he and his 'cousin' bonded over their mutual hate of that relation, "but as you should be able to tell, her scent is somewhat not here and it's not outside the pack which means it's inside the pack. Now if I know what's going on, and that you're not holding all of Abaven captive, I can be on my merry way."

He was a little worried, to be honest. Bass was too proud to just leave and Sparrow was too... Sparrowy to hide herself inside the pack.

"Look, I've known this family since I was a pup. They are my relatives. You can't completely blame me for not understanding this sudden shift, ya know? If you know Bass like you claim to, then you too should be at least able to admit that he wouldn't just leave the pack, so is he sick? Is he dead? That would explain Sparrow's lack of being here," along with several other pack members, "The whole situation is odd. What about his kids? He didn't leave the pack to them? I never knew he took on another mate, so I don't really know who you are or where Bass is. It's a little... off is all."

If the woman had any reason in her, she should at least be able to see where he's coming from. He was an asshole, but his intentions weren't bad.