Amon's discontent was growing, and yet warring with the pride in his newest litter. There were only two, instead of the five of his first litter, but they both showed great promise. Strong, healthy, and large... Well, it did not make him miss his first litter any less, but they were certainly filling his time. Even then, the titanic shadow slunk among the cedar trunks in search for a meal. They were near the age where Naamah's milk would dry out, and he hoped to find something worthy of their first taste of flesh. He enjoyed the moment of peace and quiet, even if he was not entirely comfortable being alone with his thoughts. Amon was not a man to stay still for very long. Between Pyralis' pups and now his own, he had grown incredibly familiar with the Bent Canyon... And incredibly impatient. In perhaps two more seasons his children would be strong enough to travel with him, at least short distances. He had begun to understand Pyralis' recent penchant for wandering, even if he did not feel it to the same extent. His first priority was to his family, and rearing the next generation. They consumed his every waking moment, but soon... Soon it would be time to begin following up on the promises he had made to his family. There were more than enough of them now to create the pack, no, the kingdom he dreamed of. An empire that would stretch from sea to sea. But first, dinner. "Talk" "You" Think

Her wandering hadn't truly ceased yet. Though she popped in and out of areas frequented by the family, she wasn't hanging around all the time. She needed to find a suitable denspace at some point to settle down, but for now knowing that the family hadn't truly established themselves and picked a permanent territory - because honestly she wasn't sure they'd stay in the cavern after the pups grew older - so Razi would continue her explorations in hopes of killing time. Wandering, looking for herbs, bumping into the occasional boring mortal. Nothing too interesting or exciting to be perfectly honest. All of this lead her to perk up a bit, brows knitting together as she scented Amon close by. Hmm... Perhaps it was time to at least have a more interesting conversation than shed indulged in in a while. That, and get to know this sibling she'd spent too little time with. Trotting after him, she hummed softly while trailing the larger wolf. A soft and haunting sound that came from deep in her chest. It only ceased when she finally neared him, stopping to call out a friendly, "Hello, Amon" "Talk" "You" Think

Razi's voice was very nearly unfamiliar to him. Amon sensed her presence moments before she spoke, and had he not turned to greet her, he might have considered it the voice of a stranger. Instead, her gilded ebony coat marked her as one of his own, and his hackles relaxed as quickly as they rose. He turned to face her fully, taking in the smaller's woman's stature and health. It looked as if she were doing well for herself, and he chastised himself for having spent so little time with her since learning that she had come to this new realm. "Razi," he greeted in a warm tone, or rather, as warm as his vocals seemed able to produce. "It has been a long time. How do you find this realm, now that you've spent a deal more time here?" Personally, Amon felt that the kingdom he intended to claim for them far surpassed his father's, and he hoped his sister would agree. Amon was not the sort to say that perhaps he had not been as attentive as he should have been. In fact, in Amon's mind he had not done anything worthy of reproach. While he suspected his family members sought some form of direction, he did not feel it was his duty or even his inclination to decide their individual fate. He hoped Razi had been a sight more industrious than others he had encountered thus far. "I am seeking a meal for Gaios and Aaliyah. Would you care to accompany me?" It was a neutral offer, indicating that if she had other business to attend to he would not keep her there. He was certain that the time of year meant plenty of herbs would be coming into season that had not been previously available, and she was likely occupied with such projects. Instead of pressing her one way or the other, he simply waited for a response. "Talk" "You" Think

Appraising the larger man while she awaited his reply, she found he seemed in good health. Good, it wouldn't do to have the leader of this family, now so far from their old home, feeling anything other than in perfect health. Even in casual interactions it seemed she couldn't escape this healer mind of hers. There were worse habits to have in this world though. His warm tone had her canting her head almost imperceptibly to the side. Having had so few one on ones with her older sibling, this was a new experience. Brushing off the uncertainty she felt in response to this, Razi opted to answer slowly, drawling in a sing-song sort of way, "Oh, it's quite interesting so far. I haven't gone as far as I'd intended, and I'm certainly no Pyralis when it comes to exploring," she giggled at the thought of harnessing such an adventurous spirit, "So far it seems very promising though. Plants aplenty, land ripe for the taking, and no one terribly impressing to bar the way to victory." She'd pause for a moment to consider his offer - always the serious one of the bunch, never in a hurry to make decisions. After a few seconds she'd decide she had no pressing matters to attend to at the moment and  offered a sincere smile and a gentle wave of her tail as she accepted, "I'd love to join you. And you must tell me how your newest offspring are doing, I haven't had the opportunity to visit them yet." "Talk" "You" Think

Amon noted his sister's confusion, but he wasn't sure quite what to make of it. Was he truly so at odds with so many members of his family? The thought displeased him, as it had never been his intention to set himself apart from them. And yet, had he ever made the effort to grow especially close? In all honesty, it had hardly been a priority. Of course Amon cared deeply for his family members; perhaps more deeply than for anything else. But where did the caring come from? Was it a desire for their wellbeing, or a desire for their namesake to flourish in the way he had always imagined? Whether it was for their own good or for a selfish need to achieve the superiority he had always held in his heart, his sibling's and relative's well being and capability was his foremost priority. He doubted any of that would appease his sister though, or clarify her confusion over his amicable approach. Best left unsaid, he decided. In the end, he was saved by a convenient response from his younger sibling. She confessed to not knowing the land as well as she had hoped, but being happy with what she had found thus far. Her assertion that there were no challenges of any real merit standing in their way brought a smile to his face. "I could not have said it better. The pathetic mortals who call themselves kings have never tangled with the likes of Gods, I imagine. I don't believe we will face any true difficulty. Coupled with the likes of deific beasts I've seen roaming this land, I can only believe our Fallen God created this land for our taking, and ours alone. He will be with us through our conquest." Amon did not want to seem arrogant, but he was absolutely certain of his assertions. This land seemed to have been crafted to his precise specifications. It was verdant, flowing with myriad flora and fauna. The spirits and god-like creatures he had found here so far, once thought of as abominations before his God's purpose became clear, made it clear to Amon that this land was made for their sort. The mortal scum had merely infiltrated in their absence, and Amon had every intention of reclaiming it. Razi went forward to ask after his newest children, which left Amon swelling with pride. As with his first litter, Amon was set ablaze with thoughts of their possibility and all they might achieve. Both pups were clearly spirited and strong, thrumming with the blessings of the Fallen God. Aaliyah, dark of coat and red-eyed as her mother was already proving to being a cunning little vixen, where as Gaios was noble and strong of will. Together they would achieve great things, Amon was certain of it. He could not keep the affection out of his voice as he spoke of them. "They seem to double in size every time I blink. their appetites are voracious, and I believe they will grow to be as strong and bold as both Naamah and I. To top it off, they are both woefully stubborn. Born for great things, I imagine," he said with a boastful smile. If there was one thing in this world that Amon truly loved, it would always be his children, and the two newest were no exception. He turned to begin walking, nose to the ground as he searched for any sign of prey. "Talk" "You" Think

She drank in his words with interest, digesting them slowly in her typical fashion. Ever the word of caution in this family of reckless and haughty beings, some words to the wise were already sitting on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back. Amon was probably one of the few she could believe wasn't going to be a complete fool by rushing things, so it was best to simply bite her tongue and keep her thoughts to herself. Though she'd not witnessed any opponents worthy of mention residing nearby, it didn't mean they did not exist. For now she'd keep her thoughts held close to her unless a need should arise for her to speak her piece. Nodding gently, she purred, "I am absolutely positive we will crush even marginally worthy opponents that may dare raise their heads during the times to come." His reaction to mention of his children said it all, she doubted he could hide the pride rooted deep in his heart even if he gave it his all. It managed to elicit an amused smirk from those normally unmoving lips of hers. The look of a proud parent sported by such a massive and normally intimidating beast was quite the sight indeed. "With their pedigree I'd expect no less," she mused. Pausing a moment, she let her orange-furred ears flick to the side a moment as a thought took root in her mind. "This does make me curious, how many are we now? I'm curious how much longer it might be before we start making some moves. Naturally not till both your pups and pyre's have grown more, though our numbers impact our first moves..." Soon she had to stop herself from talking lest she ramble on, verbalizing the gears that were turning in her mind as she pondered strategies and the like. First target was obvious enough, but after that, depending on pack sizes they'd potentially need bigger numbers on their side. Once he began moving she trailed after him, not entirely focused on the whole hunting thing just yet though she'd get there in a moment once she wasn't so stuck in her head. "Talk" "You" Think

Razi was stoic, as she had always been. Even as a youth, Amon remembered her as taciturn and oft removed from the typical joys of puphood. It had not surprised him when she'd chosen the path of a healer, and surprised him even less to see that she had not changed much in the time he had been apart from her. Of course, these were not bad things. He appreciated knowing that there was at least one more in the family he could consider as having a level head on their shoulders. Only the Fallen God knew how slim that number truly was, as Amon himself could only hazard guesses. He drank in her calm appraisal, glad to know that she had put her faith solidly with them, though it would have seemed preposterous to him if she'd voiced anything else. She received the pride he held for his children in much the same way. He could not, and would not, restrain this facet of his personality. Razi pressed onwards, wondering after their ranks and whether or not their time for movement was nigh. I was a sobering thought for he found that he did not truly know. He let out a low rumble, evidence of his discomfort though not an emotion direction at his half-sister's words. "Would that I knew," he groused. "Our lot are proving as wayward as a herd of caribou. I can't blame them, of course. Inaction does not suit any of us well. I can only hope they are spending their time wisely and will be ready when the time comes. I should think that once our pups are strong enough to hold their own against another will be all the waiting we need to suffer through." His voice trailed off as his nose twitched. The scent of rabbit feces was fresh and strong, and gave him pause. A rabbit or three would be a good meal for Naamah, and the pups as well if they were to choose flesh over milk for this meal. They were nearing the age where hunting for them would become a regular chore, and he could not say he was eager for it. For now, a warren of rabbit would do just fine. He turned to Razi to see if she had scented the same. "Talk" "You" Think

Razi supposed she could understand why the rest of their relatives had been drawn to follow Amon; he was magnetic in a way most wolves would find appealing, and his unwavering focus on the family and their goals was admirable. It seemed obvious he would accomplish something of value in the near future so being nearby to share in the spoils of war would be more than enough to tempt the abraxas wolves to stay near him. He was also not hot-headed, at least not that Razi knew of, which made him one of the more ideal candidates for succeeding their father and managing and directing the insatiable need to conquer that plagued them. If nothing else she could walk away happy with her new assessments of her older brother. Luckily though, there was plenty more they could talk about, at least until they can upon the prey Amon sought. She made sure to continue paying attention to her surroundings, taking the occasional sniff to see if there were any stronger signs of prey nearby, gold eyes roaming over the forest that surrounded them to pick up any signs of movement. She kept one ear focused on Amon as he responded to her. At first she was inclined to chuckle at his mention of just how difficult it was to keep any sort of track of their number at this point. While it was amusing to hear someone else speak of it aloud, her mind was directed elsewhere at the next sentence he uttered from his dark lips. Hm, that reminded her of previous thoughts she'd been considering. "That is one concern I have been thinking of off and on..." her words came slowly, still not sure if she ought to bother concerning herself over such things but figuring it was as good a time as any to at least say something to Amon while they were talking. "I have been thinking, I'm not sure how long our kin will be able to resist the temptation of stirring shit with the pack so nearby. I'm sure most if not all of us are quite aware of it and may have even met wolves who reside within it's borders, however it would be stupid to draw their attention to us too soon." tilting her head to the side, she wondered for a moment if it may even be too late and one of them might have already done something without thinking. It wouldn't have surprised her even a bit. "I only speak of it at all because I think it should at least be on the minds of those of us who have our heads on straight. I doubt we can prevent foolish actions but being ready for the aftermath is never a bad idea." Maybe it wasn't something she should bring up, but Razi couldn't fight her tendency to think far ahead. Being around all these wayward souls was stressful, it was probably only a matter of time before she'd be patching up wounds and the like. Perhaps not as many as the healers on the other end of the abraxas trouble-making would be dealing with, but enough for Razi. Glancing over at where Amon was focused, she followed suit and went to inspect the signs left behind by their quarry. Following the scent trail, she slowly and quietly padded her way after the animal, dropping her body a bit lower as she entered a more serious hunting mode. The forest was mostly quiet here, and activity was at a minimum so when she thought she spotted movement up ahead she glanced over to Amon to ensure he'd seen it too. "Talk" "You" Think