It was late. The night was pitch black save for the stars that twinkled upon it. Acere had been asleep in one of his dens on the ship, though he missed Heloise's presence quite fiercely. She was still mad at him, he was sure, so he decided to give her the space she wanted until she was calmed. His foxes were curled up against him, and while the trio slept peacefully, the world outside was coming down in shambles. He hadn't heard the explosion of Mouny Volkan's eruption. Hadn't smelled the fire and ash that rained down on the world. It wasn't until he heard Ignis' frantic alarm in the dead of night that he jolted awake. Confusion and alarm set in immediately, and as the titan stirred from his state of sleep, so too did his kids. He wasted no time in stepping out of the den, crimson gaze searching for his nephew. The wind carried the scent of ash and fire, though it wasn't very strong yet, he felt a feeling of foreboding deep in his breast. He made his way towards the front of the ship where he saw Ignis and his companions staring off towards the East. And when Acere followed his gaze, he could see the orange glow over the peaks of the eastern mountains and his heart dropped like a rock to the ground. "The mountain has erupted," He murmured in disbelief. For a few moments he stood there, staring at the horrendous sight and even spotted small balls of fire shooting up into the sky, though he was sure if they were alot close, those small balls of fire would likely be massive chunks of scorched earth. "Abaven is right next to that, what're we gonna do?" Ace frowned as he turned away from the sight, "There's nothing we can do for them right now. It's too dangerous to go there...for now, we hope they make it out in time..." Despite the cold shoulder Shaye had been giving him as of late, he was more concerned for the pack as a whole. He knew there were puppies, and he had other friends there. He headed to the front of the ship and threw back his head, sending an urgent call for the entire pack. Their presence was required immediately, and he hoped none had been near the blast... OOC// First replies due 9/13. Next friday! "Speech"

"Talk" Walk He had been on his way eastward, heading for Abaven to see if his best friend wanted to hang out. He had left early in the night so that he could make it to Abaven by morning. Only he never quite made it. Halfway there, the volcano had erupted, sending fire and ash and debris into the sky and raining upon the earth. Ignis' eyes grew wide, and within moments he had turned around and fled back home. His instincts screamed at him to get away, and as he desperately sought to get out of the path of destruction, chunks of earth collided with the ground around him. It was only with his flying companions help that he had been able to make it home safely during his blind fear and panic. As soon as he reached the borders of the pines he sent out warning calls, waking up those who weren't already awake, but he didn't stop there. He went straight to the ship, doing the same thing until they were all awake before he stopped at the bow of the ship and looked towards the east. He was covered in ash, his coat a strange color of muted grays and blacks mingled with the crimson of his natural coat. An ear twitched when he heard his uncle, stating the volcano had erupted. "Abaven is right next to that, what're we gonna do?" He murmured, gaze never leaving the orange glow and plumes of smoke and fire. His uncle stated there was nothing they could do for them right now...and he was worried about Corvus. Abaven had just faced a fire not too long ago, and now they were faced with more destruction. He was lucky, he supposed...that he hadn't quite made it to Abaven territories. He would have likely gotten caught up in it, and part of him wondered what would have happened had Ruina still been alive. He shuddered to think about it before turning to wait for the pack to arrive.

There was not much time between the explosive event of nature and Acere's commanding call. It was immediately obvious the reason for the meeting, and Fracture hurried over to his King. Ignis was already present, but so many others were missing. And where was his apprentice, Incendio? Fracture's brows furrowed and he turned to watch the erupting mountain in the distance. Thankfully Winterfell was quite a distance away from the fires. They should be safe, but what did that say for the others who called this world their own? Would Winterfell come to their aid? He looked up to Acere expectantly, but said nothing. Surely they'd be informed further when the remainder of the pack approached. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Tyranis had seen the mountain erupt, had felt a chill run through him as he watched smoke and molten rock fly from the gaping maw of Mt. Vulcan. In his mind he knew exactly what his father would have said, that this was punishment for not completing the reap, that the demons had escaped hell and were surely running rampant in Boreas. His father had died for those beliefs but some small part of him couldn’t help but wonder if there was some truth to it. He turned away from the sight as Acere called for them and gave a call of his own to signal that he was coming. He paced past his brother and Fracture and took his place beside Acere, wondering just what he planned to do. They were already at capacity, they couldn’t possibly take any refugees from Abaven, not with their stores depleted and not while their healers wouldn’t have herbs until Spring. That was a galling thought to him, their healers would be without stores and unable to gather until Spring, and when Spring came there was no promise that anything would be alive for them to gather. Life in the north was harsh but now that most of the continent was covered with ash and fire it seemed their hardships blanketed all of Boreas. "Talk"  Thought "You"

she had returned just in time. Heloise was painfully aware of how close she had been to never coming back at all. the battlefield, from what she could have seen, would be in the more hard-hitted places. and her little inkling of going to visit Abaven was now thrown out, never to be attempted. at least, not now. she had a duty to Winterfell and to her unborn children. she would not risk their lives for the sake of a potential friendship. though she did worry for Abaven; she had met so many wolves from there... after her brief stop in the pines, she had walked back to the ship and heard Acere's call. heavily pregnant now, Heloise was a bit slow to arrive. she sat next to Fracture with the rest of the knighted wolves and remained quiet. her eyes strayed to Acere, her anger melting after being apart for this past week. she was no weak woman; she was not going to run to her mate's side because she was scared. she could stand on her own, take her own fears into account and react accordingly. respectfully and dignified. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

speech Thought

Now that he was a year old everything was different, not just with himself but with the whole world it seemed. He was taller than his father now but not as sturdily built but his paws were at least proportionate to his gangly body.

He had seen the smoke and flame from his father’s den, the hellish scene had unsettled him and too late he realized how close Poem was to the explosion. He stood before his grand-uncle, tears welling in his eyes at the thought of never seeing his friend again and could only hope they would help Abaven in some way.  

Yurei couldn't sleep that night, her minds were so crowded with thoughts that she wasn't able to fall asleep. These thoughts broke her heart over and over, these thoughts revived her deepest nightmares, fears, and dreams. She was thinking about how lonely her nights were now, without Heloise, she was the only one who offered her a den. But now she was gone, as Yurei for her own terms left their den as now Heloise was loved, she had a mate now, and Yurei thought her presence would be a burden, that it was a leftover there. As the night kept going, a sudden shaking from the earth made the struggling female stand on her feet quickly. Her feet struggled to keep the balance as each step she tried to give, had the impression of making her fall. She felt a wave of fear take over her body, she started to call for help, feeling her world ending, and as quick as she could she tried to run out, toward a place she knew was going to be safe. So she runs toward the ship from the channel doing her best to don't stumble. And once she arrived she spotted familiar faces, her breathing was fast and forced. And trying to calm down sits next to Fracture, but on the opposite side of him. "Speech"

code by Cloudy

Idalia trailed in after her father, her ears plastered to her head and her eyes wide and haunted. She had been woken from a dead sleep by the resounding crack of the volcano in the distance. There was so much smoke in the sky that it had obscured the usually bright winter sun.

Something horrible had happened, she was sure of it. Beyond all reason, she couldn't help but feel as if it was somehow her fault. She was the picture of grief and contrition as she arrived at the meeting. Lia took a seat by her father's side and immediately took to gnawing furiously at her front legs. There had been a downy fluff of winter coat but she was now consumed with eradicating it and exposing the skin beneath.

Drífa was just starting to get settled into Winterfell. She'd moved her essentials into a den and had finally fallen asleep when a fierce rumbling shook through the land. What in the world. She dashed out of her den and looked about, eyes fixing to the south where a giant column of smoke and ash was rising into the air. Oh gods, the volcano was erupting! Drífa's heart was pounding in her chest. She heard Acere's howl and quickly made her way toward the source of it. She was a bit nervous to finally meet the other members of Winterfell but she knew it would have to be done sooner or later. She was just wishing she'd had more time to get settled.

Skittering across the snow with the practiced ease of one who had lived many years in the north Drífa finally arrived at the meeting. Several wolves were already gathered around. She quickly took her seat, her short fluffy tail draping around her paws.

Altair Everything seemed peaceful for the young pup as she was resting in the confines of the ship. Nothing had really piqued her interest in terms of going outside and playing with some of the other pups that were within the pack. After all, she would soon be an older sibling, but for now she thought it might be best to enjoy the peace while she could. However, those thoughts were quickly turned against her when the deep baritones of her adopted father's howl reverberated within her ears, one lifting to the sky while the other stayed perfectly flat upon the ground. The celestial she-pup got up from her spot despite her body wishing to have more relaxation and sleep, however, what she saw was something she'd never experienced before; and that alone terrified her. She raced off to the source of the howl, her feet not failing her. Even if they did, she would be sure to make it to her father's calls even if they were falling off. Luckily, that was not the case as she gathered around some of the pack members. She found her adopted mother nearby, walking over and standing beside her in hopes of providing some form of comfort to them both. She knew her parents were strong and this surely didn't seem the phase them that much. Altair, on the other hand...she had a lot to learn, and this was a new experience she definitely would be more cautious about in the future as the sight alone made her heart race as she tried to calm her nerves. "Speech"

Souzan was an infamously deep sleeper, the ship could have plunged back out into the sea and he wouldn't have noticed unless water had breached the hull. So it was no surprise he'd only just catch the ends of Acere's call when he awoke. Slowly the man would pull himself to his paws, stretching and yawning. Souzan trotted easily towards the small gathering, sleep still clinging to his mind and his body, hardly able to lift his paws high enough off the ground that he wasn't tripping on them. He was just able to start picking up on the general feeling of confusion and fear from the gathering and with narrowed eyes he curiously turned his gaze to scan the horizon, his eyes growing wide as he spotted the glowing mountain in the distance. Instantly his mind was jumping back to the mad dash from his homeland him and his siblings had been forced to make. He remained standing, glancing at his alpha, feeling panic rising in his chest and the man's breathing became quicker, his heightened fear clearly visible on him. His mind was in the past though, reliving the second-worst day of his life. "speech" think  You

Image by Sterling-Raven and Gyspyfate

Tsunami woke with a start at the sound of an explosion and for a moment the girl stared around unsure where she was, then the familiar scents of her family's pack and the feeling of her den came back to her. Slowly the girl would pull herself from her den, her ears perking as she heard her uncle calling for the pack. She looked around, spotting the volcano in the distance... and for the first time, she was glad her family had moved from their former packlands. A thrill of fear went through her, though she was able to mostly stay calm. As she approached the ship she spotted her siblings and father, knowing that if there was any immediate danger he wouldn't be waiting patiently for her uncle to speak. Much as she was unsure about a lot of his decisions lately one thing Tsunami knew was that her father would move the earth to keep his children safe, so at the very least there was little concern for them. So she'd settle uneasily, looking to her uncle for his guidance. "speech"

art and code by Cloudy | texture by Fantasystock

Kai hadn't been in Winterfell long. Since being released from Valkyrie, he'd traveled north with Acere - making no real attempt at conversation, let alone to flee. Though every bone in his body begged him to leave, to obtain the solitude and freedom that he'd been utterly deprived of for so long now, he knew he needed somewhere safe to rest and regain his strength until he figured out what to do next. Surely spending some time with Tyranis would be a good idea - though after learning what Acere expected of him, to repay a debt he hadn't ever asked him to pay in the first place, he was wary of complicating things further between the two of them. He'd never asked for this. Was indentured servitude any better than being enslaved? Kai really wasn't sure. Perhaps a better man would've been grateful, and eagerly started to work to pay off his debts, but Kai wasn't a good man; perhaps he was benevolent at times, when it suited him, but he certainly wasn't the kind of man who felt like he owed anyone anything. Even Acere, even Tyranis. Resting was a good start. His mind was admittedly hazy, clouded with anger and a dozen other emotions he found hard to place. Regardless of his intention (or lack thereof) to pay off his debt to Winterfell, he was definitely willing to take advantage of some peace and quiet to rest and recover. Not that he'd been terribly mistreated during his time with Valkyrie, but the few weeks of inactivity had been nothing short of detrimental to him, and he needed to rebuild his strength before making any rash decisions. Tonight was a night he'd finally managed to slip into a decent sleep. Sleep didn't come easily to him these days, but tonight was an exception. The boom didn't wake him - it was far in the distance - and it took even long for the scent of the volcano's explosion to reach his nose. What he heard first was a frantic call, though he responded more slowly to it than perhaps he should've. Winterfell wasn't his pack, and their worries were not ones he wished to be burdened with... though as he slowly crept from the entrance of the makeshift den he'd found, the faint glow that ebbed in the southern sky told him that perhaps this was something he should be worried about. Mount Volkan was where the glow was coming from - and if he squinted hard enough, he swore he could see ash billowing into the night sky. He was familiar with those lands, and though he wouldn't quite consider them his home, the worry of their destruction definitely irked him. And yet.. there was nothing he could do about it, whatever was happening. Such natural events were as normal as the appearance of the sun and the moon each day, as far as he was concerned. Such was the cycle of nature. Slowly, almost begrudgingly, he moved to answer the call.. first by Ignis and then Acere, and he heard Tyranis's voice ringing out through the eerie night, too. He was far from prompt to arrive, sluggish and quiet as he moved toward the rear of the group and sat, waiting for whatever Acere had to say.

Drake

He was jolted awake at the sound of an urgent call by not just their alpha, but two others as well. Blue eyes blinked open as he tried to stand, sleep still clinging to his body. He stumbled out of his den to be met by his companion, frantic and seemingly afraid of something. "Wha's goin' on?" He questioned, a yawn splitting his jaws shortly after. "The mountain in the east has erupted. Your alpha is calling for an urgent meeting, we should hurry, we're late." Without waiting for the black and white wolf, the lynx darted off and headed towards where the others were already gathering. Still confused, Drake made his way stumbling with sleep laden paws until he made it to the gathering. His father and sister weren't there yet, neither was his grandmother. Were they alright? Feeling the tension in the air, he sat quietly and waited to hear what was going on. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She watched as the eastern mountain exploded, though all that could be seen really was the orange glow that suddenly erupted and lit up the night sky. It was the initial distant boom and shaking of the earth that had stirred her old bones from sleep, instinctively feeling like something had gone wrong with the world, and she was right. Amber gaze reflected nothing as the stars were swallowed by smoke and ash, and when she heard Ace's call for them, she was slow to arrive. She was sure he'd understand her lateness. She was no spring chicken anymore, and was much slower than she used to be. When she arrived, she noted Dragons absence along with Clouds. It was likely they had already gone with Hjarrandi, and with Gryphon's absence...she moved to sit next to her grandson and leaned into him. She remained quiet, however, waiting to hear what Acere had to say on the matter. "Talk" "You" Think

He was hurried along by his mother, the Elementas boy trying not to shake with fear and trying to appear brave as the sky turned dark and rained with ash. At first he thought it was snow, but he quickly learned it wasn't when the taste caused him to choke and his mother telling him it wasn't snow at all, but the remnants of what was burned by fire. He wasn't too sure what fire was, but by the sound of it, it was bad. They were perhaps some of the last to arrive, and as soon as he spotted his father and siblings, he ran over to them and pressed into their sides. He squeezed in next to his twin sister then, noticing she was frantically chewing at her foreleg to which he expertly placed himself between her mouth and leg by flopping onto the ground in front of her and blocking access. He turned his head up and licked her chin, trying to be a good big brother and reassure her that things would be fine. They'd be fine. "Speech"

He had been near the borders of the pines when everything went to hell. A distant boom sounded behind him, causing the now yearling to turn and gaze into the distance as he watched the sky turn darker and ominous glow upon the eastern mountains. The ground shook, though he wasn't sure if it was from the explosion of the mountain or if it was a separate earthquake that struck the world. He breathed a quiet "what the fuck" just before he heard his great uncles call, and immediately he turned around and headed straight for the ship. He appeared to be one of the last to arrive, though judging by those that were there compared to what he had seen before, not everyone was accounted for. He couldn't say he was too worried considering he hadn't really interacted much with other pack members, but perhaps they were still on their way or maybe not close enough to hear the urgent calls. Regardless, he sat down near his father and family and waited to hear what was going to happen now. "Speak"

The volcano erupting was something she had never expected. The sound was unreal, though luckily...the pack wasn't close enough to it that they weren't in any immediate danger. Still, when she heard Acere's call, she hurried along with her son and tried to keep him calm and soothe his trembling legs as they headed to the meeting. Many were already there, but not everyone. She hurried to sit beside her mate, her shoulder leaning to touch his as she watched Incendio trying to calm his sister. She frowned as Idalia chewed on her leg, knowing it was a nervous tic of hers but she wasn't sure how to stop it. Her brother at least, seemed to try and do his best to help her where he could. She glanced around at the faces full of fear and confusion. Would they need to evacuate? Would they be fine? The ground had quaked earlier...but it didn't seem like there was any damage from the blast or the quakes. Then again, they were pretty far from the the volcano...there was no way any of that would reach them, right? She could smell smoke and see the blackout in the sky...but beyond that, she supposed they'd have to wait and see. "Talk" "You" Think

He waited for them to arrive with a sense of nervousness and foreboding hanging over him. He could feel it in his breast, and he could feel it rolling off of Ignis in waves. As the members of the pack started to arrive some quicker than others, he could feel the tension in the air and the fear that emanated from them as well. He was afraid too, of course. But despite that, he would remain strong for those who needed it. He would remain strong for the pack. He greeted those that greeted him, nodding in their direction. When Heloise arrived, her belly heavy and round with their pups, he felt his heart sink a little when she chose to not stand with him. If they were mates, shouldn't she be standing by his side? Or perhaps it wasn't clear enough...perhaps she thought it was strictly reserved for those named as Tier one members but...in a way, she already was his queen. He glanced away as his mind wandered, waiting for the rest to arrive. When the last stragglers arrived, he waited a few more minutes for the last of the members but...they didn't arrive. He was worried about them. Did they simply not hear him? Did they run in fear when they heard and saw it? Or...did they end up getting caught up in the blast? He hoped Dragon and Cloud were safe...hopefully, they made it to Hjarrandi just in time and made it safety. He breathed in deep and exhaled hard, deciding it was time to speak and not keep them waiting. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Now I know everyone has noticed what's happened in the East. It's a dangerous and dark time for the lands...Abaven to my knowledge is the closest pack to the eruption. I know most of us have friends there, but at the moment...there's nothing we can do for them. It's too dangerous to go near the mountain, and it's more than likely they moved as soon as it erupted. That being said, we will try to offer our assistance to them should they need it, provided we cross paths with them." At best, the pack could probably offer some form of refuge...but...with Winter here and the strained relationship between him and Shaye, he doubted the eastern pack would want their assistance to begin with. On top of that, he and a few others were still restocking what had been traded. He gazed at the group, half hoping that those who were missing would show up. "There are a few pack members not present...if you see them, let me know right away. I don't know if they were close to the mountain or not, and I'd like to know if they are safe. On that note, anyone leaving pack lands must go in pairs if possible, but if you can't, then inform me or someone else where you will be going and for how long so that we know when to expect you back. And... pups are not to leave pack lands unaccompanied. If a pup is caught outside the borders without an adult present, then there will be a lockdown on all pups during this time. These are only temporary safety measures and will only be in place until it's safe." He didn't care whether they thought it was a stupid rule. He wanted to make sure the pack he was meant to protect would be safe. He took a deep breath as he thought about how to bring up the possible raids. By default, the members knew about that detail already. Raiding was to be part of Winterfell's culture and it was mentioned in the rules and whatnot upon joining. They didn't need to know that the raids would be in Hjarrandi's name until mid-spring, nor about the trade agreement between him and the band. It didn't affect them much. He and the others he called together about it were already adding back to their stocks, and he was sure the other members were adding to it anyway. Perhaps it was just bad luck that the mountain happened to erupt at the same time they'd be raiding, whenever Hjarrandi called for it...but Winter was generally going to be the main time they would raid anyway, considering they lived in the North and there were likely resources the other packs had that they'd need to survive. Winterfell was his priority first and foremost, as it should be with the rest of the members. If he felt bad about every little thing that was done, he would be a ghost of who he was. Well, he might as well get out with it. "This...may be coming at a bad time, but we need to discuss raiding. As you all learned upon joining, raiding would be part of the pack's culture. I know we have friends and possibly family in other packs, but we won't be going in hostile as if they are enemies. All fights on our end will strictly be dominance unless of course, the opposing party decides to try to take an ear or the like, then retaliation, in the same manner, is your call." He paused for a moment, gauging reactions after he said that. He figured some might disagree. Some might be for it. Whatever the case, it was common knowledge that raids were far more common than they thought. They were different than sieges. If they beat the opposing side then they got the resources they needed. If they didn't, there was no loss to either party. "We can use these opportunities to prove the strength of the Northern wolves. For the younger ones to use as experience and determine if they're ready for the future, and...to test ourselves. To use them as opportunities for higher ambitions both within or outside of the pack. We are a family, after all. No one wolf is alone here, and if anyone feels that way...don't hesitate to approach me or anyone else. I want to see you all rise in rank. In life. In your future." Crimson gaze found Kai then. He wasn't sure whether or not to include him in it. He had bought the males freedom, in a way. The only one he had been able to free from that damned market. He would be staying with them for a while. Until he felt the debt was paid. Sure, Kai hadn't asked to be freed...but he did it more for his nephew than for Kai. He just hoped the tusked male wouldn't cause trouble while here and respect the pack. Turning his attention away, he added "We will not be moving territories at this time. The Eastern mountain is far enough away that we won't have to move. We may get some tremors and ash and I'm not sure what else...but if things get worse then we will move." He cleared his throat then. "If anyone has anything to say, feel free to speak." "Speech"

the meeting proceeded, though Heloise doubted she was the only one to notice some did not show up. she worried for them but in her condition, she could not volunteer to go after them and search. as much as she wanted to help, she knew she would have to watch for the sake of her unborn children. exercise was important, though she would do no more spars until well after her pups were weaned. she could not risk serious injury when they nursed. Acere's voice caused her to focus on him instead of the crowd again, her ears piqued forward at Abaven's troubles. she wondered if Theory was now an alpha, and how well the girl was handling it if so. but there was little time to dwell on that. Acere mentioned raiding. Heloise secretly could not agree with his words, though she understood them well. Winterfell needed more resources. especially after the disaster with the Hjarrandi. to her understanding, raiding was the only way to obtain such things aside from a siege or gathering. though she would prefer gathering them over taking. she only hoped they would not take from a pack who desperately required them to survive the winter. her mate mentioned also they would not be moving territory. she nodded quietly, seeing no lasting effect right now. the tremors were subtle but there was plenty of northern land to flee to if there was trouble. after he was done speaking, he opened the floor to comments. it would be foolish to ask if they had a raiding target. right now, the land to the south was too unstable to think of such things. she would not lose the father of her children to the volcano, and she only hoped Acere would put it off until things settled down. Winterfell had the resources and members to survive as of right now, but Heloise felt useless not being able to partake in usual pack events. the woman had nothing to contribute, not really. she did not go to his side and stand with him simply because she was not ranked as a higher title, and conceded to tradition. but it did not mean she was not standing with him in thought.   "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara