Ranging across all of their territories now took much more time than she'd anticipated. Theory was trying to enjoy today's patrol since she'd asked Corvus to come along. Patrolling nowadays was a long journey and it was much better with company - especially since her mood had been particularly foul since Poem had finally left to return to her indentured servitude. The whole situation rankled her to the bone and yet there was nothing she could do about it. They were in no position to wage war after the losses they had suffered and she worried that Poem would be killed in retaliation before they could land a single blow. She focused her energy instead on maintaining the pack borders - all of that nervous energy and frustration had caused her to set a brisk pace for today's outing. By the time they reached the bay she had worked up a sweat.

"Watch, on the left!" She hissed, motioning to Corvus to remain on alert. There was a wildcat prowling near the shore. A recent storm had washed up some bloated fish on shore and the cat was clearly enjoying the free bounty - but they could really use that extra windfall. "Chase it off? We could bring some of that back," she said eagerly. The cat was looking peaky with patchy fur and ribs peeking out from beneath loose skin. Winter hadn't been kind to anyone, but if they orchestrated this right, there'd be fish in everyone's bellies tonight. Even if she was feeling a bit sick of fish after their winter sequestered on the island, food was food.

There was no doubt that pack responsibilities were always easier when Corvus was tagging along with a friend. Sure, Theory was also a family member as well as his leader, but first and foremost she was a friend - someone he could go to in a time of need. Besides Ignis, she was easily his closest companion, without the burden of the distance that he and Ignis shared. Her presence had been a constant since her birth, something he appreciated, even more so now that she was a yearling rather than a pup. Though she had plenty to learn, honestly so did he, and it felt nice to know he could grow as an individual with someone at his side here in Abaven - despite whatever other changes they might face. He felt particularly thoughtful today as the two traveled together, easily noting her slightly off-kilter mood. Even if they weren't talkative or cheery today, he still felt comforted by being around her. At least.. until they moved toward the bay. He'd been peering inland when she alerted him to watch out, and he jerked his head to the left to see what she was warning him about. Shit. A scrawny looking wildcat was nearby, feasting on the fish that had washed ashore. Claiming some of the fish seemed like a good idea, one he wouldn't feel guilty for, since he had a pretty good idea she hadn't worked particularly hard for it. Briefly he thought back to the injured cat they'd handled not long after the volcano's eruption, and he decided this was something entirely different. No doubt she'd be back later to scour the beach for more fish once they were gone. "Let's do it," he agreed, letting the faintest hint of a smile touch his lips. Nothing like a good chase to get the blood pumping, and he knew they'd likely both feel relieved after some physical activity. Without waiting for her cue, he increased his pace as they headed toward the cat, staying slightly on guard in case she had any allies waiting nearby to come to her defense. While he hoped she might simply flee, it seemed like hunger was winning out over practicality, for she held her ground as they neared - and Corvus cast Theory a questioning look, wondering if she was down to fight. Surely it wouldn't be a hard one.

Theory returned Corvus' smile, her sunny expression finally breaking through the gloom that had been chasing her these past few weeks. His companionship was welcome and everything that Theory had hoped it would be when he had taken her on as a "mentor." They hadn't done much sparring or practicing, but they had talked plenty. Theo was grateful for his honesty and dependability. An alpha needed a handful of close wolves they could rely on, like Shaye and Odysseus and Rhyme... Her heart twisted violently but she fought the bitter sadness back. She couldn't live her entire life in the past. That had seemed to be one of Shaye's great regrets near the end of her life: lingering hopelessly near all the could-have-beens, somewhere far from the present.

Committing herself to staying present and focusing on the fight, Theory separated from Corvus as they approached the cat in a pincer maneuver. The sand felt good underneath her paws but she was worried about traction. If things got dicey they'd be slipping and sliding across the beach. Theo lowered her head and flicked an ear towards Corvus, wondering what the best choice would be as he shoot her a questioning look. No time like the present! She barked an attack signal and ran at the cat on the opposite side. If approached on both sides perhaps they could just funnel the cat back towards the mainland, but that didn't seem the case. The cat wasn't startled at all. In fact, it turned to look at her almost languidly, a fat fish in its mouth. Good. That'll keep your teeth occupied. Theo rounded up behind the cat and nipped at its rear thighs and legs.

In a way, mentoring Theory had helped give Corvus a sense of purpose. It was easy for him to feel aimless and useless as times, but knowing he had something to work toward - to provide guidance to Theory, and the back - helped ground him. He was self-conscious to the core, the type to doubt the kind of role he had in Abaven, and though he knew they might be okay if suddenly disappeared, he knew Theory wouldn't be... not that he'd ever truly consider something like that, but knowing someone maybe needed him made those thoughts float even further away. He had no doubt that she was as useful a companion as him as he might be to her - or perhaps even more so, if anyone asked him. The sand was definitely not his preferred ground to initiate any kind of altercation on. They could try to chase her off, but they wouldn't be able to move very quickly, and he was even more doubtful about any sort of fight on sand. He wasn't quite used to this whole beach thing quite yet. Glancing Theory's way, she barked in a way that only meant they were to try to run off the cat. He kicked off, veering away from her and closer to the water. Almost immediately he felt the sand grow even softer where it met the water, slick and almost muddy beneath his paws. He felt alarmingly off-balance but he pushed on, expecting that as they grew closer the feline might abandon her meal and flee - but surprisingly, even in the face of two rather large wolves, she stood her ground. Her determination surprised him, but it also egged him on. It'd been quite awhile since he'd sparred anyone, and even if this wasn't one of the practice fights he was used to... well, he and Theory had decided that this cat could share some of the fish she'd found, and he wasn't going to back down from that idea now. Theory moved around the back of the cat, who finally reared back - he swore he heard a growl beginning to bubble up deep in her throat - and Corvus charged for her front. The cat dropped the fish she'd been holding, finally, and surprised him yet again by hissing and lifting a paw up, swiping at his cheek. He felt the sting of her claws as he dove toward her, parted jaws aiming to grab hold of the scruff of the side of her neck. He had no doubt the two of them could handle her in a more aggressive way, but he wasn't the type to kill someone over a pile of fish - maybe just rough her up a bit until she realized this was their turf and she'd be smart to back off from it.

The cat let out a yowl as Corvus' teeth found their mark in its neck. His willingness to attack had surprised her - didn't they know this was her beach? With her tail standing on end, she tried to turn in a tight circle to dislodge the determined Blackthorn. Theory growled viciously and flagged her own tail. Abaven needed a place to call home after the tragedy of the volcano. She put all of her heart into this fight; it was her own personal vendetta. The cat hadn't expected such ferocity and had also seen leaner times these past few seasons. Her ribs were showing and her coat was dull. In certain places, her fur had fallen out in clumps. Was one stinky, low tide smelling load of fish worth this much effort?

As the cat seemed distracted (weighing her options: free meal vs unscathed hide), Theory darted in and grabbed the feline by the tail. With Corvus attached to her neck and Theory stuck to her like a burr, she was finally backed into a proverbial corner. The cat hissed menacingly one last time. If that didn't do it, well... maybe it was time to call it. Theory grunted and hung on tight, shaking her head back and forth like she was flailing the life out of a freshly caught fish. They almost had her!

The way the feline stood her ground only further encouraged him. He wanted to drive her off their beach, not kill her.. though giving her a nice scar as a reminder of who owned these lands wasn't a bad idea either. He wasn't particularly afraid of her, but they couldn't go around having wildcats stealing from their stores and scaring their youngest members now, could they? After all they'd gone through these last few seasons, Corvus couldn't help but be wary of anything that might cause them trouble in the future, however small or large. Unrelenting, he tightened his hold on her neck, enough to draw blood and keep a strong grip on her. Theory had flanked her from behind and he swore he saw he holding onto her tail, but he wasn't entirely sure. After a short struggle he felt the cat slackening under his grip, the kind of posture that spelled out submission and defeat. Cautiously he released his grip on her, lapping some blood from his lips. The feline hissed, retreating backwards in spite of Theory's position, no longer standing her ground over her pile of fish. They'd won this fight - that much was obvious - and Corvus instinctively leapt forward to guard the spoils of their little fight, letting a growl bubble up from within his throat. So long as Theory released her, he had no doubt she would flee this beach, at least for now.

With a final hard crunch, Theory released the cat from her grasp. Another yowl erupted from her throat before she finally turned tail (a new notch in it, clearly broken) and ran for the treeline. Breathing hard, Theory sat back with her haunches in the shallows of the ocean. Pleasant waves lapped at her back. They were small little wavelets this close to shore, gentle and refreshing in their touch. She gave Corvus a big, goofy grin. They both had blood on their lips. "Fish for dinner... again. Fish for dinner forever," Theo chuckled. Eating this much fish did nice things to their coats - Abaven had certainly never been shinier - but she was getting real tired of the taste. In fact, she wasn't really in the mood for eating at all. They could certainly bring it back for the rest of the pack though.

"Corvus, what was Abaven like when you were growing up?" Theo asked, half an ear perked in curiosity. Although the question seemed to materialize out of thin air, she'd been thinking about it for quite a long time. Had Shaye been alpha when he was younger? "Just curious. Shaye thought that I could..." her voice grew nervous and soft at the mention of her mentor. "Well, she thought that I would lead us to a bright future. How can I do that if I don't know the past?"

They were victorious! What might otherwise feel less thrilling if done alone felt infinitely more enjoyable with his cousin's company. They could keep Abaven safe and prosperous - he knew that deep in his soul, despite his own fears of his shortcomings. He'd do anything for his family and for his pack, and he knew now more than ever than running away wasn't something he could do anymore. They needed him, as much as he needed them, and that was a fact he wouldn't soon forget. "We'll be lucky if we don't turn into fish at this rate," he muttered, though his words were followed by a low laugh, his spirits high despite the truth behind his words - he was quite sick of fish, but he wasn't going to complain, only in jest. He continued to chuckle softly as he lapped blood from his lips and assessed the pile of fish at their paws.

Her question didn't really catch him off guard. It wasn't infrequent that they talked about serious topics like this - Corvus had grown quite fond of being a shoulder for Theory to lean on, and vice versa. Her honesty with him was something he deeply appreciated, and wouldn't take for granted. But he hesitated in replying right away. What had Abaven been like when he was young? Sometimes it was hard to remember. "It was... a lot different," he started, almost tentatively. "Remembering my whole family together... that part was nice. My mom and dad and Aiden, and our sister Rhea." He wasn't sure he'd ever spoken to Theory about Rhea; she'd been gone for almost as long as he could remember.

"But I remember my parents... not being very happy about how things were, on top of not being well, health-wise. I'm sure you heard that a family named the Abraxas occupied Abaven for awhile? Before Shaye came?" He didn't know exactly what she knew about that period of Abaven's history. They hadn't been cruel, but they'd lived with worries of what might happen if they didn't quietly agree to their occupation; they simply hadn't had the numbers to fight back, as far as Corvus knew. Abaven had grown stronger since then, even with his faulty childhood memories he could be certain of that. "Things were a lot different then. My aunt Sparrow tried really hard to keep everyone motivated, but... I don't know. I think everyone was kind of afraid then. And we all just felt defeated." That was really the only way to describe it. "But we've grown a lot stronger since then. We have fighters who wouldn't let that kind of thing happen, don't we?" Part of him always remembered those darker days, even if no real cruelty had been inflicted on them - it had been implied and for young Corvus that had been terrifying enough. He was trying to convince himself of that more than anything by asking Theory, trying not to sound too worried at the thought.

Theo listened intently. Her cousin's words were important to her, as was the oral tradition of their pack. She wanted stories to pass down to the little ones, even if they weren't happy ones. There was so much to learn from their shared history. Abaven had a history of overcoming and prospering - that much she knew. Their dedicated spirits kept things bright even when everything else seemed bleak. And... well, what Corvus shared with her was exceptionally bleak. A hard, dry knot formed in her throat as Corvus mentioned the Abraxas. That was Thalia's family. They had occupied Abaven? "What...?" Theo muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't understand. Were we treated as slaves? Why did they move against us?" She wanted to make sure she understood the intricacies of the situation before she allowed her emotions to move her.

Shaye had always told her that the Abraxas were god-touched and dangerous. Meeting Thalia led her to believe that it was more of an innocent, almost adorable god complex, but what Corvus was describing was infinitely more sinister. Insidious, even. Theory tried to swallow past the dryness in her throat and found herself unable to. She averted her gaze, then leaned down and took a bite of fish. It went down like a stone, the scales scraping down her throat the whole way down. There had to be more to it than just the facts. Right?

"Yeah..." Corvus started, shrugging a bit. He'd been young and he hadn't fully understood what was going on at the time. He had no doubt his parents wanted to shelter him from the reality of what had been going on, but as he grew older he'd begun to realize precisely what had happened. The Abraxas hadn't been some friendly pack sticking around to help them - far from it, despite their lack of violence. They'd only been that way because no one had protested.. right? He wondered now what might've happened had his family decided to fight back, but he didn't like that thought at all. Sometimes he wondered if the only reason his parents hadn't was because of he and his siblings.

"They're not a nice group. I'm pretty sure they overthrew some other packs back then. Sparrow, from what I remember, made a deal with them so that we wouldn't have to fight.. I don't think she wanted to risk losing anyone. And.. judging by their reputation, I don't doubt they would've done just that," Corvus said, almost conversationally. He was blissfully unaware that Thoery had gotten friendly with an Abraxas; if he'd had any idea, he surely would've spoken more carefully, but he found no reason to. His words had a seriousness to them, but he didn't want to be a total bummer. They'd survived anyway, hadn't they? "I think they thought we had more potential than we really did, to be honest. Everyone was pretty beaten down... we're lucky Shaye came when she did," Corvus admitted. A lot had changed since them, and he had no doubt that Abaven was infinitely stronger. "I think you're already pushing us into a better position. To defend ourselves, so something like that doesn't ever happen again," he reminded her, smiling slightly as he glanced at his cousin, hoping she knew she was indeed strong enough to carry Abaven forward into greatness.

"Yeah... yeah," she said numbly. They would be stronger. They had to be. Theory couldn't live with herself if she let anything happen to Abaven and her family. Would Thalia have anything to say for herself and her family? Is that the kind of mission her gods approved of? Theo felt sick. Maybe she'd better stay away from her. For now, at least. There was plenty else to keep her occupied. Theo ate another mouthful of fish, swallowing it a bit more easily this time. If she could just pour her energy into patrols and learning more from her father about healing, maybe her mind would clear. A dark fog had crept in without her even realizing it.

She would sooner die than see Abaven crushed into submission by another pack. There were preparations that had to be made. Errands to run. Training to do. "Thank you. It helps that you have confidence in me," she added, a note of seriousness in her voice. Theo could tell that he thought they were just shooting the breeze, but this conversation suddenly had far more weight than she had expected. Corvus' words helped her to bear it evenly. If he believed in her, if Abaven believed in her, then things would be alright. "How did Shaye overcome their hold...?" she asked. As much as she wanted this conversation to be over, she couldn't help the curiosity she had for the gritty details.

Now that he was older, her understood his parents' decision to not try to overthrow the Abraxas when they'd occupied Abaven. The risks outweighed the benefits, given the makeup of the pack then - and he and his siblings had been too young to really thrive if anything happened to their parents. Now, it was easy for Corvus to say they'd stand up and fight for their pack; sure, there were plenty of kids around, but more able-bodied fighters than not. He had nothing to lose, not when the very thing he was most afraid of losing was the very thing he'd be fighting for. He had no doubt Theory felt the same way. Shrugging a bit, he returned his attention to one of the fish at his paws, beginning to tear into it. He too was growing tired of the same old thing but after a nice little scuffle with a cat, it somehow tasted better than he'd expected.

"It's all kind of hazy. I think the Abraxas realized their occupation was a waste of time. I think they're the types to claim anything they want, but... hanging around here with everyone all bummed out wasn't really worth it," he admitted, shrugging again as he paused to swallow another bite. "I think Shaye just showed up at the right time, really. It was almost like it was meant to be," he spoke, his voice a little lighter now. Maybe, though, their plans had been more nefarious - maybe they were just waiting for the pack to grow stronger before plotting out another way to overthrow it, but it'd been so long since then it was hard to truly humor that thought.

Somehow the fact that Corvus thought the Abraxas had given up because it was a waste of time hurt even more than the fact that they had occupied them in the first place. Abaven was worth more than someone's foolish whims and errands. They were stronger than that. Better than that. Worth more than that! "Well, I'm glad she did," Theo murmured, looking out over the waves. Was there any way she could bridge the gap between her and Thalia, knowing now what she did? Everything felt tainted. Even her memories of the Firefly Festival felt tainted. "Shaye did warn me about them, but she didn't say half this much. There just wasn't enough time." It was true. She had been taken from them all so quickly - Abaven had her for so much longer than Theory had. "Do you think they're up to anything...? Everyone must have been effected by the volcano in some way, even those in the south." Ash carried far on the winds.

Corvus wasn't the best at reading between the lines. He had the tendency to be more straightforward than most, and he couldn't really tell that something else was weighing on Theory's mind. "Me too," he admitted, noting that she seemed a bit down - but chalking it up to talking about Shaye made sense to him. Her death was still fresh in all of their minds, and was something that would take plenty of time to heal. Not that the pain would ever disappear, but surely it would lessen, just as the loss of his parents had begun to fade over time. "Like I said... I was young. I didn't really understand what was going on until I was older. Nobody was hurt by them - physically, I mean - so back then it didn't seem so bad to me. But..." Corvus shrugged. He knew better than that now. The thought that they hadn't thought Abaven worth anything hit a sore spot for him, too. Abaven meant everything to him. Without them, where would he be - no, who would he be?

He didn't want to know the answer to that question.

A sigh fell from his lips, though it was a thoughtful one rather than exasperated. "I have no idea. I haven't heard anything, but then again.. it's not like I get out much," he jested, letting a faint grin touch his lips again. Occasionally he went to see Ignis in the north, but beyond that? Corvus was ignorant to the goings-on of the rest of Boreas, or even the continent to the south. Maybe that wasn't the greatest thing, and maybe it was something they all needed to work on, but.. as far as he was concerned, they were still rebuilding and that was more important than staying connected with the rest of the world. "Though if anyone ever tries to mess with us, I promise I'll kick their ass. Hard." It was a heavy topic but he meant his words, no matter how casually he spoke them. He'd do anything for Theory and for their pack, that much he was sure of.

Nobody was hurt by them. She took this fact to heart and held it close. Maybe the Abraxas were ill-intentioned fools, but that didn't mean they all were, right? Thalia was brusque and difficult to reach but Theory hadn't detected the air of malice about her. If anything, she'd seemed a bit lost. Confused. The volcano had left them all yearning for something that they couldn't name. "Well, I suppose it's good they're so far away," Theo said casually, although part of wished they were closer. But part of knowing they were so far apart made it easier to sweep her feelings under the rug... it was hard to say which was better or worse.

She laughed, although the sound was a little bit forced. "It's true, they won't stand a chance against us. Twig stepped forward recently and asked for more responsibility. It feels good to have help, and now you won't be alone as Blackthorn," she added. They were stronger together. "In fact, maybe we can put together a fight training session soon. There are a few children that I think might be interested, and it will give you and Twig a chance to work together more closely."

"Yeah," Corvus replied with ease, still not quite catching on to the fact that Theory was unsettled about this news for any reason beyond knowing more about Abaven's history - her family's history. It was important, and Corvus agreed knowing more of what Abaven had endured would help them moving forward. But to Corvus, it was something that felt like it was in the distant past, and after all their pack had endured he doubted anything similar to that would happen to them in the future. They were stronger than that, he was sure of it.

The conversation shifted to something a bit lighter, and Corvus found himself grinning, his own laugh sounding considerably more natural than Theory's. "Did she?" He asked, trying not to sound overly interested. He'd spent some alone time with her recently and he'd enjoyed the moment they shared - almost to the point of not wanting to be too forthcoming about it to Theory, even if they'd just ran and laid together. Somehow it felt different than spending an afternoon with Theory, like this. "More help is always good." He was grinning still, though nodded at her suggestion. "I like that idea. I'll see what she has in mind." Another chance to spend time with her wasn't a bad idea at all, and he placed the suggestion in the back of his mind for later.