The winter winds whipping off of the ocean were cold, but she didn't let it bother her. They had plenty to celebrate. Now that the dust had settled from the raid and everyone was patched up, Theory wanted to reward the warriors that had displayed their loyalty and skill. Truly, every single wolf that had stood on Abaven's side had exemplified why she loved this pack so fiercely. They'd shown Winterfell the meaning of honorable. His pack member's attempt at maiming Desolate still hung heavy on her mind. Of all the wolves to attack, her personal trainee had been the poorest choice. It was a slight she wouldn't soon forget and cemented the fact that she couldn't trust Acere at all. If he had this little control over his own pack... well, it didn't bode well. No matter. Today was a day for celebrating! Theory sat at the edge of the beach where the grass began to crumble into sand. The seascape beyond was devastatingly beautiful. Grey waves crashed on the shore and Ibis Islands were visible on the near horizon. Even if the sky was grey and it was bitterly cold, her spirits were high. After taking a moment to enjoy the view - her favorite in the pack lands - she called out for everyone who had participated in the raid. "theory speaks!"

Desolate was not one to dawdle when his alpha called and so he quickly made his way towards the bay. The raid had been heavy on so many member's minds and now that it was over, he expected to feel better. Only, he didn't. That Winterfell wolf had tried to maim him and it was sheer luck that the young Destruction had made it out of there with his face intact. Seeing Eulogy at the healing area had made everything a hundred times harder to deal with. He'd not realized how close he'd felt to Theory, not until his real mother showed up and he felt like everything he knew was being torn away. Would he have to stop training with his alpha? Could he no longer sleep with her in her den? The security she'd offered him had been the most comforting thing he could ever remember feeling, and Desolate was not ready to lose it. He approached quietly, offering his alpha a slight bowing of his head in greeting. This was a meeting for all who'd attended, not just for himself. Desolate knew better then to air his worries to her so publicly. Instead he did his best to be small and parked himself down to wait for the rest of those called to attendance. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Motif was down by the Rapids, what had once been her favourite of the Abaven territory, but belonged to the pack no longer. She was looking for salamanders, and letting herself be plagued by memories of her mother, and her childhood when it had still been carefree and enjoyable.

She heard the howl, and quickly put down the rock she had been searching under, turning her back on the past, and facing the future. She would not hesitate to race back to Abaven territory, to make her way towards where Theory called. She did not recognise this land, she hadn’t spent much time here, and had to tread carefully. When she arrived, she sat quietly besides Desolate, and looked up at her sister, waiting to see what she would announce.

Quiet is the night that brings me home

Winter was upon them already, casting a heavy sigh from the maiden's lips. She had hardly enough time to gather up what she needed before the frost struck, already the promise snow hung in the air. Eulogy was feeling distraught at her failures, already letting down her pack so soon into her return. Since coming back to her homeland, Eu had been more of a sack of sadness, feeling quite sorry for herself and guilty of her wrongdoings. It was a hole that she had dug herself, and one that was proving difficult to get herself out of. So when the call of her niece sounded, she was grateful for the distraction. Lifting her head towards the sound, Eu picked herself up from just outside her den in Serpent Plains, reluctant to leave the most familiar place. But still her paws found their way towards the beach, focused enough that the view of the waters in front of her faded away into gentle hues of blue.

A few had already gathered as her toes brushed the sand, feeling a pang in her heart at the sight of Desolate. They had yet to speak since their interactions in the thicket, leaving her aching for something more. She nodded her head towards the boy, knowing how he felt about her physical embrace. There was a touch of a smile on her lips, however, just a sign of how much she cared for her pup. Next her deep blue eyes roamed to Motif, a girl she had yet to see since coming home. A soft gasp left her as she trotted forward, touching her nose to the girl's forehead gently in a greeting. "My, how you've grown already," she said softly, eyes flickering briefly towards Desolate as she greeted her niece. Spinning around, she couldn't help but brush her nose against Theory as well, pride making her chest swell. They were all so strong, standing up against those who opposed them. She wished that she had even an fraction of that strength, maybe then she would be able to be someone other than... well, her. A deep breath followed as she found her seat, sitting at Desolate's other side. Eulogy was careful to leave some distance between them, but leaned against him for a brief moment before returning to her seat. Eu's eyes looked towards Theory, awaiting what their Wisteria had to say to them all, once the rest of the crew gathered.

Void felt bruised and tattered after the raid, he’d never been in fights so intense before. His play fighting with Desolate was nothing compared to what he had experienced in the raid. Even if it was only practice it seemed so real to the young Destruction. He tried not to think too heavily on everything that happened when Theory called out for the participants of the raid. Void mostly tried to be proud of himself, he’d fought to defend Abaven without hesitation, but what if he’d really hurt one of those wolves?

He tried not to think about everything that happened as he appeared on the beach. His looming form towered over Eulogy and Desolate but he fit in well with Theory and Motif. Quietly the silent boy padded over to his mother. Though they hadn’t caught up one on one yet he still offered her an affectionate nuzzle as he sat down close by.

Though she knew that she could talk to Theory whenever she wanted, the call for a meeting perked her dark ears and brought her running. The long legged girl appeared at the clearing with a smile on her face. She was still feeling an elated high at their victory against Winterfell. After worrying for so long it was good that everything was finally over. They showed what they were worth and Poem was more than proud.

She held her head high as she trotted onto the beach, there was a time to be sad and a time to mourne but now was a time to celebrate. Abaven knew too well how to embrace sorrow, they deserved to show how well they could celebrate as well. Poem made her way to Theory’s side and nuzzled her cheek affectionately before sitting beside her sister. Unbelievably proud that she’d led them so well through the raid.

Twig was still coming to terms with the fact that she had lost so easily, she should have been able to overpower her opponent but she’d lost to the ocean colored woman. She felt both ashamed and proud as Theory called out to her warriors. She wouldn’t for a moment think about skipping out on her alpha, but she didn’t feel ready to be around everyone. She hadn’t talked to Corvus and she hadn’t talked to Beat very much.

By this point her bumps and bruises were forgotten but the damage to her ego hurt the most. She was determined to do better next time. She wouldn’t lose a second time. Twig searched for Corvus’s familiar form, but he had not arrived quite yet. Ears fell softly to her head as she found a seat off to the side as she tried to ignore the sudden need for Corvus’s presence. Theory wanted her attention but her mind was firmly on him and his accomplishments during battle.

Rhyme wasn’t sure if he’d ever been more proud of his daughters, and as they claimed victory the once alpha had to spare a thought to Shaye. She was never far from his mind, but he knew that she would be just as proud if not more so. He tried not to think about how she should have been there to fight beside him, but if he dwelled too long he would never make it to the meeting.

Samara was his life raft, the wolf who was about to convince him back to life and reality. Now that he realized how much he neglected his girls he knew he couldn’t descend again lest he never return. He tried to focus on their victory and the elation and morale boost it brought with it. Rhyme didn’t hesitate to make his way beside Poem and Theory, a proud smile on his features as he passed Motif and gave her an affectionate kiss on her forehead before sitting next to the other girls. He gave both of them a nuzzle as he saw Shaye brightly shine in the eyes of all three of them.

It was time to celebrate. They'd done well in Winterfell's attempted raid, and Corvus was proud of the display of strength he'd shown... even if his fight with Ignis hadn't really been a proper fight. He knew that this raid hadn't been the most serious thing, despite the weight behind everything Winterfell had done and how things had gone down. If they were dealing with real raiders, who truly meant harm to his pack, he would've fought much differently. Luckily most of the pack had been distracted by their own brawls as he wrestled his friend, and somehow came out victorious. He'd been upset at him and he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe because he'd been part of Abaven once, and had left? Leaving hadn't really been his choice though, had it? Family stuck with family, Corvus knew exactly how that was, and he understood why Ignis had made the choice he had. Still, seeing him briefly as an opponent, as a member of a pack that was unintentionally causing Abaven even more grief, after everything they'd endured this last year or two... it struck him in a way he hadn't expected.

Maybe he should go see him and patch things up, but Corvus wasn't even sure he wanted to apologize for his frustration or not. Lashing out at anyone wasn't really his style, but he'd been frustrated enough to do just that, for reasons he couldn't fully wrap his head around. But right now wasn't the time to dwell on what he could've done differently, or how he might make amends. Theory's call made it obvious that they were gathering to celebrate, at the very least. He was oblivious to the fact that Twig felt badly about her own loss - he was far from selfish but he was easily caught up in his own head and thoughts, even more so post-raid. He quickly hurried to the gathering at the bay, glad to see so many had already arrived. He'd spent a good few days resting and keeping to himself, but he felt good again and was ready to return to normalcy, now that they didn't need to worry about a raid constantly. He was quick to find Twig when he arrived, though was surprised to see how far from the others she was sitting. He wasted little time in heading to her side, lightly leaning into her in lieu of a greeting.

Brandr was resting in his den, curled up on an elk hide after finishing a scouting trip to check on the movements of prey. Thanks to his wife's skills he was healing well though he still felt sore. The alphess' call rang out and he stretched for a moment. Blanda was curled up in the corner of the den and he had no idea where Ambi was. The great eagle was likely off hunting. Taking to his feet he slipped out of the den into chilly air and made his way to where Theory had called. A number of his pack mates had already arrived and moved to sit down quietly and await the start of the meeting. "Talk" "You" Think

After most everyone she was calling for had assembled, Theory looked out over them with pride shining out of her eyes; her gaze was almost glassy with tears that she felt welling up from within her. So much had changed in the past year and it had finally culminated in what she felt like was the pack's first "victory" in a long time. Disasters had plagued them relentlessly but they had persevered. Their ally had turned on them but they had overcome. Theo was filled with confidence and immeasurable thanks for the mettle of her friends and packmates. Taking a deep breath, she addressed the group: "Let me begin by saying thank you for your bravery in our recent raid. As you might expect, I am officially declaring the end of our formal alliance with Winterfell. I would like to carefully observe as their contract with the raiders continues to be fulfilled and advise everyone to remain vigilance on border patrols. I did not expect this from Acere, but I also did not expect him to bargain away his pack's fealty. Anyone who has friends in the north - I know we have granted them shelter before - I encourage you to maintain those personal relationships. True friends are always important, and true friends will warn us of any impending, uh, disaster," she said nervously, clearing her throat. Her eyes met Corvus' in the crowd. Ignis' message sent before Acere cared to send along Drifa had been an important key in her personal preparations for the raid. "Now, on to better news. Eulogy: for your efforts in healing after the end of the raid and to celebrate your return, I would love to see you rise as one of our pack's Baldrian, an honored healer. Do you accept?" Thank you, auntie. You are finally home with your children. "Motif - for your bravery on the battlefield, will you accept a position as Oleaster? Poem and I will continue your training privately and I would like you to begin joining Poem on patrol for additional experience." Sweet sister. You've already come out of your shell so much. I could cry at the time we've lost... but my heart is just warm at the thought of our shared future. "Desolate! You triumphed over extreme adversity. Your opponent's attempted maim confirmed my final wishes to sever our alliance with Winterfell - no true ally would attempt such a wound." Theory stopped to beam at her apprentice. They had grown so close. "I'd like to offer you the position of Oleaster under my direct supervision. We will train together and with my sisters in order to fast track you towards Blackthorn, if you choose to accept. Part of your training will also include training as a battle medic with your mother." Oh, Des... I love you, but I would give anything to see my mother again. You can't waste this opportunity now that she's come home. "Poem, I'm honored to offer you the position of Blackthorn. I'd like you and Corvus to train with Rhyme when possible to learn more details about how he handles the Rosaceae position." Our father is finally happy again... maybe one day he'd like to think about taking a step back from politics. If that day comes, I want you to be ready. "Brandr, I know your happiness lies with your family, but I was inspired by your bravery on the battlefield. To go after Acere after I was made to retreat, you have my endless gratitude. I am offering you the position of Liana, but I understand if you wish to decline. I'd also like to speak with our resident expert on how to design some raven bracers in the same vein as Poem and Rhyme's..." What an honorable man. His wife and children are lucky to have such a faithful provider - and so is all of Abaven. Talent like his is rare. "And Void, thank you for your contribution to the raid. I'd like you to tell me what position you'd like to take within the pack." He's got a head filled with stars and dreams, but he proved his worth on the battlefield. She took a deep breath. Shaye had given her as thorough of a preparation as she could for taking over the pack, but it felt like no one had warned her how much talking it involved. Theo knew offering Brandr Liana was a stretch, but she would need a savvy wolf at her side as diplomat sooner rather than later. Pack relations were getting a little sticky. At least with winter blanketing the north in snow and all but the furthest reaches of the south and west in check they'd have a reprieve from more complications. She searched for Rhyme's face and gave her father a small smile that only he might recognize as nervous. Did I do alright? "theory speaks!"

Motif smiled at her sister as the other girl sat beside her. She leaned into the familiar and comforting shape of her. She believed in Poem wholeheartedly. She was proud when Poem received her rank, and knew she deserved it. She was surprised to receive her own, and didn’t think the same line as she had with Poem. Well, she was just going to have to work towards as hard as she could. She prove Theory right, because she couldn’t imagine doing otherwise.

Hearing her give such official tidings at a meeting, even the way she glanced over to Rhyme at the end, made her heart ache for her mother. For the times when it had been her, Poem and Theory, curled up against Shaye’s side. The world had seemed more innocent back then.

Trying to hide the tears in her eyes, both for the memory of her mother, and the pride of her Alpha sister Motif would quietly utter. “Thank you Theory, I won't let you down. I wanted to train with the both of you.”

Desolate did his absolute very best to keep his eyes upon his alpha when his mother's scent reached his nose, and while he did not watch her enter the meeting he could hear every step she took and track her movements behind him. When she came alongside him he maintained his composure, and managed to not flinch away at the moment she took to lean against him. This was important, and he'd not ruin his image at an official pack meeting not even for Eulogy. When Theory began to speak the boy remained intent upon her. So their alliance with Winterfell had been broken, somehow that made it easier for him to accept the attempt to his face that he'd received in the raid. She began by acknowledging Eulogy and Desolate responded by pretending she wasn't beside him at all. While Motif was mentioned, he turned towards her and gave her the ghost of a smile. While he didn't know her personally, he was proud she was able to hold her own in the raid as he was with everyone else who'd participated. Then his turn came and for a moment, he forgot why he was angry. His mouth dropped open in a wide grin and his tail thumped the ground beneath him. He wanted to share this joy with someone, instinctively turning to his mother to see if she was as happy as he was. Desolate's beaming smile was only upon Eulogy for a few moments before he jolted back to remembering his pain, and he tore his gaze off her as quickly as he could to stare at the ground in confusion. Theory's final sentence reached his ears and shocked him. He stole a betrayed glance up at her, asking his alpha with his eyes what he'd done to make her hate him so much. That had to be it. She knew how he felt, she had to. She did this on purpose, and it hurt. "Thank you, Theory." Was all that he could manage, he'd need to approach her privately later and ask why he was being punished this way. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Brandr listened quite as Theory started the meeting, giving important news such as the severing of the alliance with Winterfell. He nodded lightly. He agreed with that decision, of course he didn't have any friends in Winterfell. He kept mostly to himself and Abaven. After the general news promotions were handed out and he was surprised to be offered the rank of Liana. He appreciated Theory's kind words and her recognition of his bravery despite not being a warrior. He smiled. "Thank you, Theory. This means a lot to me, but you presume correctly. Drosera really is my calling and there is nothing I enjoy more than hunting and providing for this pack, this family of mine. I wish to remain a Drosera." "Talk" "You" Think

Void listened quietly, leaning softly against his mother as Theory started to speak. He felt pride well up in his breast for both mother and brother. He couldn’t deny his brother’s bravery but they all did what they had to do. He hadn’t hesitated in protecting the pack and his mother, he’d only just gotten her and Spirit back. The yearling struggled with experiencing emotions but here and now in this moment he felt like he truly belonged to something bigger. For the first time in his life that he meant something beyond being a sentient bag of flesh.

He hadn’t done it for a promotion or glory or what have you, he did it because it was the right thing to do. Even if he wasn’t very skilled everyone was needed and he’d managed to prove himself. He swallowed hard as Theory turned her attention to him in the very end. He would be the only one asked to choose his rank. Void wasn’t one to do well being put on the spot, and his discomfort was obvious as he leaned more heavily against Eulogy’s side. Where would he best fit in Abaven? Did he want to be a warrior? He’d never had aspirations for the position, he much preferred to explore and move. It was hard for him to sit still during training even if he needed it.

”I’d like to be a scout, Theory.” He offered up in his deepening voice. He didn’t know what the rank was called, but he wanted to be part of border patrol and he wanted to see the world.

The once alpha sat proudly, unable to contain the feeling he had for his daughters. They had been put through so much, some of it caused by him. Their bravery through adversity was astounding, they were far wiser and talented than their age would allude to and he couldn’t deny the fact that they would be able to pull through anything together. He gave a smile to each wol as Theory mentioned them, proud of the whole pack. They’d fought back the invaders, they’d claimed victory. Abaven may have a reputation but no one could deny their strength now.

A tear pricked his eye as he was overwhelmed by a plethora of emotions. He nuzzled Poem and offer Theory a comforting touch as she smiled nervously in his direction. She had truly found her place.

The young Destruction sat proudly next to Theory and her father as her sister started the meeting. They all had so much to be proud of. The girl looked up into the sky, wondering if her mother could see her and if she was smiling down on her daughters and their accomplishments. She tried to brush figures from the past from her mind as she looked to each wolf that Theo mentioned until she got to her. She wanted her to be a blackthorn along with training with Rhyme. Poem bowed her head thankfully and nodded. She would do whatever she could for her sister. If that meant stepping up to take her father’s position she would not hesitate. She had been trained to take over Shaye’s position at one point, she had to be there for Theory who had taken up the position without second thought. ”Of course,” She offered softly and nuzzled her sister encouragingly. She filled Shaye’s paw prints better than she thought.

Quiet is the night that brings me home

She sat in the comfort of her boys at her side, thankful for Void as he pressed into her. Nuzzling into the boy, she gave him a quick kiss before returning her attention to her niece. Pride flared in her chest, peeking around for a moment and those who participated in the raid. They had fought them off, defended their home, and stood the winners over Winterfell. Eu might have only been back home for a short time, but she knew that they found Abaven at the right time. She was able to be here to heal her children, at least physically, that was. Blowing out a soft sigh, she shook away her somber thoughts and instead focused on the words of Theory. She was the first to be addressed, shock making her blue eyes open wider as she stuttered for a moment. But she had hardly done anything, had she not? A blush warmed her cheeks as she humbly dipped her head, nodding slowly. She had been given a task, and she would be a fool to turn it down. "I accept," she said, trying to feign strength in the two words that left her. Eulogy was glad that the girl moved on quickly, turning her attention to the others that had settled around them.

Desolate was after her, her gaze twisting quickly to the hesitant child. Her chest nearly hurt from the amount of pride that bubbled up within. She wanted to wrap herself around him, throw herself on Des and scream her joy at him. However, she hesitated, biting her tongue and instead offering him a quick bump of her shoulder. When Theory kept on though, demanding that he study with her as a battle medic, her mocha body froze. Their relationship was already rocky as it were, he seemed to not want her around at all and yet now Theory was forcing them together. She cast her gaze to the younger girl, wondering if she too had seen the tension between them, thus forcing them to be at each others side. A hint of a grateful smile crossed her lips, while she knew that Desolate was probably less than pleased, she would not take this study time for granted. Perhaps if she showed him that she wasn't useless, that she had a purpose and knowledge to share... well, a mentor would be better than being nothing to him at all. Eu would have to talk to Theory later. For now, her attention focused on the brown and white boy beside her. He was doing well at hiding his emotions, his curt words not betrayed too much of his emotions. Eu kept her words to herself, knowing that not much would come of her expression of pride. It would seem like they would have a lot of time to chat, anyways.

They moved through the ranks, and the end of the meeting came to Void. She could feel the starry child press against her more firmly as a choice was laid out at his paws, and she nuzzled his shoulder as a sign of encouragement. Being able to pick a rank for himself, that was something so special that she didn't know what to say. When the boy found his words, stating that he wanted to a scout of some kind, she pressed a kiss against his cheek. They were growing up far too fast, finding their place in the pack and making a name for themselves. She couldn't be more proud of them, of all of them. Eulogy turned to beam at Theory, her eyes squinting closed under the weight of true happiness.

Any of his more anxious thoughts seemed to fade away as Theory began to speak. The pride she had in Abaven was palpable from the first breath she spoke, and it was contagious, making his chest swell with pride for the accomplishments of his packmates. He wasn't surprised that she wanted to sever their alliance with Winterfell, though the thought stung more than he expected. What would this mean for him and Ignis? Surely his friend was still mad at him for the way he'd lashed out at them during the raid. Theory was encouraging him to maintain that friendship, without saying it so explicitly, for their own safety as well. Trying not to think on it too long, Corvus let his thoughts drift back to the present and to what Theory was saying.

Multiple members were celebrate for their help in the raid, and with each name spoke - and a reminder of their accomplishments - he felt his heart lift, a faint smile tuggling at his lips. Was Twig just as proud, too? He cast her a brief glance, trying to discern her thoughts. She hadn't been born in Abaven like he had been, so it was hard to say for sure if her feelings were exactly the same. Abaven was all he had ever known; its accomplishments were his own, through and through. He was even more pleased to hear Poem offered the position of Blackthorn alongside him, and both of them instructed to train with Rhyme. He nodded in understanding, glad that Poem seemed just as pleased with the promotion as he was. All in all he was glad the raid was over and that things were beginning to look brighter than before, something he knew they all needed.