Anticipation thrummed in her veins as she headed towards the thicket. Theory expected this to be a happy meeting, filled with announcements, good fortune (perhaps a surprise or two), and a return to the lands they all loved. Although she'd grown so fond of the bay, it was still nearby. Perhaps it would become an even better, more private retreat once the pack moved away from those lands officially. With the birth of Rhyme's litter and as Rhythm grew older, she was beginning to understand that the islands were simply not practical for all pack members. It was important to her that everywhere they laid claim to was accessible for all its members - and, much as she looked around the thicket's gorgeous regrowth with chagrin, she had missed this place. Once she'd begrudgingly reseeded it and now she surveyed it with pride. The fine coating of ash had been good for the soil. It was far richer than she'd ever seen and the greenery was inspiring, even if it was beginning to turn with the seasons. With the autumn sun high over her head still warm from summer's recent departure, Theory lifted her head to call for her packmates. It was a day of renewal and celebration. ooc first round please post by Friday Nov. 20th <3 I'll be tidying up pack ranks based on who posts, promoting some, assigning ranks to others, and removing any pack members who do not post. please feel free to reach out if you'd like to request a specific rank! "Speech"

He took all of these seasons he has been with his pack to contemplate what he wanted to be in the pack. With now two years of age he saw it very important to now express where his interest laid in terms of rank and path. But until now he didnt found the value to speak to Theory about it,he wasnt that bold as others. He needed his time to come to a decision and even more to share it. But as a call reached his ears he guessed this was the day. A meeting was to come and like that he rushed toward the meeting place. Spotting Theory at the distance. Eyes of blue were emotionless but it didnt mean he wasnt happy to see her. "Good day Theory." He said kindly before taking a seat. He smiled softly as he waited for more packmates should more come. "Speak"

"Beat Destruction" There had been some whispers about the pack moving lands, but he never thought that it would happen. Now that Beat was considered an adult, scary stuff, he was taking more of an interest in pack business. The young man, now fully growl and filled out after his harrowing beginnings, liked to believe that he contributed as much as any other wolf. There were times still where he struggled with confidence, but he was trying, dammit. The big boy moved towards the meeting, heeding Theory's call. He flashed the alpha a grin before taking a seat beside Lyric. Beat gave his brother's shoulder a friendly bump before turning his attention back to Theory. He was quite excited for a change. A change meant a chance for a new beginning. A chance to show his stuff.

Abaven was changing and Ruin couldn't have been happier. Being so small it was only natural that she was swift on her paws, beating both her siblings and parents to the meeting. She slowed to a trot, her tail wagging in a pale blur as she made a beeline for her big sis and settled-of course- right between her legs. No weaving this time, just right in there under the shelter of the alpha's chest. Her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth as she tipped her head back to look up at Theory, her mismatched eyes shining in anticipation. No one had told her about the packs move but Ruin wasn't stupid, she sensed something was up even if she couldn't figure out what that meant just yet.

And now it was time to wait. Boooring. Ruin had never been patient and she wasn't going to start now, not even if Theory asked her real nicely.  Instead the little pup found herself eyeing her sister's oh so chewable ankles, they were right there! Practically begging for a good nibbling.

Every morning that Rhythm found herself waking from slumber was a surprise. As the cold one autumn began to descend she felt even more keenly her age. Not many wolves managed to reach such an advanced age and she was grateful for however much time she was granted with her family. Being able to witness the growth of her grandchildren brought a warmth to her heart that chased away the aches and pains of age. Being around the newest litter of grand children had a habit of making her feel older and younger all in the same breath.

The thought of them easily brought a smile to her lips as she made her way towards Theory’s call. Old silver paws carried her through Abaven’s ancestral location and she couldn’t help but think of Bass as she walked. Likely he was long dead along with the rest of her siblings. She wondered for a moment if she should have already been in the ground. Rhythm was fully aware of her borrowed time.

Still she wore a smile on her face as she hobbled into the clearing, Feather had helped to guide her through the new growth. She lay herself close by Theory, half hoping little Ruin might come and sit by her.

Haiku chased after his smaller sister as they raced towards the meeting. She was able to scramble through the brambles much more easily than he was able to. For once his huge size was a disadvantage. The boy didn’t wait for his twin either, though he had no doubt Sen would be right behind him, he always was. They were of one entity and mind and he would be just as disappointed as Haiku in losing the race.

As he burst forth from the yellowing foliage He could at least be content in knowing he’d beat his parents. He bared his white teeth in a huge grin and his tail wagged eagerly at his hips as he scampered forward to where big sister Theory sat with Ruin and grandmother Rhythm. ”Ugh, you’re too fast Ruin.” He grumbled at her through his wide smile as he lowered himself to his haunches and curled his tail around his hips.

It was getting much harder for her to keep her children in paw as time went on, Ruin was still small enough for Samara to handle, though she was quickly turning into a speed demon, her boys were already just a little taller than her, Suspense her sweet little girl was the only one who was probably not going to outgrow her as the children continued to grow... There was some part of her that missed when they were small enough it was easy to keep them from getting into trouble, or mouthing off. But she was also amazed at watching her children start to become their own individuals, even if she wished Ruin would stop running off and of course her boys would dash off after her.

"Well, should we go catch up?" She asked softly, nosing at her smallest daughter's ear. She watched with a smile as Suspense raced off after the disappearing tail of the boys. She sighed and trotted after her children, her paws faltering as she drew up upon the thicket... the last time she'd been here she'd passed out, covered in soot and forced to face the fear of Rhyme working himself near to death. She summoned her courage and pushed into the old lands, settling herself with the group, watching as her children clambered all over their older sister and grandmother, she'd call them back to her side if Theory or Rythmn wanted but for now she accepted the brief peace she'd been granted.

Speech

Suspense wound through her mother's legs when big sister Theory's call rang out, Ruin already dashing off with her big brothers hard on her heels. Suspense rocked forward on her paws for a moment, then tipped her head back to look up at her mother to check it was okay to chase off after them, then with her mother's encouragement did so. Tiny legs pumping as she raced off, moving through the new lands with little understanding of their importance. She stopped for a moment as the small group appeared before her. She danced on her toes for a moment, scanning furiously. Her sister and Haiku had already arrived at their older sister and grandmother. With a happy yip Suspense launched herself full speed at granma Rythmn, doing her best to clamber over the older woman and snuggle into the woman's side. "Speech" Think

Art by RoyalOverdose

The truth was Gloom was not doing all that well, her mother had returned again to once again disappear. She'd set about sequestering herself away even more, though Gloom knew she shouldn't there was too much fear in her mind, her support structure had always been flimsy but had all but crumbled around her... She was alone. And Gloom wasn't sure if she liked that or not. For all her fear of the wolves, she lived with she wasn't keen on feeling this lonely. She'd trusted her siblings, her mother... somewhere in the back of her mind she still trusted her uncle even if she never saw him, only spotted glimpses of his young kids running around from time to time. The poor girl had lost an alarming amount of weight and though she despised the idea of leaving her den to answer Theory's call she knew she'd be lost without Abaven, much as she feared everyone around her she would be worse off on her own, so she knew she still had to show up. The poor girl was even less keen to be here now though, her first heat flaring through her body and making her even more uncomfortable. She skirted the group in the thicket, moving around to the more empty side of the growing gathering, and pushing herself into the underbrush as much as she could, a soft whine pulling from her lungs. Speech Think Action

Image by AlienLion

Poem couldn’t quantify the amount of change that Abaven and herself had gone through in the last year. Everything seemed so different than when she and her sisters were children. Shaye was gone, but Poem hoped she was looking down proudly on everything they had accomplished. The young woman felt a thrill as she heard Theory’s voice from the thicket and excitement rose in her chest. They were going home. Icy white paws lifted her from the earth before making her way towards Theo’s call. She wondered if her alpha sister might take her mother’s den or if it was big enough that the sisters could share it if they wanted to. It had been empty for a long time and she knew how much work would have to be put into restoring it but she was ready and willing. The newly appointed Liana appeared through the foliage and smiled at her family already gathered. She made her way to Theory’s side and offered her a supportive and appreciative kiss before taking a seat close by her little brothers and sisters. "Speech"

Rhyme’s grizzled features were pulled into a grin as he watched the youngest of his children race from the den to follow Theory’s call. He snuck it a little kiss behind Samara’s ear before she went after the herd of trouble makers. The result of their endless mischief obvious on his features as his fur steadily made the march towards silver. He avoided looking at himself in reflections but only because every time he did there was more gray covering his dark fur. He’d turn white before he died, that was something he had little doubt of. The boys joked that he was starting to look like them instead of the other way around.

The old man moved a bit slower than the rest of his family but as blue and lavender eyes swept over the grouping of wolves he couldn’t have been happier. Abaven was a family pack, and he was so glad to be part of it. He was here to his last breath to protect this paradise that they created for themselves. Their hardships and sorrows were many but they always rebuilt and came back stronger. Many members were still on their journey, but he had faith in the Destruction youths.

Rhyme made himself comfortable next to Samara as he looked to the young women that were now leading the pack and their family.

Twig was enjoying the quiet that the Autumn brought with it, not having much excitement kept her content. She filled her time with hunting for the pack and keeping Corvus company. Twig watched her nephews (cousins) grow and recover from the rough start they were given to their life. Knowing they were now two years old made her feel old. It felt like just yesterday she was sharing a den with Shaye and the two of them tried to comfort the young boys from the loss of both parents.

Beat seemed recovered and blossoming, a fact that warmed her heart. Lyric was doing much better, but she could tell he needed a little more help than his brother. The striped woman shook herself and her mindset as she turned from her hunt and made her way towards Theory’s call, certain that Corvus would meet her there. She made a bee line for Beat and Lyric and offered both a kiss on the cheek before settling in for the meeting.

Void would have been lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he was worried about his mother and brother. He couldn’t be sure that they had gone together but it had been days since the young man had seen either of them. Maybe longer he couldn’t be sure. The weight of that fact weighed heavily on his mind and shoulders as his tall form made its way to where Theory called for the meeting. They were returning to the lands that he had been born n and he hoped that Eulogy and Desolate would meet him there.

He tried not to show his disappointment as he arrived and found that he’d beaten everyone but Gloom. The white marked Destruction made his way to her side as he began to lose hope of seeing his mother or brother here. Void leaned against his sister and offered her a gentle nuzzle in support as his attention shifted to Theo. He had made up his mind, if his family did not return he was going to have to go out and find them.

Svala returned to Abaven with the last load of healing items on her travois. She'd gotten settled in, having dug both a storage den and a personal den for herself. As a loner she'd ferreted away healing items here and there along her usual traveling routes. Now that she had a stable home in Abaven it was time to consolidate all her items for the good of her pack and make sure she had the proper stores for the upcoming winter. Svala was finishing storing the last of her dried lavender when she heard Theory's call. She worked to finish what she was doing and make sure the herbs were secure before she left the storage den and arrived at the meeting place. A large number of wolves were already gathered and she searched the crowds for Spirit, the one wolf apart from the alphess that wasn't a stranger to her. She didn't see him but perhaps he was running late. She found a nice place to sit and settled down. "Talk" "You" Think

Brandr worked on patrolling Abaven's borders except for the island. His leg was feeling much better but he still had to work out some stiffness and build up the muscle before returning back to hunting. So he opted to do his part by keeping an eye on the borders for a little while. He moved in a slow, methodical fashion, checking and testing scents for any worrisome activity. As he worked his way around the bay he heard Theory call a meeting. Brandr worked his way toward the meeting and arrived to a large gathering of wolves. It did his heart good to see the pack was thriving. He felt he'd been so absent during his recovery. Brandr looked forward to meeting the new pack members and joining the pack hunts again with his fellow hunters. He picked a place to sit and settled down as he waited for his wife and daughter to join him. "Talk" "You" Think

It'd been awhile since they gathered properly, so Corvus wasn't surprised when Theory's call to gather rang out clearly across the lands. Though some might be surprised by Theory's decision to move to lands they'd once claimed, Corvus expected it, remembering their discussion they'd had just last season. The islands were a nice retreat occasionally, but with all the young members it simply didn't make much sense to lay claim to them. Perhaps for now they would serve better as a vacation spot. He didn't hesitate to answer Theory's call, but he'd been been out patrolling and it took him a bit longer to arrive than the others.

His instinct upon arrival was to find Twig in the crowd. With the return of her nephews, and watching them both grow, it was hard to ignore the feeling that all of their futures were brighter than ever. Abaven had never been without its hardships, but overall things were going quite well. Corvus couldn't complain. He settled in beside Twig, giving her a gentle nuzzle before sinking back onto his hindquarters, gaze idly sweeping over the rest of the pack before settling attentively on Theory.

Life was strange without his mother around. Before her absence had been obvious, Spirit had been trying to step outside his comfort zone and learn. He'd met at least two wolves now who had been kind enough to give him lessons - one he even considered a friend now - and he felt like he was making decent progress. At least, had been. Once he really noticed his mother wasn't around, in a more permanent way. She was gone, which left him feeling empty, and hearing Theory call all of them to gather did little to lighten his mood. He couldn't bring himself to hope his mother might be there, though he knew his siblings would be. That thought was as worrisome as it was comforting.

Letting out a sigh, he headed toward the thicket, surprised she was calling them so far from home. He was getting better at exploring unfamiliar lands, less worried now about losing his way, though he rarely went that far from home anyway. Once the gathering came into view he slowed, feeling his nervousness begin to grow. Normally he'd find his mother, but now... now what? His gaze darted to and fro, finally settling on Gloom, who was lying away from the rest of the group. She didn't look well - not unlike how he'd look when he'd first returned here. Quietly, as if terrified she might ask him to leave, he closed the distance between them and settled down close to her, silent but glancing at her with an obvious question in his eyes. If she wanted him to leave he would, but he didn't want to feel alone here, and he hoped she felt the same.

How had so much time passed? Octave wasn't sure, but somehow despite it being nearly a full year since Kite had come into his life it also felt like the small bobtailed man was a fixture in his life. He'd quickly kicked Noko out of her spot in his nest, and though he hadn't yet managed to speak to the man, outside of the one time when he'd been unconscious, he was feeling more and more comfortable vocalizing around him. Playful barks, or soft humming to express his intentions worked well enough in tandem with Noko's uncanny ability to relay his thoughts. He hummed softly as he nosed at Kite's ear, nodding towards the direction of Theory's call for the pack.

Noko clambered quickly up his leg and the white man led his little group towards the new, or rather old, Abaven lands. Already he was excited to start getting back to gardening in the thicket. Octave settled himself with the group, turning his violet gaze upon the young Destruction alpha, ready and waiting for whatever she was going to share.

Octave & Noko

Kite wasn't a member of the pack. Not really. He had originally intended to be a temporary fixture but things hadn't quite worked out like that. Octave drew him in. Made him want to stay. The past year had been glorious, to say the least. He spent his days learning about herbs and healing from Octave and Noko and he spent his nights wrapped up in the larger man's embrace. What more could a guy ask for? Well... he knew the answer to that, actually.

Wolf after wolf arrived at the meeting. Kite hasn't realized that Abaven had so many members. All of his attention was for the pale man beside him. He hoped that their numbers would increase today. He hadn't told Octave, but Kite was going to ask the alpha for membership. He was already here. Might as well make it official. Kite couldn't wait to see the look on his companions face.

Thalia didn't belong here, not at all... but she'd decided to come anyway. Her conversation with Eligos had only solidified what she knew needed to be done, even more so than Theory's invitation itself. Her ambitions were high and she knew the road ahead of her might be a treacherous one, given Abaven's history with the Abraxas, but she knew it needed to be done. Now that Aerie had settled in and had begun to explore the world around them, it was time for them to take action instead of sitting by idly any longer. On the other hand, that wasn't the only motivator beside her decision to head this way, but hearing Theory's call only confirmed what she knew to be true - she wanted to spend time with her, to prove she was a wolf of her word and that she could step up to whatever challenge the world presented her. Stay in Abaven for two seasons. She could do as much. She'd spent awhile skirting around the borders, even more anxious than usual at the prospect of facing her, but hearing her call - a summons not to her, but to all of her pack - felt like something that couldn't be ignored.

Her pace was slow, but increased as she neared the thicket. She didn't belong here, not at all, and the feeling was only exacerbated when wolves of Abaven came into view. Many were family, no doubt most (or, more terrifyingly, all) were faithless. They were not at all like the wolves she was accustomed to. Her discomfort was carefully masked as she made her way forward, making no effort to conceal her presence. She had to be on high alert here, but not in the midst of such a large gathering. Surely no one would openly strike, though she was ready for any possibly cries of discontent at her presence. Her thoughts were geared mostly toward Theory though, as she slowly moved into a seated position, not far from her.