Tyrian settled down sphynx-like on a fallen log that lay in a hollow between two knolls. The ground around him was riddled with bison hoof prints, but he knew for a fact that the herd would cause no problems for the gathering wolves. His howl alone would likely be enough to drive them away. Tyrian called for all the able-bodied wolves to gather. He promised a raid. Any who wished to participate needed to attend and get there quickly as he had a feeling the raider spots would fill up quickly.

Knowing there were wolves in several non-raider ranks who would be itching to go, Tyrian had come up with a system to give them all a chance. Naturally the raidsmen, raiders and masters would get first dibs, but seeing as there were fewer than ten total in the pack, even if every raider, raidsman and master went there would be spots left over. After the raiders and masters had a chance to declare their interest, Tyrian would open the floor to the guardsman and soldiers. If, after those members had joined, there were spots left over, he would give the other ranks the chance to join in. Should there still be spots left over it would fall to the commoners to fill them. That way everyone according to their skill had a chance to participate.

Tyrian crossed his front paws and settled in to wait. He didn't think it would be long.

OOC: posts are due by December 8th!

Sparrow hadn't long returned from her pirate scouts, helped Pestilence recover from her wounds, and settled back into pack life when Tyrian called a meeting. Woo boy, it had been a minute since she had even met up with her bestie and this was one hell of a way to do it. She stood taller than before, her legs had spikes, and a monkey sat between her shoulders while a parrot rode on her head. Huh. Well, she didn't delay in getting to the meeting spot, swaggering up a little too coy and full of herself.

She was showing off- playfully so- and added a flex of her leg spikes (blades?) before she settled before the alpha, "Oh hey best uncle... been a while, huh?" She shook her head to send the parrot air bound, "Pong, go get 'King' and tell him I beat him to the meeting." The monkey crawled curiously onto her head in the bird's place. "Oh yeah, that's Pongolo, she's from Ash's old pirate gang. And this little fella is Friar- for now." The monkey gave a toothy grin before turning to groom Sparrow.

"So... a meeting, huh?" she asked with a wave of her tail and mischief in her eye, "Someone else getting married? Don't tell me it's me this time. You?"

Ash had really missed Pongolo and crew but he did NOT miss the pestering. Who taught birds to talk anyway? Sheesh. The bird found him and proceeded to taunt him in a pretty decent rendition of Sparrow's voice. Ashmedai cleaned himself up a bit, threw on his floral shirt- unbuttoned, of course- and set out. As Pongolo had said, Sparrow was already there. He gave Tyr and Sparrow a lopsided grin and settled himself. He was happy to see the two being close family. His kids had surprisingly grown up well and he was proud of that. He felt as if his parenting was mostly done and now he was onto bigger and better things, like whatever this meeting was about, maybe some training, and an eventual retirement. Not that he had told Sparrow or Tyrian, but he felt that stepping down would let some of the new blood rise up and he could retire pretty with some pretty women on a beach somewhere.

Pesto was ready and willing and excited beyond belief when she'd heard the call. She dropped what she was doing, rushed Pasketti into hurrying the fuck up on donning her armor for her, and booked it towards the meeting point as fast as her legs would take her. While her neck was still in stages of healing from not one, but two maims as well as Toxicity's attempted murder, she still felt this was an opportunity she could not miss. Coiled around her shoulders was Noodle, who was equally thrilled about his first combat and bobbed his head happily as she strode up to meet the other raiders. "Oh I am so ready for this." She declared, moving up alongside Sparrow. The other woman was one of the few packmates she'd had much interaction with and could call a friend. Tyrian had promised a raid, and Pesto would promise her best effort in return. Hopefully the others would hurry their asses up so they could get started, she was itching to win a fight this season.

Jupiter's head shot up as Tyrian's call to raid rang through the Knolls. Oh, fuck yes he was in! This was the best news he'd gotten in seasons. He was in need of a good fight. God knew he wasn't getting any good action at home. It was nothing but boring domestic shit here. Day in, day out, blah, blah, blah. He'd sworn to Tyrian that he'd behave for the alliance's (and his wife's) sake but fuck was it hard. He just wanted to take his cart and go play in the rogue lands. As long as he didn't bring anything home, did it really matter what he did out there anyway?

He was at the meeting place in a flash. His heavy crystal mask banged painfully against his chest as he slid to a stop beside Pestilence. The raid had put him in a good mood so he reached out to ham-handedly whack her shoulder in greeting. Jupiter said nothing, just quirked a eyebrow at her and then flopped down on his belly to await the proceedings. He didn't know what Tyrian had in mind and he didn't care. He just wanted to bite something.

Yet The Raven Knows If I Fell…

Éldi's focus shifted to hunting as autumn arrived. This was a great time to hunt the white tail that grazed and galavanted in the nearby Orchard and he had just finish skinning one when he heard the call for able-bodied warriors. He instructed his companions to finish cleaning and dressing he deer while he headed for the call. He felt a rush of excitement as he was sure this meant a raid. He'd been itching for one now that the wedding was settled and the alliance between Hjarrandi and Fireside was fully cemented.

When he arrived there were a number of raiders already gathered. He took his seat and waited to see who all would arrive. He wasn't sure yet if Valkyrie would join them in the raid. After all, she had her paws full with little ones now. Either way he was anxious to work his battle skills once more and he was completely indifferent as to their target.

Álarr primarily thought of himself as a healer but he was also a skilled warrior and though he might be a bit out of practice when the call rang out for able-bodied warriors he sought to attend. He finished storing his dried moss and then carefully exited his den, making sure not to snag his horns on the entrance. He was curious what Tyrian had planned. The call wasn't overly urgent so he did not expect invasion or a large predator wandering too close to their territory. Perhaps this would be some sort of training session. Either way, Álarr arrived at the gathering of wolves. Spying Pesto he headed toward her and cast her a friendly grin before sitting on the other side of her. It had been awhile since they'd been able to hang out between injuries, ceremonies, and his general mad scramble to get their winter preparations done. He hoped things would slow down in winter. There weren't many herbs ripe for gathering in winter unless it was absolutely necessary.

Valdís literally wrestled her child to the ground as she explained to him that he was too young to go raiding. It was true that he was almost a yearling and as much as she'd like him to gain the experience now was not the best time. He was to stay and help defend their borders. Depending on how many warriors showed up she would either join the raiding party or help with the border defense. Personally, as a Guardswoman rather than a raider she'd prefer to stay and protect the borders but she had significant experience raiding and wanted to make herself available in case she was needed. Once Úlfr was fine with staying she left their den and headed toward the meeting.

In some ways she was glad that Úlfr was getting older. It would make it easier to find some alone time with Ásvor. She was eager to learn more about her in-laws and she hoped to set aside time to speak with Alfrún. Valdís arrived and settled down, sitting attentively as she focused on Tyrian.

Ásvor fought back an annoyed snarl at Ulfr's insistence that he wanted to go raiding. Despite his drive and his innate skill at fighting, he was far from ready to go on a raiding party. Maybe by next season he'd be old enough but for now she too was firmly against his participation. Luckily Valdís was able to convince him, and she tried convincing him that staying home and protecting the livestock and their borders was just as important as raiding was. Even though he didn't seem totally convinced, at least she wasn't worried he'd sneak out and try to join them. Whoever them might be. She knew Valdís would prefer to stay home, but Ásvor wanted to join the raiding party. She wasn't getting any younger of course, but at the same time she wanted to leap at any opportunity to get out and stretch her legs, and prove she was still alive and kicking.

She trailed after Valdis toward the meeting, occasionally glancing back towards their den to make sure Úlfr wasn't trying to sneak out and get any details on the raid. As far as she was concerned he was still too young to be concerning himself with such things. Her own childhood had been terribly short, so she wanted him to enjoy what little of his childhood he had left, even if he seemed ready to group up already. Letting out a sigh, she reclined beside Valdís as they settled in for Fireside's meeting, ears perked as she eagerly awaited the news to come.

Valkyrie wouldn't miss this for the world. She'd bid her children good-bye after giving them firm instructions to be good while she was gone and maybe, just maybe, she'd bring something back for them. But only if they were good. That meant following all of the rules and minding Chaos' father who would be looking after them while the able-bodied adults were busy with their various pack defense tasks. Because that's how this was going to go down, wasn't it? She'd never raided while possessing a permanent base of operations stuffed with goods, but if she had, those uninterested in raiding would have been tasked with defending said goods while the raiders were away.

She arrived and stood on the outskirts for a moment to take stock of all who were present. Valkyrie wasn't yet familiar with every member so her roving gaze was calculating as she assessed the ones she didn't know. They would be fighting side by side soon and she wanted to have an idea of who she would be fighting with. Once she was satisfied she moved to seat herself beside Eldi. A slow, easy smile brightened her usually stoic features as she waited for Tyrian to call them to order. She was ready.

Of course the promise of violence drew Valentine in. He had helped Tyrian brainstorm the system for choosing who stayed and who went during a raid so he wasn't naive enough to think that he, a delightfully older individual, deserved to go, and while that prickled, he decided he wouldn't argue. Staying behind and guarding the borders and kiddos was important too. Just a lot less fun. And besides, if anyone wished to take advantage of the pack while the raiders were gone, he wouldn't be bound by the same rules that made sure the raiders played nicely. If he felt like it he could go all out in defense which was, in his opinion, a decent consolation prize.

Valentine settled in sphinx-like somewhere behind Jupiter and crossed his front paws. He was the picture of repose; while the prospect of fighting was exciting he saw no reason to be overly demonstrative. Instead he coolly looked over the wolves gathered, noting them, unbeknownst to him, in a similar manner as Valkyrie. It pleased him to see how many of them were his descendants. Strong, capable, excited for the fight ahead. It warmed his crabby old heart.

Tyrian took in Sparrow's new companions and gave the monkey a friendly nod when it grinned at him. Very few members of their family didn't have companions so until now Sparrow had been a bit anomalous. She'd chosen well; the monkey's hands would come in handy as would the bird's sky view. As for her teasing about marriage, Tyrian snorted and retorted playfully, "Maybe your new companions should help you clean out your ears - I called for a raid. Unless," he pretended to grow contemplative, "This is your roundabout way of asking me to play matchmaker, in which case, consider it done, I'll keep an eye out for you." He was only half kidding. The idea of trying to fix Sparrow up with someone was quite entertaining.

The potential raiders gathered quickly. They were a strong looking group and as Tyrian looked out over them his heart swelled with pride. It was a bit too optimistic to think they would win all of the fights ahead given the skill that was out there, but he was confident that they would be able to expand the pack in due time. His wolves knew what they were doing. By and large they were seasoned, capable fighters. "Thank you all for coming. Fireside has grown quite a lot over the last year and it's time for us to expand otherwise we risk hardship in the seasons ahead. For us to avoid that and grow we must raid for the resources." He let that settle over them for a second before continuing. "Following this meeting we leave immediately for our first target so the order of events is as follows: we will discuss potential marks, decide who is going and assign roles for those staying behind, and then you will have a chance to gear up if you aren't already."

"So, targets." Tyrian uncrossed his paws and then recrossed them the other way.  "I'll consider all compelling reasons for raiding a pack with a preference for hard to come by resources and livestock, of course. We could always use new blood in our herds as well as new species to try." He would also be interested in hearing if there were any that were known for making armor, preserving meats or storing prey animal feed. Tyrian could have kicked himself for not getting to know his neighbors better before embarking on the raids, but alas, that time had likely passed for some.

OOC: No post order this time! Feel free to discuss the options. If he has anything to say I'll have Tyr pop in and speak, but I'm thinking I won't officially start the next round until after the first of the year. Next round we'll discuss who is staying and who is going, so technically, if anyone wants to throw in any last minute wolves, there's still a chance for them to fight for a spot. Tyr will also be assigning tasks to those who stay behind so while they might miss out on raid points there will be chances to earn others  at home!

Tyrian did a fine job explaining the raid, the reason, but none of it mattered much to Pestilence beyond the very fact that it was happening. The new raidsman was eager to prove herself, who she was proving herself against and why mattered little in the end. Though when her King requested a target, she fell into thought. The reply that came to her mind was instantaneous, though she knew she had to think her words through. She chewed her lip for a moment, glancing around at the gathering crowd. When no one else spoke up, she stepped forward and cleared her throat. "I vote Ashen." She began. "I was born there as some of you may know. Their Empress is my mother, and-"

Her voice caught and she frowned down at her paws. "I hated it there, everyone knew that. So when I asked my mother's permission to leave to come here, she gave it. She didn't tell me until I said my goodbyes that her intention was to allow me to come here so that I could take it over for the Empire." Pesto let that sink in for a moment, looking over at Tyrian with desperation in her eyes. "This is my home, my family. I won't let the threat against it stand, and I vote that we take the fight to them to show them what might happen if they entertain the thought of pushing us into their bullshit Empire ever again." Pestilence's paws shuffled nervously and she hoped that Tyrian wouldn't think of her as some traitor. Never in a thousand years would she even consider doing what her mother had asked that day. "As far as resources they don't have livestock, though they have plenty of food and pelts and other things too. The benefits of having two packs beneath your rule, I suppose."

Sparrow flicked her ear when Tyrian said she might need to check since he called for a raid meeting and not a wedding meeting, "Why can't you do both," she retorted. "If I EVER get married, it better be mid-raid." She flashed him a lazy smile and let the conversation wane naturally and the meeting start. She tried to think of any good reasons for raiding, but was coming up blank. Wasn't fun a good enough reason? Sparrow let out half a huff before Pestilence spoke about her old pack. Slowly a sharper, more mischievous smile crept onto her maw.

"Oh yea isn't that part of the pack- wait not PART of, but uhh... the ARMADA is under that right? Jupiter and I went there and they made a big stink over the whole thing. Puts a bad taste in my mouth when they act all high and mighty, but I don't think the Armada has anything but ego to spare, so I dunno what we could get from them really unless we wanna go stealing their fangs and antlers but..." Sparrow shrugged. She didn't have any strong feelings either way, she was just excited to raid. "I think knocking them at the source sounds good. Or cutting down their underling packs might work too... Nip it at the root or the buds?" Lazy, lopsided smile on. She said her piece which was really just a bunch of words to say she was fine with Ashen... or anyone else really.

Yet The Raven Knows If I Fell…

Éldi didn't have a clue who would make a good target and he felt a bit guilty over it. He probably should've done more scouting but he had instead focused on his hunting and making sure Fireside had a good stock of game should anything happen to the sheep. Pestilence was the first to speak and while Éldi didn't have any interest in her personal reasons he did like the idea of gaining even more resources. Excess could be useful in a trade and if they had two packs they likely had a good trade of items going between the packs. "Ashen sounds like a good target to me." He didn't really have anything to add, he was just eager to get started. Boreas had been far too quiet lately and he looked forward to stirring up some action.

Álarr's focus had been elsewhere. He hadn't spared raiding a thought until Tyrian had called them together but he was up for about anyone. As he listened to Pesto speak he nodded. "Ashen, sounds fine with me!" He knew that Pesto had lied about her family's sacrifices and he knew it was possible she was exagerating but he didn't really care. An empire meant closely allied packs and that was a threat. He was all for showing Fireside's prowess even if it meant spurring them into an ongoing conflict. In reality there had already been several points of tension between Fireside and empire-related packs. Why not burn off some of that energy? While he wasn't the biggest raid enthusiast he could feel the excitement starting to stir in his gut.

Valdís pondered potential raid targets. So far they were doing good in hides, herbs, and meat. Both wild game and domestic animals would keep the pack well stocked through winter and she could think of little else they really needed. That made it difficult for her to think of targets. She nodded at the mention of Ashen. "Ashen would be a possibility. I'd also mention Valhalla to the west. They are quite wealthy and connected. That much was clear from the festival they threw some time back. If you wish for items of quality and rarity they may be a worthwhile target." She had been impressed with the festival but that of course would not stop her from considering the other pack as a potential raid target. Especially not after that show of wealth.

Torrent stayed well back from the group as she listened to the discussion about who to raid, but she finally stopped lurking to pace forward and speak up. "On the surface Ashen seems like a reasonable choice if they were already eyeing is with the thought of taking over." Her eyes narrowed for a moment on Pestilence, who had made herself awfully cozy with Alarr, and in light of her confession made that relationship suspect.

Still studying the other female through narrowed eyes she continued. "Does the fact that they are allied open us up to retaliation? And if it does, is that a problem for us or would it just be an opportunity to put them in their place as well?" She didn't sound too concerned at the prospect of the Armada attacking them in retaliation - if anything her low gravely voice seemed to turn the words over in her mouth with enjoyment.

"If the prospect of retaliatory attacks is an issue, we may want to hold back from packs with allies... the pack Winterfell seemed quite isolated in the north, far from any potential allies. They could be a good option, if they have resources to make the travel worthwhile."

Before long Tyrian started to address them, and Ásvor rocked back on her haunches, listening patiently. He wasted no time explaining why they were gathered: they were here to discuss their next potential raid target and begin preparing. She nodded in understanding, mentally beginning to mull over her own opinions on the matter. Truthfully she wasn't torn heavily in either direction, though she was surprised when Pestilence spoke up and suggested her mother's pack. Interesting. A little family betrayal was always interesting, as far as she was concerned. Even if they didn't currently have a lot of resources to offer, food and pelts were always useful - and if they had another pack under their command then knocking them down a peg sounded more than enjoyable.

Valdis spoke up, mentioning Valhalla to the rest, who were likely well-stocked. The journey back from there would be more substantial though. "Ashen sounds like a good target. It's in our best interest to give a show of force to a pack that's trying to grow so aggressively," Ásvor spoke up quickly. If Pestilence was telling the truth, Ashen had high ambitions and it would be wise to quell them before their egos grew too big, if they hadn't already, potential resources gained be damned. Torrent brought up that retaliation was possible, but she wasn't too worried. It was a risk likely worth taking, at least in her eyes.

Upon hearing that Tyrian was looking for raid suggestions, Jupiter bellowed, "VALHALLA! Fuckin' Valhalla!" He waved his paw dismissively at all the strike them first talk for no other reason than that he'd gotten his balls stomped on by the Valhalla queen. Sirius with the Armada had been a giggle, and he'd have picked it for fun if that had been the name everyone else was suggesting, but he had a bigger bone to pick with Valhalla and it needed more mentions. "Valdis is right, they're really fucking wealthy. I went there to buy some sheep, remember, and that prissy bitch wouldn't deal with me." He'd trespassed, sure, but friends wouldn't have been a big uppity bitch about it. "They got all kinds of shit. Like a lot, Tyrian. So you can go after these empire cunts as a big show of force or whatever and maybe if you win you get some pretty pelts out from under those pretty perfumed asses, but that's not why you called this meeting. Am I right or did I hear all that 'we need to expand' shit wrong? It coulda been my ears, I guess. You want things not to get into a big dick kicking contest with some slippery cunt queen who saw a cheap shot and swung - and missed, mind you because," Jupiter waved a paw at Pestilence. "The would-be usurper just outed herself."

At some point Jupiter had gotten to his paws but he wasn't sure when. He flopped back down with a casual huff and a shrug. "I mean I'll fight fuckin' anybody, but you said you wanted things and there's only one pack I know who has fucking everything including HERDS of prey animals." Well, that wasn't quite true. Torrent had mentioned Winterfell, a pack Jupiter remembered from the market who had seemed pretty loaded. But Winterfell's alpha hadn't tried to mash his berries so Jupiter was going to pretend it didn't exist for the moment.