The bees had been peacefully slumbering for the winter, and lambing time would be beginning shortly, but for now there was little that Corbie actually needed to be around to do, so she had decided to leave Tam in charge of feeding and guarding the flock for a time and took a rare late winter break to just travel for a while. While she wasn't a naturally outgoing person, she was nonetheless one who did enjoy the company of others, so having spent so long away from anyone but the bees, the sheep and their sheepdog was a little... lonely. So her first stop in her loop was to the one place she could be at least fairly sure would welcome her for the space of a conversation, at least - the pack she thought her guardian Tornach had originally intended for her to join before he died, though she had eventually chosen not to. She could at least stop and get the latest news from them, plan her journey with a mind to where to avoid troublespots. So, stopping at the border and giving herself a quick shake to knock off some of the travel dirt, she raised her head and gave a low howl for Tornach's niece or his grandnephew.

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

The voice was familiar and somewhat unexpected. He hadn’t seen Corbie since the Yearling festival. With the surprise came relief. She was alive, at least. His path altered onto a trail that would take him to the woman swiftly, and soon enough, he spotted her waiting. She looked well; healthy and strong. As he drew to a stop he regarded her before a grin sparked across his features and he settled on his haunches. “I’m glad to see you well, Corbie. How have you been?” Had she managed to stay safe and healthy during the Long Dark? Or had she had to experience the horrible sicknesses that had ravaged so many? Taken so many… Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Corbie wasn't kept waiting long before she was greeted by the sight of Tornach's grandnephew Ardyn. She smiled at him easily and dipped her head in greeting. "And I you," she said, the smile fading slightly as she remembered why he might have had cause to worry about her. "I have been well enough. It took me some time to get my footing, taking care of the stock with just myself and Tam, but we've been managing. We've finally gotten to the point that I thought it might be time to take a bit of a tour of the continents before lambing season hits and its harder to get away again. I was wondering if you might suggest areas and groups I may want to visit, or avoid, while I'm wandering. I wouldn't want to get delayed because someone decided they wanted to kidnap me and I had to show them otherwise," she added with a wry smile. "And I'd wanted to check in on you and your family anyway and make sure you were all doing all right."

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

He listened intently; ears perked with interest as Corbie laid out what she’d been doing for the past couple of years. Sheep had been something his mother had tried, but they’d drawn one too many grizzlies, and possibly Jupiter, so she’d sent the remaining animals back to the Nomads. The subject of kidnapping brough an instinctive upward twitch of his lips in a faint grimace of disgust. “We have a close ally in the east, on the coast; Abaven. The alpha there, Theory, recently reformed her pack into a neutral school open to all. I’ve yet to send any of my own there as our numbers are shorter than I’d like, but in the future, I’d like to send one or two experienced wolves over.” His head tipped in thought, considering. There was an icy neutrality held between Valhalla and the Armada, not helped by their Warlord’s lackluster diplomat’s performance during Malalia’s disappearance, and he had little desire to get any warmer with them despite their attempts during the Long Night to figure something out between all the packs to get ahead of the plague... Sirius was too paranoid to view any overtures of friendship as the gestures they truly had been. Genuine. He trusted his mother’s assessment of the man. Prior to Lia’s disappearance, there had been some friendship there. Pity things fell apart. “The Armada is a pack that we’ve had some… tension with… long story. They’ve been largely militant in culture and from what I gather, closely allied to Ashen in the south. Primarily, I don’t think the Armada is predisposed to forcing others into their ranks. At one point, they were gracious enough to house one of ours when he fell off a mountain and broke two legs and who knows what else. They were guarded, but didn’t force him to stay or treat him ill… however, that was shortly before and after my birth.” Isara’s timid features, and the cocksure Fatalis man only backing down after Isara had edged toward Ardyn and Ardyn had pulled status, crossed his mind, and he added, “However, I’m not certain all Armadan wolves are against taking someone who doesn’t necessarily say yes to joining them. They are a large pack, with large allies. I’d assume they are used to getting what they want. I encountered a yearling girl who knows next to no Common and speaks a language I’ve never heard before. And then a member of the Armada popped up almost the same time and tried to push her around. Kotori Fatalis. Be cautious. He backed down in the end, but I’d be cautious about mentioning any connection with us if you ever bump into him. He strikes me as vindictive. Especially because the girl chose to go with me and I stepped in to defend her.” He described the man and encounter in detail, leaving nothing he’d spotted or noted of him out. He kept it diplomatic; after all, it could have just been that the man had just been having a bad day and it had brought out the worst in him and he was normally a friendly sort, if haughty. There was that offer of a spar. Whether he could trust the man not to be underhanded in it would have to be seen if he ever took Kotori up on the offer. Finally, he turned to the subject of family, a smile gladly taking his features over as he said, “Mother’s been enjoying retirement. It gives her more time with my father, and time to build the tower on the hill.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Corbie listened carefully as Ardyn described the man who had given him cause to be concerned. He wouldn't have bothered to warn her if he truly thought the man was harmless, even though he was clearly trying to be fair about it. "It sounds like a bit of a bully," she said. "I will avoid him, if I can." She could take care of herself regardless of if someone tried to push her around, but it would make for an easier and more comfortable time if she just didn't put herself in conflict with him to begin with. "I will certainly make it a point to visit Abaven. A school for the education of all sounds wonderful."

The news about his mother made her smile, though she hadn't known Aurielle well. With her coming into his life so late and choosing solitude over a pack, Tornach had never truly had a retirement. If only they'd found one another sooner, she would have been able to take over the sheep and let him have the rest he deserved, but the universe had had other ideas. "I'm glad that she has you to take over the pack and let her enjoy her years," she told him. "It must feel so nice for her to be able to relax with her loved ones instead of dealing with all the... alpha things." The last was said vaguely, with a bit of a wave of her paw. She didn't really know what being alpha of a pack entailed. She didn't really know what even being in a pack really entailed. She tilted her head, looking intently to him. "So how does it feel? To be the alpha?"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Reluctantly, Ardyn nodded at her assessment. The Fatalis man had come across as such in his interaction toward Isara. Ardyn chuckled, grinning as he settled into the more comfortable chat of family and daily life. “She does seem to enjoy herself. She’d been Queen since she was a yearling.” Her question came as only a slight surprise, and he pondered with a smile, “It can be challenging. You have many lives resting on your shoulders, and every decision will affect them in some manner. Sassing a particularly easily ruffled alpha from another pack could bring war to your people. It’s better to make alliances than it is to make enemies. At the same time, there is the drive to expand the territory, to bring more room for others to make their home with you in.” His head tipped thoughtfully, and he added, “Even love must be considered with the pack in mind. I wouldn’t consider for a moment someone who didn’t have the pack and its wellbeing in her heart as well love for myself.” A grin flashed over his features and he finished, “Mostly it’s a lot of patrolling, planning, and diplomatic work.” A chuckle rode the words. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She was surprisingly fascinated by his description of what it was like, being an alpha. She didn't think she cared for the idea of what most thought of as a pack, the traditional structure and politics and all. Maybe Tornach had influenced her that direction. But Ardyn genuinely seemed to care about his wolves and taking care of his pack. It wasn't about being in charge but about being responsible. Maybe that was the right way to do things. Maybe packs that depended on who was the strongest and could fight the best were what was ruining it all.

"That sounds like a lot to worry about all the time," she said with a faint laugh. "Don't you get any time just for yourself, without needing to consider everyone else?" While she was no stranger to the pressure of responsibility and not thinking to take time for yourself, the idea of even needing to consider who to marry put her back up a little. She couldn't imagine losing that sort of freedom. Not that she had a love life at all, so maybe that wasn't so different after all.

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

She seemed enthralled by his description, and he wondered idly what had sparked the interest, or if it had been an interest she’d had for a long time. He chuckled softly at her observation, nodding in slight agreement. It was a lot. It was a great deal of thinking over what he wanted to do with the pack, building for the future generations… He tipped his head and grinned. “I have the luck of having experienced adults like my mother, Cairo, and others to take a few patrol shifts for me so I can get out for a while, whether it’s travel to visit other packs, or to head out on hunting trips. It opens up a chance to find potential new members, as well.” Hunting and fishing trips he found particularly relaxing. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think