It was time. With a last goodbye to their daughter and Bae-Syl before they set off, leaving their little one some herbs from Gavroche’s dwindled stash. The winged male looked forward to whatever awaited them in the north. He knew that joining a pack was important for Bellamy and himself but that didn’t make it any less nerve-racking to be going to stand before an alpha and be judged whether or not you would be welcomed into their pack. While he was sure they both had skills to bring to the table he knew there were other wolves out there who could do the same things they could, if not more… It had him a little on edge, truthfully, but he was making sure that it didn’t get the better of him. Bellamy carried his bag, as per usual, and James rode atop his back between his wings while Jessie latched onto his ear. It was overcast, thankfully, so every so often Jessie would start awake and peer out at where they were. The north was colder, so he was a little worried for her smaller form, but so far she seemed to be holding up alright. Bellamy too had been doing better. He had made sure to collect a good amount of lavender and poppy for her, in fact, they made up a good portion of what was left in his bag, if not most of what remained. The winds had been picking up, however, as they grew closer and closer to the borders of Gale Gorge. The winged male glanced up at Bellamy, fur ruffled up to help keep shield him, and spoke gently to his mate. “We must be getting pretty close, right? I’m pretty sure I can make out scent borders.” Bellamy had said the pack was up and coming, but it’d make sense for them to start worrying about such things if they were preparing to become official. He was admittedly a little excited too. This was going to be a new beginning for himself and his mate. No more worries from the Kedieo Empire, no more worrying about their lives going upside down. He swore to himself, no matter what came of meeting Sirius, this Warlord, this was their new beginning. He slowed to a step, nodding to his partner. “Lets call for, Wren was it? Here.” His expression softened as he looked into Bellamy’s eyes. Then, tilting his head back, his song rose to the heavens for the brunette woman, the alpha-to-be of a pack, with the hope Bellamy’s voice would soon join it. "Speech" 'Thought.'

The woman wasn’t worried anymore. Bellamy walked alongside Gavroche, his leather bag around her neck, with her green gaze focused on what was ahead of her. There would be no looking back, no more room for doubts as they made they drew closer to the Gorge’s borders and prepared to meet with Wren. She had no clue what Sirius would make of them, or if he’d even let them into his pack, but Bellamy was hopeful, just as Gavroche was, that this was their chance at a new start. They were getting older and running out of chances to do so… but it was about time they managed to do just that. After everything they had been through, they deserved a chance at happiness. They deserved to feel the safety and comradery of a pack. But if they didn’t find it in the Armada so be it. Bellamy would not fight should they be turned away, but she would set her gaze elsewhere if she needed to. Some battles, she had learned, are worth standing down for. Her companions, Ears and Whiskers, lead the way for their little party. Goodness, they were a sight, she imagined. An extra-large and a tiny wolf, the little one with wings, and four companions that ranged from battle-ready to being small enough to rest on your paw comfortably. But, strange or not, this was her family… and she would fight anyone and everything to keep them safe. It pained her to know that Lucette had decided to stay behind after all, but she understood her daughter’s desire for freedom. Parent or not how could she take that from Lucy when her little one seemed so happy with Bae-Syl? She was sure she saw something more blooming between the two as well, though it was only a hunch so far. But she half expected her little girl to become a woman once she reached two years of age. Gavroche spoke and Bellamy turned her attention to him before giving him a nod. “You’re right. I can smell them too.” Her expression was thoughtful. Wren had mentioned that soon she would become the alpha of a pack of her own. Perhaps if things soured for some reason at the Armada she would request entry into Wren’s pack. It might be strange if that was the case, being the ally of someone who turned you away, but she felt that if Sirius did turn them away there would be a good reason for it. They were still young enough to have more children, after all, and Bellamy would be lying if she said she didn’t want to shoot for another litter with her mate. It could very well be a conflict of interest merely in the size of the pack and that was no reason to be mad at someone for turning you away. You had to consider the safety of established members first. She slowed to a stop as Gavroche did, focusing on him once more. This was it, where they’d call for Wren and see what their fate was. Her own gaze softened, but there was confidence within her green orbs. She tilted her head back a heartbeat after Gav, their songs mingling together in a call for the alpha-to-be of this land. Nothing would sway them from this path. "Speech" 'Thought.'

The pack had formed, and while they still set up everything, it was semi-official. Menagerie's borders would hold, and the members of the guild would begin to feel at home. Wren was patrolling casually when the call came up, so she made a bee-line for the loose territory border. Words, not fangs. She knew to expect Bellamy, but she hadn't really expected another winged wolf. It was not the dark form of Mortis, though. She tried to remember the name the woman gave her.

And came up blank. Too much had been done already, she felt like swimming with names. "Hello you two" Wren said pleasantly enough, peering through the trees at them "are you here to make the trek to Armada, or have you decided to stick with Menagerie?" They would have passed Armada on their way here, scoping them out casually. She hadn't had time to visit Sirius yet, so she would hope this wasn't untoward. He seemed a reasonable man, and Armada needed strong warriors and healers.

"Speech"

It didn’t take long before someone answered their call. Gavroche could only assume that this brunette was the woman that his mate had fought on the battlefield; Wren. The woman was young, as Bellamy had said, but already carried herself with the air of a leader. Their pack might have just been getting off the ground but Gavroche was sure it’d do fine. A young leader, along with capable followers, was the key to any pack succeeding. He drew in a breath, adjusting a little as she greeted them. “Hello to you, Wren.” Gavroche spoke politely. The woman spoke from between the trees on the opposite side of her border. “And congratulations on the founding of your pack.” His words were warm, and sincere, as he said them. As Wren asked for their decision his gaze slid to Bellamy. He had known they were passing another pack on their way here, The Armada, but he had been curious at his mate’s insistence to come to meet with Wren first. Perhaps she had changed her mind on what pack seemed the most fitting for them. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Wren was quick to answer their call. Appearing through the trees on the pack side of the border the alpha called to them. Bellamy dipped her own head in greeting, a sign of respect for the alpha. When she had called on the battlefield Wren was the one who showed on behalf of the Armada. The woman was a good leader it seemed and a good friend as well. Gavroche was quick to greet the brunette, as well as congratulate her on the forming of her pack. “Yes, it seems Menagerie is coming along successfully.” Wren hadn’t told her the name of her pack prior, but it was clear from when she spoke moments ago. Bellamy’s expression remained calm, her companions quietly waiting before their mistress as she spoke. “We’re still planning to attempt joining the Armada. It would be rather rude of us to ignore your attempt to get them members, should they need them.” She glanced towards Gavroche for a moment and then back to Wren before she continued speaking. “I know that we passed the Armada on the way here, but I thought it only right you come with us. You were there on their behalf so, should the Warlord be accepting of new members, I’d like to see you get the credit for it.” Bellamy paused for a moment before continuing. “However… that’s not the only reason why we chose to come here first. Should the Armada not be able to take us I would like to ask if you might accept us into your pack, Menagerie.” The femme’s ears flicked back slightly. “I’ve no reason to believe that the Warlord would not be fair and just in hearing us out… however… I must be honest in saying that Gavroche and I haven’t had the best of lucks when it came to packs or their leaders…” Bellamy shifted on her paws. She didn’t want to go into details unless it was necessary. Their time with the Kedieo Empire had not been kind, and while it had been formed of many packs, rather than one, it still left a sense of doubt in both of their minds that something might go smoothly. "Speech" 'Thought.'

"Thank you" she spoke to the winged man who spoke first, smiling with some embarrassment "it's nice to meet you; Bellamy had only good things to say about you, sir." She felt it was rude to ask for a name so soon, but would if she needed it. Her attention drifted to Bellamy about Armada and Menagerie, furrowing her brow lightly at the words.

Okay, so Bellamy wanted Wren to get credit. Makes sense. "I'll come with you both, but do you want a day to rest?" Wren offered them freely "it isn't a long trek back, but you did come almost directly here. If you like, you can stay here for a day and rest. Talk among other wolves. Eat and drink, wash..." Not that they weren't presentable, but travel could make one feel listless and groggy. She listened as they expressed a want to join Armada.

She nodded. "You both would be welcomed in Menagerie if Sirius does not let you into Armada" she replied to Bellamy "we need healers and warriors both; but our borders are quite lax and I'd never ask anyone to put their life on the line for a skirmish. That said, accidents happen. We'd value your experience, both of you, and your wisdom if you did decide to join us."

"Speech"

Gavroche felt his heart flutter as Wren spoke. He would hope that Bells only had good things to say about him, but still, hearing that his mate had spoken well of him made the tiny man happy. He glanced to Bells, letting her express their decision. While it seemed they were still hopeful of the Armada she wanted a back a plan should, for any reason, Sirius turned them away. It made sense to plan for the possibility a pack might not accept them. Sure, most packs tended to accept whoever came to their borders, but not all. And a pack certainly wouldn’t keep you if you couldn’t pull your weight. Wren said she’d come with them, noting that it wasn’t a long trek back, but offered them a day to rest. For this Gavroche was grateful. While a trek like that was nothing to Bellamy considering they had already made their way from the Orchard here he was sure both himself and her companions could use it. “The offer is appreciated, Wren.” Gavroche let his gaze slide back to the alphess. “I know I for one would welcome a bit of rest. Though the trip to the Armada is considerably shorter than our trip here, I’ll be honest in saying that longer trips of different terrain can be a bit tiring.” He was grateful to know that should things go south at the Armada they’d have a place to stay here, and if they were accepted Menagerie would be an ally either way. “And regardless of where we end up, both packs are allies, right? I’d be happy to share my healing knowledge with those who seek it and even give a lesson on first aid to your fighters. While a healer is phenomenal, a bit of first aid can make their job far easier when they come to an injured warrior.” Besides, it was pretty important for wolves to know anyway in his opinion. What if you didn’t have a healer around that could help you? "Speech" 'Thought.'

Bellamy was grateful Wren would come with them. She wanted to do the right thing, and make sure that since Wren had tried to do the Armada a solid she’d be recognized for it. The brunette even offered them a place to stay and, while Bellamy would have rather gone on ahead, to get the meeting with Sirius over with, she listened to her mate. Gavroche was smaller than her, and keeping up with her pawsteps meant he had to work harder than a simple, casual pace. She flicked an ear thoughtfully, but decided that maybe it was better they did wait. Her companions, while remaining quiet, had looked back at her. She understood the gesture well enough. “Hmm. Yes, I agree with Gav. A day’s worth of rest can’t hurt. We’ll take you up on that offer.” She could feel the wind around them ruffling her fur, teasing past her as it whistled into the gorge. The femme gave a small nod, looking at her tiny mate. He even went on to mention the allegiances of the packs, and, regardless of what pack they ended up in, he was willing to help regardless. ”Gav has the right idea. If both packs are allies, regardless of us being in the Armada or Menagerie, we should help one another.” The femme grinned. “We’ll have to have another spar sometime. Don’t think I’m willing to just leave our fun at where it ended on the battlefield.” "Speech" 'Thought.'

It was important to rest and also get used to being in a community again. Wren smiled at the pair, turning to lead them deeper into the Gorge. "Let's go then, I'll make sure the others know you're our guests" she added, walking back through the foliage again "Audra is our lead healer, so if you need anything or want to talk herbs; she's the go-to" a pause before addressing Bellamy "our lead fighter is a young man named Mercury. He is friendly and diplomatic, along with being my partner." It felt natural to introduce Merc as such, even if she was somewhat embarrassed.

She let that hang in the air before picking up conversation again. No need to make them all burdened with information. "Armada housed us all, and the Warlord trained me as an alpha. You're not wrong to assume that Menagerie is allied strongly with them" Wren continued "but we'll have to do a friendly bout when we're all settled here. It's been a slow going" She worried at times if the bears would come back, but so far none had shown their faces "we're transporting our supplies from Armada's Cove to here." A few wagons could be seen as they made their way back.

There were tell-tale signs of movement in the foliage, and paw steps on the ground. The entrance to the Gorge was sheltered by thick foliage, letting the brambles do the defensive work.

"Speech"

Gavroche trailed after Wren as the woman started leading the way, Bells bringing up the rear of things. He made a mental note of Audra’s name. Being able to talk to another healer could be a good change of pace. He’d been the teacher for his little one, but even Gav knew he wasn’t a master of the art. He was a bit amused in hearing Wren openly admit to having a partner, the lead fighter no less. She was still so young, really, and likely just starting to figure out relationships and the like. It’d be interesting to see how the Brunette grew as she aged. Already her personality was far different from his and Bellamy’s little one. That was the beauty of being an individual though, wasn’t it? “It’s good to see packs can branch off from one another healthily.” Gav spoke honestly. “In our homeland, to put things simply, the pack system was in a toxic state of an Empire for a long time. They didn’t so much work together as they all bowed to the iron ruling of a tyrant.” Gavroche spoke calmly about the situation but that didn’t mean it hadn’t bothered him for a long, long time. “I’m sure you can count on my Bells to be there. That battlefield is her calling.” On his back James shifted, getting more comfortable as their gaze trailed from the brunette woman to take note of the wagons. “I’ve been curious at how new packs formed and the strategy a young alpha takes to ensure their success. It’ll be interesting to see how Menagerie blooms from here. You’ve clearly put thought and consideration into what you’re doing and the location you chose.” The tiny male carried on their conversation. “I look forward to our stay here, Wren, and I thank you for your hospitality.” It was a good change of course, a promising start. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Guests. Bellamy felt something shift in her brain as memories of Acere’s pack stirred within her mind. The old king had likely passed of age by now, she thought. The man had been older than she was, and a far more fair and just alpha than he probably should have been. When she had shown up and crossed his borders, and even got into a fight with one of his members, the man had expressed understanding and compassion. Wren seemed to be a different flavor of that, at least from what she had seen thus far. Hospitable, kind… Willing to help them on their journey to a new pack not just by leading them there, but giving them time to rest, and interact with others… things that Bells had never really been all that good at doing. But the point was Wren made that effort to give them comfort, to show them kindness… It had Bellamy’s brain starting to wonder if this was right. Doubt, the nasty little beast that it was, had started to rear its ugly head once more as she fell quiet. Her gaze shifted downward, to the ground at her paws, and her gaze became thoughtful. Thankfully Gavroche was there to carry on the pleasantries of talking with the alpha woman. Her brain was slipping elsewhere as she began to retreat inward on herself. A cold feeling from somewhere deep within had started to rise within Bellamy. Thoughts, memories, unwelcome to her mind, were starting to surface… "Speech" 'Thought.'