Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

Today, Ardyn was on a mission, and he trotted across the plains, tail flowing like a black, flaming banner as he made his way to the meeting boulder. It was about time for the latest meeting—there were new faces to introduce, Kairi’s birthing and death to be announced and the children to introduce. He’d already sent word to Tel through Lyr to gather the pups and lead them to the meeting boulder. He’d give the pack one chance to make a choice of mentoring these three pups, and if none stepped forward to get to know the pups and take them on as pupils, he’d choose for them. He leapt with a practiced bound to the boulder and settled with a comfortable flick of his tail to send it flowing and pooling at his paws as he tipped his head to the sky and sand long and loud for the pack to gather, including Cassiela in the call. She was a guest to introduce, after all. Letting his muzzle lower as the howl echoed across the plains to the hill and rebounded, he drew in a breath and gazed across the plains, waiting patiently. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Cairo had been tidying one of the fight training areas when Ardyn’s call for the pack reached his ears. He’d been expecting the call, since his King had, like his mother before him, briefed him on upcoming agendas for the pack. There were several new faces to greet, one guest, and three pups. So he set off at a long lope, slowing to grin up at Ardyn as he reached the meeting Boulder, shadowed beneath its two oaks, one ancient and dead, the other young and living, growing steadily from an acorn dropped who knew how long ago. He leapt to the top of the boulder, taking his place to Ardyn’s right, behind the king. As his haunches lowered to the stone, he glanced over the gathering clearing. He was the first to arrive, so he waited patiently with Ardyn as Crystal dropped to perch in the oak. Enito moved to sit at its base, fiddling with a hide he was sewing into a pouch. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aurielle Adravendi

One of the benefits of spending so much time at the tower site at the top of the hillock was that it gave the Spirit Mother a great view of the plains below. She knew the meeting would be called soon, and had been keeping one eye on the meeting boulder. Even at this distance her son’s ink-black frame with its flickering fire-toned glow was distinctive and she set aside the plans she’d been working on, tucking them into a nook to keep them dry as she made her way down the hill. As she arrived, she glanced about. So far, only Ardyn and Cairo were present, so she took a seat at the base of the boulder, smiling up at her son before settling to cross her paws comfortably. She was retired, with no need to sit up straight as she watched for the pack, waiting for Red to arrive and join her in his spot as the Heart Father. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

His teeth cropped at the summer grass, thick mane dragging along the ground as the stallion munched his way through one of the many snacks that were required to keep a horse’s gut happy. Their bellies were meant to always be working, transforming forage into energy, and he didn’t plan on going empty bellied any time soon. Ulcers weren’t fun. A howl reached his ears and he paused in his chewing, ears pricking before he turned and set off at a trot, hooves drumming steadily. It wasn’t often that Valhalla held a meeting more than once in a while, so enough must have happened to merit one. He knew some of it, but he was always open to hearing what more there was to be said. The stallion dropped into an amble as he arrived, horned head dipping in greetings as he moved to one side, nearer to the back of the clearing—it wasn’t a sign of low rank so much as an acknowledgement he made that he was a very large creature with big hooves and a glowing coat. He preferred to stay out of the way of the smaller members of the pack. Crushed paws weren’t something he wanted to inflict by accident. He lowered himself to the ground, tail flicking to spread over the ground as he settled in and waited for the rest of the pack, smiling at the three that he’d formed good ties with since his decision to join the pack his mother had been part of long ago. How was she, he wondered… Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Legacy Ancora

She was in deep conversation with her mother, Old Tongue rattling off their lips at an animated clip, as they worked in the larger gardens her father had founded over the years, tucked against the flank of the Hillock. It was coming close to Legacy’s Marking Ceremony and discussion over color choice was in full swing when Ardyn’s call to the pack reached both women’s ears and they paused, heads tilting in unison before Eramaya nodded at her and Legacy led the way. They’d have their own little announcement to add, which Ardyn knew about, so Legacy’s face held a smile that was laden with excitement and a few nerves. She’d turned three this season, and perfume covered the scent that came with her birth season. It didn’t help the restlessness much, but she’d learned to keep her composure and ignore it, working hard to expend some of it. She came into the clearing, nodding to those gathered before she settled near the oaks, tail curled along her paws as he glanced toward the plains to see who might come next. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Eramaya of Valhalla

As she and her daughter chatted over their work, teasing about what color Legacy’s Mark would look best in, Eramaya watched her daughter with a faint smile. Her daughter was a child no longer. A grown woman worked across from her, and she felt maternal pride well in her throat. As she tossed another weed into the basket, Ardyn’s howl reached their ears and she smiled, nodding to Legacy to take the lead as she followed behind her. They arrived after a few minutes and Eramaya moved to take her place as one of the higher ranked healers of the pack, settling with her usual poise, facing the plains but with enough of an angle to nod to Ardyn and his mother, and Cairo. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Art by NightofRavens

It was good to wake up in familiar territory once again. She had been with Valhalla for a while now but had pretty well done her best to stay out of the way and into the shadows. Of late, she had actually been spending quite a bit of time exploring the surrounding western lands. Getting a general feel for the region. Of course, the plains were comfortable, but so far … it had just been a lot of desert. She wasn’t sure she would ever completely get the sand out of her coat.

It seemed to be another usual afternoon. Everyone going about their days- completing their tasks. She didn’t cross paths with anyone she felt comfortable approaching, however, there was a pleasant hum to the atmosphere. The kind of contagious feeling you get when being influenced by an overall positive mood that everyone seemed to have. Friendly faces buzzing about with a domestic cheerfulness. It almost reminded her of a honey bee hive in a sense. Yet, it all came to a halt and redirection at the tone of the Ard Rí’s call.

As she arrived, there were many that had already gathered. Her emerald gaze swept faces she had seen around but never stopped to converse with outside from Aurielle and those who had been at the story telling. Offering a slight nod of acknowledgment in Ardyn’s direction, she quietly found herself a place off to the side and out of the way where she could observe at a respectful distance.

Life within Valhalla had been relatively stagnant. The only thing noteworthy in the last few seasons was that she'd felt she'd made a new friend - and then he'd disappeared, gone from the pack like he'd never been here at all. Perhaps it was the conversation about the origin of the pack's name that had perturbed him so but she decided if a simple word was enough for him to change his mind about living here, perhaps he did not belong at all. Her paws felt restless as they carried her to the gathering that Ardyn had called. She knew things had changed within the pack - there were new members, there were children to be introduced to - but the thought of change never settled well with her. By the time she arrived she was panting softly, her breaths steady and measured as she found somewhere on her own to settle. She sought eye contact with her brother and gave him a nod of greeting before settling on her hindquarters, waiting patiently for the meeting to begin.

Ardyn had told her and her brothers that they would be officially introduced to the pack soon during one of their lessons. The spotted child had grinned, eyes sparking with excitement. She had seen the members of her pack, Valhalla, around, had been trained by one about herbs and healing even. So as the call rose into the air, Chióni shot up and left towards Ardyn’s call. Her limbs were still small, paws too large for their own good, causing the girl grief in her clumsy strides. The pale babe knew she wouldn’t be the first to arrive, but she didn’t think she would be the last either. At least she hoped not. Paws stumbled to a stop then, wondering if she should stop by the den her and her siblings had come to call home. Maybe they were dozing off again, or maybe they were up to their mischievous antics again. Sorra especially was prone to mischief.

In the end, Chi had decided to stop by the den to see if her brothers were there. She peeked in and called them, quickly turning and saying there was a pack gathering, if they hadn’t heard already. The pale faced girl then continued on her way towards the meeting place, which was a challenge in and of itself. The grass of the plains was still taller than her small, youthful, frame. She took her time, while each step was taken with clear purpose. Occasionally her pale crown could be seen popping up over the tall blades of grass as she hopped over them to get a better view. If an adult saw her it was probably quite comical seeing a pup bouncing up and down over and over again.

Chióni soon made it to the meeting boulder, spotting the dark, fire marked man known as Ardyn. Brown tail began to wag, tongue lolling out of her maw from the effort of getting there. Here the grass was not as tall, and so she could see everyone clearly, but she instantly spotted the horse with his horn hanging towards the back of the pack. He was quite the creature and Chi marveled at him for a moment. Her attention shifted to the healer who had given the pups their healing lesson and she smiled at the swirl-marked woman before deciding to sit nearby.

"Speech"

You couldn't kill me if you tried Ardyn's companion had informed her of the task of herding the puppies to the meeting boulder. There were only three of them, but the two boys were kind of rambunctious and wild while the little girl was more laid back than her brothers. However, by the time she reached their den, the young girl had beaten her to the punch and was calling her brothers out. She couldn't help the small smile as she quickly summoned the two boys and herded them behind their sister who was bounding on ahead. She could hardly contain the giggle as the girl's head popped up above the grasses from time to time, and sometimes the grass even towered over the heads of the tallest wolves here in certain parts of the land. She walked behind the kids, making sure they didn't stray off course as they headed toward the meeting. They hadn't had one in quite some time, so she was eager to see what this one would be about. The pack was growing, that was for sure. And although the pack was tasked with teaching these three pups after their mother passed, Tel couldn't help but find herself spending a good amount of time around them. Deep down, in her subconscious, some part of her longed for a family of her own...she didn't know her parents. Didn't know if she had any blood-relatives of her own...but she was happy to see that these ones were so close. As they reached the meeting, Tel offered a nod to those present before settling down herself. The children likely to bound in every direction as they decided where they wanted to sit. "Speak"

Amorielle Adravendi

A meeting was being called. It had been quite a long while since there was one of those. A small grin graced her lips and the Adravendi woman made her way towards the usual meeting spot. It would be good to see the pack gathered after so long, and she wondered what news her brother had to share. The rust-marked girl trotted swiftly to the gathering, realizing she was somewhat late as she crossed scents that had already been well on their way there. Woops. Oh well, at least she hopefully wouldn't be last. Maybe. She could hope, anyway. Low and behold as she arrived, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she did indeed realize she wasn't the last one to get there. With a grin and a nod to those present, she moved to sit by her mother and gently nudged her shoulder with affection before turning her gaze to Ardyn. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She was running late to the meeting. But in her defense, she had been beyond the wall in search of summer herbs to add to her stockpile when Ardyn's call rang. And of course, in her haste, she had forgotten where the opening she had come from was. It took her a short while of brushing alongside the wall to find the opening, and once she found it, she knew exactly where to go from there. Dropping her supplies off at her den, she quickly washed her paws and legs off so that she looked presentable before making her way to the gathering. She followed the scents more than she used her eyes. She sighed, maybe it was high time she tried to find a companion or two to help her better navigate, no? That would certainly help alot. Especially beyond pack lands. Within Valhalla's walls, however, she had learned all the trails she needed to get where she needed to go. So that did help her, but sometimes she still felt helpless and stupid with her limited sight. Arriving to the meeting, Noelle offered a soft hello to those present before she took a seat among them, head tilted slightly so that she could see Ardyn and those around her. "Speak"

He had dozed off after finishing a lesson. He wasn't tired, but his mind certainly was! He didn't know about his brother or sister, but he wasn't really the type that liked to sit for lessons. He was more the get-up-and-go type! He wasn't asleep long before his sister's voice roused him, and then shortly after that, Tel's. Oh, shoot! A meeting!? It would be his first one! Heck yeah! He bounced to his paws and quickly shook off the sleep and bounded out. "Hi Tel!" He greeted as he raced past to try and catch up with his sister who was already ahead of him. "Hey wait up!" Clumsy large paws would nearly trip over themselves as he tried to keep up, Tel herding them along until they got to the meeting. He had never seen so many wolves gathered in one place. And while it wasn't the whole of Valhalla just yet, it was still a lot for his little brain to pop off in wanting to find out who each and every one of them were! He had met a few of them already since the pack collectively took care of him and his siblings, but still! He bounded over to Aurielle, tail wagging a mile a minute as he was about to say something, but then he caught sight of Tal. Oh! He wanted to sit next to the horned horse!! He ran over to him then, bouncing up and down as he barked up at him. "Hey! Hey! Can I get on your back!?" "Talk," 'Think.'

He had recently joined Valhalla. And it seemed, he had joined around the same time as his cousin. Winter was here, and he hadn't expected to run into her. The last time they had seen each other was when Ignis had stolen the pack from her...He had yet to speak to her about those events. Unsure if she still held ill feelings about the past or not, and of course, being as socially awkward as he was, he had no idea how to begin talking to her. Although they were cousins, they had never really been close. It didn't seem like any of the Praetor's were. His entire family leaving him seemed to cement that fact. When his new alpha called, however, Tyto made his way to the sound. It took him a good bit since he couldn't remember where exactly the meetings were held, but eventually, he made it. So far, he didn't recognize anyone but Ardyn, that is, until his gaze landed on Caelie. Now there was a familiar face he hadn't seen in age. He wondered what she would think about his joining...he hadn't really planned it, but he didn't have anywhere else to go...he approached her, "Is this seat taken?" He asked, a small grin showing as he sat down at her side, but with enough space so he wasn't invading her personal bubble. "Speak"

A meeting was being called. She hadn't been to one since...well...since Ignis had taken Winterfell from them. They said time healed all wounds. But hers still festered at times. He was the reason her father was dead. Though he had died of old age, he had gone with nothing but her at his side. His dignity was stripped by her cousin. And still, she had done nothing about it. Wasn't it too late though? It had been a while since, but...still. She let the thoughts go and she did her best to clear her head as she headed to the source of the meeting call. It would be her first since joining Valhalla. Though as she drew closer, she recognized the vaguely familiar scent of...her cousin? When did he join? Maybe she hadn't come across before since he recently joined or...hadn't been to the plains much? she wasn't sure. She was indifferent to him. Didn't know much about him. His sister had been a victim of Ignis' tyranny, and although they were all cousins, she knew very little about Tyto and her other kin. Even her own siblings.

She arrived and sat in the back, gaze finding Tyto sitting near someone else, pups, and several other members. She was a stranger among strangers. She didn't know anyone here but Ardyn, but even then, she only really knew him as an alpha.

"Speech"

Red lifted his head from his work, hearing his son calling for a meeting. He took a moment to tidy things up - working with pine tar to seal the map cases he was working on was not a clean business, though he was careful to avoid getting it on his fur as much as possible - before he made his way to the meeting spot. Most of the pack was gathered, and many of the faces were new to him. Many of the old faces he'd grown used to simply... weren't there, and he had a pang of sadness at the reminder of their leaving. Even those he hadn't known well had been a familiar part of the pack. He didn't see all his children present yet, but they were adults and well able to handle the consequences of missing a meeting on their own, so he kept searching until his gaze fell onto the pale form of his wife, and his expression softened. He made his way over to her and dropped a kiss gently onto her forehead before he settled in beside her.

Aoife was out of pack lands more than she was in them these days. Songs didn't just spring into existence out of nothing, so she made it a point to be out experiencing the world as much as possible, including travelling and learning about new instruments and gathering new ideas for them, and crafting them. She was on her way in this time though when she heard Ardyn's call, so she detoured to her den to shuck off her travel gear but didn't waste the time to wash the dust and sweat of a long journey off before she trotted over to the meeting place.

Summer was the season for harvesting most herbs, and Viviane kept quietly occupied doing so, and preparing the various tinctures, salves, and teas of her trade. Valhalla had been experiencing a period of quiet health and wellness, but she had been traumatized by the experiences of the Long Night and the illness that had taken someone in front of her, and taken both Justice and Domari's lives while she had been away. All her knowledge and all her skill had been for nothing in that time. It wasn't an experience she was eager to repeat, so she obsessively buried herself into preparing the medicines for others to use. It helped that she was no longer the only trained healer as it had been when Paladin was so ill and passed. She could hide behind her growing apothecary while the nomad and her daughter represented healers to the pack. She had, in fact, been deeply involved in mixing up a salve when she heard Ardyn's call, and the beeswax had already been heated and partly mixed in. Rather than potentially ruin this batch, she took the time to finish it up and transfer it to the jar it needed to be in and seal it with more wax before she cleaned herself up and moved to join the meeting. She still smelled of beeswax and honey, and the herbs she'd mixed into it, but she was presentable. Cairo and Caelia were both already there, of course, and though she smiled at them she didn't move to join them, instead letting her smile fade as she settled herself towards the back of the group alone.

The alabaster brute had just gotten back in off a brief excursion to the surrounding desert. He had intentions of making a sweep around the southern border in an impromptu patrol on his way back to his accommodations, however, that plan was interrupted when Ardyn's call echoed through the plains. Coran casually altered his direction to the meeting place, extending his gait to cover ground in a more spritely manner.

Upon his arrival, there were already a lot of the pack members gathered. The firey glow of Ardyn was easily spotted- not to be outdone by mother's moonlight- with the Auburn framed form of his father at her side. Amorielle and Aoife were there, but not Laoise. His concern for his missing sister was heavy in the back of his mind as he wove through the crowd to join his family that had already gathered. Ever attentive to the voice of his brother as he waited for the larger brute to begin.