Corbie was gladdened when the dreariness of early winter was finally replaced with a soft cover of snow, and gladdened further when the snows showed no signs of ending. She'd had the plan for a winter festival bouncing around in her mind for a while, and with the tension of the autumn finally eased it felt like the right time. It would be a good exercise in bringing the pack to pull together as one, as well. They'd been doing quite well putting together the shelters and fencing they'd need to remake the infrastructure of the lands in the best way they could, but it was time to concentrate on the emotional wellbeing of the pack as well. So when the sheep were put up for the night in a paddock close to the barn, Corbie made her way into the snow-free shelter of the barn, stopping at the door to howl for the pack to join her there before she went in and made herself comfortable in the straw laid out.

OOC:
Replies for this round are due Jan 23rd unless on absence. Mandatory for all pack members!

Twig was slowly settling in, she was old enough now that adapting wasn’t near as easy as it once had been. However strange their new life might be, as long as Corvus was at her side then nothing was impossible. Including making Avalon their new home. She had hoped to see more Abavenites show up, but they were alone beyond Solo. A man she never really got to know to begin with. She had hoped to maybe see Theory find her way here, but even the once alpha did not appear.

So she slowly settled in with Corvus, feeling too old to be making a new life, but even old dogs learned new tricks. Twig included as she made this place into a home. It was close enough that she had no desire to leave and find somewhere else, besides, Corvus seemed comfortable here and that was what really let her heart settle.

The season shifted to winter, which was a bit more harsh here without the tropical ocean currents that kept the eastern coast so warm. The snow was beautiful though, and the quiet was good for her soul. It also made hearing Corbie’s call that much easier. She had been trailing a small pronghorn herd along the borders of Avalon, but they were all too healthy for a single wolf like her to take down, so abandoning her task, Twig made her way to the warm barn. With the addition of livestock and straw it was actually quite comfortable. She dipped her head slightly to the alpha before making herself comfortable and saving a spot beside her for Corvus.

Sanctus missed the warm days of the year, but there was a certain beauty to the snow that had been falling as Winter came in. Things would be harder for the sheep, but Sanctus had been spending his time between watching over them and hunting game for the pack. Things would have been easier if he had a hunting partner or two but Avalon was still growing. Perhaps someday soon that would change, but, for now, Sans remained solo. It seemed something was up, however, when Corbie’s call rang out in the Range, Sanctus picked his head up curiously. A meeting? He had been at his den, but ignoring the call of their alpha was not to be done. The man rose and tore across the territory in the direction of the barn. He had been racing across the territory, and by the time he reached the barn he found that he might have come a bit quicker than expected. Corbie had made herself comfortable on the straw and there was another member, one he was unfamiliar with, present. He arched his brow curiously, but he didn’t introduce himself yet. Instead he focused his gaze on Corbie, finding a place in the straw before he laid down. He laid his head on his paws, giving a nod towards the alpha as he waited for their comrades to arrive. "Talk," 'Think.'

Álarr hunkered down in his den as the snow storm passed through Avalon. He'd have been content to remain there the following day but duty called and with a grumble he burrowed out of his den to attend the meeting. Afi refused to accompany him out into the cold but Brynhildr was excited for the meeting and chattered happily to him as she flew through the air.

Álarr marched through the snow, ears pinned against the wind and a grateful sigh left his lips as he entered the shelter of the barn. A few of his pack mates were already there. He gave a nod of greeting to both before sitting down next to Sanctus. His tail wrapped around his paws and he watched for a moment as Brynhildr found herself a perch in the rafters before turning his attention back to Corbie.

So far life within Avalon was peaceful, which was exactly what Corvus could've hoped for. In his older age it wasn't like he had a lot of grand hopes and dreams - a simple life with Twig was all he really wanted. Whatever that looked like he was less sure now than he'd once been, but this pack so far was proving to be a fine place to settle down. Still he needed to branch out and get to know his packmates, but that was a slow and steady process. He made his way to the meeting with ease, noting the way his limbs felt a little stiff before standing. The colder weather didn't help but he wasn't getting any younger regardless and he was beginning to feel it. Staying active would surely help things. Loping toward the Range, he found his wife inside the barn there alongside Corbie and a few other pack members. He offered her a warm smile as he settled in at her side, grateful for the reprieve from the snow and cold for a moment.

A meeting was being called, and Balian's ears perked when he heard Corbie calling for them to gather. He was out at the pasture watching over the sheep and grazing with them, thinking about how cozy life was now. Avalon had been a good choice, even if it was among wolves. But they weren't like the last pack, and he was grateful for the change. The stallion made his way to the barn where the meeting was being held and found a handful of others. Hooves clacked dully on the ground, and he nodded to Corbie as he entered before moving to a pile of hay. Meeting and a snack? Might as well, right?

He had settled in well to life in Avalon. Things were peaceful, here, and that was all he really wanted in his now older age. And to top things off, his nephew had decided to join as well. He was glad for that, because truth be told he'd been missing him and had been worrying about him. But now he was here, and the pair walked together to the meeting after they finished up putting another part of a pen together. Cloud planned on eventually herding in a pair of alpacas he had found in the nearby hills. No doubt Avalon could make use of them, especially if the pair ended up breeding. Their wool could be used for all sorts of things, and he looked forward to working with them.

Arriving at the meeting, he sat down among the group with Finan and waited for the meeting to begin.

Avalon was nice, he had to admit. He liked it here alot better than rogue life, and he had reunited with his uncle again! He felt less alone, and was determined to do what he could for the pack as well as better himself and his skills. He wanted to make his uncle proud, to follow in his footsteps. He wanted to be the man that Cloud was, and to be better than his late sire and shitty crimson uncle. He wanted no part of the Praetor family, and was ashamed of who he had come from. But as it was, he was stuck with this blood and could only do his best to change what he could about it, and fuck the rest.

He walked with his uncle and joined him at the meeting. He sat beside his uncle as he curiously looked at his new pack mates. And...a horse?? Weird.

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"

He was running behind! The summons from the alpha rang out across the territories of his new pack. Suddenly, the pale wolf was gripped with indecision. Was he supposed to be fully decked out in his armour? Was he supposed to be making a good first impression on the rest of the pack? He hadn't joined a new pack before, he'd always had Abaven. It wasn't until Sonnet hooked a paw around his foreleg and nearly knocked him down that he paused to look at the mountain lion. She removed her paw to gently pat his own pale forepaw and point towards the entrance of his hastily cobbled together den. Okay, no armour. Just go. He chuffed softly, flashing a smile towards the cat as he meandered out onto the open fields of the Range.

By the time he made it to the barn, tufted ears tipped back towards his head nervously, he could see that most of the pack was already here. The most startling sight was the massive stallion that had taken his place among the ranks, who the male had thus far never run into. He'd assumed there was a wild horse living in the area, but somehow he couldn't have imagined that it would be a member of the pack! As his glowing eyes drifted across the assembled membership, he noticed a familiar figure that brought a smile to his face. Corvus was here! The older male had been a mentor of sorts when he'd been dealing with the sudden loss of his parents, and it brought him a measure of peace to see him again.

While there was a pang of regret in his chest at having left Sonnet at home, he couldn't turn back to go get her now. So he picked his way across the warm floor of the barn until he was closer to the group, settling lightly onto his haunches as he dipped his head towards Corbie in greeting.

The small pack straggled in to join her in the warmth of the barn, all but Tyrfing. She gave him time to appear, but had to assume he wasn't coming. Likely he was off pack lands. She would have to fill him in later. "Thank you all for coming," she finally began. "I know we have been busy, and so haven't had much chance to get to know one another well, but hopefully with winter here things will have slowed enough for us to spend more time together just learning about our packmates. That is in part why I called you together today, so you can begin to spend more time together here." She glanced around at each of their faces, and at the space she hoped would become a communal gathering area. They had a ways to go, but they would get there.

"You may note that Avalon is quite small for a pack," she continued. "I am doing my best to recruit more, but we all need to be spreading the word about our home, and offering it's sanctuary to others who need it." She was only one wolf; she could not do it alone. "To that end I would like to introduce the idea of festivals to our life. Midwinter is approaching. I feel this would be a good time to invite the public here to see what our pack is like, what we have to offer as a trade partner and a home. I would like you all to help me plan it."
(Ooc note: you can find some overa information on Avalon's planned festivals on the pack page)
"I need volunteers to plan activities for the public, to hunt and plan a feast, and others to visit other packs and spread word about it. Loners too. Loners especially - we need members, and as well ofen it seems loners are considered less important than packs , despite them making up a larger proportion of the population. I hope to change that. Welcome them to our festival and to trade with us." She had been a loner for far more of her life than a pack wolf, but until she had fought for Avalon hardly anyone had cared about her. No one had cared about Tornach, because he was not a pak wolf. Corbie sighed, then looked around again at her pack, looking for volunteers.

OOC: By volunteers I mean mandatory participation. There are many options for skill building in prepping the festival, I ask that every character do at least one skill building prep unless double mastered, in which case please assist in some other way. Second round due the 7th so I can actually get the festival up but skill building threads can be ongoing

Álarr watched quietly as his remaining pack mates filtered in. It was strange to be in a pack with so many unfamiliar faces and he knew it would be good to make an effort to get to know them even if his initial instinct was to hermit himself away. He raised a brow at the horse but held his tongue. It wasn't unheard of for a non-wolf to join a pack.

Corbie started the meeting and soon got to the core of the reason for calling it. They'd be planning a festival. Ugh. He understood the logic of it entirely. It would serve as advertising for the pack, both good and bad, and could serve to bring more awareness and new members. Álarr was just not the partying sort. Most of his family could attest to that. He'd had a good long career as the 'wet blanket', however, he would do his best to hold up his end.

"I can volunteer to help with the feast. I have a number of bottles of drink that can be shared and I can help with hunting and processing prey. Do you want us to prepare any animals from the herds or gather entirely from the hunt?"

Shortly after his own arrival, Sans caught sight of Álarr slipping into the barn. The rugged-looking man offered the healer a smile and a nod of greeting. There was a feeling of happiness as the monochrome male chose to settle beside him as well. There was already a feeling of comradery forming for the healer, and Sanctus had high hopes that would expand to the rest of the pack as he got to know them. More wolves would trickle in after his friend and a horse as well, the one that Sans could only assume that Corbie had mentioned as part of their ranks. With assumably all of their members gathered, Corbie started the meeting. One of the key things to note was the pack’s size and the encouragement to spread the word about it. Following shortly after was the mention of a festival which would be a chance to interact with loners and pack wolves alike. They could potentially gain more members, as well as reveal what they had to offer as a potential trade partner. With that information given Corbie opened up the floor to her members. Álarr spoke up, offering to help with the feast by sharing bottles of drink as well as assisting with hunting and processing prey. He posed a good question as well; where would they be sourcing the meat for this festival? “As a ‘unter of Avalon, I’ll ‘appily assist Álarr in that as well an organize some 'unts. Are there any particular meats you’d be wanting us ta gather when 'unting, miss Corbie? Or as wide a variety as we can?” "Talk," 'Think.'

Twig was thankful for the smile that Corvus offered her as he made his way into the barn and sat beside her. Smiles weren’t so easy to come by with everything they were going through, so she savored and returned the expression. Twig leaned into his side as the last of the pack trickled in and their new alpha began to speak up. Caramel ears perked as Corbie spoke, thanking them for their presence and apologizing for not being as available as she should. Twig shook her head slightly, knowing she was partially speaking to her and Corvus. They were content keeping to themselves, but that wasn’t really what Avalon was about.

As Corbie went on Twig couldn’t help but glance up at Corvus as more loners were talked about. She couldn’t help but think about the other Abaven wolves that could still be searching for a home. More than that was the preparation for the winter festival. As Corbie fell silent there wasn’t much time before two of their members already spoke up about hunting a feast preparation, that would have been where Twig excelled. She wasn’t so social anymore, and her connections within Boreas were few. But part of her wished she could invite what family she had left, but how many years had passed since she had seen Beat and his siblings? She wanted to spend her efforts looking for them, but was it worth it when she most likely would find nothing?

”I can assist with the hunting and feast preparation as well.” She spoke up softly, looking to the two men who had already offered their services as such before looking back to Corvus, curious what he would offer himself for.

Tyrfing was late, and much more than could be considered fashionable. By the time he slid into the barn to join the others, Corbie had already begun to speak. Finding himself a spot beside a far wall where his entrance would not be disruptive, he settled in to listen to the remainder of his alpha's speech. Festivals were a bit beyond his interest and skill set, but if Corbie had need of help then it would be all paws on deck. A few others had already offered their assistance, and finding a moment of silence Tyrfing spoke up to volunteer himself as well. "I can help gather some supplies." He announced. "As well as provide security during the festival itself and ensure the loners visiting are kept safe." "Speech"

Well, this was an eclectic group, that was for sure. Not that he was the type to judge, not after everything he'd gone through. He watched with quiet interest as a horse approached the group as well as a few other wolves who weren't familiar with - though he perked up as soon as he saw Solo ambling in, unable to keep a grin from sneaking across his features. Corvus was glad to see at least another familiar face, and he only hoped other former Abaven members might seek refuge here.

He nodded along to Corbie's words. The pack was small and needed to grow, and it was all their responsibility. He hoped he could find more of his former packmates to invite along but he didn't want to be too hopeful on that matter either; he wouldn't set himself up for disappointment. Like Twig, he wasn't much of the social type in his older age, but it seemed a good way to kill two birds with one stone - spread the word of their festival and Avalon as a pack while searching for some of his lost family and former packmates.

"I can help spread the word of the festival," he offered up, somewhat tentatively. Helping with feast preparations was more aligned with his skillset but so far no one seemed interested in this aspect of festival prep so he'd take one for the team. "Do you know which packs you'd like me to visit? I'll be sure to speak to as many loners as I can, too." Corvus didn't know much about the other packs that existed in these lands but he figured he was about to learn… or at least make an attempt to. The thought made his stomach turn, not because he feared speaking to strangers, but the thought of going through all this effort and not finding Theory…. He wondered if Twig had a similar train of thought, as he leaned heavily against her for comfort.

Several of the pack members spoke up quickly, volunteering their time hunting and gathering supplies, while others seemed to be ruminating yet. Tyrfing offered himself as security, and Corbie flashed him a smile tinged with faint sadness. "My hope is that we do not need security, but I know that the world does not often cooperate with our wishes. I will ask that all our guardians keep an eye on the festival and minimize their use of alcohol while there are strangers in our territory, though I hope that you will all be able to enjoy yourselves regardless." Corvus volunteered to visit some packs to spread the word - she gave it a moment of thought and decided that she didn't want to ask the older male to go to far from his mate, and at his age didn't want to put him up to a terribly long journey. "Corvus, if you could contact Valhalla, and our former neighbors Ashen, I would appreciate that." She considered Sans and Alarr's questions as well, and added, "We have some late lambs we can harvest, but I think that the brunt of the food will be best wild harvested to not deplete the herds too much. A wide variety of foods would be best, I think, to not take too much from any one species in our area. We can stew the smaller prey to make that go further and add more interest." She looked around at them thoughtfully. "I would also appreciate ideas of various winter-related activities that we could offer our guests."

He listened to the meeting as Corbie spoke as he munched his snack. His ears perked forward as he listened to some of the offers and questions from the wolves. Tyrfing offered up some security, and Balian's chest rumbled with an agreement. Someone had to keep an eye out, though he was sure the pack as a whole would regardless. Others volunteered their time in other ways, though Balian remained quiet with a handful of others as he considered what he could add to offer. When the question about winter-related activities was asked, he decided he could speak up then. "What about sleigh rides? If we can find or build a sled or something, I don't mind pulling along any young ones on a premade track. It'd be easy work for me. And fun for the kids." He glanced towards the outside for a moment too before continuing. "I can also offer security support if need be. We might not need it, but who knows." He didn't trust outsider wolves easily. But this pack? He trusted them enough. "Speech"