Corvus didn't know anything about this pack he was approaching, but they technically were neighbors of Avalon and making some contact with them seemed important - and what better way to establish a peaceful relationship than by inviting them to a festival? His pace slowed as he neared Ashen's borders, pausing at the edge of the ravine and looking across the land.

Diplomacy wasn't something he was necessarily skilled in, but there was time to learn new skills even at his age, and he was willing to try. He just hoped he didn't screw this up. Corbie had been extremely welcoming to him and Twig, and letting her down wasn't a pleasant thought.

Surveying the land for a while, he finally lifted his head and let loose a friendly call for one of the leaders here. Hopefully they were receptive to his presence - having interest in attending their festival would just be a bonus, and getting any information on potential Abaven refugees… well, he wouldn't get too ahead of himself.

Venom was preparing to have a good long sleep for the first part of the morning when she heard a call at the border. The Empress could have delegated the task of answering to any of her Daimyo, but at some point she would have to accept her new way of life. She was blind, and not likely to experience a return of her senses. So she faced the world as she was, not allowing such a setback to make her stumble.

She approached the borders with relative swiftness, she couldn’t see the stranger but she didn’t recognize any of the scents on him. The Empress gave him a slight nod as she slowed to a halt on her side of the borders. Venom’s head tilted curiously, "Greetings,” she offered in hello. "My name is Venom Klein, I am the alpha here. What brings you to Ashen’s borders?”

"Venom"

His call was answered swiftly and cordially and Corvus was pleased. Ignorant to the woman's lack of sight, Corvus gave her a slow nod of his head. Being respectful was a sort of default state for him, even if being diplomatic wasn't something he was necessarily well-versed in. "Good morning. Thanks for answering my call," he started, shuffling his weight from one side of his body to the other as he hoped he was about to say all the right things. All he could do was try, though. "I'm Corvus Destruction, of Avalon - we inhabit the Orchard and the Range not far from here." Maybe she'd have heard of Avalon by now. If not, he expected she would've heard his surname before. While he'd met plenty of loners who didn't know the Destruction name he knew their lineage ran far and wide. He wouldn't at all be surprised if there were Destructions littered all across the continent at this point.

"I come to you with an invitation. At winter's end our pack is hosting a festival - our Winterlight festival - and we'd like to formally invite Ashen. If anyone wishes to attend, they're welcome to. There will be a feast and all sorts of activities," he explained. "On a less formal note, I'd appreciate if you spread the word that some former Abaven members can be found within Avalon. Not in a I'm-trying-to-recruit-your-members sort of way," Corvus clarified quickly. "I've just... lost touch with most of my family since our pack fell apart and I'd like them to know where I am if they ever need me." Corvus offered a hopeful but clearly sad smile. Any little chance at being reunited with any of his family made these conversations worth it, even if he had to have them time and time again.

She imagined that the man before her offered the correct amount of decorum. His voice certainly backed her assumption as he politely introduced himself. The name Destruction was not unfamiliar to her, and Avalon had been their neighbors up until very recently. Not that Venom had any meeting with their leader. The Empress was in a comfortable position politically. She had no real reason to seek out the newer packs that liked to pop up rather frequently. Venom’s alliances and friendships were quite strong, if another pack wished to join those ranks they needed to come to her.

So the relationship between their packs had thus far been completely neutral. Venom didn’t interrupt him with more than an understanding nod as he went on. The meat of his visit here was an invitation for Ashen to join in to Avalon’s festival. Venom had no doubts that they were not being singled out and this was likely more of a courtesy than any feelings towards her pack. Still, there were benefits in at least being on good terms with the other packs of Boreas.

What interested her more was his follow up request about his family. Her brows raised in curiosity despite her sightlessness as he finished. "I will consider your invitation. My recent litter of puppies will be at an impressionable age at that point. The experience would be beneficial for them.” She mused to him softly in acceptance. "As for your kin… My brother is married to a man named Void, his family recently arrived here. Eulogy, Spirit, and Gloom. They are the only ones I know the whereabouts of.” She offered the information easily. "I won’t forget what you’ve said if I should happen to meet more.”

"Venom"

Corvus couldn't help but feel anxious as he waited for Venom's judgment. He hoped she'd be receptive to their invitation though he understood being wary about the intentions of others. He'd never been able to hide his intentions though, not really, but it wasn't like Ashen's leader knew him well enough to know that about him. Hopefully the Destruction name earned him at least a little consideration though.

"Your children would be more than welcome. There's plenty for them to learn and see in our lands." There were no children in Avalon presently and Corvus found himself missing that aspect of Abaven quite a bit. He'd always had a soft spot for children, and he found himself quite hoping Venom would allow her children to visit. He knew Twig would be pleased too.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when Venom informed him that some of his family did indeed reside here. Eulogy, Void, Spirit and Gloom. That was good news, and he visibly brightened. At least some of them were close by, even if he'd never been terribly close to that family. They'd come in and out of Abaven for awhile, as far as he could remember, and he hoped they'd settled down here permanently. It was nice to know he had kin close by. "I'm so glad to know they're here and well. Thank you for that." For the information, and the promise she'd keep in mind what he'd said. That was more than he'd expected of her and exactly what he'd hope might happen. "And thank you for hearing me out, Venom. It's much appreciated."

Corvus was a few years older than she was, and even if she couldn’t see his honest face she could hear it in his voice. This wasn’t likely a man who was trying to take advantage of her. He just wanted to be an inviting neighbor and tell her about Avalon’s festivities. Venom wasn’t about to smack down a friendly paw that reached out to her. He reminded her a lot of Void, and she could tell he was related to the little family that found their way into Ashen. Another reason she was more likely to trust his honesty.

He seemed to show a little excitement at the prospect of her little ones attending, like many wolves he seemed to have a soft spot for puppies, and Venom couldn’t blame him. Learning about Avalon with her pups was almost too much to pass up, but she wanted to confer with Maverick first. Corvus had his strong maybe in answer.

She didn’t miss the way he let out a deep breath as she told him about the Destruction lineage within Ashen. Giving him that kind of relief was pleasant and far too relatable. "You’re welcome, Corvus.” She returned with a little dip of her head. "I look forward to seeing you at the festival. Do you require any more assistance? I can offer you a safe place to sleep or a small meal before you are on your way again.” She offered generously.

"Venom"

And that was that. Even if nobody from Ashen decided to attend, at least he'd extended a friendly paw - and more importantly to him, he'd gotten the word out that there were some Abaven refugees in Avalon now, in particular the Destruction family, if anyone came around looking for them.That felt like progress. He smiled and nodded at her offer, deciding that resting before heading to his next stop, Valhalla, sounded like a good idea. "A place to sleep and a small meal does sounds good, if you don't mind." After that he'd be on his way, but he had to be honest that he wasn't exactly young any more and he couldn't go for as long as he once had been able to.

-finish?-