Ember had been making her rounds about the buffet tables with Erik when she heard her father exclaim in shock from the doors to the hall. The midnight-furred girl looked up to spy that pale raider girl from the bonfire back again, seated at her father's side as if she belonged there. Oh, what now? Furrowing her brow, Ember gave her guest an apologetic look and murmured a soft, "Hang tight here for me, okay?" and then she set off to go see what was going on.

As she approached Artorias and Siduri, Ember was able to begin picking up on some of her father's words. He was speaking sternly, looking at Sid the way he looked at them whenever they got in trouble and he was expecting explanations. Ember's heart sank a little, and while she had marched over here with all the bravado of a power-tripping royal, she knew it wasn't fun to be excluded from things and she definitely knew it wasn't fun being on the receiving end of her dad's stare. She hesitated mid-step, seeing Art look at Sid then back at the doors. He was going to kick her out. Ember could have just done nothing, let it played out and gone back to the party. But her father had told her that he wanted her and her siblings to be better than he was when they became adults. Well... maybe today was the day to start.

Stepping up and nudging her father's leg, Ember looked up at Artorias with a shy little smile and put on her best innocent face, big puppy eyes and all. "I invited her, Dad. She was nice enough at the bonfire and she just wanted to be a part of our events, so I sent her an invite by raven." It was a bold faced lie, one that Ember hoped her acting chops were up to selling. But if she was going to be better than her sire and mother, she would need to be above petty pack squabbles. She didn't know why the Hallows and the Raiders shared a mutual distrust, but maybe they could start to end it one step at a time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to try to be friends with the Raiders." Blue eyes batted up at her sire behind long lashes, Ember then glancing down to Sid with a look that urged her to play along and help sell the charade. If she didn't or couldn't, they'd both be in big trouble.

"Ember"

Well, why wasn't he happy to see her? They'd met before. Didn't  that make them friends? What kind of friend didn't want their other friends to be around? Artorias said that she wasn't allowed to be there. Not allowed. A sad little frown dropped the corners of the girl's mouth and along with it, her ears wilted, her posture wilted, her confidence wilted. He didn't want her around. That kind of stung, not that Siduri could explain why.

Defeated, Sid had just been about to turn and leave the castle and probably  cry on the walk home, but the girl from before bounced towards them and let out a bold-faced lie to her father. A little tingle wormed its way into Sid's chest and the smile quickly returned along with confidence. "Yes, castle-lord, a raven was delivered unto me. An invitation was given. I'm ALLOWED to be here. That's what the uh, the raven told me." A pale paw rose and gestured towards Ember. "This kind castle-dweller has extended the invite. It would have been terribly rude to turn her down." With a curt nod to Artorias, whom she wasn't sure if she liked anymore, Siduri shooed Ember away and followed the girl.

"Aye, ye've saved me tail there. I didn't think ye castle folk could lie. Someone told me ye were all about rules and bein' proper." Sid gave a head tilt. "Why doesn't yer da' like me? What did I ever do to him?" Siduri, being as young as she was and as free spirited, had zero idea that there were packs out there that didn't like the Raiders. "Wots yer name anyway, lass?" The Scottish brogue fell away and the pastel child smiled. "I'm Siduri, but you can call me Sid. Hey, were's your mom?" Ringed eyes began scouring the room for the antlered woman.

Piratess

The invitation to the ball had come as a surprise. Not that he thought no one would invite him, but who invited him was the surprise. Had he secretly been hoping the mysterious silent girl would extend the invite? Yes. Was he disappointed it was Clove? Not necessarily. The young pup was bright, lively, and fun to be around so Wilder was sure it would be a good time.

Approaching the large oak she had directed him to meet her at, he waited for her. Having taken a quick dip in a nearby river, his coat was at least free of any clumps of mud and foul odors that he often carried. As presentable as he would ever appear. Smiling as he saw Clove come close, he dipped his head to her and let out a laugh. "I always hold to my promises," he offered in return. His tail wags a few times as they chatted for a moment before following after her lead toward the castle.

Walking through the ground felt surreal. He had never known a home nor a real place to live. Wolves really lived like this? Wild. Ha! Astounded by the lavish lifestyle that Clove apparently lived, Wilder had a true look of wonder on his face. The great hall alone was larger than anything he had ever seen before. Brightly lit with chandeliers full of candles, decorations hanging from the walls, food lining every table, wolves gathering as if this was normal. Was this normal? An almost envious feeling prickles in him, but he shoves it away. It was okay, not like he deserved this anyway.

Stepping closer to the dancefloor, he looks around. So many wolves. It was almost suffocating. Until his red gaze fell on the girl he had truly hoped to see. Standing over by the snack table looking quite out of place. Meadow. Wilder wants to step away to talk to her, but Clove is saying his name. Right, his friend! Smiling down at the small pup, he shoves away any thought he has of the other girl and nods his muzzle enthusiastically. "Of course, m'lady," he extends his paw, taking her own in his his and begins to whirl Clove around the dancefloor.

"Speech"

For the briefest of moments, Ember worried that maybe the raider girl wouldn’t back up her lie and they’d both be screwed, but thankfully the shrewd pup picked up on Ember was doing and swiftly joined in the ruse, assuring Artorias that she had indeed been invited, hamming it up a bit more than the Carpathian princess would have liked, but it seemed to be doing the trick. Artorias seemed to regard both girls with confusion, then a bit of suspicion, his eyes lingering on Ember while the girl gave her father a sweet smile and a wag of her tail to sell the facade. Whether he truly believed her or not, he still relented and allowed Siduri to enter properly. "Thanks, Dad!" cheered Ember, following Sid off into the Great Hall and into the party proper when the pale girl ushered her away. It took all of Ember's self control to not look back at her father as the girls walked away to see if he was watching them, not wanting to appear more suspicious than she already was.

Once they were inside the hall and around the doors where Artorias couldn't see them any more, Ember breathed a sigh of relief. They had pulled it off and she (maybe) wasn't going to get in trouble at the end of it. Siduri thanked her for bailing her out and expressed surprise that "castle folk" were capable of lying. Ember wrinkled her nose up and raise a brow at her. "Of course we can lie, silly. Just because my family's all about doing good doesn't mean we're all uptight about it." Besides, Ember enjoyed bending the rules and seeing how far she could get away with things before she got in trouble. The next question Sid asked brought a small frown to Ember's lips, the girl turning blue eyes up to the other girl as if regarding her a bit warily. Did she not know their packs didn't get along? "I don't think my dad doesn't like you. He wouldn't've let you stay for the bonfire or the party if he didn't like you a little bit. But you're a Raider, and he says our packs aren't friends. I think he gets worried that your pack might do something to us if you're here." In truth, Ember didn't really know the full story behind the bad blood between the Hallows and the Raiders. She'd just always been told by her parents that Raiders Hollow and Insomnia were to be considered dangerous.

The Raider girl asked her name and introduced herself as Siduri. Ember shared a sweet smile back to Sid and gave a wag of her braided tail. "Nice to meet you, Sid. I'm Ember, Ember Carpathius." Sid asked where her mother was and Ember scoured the growing crowd with her, unable to see her mom's telltale antlers anywhere in sight. "Uhh, I don't think she's down here yet. She should be any minute now though. Do you wanna get something to eat until she shows up?" Ember tilted her head towards the tables filled with veritable feasts of raw and roasted meats, fishes, fruits and vegetables, and spiced ciders. Now that Siduri had cleared her dad's security checkpoint, Ember didn't feel the need to babysit the Raider girl.

"Ember"

Ever the mother, Briar had of course prioritized making sure any of her children that had wanted her help getting ready for Bramble's big affair had it and make sure their fur was pristine before she sent them down to join in on the fun. It was only once everyone else had descended the stairs that she quickly freshened herself up, slipping on the delicate crown that Chimera had gifted her for their wedding and combing through her tail, letting it flow freely behind her. Usually she kept it braided for convenience, but this was a special occasion. She knew that Artorias would have things handled during the ball and she did not necessarily need to join in on the chaparoning duties, but she couldn't let herself miss out on her daughter's first big event!

Once she was ready, she came down stairs from their bedroom and found the party already in full swing. Artorias was dashing as always in his armor and she noticed Dusk standing guard near by as well with a small Gavroche between her paws. She gave each of them a smile and came over to Dusk to press a kiss to the top of her head–which was more difficult to do than it once had been with her growing to her full height and antlers coming in beautifully. "Good to see you again, Gavroche," she said to the Ethne boy with a kind smile before she went over to greet Artorias with a little grin, tipping her muzzle up to kiss his cheek. "Always the most handsome guard," she said with a chuckle before turning her attention inward toward the rest of the party.

Of course the bright watercolor coat of Siduri stood out from the crowd, making her gaze go right to the Raider girl. "Found her way back here again, huh?" she mentioned with a cheeky grin toward Artorias before going over to where Siduri and Ember were chatting. "Well well! What a surprise," she said with a warm smile, her tail wagging gently as she went to press a kiss to the top of Ember's head and then lifted a paw to playfully ruffle the fur on Siduri's head. She would undoubtedly make her rounds to greet all of her children before she joined Artorias at his post, but for now she was happy to see their adorable little intruder again.

"Briar Carpathius"

There had been an open invitation to her and her siblings to attend this yearling ball that the Hallows was throwing and even though most of her other siblings didn't seem to have much interest that didn't stop her from going! She did get a little side tracked along the way and by the time she made it across the stretch of the plains up to the castle she had a feeling she was going to be a little late, but... That's what they called fashionably late, right? That's what she told herself as she shook out her fur and smoothed any parts that might have gotten ruffled during the trip from Ashen–with a bit of help from her jackal companion. She let her companion give her a once over to make sure she hadn't missed anything and once she got the okay she grinned and told her to wait out here in the garden for her. With that settled she turned toward the big front doors of the castle and went to let herself in.

Stepping into the entryway, it wasn't too hard to figure out where to go. The noise coming from the party was easy enough to pick out and she followed it down the corridor till she found a black and blue man in armor that matched the description of Artorias that she had gotten from her parents. There was also a pretty girl near by with almost all black fur and antlers and as she approached and was able to get a better look in at the party it seemed she wasn't the only one. She blinked a couple of times with surprise as she scanned the crowd before she gained her bearings and looked over to Artorias with a grin and a polite bow. "Rebel Klein, visiting from Ashen. Thank you for the invitation!" With the pleasantries done, she stepped into the party proper, mingling a bit as she looked for somewhere to cut in and trying desperately to not get too distracted by all of the pretty, done up girls all around her.

"Rebel Klein"

Wolves spilled in, the ground growing, the noise growing and Nelu found himself uncertain on how best to proceed. He had not considered this event much previously and thus had not done the proper research on making and establishing friendships. He looked to his father and nodded tentatively. "I will do my best, father, though it would seem the participants are breaking into potential couplings." He wasn't quite sure on the difference between friendships and potentially romantic partners. Was it wise for him to insert himself between these potential romances? But then if he just sat on the sidelines he would not be able to make a friend at all.

Hmmm… he scanned the little groups and spied two girls from Heiðinn and decided it would be good to make friends from another pack. He approached the girls (Delphi and Maki) but before he could say anything a boy appeared to ask on of the girls for a dance. Ahhh, oh dear, was he supposed to be doing such as well? He didn't know much about dancing nor romancing. No, no, he'd like to try to make a friend first. He wasn't terribly interested in finding a romantic partner. He turned to the remaining girl (Delphi). "Greetings, welcome to The Hallows, my name is Nelu. You are from the mountains in the east, yes, Fenrir's Maw? I hear it is a most ferocious territory."

Delphi is soon left alone when Akito approaches to ask Maki to dance. Feeling awkward, she shuffles her paws a bit and tries to not make eye contact with anyone. Without Maki to keep her company or Strai to dance with her, she wasn't really sure what to do. While her personality was typically bold, she wasn't always the most social.

When she's about to retreat to the snack table, the sound of someone approaching causes her to look up. Meeting eyes with a boy she doesn't recognize, she flashes a big smile full of sharp teeth at him. "Nelu, cool name!" Delphi chirps, her docked tail wagging a few times. "Yes, I come from Heidinn, led by Vidarr. The territory is quite fierce, but not as fierce as me," she winks her blue at him, "the name's Delphi," there's a giggle under her breath before she glances around. "So did you help put this thing on?" She asks him when her gaze falls back to him.

Her attention first turns to Nelu as he approaches. Smiling at her younger brother, she lets out a thoughtful hum. "Definitely dancing! And lots of snacks," she reaches out to ruffle his cheek fur with a paw before he's sent on his way by their father. Next to arrive are a duo that appear from Heidinn. The girls appear eager to join the festivities which more than excites Bramble! She can only laugh as they throw a thank you over their shoulder before heading into the growing crowd. Looking over her shoulder at the growing crowd, she does notice the slim frame of her brother, Silas, slinking by trying to go unnoticed. A quiet sigh, she hopes he'll have some fun tonight.

When she turns her attention back to the front where others enter, her tail is sent wagging at the sight of Tate and his siblings. She can't help but hide the giggle behind her paw as she watches him scuff Erik. Of course, one of them had to always be getting into some sort of trouble. Waiting with anticipation as he approached, she practically jumps into his hug as he pulls her close after he trades pleasantries with her father. "I can't wait to show you everything we've done," she murmurs into his ear before pulling away. Unable to contain her bright smile, she takes the parcel he gives her and looks at him, blinking in surprise. Another token? "Of course, we can dance now," she hums happily, keeping him close as she turns to address the rest of the gathering crowd.

A polite nod to Erik and Akito, Tate's younger brothers, who she was sure would never get into trouble. Then a look at Meadow and Elowen who also gathers shyly by the snack table. And then a meeting gaze with her sister, Dusk, and her friend who hovers close to her legs. Bramble smiles gently, knowing this is definitely not Dusk's "thing," but she's glad that her sister showed up anyway. Then before she moves away, she feels the nuzzle of Ember against her leg and she returns the gesture with a paw ruffle of her fur. By the sounds of it, her younger sister was far more excited to hang with Erik than wait around with her and Art!

Moving away from Artorias, she notices from the corner of her eye the Raider pup show up. A brow is raised in question toward Artorias, but her focus is more on Tate. She also notices her mother who she makes sure to sweep by momentarily and embrace once more as if she hadn't seen her in days. "Have fun, mama," she whispers to Briar, a smile on her face before she slips away into the crowd, pulling Tate along with her.

Once they're in the middle of the floor, with plenty of wolves standing around them, she looks to him. "Are you ready to dance the night away?" Bramble asks, her tail wagging happily and eyes bright with glee and excitement.

As Siduri spoke to Ember, the object of her affection arrived. Briar swept into the room looking lovely and oh so motherly. The girl's multi-hued eyes went wide as the antlered woman came right towards them. Yeah, she was totally making goo-goo eyes at the Hallows matriarch. Needless to say, Briar had left a hefty impression on the pastel marked girl.

A little squeak of pleasure forced its way from Siduri's throat as Briar ruffled her fur. She touched her! "Uh, Mrs. Briar, ma'am..." Sid tried her best to be polite and eloquent and all that good stuff. "It's uh... very nice to see you again. Thank you again for last time. I've never had anyone brush my fur before." Behind Sid, her tail zipped back and forth a million miles per hour. There was no way in hell she could hide just how happy she was to see Briar.

Piratess

Wolves paired up and Dusk watched intently, though she didn't blatantly stare. The dark fae simply made note of who her siblings were getting close to. Though she wasn't outwardly the most affectionate of the young Carpathians, Dusk was fiercely protective of her brother's and sisters. Injured or not, if any of these outsiders got out of line... Dusk was ready.

Gav settled between her paws and promised to be still. Dusk nuzzled the top of his head and went back to being still and threatening. Not to her mother though. Briar came and placed a kiss upon the dark girl's head and Dusk flashed her mom a smile.

Once Briar headed to sit with Artorias, Dusk looked down to her little winged companion. "There's a lot of food over there if you're hungry. Don't feel like you have to stay with me." Dark ears perked as fiery eyes looked upon the small boy. "I'll still be able to watch you if you want to go have fun or eat," she assured him.

"Dusk Carpathius"

Nelu smiled politely at the girl, uncertain how he should respond to the compliment on his name so he just took a stab at it. "Thank you, Delphi, you have a very nice name to." He filed the name away in his mind as well as that of the pack and the pack's leader. She asked if he helped put on the event and he shook his head. "No, I must say I'm better at crafting items than I am organizing social events. I need a lot of practice." Nelu nodded solemnly to himself. He figured it would be best to let the girl know right away. It was simply a fact, not something that embarassed him.