So it was said and done. Valhalla would be going to war. It was a rather unwilling fight, brought on by the hellions of Glaciem. Azalea's frustration remained bottled up, aside from what seeped out through her eyes and lips. She had never been good at keeping the emotions off her face and sometimes her tongue refused to yield. Chrysanthe had asked to see her after the meeting so when the meeting ended, Azalea trolled off slowly while her aunt spoke with those who wished a quiet moment. She had moved herself to the edge of the rolling the prairie, seating herself to wait for the wolf that nearly mirrored her in looks. How had that happened? Genetics were a funny thing and Azalea had never met her grand parents to know just how much they resembled Chrysanthe and Epiphron. Well, at least her grandmother did. Finally she watched her aunt turn toward her, the last wolf moving off in the opposite direction. As Chrysanthe approaches, Azalea stood up, her face still refusing to smile or look that way it would normally. Her face was... rather bleak at current. "Chrysanthe." Again she was at a loss for words, her lighter brow spots fixing together for a moment in a look of open frustration, "We will get Gideon back." There was raw determination in her voice.

Valhalla's reaction to war surprised the woman. She had been afraid to drop such heavy news onto her members, but they rallied opposed to shrinking away from the challenge. Of course, she would take whatever steps that she could to making sure that they were ready for this - training warriors and hunters, filling in the ranks, anything to prepare her pack for a war that she felt somewhat responsible for. The alpha was proud of them, for accepting their training, accepting the future and not falling into a rut much like she had. Although Gideon not being beside her threw her off immensely, they were enough to get her to open her eyes - they would get him back, and she wasn't doing it alone. Once the meeting cleared out she would turn toward Azalea, and she managed a smile at the girl waiting diligently at the edge of the field. She looked more somber than Chrysanthe was used to seeing on the lively yearling's face, and it didn't take long to realize why. The young woman looked at her a moment, managing her name before finally she said what was on her mind. Chrysanthe could only imagine how those solemn words were the tip of the iceberg. Azalea had been one of the few that was there when she and Gideon both lost their battles. It was hard - and her heir had witnessed that first hand. "Yes, we will." She nodded, but nearly faltered at the fire Azalea's eyes. In her words and figure, she was a true Adravendi, and a damn good choice to be Valhalla's heir. "Valhalla doesn't back down, much like it's leaders." The woman would subtly motion toward Azalea herself. "Azalea - I wanted to speak to you, I've needed to for a while." They didn't talk enough - it seemed that the yearling was both busy and finding herself in her travels most of the time. Although her aunt wasn't sure exactly where she went, she knew that the girl had a taste for exploring. "You have to know how much I trust you. You may feel like the title is big now - but I believe there's more to you than your title." Even now, despite the honor that went with it, Azalea was Azalea first and that was that. "You were willing to fight against Glaciem without knowledge of them, on nothing but my orders - and that's something that not even Cormalin was willing to do." "I know I didn't let you fight on the battlefield, and maybe I should have - but I didn't do it because I don't trust you, I just didn't want to see you hurt." She felt a small swell of embarrassment at the statement - heart to hearts were not something that the headstrong female was used to. But for her family, she would make an exception. "And I can't do that anymore, I know that - it's just with you being family I want to keep you safe." Really, it was the struggle.

"Yes, we will." Her voice was solid, with an almost unnoticeable hitch as their eyes met. Azalea nodded back at her aunt. "Valhalla doesn't back down, much like it's leaders." This however threw the young gal off, her face turned unhappy or perhaps it was better called uncertain. "You didn't back down. Argent was a formidable oppenent for even the best fighter and you were already injured when you fought Sendoa. It could have been much worse." She didn't even want to imagine the casualties that had been possible. "Besides, you did fell the great king Isardis." There was hostility in her tone at the mention of the pink lord. "Azalea - I wanted to speak to you, I've needed to for a while." She licked her chops as she grew silent to listen intently. "You have to know how much I trust you. You may feel like the title is big now - but I believe there's more to you than your title." Her words made Azalea's heart swell, the tip of her tail twitching in the beginning of a wag that she suppressed. "You were willing to fight against Glaciem without knowledge of them, on nothing but my orders - and that's something that not even Cormalin was willing to do." "I know I didn't let you fight on the battlefield, and maybe I should have - but I didn't do it because I don't trust you, I just didn't want to see you hurt." Azalea said nothing, having not the moment to nor the words to give back. "And I can't do that anymore, I know that - it's just with you being family I want to keep you safe." She shook her head at Chrys, "Isardis wants to hurt everyone I know and love. My loyalty to this pack is unfailing. My trust in you could never be shook. You did what you thought was right, maybe it frustrated me at the time and maybe I still wish I'd been given a chance, but I would never betray your wishes and I sure as hell wouldn't do in front of those Glaciem assholes." Some of her spark was restored. Azalea came down to simple things, she was a wolf named after plant stuck between the muster of her father and the compassion of her mother. "So, whose butt do I get to kick first?" She teased lightly. "Sparring, I mean."

It could have been worse - but it didn't help her wishing that it had gone better. The alpha had hoped that she held more within herself, but in the end, she had failed her mate. Her heir's sarcasm did manage to pull a smile from her lips though, and she nearly shook her head at the anger buried deep within her words. That fire - that fire there would do the girl good, Chrysanthe held such high hopes for her beloved niece. If anything happened to her when they went to war, she trusted that Azalea - so very soon to be of leadership age, would be able to step up. "If only my council in its entirety held that manner of thinking." She worried for and about Cormalin, besides the meeting she had been busy and she supposed he had been as well. Getting ahold of him was hard. "I wouldn't be so worried about this upcoming seige." That same fire worried her to no end - because what would she not do for Valhalla? What were her limits? Her unyeilding loyalty was both reassuring and terrifying, because there was always the chance that she could make the wrong decision. And yet she was more soothed than put on edge by Azalea's words. "You will get your chance, I promise." Oh she would definitely get her turn, they all would - especially with Syrinx at her side. Her hellion of a brother was going to give them all hell - but she trusted him. Some may see her as foolish by doing such, but she did. No matter what he did, he did it with family in mind. For Valhalla he trained as an heir, for Eos he had gone to Glaciem, and for his children he had returned to Valhalla. Now, for her, he was helping her leading what would soon be a formidable army toward their enemy. "As soon as the first training call is made you'll get your lessons and a sparring partner. I will be there - maybe it'll be me - and I won't go easy on you." Her comment was given with a teasing smirk of her own. "But you'll be fine, I'm sure of it." The woman would be foolish to let her guard down for her heir. The rest of Valhalla would be as well.

Chrysanthe smiled and it made Azalea's heart burst with joy to know that she had managed to pull it from her. "If only my council in its entirety held that manner of thinking." She knew instantly that she meant Cormalin. The beta had not engaged in a fight and while that had saved some bloodshed, he had been told to seize Taurig. Why had he froze up under direct orders from his leader? "I wouldn't be so worried about this upcoming seige."

If anything, Valhalla had been made to look foolish on the battlefield. Members who were told specifically to stay away had come regardless, Gideon had mouthed off, and Cormalin had refused to take action. Glaciem had held a solid front. The wolves of Valhalla needed a reality check because when it came down to it, her pack had caused the bloodshed to happen.

Azalea sighed evenly. Sure, she was hot headed and young but Azalea could plainly see their pack divided. They were all soft, not used to war. Not that Azalea was either, but she was prepared for it. Among the few to see the bloodshed first hand, she knew what to expect.

"You will get your chance, I promise." Azalea straightened up, anxious for a good spar. In the back of her mind however, she knew that it would not be. Things could not exist as they were and it pained her to give her aunt false hopes. Soon enough the girl would be making a life changing trip and she had no doubt that her family would strongly disapprove. Everything had to remain secret.

"As soon as the first training call is made you'll get your lessons and a sparring partner. I will be there - maybe it'll be me - and I won't go easy on you." Azalea grinned at the challenge. "But you'll be fine, I'm sure of it." A light roll of her eyes followed. "Hey now, don't tell me that, the fight is always more exhilarating when you don't know how you'll be at the end."