Lysis had not been absent, merely late to the meeting. She felt entirely unsurprised that the scene that had begun to unfold was unpleasant. The babe would not approach initially; she was content to watch the bickering and quarreling from afar, amazed at how childish some of her family truly was, unconcerned with the threat of familial collapse, merely amused by her father's sudden presence and the chaos he always seemed to bring. Hazel green eyes glimmered from her spot behind a massive pine tree, concealed by it's wide trunk and thick branches. Only when Athena spoke would she dare make her presence known, slipping quietly into the fray, the epitome of grace and femininity despite her slightly undersized frame. Her initial instinct was to run to Drashiel's side, to press her head delicately into his shoulder and to find comofort in his familiar presence. But something about him had changed, that much was obvious, and so no longer felt comfortable turning to him so quickly. He seemed distant now, so far from her, as though in another world entirely. Instead, she foudnd her attention straying to Kyarst, who sat stone-faces and brooding. She wondered where his thoughts lie, and moved to greet him with a tender nudge to his shoulder. Sweet gaze would dance to the wolves that had gathered, only pausing on her father as she wondered if he truly would hurt Kyung. Isardis had never been known as someone who didn't keep his promises - she couldn't imagine why that might change now. "Seems we have a nice view," she commentec under her breath to Kyarst, briefly eyeing Drashiel with curiousity bubbling in her bright gaze. "Small wonder that our father has finally decided to show his face." Her words only held a trace of bitterness; she loved him despite his scarcity, and was hardly able to be angry at him over somethinng out of his control.

Tablet post, ignore typos

THE DEADLINE FOR THIS ROUND WILL BE 7/6. IT IS NOT MANDATORY TO RESPOND UNLESS YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN THE RANK OF RABLE OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE FOR A HIGHER RANK.

Still seething in her irritation for the insolence that several of her family members had shown, her gaze flicked to find Amalia coming toward her with a bundle of red flowers. The sight surprised her and distracted her from her rage, making her blink with surprise. The slightest smile touched her muzzle as Amalia set the flowers at her paws and reached up to place a kiss on her cheek. Some of the tension fell from her shoulders and she chuckled softly. "Thank you, Amalia," she said to the russet-faced girl softly before watching her walk away to sit among the rest of the pack. Athena glanced at Vereux breifly, knowing she would most likely have to explain Amalia's presence to her King soon. She waited long enough for Liberty, Talvi, and Lysis to arrive, all of which she was happy to see, especially Liberty. The Overseer had been an integral part in them surviving the epidemic and Athena knew she could count on her. With a quiet sigh she lifted her head and gazed around at all of them that had gathered and started the meeting in earnest. "Now as long as everyone can keep their peace, I'll tell you why I gathered you here." She gave all of the wolves that had caused trouble pointed looks before she went on, "As you all know by now my father has stepped down from his position as King, and has, therefore, put me in his place. With this change comes a few others, starting with the ranks. Most things will remain the same, but there are some key changes that you all need to consider. Everyone, Bloods, Juveniles, and new members alike, must choose to be an Assailant, Hunter, or Curer. While each of these roles holds particular duties special to them, everyone is encouraged to train in all subjects. Assailants are encouraged to practice their hand at healing, Hunters must train in fighting, Healers need to be adept at hunting, and so forth. I expect everyone to put forth all of their blood and sweat to better themselves and, in turn, the pack. If you do not there will be consequences. The rank of Sentinel still stands as the rank of lead beta. The Sentinel in particular will be in charge of organizing or being sure that others hold trainings in every area. I would like to offer this rank to Liberty who has proven herself more than competent for this role in her time as Overseer." She looked to Liberty with a small smile before pushing on. There will still be two positions for the rank of Overseer. Eris, who I'm sure you all know, has sadly departed from our ranks. She has not been feeling up to par and wanted to move south for her last days and I could not deny her wishes. Because of this and Liberty's promotion, both Overseer positions are open. Prove yourself worthy of these ranks and I will be glad to give them to you. Just remember that it is not a position to be taken lightly. Also open is the position of Knight and Duke. The Kight will act basically as a lead Assailant. They will be responsible for ensuring that all of the Assailants are well trained and ready for war at a moments notice. They will also, should I or Vereux request them to, accompany us on our visits to other packs and the like. The ranks of Duke and Dame will act as my messengers. They must be someone I trust and must be skilled in fighting. Argent currently holds the rank of Dame, but, like any of these ranks, they may be challenged for. Finally, I want everyone to be aware of the fact that although Isardis is no longer King he does still hold great influence in this pack. He will be the Archduke and no one is allowed this position besides him. Everyone is to show him the respect he has earned as the founder of the pack as we know it today." She paused to take a breath and let all of that sink in before moving on to her last bits of news. "I have spoken to the leaders of a few packs and worked out alliances with them. Should you come across any wolf from Arcanum, Ebony, or Tortuga treat them with respect and tell me immediately if they do not show you the same. Also... I recently went to watch a challenge for Valhalla's throne and the challenger won. Erani no longer holds control over the western pack. I will be traveling soon to speak with the new alpha after they settle in." She was sure this bit of news would be interesting to her father at least. "Now, what I need to know is what path everyone that has not decided already would like to take, specifically Talvi, Amalia, Kyarst, Lysis, and Raw. If I didn't list you then I assumed you would be an Assailant, but feel free to tell me otherwise if you wish. Assailant, Hunter, and Curer are all ranked equally so do not feel the need to pick one over the other. Choose what you are the most naturally skilled at. Also, should anyone wish to put their name in for one of the higher ranks you may do so also." With that she fell silent, waiting for them to speak up with their chosen ranks. Speech Thought Others

Never had the pale monster yielded his rage until after a battle, until after his demons lay gasping and satisfied with the damage he had dealt. As the pair would continue to thrash, Isardis held every confidence that the boy would prove to fail in whatever endeavours he had cast upon himself. His mind was clouded with the doubt of his broods, with the boys mothers failures to train him manners and superiority. And so the child would suffer as every failed experiment would, any respect for the youth stripped from the albino?s core, an irritation for his presence that would live long after Isardis gave in to the cries of his Daughter. Any other day and the wrath of his distaste would have rendered the ebony kid?s tongue useless, but today, it would be only the voice of Athena that would soothe his rattling demons and return them safely to the confines of his ribcage. With a hurling scowl and the easing weight of his shoulders, Isardis would retract his assault from the babe with little regret; his core still trembling with an excitement triggered only by the woes of battle. Ruby vision lay harsh against the juvenile, ?It is your disrespect that will cleave your heart from your ribs boy, your Queen will not always be present to shield you from the consequence of your idiocy.? With no mind for the child?s space Isardis would rotate, paying little attention to where Kyung stood; not at all bothered if their bodies would collide in a force of disregard as the ghoul refused to take even a single step. No, it was not he that would yield on his own turf. It was peculiar to see the banshee taking over such a role of leadership, no longer was she the small babe he had preened all that time ago, but a woman with far more order and authority that he would ever have imagined. And yet he was not wholly pleased, as her words of Eris sent a rumble of frustration skittering down his pipes, ears pulling back against his skull in near-shock as he would speak somewhat out of turn, ?Tell me Eris did not leave alone?? the woman had proven to be unfaithful before, but that was not his concern. If she really were as poor in health as Athena so claimed, ?A sickly woman seeing the last of her days in solitude, it is only to be imagined what will become of her. If she left alone you can near guarantee her vulnerability will not cause her death to be of natural causes.? Were no thoughts cast to this? The safety of Glaciem?s people should have been of the upmost importance.

Her father would immediately question her on Eris's solo departure and her gaze would settle on him as he spoke. She had tried her best to keep her expression calm throughout her speech to quell any worries, but honestly she worried about her old friend more than she would ever let on. Her gaze showed a bit of this as Isardis brought up the subject and she replied, "It is what she wanted, father. She wanted to go find her daughter and spend time with her. I could not deny her last wishes, as much as I wanted to." With that she glanced around at the rest of the crowd once more, waiting for the rest of them to speak up either with their concerns or their news of he ranks they wished to hold. She pushed the thoughts and worries over Eris to the back of her mind, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it now. She could only remember Eris and all of the good she had done for her and hope that where ever she was now she was happy. Speech Thought Others

A gentle sigh left her lips at the ridiculousness of it all. They were stupid for opening their mouths when they did not have the courage to stand up to Athena herself -- if they questioned her rule, why did they not challenge her? Velvet nose wrinkled in distaste at so many of her family, though her gaze rested on Athena as her voice lifted over the crowd once again. Quickly she offered ranks out, as well as gave many of them a chance to vocalize what their desired positions were. After a long moment, she would speak. Her lyrics were sweet, untainted by anger, so unlike some of the others that had already spoken out of turn. "I would prefer to be known as an Assailant, if it pleases you," she offered with a smile. Fighting was not her strong suit, and yet she had learned from her father how important it was to protect her home and her family, and she was determined to follow in his pawsteps in that manner. The positions of Overseer were both open, and she felt her chest tighten with eagerness at the possibility of climbing the ranks. Lightly she nudged Kyarst's shoulder, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

As were usual for the elusive babe, he could have been mistaken for being rudely late; but no, the now-yearling was as present as anybody else, simply concealed, hidden. A ghoul who specialised in self control would soon become so talented within his behaviours he could detach himself from a situation all together, however only physically, his psyche ever-present. The teen was intelligent, sharp, calculating; his intellect held an ability for only the most extreme self control, a dark horse who?s duotone gaze stung only with the brewing wit that swarmed his mind, a plague of thoughts constantly learning and adjusting. Isardis was a man of power, control; but in a wholly different manner to the son that loitered so close, so unseen. He was as obscure in his mind as he were in his body, in his unusual appearance. As if the albino gene that plagued his family hadn?t been enough, the youth were stained with irregular area?s that mocked his mothers blue hue as if he had been wrongly stitched by a dressmaker after birth. Still, it would not be his differences that would leave him concealed, he held no less than pride within himself, but it was contained, modest; for he was yet to prove himself, even to his own expectations. Somewhat reluctantly the devious adolescent would stroll with an eerie silence, offering his physical being to the eyes of their new queen. A part of him cried of rogue status, wept of loose fittings; there was no title she spoke of that would fit him. No, he would have to adjust until he knew what he truly desired in life, even if it did not involved Glaciem for some time. He would wait his turn, and even if it were somewhat rushed his tones would slip in as if he had planned it for longer than his gaze could advise, ?Whichever duty welcomes new faces, I assume. There is no calling that begs of me more than the other.? Partial truth, but in all honesty there was little about pack life that interested him? at least for the moment. Alas, he couldn?t wholly be bothered with the sting of his father?s wrath if he chose to stray away; he would never be a canine to give up duty regardless. Athena felt to be somewhat of a stranger to him, but he wasn?t bothered. A leader as a leader, and when you agreed to serve beneath them it mattered little what kind of a leader they were.

Talvi didn't think she had ever seen such a jumbled meeting before, hardly the greatest of starts for Athena's rule though it seemed that the pack had lacked order for quite some time, she wouldn't blame her sister for it at all, only wish her luck in repairing it. At last the actual meeting would begin as the fighting subsided and silently Talvi would listen, her gaze now fixing upon Athena. The idea of those open higher ranks were somewhat tempting though Talvi herself knew that she needed more experience before she would feel comfortable taking one. She would quietly continue in the background for now, keeping up with her lessons as she had been, that was providing that with the epidemic out of the way that they would resume once more. As for which rank to take, the answer was rather easy. Though their time together had been sparse, the blue and silver girl still looked fondly upon those memories of life on the island and her mother's warning of dragons still lingered in her thoughts. "I would also like the Assailant rank."

Drashiel had a pretty good idea of the rank he wanted to go for but he held back for a moment to hear what others were planning on going for. The young male was completely fine in challenging for the rank he desired, after all he wasn't sure what Athena would think of him asking for the rank of Overseer. But if anything he'd stuck around this long and had gone well out of the way to make sure he'd learned the skills he needed. As those around him asked mostly for the rank of Assailant, Drashiel stepped forward. "I desire the rank of Overseer and I am more than willing to challenge or fight to prove my worth." He was tired of sitting around, waiting for others to take the lead. It was time for him to step forward. "Speech"

The hellion had lurked behind in the shadows, watching all the goings on with interest. Amber eyes trained solely on his old sire and the young blood that dared challenge him. A smirk would rise on pallid lips as he chuckled deeply to himself. That child had balls, and it was different to see someone other then himself standing up and turning tail to their father. Defying him against all odds, no matter what the consequences. Yes, that child held no fear. And although it might have been foolish, everyone now knew the truth, despite their attempts to completely deny it. At last, Athena would start the meeting, and he would watch her as she spoke. Although she was only but a yearling, she held intelligence in her mind, yet her body was lacking in comparison. He would not be surprised if someone came to steal away her newly attained crown. Tail flickered behind him in the shadows, amber orbs narrowing as he waited for her to finish speaking. He would watch an exchanging of words before he himself would speak, the rest seemingly wanting to go for inferiority. But he wanted more, he wanted to at least prove his worth in a place he should belong, in a place he could make a difference. "I'd like to strive for Overseer position, should I prove my worth to you, then you shall not be disappointed." He would speak then, striding forth with confidence as he came to stand in the light. Amber orbs stared intently, tail high above his haunches as he wondered how the rest of this meeting would go. Should he fail in his attempt at Overseer, he would settle for Knight until he attained what he so wished. ""

He would listen to the rest that was going on, watching the rest of the proceedings. Although it was no longer important to him, just simply a side show to his sharp mind. Dual toned gaze would turn to Athena as she spoke, and his interest would immediately perk. He wanted to strive for the best he could be, and he would do the hard work necessary to do it. Two would speak up for Overseer, his brother Drashiel and a white male with bloodstained markings. He was both curious and hesitant, for he respected his brother and yet he didn't want to stand down either. "Athena, I too want to try for Overseer. And if not, then I would like to prove my worth as a Knight."



"Speech"
'thoughts'

Athena would sit quietly as several would speak up, naming off the ranks they wished to have. She wasn't entirely surprised to hear almost all of them list off assailant as their chosen profession. It was obvious it would take more than simply telling them that all ranks were equal to get them to deviate from the path of thought that only fighters were respected. The patch work wolf she vaguely remembered as Kuvio wouldn't list a specific rank as he stepped from the shadows and her ear would flick at the indecision. A few would speak up in favor of being an Overseer and she would focus on them. Darashiel she wasn't all that surprised by, he had been an active part of the pack as of late and she knew he had his own ambitions. Raw she had spoken to before and she remembered when he had come to greet Sibelle and Pandora with her. She liked the initiative he showed. And then there was Sin. Of course Athena knew the older wolf from the fight training he had attempted to hold once upon a time and remembered that he had been sick during the epidemic. She glanced around at the rest of the pack, a bit saddened that not more of them had stepped up for these higher positions while they were simply for the taking. Very well, she would have to do the choosing herself. She silently pressed her shoulder to Vereux's, hoping he would approve of her decisions. Lysis and Talvi, you shall be Assailants as you wish. I will be checking on your training closely. That goes for all of the Assailants. As for Kuvio, I'd like for you to be a Hunter for now. Perhaps you can put that sneaking you were doing before to good use, hm? As for the rank of Overseer..." She looked between the three wolves that had spoken up. She had to give each of them some credit for speaking up in the first place, but there was only two positions to be had. "Darashiel, I would like to name you Overseer. You stepped up to help during the epidemic and I appreciate your initiative. Sin... while I don't know you all that well yet, I remember you calling a training meeting once before so I hope you will continue to do the like as an Overseer now. And Raw, I believe you would do well as a Knight for now. I will be keeping a very close eye on all three of you as you settle into your positions and I expect Sin and Darashiel to work closely with Liberty to work on some training sessions, hm? Also keep in mind that anyone is welcome to challenge for Overseer, Knight, Duke, Dame, the like. I want the best wolves at my side." With that settled, she glanced to Amalia and Kyarst, the only wolves not to speak their desired rank. She looked to her russet faced friend first, saying, "Amalia, why don't you try your hand at Curer for now? See how you like it? And Kyarst..." She turned her split-tone gaze toward the slate blue boy, considering him carefully. "Perhaps you can help your brother with hunting." She was sure he wouldn't be too pleased with this, but he should have spoken up when he had the chance. "If any of you change your mind and would like to prove yourselves worthy of a higher rank you only need to meet with me or Vereux later." "All of that being said, everyone is expected to make sure the pack is cared for. With so many Assailants and so few Hunters and Curers, I expect all of my Assailants to help Kyarst and Kuvio with the hunting should they need it. Same to any of you that have any healing knowledge, help out with minor wounds when you can." She glanced to Vereux, waiting a moment to see if he wished to add anything and doing the same with Liberty. Once the both of them had or hadn't said their piece she would stand, hopping down from her perch. "That is all I need from you as of now. Keep an eye out for any trainings that might pop up since I'm sure Liberty will be eager to get them going." With that she would turn and head away from the meeting, glad that it was finally over. Speech Thought Others