If you looked closely you could see that her pregnancy was starting to show now, there was a roundness to her stomach, not overly noticeable but Novella herself was all too aware of it. At least this time nerves didn't grip her in the same way they had on the last occasion. She had still gotten rather sidetracked with everything though, she ought to have called this meeting days ago but the waiting of course had allowed the news of more pups settle into her children's minds before she brought it up in a pack meeting. Now at last the time had come to call that meeting, the opportunity to inform her pack of all the good changes and developments that were currently taking place for Threar right now. On a personal note she certainly was feeling better, stronger again with Frith once more at her side as she let out the call for the pack to join her, far cheerier than the mournful tones that had filled her last howl for pack and family to gather.
He was able to just barely tell of the life that was blossoming within Novella's womb, surely by the end of spring they would have more little paws scurrying about the territory. They'd allowed the information to their children, but today the rest of the pack would learn of the news. Just as their small family deserved the pack needed a reason to celebrate. Sadness had gripped them for far too long.
The couple would leave the den together, both radiating health and confidence as they made their way to the packed earth that was the meeting place. As Novella tilted her head back he would join her, almost losing himself in her beautiful voice as they called together.
She knew her mother would announce the uplifting news at the meeting. The new season had begun with a wonderful start for the Authors. The news had only been exchanged with herself and her siblings, and now the pack would hear it.
Paws strolled past her parents' presences. She addressed them with a cheerful nod, adding a second nod as a greeting to her unborn siblings. She would seat herself close by, awaiting the arrival of the rest of Threar. The thought of becoming an older role model excited her. The pack needed more paws for teaching and training. Although, judging by the size of her mother's swollen stomach, the pups wouldn't be due in a while. She could wait, patience was a virtue she had.
By now the news had settled to an extent in the boy's mind. It still was rather unexpected, he hadn't anticipated the possibility of new siblings. He'd heard about other little Destructions being brought into the world of course but the idea of his parents having more blindly hadn't actually registered until they shared the news with them. He was happy, his parents certainly were happy after all and looking at what he knew from the rest of the family, more siblings would surely only be a blessing. Now, he couldn't wait to meet the little things.
Now his parents were calling again, this time for the entire pack, not just their children. He figured everyone else would probably be learning about the new pups very soon and to be honest a part of him was quite curious to see the reactions everyone else had, perhaps only to find out if anyone was even nearly as stunned as he had been initially. Amongst the first to arrive, Aslan quietly settled down beside his sister, greeting his family quietly before waiting for the rest of the pack to arrive.
When the timid girl had heard the call, she had nearly jumped out of her skin. Her eyes widened as she slowly shook as she rose from her very secluded resting spot. She slowly waltzed closer to the call, unsure of the purpose of the meeting. Perhaps she was in some kind of trouble or part of some kind of public humiliation... no, she had to stop thinking like that. Novella and Frith were not going to hurt her. The war waged in her head as she walked out into the meeting. She hid towards the back while trying to conceal herself within the surroundings through she had little success in the manner given the large amount of noise she was making. She gulped.
A meeting. These were certainly not one of Sorrel's favourite things in the entire world. He still disliked the crowd of people gathering, even if the pack was small and made up of family it was besides the point, it didn't make the meetings any more fun at all.
He would attend of course, either hiding beside his twin who hadn't yet arrived or typically hiding out towards the back certainly not wanting to draw any attention to himself either way and with the latter option had the opportunity to make a quick getaway as soon as the meetings ended. There was already someone hovering at the back as he arrived and the boy had to do a double take as he realised he recognised the girl. "You." He of course had never learnt Hecate's name but was stunned to see her here. "You're here?"
Unaware of the children that would be joining the pack soon, Legend was aware that Novella would probably be announcing his promotion. He would have to go out in a few days to the battle field for the search of a spar or two. He had to get ready to teach the children the art of fighting. It wasn't all defense, but he didn't want them to strive for all attack.
He would come to the call, walking past Sorrel and more to the front of the group. He would stay standing in the center of everyone, looking at Novella and Frith, waiting for whatever they had to tell everyone. Of course he was excited about his promotion, but he was sure they pulled everyone together for other things as well. He just hoped it was all good news.
Winter was spent in sickness and recovery. Thank goodness for Sorrel, though where his mother, father, and sister had gone he didn't know. But Sorrel was still here, as well as many other family members, so 'licien didn't feel alone. Félicien would leave his den, stretching his body at the call. Meetings were something that, unlike his brother, he did truly enjoy. So different, mirrors of each other, but all the stronger for it still. He was a little later than intended upon arrival, but surprisingly Félicien had stopped to smell some of the plant life on the way. He was never good with their names, but even if it was just trying to figure out stuff to get Sorrel, well, that was worth it right? The golden boy liked to help others... and had grown out of his problems of dealing with folks in power.
Upon arrival 'licien would seek out his twin and, surprisingly, saw that pretty newcomer again. She had been a bit strange but, not unkind. Seeing Sorrel addressing her the boy would pad over to him, smiling gently at Hecate. "So you two know each other too?" 'licien would ask both of them, his bi colored eyes shining. "Listen to me talk,"'but read my thoughts.'
It feels good to finally have some good news to share with her pack. Frith's thoughs appeared to have be true after all, that life did continue. As she had told Aslan though, she would never forget her parents, would always miss them. There were still so many wolves here that needed her though, and she needed them too.
They began to gather, her children first and surprisingly Hecate silently joining at the back as well. It was good to see that the timid girl had attended though Novella still worried for how fearful she was. It truly would be slow progress though the pack was certainly full of kindly wolves. Sorrel perhaps wasn't the greatest example of that, a rather quiet boy himself though even he would speak to Hecate now. A surprising yet appreciated fact. Was her nephew finally coming out of his shell?
Finally once her little pack had gathered she glanced around happily at them. "Morning all. I have some good news for you today." She informed them as she started the meeting. "Firstly, we are slowly growing in numbers through wolves joining." She cast a brief glance to Hecate now though didn't linger, under the impression that the girl wouldn't want to be put in the spotlight. "But the pack will grow again very soon as Frith and I are expecting our second litter." She paused to let that news settle in, she was sure there would be congratulations later from Legend and likely Féli as well.
"The new season isn't just bringing new life but promotions as well. Legend has now taken the Action rank." She would glance to her brother, the biggest promotion certainly though not the only one. "Félicien and Sorrel, I would like for you two to move to the rank of Chapter. I trust you'll be able to help our new Prologues reach the same goal one day." Féli had certainly proven helpful already, Sorrel possibly needed a little more encouragement himself though maybe this new rank would help.
"Many of you know that we are allied with Abaven, though we recently acquired new allies in the North. The wolves of Glaciem; they may visit us and equally I'm sure their alphess Odette would welcome you to visit them as well if you ever fancied the journey." She would pause again now, leaving Frith to add anything if he needed to say anything and of course for her pack to say anything they wished.
He would greet his family as they arrived, a quick nuzzle and a few nods later and everyone seemed to have arrived. He'd almost forgotten how few their numbers had become. Though he knew they had more on the way he still felt almost... disheartened? Even with their good news he felt a cool feeling of disappointment. However he was sure not to let it show.
Novella gracefully took the lead, her adoring husband only nodding at appropriate intervals to back up her words. Pride was obvious on his features as she mentioned their new pups, his gaze turning bright as he lookd to his prologue children. They too would soon be moving up the ranks, just like Varda had asked. Eventually she would quiet opening up the floor for himself and the rest of the pack. "As an added note to you all, be cautious if you choose to leave pack lands, it's much more dangerous out there than you realize. However, should you be out and find a friend in need of a home do not be afraid to bring them to us." He was unaware of his nephew's previous encounter with Hecate, hopefully his words would encourage them to think about bringing those in trouble back with them. He wouldn't say much else though as his eyes roamed the other wolves before them. Did they have anything to add?
Eventually the entire little pack had gathered. His Aunt Symphony, Uncle Gitan and cousin Cerise were still missing though amongst the little crowd there was a wolf that Aslan hadn't seen before. Féli and to his amazement Sorrel were both sat near her now, he wasn't sure he'd even had a conversation with his quiet cousin before but apparently someone else had succeeded in getting the man to talk.
His parents soon held his attention though, even if some of the news was already known to him. Those new little siblings, he would glance around at the other faces, just to see their reactions. Would they have anymore to say on the matter than he? Had he reacted in a completely stupid manner or had the stunned silence been perfectly acceptable?
There was other news though, not just the new litter. Uncle Legend had been promoted to one of the Plot ranks. The importance was a little lost on the boy, it had been a while since anyone had held the position of a Plot and he certainly hadn't been able to attend any of his Aunt Symphony's lessons before she vanished. His cousins were now Chapters though and he and his own siblings of course the Prologues that had been mentioned. Would he be up there with a promotion one day?
An alliance? Politics were a little fuzzy, he'd never had to learn about them after all. He knew the wolves in Abaven were family and friends, that they were welcome to visit but he hadn't realised there was any formal term for that nor that it was a common thing to develop alliances with others. He had a sudden growing urge to visit these alliances, with his father's warning though perhaps it would be best to have someone else travel with him to Glaciem. Varda maybe, or would he have to take someone older?
She was perfectly content with the lack of attention towards her, only Frith and Novella truly noticing that she was there until a boy came along. This boy was familiar indeed and not necessarily in the best way. He questioned her being here and she ducked her head to hide it, as if it would make a difference. Then another wolf, one who had heard her singing, came over and asked if the both of them knew each other. She slowly raised her head, trying to keep her calm no matter how hard it was proving to be. "H-He h-heal-healed my s-sho-shoulder." The words were terribly stuttered which made her cringe a bit as she searched for a reprieve of social interactions.
Luckily this reprieve was presented to her in a timely fashion as Novella started to speak. She talked about numbers growing and then announced that she was pregnant with Frith's children again. Hecate made a mental note to congratulate them once the crowds had cleared. There had been only a brief glance to Hecate and she was thankful for not being placed out of the group as the new kid. After that it was all pretty boring, announcing new ranks and new allies. Frith then stepped up to speak, announcing that leaving pack lands was dangerous - lucky for Hecate she had no plans in stepping off Threar territory any time soon. With those words finishing up the alpha's speeches, she sat there awkwardly.
Most of the speech was already stored in her mind. She wouldn't pay much attention until new information came to her ears. She briefly glanced at her cousins and uncle, who had all been promoted. One day, that would be her being promoted a high and proud rank. At the moment, she could only dream of her future position and work towards it.
It seemed Threar had recently formed an alliance with a northern pack by the name of Glaciem. She didn't know much about politics and alliances, but perhaps it was something she could learn in the future. Visits were welcome to the new allied pack, was that something of interest? However she was a little young for the journey and adding on to her father's note, the lands outside of the pack were deemed dangerous. Perhaps this was something she would have to discuss with her parents at a later time. For now, the thought would be neatly tucked away.
Before Hecate had a chance to respond to Sorrel's rather rude question, the two would be joined by Félicien. Mismatched eyes would fall upon the form of his twin as the boy asked a question of his own. Apparently he had met the timid woman as well then, though Sorrel was still surprised to find that she was here in Threar.
Though she hadn't barely spoken a word to Sorrel she would answer Féli's question now, stuttering that he had healed her once. Well he'd done what he could without any herbs though it seemed the shoulder was well enough now which was good. He wouldn't say anymore on the matter but sit back instead as his aunt began the meeting.
More kids? These ones had only just grown up, far too much in Sorrel's opinion especially when you looked at Aslan. How had the kid grown to be that big? He didn't really envy the height of course, certainly not wanting to stand out like the giant did but it still didn't make much sense how one day this tiny puppy had grown into this big oaf.
The news that stood out the most however was his promotion. He of course sought to improve his healing skills, wished to possess the talent his mother had but hadn't thought of advancing through the ranks at all. It was a pleasant surprise for the boy, apparently others were noticing he was getting better. A small smile would find it's way to his features, proud at that realisation.
It would appear his twin had healed Hecate's shoulder. Félicien would give a soft smile, shooting an approving look at his brother. "I see. Sorrel is the best around here when it comes to patching someone up." He would give a wink, glancing back to Hecate with that gentle smile still upon his face. Yet, there was not time for further interaction at this moment since Novella and her mate would begin the meeting. Gaze settled on them, but he wasn't prepared for the wonderful news.
Tail would start wagging a mile a minute when he heard they would be expecting their second litter. This was wonderful! His uncle was promoted to the Action rank, and even he and Sorrel were promoted! He didn't feel he deserved to be in the next rank, but at his age it seemed silly to keep him back much longer. It just meant that he was going to have to work even harder to prove himself to the rest of Threar. There was even talk of another allied pack, which was wonderful in it's own right. Thank goodness there was so much positivity going on in the pack for once. He couldn't hold back any longer, barking out.
"Congrats on your second litter!" The young man would look around him, gaze shifting back to Novella and Frith. "This is all wonderful news! Maybe we could all do something together to celebrate? Some sort of pack hunt or something!" A large grin had found it's way to his face, his excitement bubbling over.
His breath would be taken away to the word of their new litter, and though Novella spoke of his promotion and new allies, it would be of little importance to him even though he waited for her to be done speaking as well as Frith and anyone else.
"This is joyful news!" he spoke loudly with a lot of emotion, "To the both of you." He nodded at Frith as well.
More nieces and nephews, how wonderful. The family was big as it is, but he supposed that there was never too much family. They surely had a great wall of them to protect each other.
After being sure that everyone got their word in, he would then speak out only to tell what was planned for himself. "I would like to have everyone meet up at least once every few months. We will be holding spars to learn or build on what you all know. I will call for you when it is time." He looked around with a smile before looking back to Novella. He was so glad that they could all move past Novel and Dutiron's funeral.
They rest of the pack would rejoice in the good news it seemed, cheer spreading all around with congratulations sounding from both Félicien and Legend. Her nephew would suggest some sort of celebration event for the good news whilst Legend would point out his plans for training for the future. It was certainly good to hear, they all needed to get some regular training started once more.
"We shall certainly keep that idea in mind Féli, it will be nice to do some things together, if anyone else has any similar ideas then please feel free to suggest to us." Hopefully group events would benefit Hecate as well, allow her to settle into the pack and come out of her shell a little more. It was good to see that both of the twins were trying to help with that as well.
"Alright, well that seems to be all for now then, so feel free to return to your day." She added, dismissing the pack with a smile. Things were indeed looking up and hopefully would only continue to go uphill from here. She would of course remain in place herself, just in case anyone else had anything they wished to say to her and Frith without the rest of the pack listening in.
Hecate had slowly been making steps back towards the tree line because of the attention she had recieved from Felicien and Sorrel. She still was not use to social interactions with wolves she did not know very well, the exceptions being Frith and Novella since they had given her more than she ever dare ask for herself. When Novella said there was nothing more to discuss and that every wolf could leave if they so desired, Hecate made a bolt for her small little den that she had dug out. She took a few deep breathes as her run simmered down into a trot before resulting in a fast-paced walk. She scolded herself for doing such things but her nature was difficult to change and running was part of her nature.
Nervously the girl crawled into the small but decently roomy hole underneath a giant tree near the falls to settle down. That was enough experimentation with pack life for one day. She dug up the cache that she had left there right before the meeting had begun. She pulled out the small and scrawny rabbit that she had caught and began to gnaw on it. She wanted to think about how good she had it in Threar, but the uncomfortable feeling from the meeting prevented her from doing so. She wanted to thank Frith and Novella for allowing her to live on their land for nothing in return but she could barely get a word out to them. How was she to get better?
