Vitus was frustrated. He didn’t understand why his family seemed to be failing so. Or, at least that’s the way it felt. Every single time Vitus believed they were doing well, that they found a place to put their paws, something else happened. Well, at least that’s how Vitus felt. He wasn’t very good with emotions or reading things like this. All he knew was that there was a new negativity hanging around them, and he wasn’t quite sure what it was. Was it that they weren’t welcome here? That...it could be, but he felt welcome at the meeting. He didn’t understand, and it frustrated him. Every single moment he felt frustrated, he got angrier and angrier. It grew like fire and ice in his veins, blossoming like cancer. It ate him up, and he didn’t understand why! His own tensions were high, he was so strung out he found himself snapping more and more often. It was in these moments that he went away from home, that he ventured out to run, or do some training, or try and find a spar to partake in. Physical was the only way that he knew how to work out his anger. But today, today he found himself sitting beneath a tree, glaring at the water that spread in the distance. His nose was wrinkled as he felt, strongly, the anger and aggrivation of his frustration. It was nearly a prominent feature on his normally stoic face. He sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes tightly. He hoped, a very small but loud part of him, that his mother..that Athena would find him. He loved Amalia, but right now he needed her affection probably the most. She would know what was going on in his head, and how to explain to him what was happening, he was sure of it. "Burn Baby Burn"

Athena peered down at her reflection in one of the many pools of water that lingered around the Mangroves. She still wasn't used to the pools of liquid water that were everywhere around here or the fact that she would walk anywhere she wished without the crunch of snow. She still caught herself from time to time picking her paws up high like she had to step through a snow drift, making her steps look ridiculous in this snow-free land. She looked down at herself and still thought she looked like a foreigner here. Epiphron and her family were all coated in warm ivory and russet. They fit here in the warm temperatures. She and her children were all colors of silver and slate-blue, colors she had always associated with the north. She looked down at her bracelets and back at the marking on her hip and tears swelled in her eyes. Trinkets of long lost family and traditions. A heavy sigh passed her lips and she forced herself to move away from the water's edge and went to find someone, anyone really, to distract her from her thoughts. Her most quiet son appeared in her field of vision first and seeing him brought a smile to her muzzle. It never failed, it always brightened her day a bit when she saw one of her sons, but Vitus in particular always made her smile. She noticed the aggravated crease in his brow and her smile was replaced with a small, concerned frown. She came up along side him and settled onto her stomach next to him so that her side was pressed to his. "Hello, my sweet warrior," she cooed as she tenderly nuzzled into his neck. "What is on your mind?" "Talk" "You" Think

Vitus would be deep in thought before Athena arrived at his side, but when she did settle beside him he'd jolt from them. Red rimmed eyes would quickly look in her direction before he would offer a small, embarrased smile. It wasn't like him to just slip out of reality like that, to let his guard down at all. But he'd drop his smile and curl up at her side just like he'd always done since he was a really small child. Oh he loved his mother to little bits, adored everything about her. Her strength, her wit, her compassion, he couldn't imagine life without her. Without any of them really.They reallywere his entire world, his mothers and his siblings, and they have always been. His lips would curl up just slightly in happiness when she called him a warrior before he'd push his forehead into her fur, as if he were trying to hide in it. Her scent always calmed him, always brought him back to solid ground in some way, and he was happy that she was at his side right now. When she asked what was on his mind he sighed and shook his head. Slowly he'd pull it from her fur and smile at her just gently. "dun g't it..." He said softly. "vrythin' tht's ha-appnd..." He would cough just slightly at the tickling in his throat, closing his eyes and pushing his forehead back into her fur (if she'd let him). He couldn't wrap his mind around all of it, despite his promise that he'd stand strong at her side, and he would! You didn't have to know what was infront of you to be strong. But he didn't understand everything with his father, how they could lose everything in one fell swoop, or where exactly he stood in life. "C-c'n I still...b' a w'rrior?" He whispered softly,closing his eyes tightly.

Her son's eyes would meet hers and she would look with worry at his red-rimmed gaze. However, when he cuddled into her side like he did when he was just a pup she couldn't help but smile. Even as her boys got older and grew up they were still just that: her boys. Vitus had always had a special place in her heart. She was really just glad that his eternally silent days were behind him and he was at least beginning to speak when needed. Her dark rimmed ears perked forward to listen as he explained that he didn't understand everything that had happened. A quiet sigh passed her lips and a sad smile touched her lips. "I don't really understand either, Vitus... I'm not sure it's something any of us are really supposed to understand. Sometimes things just happen and we're left to deal with them..." He nuzzled his face back into her side and she gently licked over the top of his head and ears, grooming them tenderly like she had when he and his brothers were small. His next question made her frown a little and her brows pulled together with concern. "Of course you can, darling. You can do whatever you set your mind to. You're going to be a wonderful warrior one day." She paused, placing more of those soothing licks over his ears before she went on. "I wanted to be a warrior too when I was your age. I wanted nothing more to be strong like my father and mother. I don't guess you've ever met your grandparents on my side of the family... and I doubt you ever will. My mother was one of the strongest fighters around. I don't think she ever lost a fight, even during the war between Glaciem and Valhalla. My father was feared by a lot of wolves. He wasn't a good man, but he was strong. I wanted so badly to be like them... until I met Amalia, fell in love with your father and her, and had you and your brothers. Once I found out what it was like to really love I found out that I didn't want to be the strongest fighter around and I didn't want to be feared all over Alacritis. I just wanted to be strong enough to protect you and your brothers and Amalia..." She smiled and gently licked his forehead. "So I think you inherited that trait from me. Wanting to protect your family is incredibly noble. Let me give you a piece of advice though... Worry about yourself right now. Let me worry about protecting everyone. You're so young and you have so much to learn... When I was your age I had just taken over a pack and had the whole world thrown at me at once. You have the luxury of learning everything you want and just enjoying being young so take it." "Talk" "You" Think