The Silence Is Deafening [Pack Meeting]

Regulus settled himself more comfortably as the pack gathered in front of the boulder. There were new faces; Dagger and Acapella he already knew, and of course Uncle Castiel, but who was the older male, with tear like markings like… His fathomless sapphire eyes found Creed, and it clicked. This must be a sibling of his. Regulus cast the as yet unnamed male a bright grin of welcome before his eyes roved through the growing crowd.

Where was Ganja? He hadn’t seen her in ages. Last he had known, she was sick; but when he’d gone to see her at her den, she hadn’t been there. He hadn’t been able to find the little green and obsidian wolf since, but he’d done his best to tend the little garden she’d left behind. He knew she’d cherished the smelly plants she’d planted there, so he didn’t want her to come back to see them dead and wilted; if indeed she ever did return.

His carmine ears drooped, before his mother straightened beside him, drawing his full attention as he cast a swift glance around the gathered wolves. Miksa was notably absent, still, and his stomach sank, but he listened to his mother. He grinned widely at Varda as she gained the rank of Master Hunter, and his eyes sparkled with pride as Baine was awarded the rank of Emissary. Creed he already knew about, having been able to hear his mother and Creed talking from his own alcove; voices carried well enough in a cave that one didn’t have to strain their ears to overhear a conversation.

At last, he was to learn the name of Creed’s sibling; Crucible. The male looked kind, and he hoped he would be a valuable asset to the pack for a while to come. He tossed a wide smile to his young cousins as they were introduced, and a warm smile was offered to his Uncle as Castiel was officially re-accepted into the fold. And, at last, the announcement of his soon to be born newest siblings made his head lift a bit higher. He was gonna be a big brother, twice over! How many would there be this time? Two again? Ten?!

His thoughts were eclipsed by his mother’s somber tones as she announced the illness winding its malignant tendrils through the lands. He was glad that he and she seemed to be getting over theirs.  He nodded slowly to himself, making a note to keep an eye out for particularly sick wolves.

And then, it was time. His head turned briefly as he gazed at his mother, fathomless sapphires widening briefly as his heart went all a flutter. And were there butterflies flittering in his belly? But there was little time to stay shocked. His mother was slipping from the boulder, leaving him in the spotlight; and for a moment, his mind went a bit blank. Like the most cloudless of skies in summer. And then a cloud appeared. He grasped onto that cloud of thought, forming it into words, and straightened his shoulders, thinking Here goes…

Regulus cleared his throat, and greeted the pack with a smile. Finally, his rich, warm, deep baritone voice, accented in a unique mixture of his mother and grandmother - two of the most cherished wolves in his life - rolled out over the crowd like soft thunder. Like his grandmother, he needn’t raise his voice very far to be well heard.

“Firstly, I want to offer my congratulations to the newly promoted among us. Baine, I’m proud of you. Varda, I know you’ll do your best. Creed,” He turned to the monochromatic Right Wing and smiled. “I hope you’ll be an able partner for a while longer. I value your input, and you have shown yourself trustworthy among the pack.” He grinned briefly and turned back to the pack at large, casting a warm smile to them.

“I promise to you all, that I will do my utmost to serve you well as your leader, and I hope that you will see it in yourselves to allow me to be your friend as well. If ever you need me, do not hesitate to come to me, or call for me. A king that is feared by his subjects is no king at all, but a tyrant. I don’t want that, but I do wish to be respected.” He grinned at them, sapphire eyes twinkling. But, finally, it was time to turn to a serious subject.

“My mother is correct that the silence in the pack is unacceptable. To flourish, we must work together; form bonds of friendship and camaraderie that will survive the tests of time. I will admit that I have been remiss on activity lately, but with help from all of you, I hope to turn that around.” He dipped his head to the crowd, before his eyes swept the gathered figures, a quick count running through his mind. Finally, he went on.

“Our numbers are low, even with those returned, and those who have joined, and those expected to be born. Part of the effort for activity should go toward seeking out new members. If you find likely wolves on your outings, or run across strong fighters on the battlefield, and they seem to be in search of a home, point them here. Try to give as positive of a description of our pack as you can, but be honest with them about our laws and what we require of them.” He would be among those that would be on the lookout for likely wolves to bring home. He hoped he would run across Ganja and Miksa in that time, as well. One could always hope.

“Winter will be rolling in before we know it. Even if you aren’t a healer yourself, I’d like you to help the healers in their search for herbs. The more they can gather and store, the better chance we have to make it through winter without running out of herbs. Like with my mother before me, I expect you to all learn at least the rudimentary basics of healing.” He paused to think for a few beats before he moved on.

“Our Laws and our ranks will remain mostly the same. Though, be warned; I retain the right to make changes. Regarding Trespassers, whomever encounters a stranger within the borders of the pack, is to meet them at first with a firm command to leave, and if they do so willingly, not to harass them further. However, should they prove troublesome, you are free to use whatever force you deem necessary to remove them from the territory, and call for a high ranked wolf. Should this include maiming, you are welcome to do it if pressed. If they still refuse to leave, they face force claiming.” He felt that this particular law needed clarification, thus gave it readily.

“Calls to spar have been, as noted by my mother, nonexistent. This needs to change, starting tomorrow. Those who wish to move up in the ranks of the fighters need to be honing their skills, and bettering them. We need reliable Betas, and reliable Master Legionaries. I cannot reward you for activity I cannot see or hear. When you go to spar with strangers on the Battlefield, someone from Celestial is to go with you to witness the spar. Challenges for high ranks against those already high ranked must first be run by me to make your intentions clear, and then I must be present to oversee the challenge. Be very sure it is the Pack’s best interest you have in mind when you aim for a fight.” A long, stern look was cast to the pack as a whole, but his eyes focused just a little longer on those he knew held interest in fighting.

Faite held potential, that he knew. Dagger had ‘Fighter’ painted all over him in bright red, from his stature, to his build, to his very personality. Castiel was his Uncle, and he knew he had experience in fighting. Three likely candidates to keep an eye on in the following seasons. Faite was, as of now, their only present Legionary. He, personally, wouldn’t have minded having her in a high rank, but maybe that was the brother talking. Crucible, he wasn’t sure of, yet, and Acapella felt like she might be suited to a different path in the Pack. “I will compile a list of pairings for sparring partners in the pack, and share it with you in a later meeting. Thus far, none of you have kept up with your last pairing. I hope from now on, we can do far better.”

He smiled at them, before moving on to the next subject. “We are also painfully short on hunters, and healers. Again, keep your eyes peeled for likely wolves looking for a home.”  He gazed hard at the pack as he went on, branching from the subject of the hunters.   “Which leads me to the subject of Varda’s first pack hunt. Surely, not all of us were sick at that time? So I want to make one thing absolutely clear; when Varda calls for the pack to come together for a hunt, unless you are too ill, injured, or already doing something very important, you are expected to answer that call until we have enough hunters to assist her in a hunt. We need every paw working to keep the pack afloat and fed.”

A long look took in the faces of those gathered before he went on. “Dagger, you will apprentice under Castiel for fighting, Zuriel for healing, and Varda for hunting. I hope you will work hard on your studies, and I will be checking to ensure you are.” A grin flashed over his jaws, fathomless sapphire eyes twinkling. “Acapella, I look forward to hearing of what path you want to pursue in Celestial. Crucible, I’m interested to hear what you have in mind for your own path.” A smile rested on his maw almost perpetually by now as he addressed the pack at large once more.

“While I would be happy to meet with all of you quite often, I will call an official meeting at the beginning of each season, to introduce new members, announce any mothers’ expecting, and announce promotions or demotions – much as I hope never to have to demote someone – and so on.” He cast a quick glance over the heads of the wolves gathered. He needed more time to think over things. So, he straightened his shoulders and smiled warmly at them, sapphire pendent glittering against his vibrant crimson breast.

“Now, I’m sure you’re ready to mingle, or get back to patrols or herb gathering, so I’ll release you for the day. Again, if you wish to speak with me about anything, please, do not hesitate to come to me, or call. Thank you.” He flashed a wide grin at the pack, dipped his head, and rose, leaping from the boulder, though he stuck around to see if anyone needed him. He felt good about today. Hopefully all would be wonderful in the following years.