The strength of the pack

No sooner had he settled down on the outskirts than a truly titanic male appeared, trailed by two rambunctious fox kits. Seeing them skittering about at his heels made the delicate male nervous, tattered ears pressed tightly to his skull. He prayed they didn't come too close. He ended up sat beside the girl who had come before him, shoulders brushing affectionately. Following after the giant, was the tiny form of the woman he'd encountered at his first arrival. She was no longer heavily pregnant, but smelled rather strongly of milk and pups. Oh, she'd given birth as well! The blind woman settled herself near the fringes as well without a word. Next was Miss Vail, who cast a smile to Miss Shaye before she settled down as well. He wondered if he could spend more time with the pale female, and learn some of her trade. It would be good to know how to help, instead of hurting.

A male appeared next, alabaster marked with burnt gold. He was wholly unfamiliar, and settled himself a fair distance from where Epitaph was. Odysseus came next, and part of the waif felt soothed to know that another familiar face was present. Sure, the giant male still scared the crap out of him when he got too close, but he was beginning to realize the male wasn't here to cause harm. When he settled a few feet away, the male's verdant gaze tentatively sought to meet with Odysseus' and offer a tiny smile. He'd been trying to make friends, but he wasn't doing the best so far. Then, a young female marked in shades of brown arrived and settled into the throng wordlessly. She still bore the scent of a loner, faintly.

Spider arrived, the male who had tried to help him in the beginning of his stay. His heart stuttered with excitement, hoping the familiar male would come closer. He was eager to thank him further for his help, and perhaps try to make friends. He'd been so kind, it would be foolish not to attempt to repay him in some way. A trio of brown tinted youths skittered in jovially, not too far apart. They chattered amongst one another as they settled in. Next came an unfamiliar, dark pelted male who was completely unfamiliar. He was completely forgotten as a behemoth of a male entered, coloured like blood spattered snow. The sight of him pulled a whine from Epitaph's throat, though he tried to suppress it. When the male joined with the massive pale beast and the female from Miss Shaye's birth, the distance between them became an assurance. The last straggler came in the form of a pale female, marked with familiar shades of gold that he'd seen similarly on the male earlier. Were they related? She settled down near Odysseus as well, on his other side.

“Thank you all for coming, Winter hasn’t been an easy season, but I have seen many wolves stepping up to face its challenges. It has been decided that there will be a great few changes in Abaven today. Tana, Epitaph and Spider. Today, you will be moving upwards to join the ranks of Ranked healers. It will be your duty to answer calls of aid within Abaven, to practice your craft, and to spread that knowledge to any in Abaven who wish to learn. In lieu of a new one, your rank'll keep the name of Tansy, and the names for apprentices will become Saplings. Congratulations” and just like that, the ebony male was left reeling. Him, a healer? It was unprecedented, really. He wasn't sure what to do with this newfound rank, and worried that he wasn't worthy. Was this no more than pity from Miss Shaye, after he'd spent so long roaming about aimlessly? A reward, perhaps, for caring for the children? “There is still room to grow, and those that wish to move higher in the ranks of healers, speak with me after the meeting” He knew he wasn't ready for such a promotion, but part of him made a mental note to ask about it later on. He did live in her den, after all. For now.

"Thank you," he stammered, desperately trying to conjure up a smile to cover up his deer-in-the-headlights expression. His brain was whirring like the fan of an overheated laptop. Then again, could that simply be her way of telling him to move on? That she wanted her own space, and was sick of caring for him? He was in fair health now, and perhaps had worn out his welcome by this point. The rest of her speech was lost as his brain bounced from possibility to possibility, and dreamed up explanations for her decision.