Wolf Totem
Pack Meeting
Acere
Master Fighter (275)
Master Intellectual (245)
Knight
13+ Years
Male
131
Dragon Mod
One by one they would arrive. Heloise of course, was the first to answer his call. He smiled warmly at his mate, crimson gaze remaining on her for a long while before Tyranis and two of his sons arrived. He dipped his head to him, and to everyone that came after. Nearly all of Winterfell had arrived save for a couple faces. Namely his nephew Miach and a male he vaguely recalled that went by the name of Konstantine. Many of the members present he hadn’t seen much of, but he hoped that after today they would strive to be more active and participate in the daily life of the pack. There was a lot of news to share and discuss today. Mentors and apprentices, the upcoming Winter festival, promotions, ceremonies and...the birth of his first litter. The thought of what Heloise had told him a couple of days prior still made him giddy and he couldn’t help but to try and stifle a grin, only to fail when he thought about it. He had thought about keeping it to themselves for the time being, but he simply wouldn’t be able to. He was going to be a father for the first time, and he had no shame nor did he want to hide the fact. He was excited for what was to come. To have a family with his beloved mate and share the excitement with the rest of the pack. Sure, they had puppies galore already. But his litter would be the first born within the halls of Winterfell.
After a minute or two of waiting to see if the remaining two members would arrive, Acere was eager to start. Rising to his paws and stepping forward, he looked out over the gathered wolves and cleared his throat, indicating that the meeting was about to begin. "Thank you all for coming. Today marks a very special day. Not only is it our first official meeting as a pack, but we have many things to discuss. Please bear with me, there is...a lot of information and news, though I promise it'll be easier after this. First off, I’d like to start by saying thank you to our members who have contributed significantly to our Northern family. Your deeds and hard work have not gone unnoticed, and I aim to reward you for your efforts. That being said, those who have not yet contributed due to reasons of your own, I request that you please start showing more initiative. Winterfell is a large pack now. We’ve grown quite quickly in a matter of weeks since our rise, and I wish to see you all rise in the ranks as opposed to remaining at the bottom." Gaze moved over each wolf, knowing they knew who they were that weren’t doing what they should be to further themselves. "I have given plenty of time for everyone to settle. The pack should be bustling with activity by now. If you’ve not met your pack mates, then meet them. If you require assistance, ask. We are here to help each other. To strive for higher goals and to build one another up to our full potential. If, however, you feel Winterfell is not what you want, you are welcome to leave. I am not keeping anyone here against their will," Barring the pups, of course.
Taking a deep breath, he eyed Tyranis and those he knew had been working and training hard. "Our first order of business today, is promotions. When I call your name, please step forward." Perhaps it was a bit formal. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, as the alpha, he was going to do things how he perceived to be the best way to do it. "Tyranis Praetor. Heloise Cel Mare. Dragon Ancora. Fracture Artifact. Ignis Praetor. Actaea Praetor. Drake Ancora. And Wyvern Ancora." He waited a moment for those he named to take up positions at the head of the gathering. He looked them over for a moment, a smile on his lips as he looked to each one. He had thought long and hard about who would be promoted based on how hard they had been working and their experience as well as a few other key things. He would start with Tyranis first. "Tyranis, you were previously placed in a position as a Knight. However, you have proven your abilities several times over and have proven both your trust and loyalty to the pack. With your experiences as a fighter, a tactician, and a former alpha, today, I name you... Hand of the King." While they had their differences in the past and a rocky relationship before, Acere knew that no matter what, he could count on his nephew to have his back should he need it. And Acere, of course, would do the same for him. He was putting a huge amount of trust in his Nephew with this position, but he knew he could do it given the time and opportunity. With his previous experience as an alpha and in politics, Ace felt it was the right choice. He quieted for a few moments to allow Tyranis to get words in should he choose to before continuing. "Heloise. You have dedicated yourself fully to the betterment of the pack, given your undying loyalty to your Crest, you have trained hard and you have shown yourself capable of facing and overcoming even the most dire of situations. As of today, you are a Knight of Winterfell." He smiled at her, his own heart swelling with pride for her achievements. "Dragon Ancora, you were previously a knight upon joining Winterfell. I have watched the way you and your companions work together, and I’ve seen how hard you work despite your blindness. I've even had the pleasure of fighting a tiger alongside you, and, against all odds, you show undying loyalty to those around you, and a willingness to work with others and help others without question. As of today, you are now Winterfell’s Lord Commander. With your experience as a fighter, and previous experience as an alpha, I expect you to guide those beneath you and train them well." Another moment of his own silence before continuing to the next promotion. "Fracture, I have heard of your feats of courage and bravery, and I have seen your honor and ambition. You’ve not only done well within the pack, but you’ve worked to bring members within our ranks and helped them feel welcome. Today, you have earned the position of Knight. I expect you to continue working and training hard, as well as helping your fellow packmates and protecting the honor of your pack and family." Honestly so far, he was very proud of them. Though he wasn’t done quite yet. "Ignis & Actaea, I will promote the two of you together. As brother and sister, the pair of you have worked incredibly hard in your respective interests. Since the both of you were pups, you’ve worked hard and trained hard, and took every bit of knowledge you could to further your skills. Today, Ignis, I name you a Knight of Winterfell. And Actaea, I name you an Emissary of Winterfell, or if you prefer, Archmaester." He would give the choice to her, knowing she had an interest in both healing and diplomacy. He felt giving her the freedom to choose and going from there was the fairer option. Turning his attention to the Ancora siblings, he added "Drake and Wyvern Ancora. As of today, both of you will train as Squires of Winterfell." Before long, they would be ranked further, he was sure. They seemed like hard workers and had no doubt they were as ambitious as their father. "Congratulations," Crimson gaze fell over them with pride before settling on Heloise. She had done extraordinarily well, and had done a considerable amount of thinking. Yes, he had a special role for her, but...he would keep it to himself for the time being.
Instead, he decided to continue on and get to the rest of the matters before getting to the personal news. "Next up, I will be pairing apprentices with mentors today. I know it is a bit late, but I've seen some of you taking the initiative to train yourselves and learn from others. After today, mentors and apprentices are expected to train daily. They are the future of our pack and this world. Mentors, do your best to teach them." He looked to the pups as he thought. He hadn't yet met with each personally, but he'd seen them here and there and even from his foxes learned where their potential interests might lie. "Tornadic, you will be paired with Souzan. Tyto with Gryphon. Idalia with Cloudburst. Volcanic with Dragon," The last pairing had been an easy choice. Dragon was blind but he knew how to work around his disability and felt he could help the crimson boy the best. "Tsunami with Heloise. Incendio with Fracture. And lastly, both Altair and Theta will train with me." There would be more apprentices in the future...but they were not yet born. "Mentors, get to know your apprentices. Their strengths, their weaknesses. Build on them and help them grow. They are counting on you for support and guidance." He eyed the gathered and looked to both Ignis and Yurei for a moment. While they were not in apprentice ranks, Ace didn't want to leave out Yurei's training as a healer nor Ignis' interest in it. To Actaea he said, "Actaea, I'd like you to take both Yurei and your brother as apprentices of sorts. Yurei has an interest in healing, and, thanks to you, so does your brother. Teach them what you know please." As the packs only healer, he felt this the best course. Perhaps Yurei and Ignis could even train the next wolves who took up healing as an interest in the future. Looking to Tyranis then, he was sure his nephew expected to be paired up today, but Ace had a plan for him. "Tyranis, I want you to help with training them as well. You'll get your own apprentice in due time, however." He fought to hide the smile that threatened to overtake him. And this time he succeeded. Barely. "As for Squires, you're expected to learn and train under the pack as a whole. Mentors, please aid them and teach them as well. Training Squires is a joint effort. And as of today, all pups will be ranked as pages to begin training." There, that took care of all the ranks.
With promotions and apprenticeships out of the way, it was time to move on to the fun stuff. "Now, I've something a bit more interesting and fun to discuss. This years Winter Festival, also our first festival, will start on the Winter solstice and will be a week long event. Expect there to be competitions of all sorts. Spars, sled races, hunting, and more. The details will be worked out as we get closer to the start of it, and any who wish to contribute ideas are more than welcome to either here or in private. Other packs will be invited, and the event will be held in one of the nearby rogue lands. I expect you all to be on your best behavior as you'll all be representing the pack, though that should go without saying." He trusted his members not to start any trouble and to present an honorable front to outsiders.
"Now, those who had been previously ranked as a Knight and those who were just placed as a Knight, a ceremony will be held for you. Same goes for those who were ranked higher as well, and we will celebrate with a feast. Your actions and commitment to the pack will be recognized through your Knighting ceremony or what have you, and it is a time for us to relax and have some fun together." He paused for a long moment as he looked at them before his gaze finally fell on Heloise where he lingered for several long heartbeats. He had thought about announcing their news today, among other things. And of course, surprising her with something else. He really didn't have to think about what he wanted to do for very long, if at all. It was a no-brainer. He loved her with all his being.
One last thing..."I know there has been a great amount of information shared thus far, but please bear with me. There is another piece of news I'd like to share with the pack as a whole," He stood tall and proud, his gaze finding Heloise once more. "I have decided to take Heloise as my mate. Not only that, but...we are expecting, as well." Whether or not the others thought they had jumped the gun, he didn't care. He had gotten time to get to know her, and he could not deny the love they shared. The fact that they were expecting pups not only helped him to recognize how much in love with her he was in, but it was something he had thought about before he was told. "With that said...Heloise," He stepped down from his vantage point and moved to stand in front of her. His heart pounded painfully against his chest, but in a good way. This was a huge step he was taking - that they were taking - "I have had the greatest opportunity and pleasure of getting to know you. I cannot deny that what I feel for you is true. You've been the greatest thing to come into my life, and you've changed it significantly. So I would like to ask...would you give me the honor of marrying me?" He waited with bated breath, though a huge part of him knew she would not deny his proposal.
Ooc// Next rounds due by September 3rd! posting order is not important so post away! Ace will respond accordingly to posts instead of waiting till after everyone has posted. Mainly for those promoted to get words in if they wish. Sorry for the long, long post. Winterfell's first official meeting so there was a lot to be said. Assume he also talked about the other events that the pack is gonna have (info for those can be found on the pack page and will be updated shortly). Additionally, marriage ceremonies are a thing and ceremonies will be available upon request! Knighting ceremony will be held in a separate thread. Thanks for bearing with me guys! Mentors and apprentices are encouraged to get to know each other and start training as soon as possible, and don't forget about the activity check! |
