Hallelujah (I'm Not Dead)

He wasn't sure what reaction he had been expecting from his father with the declaration that he wanted to challenge for the position of heir, but what felt like a slightly dismissive nod was far from what he had anticipated. His ear flicked, the only shift in his otherwise neutral expression, and his golden gaze shifted away again to sit and bear the rest of the pack's responses. Ciná listened to the few others that spoke after him - most notably the older man that he thought was named Greed that spoke what they were all thinking and Infrit that spoke up saying that he and Vulcan had discussed wanting to challenge for the position of heir as well. He didn't look toward his brothers, only letting an ear swivel toward them to acknowledge he heard. He couldn't care less what Infrit and Vulcan and schemed among themselves while off with their father, abandoning this pack and their family that they seemed so interested to lead. Ciná didn't necessarily even have a craving for power or an interest in the title, he just didn't want to see the others get it unjustly and he wanted to take a stand that would force his father to see him.

Eventually his father finally got on with the rest of the meeting, surprising him slightly - and probably everyone else - with an apology for his accusations and for leaving without telling anyone. He gave his father a slight glance from the corner of his eye when he mentioned that the second apology was specifically for his children, but didn't let his gaze linger there long and a short huff of a sigh passed though his nose with a dismissive flick of his ear. Well at the very least he didn't expect them to forgive him. He didn't know how Celosia felt about the subject, but it was more likely for ice to stay frozen in a fire than it was for him to forgive his father without some real change and proof that he was going to treat them better. He still didn't and couldn't understand how he "didn't mean to" leave without telling them, but he wasn't going to get any answers now.

Then a list of mentors and mentees was listed off, ignoring most of it until it got to him being paired up with Tyto. He hadn't interacted with the tan and black man at all, but he supposed any mentor his father wanted to stick him with would do fine. Like Onyx had pointed out, they had been training just fine on their own. After that Cináed let his gaze drift off over the arctic tundra that surrounded the ship again while his father rambled on about other pack related things. Keeping livestock, penning up some wild predators, some nonsense about festivals that would probably never happen and that none of the other packs would want to attend. Going to the tournament that Ashen held showed him that their pack was either unheard of or disliked. It had been easier to just not mention what pack he hailed from. Yes, he was bitter and angry, but he didn't think it was without good reason.

He was certainly interested in the talk of raids once that came around, but it was yet another thing in the list of things that he would believe when he saw it. Talk was cheap and he was tired of hearing the noise. He sat dutifully like the proper son he was until his father was done speaking and finally ended the meeting with an invitation to speak and letting them know they were dismissed. He was more than happy to finally be done with this so once they were dismissed he rose to his paws and walked through the crowd to start making his way down through the ship until he made it down to the ground below and started walking out toward the pines.

Cináed Praetor