Unity in the Long Night

One by one the rest of the pack filed in after Artorias called for them, first being his daughter. He offered Jane a grin before looking up at the door to see the others as they entered. A woman he wasn't familiar with followed by Serenity, Rudyard, Bowen, and then the woman he was the most eager to see. He grinned as she came to sit beside him and he was more than happy to have her lean into him, returning the kiss she gave his chin with one of his own to the top of her head. He glanced up at Artorias when Eska asked him if he was ready and without hesitation he nodded. "He's ready. He's more ready than I ever was at even four times his age," he said with a chuckle, looking back down at his mate. "He needs to find the confidence in his own abilities, but he has them. No doubt about that." But he wouldn't just abandon Artorias now that Art was officially taking the title. He would stand at Art's side at least until the summer and whenever he was needed he would be there.

Several more walked in to join them while he was talking with Eska and when he looked up again he saw Avantika and Tamsyn up at the head table, though Tamsyn didn't stay there long in favor of going to sit with Kane, and he saw Lilith enter with Romulus, the pair sitting at the table near him, Jane, and Serenity. He caught the sad look on his daughters face and he tried to catch her eye to give her an encouraging smile. Another young woman he didn't recognize joined them and he watched her go up to greet Avantika and he smiled at the sight. There was nothing quite like young love in his eyes. A boy entered and darted right toward Bowen and he realized a beat later this was the boy she had been keeping around. Then came Deion who looked humorously befuddled by the chairs he encountered and shortly after Syanna and Sota.

He almost missed Emile entering entirely, the troubled boy keeping to the shadows around the edge of the room and Ulric frowned a bit as he considered going over to him to see if he could get him to join the rest of them family at the table, but decided against it. He felt like he'd just draw more attention to the boy in the process and make things worse. Gwyn slipped in and went up to join her family and he thought maybe that would round out the wolves they were expecting with the exception of Dunkan, but just as he was getting up to address the crowd he saw his son slip in at the last second, chuckling to himself as he watched Ezra surprise Syanna. Those two had been all over each other since the day Syanna came to live with them and he was happy to see that Ezra was able to make it back from his assignment in Fenmyre in time for the feast if for no other reason than to be with her.

Ulric stood then, standing near the base of the platform where the Carpathius family had sat around Artorias and he waved a paw to get everyone's attention. He waited till the chatter died down and then began, "Thank you for coming everyone. It's a pleasure to be holding the Feast of Unity here again to celebrate a year of The Hallows calling this castle home." He gave a glance back toward Artorias with a grin before looking back to the crowd as he said, "That isn't the only thing we are celebrating tonight. Tonight we celebrate Artorias officially taking over the title of Aegis and becoming the alpha of The Hallows. He has been working and preparing for this for a long time, but I feel that he's more than ready. I will stay as his second in command until the summer, but please, I would love for everyone to join me in welcoming Artorias as our new Aegis!" He hit his paw against the table, leading the others in a round of applause of sorts, handing the festivities over to Art.

Ulric Adravendi