down but not out

As the defeated defenders trickled in, Corbie quietly poured them a bowl of tea and murmured a few words of greeting as she nudged the bowl in front of them. Even Balian, though the wolf-sized bowls were a bit small for the large horse to stick his nose in easily. She made a note to herself to make sure to have something better next time. Finally she settled back down before the group with her own bowl, and heaved a sigh. "Yes, we failed to defeat the invaders," she began bluntly. "And I want you all to know, it is very important to me that you all know and understand, that I do not blame any of you in the least. There is nothing to blame you for. They are wolves who spend their lives training specifically to take things away from those who create, while we spend our time creating and nurturing. Our way is healthier, more fulfilling, but I gave too little thought to those who would rather take. I assumed that our neutrality would be a shield, and so this loss is on me, not you. You all tried your hardest with what we had and that's all I could ever ask for." She took a moment to sip at her tea, gathering her thoughts and letting them take in what she'd said already, before she set a serious gaze upon them again. "I obviously do not have the experience in battle to plan our defenses and properly train guardians for the pack. I will be turning over the leadership of our fighters to someone more experienced and capable of myself, a beta dedicated specifically to Avalon's defense. I am offering this position to you all first, as those who have already shown yourself willing to defend the pack against long odds. It will be a lot of work and expectations for whoever is willing to take the position, so I want whoever volunteers to be absolutely certain they have the time and ability to truly help our guardians reach their potential. If none of you feel up to the task, I don't want you to feel discouraged or ashamed. It's no shame to be cognizant of your own limits or desires. I would still like all of you here to share with me your ideas for improving our defenses against future raiders." She smiled grimly. "We know that this will not be the last time they, or someone like them, will target us thinking we are easy meat. We must do what we can to teach them otherwise. So," she said briskly. "Volunteers? Ideas?"