knock knock! (SIEGE)

Everything seemed to stand still for a time after the young girl stepped out before them to halt their rush. She had questions but Kassander hesitated, taken slightly aback by the calm, curious gaze. Not at all what he'd expected in a pack of killers. He stood hesitant and silent as another appeared, this one more aggressive as he'd expected them to be. And then her.

Aerndis.

It had to be, and his brother's words confirmed it. Kassander bristled, but Sigmarr and Sindri moved to neutralize her, and he did not - it was their fight, their demon to exorcise, and he had other things to worry about. At Aern's words yowled to the pack he twisted to face Arcanum's so-called warriors. Nothing happened at first in response to her call, and his ears dropped back in agony at the snarls of the fight between his siblings and their would-be killer. He needed to help them, he couldn't just...

Warriors were trickling in now though, and he straightened sharply, eyeing them as they continued to wait. Wait for what? Ah - for the young wolf of his age who marched up to him. That was odd... he'd been under the impression that the bitch who led Arcanum was an old woman. She told them they were... trespassing? Of course they were... hadn't she heard him call? He was trespassing on purpose! He did hesitate when she said something about her mother, but he shook the hesitation away. Clearly nothing had really changed here if it was a place Aerndis was welcomed and given rank. The same family of wolves still had control, the same wolves followed, and they'd continue to cause the same destruction and pain and chaos unless they were stopped. Head up, he sought to take a step toward her, hackles bristling and head and tail forced into a threateningly dominant position. "Regardless of what this pack calls itself it is the same pack and the same wolves. The same crimes, the same punishment. I am Kassander Xanilov of the Kingdom of Ebony, and for the crimes of this pack against the wolves of Alacratia..." he took a quick, steadying breath. "I am declaring war. Surrender now and dissolve your pack or we will put all of you in the dirt and disband your pack anyway. There will be no discussion." He readied himself, his stance settling into the warrior's stance he'd been taught by Fender and Sigmarr, a clear invitation and threat.