The meeting - and all the subsequent drama that came from merging two disseparate groups - was finally concluded. As she'd stated she would, the viking waited where she was while those who would be leaving the pack, and those who were not interested in gaining a rank trickled away. Kassander remained behind, which was good because she would need him. Had he not chosen to on his own she would have been forced to interrupt his mourning and goodbyes to request his presence there anyway. Fewer remained than hoped for, but more than expected considering the less than ideal circumstances.
"I will not hold you here long," she began as it became clear that this was the group that would remain to seek ranking among the warriors and healers. "But before you would test to swear these oaths I feel it necessary to be certain you fully understand what you will be swearing to. Any wolf of any rank may be able to hunt, or have the skill to defend themselves or even to administer first aid. But the ranks of the thegn and the eir are the elite, not simply for their skill but because of these oaths.
"To be considered among the warriors and healers of Yfir you must swear to place your service to Yfir as a whole before your own self. Nursing mothers, the elderly, and pups must be fed before the warriors themselves eat. Warriors must gladly give their lives in battle to protect the pack - to hold back from protecting your pack for reasons of morality or cowardice is to be unworthy of the rank you will hold. Warriors and healers alike must swear to put the good of the pack even before their own individual families. Your mate, your pups, your parents and siblings are no more important than any other mate and pups or parents and siblings this pack may hold and if you are to be among the elite you will swear to uphold this. Your loyalty cannot be divided between your pack and your family; your loyalty must be with the pack, and the pack alone.
"To that end you will be expected to maintain an emotional distance from those wolves not part of Yfir, even beyond the normal loyalties expected of pack members. I would not ask a warrior not to defend a stranger or a healer not to heal those in need but the elite will be expected to avoid developing an emotional attachment to those not of Yfir. Someday you may be expected to fight them, and holding back because you have feelings for a wolf may mean the difference between life and death for a packmate. The pack must always come first.
"If you cannot swear to these oaths I do not care how talented you are - you should leave now." She stopped now, waiting, to see if any would leave, before she continued. "If you are certain this is what you want, I will be testing all of you. To become Thegn you will be tested in both hunting and in fighting, and to become Eir you must prove to me your knowledge of healing. If your skills are not at the level I would hope you may still gain a rank as dreng or skald, the junior warriors and healers, where you may gain more experience and seek to try again another time. Now..." her vocal patterns changed slightly from the cadence of a speech, to that of getting-down-to-business. "Those interested in being Thegn please step forth for testing."
OOC: Anyone interested in their character being a warrior should post before Saturday. Healers can post here too if they really want but they'll be tested separately, in a different thread.
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