Before Bass called the rest of the pack together to discuss the plans of attack, he needed to talk to Lark. He hadn't seen the boy as much as he would have liked since he had returned from his travels, and it was about time that he had a chat with him. There was something very important that he needed to talk to the brown wolf about, to his son that reminded him the most of himself. He was strong and level headed, and just as devoted to his training as everyone else. There was something that he saw in Lark that he did not see in his other children though, which was the desire to lead. Starling was an excellent healer who was very much devoted to his passion, but at times did not have enough faith in himself. He hesitated, which he didn't see in Lark. Finch had a hard enough time talking to those outside the family, and Sparrow... Well perhaps Sparrow. Shrike was a very energetic boy, but he jumped in before thinking sometimes. All of his children had some sort of leadership quality, no one was better than the other, but he saw it the most in Lark. Pausing at the sides of the rapids, the Azat tipped back his head and let out a call for the boy now. Sitting down, he curled his tail around him as he waited, a scowl on his maw. There was certainly a lot to talk about, his plans, and his ideas for the boy's future. It all depended on if he took what was offered though, this was no position that he wished to force on anyone. But after Allen left, he realized that he needed some security if anything ever happened to himself, someone to take over Abaven. An heir. "Speech"

Lark felt nothing but joyful when he heard his father's call. Bass was a busy man - especially now that he had returned from their trip and was busy getting things in Abaven back in order. He was lucky, and grateful, when he was able to spend time with him. Without any expectations, he would head toward his father's call. He had grown a bit, even since Bass had first left, now standing half a foot taller than his own dad. Still, he felt much smaller, not necessarily in stature but in position and importance, though it didn't bother him at all. It was nice to have someone to look up to, and he would chose none other than his dad for that role. As he drew closer to his father, who stood at the edge of the rapids, he nodded solemnly to his father. "Everything alright?" came his first, slightly-worried question; his expression spoke volumes and he wasn't sure if he liked the thoughtful look on his dad's features. Slowly he would move to sit at his father's side, settling to his haunches, his emerald gaze locking on Bass with intense curiosity - and a bit of subdued adoration that he could not shake around his parents.

His son wasted no time at all coming to his side, and was quick to greet him as well. He couldn't help but notice the worried tone to his voice, and was fast to offer him a small smile. "A lot has happened recently, Lark..." he said slowly, ears pulling back at the thought of Novella's fall and the loss of their neighboring pack. Not only that but the loss of his friend Allen, who had always been there for him no matter what. "I wished to speak to you on a few things though, as well as hear your thoughts on a matter of interest." Golden gaze met green as he looked up at his taller son, still in awe that he had surpassed his own height. He swore that they were all getting bigger by the day. "As you know, Threar has fallen. Sin took it from them even though they did nothing to provoke him. I have plans to lead Abaven, with Imperium's aid, in a siege against his pack." He paused, looking over Lark's features to try and read his reaction. "When Allen heard of my plans he disagreed and left, even though I have no intention of going to fight without speaking to the rest of the pack. Allen took his family and left Abaven, and I do not know where they have gone," Bass stopped again, clearing his throat to try and hide his sadness and disappointment. "And what are your thoughts on the matter?" After listening to Lark's reply, he only hesitated for a few heartbeats before moving on to the next topic. "I also wanted to ask where you interest lay. I know that you are a strong fighter, but have you ever thought about leading?" His brow raised, waiting to see if the boy had any idea where this was going. "Abaven has no heir. I wanted to ask you if you would like to have this rank, and begin your alpha training." "Speech"

Though Lark was generally serious, it was difficult to contain a small grin from creeping onto his lips when he greeted his father. He returned the expression with a slow nod of respect, his tail flicking lightly behind him. Quickly he spoke to him, saying that a lot had happened. Curious, his ears pricked forward, his eyes shining with interest. Before he could even think to ask,  Bass would begin to explain what he meant. Novella had lost Threar. He knew that they had some family there, even if they were distant family, but the loss of them was still a bit disconcerting. Considering it, he wrinkled his nose, eyeing his father still. Though he looked down at his father, just slightly, he felt infinitely young compared to him and figured he always would. The thought of battling the wolves that had taken Threar was surprising to him, but he felt a swell of pride deep within his chest at the thought. "Will I be allowed to fight?" He asked quickly, not even considering the fact that Abaven might not want to fight. Why wouldn't they? His voice was eager and his ears perked excitedly at the prospect of being allowed to go to war. It was even more surprising that Allen had left over this before Bass hadn't even discussed it with the pack. He couldn't imagine leaving Abaven over something so silly, even if he disagreed with it entirely. Shows where his loyalty really lies, he thought bitterly to himself, With himself, not with Abaven.  He'd never disliked Allen, but he felt a swell of displeasure rising in his throat at the thought of someone leaving their home, their family, so easily. What did he think of the matter? "I think we should go to war," he started surely, after considering it for a moment. "Some of Threar was family to us, so it only makes sense to do that," he offered with a shrug. The possibility of fighting was exciting to him too, and he had no doubt that Abaven would be victorious, so why wouldn't they fight? The talk of his future seemed to be on Bass's mind too. His brows furrowed as the words washed over him, his mind reeling in a different direction. The thought of leading had never crossed his mind, though defending his family and pack was something that he could imagine doing easily. But actually being a leader? He wasn't sure if he would fit the role well, not like his dad did. "I don't know," he admittedly slowly, but honestly. "Do you think I'd be good for it? I just never thought about it much."

ooc;;/ Ahmahgerd I totally forgot about this thread, so sorry! D: Bass couldn't help but smile up at his son if he asked if he could fight, his head nodding eagerly. "Of course you can fight. Nothing will please me more than to see you fighting for your pack, as well as your family." he said softly. He was very proud of Lark, and could see a lot of himself in this boy. He was still shocked with how fast they were growing up, it wouldn't be long until they were two years old, and were very capable of starting their own families. Oh boy, that made him feel so old. He had not expected to have his first liter so soon, there was only two years that separated his first litter and himself, but it still felt like it was a lot more than that. Taking in a deep breath he chuckled as seeing how excited Lark seemed to be about the aspect of going off to battle. He realized that Lark hadn't done much more but to practice fighting -- that he knew of -- and this would be his first real war. A pit of worry settled in his belly, he knew the downfalls of a siege, but did Lark understand that? He had no doubt that there was no concept of losing in his mind, but it was still something that one had to think of, to weigh the pros and cons. "If we do siege against Sin's pack, if they win, we could lose our home. If Abaven fights and is not successful, Sin could strip Abaven down to the very bone and leave us with nothing." Bass' voice was soft, golden eyes meeting his green gaze to see if he understood the consequences of all of this. While it felt amazing to defend those that you cared for, there was still a lot to think about. A leader had to know what was best for everyone, and not just react based on emotions. There were a lot of wolves who depended on an alpha's word, and it was something that he really wanted Lark to understand. Lark shrugged it off, saying that they should fight. He could tell that his son was devoured by the excitement of battle, and Bass sighed softly. There was still a small smile on his maw, but there was much that Lark still had to learn. "As a leader, you have to be able to think from all sides. While we would be defending our family, wolves could get very hurt. Are our warriors ready for such a thing, or are they too under trained for something like this. We also have allies, would it be worth it to call in assistance or try to brave it alone? Are we willing to risk the lives of other wolves that are not part of our family?" he asked, only a few of the very questions that he had fought with himself. There was always a lot more to think about than most thought, and to be able to get through all that excitement. Their conversation rolled forward, as he proposed a rather large proposition to the yearling. His words came out slowly, and Bass could almost feel the uncertainty from the boys voice. "You remind me a lot myself, Lark. Did you know that I was your age when I started Abaven? I had no idea what it really took to be a leader, but I just jumped into it head first. I had to learn as I went, and stumbled a lot. But for you, you can have time to train, and you have me and the rest of your family to help you. I have no plans on dying or vanishing any time soon, it could be many years until you would even have to lead Abaven on your own. But for now, I will always be here at your side." Bass said, bumping his shoulder gently against his darker son. "You don't have to decide right now, I know that it is a big question to ask. Just... think about it, okay? You can tell me when you make your decision." "Speech"

Fighting didn't sound terrifying to him.. only a little bit. More than anything, it sounded quite thrilling. The prospect of protecting his family and Abaven was quite exciting to him. Though he had never really done any sort of protecting, he'd always known he would defend his family with his life. His siblings, his parents... there was no question he would fight for them and for the freedom of their family. He inhaled sharply as his dad spoke again, his eyes alight with passion as they fixated on him. But this wasn't all fun and games. He knew that, even though he was young, and even though he'd only fought in practice before. "I know," he replied somberly, nodding slightly. They could lose their home - they might have to flee, for their safety, to a new land. Maybe even far away from these lands. His brows furrowed as he thought over this. He sobered considerably at his father's next words. He'd never considered himself as a leader. Not of a pack... though taking care of his siblings, and the desire to protect them, came quite naturally to him. He would nod slowly as he considered the words spoken - there were many facets of this war he hadn't considered. Wolves getting hurt. If the healers were experienced enough. If they needed to call in help. If their allies were worth getting hurt over this. It was still strange to him that his father considered him worth to lead. Not today, maybe not next year. But someday. He exhaled softly as he looked away, into the distance, eyeing the lands that he had always known as home. "I can't imagine having a pack right now," he mused gently, sounding quite uncertain. "I feel like I still have so much to learn..." And definitely not enough knowledge to know how to run a pack.  But his father wanted him to learn, and wanted to guide him. He would nod, his expression both serious and slightly perplexed at the same time. "I'll think about it, of course." But could he really say no to what Bass wanted? Surely he saw potential in him, if he'd asked at all.