This was the final straw. His family's pack was now gone and his family members scattered. Abaven didn't have enough room to hold them all. His steps were heavy as he stalked towards the lands of Imperium, a snarl on his face. He reached the knolls and paced along the borders, his anger very clearly seen. Trying to at least settle his hackles he called out for Valentine. Wouldn't be the best thing to be all huffy standing at another packs borders, not the best impression to leave. But being this close to the battlefield Bass was sure that he had heard Sin's call for Threar, and Cascade had been there as well. Surly he knew that it was led by some of Bass' family, and he knew that Valentine of all people knew what that was like. He had a very close relationship with his mother and her pack, just like Bass had had a close relationship with his aunts pack. Maybe he would understand, and allow him some aid. Plus, his scout had gone out and let him know where they had settled, and he didn't think that Valentine was aware of that yet. "SPEAK!"

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Valentine blinked. What was this? Bass again? On the heels of that challenging howl, the King doubted this was a friendly visit. He knew next to nothing about Threar - he'd only met the alpha male who ran it once - so the relation between the two rulers was lost on him. Valen did, however, have a good idea about the winner of the challenge. Of course he could be wrong, Threar could have prevailed but a greater scheme had been unearthed, but his gut told him that wasn't the case. Strolling up the clearly ruffled Azat and deciding to play dumb since he only had guesses to begin with, Valentine teased, "What's this? Bass Destruction at Imperium twice in one season? Might want to be a bit more stealthy next time, Azat, or wolves might start talking." He almost - almost - tacked on a wink, but decided there was a line there that he was unwilling to cross. Clearly something was amiss.

Bass wasn't going to lie, the words that tumbled out of Valentine's mouth stunned him to the core. If he wasn't so pissed off, he would have keeled over laughing. It did help in settle a bit of his anger, scowl turning into a smirk as he eyed the taller man. "Dammit, were my intentions that clear?" He murmured. Tail lashed behind him though slightly, turning his once pacing body to face the ruler of Imperium. "But anyways..." he started, yellow eye flashing with his not-so-hidden aggression. "I am sure that you heard the challenge for Threar. I will give you the short story, the rulers were my aunt and uncle. They are now without a home, and Abaven is already too full to take them all on. Some of their members have fled, and there are a few cousins that have vanished all together. Little to say... I am not happy. Threar did nothing to gain Sin Armada's attention, I would have thought that he would have gone after Sonticus after what my son had told me happened. Also there is something that I think you would like to know as well." Bass paused, taking a deep breath as his ears flickered backwards slightly. "Sin claimed Vericona plains." He knew that his mother had once resided on those lands. He had no idea if Valentine knew about Sin or had any relations with him, but... it was something that he thought he would want to know. Talk of his ideas could come after. "SPEAK!"

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Bass' retort brought a flash of a grin to Valentine's lips and then both males sobered; the Azat of Abaven growing fierce and the Rex of Imperium adopting an all business demeanor. They got down to business quickly. "I am sure that you heard the challenge for Threar." Valentine nodded and then away Bass went, parting with a rapidly delivered run down of what had happened. In all honesty he felt little for the wolves of Threar. Their plight was not his and their home was not and had never been his to defend. He did, however, understand where Bass was coming from. Would he not have felt the same fire for Arcanum had Cataleya lost it in a challenge? "As far as I can tell, Threar did nothing to gain anyone's attention for any reason," he said mildly, if somewhat contemptuously. It struck him as funny that in life a pack could make so little noise but in death it could stir up a hornet's nest. Nonetheless, the mention of Vericona Plains had his attention. Valentine tsked. "What an unfortunate choice." Sin, eh? That dirty, blood smeared fellow from his spar challenge? Hm. Well, that wouldn't do. While Valentine certainly disagreed with Sin's choice of lands and would readily take some kind of action to remedy it, if Bass was getting at what Valen thought he was getting at, he was going to make him work for it. "What are you getting at, Bass?"

They certainly did get down to business rather quickly, but he liked that about Valentine. He could always scoot passed the simple nonsense talk. And this certainly was a conversation that didn't need any small talk. His head nodded along with the taller mans words. Threar was a very quiet pack, they didn't do much but keep to themselves. There was no reason that they should have been overthrown. When Valen tsked, his ears pulled forward again. He saw that he had captured his attention. Good. This was the hook that he had been hoping for, to capture the alpha's attention. "I came here to seek your help. I intend to siege Sin's pack, and was going to request your aid. In trade for your help of a few members, I am willing to fight for the capture of some slaves, as well as owing you a... favor." It was how Abaven worked. they loaned out fighters in trade for a favor being owed to the pack. It could be training, herbs, hunting, anything that they were in need of. It worked out well for Abaven, and he wondered if Imperium would be interested in the same thing. "SPEAK!"

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"I intend to siege Sin's pack..." Ah, there it was. Jumping straight to the worst possible thing, eh? Who was this man and what did he do with Good Guy Bass? Did he realize just how much Cataleya had rubbed off on him? It was within Valentine's personality to siege over something like this. To maim and claim, to humiliate his enemies over slights. Not once had he ever considered the possibility that Bass was made of similar stuff. The talk of slaves and an owed favor was enough for the King. His people would fight for that; if nothing else, it might be nice have a small collection of Servus to do his bidding. That, and the promise of a favor went a long way. He also had an inkling that a certain northern pack might be interested in the spoils of a siege. The King was looking for a way to cultivate a trade relationship between the two packs. Perhaps... Valentine nodded firmly. "You have a deal, Bass. If," he placed careful emphasis on the word, "the time comes for Abaven to siege that pack, Imperium will give aid." Confident in the prowess of his fighters, Valentine felt there was much to be gained and little to be lost in such a venture.

The silence that spread between the two alpha's did nothing to calm his nerves. That was all that he had to offer, and he knew that he would need the support of more warriors. He was unsure if all of his pack members would support him in this, he hadn't even called the meeting to talk to them yet. Ears flickered back somewhat, maybe he had gone about things in the wrong order here. The sight of Valentine nodding his head brought his full attention back to the taller man, a small smirk on his maw. He did not miss the emphasis on the word if, which had Bass nodding his head along with the man's words. If. Nothing was set in stone just yet, not until after he had talked to his own pack though. To know that he had Imperium's support lent him some strength though, giving him more courage to call his pack together. He was a bit wary that they would owe Imperium a favor, but he knew that Valentine was a fair man. And a family man just like him. As if so solidify his own thoughts he nodded once more, he nodded his head again. "Thank you Valentine. If the time comes, I will call you and your members to our lands for the meeting." There was still a lot of planning that he needed to do, and weighing the options. If Abaven lost, Sin could decide to get rid of his pack, leaving even more of his family without a home. Yes, there was much to think about indeed. Tail flickered idly behind him, until he realized that he was still sitting at this mans borders. "Oh right, I will go now. Unless there is anything else?" He asked, wondering if Valentine had any questions for him. "SPEAK!"

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He was excited by the possibility of a siege, the chance to flex muscle and show off. Not since the lackluster siege against Lydovne had Imperium had the chance to engage another group in a large scale test of prowess and even then, it hadn't been much of a test. They came, they saw and they conquered with no effort whatsoever. "Oh right, I will go now. Unless there is anything else?" Hm. Well, not really. This was Bass' show, after all. He'd come to the borders not the other way around so if he didn't have anything more to say it was probably time to part ways. The Azat had a lot to consider. "Can't think of anything off the top of my head," he murmured. "I think you best be getting home, Bass." As an afterthought he tacked on the words, "Stay too long and wolves will really start to wonder."

At Valentine's parting words, Bass chuckled and shook his head. He stood and turned, and he flicked his tail and attempted it to swat at Valentine's flank. "I can hear Cascade spreading the rumors already." He said with another laugh. The dark purple woman would be one to start something like that. And how much had he changed, in his earlier days he would have been mortified at any suggestion of the passes that the taller man was making. Grinning to himself, he dipped his head before heading off to his own lands. He doubted that this was the last time that they would see each other again, it seemed to be a habit of theirs. -exit Bass- "SPEAK!"

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