He won! He had won! He had not only defeated, but he had blinded his opponent! His smile stretched far, showing the blood and fur around his maw and teeth. He wasn't too injured and Sparrow had already looked to his wounds. He was just proud. Could he wear this blood forever? How else would everyone know he had blinded his opponent- that he had won a fight? Coming into the clearance, he noticed all the wolves. There were so many! No wonder they had defeated the other pack! There were his siblings, both older and younger. The boy went up to his older and biggest brother, Angelus, "Did you SEE what I did? Get it? See? Because I blinded the guy? Both eyes. POP! Did it! He's blind!"

She was a little unsure about coming to this party. She knew she should- she was the alpha's daughter! She wanted to represent her pack nicely. She carried more herbs as a good offering. The trek wasn't terrible, and Sparrow made it in time for the party. She spotted her father and offered him a smile around her pouch. She then worked her way to her aunt Rhythm and Valentine. Setting the herbs down politely, Sparrow kept her head low in a sign of respect, "Thank you for allowing my family and I to celebrate with you. These are some herbs. Mostly things for pain. I thought it would be fitting after winning a battle." The fluffy girl drew back and offered a smile before growing a tad anxious in the tall alpha's presence.

Sparrow turned away after a final, small bow and her eyes immediately landed on another familiar coat "Ash!" She called softly before looking at the wolf beside him. Was that wolf even taller than Valentine? Slowly, she made her way up to the pair. She smiled at both of them, taking in the immense being that was next to Ashmedai, "I'm Sparrow, Bass's daughter- Ash already knows, but I'm not too sure who you are... Probably family of some sort." Sparrow would break eye contact with the two boys, clearing her throat. They were so tall and not chocolate or snow colored. So different from her own family, and yet, kind of part of her extended family since her Aunt Rhythm was with Valentine, "Did, uh, did you both do well in the war?" When did talking become so hard?

He had taken his time getting to the 'party' mentioned in abaven. He wondered how lame it would be, seeing as how abaven was quite boring. Not at all anything like he'd expected, let alone what Allen had described. The longer he stayed, the more he felt like he'd been fooled. He still felt like an outcast, but maybe that's what his life would be. He'd become an outcast since the death of his parents and the disappearance of his twin siblings. He needed something to help him forget, or at the least, take his mind off of it. He had thoughts about leaving abaven, sure that nobody would miss him in the slightest. As he arrived at the gathering, he dropped the two rabbits he was carrying and then loped off. No nod to Bass or anyone else, the broody grump just...walking at a short distance to see if there was anything of interest. Although, he has to admit...these imperium wolves were pretty impressive. How had he not not found them first? "Talk"

Hati paced all the way back to Imperium after the siege with his blood-stiffened hackles still raise. His blood was still up after his battle with the other pack's alpha, red still hazing the sides of his vision and his agitation clear in the way he held himself. He wasn't done fighting; if he could have he'd have taken the bastard's other eye too, but the cat had sneak attacked him and distracted him, leaving deep cuts along his cheeks under his eyes, and letting the maimed alpha escape. It was infuriating, but by the time he'd gotten loose of the cat and turned on him even the cat had vanished like smoke.

He had slunk along behind the group as they'd returned with a shiny new pair of slaves courtesy of Valen's heir and that Cascade woman, and a planned feast and party with Abaven. Hati wasn't the least bit interested in parties when he wasn't in an aggressively hostile mood, let alone when he was, but he didn't trust the idea of a group of strangers hanging around the packlands spying on them either. If a problem broke out he'd be there, guarding Valen's back and his... brats. He'd sulked beneath a rare tree and licked what wounds he could reach, and tried to keep the flies off what he couldn't though his bear skull kept the insects off his facial wounds, until Valen called the group together.

A faint growl under his breath as he stalked in. Speaking of Valen's brats... he cast a wary glare out over the group until he spotted the three of them crowded around Valen with their attention fixed elsewhere. Last thing he needed was little Rhys trying to cuddle him or something. He shuddered.

Still stiff-legged and exuding distrustful annoyance he moved to stand at the edge of the washout, body hunched and head lowered like a bulldog and beneath his mask his eyes glowed hot and gold as he stared with suspicion over the intruders. He wasn't here to party - he was here to guard.

OOC: There was a lot to respond to! If I've forgotten something please tell me!

Birna was the first to arrive; her nodded greeting quickly returned. Following Birna came Integra who also received a welcoming nod from the Rex. After Integra came the first Abaven wolf, who parted with words of greetings. The girl was vaguely familiar and knew him by name, but it took a few moments for him to recognize her. She was one of Daegmar's children. "Greetings - the pleasure is mine." Next came Lillianna who made a beeline for Integra. With the help of others Bass drug in Abaven's contribution to the feast and laid it out beside the buffalo. He then walked up the embankment to stand beside the King. "Good day for a party, eh?" Valentine grinned impishly before mimicking the Azat's tone. "Maybe a fight too, eh?" With each subsequent arrival Valentine nodded a warm greeting to, with the exception of Evangeline who got a questioning, raised brow expression as she moved to skulk around him. Then there was Cascade, her arrival proceeded by playful snark. Without realizing she'd used her injured shoulder, Valentine sought to return Cascade's teasing bump. A little lispy voice and a bump against his legs drew Valentine's gaze downward. He beamed down at the boy and couldn't help but chuckle at his question. The King found it hard to resist the urge to peek at Bass for his reaction. "Hey, buddy!" he said warmly. "No, silly, they're from Abaven." And then came Rhys and Rhyme, their intentions clearly nefarious. The three little troublemakers clustered around/under him. Valentine could just barely hear Rhys' whispers and while he couldn't catch the words themselves, the act of whispering by itself was enough to send up red flags. The brute dropped his head further so he could peek at Rhys, who was clearly trying to mastermind. "Stay out of trouble, guys..." He straightened then and completely missed the glances in the fox's direction. Rhythm came next, who was followed by Sparrow. The former was greeted with a kiss and a smile, and the latter received a grateful nod. "The pleasure is mine. Thank you." Alright, it was time to start. Stepping over the pups at his paws, Valentine moved to the edge of the embankment. He'd hoped everyone would gather beneath him and around the carcass so he could face them all as he spoke, but that wasn't what had happened so those behind him would just have to look at the back of his head. In a booming voice he commanded the gaze of those gathered, "Can I get everyone's attention!" He wasn't particularly fond of speeches, so hopefully he could keep this short and not bungle it completely. "I know what you're all thinking 'get the talking over with so we can eat already', right? I'll try to be brief. I was very pleased with how the siege was handled. In particular, I would like to recognize some of Imperium's members for their accomplishments. These wolves have shown through fearless action and hard work that they are ready and willing to take on more responsibility in Imperium. Birna," his eyes went to the stern giantess, "Mercy," his gaze went to the renegade Destruction, "and Esti" lastly he sought out the proud new owner of a lion's tail, "have each earned the rank of Gladiator. Hati and Ashemdai have earned the new title Legionary." He nodded his appreciation to each in turn, his gaze lingering perhaps a beat longer on his son. "And Integra, whose cringe worthy accomplishment needs to be recognized, has earned the new rank Medica." He smiled at the young woman before allowing his gaze to rove over those whose names he'd just called. "Thank you all for what you have done. It's you who shapes Imperium." With his piece said Valentine then turned to look at Bass. "Is there anything you'd like to add before we celebrate?" ""

Edit:  finally found the new table Eve made me!  <3  *silently swears to get more organized*

Quiet and still Birna watched the other wolves filter in, taking in their scents and faces but for the most part remaining a silent sentinel.  She wasn't the chatty type and there weren't many wolves that she was really comfortable casually chatting with but perhaps she'd loosen up as the feast went on.  She was definitely looking forward to eating.  The siege had left her with quite an appetite.  As soon as everyone arrived the party got underway as Valentine gave the opening words.  She straightened to attention as Valen addressed her, Mercy and Esti were given the rank of Gladiator.  Birna allowed a soft if subtle smile to mark her face as she dipped her head in acknowledgement of the Rex's words. "Thank you Valentine, I am honored." Yes!  She had been expecting to go up in rank but not two.  She was now an extra step closer to her goal and the rank of Gladiator was proof that her skills in battle were respected among her fellows. "SPEAK"

Integra shifted lightly on her feet the adrenaline still hadn't quite worn off.  She was bubbling with excitement and she couldn't wait to tell Atreides and Sirius about her efforts in the siege.  She hoped Trei had seen her! She smiled at Karabela.  "Hello Raba, nice to see you.  I hope Abaven is treating you well."  Honestly though, she couldn't figure out why the Thyre girl had chosen Abaven over Imperium but she'd save that question for a later date.  Integra was so elated that she almost didn't hear the scarred Abaven woman that she and Vana had rescued.  Inty turned and nodded to the woman, a smile on her face. "Thank you!" Integra watched as more wolves filed in, searching for her siblings or… Vana!  The other femme didn't seem particularly pleased but it wasn't enough to off put Integra.  Really she felt like there was nothing in the world that could bring her down right now.  Getting to her paws she trotted over towards the other healer, sitting next to her and hoping she wasn't too out of place. "How's your hock?"  It was a partial offer of assistance though honestly she knew Vana would have no trouble looking after the wound herself. The meeting started swiftly, everyone excited to get to the fun part of the party.  Integra was grinning ear to ear as Valentine recognized her "cringe-worthy" accomplishment and officially, publicly announced not only her freedom but her rank as Medica!  Integra didn't bother to stop her tail from wagging, she wasn't sure she could even if she wanted to.  From slave to Medica!  Oh she knew her family was proud of her, certain of it! "Thank you Rex, I won't let you down!"

Karabela nodded back to Valentine as the man greeted her. Oh… it certainly was nostalgic being back in Imperium. Her smile faltered a little as she worked to push back the darker memories, hoping to only bring the lighter ones to the surface however it seemed like it might be a struggle and instead she just focused on the present. Watching the other wolves with mild amusement before Mercy caught her attention. The other woman was glowering at her but Karabela just grinned back cheekily. "Hey Mercy, how's it going?" My, my she had some how managed to irritate quite a few wolves… Vana also took to scowling at her but once again Karabela just grinned back. "Hello Evangeline, you're looking as ravishing as I remember." Karabela's attention was bouncing everywhere as she gazed at the new wolves trotting in, including the pups and- "Whoa! Cool teeth!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself as she gazed at the odd little black pup with the over-sized canines. Awww… what a cute batch of little trouble makers. Her attention quickly shifted to Hati. She fell quiet for a moment, just watching him as he slunk into the gathering in his usual grumpalumpagus manner. Karabela threw caution to the winds and approached him, not getting to close as she spoke. "Hey, uncle Hati…. nice work plucking out that bastards eye. I bet mom enjoyed the spectacle." ""

When Valentine passed the floor to him after ranking up some of his wolves, he tipped his head to the male. He hoped like he wasn't sounding like he was copying the taller brute, but he had a few wolves that he wanted to rank up as well. "First off I want to thank Imperium for both hosting this feast, as well as aiding Abaven in the siege. There are also a few wolves that I would like to rank up because of their fighting skills that they were able to show off against Hellstrom." He paused, his golden eyes scanning the crowd as he tried to find the wolves that he was looking for. "Calypsei and Karabela, you both now hold the rank of Bjuni. Shrike, you are now ranked as a Nerses." He nodded to each wolf in turn, a smile touching his lips as he ranked up those who had fought. He knew that there had been a lot of other wolves who had been there and had not been able to fight because of the low numbers. But as much as he wanted to rank up everyone, they had to put in a bit more effort. Some might not see it as fair, but it was what Bass had decided. They needed to do something to deserve a rank up, and just showing up was not enough. Having said his piece, he looked at the rest of the wolves around him. "So with that, I think we are good to eat!" He barked, turning to Valentine to see if he gave the go ahead. "Talk" "You" Think

The woman found herself somewhat patched up and ready to eat when they all gathered for the feast. Her stomach was rumbling and she had a grin on her face – they had won, and that was cause for celebration enough. There was a vague amusement as she watched everyone speak of their accomplishments, though truthfully she had never been one for social gatherings, especially given the fact that she had two friends, and that was about it. Words had never done her any justice, and therefore she had stuck to those she knew. She looked around for Lark or Tinaro, hoping they had made it, when the two alphas stole her attention back away. There were a few promotions for Imperium, which she listened to with a soft smile… and then Bass spoke of his own promotions… and she was one of them. Her eyes widened for a brief second as an instinctual smile graced her maw, a dip of her head in thanks and a soft wag starting in her tail, though the almost-adult did not truly think that she deserved such a thing: she had lost the fight, hadn’t she? Either way, she was not willing to contest with Bass’ judgement, and now had a greater need to find her friends.

It would seem that she didn't do good enough in avoiding everyone. Karabela marched right over to her and tossed an overly sweet statement in her face, making the pale woman's lips curl upwards. "Why you little wh-" she started, but was cut off when Valentine's voice boomed for their attention. She was thankful that Revenge was there at least, and she leaned heavily into his pale shoulder as a shaky sigh left her lips. "No, you didn't. But I miss you, stop being a stranger." she said fondly, her hip trying to bump against him. She wanted to move though, she didn't want to be near that stupid wench who jumped into her fight. So she nuzzled Revenge's shoulder, wanting him to come with her. With one last glare in the wenches direction she trotted away, elongated tail held high as she moved away from the darker woman. She could bite into that stupid cow right here and now but her alpha was speaking, and he was a lot more interesting than Raba. It was when she finally found a comfy spot, Valentine spoke her name and handed her a promotion. Purple eyes shot open wide as she froze, blinking slowly as the excitement built up in her chest. She wasn't expecting this at all, but oh boy was it something that she would have wanted! She wanted to climb the ranks more than anything, and now because of this siege she had been handed a single rung for that ladder. She was about to say her thanks when Valentine handed it over to Bass, who then handed Karabela a promotion as well. Her mood instantly soured as she looked over her shoulder to shoot her narrowed gaze at the woman. Did she just have to rain on all her parades? Damn her to hell! Growling she turned over to Revenge, if he had moved with her, and dug her muzzle aggressively into his scruff. Breathing in his familiar scent she clung to him, hoping that he would calm her rage. It was always him who was able to settle her burning flames, and she was so glad that he was here with her. "We should go somewhere else, there is a lot better things I have on my mind than this feast." She mumbled softly to him, too quiet for anyone else to hear. Sure she should probably stay, but she would make sure to thank Valentine before she left. Maybe make an excuse to go check the borders or something. Her teeth grazed Rev's skin, before her tongue snaked out to press a soft kiss where she had once been so harsh. She missed her brother so much, and she just wanted to get out of here with him. "SPEAK!"

Art by endless-adventure

He'd glance at the woman that had seemed to upset his sister, but wouldn't dwell as Mercy answered him. They hadn't spent enough time together recently, with his sickness consuming most of his time he knew there was a lot he needed to make up for. She'd bump him affectionately, and with no hesitation the pale Destruction would follow her to somewhere more comfortable. Intently he'd listen as Valentine spoke, his eyes finding those that had received their rankings curiously. Revenge had never been one to strive for attention or greatness, he was here to support Mercy, to make sure she didn't kill herself attaining those goals he could live with out.

He'd try to keep attention to Mercy and her emotions, though she was subtle enough that he wasn't sure what had got her riled up he'd support her either way. She'd bury herself in his fur and he'd hold her close, unsure that he could do anything but hold her. "We should go somewhere else," He'd quirk an eyebrow at the words but he wouldn't argue, he'd prefer a small meal next to her anyway. She'd nibble at his fur and offer him as kiss and he'd find his way to his paws. Nuzzling the soft fur by her ear he'd answer her, "I'll follow you,"

>>So many unfamiliar faces! The longer he sat there watching, the more he was growing intrigued. His tail tip twitched as he slightly perked up, looking like a cat that had seen something interesting! Crimson eyes watched the gathering crowd, listening to the jumbled greetings and conversations of everyone around him. He wasn't sure if he should walk up to someone and start socializing, or leave them be. It didn't seem like anyone wanted to socialize with a fox anyway, some he had caught sending odd looks his way. He would have been next to Bass, if Bass wasn't surrounded by so many others already, and he certainly didn't want to feel like he was intruding or anything. After it seemed quite a crowd had gathered, he heard the imperium Rex call for everyone's attention. He listened with mild interest, the Rex giving out promotions to some of his members among other things, but it didn't concern him really. Then Bass spoke, not saying as much, but Dart smiled a little as he promoted a couple of their own members. Now he supposed it was party time! As he returned his attention to the crowd, he noticed a group of pups huddled around Valentine's legs...and they were looking at him. He watched them curiously, though he didn't think much of them. They wouldn't do anything...right? Of course not. There were so many other things to get their attention! He'd be okay...or so he thought. "Speak"

Esti looked around, a lazy, slightly mischievous smile on her maw. Her eyes twinkled. She was still feeling the rush and having all these wolves gather practically made her skin tingle. She made sure to take in each of the wolves, looking at them for availability and attractiveness. This would be an interesting evening for sure.

Valentine spoke up and offered great news, new ranks. Esti smiled and up nodded Valentine as his eyes went to her. She would have offered a wink, but they had visitors. She was trying to play it cool and available. The slate man then offered a rank up to their son. Esti felt a pride swell within her. It was a strange feeling, like the one she had when she watched him fight for the first time. The large woman's tail wagged as she looked to Ashmedai. So they were all moving up? This put her even with Birna and Mercy... for now. Esti was confident she would rise above them in due time. Her smile remained.

The Abaven leader spoke and handed out a few ranks. Esti took the time to roll her neck, earning a few loud pops. She then turned her blue eyes back to the cream alpha, panting happily. It was time to eat? Great!

"Let's party!"

The party was soon underway and Birna moved in to eat her fill, fangs tearing through the flesh of the bison as she worked to dig into the meat of the neck. It seemed there was no particular pecking order. Just a party. The bear woman had to admit she felt out of place in such festive settings. It was a large crowd and a relaxed atmosphere and while it wasn't unpleasant she was finding herself suddenly overwhelmed and in need of a quiet reprieve. After satisfying her hunger she would withdraw from the crowd to clean her muzzle and paws as well as give her wounds another once over. -exit- "SPEAK"