He wasn't... ready. Not in the least; not a little bit. What he had seen - her words, her actions - left him shaken, and it had taken him a few days to recover. A few days of silence, of quiet, of patrolling the border and avoiding his pack. His pack. It made him uneasy, that thought, and he wasn't quite sure... what to do with it, really. First, though, the announcement. He knew Borealis was shrinking by the day - and that needed to change. He understood that the pack was rather family oriented, and the family was gone. Broken, shattered. Zephyra had left, and Mama... Mama had broken.

Taking a deep breath, Ren sat near the middle of the territory, away from the river, though. It was time to begin. He let out the breath in a howl: it demanded the entire pack's presence, regardless of age, and within a timely manner. First he would announce his alphaship, and then he would begin the process of shifting the pack to something he'd be able to lead, something of his own design. He simply didn't know enough of the current design to make it work.

Deadline is Wednesday, January 27th! I'd love it if everyone posted before then, though <3
Edit: If you don't post by then you'll be booted from the pack.

Excused: Cypress + Holly

Something was terribly, terribly wrong. It had been evident that the pack was unnatural quiet the last few days. Sure there had been a steady drop in members but at the very least she had always seen her mother out and about patrolling. Yet not even her rainbow marked coat had been seen and it left Kait wondering as to why. The young girl looked for Marina. Looked high and low through the gully and the caves... Yet there was nothing. Her scent was growing staler each day, leaving the child more and more worried. It wasn’t until Ren called, called as her mama would have for the pack, that Kaitlyn understood. Something had happened. Something terrible had happened and now they were without mother or father. The brown furred youth felt tears stinging her eyes. Why, why were they being abandoned? She missed them... Missed Zeph... Kait would begin to run, run towards where her brother had called. She didn’t care if he was going to be the alpha of the pack right now. She needed him and everyone else could just bug off. Kaitlyn wouldn’t stop until she was by Ren’s side, pressing her head into his shoulder with a loud whine. “Tell me it’s not true... Say she’s going to be here any minute...” She begged, her voice barely a whisper. ""

A sigh passed Akemi’s lips when she heard the rainbow femme’s son call for the pack. It seemed that, in the chaos, the pack had shifted hands faster than the seasons even had a chance to change. From one wolf to the next... It made Akemi wonder just how stable this pack was anymore. For herself, her mate, her son... She would let out a soft sigh, carefully grabbing Tiny and moving him onto her back. She wasn’t sure where Ravine was at the moment but she prayed he’d be at the meeting. Akemi would arrive to find two of Marina’s younglings present. It had been her son who called them, and the femme would settle onto the earth with uncertainty. Things were certainly amiss; no sign of Marina and as for Cy... She’d shake her head. Things were... Things were going to be interesting, that was for sure. "Hear me talk," 'but read my thoughts.' "Hear Tiny talk," 'but read Tiny's thoughts.'

Table by:: Keno

That was...odd. Her ears perked when she heard a call. But it wasn't her momma, nope. It was Ren. Why was he calling the pack? The...very small pack...that kept getting smaller...she didn't understand why everyone was leaving. Even her sister Zeph decided to leave, and while Nixie was sad to see her go, she was a little relieved that Zeph wasn't around to keep making fun of her smallness. Either way, she would get out of the melted puddle she was sitting in and headed over. Aqua blue fur didn't quite blend with her surroundings, but then again, nobody in her family except for Kait really blended in with...other wolves. And maybe her uncle Spencer, wherever he was. She would arrive at the meeting to see her brother and sister, frightened maybe? confused? She didn't know. All she wondered right now was where her mom was. "Is momma coming?" She sat down near Ren, peering up at him with questioning eyes. ""

The man had just located a rabbit hole, more specifically the one his rabbid just used to escape, when Ren called the pack together just as the rainbow woman had. With a shake of his head, Ravine would turn and stalk towards the boy grumblig to himself the whole way back about the rabit and about how they couldnt seem to keep an alfa these days. Upon his arrival Ravine would stop just short of joining Akemi at her side. If this was all that was left then he was speechless as there were several more wolves at the last meating. Silently he couldn't help but hope there were more still to come. He didnt want to believe that Borealis had been reduced to five wolves and his son Tiny. After a few seconds he would go up to Akemi and Tiny, first giving Tiny a gentle nuzzle and then Akemi. Though it hadnt been so long ago that he was mad at her, he still loved her and their children more than anything else . He was glad to see they too were still here. Speech,

ooc. no posting order.

The first to arrive was Kait... who assumed the worst. He would rest his head atop of hers, licking it a few times in comfort first. Her question, oh, it broke his heart. "Hold on, little sister," he would sigh softly, avoiding the question. He would explain... when everyone arrived, as much as he didn't want to. Akemi - he recognized the scarred woman - appeared, and he would dip his head silently. Nixie would arrive after that, and he'd wince again, ever so slightly. "Hold up, little Nixie." Finally, Ravine would show up. Akemi's mate. And Holly, too.

"You are perhaps wondering why I called you. Some of you may have guessed already. Mother - Marina - has..." he paused, eyes closing briefly. "I saw her a couple of days ago. Something within her snapped. It was mental, purely mental; she did not recognize me... and ran off. I don't knwo when she'll be back. I don't know if she will be. As a result, I've stepped up as alpha. I cannot say I'm fully trained. I cannot say I understand precisely, well, what I'm doing but I hope I don't mess up to badly. I would like all of you to stay - you are all that's left of Borealis. I need you. Borealis needs you. I have changed ranks, and customs, and will be having all of you choose a rank, and I will try my best to get you trained. I will also be holding an open recruitment, in an attempt to get more members. Do you stand with me?" Hopefully, they would.

Due date Jan 29

She was so confused. Her brothers and sister left to go join fiori, abandoning all hope in their dad and the pack. She wasn't...happy with them, not in the least. And she wasn't too sure what she would do if she saw them. She had been the only one to stay, the only one to remain behind and take care of their father. But she hadn't seen him for a while now, and it worried her. As a new call rang through the lands, brows furrowed with more confusion. That didn't sound like their alpha...and she didn't recognize the voice of her son either. Either way, she would head towards the call to see what it was all about. It didn't take her long to get there, and when she did arrive the group was already there. Was this really everyone? Was this what the pack was reduced to? It was saddening, that so few were left. Obviously, those who had left had no faith. But no matter how much things made a turn for the worst, she had stuck by and walked on with a genuine smile...if it wasn't a fake one, that is. She at the edge of the group, watching the worried and confused crowd as the blue child of the rainbow alphess spoke. She watched and listened carefully, so...his mom had lost it too? Just like my mom did... It was a hard thing to deal with. She knew that firsthand. Although she hoped that instead of killing herself, Marina would come back to her family. She would gaze gently at Ren and his gathered sisters, kindness and encouragement in her eyes. "I'll stay with you. I believe we can make it." Simple words, but she meant them. "Speak"

It was quite depressing how quickly this pack seemed to go through alphas. What was worse, almost everyone had given up on the new alpha before he had even called everyone to him. It was at the end of the boy's speech that Ravine had decided Ren needed everyone here now more than he ever had before. For without them this was no pack at all, hell its barely a pack at it is. The man would look over at his wife for a moment before looking back to their young, new alpha. "Ill stay and stand with you as long as Akemi does to. As for my choice in rank I know a bit about healing and even less about fighting. I'd be better off as a hunter but Ill learn what I can so you can place me where you want me." and he meant every word, if his wife stayed so would he and he would do what ever his pack needed of him. Speech,

Akemi would listen to the boy. So it seemed the rainbow marked femme had cracked. In all not that big of a shocker. Perhaps it was because she had witnessed such a thing from her own family in a sense that she believed it. The red eye of the woman would slide closed, and she would breathe out a soft sigh. She would rise to her paws, gaze snapping open as she fixed the blue youth within her sight. “You are a child.” She would state this first, her tone hard. “This pack has changed through alphas as easily as the river current flows. You expect us to have a sense of loyalty, to have some soft of understanding how this pack is run, when laws and customs are changed over and over?” Her voice betrayed her anger, her frustration. She would glance towards her husband and then back towards the three children of the former alphess. “I do hope you understand the position you are in as an alpha. You stand before a pack who can have no faith in you staying leader and barely be called a pack. Other alphas will see this as well. You have a lot to prove.” Akemi would heave a soft sigh. “That said... I am not completely heartless. I recognized the dire situation this pack is in. I am uncertain if you will stay, can not take your word for it, so show me. Prove to me that you’re going to be here as an alpha to stay. Only then will you have my fully sworn loyalty.” Akemi’s gaze would not waver. “Though if you disappear. If you hand this pack off to someone else like some crying whelp to it’s mother, then I will be part of this pack no longer. I’m tired of getting yanked around.” The femme would breathe out once more. “As far as a rank goes I am a fighter, a hunter. It is up to you which you choose for me to serve primarily in.” "Listen to me talk," 'or read my thoughts.'

Others came, yet Ren would not speak until they were all present. When he finally did it was heartbreaking news. Something within their mother, something with her mind, had gone terribly wrong. She had left them and, as a result, Ren was now the leader of Borealis. The femme would start to shake all the more, letting her gaze fall to the ground. She would lick her lips, giving a low whine. First their father had disappeared. Then Zephyra left them. Now their mother had gone wayward.... What was going to become of the remaining trio? What of the pack? Kaitlyn wouldn’t speak, merely pressed back into Ren as a silent form of “I’ll stand with you.” ""

She was not happy...which was very rare for her to feel anything else but happy. Her ears pinned when Ren spoke and she stayed quiet even after. Her paw shuffled the dirt around her, and as the small woman with all the scars spoke she listened intently. How many times had this pack changed before they showed up? Could her brother even do it? Being in a pack seemed no different then being a Loner...and she honestly couldn't see the difference in it. Except for maybe the fact she felt like she couldn't go out and explore and do what she wanted...was that bad of her to think that? She bit her lip for a moment, her expression unsure the more she thought. She didn't know. Her momma yes...but Ren? They barely spoke and spent time together as it was...finally, she would glance up at him uncertainly..she wanted her mom. "I don't know...I want to go find momma. She needs someone." She wasn't sure if she was saying she wanted to leave..or if she should stay. It was all so confusing.

He listened quietly for the response from his wolves, and slowly, they'd give it to him. First Holly, with words of encouragement. Then Ravine, stating he would stay if the scared woman did. Her words would be harsh, her tone harsher still, and while it frustrated him, he knew where it was coming from. It made sense, and he did not blame her. He said nothing, yet, waiting for the rest of the members to speak before speaking. Kaitlyn pressed against him, a silent tribute, but then Nixie would speak. His expression would be torn as he stared at her, but he eventually would turn his gaze away, to look at the pack as a whole. "Holly. I thank you," he would murmur, dipping his head to her. "I will need you to tell me where you'd like to train," he instructed. Ravine had spoken next, but his was intricately tied with Akemi's, so he'd instead speak to both of them. "You are correct. I am a child. I have had no training, nor was I even meant to hold the pack until at least my second year. I do not expect you to have a sense of loyalty. If I did, I would not have asked if you'd stand with me, I'd simply assume you would. I am aware of this, and I will do as I must to prove myself." He understood, he really did. As for her being a fighter... probably not. One didn't get as many scars as her without being rather terrible at fighting and defending oneself. Likely, he would place her as a hunter. Regardless, he would have to do some... heavy recruiting. None of this pack were particularly proficient in fighting. Finally, though, Nixie had spoken, and he'd turn his gaze to her. "She will not recognize you as her child," he told her sadly. "I did the same, when she first disappeared. She did not recognize me; she nearly attacked me." He didn't have to tell her how much that hurt. Of course, it was still her decision whether to stay or go, but for the sake of the pack he hoped she stayed.

Turning his attention from her, he would once more look on the puny pack as a whole. "I was not familiar with the old system. That training was to come later. So I attempted to devise my own." He paused for a second, before he went on to explain the ranks and the laws