It was time to bring his pack together, to see who was really in it for the long haul - he'd seen some new faces at the gathering when he'd claimed the pack, and he hoped they were interested. Xephyris had made his rounds over the territory for the day, marking it as his own. Feeling proud that he had finally established a home and achieved his first goal, he knew that today was the day for the pack's first meeting. He needed to get to know his new pack members, establish the rules of the pack with them and figure out which ranks to sort them all in to. He supposed that bit might take time for some of the members, but he hoped that most of them knew how they wanted to contribute to the pack. At the farthest boundaries of the black sand beach, the man weaved his way amongst the old palms, enjoying the tropical feel they gave to this place, despite the cooler temperatures. Leaving the trees behind, he made his way across the sand until he reached the great pillars of lava rock that surrounded the beach, placing himself near the rocky path that led up and down from the beach to the mainland. Here, he seated himself, thick tail wrapping around his base, and he tossed back his head to call to the newly formed pack. When he lowered his head, his silver, blue-flecked eyes looked out across the beach to the frigidly cold water. Now to wait for the wolves to come out, and for his plans to finally move forward. OOC: Mandatory first meeting for members of Vyper! Anyone new and wanting to join is also welcome! First round due by October 10th! "Talk" "You" Think

Since she helped translate for Xephyris and Soleil, she hadn't been sure of what to do. She knew that she wanted to speak to the silver man, but something made her hesitate. But he had talked about moving his pack north, so whatever reason she had been lingering around there. At least it was a warm summer and the cold wasn't too much, although she was finally able to wear her scarf around her neck again. Jaelle was sniffing around a frozen lake when she heard the howl of the silver man, her head hesitantly rising. She wasn't even sure if she would join as an official member, not unless there was a rank that would cater to her. But she had told him that she would help, and she wasn't too keen to go back on her word. With a sigh she picked herself up and headed towards her silver knight, a slight knot of dread working into her gut. But she was a big girl, she would do this with pride. When she reached the shore, she was quite surprised at what she saw. Her blue and brown eyes opened wide, it looked like something had taken a massive bite out of the beach. The sand was black, and there were palm trees. Here, in the north? She would have to explore this more later... Walking down the path, she was surprised to see that she was the first to arrive. Her bells rang out as she twisted towards Xeph, a hesitant smile on her lips. "Glad to see I'm not late," she said softly, sitting herself on the cool, ebony sand. Looking around, she wondered why she was the first to arrive. She hadn't even been that close, but... oh well. Jae's ears were folded slightly, and she cleared her throat with a bit of unease. "Can um... we talk after this?" she asked, peeking up at the silver man, now a strong alpha. The bell clad woman didn't want to feel like this forever, she wanted to get these stupid feelings out of the way. The awkwardness needed to be dealt with so that they could go back to their normal, teasing friendship. "SPEAK"

The feeling of bodies growing inside of her was forever familiar. This was not her first litter, and she silently wondered if it would be her last. Her paws would carry her towards the male's call, as she had duties to attend to as the secondary alphess of the pack. She saw the jealousy and the distrust in those women's eyes. What was it the french one? Many of these wolves had previously been in her sister's pack as she had recalled. Regardless as the pregnant woman arrived she spotted Jaelle and a smile started on her face. "Morning." she couldn't recall the woman's name. "I should introduce myself, since I guess I've caused a bit of trouble. I'm Limno Hutashi - I'll be Xephyris secondary to the pack and I'm also pregnant with his children." though she was well aware he wasn't a one type of woman man and she had no problem with that. On the outside she had two brothers as mates that she just sometimes needed a break from. "I hope to serve you all well, and clear miscommunication up." at least until the pups were born. Whatever happened after that was not her concern. She hoped she could give these wolves the run around as well. Perhaps gaining their trust and then once they found out she wasn't who she said she was. Limno could have all the fun that way. ""

Soleil had taken her sweet time answering to the silver man's call. She had no desire to please him and had to control her every move around the brown witch...known to him as Limno. She would never use her name, she refused because that would be a sign of respect. To show her such would be a lie and the tri colored woman was no lire. She held no kindness or respect for the thieving, conniving witch. Granted she had much worse names for the witch when she came to mind but her mother had taught her to be better than that. A small smile would grace her features as the image of her mother's scowl would pop up in her memory banks at even calling another woman a witch.

What had been a memory of her mother was ruined by the scent of the very witch that had brought on the memory and a scowl of her own would form on her face as turquoise eyes would find the other three wolves on the beach. The urge to tackle the brown woman into the ebony sand beneath their paws washed over her the closer she got to them. Soleil could taste her own blood as she bit down on her lip to regain control of her emotions. When she had control again she would breath deeply and then exhale slowly, allowing her cool, calm and collected mask mash down her jealousy.

As she approached the three of them Jaelle would receive a smile of gratitude for the kindness she had done for her. Someday she would find a way to repay the bell coated, scarf wearing she wolf, but for now a smile would have to do. Xephyris would receive a cold stare and a mechanical bow of her head. She wanted more than anything to sink her teeth into the woman at his side, to run herself along his side and claim him as her own once more...but that would have to wait for another time. For a moment she wasn't going to great them as a pair and then thought better of it, it wasn't like they could understand her anyway. First she would great the alpha by name "Xephyris." and then her cold stare would turn on the brown woman at his side only to turn colder before greeting her by she had given her "Sorcière" She could not and would not give a woman respect or trust she hadn't earned. All she could do was hope Xephyris would let her get away with it because as she told him already....she had nothing and no one as it was.

So they had moved to the north. The thought of it made her rather irritable with it. She wasn't keen on the idea of living in the cold. Her pelt wasn't made for it (though she was sure Nox was having a field day) and it made her job as a healer a bit harder. Thankfully she'd managed to collect her stores from where she'd stayed in Myriad. Nox had been more than helpful and together they'd moved everything rather easily. She had enough time to collect more to stock up before Winter came so she couldn't complain too much. She had yet to choose a den, and it seemed she wouldn't be doing so until later. Xephyris' how caused her ears to flick as she raised her head. Oh well. She'd do some scouting with Nox later. A part of her wondered if Brutus would join them, but she knew she couldn't expect the man to stick around. As much as she liked his company they were still strangers to each other in a way. Dedicating ones time to a pack was a serious commitment and it wasn't one she expected him to make quite yet. So she pressed her side against Nox's and headed at a slow pace towards the meeting. She had yet another territory to commit to memory, but this one seemed to be more smooth and less icy than she'd imagined. At one point she even felt sand underneath her paws which surprised her. Interestingly enough it seemed she'd still made good time. She could hear one of the strange females speaking and she couldn't stop the snort that escaped past her larynx. So one of them was secondary alpha and pregnant with Xeph's children. When had this happened and why? It made her leery of whoever this was. Xeph hadn't mentioned having a friend who was going to act as second when he'd brought his idea up. Who exactly was this woman and why had the man decided to have kids with her? Other than that she could smell Xephyris himself, Jaelle, and one of the other women that had been at the meeting. She nudged Nox to head a little ways away from everyone to sit. The amount of females still bothered her and once again she found herself wishing for Brutus' company to ease her worries. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He'd been trailing a bit behind the others on their journey to the North. With limbs long enough to tower over most of them giving him the ability to undoubtedly keep up the pace, it would be difficult to explain not having intentions to do so; however, it'd been some time since Armai and Nox had eaten, he imagined. He could not recall them doing so on their journey to the South, and taking another journey on an empty stomach had to be tiring. It was for him, anyway.

He separated from the group for awhile to hunt and sate his own hunger, feeding on nearly the whole population of a warren he'd found though it had taken a bit of digging to collect them all. He knew he was pushing it on time, but he would not return without something to make it up to Armai on why he had trailed off. All the rabbits he'd found in the warren had barely filled his own stomach, so he was on the hunt for something a little more substantial for the two of them. It would be difficult to do alone, but he managed to capture a fox hanging around waterfall peak on his way. This one he left mostly in tact, save for the killing wound administered to it's skull and neck and a few bite marks along it's hinds, it was ready to be eaten. Hunting wasn't his passion, but it was necessity, was it not?

With haste, he rushed over the rest of the alpine terrain he had left to cover before uncovering the scent of Xeph and the others once again and following it into Soul Sand Cove. He had not been invited to attend, exactly... but he couldn't imagine missing the first meeting for the pack that Armai seemed to have high hopes for. He wanted to see things out and make sure she was in a place surrounded by people that deserved the loyalty she'd already shown toward them. He was slowly beginning to realize that he cared a bit more than a stranger should, but he was not bothered by it. Armai was easy to catch interest in, and easy to want to help ensure that she remained happy.

Long limbs carried him across the scent markers placed by the new alpha as he slowed his pace and kept his demeanor calm, his jowls tightly wrapped around the dangling fox in his jaws. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea bringing food to a pack of wolves he barely knew, but if time had allowed he would have put off his hunger a bit longer. When his eyes finally found Armai, his gentle features pulled into a smile around his hold and he found a path toward her, choosing to sit on the side of her that Nox was opposite. He dropped the fox at her paws and lowered his head, "Hello again." His oceanic stare drifted around the small gathering that had made it so far, noticing Soleil glaring at the brown woman. He smirked, seems like not much had changed from the last gathering so far. He returned his attention to Armai.

"I'd like to apologize for getting separated back there, not making for a very good travelling companion am I?" He chuckled, resting now on his hinds as he settled in and waited for the meeting to start and continued with his explanation. "I have a bad habit of putting off hunting until I'm practically starving, but I brought you back a fox as a sort of.. peace offering. Will you forgive me?" His kind tone was spoken through a smile through-out the entirety of his speech.

Normally the gypsy woman would have avoided the packs around here at all costs, but she hadn't seen another wolf worth talking to in quite some time. Based on the fact that she refused to trust anyone else she had seen around here, it wasn't a hard fact to believe. She wandered a lot though so when the male's voice rang out she found her curiosity take over. She had no idea that she would walk upon ebony sands as soon as she drew close to the small group of wolves. Light turquoise orbs would scan the dark beach with amassment until they would land on a she wolf who's color, though darker, was similar to hers. A woman who wore a scarf and bells. Was there actually another gypsy in this god forsaken land or was she seeing things. When she was finally among the others her ears would perk at the words spoken between them. It seemed there was a bit of drama brewing between two of the woman and an apology passing from the brown man to the blind woman. She would probably never trust any of the non gypsy wolves here but at least it would seem as though they would at least be more entertaining than her life of solitude. Finally her eyes would land skeptically upon the silver man. He was nothing special to look at, well built but nothing special. The women that seemed to be fighting over him were either blind or they knew something she didn't. Finally a brow would raise questioningly seconds before the actual question would leave her maw. "So your the alpha then?" she would look from him to each of the other's once more before looking at him again "Interesting" would be the only word that came to mind for now. "Speech"

He was surprised but not disappointed to see Jae arrive first - he'd have expected her to be exploring some distant territory, but here she was. He met her hesitant smile with a strained expression of his own, nodding to her when she commented on not being late. When she asked if they could talk after, his breath caught for just a second, before he nodded again. "Of course," he rumbled, his tone deep and smooth, "You can beckon me any time." He would have said more to her, but this was not a private meeting, and they were soon joined by others. Limno was next to arrive, and her presence was bold - she wasted no time reintroducing herself and making her status known to Jaelle. Her personality was strong, it almost irked him a little, but he could still chuckle at her eagerness. At least he could see that she was not going to shy away from her responsibilities, just as he would not. He knew he'd still have to get to know her better, though, so he would need to make time for that. He moved closer to her, so that he could speak in a hushed tone to her. "Greetings Limno," he murmured, touching his nose to her shoulder, "Easy now, don't worry, I will announce your status to the pack when they arrive." He pulled his head away from her, smirking, before moving away and seating himself where he'd been, waiting for the rest. He nodded to Soleil as she arrived, offering her a strained smile and wag of his tail, wanting her to feel welcome regardless of everything that had happened. Still, he felt a twinge of sadness, knowing how alone she was, so alone that she would rather be here, hurt and seething beneath the surface, than just leave him behind forever. "Soleil, welcome," he said, falling silent when she turned to greet Limno coldly, with a word he didn't know... although from their talk, he had an idea. He wasn't quite sure how to address it, or if he even should - perhaps the tension was something that would pass in time, or be settled amongst the women themselves. He wasn't going to scold her in front of everyone, so he ignored it for now. When Armai arrived with Nox at her side, he decided he ought to call out to her - he knew as the pack grew he wouldn't be able to greet everyone individually, but he had to address her so she knew he had noticed her, and he was indeed pleased to see her. "Armai, good to see you!" he called out to her - as she seated herself, she wondered if her friend would be coming as well, the one he'd seen with her the last time. Almost as soon as he'd thought it, he saw the brute arrive with a fox dangling in his jaws. He would try to offer the brute a nod and smile, but it seemed that the man was a little preoccupied with his friend, which was fine by Xephyris. At last, a wolf he'd never seen before, another woman, approached the gathering - she seemed somewhat cautious, but curious at the same time. And somehow, she seemed to share similar mottled markings as Jaelle did, and she seemed particularly interested in the bell-clad woman, although when she finally spoke her words were addressed toward him. "Yes," he replied simply with a nod. He would wait a few more minutes to see if anyone else was arriving, but it seemed this would be it for now. Hmm, where was Kasai? He'd been sure the fiery woman would be here. Well, now that everyone was here, he was ready to start the meeting. It was his first time addressing a large group as the one in charge. He hoped he did this right, although he knew as a new pack there was little to discuss besides the rules and a few other basic things. "Welcome to Vyper, everyone, and thank you for arriving promptly," he greeted the group, projecting his deep voice so that he would be heard by all, "For the new faces I've yet to meet, my name is Xephyris - as your leader, you can come to me with any concerns you may have, as well as ideas, visions and ambitions. As it is only our first season together, I know we'll be spending some time just settling in for now, so please make yourselves at home, and give yourselves time to think about what role in the pack you'd like to have. Next season's meeting will cover more pressing matters. For today, bear with me as I introduce you to Vyper's ranking system, and the rules we will follow as a group (-insert long dialogue explaining everything here- check ranks and rules on Vyper's page if you haven't familiarized yourself with them yet!). I'd also like to introduce my second-in-command. This is Limno, my Deputy, and soon-to-be mother to my offspring, so please treat her with respect." He turned to the brown-coated woman for a moment, pausing to let her say anything should she choose, before looking back to the rest. "That is all for today's meeting, and again, thank you for arriving promptly," he said, preparing to close things up, "If you've already got an idea of what rank you want, step forward now and let me know. However, there is no pressure to decide today. If you still need time to decide what role to fulfill, spend the next season working out your strengths, getting to know your pack mates, and coming to a conclusion for next time. You are free to go, or stay and mingle. Limno and I will be here if you need to talk to us." With that he would wave his tail, dismissing the wolves if they wanted to be on their way. He hoped that some of them would know what they wanted to do in Vyper, but he wasn't worried if they didn't know today. It would just be nice to start placing them in appropriate ranks soon, so they could all get to work. Next season, they'd really need to start working together to prepare for the harsh northern winter. Ooc: Sorry for the delay on my part! The next round is optional, so feel free to have your character respond if they want to choose a rank or introduce themselves, if not, no response required! Thanks guys! "Talk" "You" Think

She heard Xephyris' greeting and she smiled in, what she hoped to be, his direction. "It's good to see you too Xephyris." Well see was only a matter of speaking, but he'd understand what she meant. She felt a strange buzz of nervous excitement which she contained rather well. It was a new start again. Maybe this time everything wouldn't crash and burn at their feet from the inside out. She had faith in the man's leadership skills. Surely things would go better this time around. Brutus' scent was a welcoming smell. She found her tail wagging before he even arrived and she forced it to come to a standstill and chastised herself for it. She barely knew him and yet she was already beginning to feel like he was an old friend. A smile tugged on her lips as she heard him approach and it only faltered slightly when she heard something plop at her feet. She leaned down to get a good whiff of it and she realized it was a dead fox. Was that why he had been trailing behind? "Hello Brutus." She replied softly. "It's nice to see you could make it." She wasn't ready for the apology that sprang from his lips and she was surprised by it more than anything else. She hadn't assumed he'd just up and left without saying anything, but she had to admit she was still getting used to someone who was so gentleman like. She listened as he took a seat on the other side of her and she grinned up at him. Forgiveness would come easily for her. She hadn't been mad at him in the first place. "Well I didn't think you'd left for good, so of course all is forgiven. I still think you make a wonderful traveling companion." She said with a grin before adding. "Thank you for the fox though." The arrival of someone new caught her attention moments later. She turned her head to listen and sniff at the new woman that arrived. She didn't smell familiar at all and when she finally spoke she assumed it was to Xephyris judging by her choice of words. Confused as to who it was she shoved it to the back of her mind as the meeting began. Armai shifted slightly as Xephyris introduced himself, Limno too, and explained the ranks and the laws. He seemed mostly intent on just getting everyone used to the pack and himself and how everything was structured which she thought was interesting. Where Riv had encouraged everyone to choose a rank, he gave them all the option to choose at a later time. Her mind, of course, was already made up and she waited until he was finished speaking to say her own interests. She did so, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the new group of wolves and speaking allowed, but determined nonetheless. "I'd like to pursue healing." She stated to Xephyris. "I believed you called the rank for that, Amah?" The word felt foreign, but she was sure she'd get used to it in no time. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

Soleil would watch as Armai, Brutus and another gypsy woman would arrive. As everyone settled in she would fidget with Jaelle's words ringing in her mind. The bell covered woman had been right about her being a strong woman, she had been through far too much in her short lifetime to be anything less and no mater what Xeph thought, she was alone. It didn't matter that she was near other wolves because no one but the grey gypsy woman understood her anyway, her siblings were no where to be found, her father had killed her mother and then drove her and the remainder of her family away. She would be damned if she would allow herself to lay around and mope about. No she would take her anger out doing the one thing she had been taught to do her entire life.

The end of her tail would stop flicking back and forth in agitated frustration at having to be so close to the unloved witch that stole the silver man from her as he began to speak. Cold turquoise gaze would fall upon the new alpha once more as she listened carefully to his words, she didn't understand all of them but she was trying as hard as she could to at the very least understand their words even if she couldn't speak them yet. She understood that he was explaining the ranking system, and that he expected respect for the one wolf who would never be able to earn it. Then there was something about what they wanted but beyond that he had lost her. At first her face would start to twist up with anger and then Jaelle's words would run through her mind again and she would replace the anger with the cold mask she had taken to wearing when around others.

Silently Soleil would go over the rank name's in her mind and match them up with words Xephyris said that she did understand. Armai would help without knowing by claiming her rank and when the blind woman finished talking Soleil would open her mouth to attempt to say what she wanted with a thick French accent "I want Raider" the words were spoken slowly to ensure she would say them as correctly as she could. She wanted him to know he had made the wrong decision in choosing the brown witch over her. She still wanted him but she would not allow him to bring her down any further than her father already had.