The challenge was over... But Cas didn't believe that Celestial was in the clear yet. He knew their members had been sullen.... More deaths had occurred than he cared to acknowledge. They were struggling. The brute sighed, a heavy weight on his shoulders as golden eyes gazed out across the lands. He had his own little ones with Kalli now and adored his family.... But he also felt age creeping upon him. He missed his sister. Missed their younger days. "...." A sigh escaped the man, feeling remorse well up in his chest.

Castiel let out a howl for his nephew in hopes that Regulus might be able to help his thoughts. Castiel still  wanted to be there for the pack too. Maybe at long last he could prove that desire to Reg. He also wanted to share at least some good news with the other. Hopefully their presences could help breathe life back into the pack along with Creed's kids.

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

Slowly, he was healing. Not his physical wounds, but his emotional ones. The physical injuries sustained in the Challenge had long since healed, and he’d been left with a mild, almost unnoticeable limp to his gait. He had his friend, Solveiga, to help him. He was just about ready to start nipping tails into action, starting with a meeting to assess the numbers of the pack, and where they needed to expand. Right now, he judged they were small, with mostly yearlings that barely had training, pups he hadn’t yet met personally, and a few adults. Not enough. There had been deaths. Wolves had gone missing, or left with Faite. A low huff left his jaws and he paused, scanning the surroundings. He’d heard his younger brother call a hunt. With how quiet it was, had Laisren even gotten any response among the rest of the pack? At the time, Regulus had been lost in a haze. It was cleared now, enough that he could work. His Uncle’s howl turned his head the other way, and he broke into a quick trot, necklace jingling softly against his breast. It didn’t take him long to come upon his mother’s littermate. The only remaining member of the single litter his grandmother had borne to the grandfather she had hardly spoken of. Regulus’ gaze was curious as he approached his uncle, settling on his haunches before him. “Uncle? You called?”

Castiel waited, though he did not have to wait long for Regulus to make his appearance. The pale older brute fixed his golden gaze upon his nephew, offering a gentle smile as the other settled upon his haunches before him. “I did, Regulus. I thought that after a bit of time it’d be best to touch base with you.” Castiel’s voice was gentle as he regarded the younger wolf. “A lot has happened since you’ve come back, hasn’t it?” Cas closed his eyes.

“It warms my heart knowing that Celestial remains in good paws. That our family remains safe.” He opened his eyes again. “You don’t know them yet, but I’ve had a litter with Kalliope. There are two strong young boys and a little girl.” Castiel canted his head to the side. “…and come to think of it… we’d best get to giving mentors to the young of the pack soon.” He frowned deeply at this, sighing. There was something unspoken… the deaths of some of the other packmates. The fact some of the wolves had left Celestial to join Faite’s pack. How many capable wolves were even left to become mentors?

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

He smiled slightly at his Uncle’s words. “That’s good. I’ve been meaning to catch up with you, too… It’s just... been tough.” Castiel could understand the loss, he knew. Castiel had lost a sister when Surreal’d passed. A littermate that, while he may have missed the chance to grow up with her, he surely had loved. His smile was tired as he nodded at his uncle’s next words. “Though sometimes I wonder… I shouldn’t have fallen into that haze. Mother would be disappointed. But enough of that moping. I need to get us all going again. Myself, most of all.” He perked up slightly as Castiel went on to say he and Kalliope had produced a litter. He thought, vaguely, that Faite had told him about Kalliope joining. “I look forward to meeting them. What’re their names?” The talk of mentors, however, dampened the small spark of pleasure as his mind shifted to the fact that they really didn’t have many adult wolves who were knowledgeable enough to train young minds, and they had plenty of those. “We haven’t many to choose from, at the moment. You, Myself, Your lady… Solveiga recently rejoined, and she’s learned a great deal of the Craft while she was away…” A smile warmed his features as he spoke of the tan coated woman, and he sat a little straighter, good mood restoring itself. “There’s Baine, as well. She’s our only emissary. And Creed…” And then, he ran out of wolves to name that might possibly be able to help teach the new generations what they needed to know.

(Bri also forgot who all there was at the time of this thread >.>)

{{Ooc:: I did too it's okay. ;w; <3}}

It had truly been tough. Between the loss of Surreal, the challenge for Celestial they had all stretched out, yet, like a rubber band they were starting to come back together. “I think if we didn’t fall into some sort of haze there’d rise the question if we felt anything at all, Regulus.” Cas said thoughtfully, his smile widening across hiss face. “But it’s alright. We’ll get there, all of us. No matter what weather comes our way, we’ll stand together.” He meant those words. Celestial was a resilient pack… they wouldn’t just fade into the background as some thought they might.

“I’m sure they’ll be eager to meet you as well. Viho is the eldest… I reckon he’ll rival you when he’s fully grown. He’s already so much bigger than our little Etain. She’s our girl, and she’s a special one at that.” Cas didn’t mention the fact she was missing a leg; it had never really bothered him and he was certain his daughter was going to grow up fine even with the deformity. “The last kid is our Ron, or Ronen rather. He might not be as big as his brother, but he shows a lot of promise yet to be on the bigger side of things too.”

He noticed the small shift in happiness as Regulus mentioned what wolves they had to train the youths. “You say that we’ve not that many, yet I hear a fair amount of names, nephew.” Castiel was trying to remain optimistic, offering Reg another smile. “We’ll manage, I assure you. We always have. Surreal wouldn’t want it any other way I’m sure.” As he spoke his sister’s name his golden gaze shifted skyward.

“Sometimes it’s hard to smile, Reg…” Castiel confessed, feeling conflicting feelings in his chest as Surreal’s image stirred in his brain. “But I know we need to… now more than ever. These little ones will look up to all of us to know what to do and when to do it. To be prepared for the world…” Castiel shifted his gaze back towards the red wolf. “But… together we’ve got this. We’ll make it through anything.” He stirred for a moment again and then spoke again.

“But back on the subject of mentors… I don’t think we should worry. We’ve got wolves with knowledge of fighting, hunting, healing, and even a messenger… as long as we share the weight of all the apprentices they’ll all be trained just fine. Don’t you worry.”