Thus far, Caelum found she was enjoying herself here. It was a relatively quiet pack, which she assumed was connected to the reasoning for demotions in the meeting they'd attended. Leaving the temporary den they'd been staying in, she set to wandering and eventually found herself gazing out at the plains, deep in thought.

It was an early afternoon on a pretty average day. The temperature was pleasant, and elk were grazing in the distance unaware of the lone wolf eyeing them from afar. She sighed and sat, blue eyes distant as she considered what to do. She needed to talk to Zephyr about all this.

What now? That was a question Zephyr had yet to figure out. On one hand, the life of a rogue was a dangerous one, fraught with all the dangers one could dream up. On another hand, packs had been no less safe for him, as far as his history went - and recent history had only further confirmed that. But he was beginning to realize that Caelestis was far more feisty and adventurous than any of their other children had been, and trying to control her.. well, it really was becoming a part-time job. Perhaps their older litters had simply had more stability? Caelestis had been born into one pack and then dragged off to another, and Zephyr couldn't help but wonder if it their parenting was too relaxed.. or maybe they were just too damn old to take it as seriously as they once had. Either way, she was a handful, and he had yet to decide of having a whole group of wolves to at least keep an eye on her outweighed the cons of staying here. Huffing slightly, he finally made his way back to the den he shared with his wife and daughter. Caelum was nowhere to be found, so he followed her scent to find her sitting and gazing quietly across the plains. Feeling his slight irritation settle almost immediately at the mere sight of her, he moved quietly to sit at her side and gently press his nose to her neck in silent greeting. "Talk" "You" Think

The sound of familiar paw-steps approaching alerted her to his presence, and Caelum reflexively leaned into his touch, sighing softly. It was only natural it this point, a reaction so automatic she rarely even had to think about it. That level of familiarity and closeness with someone was reassuring when the world around her seemed so riddled with uncertainty.

In her head she absolutely knew that they needed to talk; needed to come to an agreement about what to do. It was just such a shame to disturb the peace that had settled around them so comfortably. Blue eyes flicked upward to scan his face for a moment as she took a steadying breath. Somehow she figured it  was up to her to somehow tactfully begin this talk.

"Zeph..." Would her words fail her? No, she couldn't let herself fail at this. It wasn't a talk they could put off or opt out of, this was important. Sure, their daughter was nearing a year, but for now while they were in charge they had to make some important choices for their family.

That was it, an idea sparked, just like that. Hesitantly she began speaking, at last with an idea of what her own thoughts would be and the direction she might take this, "We need to decide what to do, for our sake and Caelestis'. There are advantages and disadvantages either way. This pack is small, and they seemingly lack fighters. I think it will make them a target if that family comes calling again." There was a moment of silence as she would dwell on their options further. She had no idea what that family would do to loners if they managed to take over the majority - or, heaven forbid, all - of the packs. It might not even be safe to live on your own then. They needed to be stopped in the early stages of whatever this was, that much was clear. But who could manage that? And how...

"I figure we have a few options. I don't know how I feel about leaving, really. If we do leave, what happens when all the packs are taken over? Do those monsters start attacking the loners and make nowhere safe? It's impossible to know what will happen out there. But," she searched his gaze for a second, looking to see where he seemed to be leaning before continuing, "Staying in this pack as it is now might not be much better. But staying doesn't have to mean settling for how things are now. We were once leaders, and, I like to think we were pretty goo at it. We could work our way up here and help give them a chance, since as they are now I think they would fall at the hands of the Abraxas. Teaching those who don't know how to fight to hold their own, and maybe drawing in new members to give them a fighting chance. I think it could be a decent project for us old fools." she almost laughed, but the mood was too serious to allow it. It could be a decent option for them though, if Sparrow allowed it and the members were cooperative.

"And I've been thinking. If we stay, and things get bad... I don't agree with what you did in Dragoste, even if I understand it, but- If things go awry here, I think it would be a decent course of action to seek out a larger pack. Supposing they'll take us. I don't want to sit idly by in hiding and watch the world fall around us as we age, that's just not something I can do Zeph." She needed to do something, be of use in the face of this evil for now that her child was nearing independance she could think normally again. It wasn't in her nature to do nothing when she saw darkness looming ahead. Old as she might be, there had to be ways to fight it.

While it had taken a long time for them to get where they were now, after so much time apart.. well, things felt far easier now. Most of the time, at least. Though their relationship would never be exactly as it had once been, they had certainly learned to adapt and Zephyr found he was much happier now that they had reunited. Of course, though, things couldn't be all fun and games.. for instance, raising another child was proving to be a headache and a half, and now this whole figuring out where to live and whether or not to stay in a pack thing was weighing heavily on his mind. He turned to watch her, noting her somewhat serious expression. The way she said his name said more than words ever could; she wanted to talk. He very nearly cringed at the thought of what she might want to discuss. "Cae..." He responded, almost playfully mimicking her, as leaned to press his snout against her cheek one more time before she pulled away and began speaking. As much as the stubborn brute wished he could be done with packs permanently, he knew it wasn't so easy. He groaned silently as she spoke, though he listened to what she had to say. "I think it could make them a target as well," Zephyr offered gingerly, though he was uncertain. "Though I'm not sure we have the energy to control Caelestis enough to ensure her safety on our own. She'll be the death of me before any Abrax-whatevers get their paws on me." Though his voice was a touch agitated, the annoyance came from a place of love. She really was quite difficult to control - who even knew where she was right now? - and he wondered if being on their own would be even more dangerous for the three of them. Caelum, ever practical, wouldn't settle for just staying, though. Working their way up, and helping the pack grow, as well as training their fighters to defend themselves.. well, it didn't sound horrible. Having some kind of purpose wouldn't be the worst thing, especially as Caelestis got older. He sighed softly, though nodded in quiet agreement. "I mean.. I've never been good at saying no to you," Zephyr admitted, as if somehow agreeing with her begrudgingly might make him feel better about the whole thing. After all, he'd been the one even more opposed to joining a pack and admitting now that she was right.. well, he was too stubborn to openly acknowledge it. Her next words made him stiffen uncomfortably. Of course she was upset with how he'd handled things in Dragoste. Zephyr bristled quietly, taking a moment to contain himself before accidentally snapping at her. "Yeah, and I'd do it again, a hundred times," he said between gritted teeth. "You know I'd stand and defend both you and Caelestis 'til my last breath, but if it comes between defending a packmate and seeking you two out, I'll always choose you. I wasn't running away, I was running to find you." Would she understand? Hopefully. He had nothing else to say in the matter; he'd stand and fight for whatever cause she believed in, but as soon as the choice came between packmate and family he'd pick the latter a million times over with no remorse. "Talk" "You" Think

Having him close and feeling his body heat against her was comforting, particularly in times like these when there were tough choices to make. Honestly, whenever Caelum had something heavy weighing on her mind her first impulse was to sidle up to Zeph and seem comfort in his warmth and familiar smell. Even after things got difficult, it still felt as natural as ever to want to be near him as often as possible. Perhaps that's how the woman knew they were meant to be; when she realized that it was unthinkable to ever not have him by her side.

Nodding, she laughed and shook her dark head with an airy laugh, "I think she might get it from you. When she sets her mind to doing things no one can stop her." Blue eyes took on a faraway look as she added ruefully, "Of course, in summer she'll be a year. I can only imagine how much of that stubbornness will surface when she realizes she's getting old enough to make her own decisions - I hope they're good ones." Hopefully the girl wouldn't have to learn to think before acting the hard way. Eyeing Zephyr, Caelum decided only time would tell.

Ears pricked forward at his words, icy gaze lighting up as she gave him a toothy smile, "Oh, we knew that." Her devious smile was only getting wider. Sitting up a little straighter she cooed, "So, is that a yes?"

The response she got to her words wasn't unexpected, but the look on her face as he replied said it was certainly not appreciated. Sucking in a breath and letting it back out, her eyes slid shut. Was she really getting this old? Yeesh. With a sharp look, her ears fell to the sides and her words, while having plenty of power behind them didn't have quite the bite they might have in the past, "I... understand, but you listen to me Zeph. Make sure it doesn't happen unless that's the only option. For me." Now she needed to find Inverno at some point and make sure he was okay. Really, though, when did she get so soft? In the past she might have tackled Zeph to the ground and made him apologize, but now... Maybe it was raising that wild child of theirs that was leaving her totally lacking the energy to get mad.

They had spent so long feeling vaguely uncomfortable together, even after they'd reunited, but having Caelum had sort of made all that discomfort fade away. The familiarity of fatherhood - and all of its irritations and frustrations - somehow made him feel whole again. It'd been a long time since he'd felt as though he truly had a family, and now that he felt he'd built one again, well.. he wouldn't let anyone take that feeling away from him. Even if it meant abandoning a long-time packmate and friend of Caelum, however much she hated his decision. "Me? Stubborn? No way, absolutely not." Zephyr feigned a look of shock, but he realized it was likely true. She seemed just as mouthy and unpredictable as he could be at times, though he knew that she also had Caelum's kind heart. The thought made him laugh at the very least - a female version of him. He thought of how he'd been at her age, and shook his head, wondering if the world had half an idea what it was in for with her. "And sure, I suppose that's a yes. A tentative yes, but a yes," he added with a slight grumble, but he knew this choice was for the better. To have something to work to, and to fight for, might not be such a bad thing.. and it wasn't like running had every done them any good before. Recalling the bubbling froth of anger that had wanted to appear when the Abraxas had threatened him was unpleasant - and not wanting to revisit that part of him had been part of the reason why running had been the appropriate action. He was a changed man - he had to keep telling himself that. He grimaced a bit at the look she thought him, deciding that snapping back at her would be unproductive. "I'll only run if it's the only option," he echoed hollowly, as stubborn as ever, but there was a certain conviction in his voice that said he wasn't lying.  "Hey," Zephyr spoke up after a moment, noting her slightly sullen gaze. "We'll find Inverno and make sure he's alright. The old fool should've ran right along with me. If he's hurt we'll make sure he gets patched up and taken care of here." Did he harbor an unfounded sort of resentment for him for spending time with Caelum before he'd reunited with her? Of course he did. But Caelum's feelings toward him made him overlook his own selfish wishes, and he meant what he'd said. While Zephyr hadn't exactly hoped well for the man, he hadn't really wished harm on him either.. he'd just be damned if he put his family's safety on the line to help defend a home he cared nothing for alongside him. "Talk" "You" Think

It was hard not to playfully roll her eyes at that 'innocent' look. Yup, their kid was just like this old rascal. Though maybe it was a good thing her energy and hunger for adventure kept her from having time to mouth off as much as Zephyr seemed to. Otherwise she'd really be a trouble maker.

"Excellent!" she chirped when she dragged the begrudging official assent from the man. Thank goodness Caelum had good parents to raise her or she might be some master manipulator or something. Well, that might be a bit of a stretch, but without her moral compass she could see herself trying to get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. The thought made her wonder how old her parents would be, or if they were even alive anymore. If they were they would be ancient, which sort of made her feel better about her own age in a weird way.

Even if he was proving her right about the pervasive stubbornness, Cae was glad he didn't argue. Hey, he knew he was getting involved with a goodie-two-shoes when he met her, after all. Smiling at his statement about Inverno, she let her tail wag gently, nuzzling him and sighing, "I hope we do. I know you weren't exactly buddies with him, but at least remember the poor guy doesn't have what we have. He's been alone since our pack fell." Pulling away, she studied Zeph a moment before grinning and adding, "You know, if Caelestis is off exploring, it might be a good time to catch up on some rest. I know I'm beat chasing the wild child around all day."

The moment of discomfort that they shared over Zephyr's questionable decision didn't last for all that long. Truthfully, at this point in their lives they were too old to really argue over things. After all he had been thought, he knew this was the life he wanted and to jeopardize it by fighting wouldn't make much sense. He'd spent too long being tortured and angry; now that he'd found some peace with himself and his life, he wasn't willing to honestly disturb that peace. "I hope so, too," Zephyr agreed. Not for his sake, of course, but for Caelum's. He'd never exactly been close to Inverno even back in the pack they'd run together, but he hadn't disliked him by any means. Even now, Zephyr couldn't quite place why the male left a sour taste in his mouth. The time he'd spent alone with Caelum, for one, grated at his nerves in a way he just couldn't stand.  "I'll go looking for him soon. Once Caelestis gets used to being here and we have half a chance of her not sprinting off when we look away for a second." The truth was.. she was getting older, and soon they'd have no real say in trying to keep her near them most of the time, as hard as they tried. He sighed, a content sound, at her suggestion.  "A nap sounds perfect, my love." He leaned his head gently against her before turning to head to their den, deciding an afternoon curled up against his mate sounded delightful. "Talk" "You" Think