As soon as Sparrow turned from Malleus, she searched for Brandr. The man had been more or less her rock since she had taken the alphaship. At a time like this, Sparrow needed his council. She needed his opinion. He knew about the Abraxas too. Sparrow wouldn't be surprised if he knew even more than she did.

Sparrow sought the man out. If he told her she needed to fight, she knew she would. If he wanted to try to talk things out, she would trust his judgement. He was by far one of the most level-headed and dependable members Abaven had to offer and Sparrow trusted him deeply.

Coming closer to a more recent scent, Sparrow called out, "Brandr?"

Autumn was just beginning to kiss the grasses of Abaven and bring with it perfect hunting opportunities. Brandr was slipping through the thicket, searching for the scents of deer and making notes of the trails they were taking as well as their numbers. So far the herd seemed large and healthy which was a good sign though they seemed to be shifting to denning in the northern end of the territory. That was curious. Was it in response to their presence here? He did not get to ponder long on this fact when he heard the voice of Sparrow call out to him. He smiled gently but slowly the smile faded as he noticed the signs of worry on her face. "Sparrow, is everything alright?"

Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn

Brandr greeted her warmly and Sparrow only felt worse. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. As the man asked her if everything was alright, she swallowed and shook her head.

No, everything was terrible.

Her mouth was so dry, she felt like she was going to throw up.

"The Abraxas have come," she said quietly.

She searched for his response before gathering the will to continue.

"They... they offered us a choice. I know, as alpha, I have to do something. My dad made the mistake of making decisions without asking the pack, but now... I'm not sure what to do either."

Sparrow shook her head. She wasn't sure what to say or what to do. She looked up, her minty eyes searching Brandr's. She needed him in the pack more now than ever.

"They promise that since I helped healed one of them once, they would be willing to do something of a... peaceful takeover. That we could continue to be Abaven, not be split up. They would use Abaven as a hub rather than like the packs they have previously dominated. If I say no, however..."

Sparrow's eyes fell to the ground. She was shaking. She was scared. She knew this, yet she knew she wouldn't back down if her pack wanted her to fight.

"Of course, I will fight them if you- if the pack thinks that's best, but in that case... If I lose..." Sparrow's eyes sought Brandr's again, "What will happen to Abaven?"

Sparrow could hear Kanja in the back of her mind scolding her for even considering losing. "If you've already given up, then the fight is already over," it said. Still, Sparrow couldn't ignore the possibility that that was the case.

"I'll fight for Abaven, no matter what, but if there's a chance of peace- a chance we can remain here... Should I take it?"

Brandr knew something was wrong when Sparrow failed to greet him with a smile or even a neutral expression. As she spoke he felt his veins turn to ice. Already? He'd hoped that with their recent victory over Talis their violent appetites might have been satisfied for another season at least. His eyes narrowed as Sparrow mentioned that they'd been given a 'choice'. Choice was an odd word for it, he's call it coercion and blackmail.

Brandr found himself at a loss for words. What could he say when the unthinkable had burst into their lives? Tragedy was throwing off its veil and seeking to drape it over them and he had no idea how to avoid it, especially not with out bloodshed and pain. Brandr looked away as she spoke of the deal, his eyes fixed on a row of aspen whose leaves were just starting to turn color. 'Peaceful' takeover and Abraxas didn't necessarily go hand in hand and he was skeptical that they would keep their word but even if they did he didn't care much for the idea of Abaven being a thing for the Abraxas to 'use' as they saw fit. To have Abaven be a cog in their machine of brutality… but to deny them would mean war.

Brandr began to pace. He needed the movement to think as his gaze dipped swiftly to the ground. Outright war would not work. Abaven was to small and while he believed in Sparrow's fighting ability he feared for her safety in having to battle one of these monsters. So what could be done? If he could he would battle any Abraxas challenger himself but he did not know how the pack would take to that and he didn't want Sparrow to lose respect in the eyes of Abaven.

Brandr stopped and turned to her with a sorrowful gaze and sighed. "This is indeed a matter for the pack to decide. I appreciate that you are willing to ask us rather than making the decision for us. In particular I want to know what Caelum and her family feel. They've already fled from the Abraxas once…." His heart ached deeply for them and for young Caelestis. It would be a painful decision to choose to flee again or to live under their captors. Brandr turned his head as a growl ripped through his throat. "Those bastards!" He forced himself to sit before he started pacing and sighed once again, trying to gain control of the anger that was burning in his heart.

"I suppose much of this depends on whether you believe they'll keep their world. What you speak of as peace I can't help but see as imprisonment. They may leave us be for a time but we are and always will be on unequal footing. They think themselves gods and we no more than the dirt which they walk upon. Sooner or later that imbalance will rear it's ugly head to our detriment. Furthermore, and I speak only for myself, I don't want to be part of an outpost for them. I refuse to be part of this crusade to spread fear and pain across the whole of Auster and Boreas. It is likely that they will challenge and if you lose…" Brandr turned away. "Either the pack will disband and we will be driven out before them or they will decide to keep us and we are still imprisoned." Brandr felt fairly certain he could make a good push for his freedom but what of the others? What of Corentine?

"There is, perhaps, a third option. What the Abraxas seem to seek is control of the land. They drove out the members of previous packs to subvert the land to their own benefit. It is possible that we could become a nomadic band and move as we need though I know that lifestyle is not desirable to all. I am sorry I don't have much more to offer. Truly, I think this is a matter for the pack to decide as a whole. I am only one voice."

Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn

Although Brandr paced, Sparrow couldn't find the energy to move. Her body remained in place although it shook lightly.

Brandr spoke at length, though he seemed just as torn as she did. One thing kept coming into her mind though. As Brandr spoke of leaving, Sparrow sighed, "That's no good. Malleus- the Abraxas man- said that if anyone runs before I meet with him again tomorrow, the whole deal is off and violence will ensue."

She shook her head, "I don't think they will stop, Brandr. If we're on the inside, can we not work towards finding a weakness?" Sparrow scrambled trying to find some light in the situation. Brandr spoke of a nomadic band. What was a pack without a home? No herb dens or whelping dens? Wasn't that the same as being a wandering group of coyotes? Sparrow could barely get her members to patrol regularly. There was no way they would follow her into the wilderness.

"A nomadic band is just the same as disbanding," she said. "Maybe it could work for someone else, but I don't think I could do it. This land... it's my father's land. I can't just leave it. That's not Abaven- that's not what I'm supposed to rule. I only live to carry out my father's legacy. Without this pack... it's the same as dying."

Sparrow hadn't realized how much she had come to live as a substitute for her father. She had given up everything for Abaven. All her wandering, her hopes of raising a family, even her hopes of just living happily with her family. Abaven had taken it all.

"I- I could try but..." Sparrow looked to Brandr. "Let's call the pack."

-exit-