Since so many people are on absences or scarcities, (including myself until the internet's back online [oh how punny, Bri]) the deadline for replying to this meeting is gonna be pretty loose. Y'all have three weeks to getcher guys in here <3 This has not been my month/week, anytime, lately.

Aurielle Adravendi

Spring had come, and with it, the time to hold her first meeting as the leader of Celestial. Aurielle trotted through the plains, Aelloshir padding after her with the cheerfully chattering ring-tailed lemur Ayodele sitting astride his back. Paladin was already heading to the meeting place ahead of her, and as she passed her cousin, she smiled at him. The shimmering white wolf leapt neatly onto the great boulder and turned, settling her haunches on the stone, warmed just slightly from the midmorning rays of sunshine, and flicked her bannered tail to curl around her hips. There was a great deal to fill in the pack about, from all the changes that would be made, to her own leadership, and a deep warning that she would not put up with lackluster performance and activity under her rule. Blowing out a sigh, she tipped her head to the sky and released a long howl, calling for the pack – what little remained of it – as well as Gwenevere, her fellow leader for the time being until she found her own second. Her head lowered, eyes casting about the plains as Paladin settled in to wait, and then her breath caught with hopeful excitement as a familiar masculine song rang out from the borders to the northwest. Her father was back… And he sounded practically exuberant. He would be there in time for her first meeting. The young leader wanted desperately to bound from the rock and race to meet him, but she’d already called the pack. And so, she waited, weight shifting from paw to paw before her, for everyone to gather. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Winter was over, he was glad even if the snow had helped him work his muscles a little easier. He hoped the prey would be coming back to their old haunts soon and he hoped for more training sessions soon. It was hard to get someone to come with him to the battle grounds, but he was still hopeful in finding a pack member willing to travel with him so he could do some spars. For the most part the winter had made the pack quiet, Regulus had gone on his trip, and Aurielle had taken over. He had been wondering and stewing over the possible changes that may be coming with his niece's leadership. He had been so used to his brother leading since he was born that he didn't know how well he could adapt to any major changes. Though he still held tight to what family he had left and had no immediate plans or even any considerations of being chased away by something that may happen. He was confident in the fact he could learn to adapt and planned to do so if in fact Aurielle would have any changes. He had just finished his run about 20 minutes ago and had been resting up briefly before he would head to the border to patrol. His niece's pack call changed his plans. Up onto his feet he went, giving a brief stretch of his body and limbs before shaking out his fur. After that he began at a quick paced trot towards where she had called. His ears caught the distant and familiar howl and a smile peeled back his inky lips and relief came to him. Regulus had returned and hopefully he was doing well. He didn't know if he had any luck on his trip, but he was hopeful that his older brother did. Quickening his pace he made it a point to be there in a timely matter and when he arrived he was relieved to see that he had succeeded. Aurielle and her two companions were here along with Paladin. He grinned a friendly grin to both of them before taking a seat and waiting on the rest of the pack. "Talk" "You" Think

The young man had spent a lot of time here and there, wandering in and out of the pack lands and going from attending to his regular duties to exploring as far as he felt like depending on the day. Today he'd been tracking a young doe's scent that trailed along the wall, entering one break in the stone structure and eventually heading back out another. It was somewhat fresh, he was pretty sure he could catch up to her-

The sound of Aurielle's summoning howl rang through the territory and he immediately dismissed the idea of hunting and loped off to meet his young alpha. It took a few minutes, but he was happy to see he arrived in a somewhat timely manner, promptly settling himself a short distance from Laisrén and offering all present his best winning smile complete with a few wags of his tail. He'd known they were due for a meeting for some time, and was excited to see Rielle holding one at last.

Her squeaking little pups were safely tucked away sleeping in one of the inner alcoves of her den on the Moor. Though they were rapidly approaching the age that they would take their first foray out into the sun, for now they were still at the age where they spent most of their time eating and sleeping. So when Aurielle's call for the pack to gather came, Gwen had no issue with leaving them there alone for the time to make her way at a lope towards the plains and the meeting place there, particularly with the mostly-grown kitten Princess watching them and ready to make a run for the meeting place to fetch her if she was needed.

She'd still not formally decided on names for them all yet, since they were just getting to where their personalities were beginning to emerge, but she was beginning to get an idea of what she thought would suit each of them. Her oldest pup, a male with still-blurry red markings, was showing signs that he would easily tower over his siblings as an adult and bore her own crystalline blue eyes, she was leaning towards Artur for him. Her second born was a girl with tan markings that bore flecks of white through them that put her in mind of both her mother's markings and her father's more distinct appaloosa markings, markings that she herself bore. She'd thought of naming the girl Epiphron, after her mother, but that loss was just too raw and new yet... she wasn't ready for that. So she was still struggling with a name for that girl. Her second born boy though had been easy to name, the boy's chocolatey coat and steadfast manner immediately putting her in mind of her grandfather Cairo.

Another boy had come next, his markings darker than Cairo's with black being the dominate color rather than the ruddy brown. Neither the black color nor the particular pattern of white markings ran in the Adravendi line that she could recall, but then again, they had to have a father out there somewhere didn't they? She could remember nothing past her strange hallucinations, but clearly some male had to have taken advantage of her predicament. Whether he was a black wolf or if the black ran in his blood, he had to have been the one to pass it down to two of her sons. The green eyes, well, those could have come from Maverick, but the minty shade of the tri-colored son's eyes made her think that the male must have had them. She hadn't quite settled on a name for that boy either, though she vaguely liked the name Geoffrey for him.

But it was the youngest, smallest pup, a little female, that startled her every time she happened to see her. That golden color, those creamy white markings that matched maybe-Geoffrey's so closely, that foxy face and oversized ears, even the one floppy ear, she could almost have been Lanse. The bright green of her eyes was more Maverick's than maybe-Geoffrey's was, but then again, Lanse had had mint green eyes as well... The hallucinations she'd had kept crowding into her mind whenever she looked at the pups, but she kept dismissing it as ridiculous, because really, it was quite ridiculous to imagine that the ghost of her husband had impregnated her. She had no idea of a name for her youngest, either.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a second howl, Regulus' familiar call announcing his arrival on the border. He'd returned from his search, then? She didn't particularly hold a great deal of hope that he'd returned with the mate and child that he'd gone out to look for - experienced told her that a trail that cold would be difficult at best to follow. Scent would have long since dispersed, tracks and physical signs wiped away by rain and wind. He'd have to have depended on tracking them through old sightings, and memory was notoriously chancy. Still, he'd be there for the meeting, it seemed, so Aurielle's first meeting would have him there to be moral support.

Reaching the meeting place to find only Aurielle, Laisren and a young green-eyed male whose name she hadn't gotten to know yet since she'd been otherwise occupied, Gwenevere contented herself with a nod to each of the two and a murmured 'good morning' as she seated herself beside Aurielle's meeting rock on the roots of the oaks there.

Aurielle's call woke Justice from the last vestiges of sleep after a post- night patrol nap, and she took a moment to stretch and wake up before she made the effort to go find out what she was wanted for. Even so, she was still shaking out her sleep-rumpled fluffy coat and yawning as she strolled up to the meeting rock to see only half the pack gathered. She squinted through one foggy eye and counted again. Yep, Domari, Paladin, and Regulus were still not there, though she'd not seen nor scented Domari or Regulus for quite some time now anyway. Which was too bad, because she'd really liked that Domari. He'd been fun to tease, and if he was gone that left her as the only paladin in the pack. No other paladins, no one else to really compete with in friendly rivalry.

She flopped down on her dark haunches next to a male a bit older than Aurielle. "Hey," she yawned at him in lazy greeting, adding a lopsided grin as the yawn completed itself.

Aramis felt like he'd been to hell and back. And he wasn't exaggerating by much. The last few months had been spent away from home after being snatched by a band of slave traders who'd happened to pass by just outside their borders. It wasn't his Mama's fault, it all happened so fast... She had taken him out of the den that morning to give him his first formal lesson on herbs and their medicinal qualities. There were plenty of useful herbs within the boundaries of Celestial, but she'd wanted to show him some of the rarer herbs like alder buckthorn and periwinkle, which were more easily found in the estuary just west of the border. So they'd gone, feeling perfectly safe in broad daylight. And when the band of thieves had come to snatch them, Aramis had to watch his Mama desperately try to fight them off. But she was so small compared to them, so inexperienced in fighting and worst of all, so very outnumbered. And at the time, Aramis had been only a pup. It took too much mental and emotional energy for the young male to recount all of what had transpired, and he'd already had to do so when his father and the nomads came to rescue them. So for now, that was all he could bear to think about. He was just happy to finally be home. As his father came to the border, Aramis and his mother in tow, he sent up a call to Aurielle to let her know they were on their way. Aramis felt his tail swaying slowly from side to side as a glimmer of hope broke through the protective armor he'd placed around himself. Aurielle. His lovely sister. He was going to see her again. Everything was going to be alright. At least, he hoped so.

teach me gently how to breathe

Yes, a lot had happened in the last few months. She had failed to protect herself and her child, and as a result they'd been ripped away from their home. Failure was the word that kept her up at night. But through it all, she had kept Aramis close. Protected him any way she could, and watched as he was forced to become a man before he'd even seen the end of his first year. Under the circumstances, she couldn't have been more proud of him. And she couldn't have been more relieved when at last her love had come to rescue them.

But, even so. It was hard to feel pride or relief beneath the crushing weight her failure had placed on her chest. Regulus had given her lessons in fighting for a reason. And more than that, the entire situation was her fault. She should have stayed within Celestial and its protective wall. She never would have dreamed that she and Aramis would run into such trouble a mere mile away from home.

She had been through a lot. It had sent her back to earlier days, feeling so small and weak and dependent. Back then, she'd leaned on her brother for support, even for survival. This time, she'd had to lean on her son. Her own son, who should have had his mother to lean on. But instead he'd had to step up and be strong enough for both of them. Another failure, in her book.

The little woman barely strayed an inch from her love's side as they crossed the border and entered Celestial once more. The weight on her chest lifted, minutely. She was home. Her child was home. They were safe. "How... how is she?" Solveiga whispered, her voice once again soft and timid, as it had been when she and Regulus first met. Her question, of course, was about their daughter. Aurielle, who was now leading the pack. How had her children matured so quickly? She couldn't wait to see her, embrace her. All they had to do was cross the territory to the place where the meeting was being held. Reunion, so close she could almost taste it. Maybe things would be okay after all.

He hadn’t realized just how much stress he’d been feeling until he’d found them. The sight of his Lady and son having been so deeply mistreated by those mongrels had opened a direct eruption to that icy, feral rage he’d felt only a few times, and this time, there had been no backing away from the killing edge. He hadn’t led the charge alone into the camp of slavers.

A large squad of the better fighters among the Nomads who had taken him to follow the rumors and hints they’d picked up – of a black pup who shimmered blue in the light and a cream-colored female – in a constant quest to rescue slaves and give them a new lease on life, had leapt straight in without hesitation.

For all that Nomads were primarily healers, they had a heritage that was just as powerful in their history. His ancestors through his maternal side had included powerful warriors. Some of the wolves who fought beside him that night in the bloody slaughter of the slavers were his cousins, distant though they were.

It had been a vicious brawl, and he bore quite a few semi-healed marks from it, from a torn ear to several nasty gashes along his ribs and shoulders. He looked a right mess, but victorious. He was bringing them home. He hadn’t let their daughter down.

The Nomads had traveled with them to the border, over the past few weeks, tending to the injuries of all who had fought, and the malnourishment in Solveiga and Aramis. And the marks and cuts of their treatment. He bore no blame over his mate’s head for their being taken. It was just… one of those things that happened. If he blamed anyone, it was himself.

But he didn’t let himself dwell overmuch on that feeling, instead marveling at how his son had grown, and rediscovering again and again how beautiful Solveiga was. He’d barely let his side stray more than a foot from either of them the whole way home.

As they’d reached the wall, he sang a jubilant howl to his daughter, having just caught the tail end of her howl calling a meeting. Was it her first? Had he missed it?

Solveiga’s whisper caught his ear and he grinned gently, touching his nose to her cheek and savoring again the smell of her. “She’s everything a parent can be proud of, Love. Both of them are.”

His eyes cast to his son as he spoke, pride warming those fathomless sapphire pools before he led the way to the meeting. They were among the last to arrive, and a glance at Gwen gave him a small jolt of surprise. Gwen showed the distinct signs of an un-weaned litter, and his tail waved gladly as he nodded to her.

A quick glance around the gathered wolves showed him just about everyone he expected, but not quite. He didn’t let the frown show on his features, instead turning his eyes to his daughter, standing like a shimmering white statue upon the border. He could read the naked struggle she fought inside with joy and dignity, and even caught the faint squeak of restraint she gave before she forced herself to settle and begin the meeting.

Paladin watched as the pack filed in, waiting on tenterhooks for his cousin to arrive. From the sound of Regulus’ howl, he wasn’t coming home empty-pawed. A brief smile of welcome was given to Gwen, and he briefly considered asking to check in on the pups later on. It was in his nature to be deeply interested in the new lives in the world. A brief sigh left him as he quietly regretted not having his own yet.

Patience. His time would come, he was certain. Justice’s arrival garnered a faint nod in her direction, though she didn’t even seem to realize he’d been sitting there before anyone else arrived to Aurielle’s call... He’d given up, for the most part, on trying to enjoy his stormy, moody, snarky little littermate’s company when she didn’t exactly put herself out there for a friendly talk unless called for. He’d been less than thrilled with her attitude at his first healing lesson, to boot.

If she wanted to mend bridges, she’d have to make the first step. From the first moment he’d finally arrived home with a tired, sore-pawed Exodus at his side, she’d barely shown joy at their return, instead whipping almost immediately to snapping his face off. He was well and truly tired of dealing with her.

And finally, he felt a thrill as a familiar crimson form appeared in the distance, and Regulus did indeed have Solveiga and Aramis with him. And still so thin… He’d been privy to the rumor that had sent Regulus off that night, and he’d felt rather ill at the thought that two wolves who were such sweet-natured creatures should undergo that sort of torture. No wonder Solveiga looked as timid as she did.

He rose and padded to greet them, butting his head into Reg’s shoulder and greeting the tired mother and son with warm grins and a softly murmured, “Welcome home. It’s good to see you both safe again. And goodness but you’ve grown, Aramis.”

He lowered his haunches to the ground beside the three, head turned to gaze up at Aurielle and grinning as she won her struggle and calmly began to speak, though her joy was audible in her speech.