He was so tired of the disappointment and constantly feeling homeless. The titan maled walked in silence with niece and nephew in tow, and he had one destination in mind. Abaven. He didn't know much about the pack except they had some sort of alliance with them when Ruina stood, and they were the closest pack to Ruina's old grounds. He wanted the children to grow up in a more stable environment, to be around others so they could learn and grow. There was only so much he could teach them, and he wasn't knowledgeable enough to teach them things like healing if either of them decided they wanted to go that route as opposed to fighting or hunting. That was what drove him to seek out another pack. He was doing it for them. He glanced back to see Ignis' tired form following along behind. He knew the boy craved more and could feel that he wasn't properly growing in either body or mind with the way they were living. Sure, the life of a rogue wasn't all that bad, but young minds needed all the stimulation and knowledge they could get at a young age if they wanted to succeed later in life. Actaea seemed fine enough, though she seemed to be the type that didn't complain much. He knew she was probably still hurting after her father's abandonment, much like Ignis was. Though whether or not that was for sure, he didn't know. Ignis didn't say much about it either. Returning his attention ahead, he smelled the borders of Abaven as they got closer, and once they were within a few feet of the boundary, he waited a few minutes. Was this the right thing to do? Would Abaven accept them? He supposed there was only one way to find out. Turning to the pair again, he quietly watched them for a moment. "I know this is going to be a big change for you, but just know I'll always be here for you no matter what. I won't leave you, ever. I'm about to call the alpha so we can talk to them...and we'll probably live here for a while. Alright? It's for the best, I think." With that said, he turned his attention back to the borders and howled for the alpha. "Speak"

It seemed the borders of Abaven where a bustling hive of activity. She felt she had only just finished greeting one wolf a the border, when another called for her attention. The very slight exasperation she felt was immediately covered with amusement. She had wanted Abaven to be a busy, thriving place. She could hardly begrudge it for turning into exactly that.

With a spring in her step, because, indeed, she was pleased at her growing pack, the Alpha would make her way to the borders. What she would find there was a pale bute that stood at giant proportions. She considered her 40” to be an impressive height, and yet this boy towered over her. Had she ever seen a wolf as tall as this one?

The red tones to his gaze where ominous, and she would have felt a little weary about speaking to him, if it wasn’t for the sorry train of pups that stumbled after him. They looked a little like refugees, through she wasn’t certain what they were fleeing from. This man looked like he could face down anything. She didn’t sit this time, but instead she stood, poised on her side of the border as she regarded them. “I am Shaye Destruction, the leader here. What brings you to my borders today?” she would ask him politely.

It had been a while since Elias had abandoned them, since she had her emotional outburst. She was still very sore about it, but she did not speak of it. Instead of continuing to whine and express her emotions about what had happened she buried them deep under the layers of her soul. Her world was now shrunk down to Ignis and her Uncle and she had quietly stuck to them like glue. She didn't want to be separated from them and as much as she felt suffocated being so physically close, she remained as close as she could get. She was so mentally petrified that they to would simply up and disappear that she couldn't let them be out of her site for long. Since Uncle did most of the hunting this led her to stick to Ignis. She quietly fallowed behind Uncle, walking directly beside Ignis. Both males were larger then her, but she was beginning to sprout in her height and right now looked all legs. Though her movements were still very graceful and her eyes still soaked everything in. She was weary from travel and constantly thirsting for knowledge and teachings. Uncle could only do so much as the only adult, so his choice to join another pack made a lot of sense, but she couldn't help but be very suspicious of other wolves. It would be a lot harder for others to earn her trust after the one she trusted the most abandoned her. When they stopped she looked up to her uncle, her eyes analyzing his features and absorbing the emotions that may be written on his face as he explained what he was doing. She then sighed quietly before looking to her bright red brother seeking to see what emotions was written on his face as uncle howled. It wasn't long before a women came to their call making her peek around her uncle's hind leg to look over the women. In Ruina the highest rank a female could have was the demon mother, but they were not the alpha of the pack. So to see a female answering the call for the alpha caught her a little off guard and honestly made her a little on edge. Ruina teaching was all she knew and this was something she thought as forbidden. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"

His life had taken a drastic turn over the last couple of seasons. He didn't talk much about his father anymore. But the thoughts of what he did still lingered in his mind. It was just them three now. He walked behind his uncle and alongside his sister. Ace had spoken to them about joining a pack, and Ignis wasn't sure how to feel about that. Ruina was all they had known. Their culture, their beliefs...they didn't know anything else. And whenever he had mentioned anything about Ruina culture, their uncle was quick to silence him. Ignis wasn't quite sure why, so he refrained from talking about any of it. They eventually showed up near the border to a pack he didn't know. Many scents lingered, and he couldn't quite tell one from the other. Was this safe? He supposed they were all big enough now to fight if they had to, but he hoped it didn't come to that. He was tired of traveling, tired of living as a loner...it wasn't fair. And quite frankly, he hated his dad for doing what he did. He stopped when they stopped, ears tiredly tilting towards his uncle's voice as he spoke. He side-glanced at his sister, wondering if she felt nervous or scared or...well, anything, really. Neither of them really said much nor talked about their father anymore. They didn't talk about what happened. Why it happened. Not even about their mother or the others. It was almost like they didn't exist anymore...and if they did, they were remembered in silence. When his uncle called for the alpha, Ignis' tailed flicked nervously and he subconsciously moved closer to his sister until his fur touched hers. It didn't take long for an Alpha to show, and to his surprise, it was a she-wolf. Ruina didn't have any high ranking females except for his mother, the Demon Mother. So this was certainly a surprise. He quietly studied the female, noting that she was almost as tall as he and his uncle. Well, a little taller than himself still, but he would catch up eventually. "Speak"

The two pups in tow didn't say anything after he had spoken to them. He had expected as much, however. This was a hard transition for them, he thought. But he couldn't dwell on that now. They needed to move forward. He needed to wipe up his brother's mess and forget about him. This was the last time Elias would betray him. His eyes narrowed for a moment when that thought came to mind, but he soon adopted a somewhat less mean look when someone approached. He listened quietly as the she-wolf announced herself as Shaye Destruction, the leader of the pack. He was a little surprised, to say the least. But then again, he wasn't sure what he expected to begin with. He didn't know any of the leaders from the other packs, so he brushed it off.

Ace wasn't one to beat around the bush, and he was so tired and was sure that his two charges were just as tired, that he decided to just cut to the chase. "My name is Acere Praetor, and these two are my niece and nephew, Actaea and Ignis." He motioned to each in turn. "We seek to join Abaven, if you'll have us. These two have...been through a lot, and they need a stable place to grow. They are good pups, and I am an experienced fighter. If you have the room, we would like to join." He tried to keep the expectant look from his eyes, instead he kept a hard, guarded stare. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. And just like the pups, he felt incredibly closed off and found it hard to trust again. After Baine disappeared. After Elias disappeared...so much had happened in his own life, that his own heart felt like it was encased with iron walls. "Of course, if there is some sort of...trial or test we must go through to join, I'll do it on behalf of myself, and them."

Despite his ominous height and rough look, there was clearly an exhaustion about him. His voice sounded tired as he spoke in reply to her. He got right to business, giving his name and the names of his niece and nephew. She would give them all a polite nod in greeting. She had already expected what he would say next, why else would he drag these tired children to her border? He wished to join Abaven. She looked over the pups, one bright red and the other tinged with purple. They both looked a little confused, and clung to each other as through afraid to let go. Shaye gave a mental sigh, letting none of this emotion through. She already knew she would allow them enter, how could she not? To do otherwise would go against her nature.

Perhaps she could get Rhyme to meet Acere, until they knew him a little better and knew if they could trust him. “A stable place for pups is exactly the kind of atmosphere Abaven prides itself on. Of course we would have you. We have warrior ranks open, through I would have you meet my second, he is in charge of the warriors and I would have him rank you.” she would explain. Also a subtle, and good reason for them to meet early on.

She frowned as he asked about a trial, and offered up himself in the place of the young pups. His protective instincts over them definitely endeared him to her. Wherever he had come from, it was obvious that he cared for these two. “there is no trial. If you come with me, i’ll show you a place you can bed down for the night and get the young ones and yourself some food. You can stay in this den as long as you like, or dig out one that suits you better.” she would explain, stepping to the side as she indicated for them to enter the territory. “Ignis and Actaea you both look like your nearing an age when you would be apprenticed. I will give you all some time to settle in of course, but if you let me know what you both desire for your future, I can speak to some wolves and see about finding you some mentors.” she would offer.

She was able to catch his side ward glance her eyes holding curiosity for this place. She was very nervous, but she did her best to hide it. Ace and Ignis were all she had now and she prayed that they would be with her forever. She had no one else she could trust and she didn't want to loose them either. Quietly she leaned slightly into Ignis hoping that this gesture would let him know that she wasn't going anywhere and that hopefully he to would feel as long as they stuck together they would be okay. Uncle Ace would never let any harm come to them, she was sure of it. While leaning into him (If he allowed) her gaze returned to the women as uncle began to explain why they were here. Her eyes scanned Shaye, taking in every little detail she could on both the women's coat and her face. She noted the feather attached near her left ear and the white markings around her eyes that made the blue eyes brilliantly stand out. The laid back, yet vary authoritative way she held herself. It was easy to know that this women lead this pack even before she stated it. It was foreign to her, yet she found herself amazed. A female leading a pack? Ruling over the males and calling the orders? She had never imagined such a thing and this meeting here was opening up a brand new world for her. The feeling was something similar to what she had felt towards her father, but definitely not the same. Adoration perhaps? Whatever that may even be. She was already staring at the women when she called her name, her ears perking to listen to what she had to say. Mentioning mentors and what they would like to do. She wasn't even sure anymore, she still wanted to keep healing and learn more on that, but did she really want to continue learning to fight? Quietly she sighed before fallowing the lead of the adults. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"

He listened quietly as his uncle spoke to the woman. His ears fell back a bit, mostly from exhaustion and a bit from feeling unsure. This was going to be a big new step for them, but he was sure he could do it. Shaye spoke, and she seemed nice. It was strange to see a woman leading a pack, but the only pack he'd ever known was his fathers, and the males generally took up the higher ranks save for the Demon Mother. But there was no such thing here, he assumed. Unless Shaye was sort of like the Demon Mother, but she didn't look like she had pups nor did she smell of them. That's when he realized how different the world beyond Ruina was. His world had crumbled to his feet, and he needed to learn that things would be different now. He needed to learn how to pick up the pieces and how to live a different life. It would be easy though, right? After all, he was still young. Still malleable. And with the guidance of his uncle, he knew he could do it. He felt his sister lean into him, and Ignis gently licked the top of her head. He knew she was as frightened and as nervous as he was, and he would make sure to be the brother that she needed. When Shaye directed her attention to him and his sister, he remained attentative. He stood up as it seemed they were allowed to come into the territory, but he would first wait until his uncle went first. She talked about them being of age for mentors, and the thought excited him. His uncle had been his main mentor despite not being officially assigned, but he had learned alot from him. More than his father had taught him, anyway. Though they were given time to think about what they wanted to do, Ignis already knew. He wanted to be like his uncle, big and strong and the best warrior in the lands. With a shaky breath, he gazed determinedly at the alphess. "I wanna be a warrior like my uncle, can I train for that?" His ears flicked nervously as he waited for an answer. Unsure if he had maybe spoken out of place. Had he done that with his father, he was sure he would have been reprimanded somehow. What about this time? "Speak"

She explained that Abaven prided itself on being the type of pack that was good for pups. And he felt relieved. He felt his body relax a little, and he was sure that she noticed the relief as it slowly began to show in his eyes. They could grow here, and learn things that he couldn't teach them. They could make new friends, and maybe even find others to bond with. Gods knew they needed it. Ace had decided to cast away the Ruina religion that he had grown up with, deciding that it simply wasn't worth his time anymore. The demons had done nothing good for him. All they did was take from his life, and he was sick of it. No longer would they cling to him. And for all he cared, they could destroy Elias. He would make sure to help his neice and nephew overcome such things if they happened to be plagued with those ancient, diabolical powers. They could grow up normal here. Or as normal as possible, anyway. "Thank you, Shaye. I must say that I am quite relieved. The kids need a stable place to learn and grow, and though I don't know much of anything about Abaven, I believe we've made a good choice." He sighed, feeling more weight drop off his shoulders. He hoped this was the right move. It had to be. While she told him there wouldn't be a test and that her secondary would be ranking him, he nodded in understanding. He didn't mind, honestly. He wasn't in a rush to do things as quickly as possible. He figured a day or two of settling in and getting accustomed to a new pack would help them recover and think about what they wanted to do. Ace was always ready though. But for the moment, he would help the pups settle in before anything. Shaye stepped aside a bit, welcoming them into Abaven. He nodded and began to follow, as well as signaling the kids to follow as well. "If I may ask, what is Abaven like? I know my brother had met with someone by the name of Sparrow before, but I never bothered to ask about this pack. I imagine it's much different than Ruina was..." He was certain that it was different than Ruina. Elias had tried and failed to make Ruina like their birth pack. And when Ace had left all those years ago, he had been an alpha himself with his mate at his side. But those were memories now. Buried beneath the bones of his past. He never mentioned any of those things to his brother...and he probably never would. "Speak"

Actaea kept her silence, and Shaye did glance at her thoughtful for a moment. The girl looked curious, mixed in with her uncertainty. When she looked up at Shaye, the Alpha thought she could see something in her eyes, though she wasn’t completely certain what it was. Ignis’s words dragged her attention to the flame-toned boy, who let his sister lean on him for support and he was quick to speak up. Of course, he wanted to train to be a warrior. Shaye grinned at him, a happy, confident sort of smile. “Perfect, I think I even have a mentor for you.’ she would promise the boy, she would have to speak to Rhyme first, but she had a strong feeling about this… When she looked back at Acere, he looked more relaxed, more certain in his decision. He sounded it too, explaining how relieved he was, and how he thought Abaven might be the perfect home for them. Shaye smiled, her first, initial thoughts on this large scarred warrior melting away as she got to know him. She could see that he cared for the kids, and whatever they had gone through, his concern was their safety and future. She respected him for that, a lot. The lot of them followed her, and she began to walk through Abaven’s territory. She knew of a den, dug out by previous tenants that where gone now. She would lead them in that direction. It was near the stream, and large enough for the family. If they stayed there or dug something out that would feel more like their own, she was fine with either. “Abaven is a pack that cares about its members. We have the basic ranks, and i’ve currently been trying to organise mentors and apprentices, so you’ve come at a good time.” she looked back at him with a smile, one with a hint of sadness in it. “Sparrow was my cousin, i’m afraid she’s passed on now. We are a pack thats building trading alliances with all our neighbors, and building a pack that people can live and grow in. I haven’t been Alpha here for long, so what this pack might one day turn into is still undecided, but in the meanwhile, its members are my main concern, as it should be.” she was rambling too much, the question on Abaven’s nature had thrown her. She should have a better answer for that worked out already. She smiled to herself as she considered a pre-made answer. “What was Ruina like? I’m afraid I never made my way out to that pack.” "Talk" "You" Think

She was quiet, but took everything in. Her eyes shifting to her brother as he announced he wanted to be a worrier like their uncle. She quietly looked between the two males before casting a glance to her paws. She had already had some fight training under her belt and her..... father had seemed pleased she was learning fighting, but she wasn't sure she wanted to go with that. She had an interest in herbs, but without her mother's teaching she was never able to fully explore what all was involved with healing. So really she didn't know what she wanted, what she could do. Her eyes looked back up to Shaye as they trailed behind her, she wondered what their new alpha would think? Would her and uncle know how to guide Actaea to the a path she would want to stay on? She looked back to her uncle mentally cursing herself. This women had been vary nice so far, but how would she truly know if she was trustworthy. Well at least for now she know her Uncle and brother were both wolves she could trust and if things ended up bad again they would have each other. She trusted that her Uncle was guiding them the right way and that he wouldn't fail or abandoned them like father had. Fallowing behind the adults she looked to her brother and Uncle and Shaye both talked. Walking by his side she was quiet, but gently nudged him. "What do you think?" she whispered wanting to know how her brother was feeling. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"

He perked up considerably when Shaye said that he might have a mentor lined up. He did his best to suppress his excitement, but inside, he was practically ready to explode! He listened quietly as Shaye and his uncle talked until his sister nudged him and asked him what he thought on the matter. "I dunno Taea...this is gonna be real different than before but...we gotta try, right?" He glanced briefly at the adults, making sure they were still distracted with one another before continuing. "Everyone left us...even dad...it makes me wonder sometimes if he did it on purpose because we weren't good enough or somethin'..." He sighed, sad eyes seeking hers out as he leaned heavily against her. Not a day went by that he didn't think about what happened. He didn't outright talk about it, but the pain was still as raw as ever, and he knew his sister felt the same. He hadn't been flat out abandoned and left alone like Actaea had because he'd been out with his uncle, but it was still a shock to come back to nothing. "Besides...Shaye sounds nice. If anything, we can give this a chance. Maybe learn things that we weren't allowed to before, and hey! Maybe you can even be the best whatever you wanna be! Y'know, since dad's rules don't like girls." He never quite understood why his father pretty much forbade the girl members of the pack to have high ranks and stuff, but it didn't matter anymore. Actaea was the only sibling he had left as far as he knew, so he felt he needed to protect her and support her and be there for her. "And...if we don't like it here, we can always tell uncle Ace and leave." He whispered the last part to her. "Speak"

His ears twitched as she told him the basics about the pack, and he nodded along. It seemed all too good to be true, but he hoped he was right in coming here. He didn't want to put the kids through any more strife, but so far his instinct told him they'd do alright here. And maybe...they could have a chance at living a normal life without his brother's godforsaken demons. "I'm sorry about your cousin. Truly, I am." His voice was sincere. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones...and someone that he truly loved. The day he lost Winter was the day his world changed entirely. He didn't have the same outlook on life, but he supposed that his desire to protect those he came to care for had grown to a massive degree. That was why he took Ignis and Actaea in...or at least, that's what he told himself. He wouldn't admit it, but the Acere that he'd been before meeting Winter probably would have just gone his own way and not bothered. Yet here he was... Clearing his throat, he quickly pulled himself from his thoughts and looked around. The territory seemed good. It was flourishing, not at all desolate like Ruina's old haunting grounds. The nearby river could be heard, and it smelled heavily of prey and herbs. "Ruina was...well, I'm not even quite sure how to explain it." He frowned, glancing at the sky as he thought. "It was a darker aligned pack, I suppose. Elias decided to continue the traditions of our birth pack, and though I supported him in his endeavors, I wasn't too thrilled. That pack did some less than pleasant things..." He trailed off for a moment, almost afraid that if he continued, he'd accidentally reveal how he had a part in some of those things. And he wasn't about to tell a stranger about his past. At least, not those parts anyway. "Ruina worshipped demons. It is said that the First Apollyon awaits our souls when we pass and that old demons inhabit the bodies of the Praetor line...though some more connected than others." He glanced back briefly at the kids as they walked, crimson gaze falling upon Ignis' form for a moment. "Ignis, for example, is considered to be closest to those demons. But...that's a lesson for another time." He gave her an apologetic look. He didn't mind telling her, but he didn't want to talk about it in front of them. Not yet. He didn't know if Elias had told them about the religion yet, and frankly, Ace was in no hurry to teach them. "Anyway, life wasn't easy in Ruina. Old or new. Training was usually harsh, and the pack was generally pushed to their limits. Don't do your job, you get punished. And...I was the one that was in charge of things like that. Though I never got around to punishing anyone since I was off doing my own thing for a bit. Trying to find myself and whatnot. Another thing was unless you were chosen to be the Demon Mother, females weren't allowed high ranks. We had slaves that we called Lambs. And those wolves were meant to be sacrifices for the demons, but..." He closed his mouth and heavily sighed, ears falling back against his head. Now that he was saying all this out loud, the whole thing sounded really sinister. He didn't know what the hell he'd been thinking when he followed his brother to Ruina, but it was over and done with now. "Speak"

Actaea and Ignis whispered among themselves, and she glanced at the young wolves fondly, grateful for the new life they would help breath into her growing pack. She had a good feeling about all of these wolves, and was happy to have them in the pack. She was curious about where they had come from, and Ace was happy to full her in.

She was more than a little surprised to here what kind of pack they had come from, but instead of feeling anxious or ill at ease, she felt protective instead. They had come from somewhere darker, but they where in Abaven now, and she would teach them to see the light. She would have to keep an eye on Ace, to see where he stood in Abaven, but she could hear in his voice that he did not approve of what Ruina had been, and somehow. Well, she had a good feeling about the man, something in her felt trust towards him, and she trusted her gut.

“I’m glad that pack fell apart. I know change can be hard but…” she shook her head. slaves and sacrifices? they were in for a world of different.

Ignis was being optimistic about things and she agreed, they had to at least try. Things could be better here if they gave it a good chance. Poor Uncle was being run ragged trying to do everything for them on his own. Her eyes looked to Shaye and uncle before drawing back to Ignis as he spoke again. Her ears laid backward slightly as he spoke of everyone leaving them a reminder of what had happened. They hadn't really been able to discuss it. She also agreed with his words, those thoughts swimming through her mind the night the coyotes were closing in. Perhaps the two of them weren't good enough and that is why they were simply left behind. She nodded in agreement to him, showing him that she agreed. He went on to bring up that Shaye seemed nice, another thing Actaea agreed on. The women had been welcoming towards them for being complete strangers. She couldn't help the small smile as Ignis mentioned she could learn to be whatever since their father's pack never had high ranks for females. She could and she liked the feeling of the possibility to have some sort of higher rank and higher power then she could even dream of before. Her brother also added a solution if they ended up not liking it. "Alright, then let's give this a try and see, hopefully this will be a good thing," she said with a small smile, gently bumping him with her nose. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"