He had won an auction for Kai. Though on the way home he walked silently as he thought about the offers he'd made. He knew Dragon and Cloud would understand, and those he trusted would understand too. He hoped, anyway. The pair would be coming back in due time, and of course, it'd give Dragon the opportunity to try and find one of his missing siblings. He had put alot on the table for his nephews...friend, or whatever he was. But he still couldn't contain the sigh as he realized how much he was paying for him. But he told himself the price wasn't so bad when he considered the fact it was for a life. When it came to that, materialistic things didn't matter and they had the man power to obtain the items needed and restore their resources tenfold if need be. On the matter of Shaye, however...there was the chance he had broken whatever alliance they had. But that wasn't much of a concern, either. He had been a part of Abaven. Knew how the leaders were and if there was anything he had to say about it if he had known Shaye's thoughts well...he would have probably called her out on her hypocrisy. After all, she had given Legion a prisoner to do whatever they wanted with him in an effort to keep her hands clean. Yes, he had offered one of Ty's children for marriage but it wouldn't have happened until they came of age. He was no baby seller, and the offer for that had been refused anyway. Chaos and Shaye could think whatever they wanted of him, but he did what he needed to in order to secure someone that he assumed Tyranis cared about be him a friend, lover, or whatever. And when Chaos had brought up past events, his thoughts had briefly lingered on the time Shaye had embarrassed and shamed him in front of all of Boreas and likely Auster. Perhaps he wasn't completely over that like he thought. Standing at the edge of the territory, he tilted his head back and called for Heloise, Cloud, Dragon...and of course Ty would be joining them. He also called for Avalon, knowing she was the oldest member they had and could perhaps provide her knowledge and input on the matter. He would have called for a quick meeting for everyone else, but he wanted to talk it over with his most trusted members first. Obtaining the items, after all, was the easiest part. But they'd also be raiding in Hjarrandi's name for a time...he'd discuss the latter with them as well before presenting it to the others. "Speech"

An urgent call for those close to the King summoned him along with a handful of others. Ears perked at the sound, sightless gaze turning to his companions as they stopped their conversation to listen. He had heard a group of them were going to the market held by one of the bands in Boreas with the intentions of freeing some of the captives. He wondered if this private meeting pertained to that, so he wasted no time in answering it. He had taken his armor off to allow more freedom of movement and to allow his fur to get swept up in the northern breezes, but mostly because lately, he'd been sprouting horns and he'd been itching like crazy because of them, and truth be told...he felt naked without it. But he didn't need it for a meeting. Not today. Any other day perhaps but he wasn't going to waste time going back to the den to grab it right now. He was certainly curious as he made his way there with his companions. He could smell his mother drawing close too, and realized that she had also been summoned. Whatever was going on, he was sure now that it involved the pack. What the hell had happened while they were gone? He arrived to the scents of Ace and Tyranis, and Dragon offered a quiet greeting to the Praetor pair before sitting down with his companions to wait for the news. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

she was getting a bit rounder but it was still managable. Heloise was hardly wobbling and stumbling around, yet she did feel the added weight. no more spars and fighting for her until her children were born. this was her first litter, and she did not know if it was going to injury them so early into her pregnancy. at Acere's call, she'd walk forward to spot Dragon and Tyranis with him. they must have gotten back from the Hjarrandi Market. she had freed one captive, but that was all she managed to do. it had been some time since she had last went to the market; she had left before everyone else had. her mate looked to be a storm of emotions. she quietly went to his side, pressing her smaller body against his. but Heloise remained quiet. it seemed a serious call if they were there by name. she wondered what had happened. Acere would no doubt tell them in due time, so she kept her silence. her blue eyes were on him, a spark of curiosity and concern deep within. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

Tyranis sat in front of Acere hiss head bowed with shame, now they needed to confront the totality of what had been lost at the market, and what it had all been for. He sucked in a deep breath, willing his head to rise but avoided the eyes of Acere, the blind warrior Dragon, and Heloise. What would be said would not be easy and what was harder still was knowing that the hardships they faced would be all his fault. There would be no mead for the winter festivals and for the next three days they would have to hunt as if their lives depended on it. He wondered to himself if it had all been worth it, just to see his paramour free, just so he could live on his own terms, and only see Ty in passing moments. “Rakkaani.” The word echoed in his mind and left a wake of emotions in his heart. He still hadn’t explained his relationship to Paradise, and now it seemed he could hide no longer. “Love.. it isn't some.. finite resource.” He closed his eyes “Perhaps that only makes it grow…” Slowly he opened his eyes, feeling more tired and worn than he ever had. He loved Kai with all his heart, he knew that, but now the cost of that love weighed heavily on his shoulders. "Talk"  "Thought"   Memories

speech Thought You

His brother and uncle were back from the Market. Cloud had gone with them, but had returned not long afterwards. He was surprised to hear a summoning call for him and a few others, the Wreckage Male wondering what the business might be. Perhaps it had something to do with the market...maybe something had happened and Ace was calling them to tell them how it went. Bi-colored gaze searched the sky and he let out a call for his companion before setting out to gather with the others. It didn't take him long to get there, and when he did he saw both his uncle and his brother looked...not happy. Brows furrowed as he approached his brothers side, pressing his shoulder against Ty's in silent comfort. He looked at him for a moment before pressing his nose into the fur of his brothers neck. Whatever Ty was dealing with, he didn't have to deal with it alone. He waited then to hear the news, though like the others, he didn't expect it to be good news...

It was...unusual that Ace would call for her presence. To her at least. The old woman lifted herself from her resting place on the ground and made her way to them. He had called for specific members, one of which included Dragon. She felt like this was going to be something important, and in all her experiences with calls like this, she knew it was nothing good judging by the tone of the howl. The elder Ancora arrived with haste, a spring in her step for once as she sought to make it there on time and not keep them waiting. Head held high, she arrived to see the group and she dipped her head to each of them, noting the moods on both Ace and his nephew. Her eyes narrowed slightly, ear flicking as Tan came to land gently on her shoulders. She moved to stand beside Dragon, amber gaze fixed on the Praetor pair. "Something happened at the market, didn't it?" She questioned. She knew some of her pack mates had gone, and she had to wonder what exactly happened. Nothing good, obviously. Else they wouldn't be looking like that or calling them here. "Talk" "You" Think

He stared at the ground as he thought. His eyes rising once or twice to find Tyranis hanging his head in shame. It wasn't his fault. Ace didn't blame him. For once he understood his nephew, because had he been in his place and Heloise or anyone else he loved a captive, he would have paid whatever he needed to in order to secure their freedom. But now in this case...he felt it had been more then necessary and formed the idea that Kai would need to pay off the debt. He sighed as the first of them arrived, and he nodded to the blind man's companions. Heloise came next, pressing herself against his side and he returned the gesture by leaning gently into her. Cloud came to stand by his brother and offered comfort and then Avalon who posed the question. He nodded solemnly, a short, curt nod. He didn't want to keep them waiting. It was a pressing matter that needed their attention right away. "Unfortunately," He responded to the elder. A heavy sigh escaped him this time as he began the discussion. "We freed one of the captives. Someone both my nephew and I know, but...it cost us quite a bit. Legions alpha Chaos and his brother Ashmedai were there, and so was Abaven's alpha Shaye. Ash dropped out as soon as he figured out what Tyranis and I were bidding for, and Shaye offered her bid but...after that it was just me and Chaos." Honestly, he wasn't sure why Shaye even bothered if she was going to leave him hanging the way she did. The thought caused his lip to curl slightly, wondering what her intentions had been. Maybe if she had actually helped him out a bit more, Winterfell wouldn't be in this predicament. But here they were. "Needless to say we won the bid...but in the process, it's likely we lost Abaven as an ally. Assuming we were allies to begin with, but the latter was never set in stone." Shaye had wanted to be allies, even offered a couple of her members to help him train those who needed it. But they never kept their promise. They never showed up. Which in turn, meant Shaye  had never kept her promises. If there was one thing he hated in this world, it was being lied to. He was a man of his word, and he expected others he trusted to keep the same ideals. But evidently it wasn't Shaye's strongsuit, or perhaps she simply didn't care to keep her word. It bothered him, especially after all the crying she did about losing him as a friend. It was safe to say now perhaps that they were no longer friends. "That's not why we're here. We now owe Hjarrandi a great deal. And not just material items." He turned his gaze to Dragon first. "I offered the service of my best warrior. I'd like to think that is you, Dragon. You're under no obligation to accept. It was unfair of me at the time to bid the services of my members without consult first. I've also bid the service of my best tracker," He looked at Cloud then. "And that's you, Cloud. However, your services are only needed when she requests it, and for no more than a year. Again, neither of you are obligated to accept if you don't want to." He expected them all to be shocked about what he'd done. But that wasn't even the end of it. "On top of that, I've offered raiding services in Hjarrandi's name for a season and a half. Which means all of winter and midway through Spring. The raiding he wasn't so concerned about. He had it in mind for Winterfell to raid when they needed to, and it seemed they might have to for their own resources in addition to Hjarrandi's. "I had also offered one of Tyranis' children for marriage after they came of age, but she turned it down because she saw it as an attempt to form an alliance." He looked to Ty then, an apologetic look in his eye. "Tyranis, I'd like to apologize for that. It's not my place to decide the fate of your children, my nieces and nephews, without consulting you first. You're their father, and I admit I overstepped in that regard. I hope you can forgive me for that." With him and Heloise about to become parents themselves, he understood the gravity of emotion and thoughts that would come with his doing that. He was completely certain that had someone else offered his children up like that, he would not have been happy. Clearing his throat then, he would add the items he bid along with what he already mentioned. "Asides from that, we...I," He corrected himself, " Owe her a tiger pelt, two arctic fox pelts, five seals, a walrus, a polar bear skin, a bull moose, our herb stores, five cases of mead, whatever preserved meat we have and...a live lion." He waited for backlash from them as he stood there disappointed in himself. Now that he was saying it out loud it was pretty ridiculous of him to have offered all of that for Kai. But...he remembered again why he did it. "It sounds like a lot and might be ridiculous to have offered it all, but I feel a life is worth more than materialistic items. And Ty," He looked at his nephew, "Don't blame yourself for this. I don't blame you for it. It was my choice to offer what I did." His voice was sincere as he spoke to him, making it known he really didn't blame him for it. He thought for a moment before speaking up again. "You are my most trusted members. And Avalon, I called you to gather your input and knowledge. As the oldest wolf I know both in the pack and the lands, I'm sure you've some experience in the matter. As for some of the items, I already have a polar bear pelt I had acquired not too long ago, a second tiger pelt, and the fox pelts. Ignis' companions know where to get more mead, so don't fret. I'm not too worried about that. The wolverine and bird know where to get more. As for the herbs, I'll give them what Ignis has collected. I'm not sure how much meat we have, but food won't be hard to come by regardless. What we need now is the bull moose, the seals, the walrus, and...the lion. The seals and walrus congregate on the shores just past the Antiox. The moose I imagine can be found in the nearby forests, and...I'm not sure about the lion. If anyone knows where to find one, then I leave you to it. But take one or two others with you. We need it alive and I don't very much care whether it's young or old." He pressed himself closer to his mate, waiting then to see what she and the others had to say. Ooc//posting order doesn't matter after this point, feel free to have your char respond whenever they see fit to either Ace or someone else! "Speech"

even before Acere started to speak, Heloise had a forebodding pit in the middle of her stomach. by the time he was done, she was angry and hurt. twisting away from him, her eyes flared an icy fire within. but she was not mad at him. she was mad at his decision. "I understand why you did it, Acere" she said at last after her cool air broke and she looked almost disgusted "but you could not have picked a worse time. our children will be born next season, and they needed those resources. Winterfell needed those resources." not only that but they seemed to have lost a very important ally for just one wolf. Heloise did not understand. she could only guess this would end in heartbreak and unwanted drama for Winterfell. potentially the loss of Paradise if she found out. Acere and Tyranis put so much on the line for just one captive. Heloise had only bartered a polar bear corpse for the release of Thora. she had been worried about giving too much. she wanted no part of this deal but she knew she would help to re-gather all they had lost. "not only that but raiding will create enemies when we have lost an important ally. I do not want our children to be surrounded as soon as they are born. and I do not want to lose any part of you on behalf of slavers." she looked even more hurt that he hadn't taken the opportunity to realize yet again how important he was. if it was Heloise's decision, she would go back on her word to the Hjarrandi. she would mend the broken alliance with Abaven. she would let the singular captive fend for himself. call her cruel if they will, but she did not understand the importance of just one wolf compared to all this. she was more upset than furious. she hoped it was worth it, to weaken Winterfell so much in the eyes of others. in the eyes of her. "do what you will, though I regretfully want no part of it. I will restock what we have lost, but this is your debt. both of yours" again, she included Tyranis in this. Winterfell should not have to suffer for their mistakes. she sighed before turning away, walking off to clear her head. if she remained, she would say words she did not mean. Heloise had already said her piece and was happy to leave it like that. / EXIT "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

The white woman’s words cut deep on his already wounded pride, he lowered his head, rightfully chastised and folded his ears back. His uncle’s words had been some small comfort to him at least, shouldering the blame onto himself rather than Ty, although his mate it seemed didn’t hold the same sentiment. “I love you like a father Acere.” He said with sudden sincerity and paused for a moment to reflect on how much had changed in less than a year. “I could never hold anything you did against you for long.” He took a deep breath then and exhaled slowly, trying to settle his rattled nerves.“We might find a lion in the west or in the southern continent.” He explained, “As for what needs to be hunted I’m sure my son will be more than willing to help.” "Talk"  "Thought"   "You"

He waited somewhat anxiously to hear what Acere had to say. And as the alpha spoke, the earthen male fell into deep thought. They owed Hjarrandi a great deal because Ace saw the captoce fit enough to be freed, though he wondered if that particular wolf would be getting his freedom and be just that. Free. Or if he would be brought here to work off the debt that his freedom cost. It was certainly something he considered asking, but for now he was more concerned with the rest of it. Especially that he himself had been offered to aid the band for the next few seasons. He had to admit though, he wasn't mad about it. His sightless gaze drifted to his mother, knowing there was a task asked of him from her. Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity to start that task. As Heloise spoke, he did agree with some of what she said. But even though they were put in a tough position, he could hear his alpha trying to be optimistic on the matter. He remained quiet, however, until Heloise stormed off before he spoke. "Well, we're certainly in a tough position, but...it's not as bad as it sounds if you ask me. Winterfell is a big pack, although we've lost a lot of resources with this, we have the numbers to regain it twice as quick." That's how he saw it, anyway. "As for offering my services to Hjarrandi, I'm okay with that. It'll give me the chance to find my siblings," He glanced at his companions, and then his mother. "I know you miss Okami and Kharnage and the rest of them. I do too...this is the perfect opportunity to branch out and look for them. So I will go with the band until my service time is up. Besides, it'll give some leeway for the packs numbers. And..." He grinned as he returned his attention to Acere, "I'm flattered that you consider me one of your best warriors. I guess I've proven that a blind guy is just as good as the rest of them," "Yes, but you also have us. We're your eyes, remember? Though I admit you've worked hard, I'm sure you're quite capable of fighting alone as well." The jaguar rumbled, tail twitching in thought. "And if I'm not mistaken, Winterfell originally had plans to raid as well, no? I see no problem with raiding others whether it's for our own gain or someone else's. Be they ally or otherwise. You said Abaven might have been lost as an ally over your choice?" "Their loss I say. Abaven aren't much good at fighting. They're a bunch of do gooders who care only about their own family and sticking their noses where they don't belong. Not much of a loss to us, we're better off not being associated with them." Shiva quipped as she stretched her legs. "Abaven isn't all bad, though things have been...different since Bass disappeared." Anyway, talking about Abaven wasn't their main discussion. "We'll help gather the rest of what we need before we go join them. As well as gathering extra to restock as much as we can before winter." He didn't have much else to add. Clearly Ace regretted his decision, but what's done is done. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

He listened and watched in silence as others said their piece and even when Heloise left them. He could feel his brothers shame coming off in waves as the alabaster woman berated his uncle and brother, causing a low growl in his throat but not loud enough for anyone else but maybe Ty to hear. He had been offered to Hjarrandi. To give them their service until they were no longer needed. He thought long and hard about it, and slowly nodded. "I'm okay with going as well. Maybe I can find our own lost siblings, too. Besides, traveling with them will also give me a good opportunity to seek out better prey and maybe even hard to find species, and I'll be able to keep better track of herd movements." Of course...it also meant he'd have to leave his brother for a while. But there was nothing stopping him from visiting. "I'll help hunt what we need before I go, and restock our food sources as well." He felt optimistic about it. Like Dragon, he wasn't mad about the whole thing. The pack was big, yes. Losing the resources they had with winter around the corner wasn't the best time, but like Dragon said, they had the numbers to restore it in no time at all. "Speak"

art by Risketch

She listened quietly as Acere spoke, eyes closing as she held in a sigh and the urge to scold him as if he were a child. She listened as Heloise said her piece before leaving, and she listened while the others spoke. While they could just go back on their word to Hjarrandi, she knew Ace felt honor bound and she could respect him for that. She's right. Perhaps this is one of the stupidest things you could do," She spoke finally as her gaze opened to rest on the alabaster King. "But what's done is done. We all make mistakes. It's in our nature and no leader is perfect. It's how we learn and grow." She said gently, motherly almost. "That being said, we move forward from here. Though I hope whoever you freed will be made to work off what we paid for his freedom." Her voice was stern. After all, if she had been the captive and someone paid all of that to free her, or any amount, she would certainly work to repay the debt. But she didn't know anything about the man they were paying for...so this was a gamble. "As for potentially losing Abaven as an ally...I suppose I'm going to have to agree with Shiva. They're not the pack they used to be when Bass led. I don't feel like they would be of much aid if we needed them during a siege. Abaven mostly consists of the peaceful sort. Healers, diplomats...perhaps some who don't even know what they want to do. I can say with certainty that it is nowhere near what Bass once had." She sighed softly as she continued. "We best focus on ourselves. And perhaps ally with those like us. But for now, we will focus on the debt paid to Hjarrandi and the raids to come. I don't want a repeat of a past raid..." She stared pointedly at Dragon before continuing, "So we can agree here that it would be dominance only, or match even with the opponent. Asides from that, I'll help restock what we're losing. And I think it's best this is kept private knowledge between us." While being honest to the pack should be what they should do, she knew all too well how that was also a double edged sword. Sometimes keeping the whole truth from the rest of the pack was the better option. "Talk" "You" Think

He waited to see what the others thought, and it was Heloise that spoke first. She began by saying she understood why he did it, but then it all spiraled when she said losing resources before their children were born among other things caused his ears to flatten against his head in shame. He let her say what she wanted, and when she finished, she left before he could say anything. He remained quiet for a long moment, frowning. He knew he had already screwed up, but he also didn't think it was as bad as she made it out to be. He knew they could restock the pack considering the amount of wolves they had, perhaps even double or triple the stores. His attention turned to Tyranis as his nephew was the first to speak, telling him he loved him like a father. It meant alot to Ace to hear that. He had stepped up like a father to the kids that his brother had seen fit to abandon, and evidently he had taken on that role for the older ones as well. Although they were his nieces and nephews, they felt more like his own children more often than not. "Thank you, Tyranis. It means alot to me." Although he would be a true father in the coming season, he wasn't sure if the relationship with him and his mate would be strained...he'd have to make it up to here somehow. But right now, he pushed it to the back of his mind to focus on the matter at hand. Dragon spoke next, and he seemed to have similar thoughts about being able to restore what was being lost. The earthen male had been an alpha once, and perhaps there had been a time he had made a similar decision, he wasn't sure. He was okay with going to Hjarrandi for a while, which brought a sigh of relief to the alabaster king. He didn't like going back on his word without good reason, but he would with Hjarrandi if they tried to abuse the agreement. "Thank you, Dragon." The blind warriors companions spoke up then, and Ace slowly nodded with Kimahri's question. "Yes. I thought about raiding both to perhaps test members seeking to rank up, or perhaps even to test if our apprentices are ready, and gathering what we need when we need it. I know not everyone agreed with raiding, but the world isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Raids happen all the time whether we hear about them or not, it's just a way of life sometimes." He thought so, anyway. It wasn't like they would be sieging packs left and right, no. Raiding was different. And when Shiva spoke, he had to agree. Yes, he had been part of Abaven and had once been friends with Shaye, but she shattered that friendship of her own accord. The pack as large as it was, didn't have the trained and experienced warriors they should have had with the vision she had for them. He only knew of barely a handful of trained warriors, that being the alphas themselves and Odysseus. "And as I mentioned before, I don't think we were even allies to begin with. Last I went to their borders recently, nobody came. And they also went back on their word when I was offered two members to help start the foundation of Winterfell. Those two wolves never came." Vail and Solor had been promised, but he had not seen hide nor hair of them during the season they had been promised. Cloud also agreed to go, and Ace would look at him and his brother. "Thank you, Cloud. I understand you and your brother are very close to each other, and there's nothing keeping you from coming to see him during your time of service." He nodded to Dragon then as he continued, "Nor you, Dragon. If Hjarrandi attempts to abuse the agreement while you two are in their service by trying to keep you as captives, you only need to send word and we'll come. The agreement was purely for your services when needed. Not to keep you as prisoners nor to keep you from acting as you please. But while there, you will live by their rules and respect their customs." Avalon was last to speak, and for once he felt like a scolded pup who's mother was disappointed in him. In a way, with Avalon being the eldest of them all, she was basically the packs mother. Perhaps second to Heloise, but she had the knowledge and experience that most didn't. She had started by scolding, and then by saying what's done is done. And to move forward. She understood. But of course she did...she likely had this sort of experience, and that's why he had wanted her here in the first place. "Thank you, Avalon. I understand and admit this hasn't been my best idea, but as you said...it's a mistake I'll learn from." She too, had her input about Abaven. And it seemed they were in agreement about them. He didn't know who Bass was, though from his recollections of speaking with Shaye, he had been the founder of Abaven and Avalon had once said that she and him had been close friends. At the mention of the raid, he nodded and agreed with her. "Yes, dominance is preferred. However, if our adversaries try to shred an ear then it's understandable if one of our own wishes to return the favor. I promise there will be nothing more than that." Alright. They all seemed to be in agreement then. Well...with the exception of Heloise. "This will be kept from the rest of the pack. Dragon and Cloud need not give an explanation as to why they're away. As for hunting down what we need, Cloud and Tyranis are in charge. Take whoever you want, though I suggest taking the pups and yearlings with you to get them some experience if they're interested. Be careful with the Lion...take whichever target you deem easiest. Remember, we need it alive. Bind it, and take one of the sleds I've made to transport it. We'll convene in the same territory where the market was held in three days time. That should be enough to gather the rest of what we need." Alright...he supposed that was it. They had a plan and he was confident they could carry it out in time. One last thing he wanted to add, however. "Kai will be brought here and work until the debt is paid off. Tyranis, you know him best...whatever happens between you two is your business, and if trouble starts I will step in if I must. Just make sure he does his work until it's paid off. Otherwise...well, we'll get to that if we need to." Right. That would be the end of the meeting unless anyone else wanted to add anything. They had work to do and he wanted to get started as soon as possible. "Right, so we're all in agreement then? If anyone else has anything to add, feel free to speak now or find me later. We've work to do, and the faster we get it done the better. After we pay what we owe Hjarrandi, we'll start gathering to restock our own stores and prepare for the raids to come. And remember...we're wolves of honor. We are not evildoers with ill intent. We keep our word unless we've reason to break it, understand? You're all dismissed." "Speech"