Alpha. She wasn't just Shaye's second-in-command now, this was the real deal. Just the thought made her paws itch and a cold sweat break out between her shoulder blades. It was a lot of responsibility - of course, she'd known that when she'd first accepted, but it had been a far-off kind of thought. Theory hadn't imagined a day when Shaye would step down. She lived and breathed Abaven. Now that Shaye had taken a back seat, Theory worried all the time: was she strong enough? Brave enough? Selfless enough? Optimism could only carry you so far. She'd been operating on blind faith and good luck for as long as she could remember. Being the pack's primary leader... the one figure that everyone looked to in a time of crisis... it was so much more than she'd bargained for. How were they going to claw their way through the winter and come out on the other side? It would require discipline and hard work from everyone, but so many still reeled from personal losses. It was a chilly winter afternoon. The ash in the sky seemed to stop the typical winter precipitation, but the branches and dead grass still froze in the early mornings from the wet oceanic winds. Sunlight was weak and the world seemed dimmer and bleaker than it had in weeks. Theory hoped it meant that they were in the thick of winter now - which meant soon it would be spring. She held on to the faint hope of green grass and warmer weather. The change of the season would clear her head, she was sure of it. "Corvus?" she called into the icy underbrush. The disaster had brought them closer than she'd expected, but she appreciated having someone to lean on in these difficult times. Someone closer to her own age. Confessing her uncertainty to Shaye didn't feel right and she couldn't keep crying to Rhyme like a whelp. Her father couldn't fix it any more than she could. It was time to brainstorm how Abaven would overcome the eruption. If they had survived fire and brimstone once, they could do it again. wc 359 twc 359/2500 "Speech"

Slowly Abaven seemed to be growing accustomed to their new life here - however strange it might be. Corvus had long since decided that coming to Ibis Islands had been a good choice, all things considered, especially after seeing the effects the volcano had been having on the creatures around them.. from the cat that they'd had to put out of its misery, to the wolf he'd met when he'd briefly swam back to the mainland. Things were bad, but here.. they weren't as bad as they could be, he knew that much for sure. Today was one of the few days Corvus felt remarkably optimistic. Okay, maybe not overly optimistic, but he didn't feel quite so dreary about things. They could persevere through this, he knew it. They had to. Despite the bleakness of the world, he knew they needed to push on. Today he was wandering somewhat aimlessly, nosing around what remained of the foliage on the island. Most of it was long since dead, encased in a fresh layer of frost, but beneath some of the ice he wondered if anything might still be green. Of course, he wasn't having much luck finding anything yet. His fruitless quest was disturbed by Theory's familiar voice, though unlike the last time he'd seen her, this time it earned a slight grin. "Hey, over here," he lifted his head up, navigating carefully around the shrubbery he'd been nosing through to hopefully greet Theory on the other side. His breath left his mouth in a wisp of fog, reminding him just how frigid the winter air was, as if he needed any help remembering.

The frost was bright and crisp underneath her paws. Although the thick of the winter was upon them, she had high hopes for spring. It felt like it would come any day now - or so she kept telling herself. Running on hopes and fumes was all she seemed to be doing nowadays. It was hard to get through her responsibilities when she was so worried about the pack, Shaye, her father, her siblings... Theory suddenly understood more than ever why Shaye seemed so burdened. Years and years of this would dramatically age anyone. Even the strongest wolf would succumb to that kind of pressure. Corvus' response lightened her step a little bit. No matter. She would get through this hurdle, just like she had all the others. With the support of her friends, family, and pack - well, nothing was impossible. She firmly believed this. "Oh, Corvus, it's so good to see you," she tittered a little and brushed her jaw against his shoulder in a friendly touch. He was just a touch taller than her but she found the height difference just a little bit comforting; it was the same height as Rhyme, more or less. "I just wanted to tell you that Shaye is officially stepping down. She needs a break and she wants to focus on raising Vail's children," Theory said carefully, meeting his eyes to try and judge his reaction. She had a proposition for the Blackthorn and she wondered if he would accept. Corvus had been a trusted friend for a while now, and with Rhyme still focused on bringing her sisters home (could she blame him?) and Shaye preferring to take a back seat, she could use a more present right-hand wolf. "Speech"

Hope was really all they had these days, and on some days it was a bit easier to cling to than others. Today felt particularly hopeful - despite the cold, frigid island air - and it was hard to conceal that lightness in his step. His decent mood was palpable, especially as he greeting Theory, and in the faint grin he offered her as she approached him. "Same to you," he replied easily. He'd never been the overly affectionate type, except maybe with his siblings, but it'd been so long since he'd seen Rhea and Aiden's absence early on in his life had affected him quite a bit. If he'd once been a cheerful, affectionate boy, he was far from that now... though he welcomed her touch today, leaning lightly into it before pulling away. The presence of family, especially Theory, was as much a comfort as it was a blessing. Despite his relatively good mood, he couldn't shake the unease that pricked at his brain at her next words. Shaye was stepping down. Perhaps it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, but it struck him strangely for a moment as he paused to process it. "I see," he replied, slowly lowering himself to his hindquarters and focusing on her. Like her, he was trying to discern her reaction over the news. Was she scared? Upset? Did she feel like she was ready? He supposed it didn't really matter whether she felt ready; he had a feeling she'd do whatever Abaven needed her to do, regardless of her own personal opinions on the matter. "I don't blame her. Things have been hard, and..." Well, she wasn't getting any younger. She wasn't much older now than his father had been, the last time Corvus had seem him, and he had certainly been too old to carry the burden of ruling - not that he'd ever taken on such responsibility in the first place. "How do you feel about that?" Corvus asked after a moment, truly curious. He wasn't one for small talk, nor was talking about feelings something he was very good at, but he cared about Theory and what she was feeling.. and if she needed help, if he could help, he wanted to be there for her.