The first raid was over and done with, and while they hadn't come out victorious he didn't particularly care. That was one step closer to being over and done with the debt to Hjarrandi. Now that they had recovered and were rested, he aimed to keep the promise he made to his warriors. The alabaster king left his den and made his way to the front of the ship. He was in a good mood today. After all, he'd finally get to promote more of his pack members for jobs well done. He had seen and heard about each of their fights, so he had decided where to place those that helped with the raid and today would be a day for them. He decided that after the promotions, there would be a well earned feast. And also perhaps discussion about the second raid that would soon be on the horizon. He knew little of Ashen, so it was easier for him to go into that with little hesitation if any. Stepping up to his place at the bow of the ship, he tilted his head back and called for the pack to gather.

OOC// informal pack meeting sort of. Mainly for promoting those who aided in the raid, includes fighters and healers, as well as other pack members who would like to join in the second raid! Replies due by 5/27!

Build me up from bones, Wrap me up in skin, Hold me close enough to breathe me in

After the exchange with Abaven Drífa was busy checking and cataloguing their scores. The winter was proving particularly brutal. Still, they weren't in terrible shape. She wished they could hold off on the next raid so she had more time to replenish their stores but she knew everyone was eager to get the debt to Hjarrandi paid, including herself. She had just finished tidying up her shelves when she heard Acere call from the battle of the ship.

Bending down she slipped her pack onto her back and called out to Halla and her new companion, Svala. The little barn swallow nestled on her back while the macaque walked along beside her. She was the first to arrive and dipped her head to Acere in greeting before taking her seat.

The call echoed through Winterfell soon reaching Yurei's ears who was resting on her den. These past weeks she has been trying to keep generous storage of medicinal herbs by going on forages and doing her best to keep her den organized and warm. She still had the itch in her heart after the raid. She still felt the guilt in her guts, the guilt of taking part in a home invasion. But well she needed to get used soon, who knows if that will be the last raid? Well, she just hoped no harm would come to her pack. She reached the meeting spot quickly with her companion walking close. As she arrived she saw Drifa and her alpha, and in silence, she took a seat by the older healer. "Speak"

Song felt well rested in body and mind. Everything seemed more complete after the raid. Still the gold marked blacksmith couldn’t help but keep Kirsi on his mind. Their relationship had taken its next steps and having her close beside him both encouraged and delighted him. Besides her he mostly kept to himself, tinkering within the base of the ship in his studio. His wares had grown and his practicing was yielding results. He felt accomplished here, like he was making a difference.

He missed the presence of Orca though, his young apprentice had been quiet since their last lesson and he found himself missing the young she wolf. Song hoped that she was well and Acere was keeping an eye on her progress. His thoughts lingered on the girl as he heard the call at the hull of the ship, and the massive Destruction was quick to make his way up. Only a couple others had appeared and he settled himself with a nod to Acere and enough room for Kirsi to sit beside him.

Though they hadn't succeeded in their raid, Kirsi had done a damn good job herself. She was proud of her own accomplishments as well as eager to move forward to their next raid, now that she was healed and rested. Though Winter had long since settled over the north, she wasn't as bothered by the harsh weather as some seemed to be; these brutal winters were something she was accustomed to and it wouldn't slow her down too much.

Only for a moment did she hesitate to answer Acere's call. She'd been scouting the borders near the ship that marked one of their territories, though after a moment she redirected herself toward his summons. Nimble paws carried her over the snow toward the small gathering, slowing as Song came into her view. Her attention found him firstly, moving to sit beside him and lean against the larger wolf's shoulder as she nuzzled him in quiet greeting before focusing on Acere, curious as to what he had to say.

So they hadn't exactly won, they'd walked away from Abaven beaten, and while yeah that was kind of a bummer but Tsunami had literally done the best she could, she'd beaten two of the packs fighters before they'd been called back. She'd emerged personally victorious even if they hadn't actually won. So it was that she'd attend the call for those involved with her head held high. Her wounds were healing just fine now and her mood and self-confidence had been boosted by the encounter and quite frankly she was chomping at the bit for the next raid. She settled herself among the small gathering, turning cranberry gaze towards her uncle, eager to hear what it was he had called them together for. "speech"

art and code by Cloudy | texture by Fantasystock

Kai didn't give a damn about the raid, or its outcome. Or the outcome of the next raid, so long as he came out relatively uninjured. All he wanted was for this to all be over with, and for Winterfell to be a name he never heard again, as long as he lived. Never again would he help someone unless he was the one to initiate it - this entire experience, for the lack of a better descriptor, had taught him that even the smallest acts of altruism simply weren't worth it. Hearing Acere's call only reminded him of just how glad he'd be to sever his thin ties with Winterfell. Wrinkling his nose, the oversized man slowly lumbered toward the call. The north was where his family thrived, where he'd always thought he'd spend the most of his days - but now, as he reclined away from the others and paid half-attention to Acere, he was beginning to count down the days until he'd run far away from this place and never look back.

He had finally healed up and was out on patrol when he heard Acere's call for the raiders and other interested parties to gather. He was bitter about his loss to say the least, but he had remained humble about it for the most part. He had talked to Avalon about it, and she had managed to ease his mind. He had to agree with her on some things, after all...he was older now. Much more than he'd been before obviously and his opponent had been younger than him. Whether he liked it or not there was always going to be someone better, and he couldn't always believe he'd win every fight. Let alone fights with younger wolves he thought might be inexperienced. On top of that, he admitted to being distracted during the raid, and that perhaps had a part in his loss. Whether he liked it or not, his mind wasn't entirely at ease. Which meant he wasn't able to keep a clear head half the time. Sighing, he arrived at the meeting and sat towards the back, glittering blue eyes looking quietly watching the others that had participated, and while they hadn't won the raid as a whole, he couldn't deny that he felt a little envy that some of them had managed to win over their opponents. Although the last raid wasn't his moment, he hoped the next one would be...

He didn't know how to feel after his battle with Corvus. Not that it was much of a battle considering he had held himself back considerably when it was time to face his friend...were they even friends anymore? He wasn't sure...he hoped in his heart of hearts that they were. But...he also felt like in the moment...when they were fighting...Ignis couldn't hurt him. He couldn't bring himself to. And in his waking and sleeping hours, the confusion he'd been feeling whenever it came to the earthen male had started to become more clear. He couldn't deny it anymore. He had feelings for him beyond the normal friend feelings he thought he had. For a while now he could feel it, but he always thought it was just the feeling that you had with a best friend. But...he was well aware that he thought about Corvus a lot. He was aware that he always wondered how he was doing. If he was safe. If he was happy. If he was okay. He thought back to the day the volcano erupted and Corvus showed up on Winterfell's doorstep. The night that he tended to his burns and let him stay in his den. Ignis did not leave him during the time he tried to help him. Not for longer than he needed to...and after that? He found himself missing his friends warmth and company. He felt like he was falling in turmoil. Since his fight with Corvus, when he cried out an apology to him even though the raid wasn't his fault...and when Corvus responded. "Well you should be!" That had hurt him. He didn't understand what Corvus meant by that...did he blame him? Did he blame his uncle? He could see how others could blame his uncle for sure...but his uncle was trying to do the right thing by helping that stupid tusked asshole! It was his fault! It was Hjarrandi's fault, too! Ignis knew that whichever way his uncle tried to go, his word would be questioned. His uncle had tried to find a solution for the Abaven wolves, and still he sensed the animosity from them. "To hell with that stupid pack!" He cried. They didn't understand the position his uncle had been put in. They didn't understand anything! Even when he lived there, they sat around on their asses like the world was okay. But he knew better. In his short two years of life he had suffered, too. While he didn't dismiss the suffering they had, the loss of Shaye, and the destruction of their home, he had losses deeper than that. He arrived at the gathering with a glowering look, his crimson gaze quickly finding Kai and he didn't take his eyes off him. It took everything he had not to flat out attack the man and make him pay for being such an ungrateful dick, but he felt the restraint loosening with each passing day... "Speech"

There were many things Tyto didn't like, and one of them was losing. He still felt salty that he had lost his first fight in the raid, and he attributed it to his lack of training. While it wasn't the fault of the pack itself, he knew he only had himself to blame. After all, if he wanted to get better he had to sharpen his own skills...not wait for someone to hold his hand to help him get better. He knew his sister had done pretty well in her fights, and had won them. While he was proud of her at least for winning, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. It wasn't her fault he had lost though, so when he arrived at the meeting he moved to sit beside her and bumped her shoulder as he gave her a a half smile. "I heard you did pretty good, maybe you should teach me some of your moves," He joked. He and his sister were long overdue for some time spent together, but perhaps they'd both just...distanced themselves since their father left them behind. "Speak"

He had been bummed he missed out on the first raid, but not this time! When he heard his uncle's call he didn't waste any time in getting there, though his journey from beyond pack lands took longer than he expected. He ran and ran until the ship came into view, and then even as his paws slammed onto the metal he didn't stop until the small group came into view. He slid to a halt behind the others, the boy shaking his head to clear the snow that had gathered on his antlers as he took a seat. He peered around the shoulders of the others, looking towards his uncle with expectant blue eyes. He wanted to go with them on the next raid, even if he had to beg, he would make sure he went this time! Though he felt like this was a smaller group than last time, his hopes rose with the prospect that his uncle might indeed let him go on this one! "Speech"

The young girl stood half-hidden on the side of the ship where the path to the cabins was. She'd been watching the raiders gather, wondering who he was going to promote and who would go with him to the next raid. She hadn't been allowed to join the first one because he said she wasn't old enough yet, but now that she was a year old, why wouldn't she be allowed to go? She thought about it for a few moments before watching the other horned youth join the group, and that was when she decided. If he could go, she would go. Or at least, try to go. She stepped away from where she was and took a seat near the front, staring up defiantly at her dad. "I want to go with the raiding party! I'm old enough now, and the experience will be good for me, don't you think?" While she still had a lot to learn in terms of fighting, she thought this would be a good opportunity to learn even more. "Speech"

The first to arrive were Drifa and Yurei. He nodded a greeting to the both of them, proud of how they both aided not just their own members, but to the opposition as well. Yurei especially...while she wasn't the most confident of wolves, he had heard she did an exceptional job. Song and Kirsi showed up next, and he greeted them both as they took their places. They had both done an excellent job, too. His niece arrived, and as she found her place he offered a smile and a nod to her. She and Kirsi had been the last two out of the raid, and both had come away victorious. When Kai showed up, however, Ace's demeanor turned serious again. He didn't have much to say to him, and while he hadn't watched Kai fight, he didn't doubt that the tusked male had barely tried to secure a win, if at all. Honestly, he couldn't wait to be rid of the man after this next raid. Greed, Ignis, and Tyto followed next, and he was aware that the three had been taken out early on. Ignis seemingly taking it harder than anyone considering he had fought Corvus...at some point, he knew he'd have to make some time to speak to his nephew about it. That was the least he could do... Gaze rose up then to find Incendio arriving, the boy looking at him expectantly though Ace didn't say anything to him yet but knew why he was there. And then...his daughter. She arrived just after Incendio and sat right in front, even speaking up about why she wanted to go. While he didn't want his little girl to get hurt...she was right...but he'd acknowledge that after everything else. "Sit tight then, we've much to discuss." He muttered to her before looking up at the others. He noticed Bellamy wasn't among them, but then remembered he thought it best she did not join them this time. Not after the last incident, anyway. It was still too soon. Clearing his throat, he started to address them. "Thank you for coming. As you know, this particular meeting is for those that were part of the first raiding party, and also those who wish to participate in the next one. As I also mentioned, those who participated in the first were to receive promotions, and I intend to make good on that promise. Bear in mind, however, that we still have another raid to do. So if you don't get your promotion today, it is because I am still deciding where to place you, or I wish to speak with you about it and you will receive your new title after the next raid. If you're not entirely pleased about your new promotion, or if you have something else in mind, you're welcome to speak to me after this meeting. So let's start with promotions first, shall we?" He turned his gaze to each member (barring Kai of course) that had gone with him the first time. He would turn first to Song and Kirsi. "Song and Kirsi, I would like to promote the two of you to Knight. You both did an excellent job in battle, and I commend you for your efforts." He nodded to both of them as he offered a small smile. Next, he turned to Tsunami and Tyto. While he was aware the boy hadn't done as well as his sister, his efforts would still be acknowledged. He'd seen them both train on their own from time to time, though Ace was well aware personal training and actual fighting were far different. "Tsunami. Tyto. I'd also like to promote both of you to Knights. You both did very well. I want the two of you to help and learn from one another, and I have no doubts that the two of you will grow much stronger than you are now." He smiled at the two of them before moving on to Yurei. "Yurei, I hear you did well in helping your comrades after the battle. I'd like to promote you to Maester. You've worked hard and you show promise. I have no doubts you will soon reach Archmaester or beyond." He offered her a smile along with a dip of his head. Next, he turned to Drifa, someone he knew had been doing exceptionally well in her craft since she joined them. "Drifa, your work in the pack has not gone unnoticed. You've been a valuable asset to us since you joined our ranks, and I know this is long overdue. Should you accept, I would like to promote you into the rank of Grand Maester." He would stop there for now, waiting to see if they would accept their new positions or not before continuing with the rest of the meeting. ooc//Soooo sorry for the delay, it's been a weird month...next rounds due 6/29 so we can speed this along. If you can throw in a quick bare minimum post to acknowledge your chars promotion or w/e then that'd be great, thanks! "Speech"

Yurei waited patiently in silence with ears pinned and a pose of submission. Her cat laid her head against the Wolf's leg and she nodded in silence. Calmly she just limited herself to watch as more wolves joined them. All did well despite the outcome. And she hopped this would be the last raid,she definitely didn't like them as she knew it caused pain to others and that alone was something she would rather not do. But in the other hand,she didn't want to fail the man who gave her a home. One who didn't turn her away like other did in the past. This dilemma was something fighting within her thoughts,within her heart.

"To hell with that stupid pack!" Ears pinned even more and as such she lowered herself a bit trying to look smaller. Ignis of course wants angry to her but sometimes she took everything her way.

Acere began by giving promotions to some who fought and took part in the raid. And there when it was her turn she did her best to look at the alpha's eyes even if she felt scared due to her nature. "Yurei, I hear you did well in helping your comrades after the battle. I'd like to promote you to Maester. You've worked hard and you show promise. I have no doubts you will soon reach Archmaester or beyond." She shallowed as she wants sure what to say. "T..thank you...I'll do my best..." She said shyly for then looking away quickly. And after that she didn't say anything else.

Song wasn’t sure what he thought about the Knight rank, he’d been rather comfortable in his blacksmith rank. Maybe the added pressure would do him good, but he still preferred to focus on creating. For now he would see how it fit him, maybe he’d enjoy it. At the very least he could train with Kirsi. He leaned against her lightly, a subtle sign of his affection. He raised his brow and gave her a quick look before returning his attention to Acere. He nodded lightly in acceptance as the alpha went on, the next round of raiding would be soon and then the pack would be returned to its free state and be out from under the paw of the slavers.

Build me up from bones, Wrap me up in skin, Hold me close enough to breathe me in

Drífa sat quietly as her pack mates filtered in, ears flicking at Ignis' outburst only for a moment before her attention was back on Acere. Soon the meeting was underway and she listened intensely as Winterfell's alpha spoke. She'd of course be happy to put her healing skills to use in the next raid though there was a chance this next raid would be more perilous. They'd managed to strike a last minute deal with Abaven that turned it from a full raid to a practice session. A true raid had a chance of being far more violent.

Then came the promotions. She smiled at Yurei, proud of the young healers accaomplishments. She hadn't really been expecting much so when Acere mentioned her Drífa's jaw dropped slightly as she was offered the rank of Grand Maester. She hadn't expected to be offered such a prestigious promotion, but she was deeply honored. "Thank you Acered, that is truly a great honor for me. I accept!" There would be a lot of new responsibilities but she would do her best as long as she could. It was not lost on Drífa that she was aging. In fact most of her family passed away before reaching the age of 8 so it truly was a milestone. She hoped she had at least one more good year in her.

"Speech"

Tsunami was mostly unbothered by the reactions of some of the wolves as they shuffled in though she cast her brother a wide grin as he sat beside her, returning his should bump with one of her own. "Anytime." She said, and she meant it. She hadn't exactly felt connected to most of her family here, her siblings had scattered to the wind for the most part and her uncle was busy with his own problems... but it felt good, right in a way, to be sat next to her brother like this, to be able to just chat and jostle each other a bit.

The meeting would get quickly underway and Tsunami turned her attention to her uncle, her gaze landing on Kirsi as her promotion was announced, she didn't know the snowy man much but her brief run-in with the blue woman had left her with at least a little fondness for her. And then- well they were next. Tsunami beamed as her uncle offered her and her brother the rank of knight. She bumped Tyto with her shoulder again and nodded enthusiastically. She turned to look at her brother and gave him a friendly wink, it'd be good to be able to work with him and she hoped they could get some good spars in.

Art by LoupDeMort

Though Kirsi rarely looked anything but proud, somehow she seemed to lift her head a bit higher at Acere's acknowledgement of both her and Song's efforts. She flashed Acere a grin at his words, nodding to acknowledge she understood as well as accepted her position. Knight seemed to suit her. Though she had hoped initially for a different position upon joining, she was realizing now she wanted little more than to stay here beside Song and fight as necessary. Leaving him very often, even as independent as she tended to be... well, it was sounding like less and less of a good idea.

Others within the pack also received promotion and congratulations, though truthfully her mind was mainly on herself and Song. "Thank you," she acknowledged verbally after a lull in conversation. Kirsi was beyond happy with how things were going, and had no doubt they would do even better in their next raid, herself included.

(late as hell, sorry~!)