He woke up this morning with resolve. Over the course of the last couple of seasons, Acere decided it was finally time. He was going to retire as alpha, and hand the pack down to his daughter for the time being. Or at least, to test her first to see how she could handle it. She was an ambitious child, and he had no doubt she'd form the pack as her own if she so chose, and of course, he'd be there to guide her when she needed it. He stepped out of his den and shook the debris from his pelt before walking slowly to the meeting site in the pines. He didn't know how the others would react to the news, but he supposed it didn't matter. He was ready to retire in his old age. He did his job in building the foundation for the next generation, and it was now time for a fresh start under new leadership. Reaching the site where the meetings were held in the pines, his foxes sat off to the side while he tilted his head back and called for the pack to join him. Maybe with Winter as the new leader, she might be able to encourage them all better than he had been able to. He sat down and waited for everyone while he mulled over the thoughts in his head. OOC//Replies due by 9/30. Failure to post by then will result in consequences. Posts are mandatory for this meeting! Characters are excused, however, if you are on absence.

Yurei was tending to her herb stocks, organizing them after returning from a forage she was in last night as she decided to make the stuff after a good rest beside her beloved Casso. But then as the morning passed a call from her alpha reached her ears. Quickly leaving her things on hold, she stood up. But before taking any more actions she looked down at Casso, attempting to leave a kiss on his cheek. “Mr.Acere is calling for a meeting...let’s go, love…” She told him softly hoping he would come along with her. Then she walked out heading to where Acere called them to gather, looking back from time to time to see if her mate was following. Upon arriving with pinned ears and tucked tail she took a seat in silence. "Speech"

Polaris rushed to the gathering as soon as she heard her father's call. Eyes of icy blue were serious but expressed some curiosity over why they were called. But either way, she tried to not take too long to reach his father’s call. The past few days she has been trying to work on herself, to raise herself above the mild sorrow her heart has been holding in relation to her mother’s departure. Calmly she would arrive, finding only her father and a female she had yet to know. In silence she would take a seat on her own spot, looking at her sire expectantly. "Speak"

Casso was lingering right on the edge of sleep, occasionally waking enough to acknowledge that Yurei was in the room tending to her herbs before drifting back to sleep. However, his uncle's call and his love's kiss on his cheek made him finally get up and face the world. He smiled softly and blinked open his two-toned eyes, lifting his head so that he could catch her words. "So he is," he commented with a soft chuckle and a yawn before rolling onto his feet and giving himself a quick shake. He returned the gentle kiss Yurei had given him to the top of her head before following her out of their room and out into the open. Once they arrived in his uncle's chosen meeting place he gave Acere a small nod and settled next to Yurei to wait and see what the meeting was all about. He was actually impressed with how quickly they had gotten here. He was certain that if Yurei hadn't gotten him up so immediately they wouldn't have arrived first. He spotted one of his cousins that approached about the same time they did, but other than that they were quite early to the meeting. He looked down at his mate to complement her promptness and that was when he noticed how her ears were folded. He frowned a little and gently nudged them so that she would lift them again before giving her an encouraging smile. "Talk" Think

Being up and around the pack again was something she was still getting used to. It was really only in the last few weeks that she had begun to tentatively explore out of the den and slowly begin to build up the muscles in her legs again. She still got tired very easily and felt oddly frail, but she understood that there was little she could do about that fact. After being ill for so long she was just glad to be able to be up and moving once again. Just the feeling of the warmer weather and the sun on her fur made her feel like she was alive again. It was a morbid thought that she didn't like to address, but she knew that there had been a brief bit of time during her sickness that they hadn't been sure if she was going to pull through.

She was sitting outside of the den, resting after a small, early morning loop through the Sparse Pines, when she heard Acere calling for the pack to join him for a pack meeting. Her ears perked as she listened to the howl and realized with a smile that she could actually go and attend. She got to her paws and gave herself a small shake to fluff out her coat, something she had gotten in the habit of doing to hide how slender she had gotten in the time she had been bound to the den. She trotted off to join in on the meeting, her amber eyes canning the few that had gathered so far before finding a place to sit as she faced Acere. She watched their alpha curiously, wondering what they could be going over today.

The wild woman had fallen ill. Whether by some cruel twist of fate, karma, or her own recklessness the woman had been denbound for quite some time… and it had terrified her.

Bellamy was used to fighting, fighting for her right to survive… and coming to Winterfell had turned all of that upside down and topsyturvy. She had been… nervous to change. Scared to try something outside of what she was used to. Just when it felt like she felt comfortable enough to really start to interact the raid happened… and then sickness…

Between a horrible hacking cough, a fever, and horrible nightmares Bellamy had been in quite a state. Her companions had opted to isolate her, getting what they could to help soothe her. They were not well practiced healers but the methods worked well enough… At least Bellamy was upright and standing by the time the call for a pack meeting came.

She was not one hundred percent, however. Her body was shivering, despite the air of summer, as she took steps towards the meeting site. On either side of the ragged looking female walked her companions.

Ears and Whiskers both looked worried. Ears were flicked back and gazes were shot towards the female as she stumbled a bit.

"Bells…" Whisker's voice was quiet.

Bellamy shook her head, glancing towards the badger with a frown. "It will be okay…" She promised. "I'm better than I was."

"But you are still weak." Ears grumbled. "If you aren't careful you'll get yourself killed."

Bellamy chose to ignore the comment, not wanting to admit the devil was right. Instead, reaching the edges farthest from Acere, she sat and looked upon him with a small breath.

What could this meeting be about?

Drífa worked her way slowly to the meeting spot. It was true that she was moving slower these days. However, retirement was sitting well with her. She still worked on crafting but was slowly turning more and more duties over to the other healers, departing wisdom where she could in the expectation she was unlikely to make it through the winter.

By the time Drífa arrived a number of wolves had already gathered and she moved to take her spot. Hala spread out a deer hide for the older woman to lay on and she settled down, snow white ears flicking forward to hear what Acere had to say.

Actaea Praetor She had been tidying and rearranging her stores to make room for the new stuff she would be gathering. Ridding of any bugs or plants that hadn't dried properly along with putting the plants in alphabetical order to make it easier to find what she needed. This process was one day 2 right now and she wasn't sure how much longer it would take her, but she was getting herself fully prepared to be a very active healer for Winterfell. She would be kicking her butt in gear to make sure the pack was fully prepared. They did well with the raid she was involved healing with, but they had to be prepared to handle whatever might be thrown at them. She hadn't even began her reorganization of her salves and ointments yet. It was a lot, but she was fully focused on what she was doing. Her storage den was deep within the earth, so deep that she didn't hear the call from her uncle. She was fully involved with her work. Outside her den Boris had heard the call and trotted right to the den entrance. He snorted first to for warn the opossum to cover his ears since he was so close. Once he was sure Lorenzo was prepared Boris too a deep breath before sticking his head into the entrance and letting out a loud, ear piercing squeal that he knew Actaea would hear no matter what. Then he stepped back and waited. A few moments later Actaea appeared at the entrance. 'Your uncle is calling the pack,' he snorted before pointing to the direction of the call. She nodded and crawled out of the den, crouching to let Lorenzo climb onto her. Once secured she quickly headed off in the direction with Boris close at her heels. When the trio arrived there was already a chunk of the pack there. Her molten gaze immediately sought out the bright red coat of her brother, but failed to see it in the crowd. She did see Casso, but he was sitting pretty cosy with one of the females of the pack and Actaea didn't want to intrude. She couldn't sit with Uncle because it was improper since she didn't have a high rank. So she quietly settled in the back of the group, with Boris on her left and Lorenzo between her front paws. She smelled sweetly of herbs and dirt since she didn't have time to clean herself off properly. "Speech"

Since returning he had been keeping mostly to himself as he tried to get back into the swing of things. Being injured out in the wilds and taken in by a strange loner group made him forget what it was like to be more stationary and consistent. He was rediscovering home, exploring and getting the lay of the two lands the pack resided in. Taking in the different scents of the members and their companions along with any creatures that simply would pass through the territory. Even though this was home he had been gone long enough that everything felt and smelled new, but it also felt safe to him. He was relieved to be home and he wanted to get his explorations over with so he could get to work on training and building himself. He had already told his father of his first major failure that nearly led to his death. It had been luck that he was found and cared for by strangers. Yes he had a cool scar from it, which he thought was cool because his father was covered in them, but he felt like a naive failure. He hoped to con some time from his dad so he could get some training. Or maybe his father knew who he could train from within the pack. His fathers call brought him from his current exploring and he ran towards the call, his limp still visible since the muscles were not fully built back up in his left flank, but things were getting there. He just had to learn to built his body back up. When he arrived there was a bunch of wolves there whose faces he couldn't remember, but their scents were familiar. Among them he managed to pick out two of his sisters, one sitting beside their father and the other sitting within the crowd. He chose to move beside Polaris and plopped down beside her before looking to his father for what he called them together for. "Talk"

Kirsi's last conversation with Acere had reminded her that she had things within Winterfell she could strive for. Largely she'd been focused on Song and their relationship, rather than truly aiming for a higher position within their pack; for once in her life she was content being a good little soldier, a pawn in someone else's game rather than fighting to be the one moving the pieces. The freedom was oddly intoxicating - her choices were hers and hers alone, with no great unraveling of plans when she made a misstep. Life within Winterfell was something she was growing to enjoy more and more with each passing season, though truthfully she was longing for winter's inevitable return.

She inhaled sharply when she heard Acere's call. It had an air of importance that surprised her, though she was far from worried. Uncertain where Song was at the moment, though assuming he'd be prompt in his arrival, she hurried over to the meeting. Quite a few wolves had already arrived, and she cast a sweeping gaze across the group before settling in, not far from the others.

Maybe Song had been more ambitious in years past. These days he was more stationary, he had a safe place to call home. Song had much more time to invest in Kirsi and his little workshop. The latter was almost as enjoyable as the first. With his partner on his mind his expression easily held a grin when his huge frame appeared at the gathering. Said beautiful woman beat him there, but that didn’t stop him from coming up behind her and offering a nuzzle to her cheek. He sat down close beside her, tearing his attention away so he might pay attention to Acere and his words for them. Another raid prospect? Song lifted his brows curiously, his attention not completely taken from Kirsi as he aimed to lay his tail next to her hip. Right where he could wag the end of it to annoy her remind her of his presence.

Things had slowed down some since the last raid, which was fine enough by Tsunami, time to rest her wounds and get herself back on her feet was welcome. But that didn't mean she didn't soon also grow listless. Her brother was still distant and so she was mostly still left to train by herself, making sure she never once let her skills get rusty. Her uncle hadn't been around as much, and so while she made sure she was staying on top of her training she'd allowed herself to get a little sedintary. Once upon a time she'd hated being moved around packs, Winterfell included but now, well now she was mostly grateful for the safety and security her uncle's pack brought her, even if she still found it a little dull. Still she'd dutifully attend the meeting her uncle called, arriving and quickly scanning for her brother and stifling the disappointment his absence gave her. She'd long since learned to be alright by herself. So instead she seated herself and waited, cranberry gaze turned towards her uncle. speech action

Océan appeared out of the woods quietly, his towering form much more silent than would be guessed at his size. The boy glanced about the gathering timidly, never really feeling comfortable around the larger gatherings of wolves. He preferred his circle of family. And Motif. When he wasn’t with them he was making a trip to the eastern lands, already his form was showing the added muscle from long distance running.

With hardly a sound the tall boy settled close by his sister, he offered her a half smile and a glance as he settled on his haunches and curled his tail around his hips. Features just like his father’s turned to Acere, curious what had brought them all here today.

She had been rather quiet lately. Her mother always on her mind, but lately...she'd been trying to distract herself with other things. When she heard the alphas call, she almost thought about not going. But alas, the girl knew she had to attend...continuing to isolate herself would do no good. It was already putting a strain on her relationship with her siblings, and she didn't want to lose them. Not when all they had no was each other, so to speak. With a sigh, she peeled herself away from the tree she sat by and headed over to the meeting, pale gaze finding two of her siblings there already. Despite her lack of communication and presence around them, she opted to quietly walk over and sit beside them, a small glance spared towards both of them along with a small half-smile. She didn't know what this meeting was for or about, but she wasn't sure she cared too much at the moment with everything going on in her mind.

To say he didn't truly feel sad for once in his life was an understatement. Avalon had passed, and it left him with a deep sense of loss that he'd never felt before. She was like a mother to him. The boy that never got to know his mother...and barely his father. He couldn't say he cared about his parents, because he truly hated them for abandoning him and his siblings. But then when his siblings left, Greed had been left with an even worse sense of bitterness towards his family as a whole and pretty much disassociated himself from them. Avalon and her family had been the only ones that were a consistent presence in his life, and for that, he'd always be grateful. She had tasked him to watch over her children, whether they knew that or not, he decided if there was anything else to have a purpose for, it was them.

He made his way to the meeting, wondering what Acere had called them all for. It sounded important, and despite his grief, he would not miss this. It didn't take long for the male to arrive, and as soon as he did he decided to take a seat near the back. The man resuming his stony gaze as he watched the front of the group, gaze drifting to the Ancora kids from time to time...

He was hurt. But not physically. At least not as much as he was hurting emotionally. Although his meeting with Corvus had been some time ago, he still felt the roiling emotions of that day. He had isolated himself from the pack, not daring to tell his uncle or anyone else how he was feeling. Only Corvus knew, but the rejection of that day still burned inside of him. Corvus was in love with someone else...but...Ignis kept in mind that his earthen friend had said that he loved him, too. It was a tough situation, he knew. And he knew they could never truly be together so long as they were both in different worlds. He took a deep breath as he shook the debris from his crimson coat and made his way to the meeting that his uncle was calling for. There was an obvious change in the way his eyes looked now. A little more...unwelcoming. A little more...wild. Did the others notice? He wasn't sure. His companions had definitely noticed the change in him after that meeting...but they didn't know what to do about it. Ig walked towards the gathered wolves, noting several still yet to arrive. He sat towards the back, fur ruffled as he sat unblinking, seemingly staring at his uncle when really, he was lost in his own head. Not quite present as he battled in his mind.

He'd been keeping to himself the majority of the time. Although he kept telling himself he'd spend more time with his sister and the pack, he just...didn't. He wasn't sure why. Mentally, he felt empty. It wasn't anyone's fault but his own, however. He just felt apathetic, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He didn't tell anyone, and he figured others just assumed that's how he was nowadays. He didn't know how to feel things. Anger? Sure. But anything beyond that? Not really. When his uncle called the pack to gather for a meeting, he suppressed a groan as he rose to his feet and made his way there. At first, he nearly opted to sit by himself. But as he caught sight of his sisters form, he hesitated. Would she be okay with him sitting beside her? He balked for a moment as he thought about it, then ultimately decided. He quietly made his way towards her until he was able to sit, leaving some space between them since he wasn't sure if she would allow his touch. "I'd like to talk to you after this." He muttered for her ears before turning his attention to his uncle.

He'd been training on his own as well as with his father. The young prince wasn't sure what to do with his time when he wasn't training though. His siblings were around...but he seemed to prefer his own company most days. Still, his father had told him how important it was for the family to stick together, even if they all eventually chose their own paths. He didn't quite know where he wanted to go in life. If he wanted to rise up in the ranks in Winterfell or if he wanted to find his own destiny. It was a hard choice, but before he decided on anything, he knew he wanted to get stronger first. When his father called for the pack to gather, Snow took his time to arrive. He knew he wouldn't be the first, but likely the last to heed his father's call. It wasn't intentional, he just had a lot on his mind. When he arrived, however, he noticed he wasn't dead last. Winter had yet to arrive, which was weird because he always expected her to show up to things before him. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he moved to sit down near his other siblings as he nodded to them before turning his attention to his dad. Snow was often quieter than his other siblings, but he'd surely make time for them after the meeting.

She was late. She was so frickin late! She raced across the territories to try and make it on time, but knowing her fathers call had died away minutes ago she knew she'd be the last one there. That wasn't very becoming of an alpha's child now, was it? She panted as she ran, her macaque clinging to her back and the osprey flying high above as she moved ahead to survey the already gathered pack while her charge raced her way there. She could smell the gathered wolves, picking out the scents as she figured out who was there and so far, it seemed like everyone was.

She slowed down rather quickly, panting hard as she shook out her coat to try and look more presentable before joining the group. Her fur was messed up from her outing, but she didn't quite have the time to groom herself now. Breathing hard, she sat at the back of the group to avoid disturbing anyone or drawing any more attention to herself (assuming any eyes were on her to begin with).

ooc//kinda gonna be a rushed post i think since it's so late. second round replies required for named members (yay or nay on the promotions), not so much for those who didn't get promoted unless they have/want to say something. Forgot to set meeting to after avalon died since she was supposed to have died near the beginning of the season but irl got outta hand so i hadn't been able to do much until recently.

It didn't take long for most of the pack to arrive, though there were quite a few late arrivals still. He nodded and greeted those that greeted him, crimson gaze sweeping over each individual as they sat. Some seemed discontent perhaps...though he was surprised to see Yurei and Casso quite close to each other. When Avalon's children joined the meeting, however, he couldn't help but feel for them. Avalon had passed recently, and he wondered how they were taking it. Avalon was the oldest wolf he knew, surely her passing wouldn't have been easy on them...he would likely mention her during the meeting. But first, there was the main matter at hand. As he waited for the rest to arrive, he noted how late his daughter had been and wondered how the others might take to the news. He'd have to reassure them of course, that it was a test first...and if she couldn't handle it, he could resume leadership as the alpha unless someone else felt they could do better. Once everyone was settled he cleared his throat and decided to dive right in. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, everyone. I know this is late, but I would like to congratulate you all on a job well done in the raid against Ashen. Since our victory there, the debt that I agreed to for Hjarrandi is now over, Kai has been granted release, and I sincerely apologize for putting the pack into that position, to begin with. Those who participated did an excellent job, and deserving of promotions which will be spoken about in a bit." He figured he ought to start off with the news of Avalon, though by now, he was sure most everyone knew of her passing already. "As many of you know, one of our eldest and most revered members has recently left us. Avalon Ancora has passed away, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family." He turned to look at the children she left behind, "I have sent word out to your elder siblings to let them know of the news, and should either of you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. Avalon was a most treasured member of the pack, and her history and all the work she has done throughout her life will not be forgotten. I know she loved you all very much, and she has been and always will be proud of you." He knew there wasn't much he could say to ease the pain of losing her, but at the very least he could try to offer some form of comfort. "We will hold a proper memorial for her and those she knew in the coming days. I will send word out to those she knew so that they may attend as well." He let a moment of silence hang in the air for a bit before proceeding. "Now...I have another important piece of news to share with everyone." He took a deep breath as he surveyed the group before him. "I plan on retiring soon. And although I am not entirely certain on who should lead when I finally do, I have decided to assign Winter as the Alpha of Winterfell and she will undergo a trial period of two seasons to determine if she is ready." His daughter was already aware of the upcoming alphaship test, and she has agreed to undergo a trial period. "Of course, she is aware that if she feels unsuited for the role at the end of the trial, I will resume leadership...unless someone else feels they can better lead and would like to challenge for the position later. In the meantime, I will take the role of Lord Commander so that I can help both her and the rest of the pack." His words were sincere in that. He would not force his children to lead if they didn't feel suited to do so, and he would not deny the opportunity to someone else in the pack if they thought they could do it. Provided they tried for leadership of the pack the traditional way via challenge or something. With that in mind, he continued. "Before she assumes leadership, I want to promote some of you for your hard work and contributions in the pack." His gaze moved over those that had helped contribute to the last raid. "Song, I'd like to promote you to Lord of Iron. I recognize that your best work is in the field of craft, and should you accept the position, I would like you to teach others in the pack your skills as well as outfitting them with your work." He paused for a few moments to allow Song time to accept or refuse the position before moving on. "Greed, if you accept the position, I'd like to promote you to a Master of War. Your experience in the field as a warrior is invaluable and I believe you'll do great in the position. Kirsi...it has been a difficult decision to decide where to place you, however, there are two fields I believe you'd excel in and it is your choice which rank you'd like should you decide to accept the promotion. My decision for you is either Master of Whisperers or Master of Law. Let me know which one you'd like, if any." He offered a smile to those he had named so far before continuing on. "Ignis, I'd like to promote you to the position of a Master of War. And Tsunami...I have thought long and hard where I think you might fit in the higher ranks...so far, I've come to the conclusion that you may fit well either as a Master of Whisperers, or...perhaps as a Lord Commander of the Kingsguard? Alternatively, there is another position you might be interested in...if neither of these two positions suits your tastes, then feel free to see me after the meeting so that we may discuss, hm?" That was it for the warriors. Incendio had opted to leave with his mother not too long ago, however, there was still the matter of one more. He turned his attention to Yurei then as he offered a soft smile to the shy woman. She had done well tending to the wounded fighters, and she was well on her way to proving herself as a capable healer. "Yurei, you've come a long way in the field of healing. You did an exceptional job helping your comrades after both of these past raids, and so, I'd like to promote you to the rank of Archmaester. I'm sure you'll continue to excel in your field and am confident you'll make it to Grand Maester in due time. Now, those who have been offered a promotion, I will give you all a few moments to think it over before turning it over to Winter. I know this was quite a bit of information, but I felt it both overdue and best to get it out of the way and I do apologize for any inconveniences it may have caused." He cleared his throat then as he waited to hear their decisions were or what they had to say if anything.