A cold wind blew at Drífa's back as she worked her way down from the north under the cover of night and snow. Her pale pelt melted into the winter surroundings, shielding her from detection as she made her journey from Winterfell towards Abaven. She lamented that she was, once again, searching for a new home at her old age. It really seemed that no pack lasted forever and while she knew this it still stung. She had thought about joining Abaven but feared that would only add to Ignis' rage should he find out. Either way, she felt it necessary to let them know what had happened considering their icy relationship with Winterfell after Acere's raid. It would not surprise her in the least if Ignis should attempt to recoup Winterfell's loss.

Night arrived again by the time she reached Abaven's borders. It was dark and cool with just a sliver of moonlight illuminating the snow covered ground. She tipped back her head and howled for the alphess. She had urgent news and then… and then she would travel again. She didn't know where exactly but the smartest thing for her to do was head south toward warmer weather where winter would not be quite so hard on her old form.

Corvus was having trouble sleeping, for no real reason in particular. Life was good as of late and though things in Abaven were always shifting and changing as the seasons passed, overall things were going well. He was enjoying spending more and more time with Twig now that he'd completed their new den and she'd accepted her invitation to den with him. He'd been curled up with her for a long while tonight before finally untangling himself from her, informing her sleepy form that he was going on a walk to patrol the borders. Usually a good trek around their territory would be enough to tire him out and lull him back to sleep.

Most patrols were relatively uneventful, but apparently tonight had something else in store. A cry suddenly rang out, for Abaven's ruler, though the source was unfamiliar. The summons was hardly for him but that wouldn't stop him from responding to it anyway. There was no harm in being overly cautious, even if he was merely acting as Theory's backup in case he was needed. Quickly he crossed the distance between himself and the one who had called. At first she was hard to spot, but as he drew closer she was more discernible, clearly an older female and not anyone he recognized. "Evening," he greeted her gently, wondering if he could discern whether she had good intentions or not base on her demeanor alone. Spoiler alert: he definitely couldn't. Corvus was perceptive enough, but not terribly good at guessing the intentions of others, always cynical and guarded when it came to his pack and family. "What brings you to Abaven tonight? I'm Corvus, by the way."

Theory was finally sleeping well for the first time in recent memory. No longer did she lie anxiously awake between fitful dreams of failing as a leader. Abaven was healthy and thriving, last year's puppies were blooming into a crop of charming young adults, and Thalia was hers. Not a single thing kept her from slipping into a blissful sleep. When she heard the late night call, she roused slowly. It barely registered that a stranger was at the borders until she was halfway there. A stranger... not much good news came from strangers at night, but perhaps someone was simply seeking shelter. Abaven was known for accepting most wolves and was often a waypoint for weary travelers. Trying to put a spring in her tired step, Theory arrived looking only slightly disheveled and was pleased to see Corvus had beat her here. "Hello - and I'm Theory, alpha of Abaven. How can I help you?" She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the other female was old - younger than Rhythm, but certainly not in her prime, and looked a little bit worn down. Journeying should be a thing of the past at this stranger's age and so her curiosity (and worry) was immediately piqued.

Drífa was first greeted by a young man of the name Corvus, followed soon by Theory. She dipped her head in a respectful greeting and proceeded to get right to the point. "Lady Theory, I don't know if you remember me but my name is Drífa, formerly of Winterfell. I wanted to warn you that Winterfell has suffered a coup. Ignis has taken over the pack and is forcing any who wish to leave to fight for their freedom. I was spared because of my age and declining health. He  has a more… violent future in store for the pack. I do not know what he plans to do, but considering Winterfell's loss during the raid against Abaven…. I just wanted you to be aware. Just in case he sets his sights upon you." She fell silent, letting the wind sweep away her words. She could make no predictions of the youth's mind but it was not out of the question that Ignis might seek to show the superiority of his rule by succeeding against Abaven where Acere had failed.

Corvus only stood alone for a moment before Theory joined him, no doubt roused by the stranger's call, which had not been without some urgency. It was hard to not be slightly shaken by the sound of a midnight call, and when he got a bit closer to her he realized with a start that she was no doubt from Winterfell. Her scent reminded her of Ignis and the last time he'd seen his friend - if he could even call him that anymore. And though he had no clue what she might say, he wasn't all that surprised by what she had to tell them once she started to speak and explain why she was here.

A coup. Ignis had taken over. Discomfort rose in his chest, worn plainly on his face. He'd known Ignis's mental state had been bad, but.. this bad? He'd thought his feelings had been isolated to.. well, his relationship (or lack of one) with Corvus. He'd never anticipated something like this. "Ignis... was not himself the last time I saw him. He attacked me." And then practically backed himself off a cliff, but... That memory wasn't a pleasant one and he tried to push it from his mind. He'd survived and so that had been that. "But I never expected anything like this. I thought it was just... between us," he admitted weakly, his mind reeling. There was no way his rejection had caused this much strife, was there? He cast a sideways glance at Theory, wondering if she'd be surprised by his admission. There were few things he kept from her but this... well, he'd thought best to forget all about it, at least until now.

Yes... of course. This was Acere's messenger, once upon a time. ...formerly of Winterfell. Her heart twisted. A storm was brewing in the north yet again, and this one seemed outside of everyone's control. At least Acere's raid, foolish as it was, had been borne of some strange sense of misplaced fealty. The Vikings had commanded him. Ignis, it seemed, was a total unknown quantity. Theory stood silently, each hair on her shoulders and neck slowly rising. She paused as Corvus spoke, taking in his information and trying to parse it against what she knew. Theo knew they had been friends for the brief period when Ignis lived in Abaven, but she didn't know if their relationship had ever truly recovered from their split to the north. And yet it seemed he had seen Ignis - recently, at that.

Her brow furrowed but she said nothing. It was something they would have to discuss in private. "It seems like it's much bigger than that. I'll admit, I haven't met him in close quarters and I don't know his family - but this does not bode well. Drifa, do you have a safe place to stay? This winter is bitterly cold - the coldest in my memory. I'd gladly you offer shelter here, until the turn of the season or as long as you'd like. I cannot thank you enough for this message." Theory sighed and turned her eyes to the sky, trying to come up with an explanation for this turn towards violence. "What's your take, Drifa? And Corvus - you know him. Personally. Do you think this poses a real threat?" She fixed her gaze on him, her blue eyes solemn.

Drífa's attention turned to Corvus as the younger man had stated he had been attacked by Ignis some time back. She quietly wondered what had triggered it or if it was simply a symptom of Ignis' beginning madness. She turned back to Theory and shook her head. "I do not have a place to stay and I thank you for your hospitality but I probably shouldn't linger. I have done my best to hide my scent for Ignis said as a condition of my release I was forbidden to tell anyone what had happened at Winterfell or I'd be dragged back to die. I don't wish to exacerbate the situation." She smiled gently. "I was reared in the arctic so I should be able to hold out a little longer. I intend to work my way south to the warmer regions and retire."

Theory asked her for her take and she shrugged lightly. "I don't know, this was so sudden. I feel like some madness has seized him but I can't say for sure he hasn't always harbored this desire. We were not close."

Was it possible his mere rejection - if it could even be considered that - had turned Ignis so violent and unpredictable? It seemed unlikely, but then again Corvus didn't see Ignis frequently enough to say for certain that this penchant for chaos had not been stewing for quite some time. He cast his gaze down at Theory's look toward him; it was unreadable in the presence of a stranger but he felt guilty nonetheless. Hopefully she'd understand once they talked privately that he couldn't have anticipated such a thing from their last encounter. "I don't know. Maybe?" Corvus answered weakly, the extent of his uncertainty audible in every syllable he spoke. Truly he wasn't sure; clearly he thought that his reaction at their last meeting had been uncharacteristic, but... he couldn't have anticipated this sort of reaction from him. "He was not himself. He reacted violently toward me, but I thought it was.. just between us. I couldn't have known," he struggled to explain, looking apologetically toward Drifa. He was glad she had come to warn them though was equally as surprised at the fact that she thought it dire enough to warrant escaping even further south. He couldn't imagine looking upon his former friend as cautiously as Drifa was, but... perhaps he needed to start. Corvus shuffled his weight side to side, clearly uneasy with both the news and how he ought to react to it.

She looked upon them both sadly. It was cruelty she couldn't begin to understand to drive such an old wolf out of the pack at the beginning of winter; a death sentence without the guilt. A coward's move. Theory sighed deeply and then held her breath for a beat longer than usual as she tried to rack her brain for a solution. Nothing came to mind. For now they could only bide their time. It was not like Abaven to strike out unless provoked and she longed to keep it that way. They were peace makers and peace keepers. Plus, with Poem newly pregnant... no. Absolutely not. There would be no violence if she could at all help it. They could only fortify themselves and hope to weather this brutal storm. "I am so deeply sorry - to both of you. Losing a home, losing a friend..." she blinked slowly, wishing she had better words. Something more comforting. "Drifa, is there anything else I can do to help? At least an escort until the weather further south is kinder?" It would be easy enough to send along someone to accompany her. Following the shoreline was a familiar trek and Theory's conscious wouldn't rest until she knew the older woman was safely delivered somewhere.

Drífa felt sorry for the young man. She hadn't been especially close to Corvus beyond being his pack mate. She couldn't imagine what it was like to hear this news about a friend. She turned her attention back to Theory and shook her head. "It is much appreciated but I'd hate to deprive you of one of your wolves at a time like this and to be honest I have not yet made up my mind where I will go. South of course but perhaps west. It would be a lot of aimless wandering." She chuckled. "I must decide what I wish to do with myself but I trust fate to lead me. I wish you both well." With a dip of her head she slipped off into the night. To the north she could see the line of clouds and the shift of the wind from the north. She'd better make good time. Thankfully, she was built for the cold, winter weather. She just needed her luck to hold out a little bit longer.

-exit-

If his previous encounter with Ignis had left him feeling unsettled, this... this disturbed him right to his very core. There was nothing he could say that would make things any better, let alone make sense of any of this. He felt for Drífa and her loss of home, but at the same time he began to worry for Abaven and for his family. What was Ignis capable of, he wondered, if he could send an old woman on her own without the protection of a pack in the midst of winter? It was hard to imagine Theory doing that to anyone, even an enemy. No, she was too kind for such a blatant disregard for another wolf's well-being. He furrowed his brows tightly, shrugging off Theory's condolences. He had a feeling this was much bigger than just him and his former friendship now that he'd heard these new developments. His attention was cast back to the older wolf, but she didn't seemed to want any assistance. He frowned slightly but bit his tongue, not wanting to argue. She seemed capable of taking care of herself and he could only hope she'd find herself well on her own, even without their help.

-end?-