Viper had a dream of Aranea, and had it been any real encounter she wouldn't have listened to her. But it was honestly pretty surprising that she listened to her anyway. She could have just woken up and forgotten, put it past her like she always did. But maybe somehow being with Chimera had unlocked some secret part of her. Deep down she had longed for her entire childhood that was robbed from her. Even though she believed she was stronger because of it. In a way, she was. She did survive to live on her own at such a young age, and it led her into the offensive nature she was today. She was a strong warrior and maybe valuable to Ashen, so at least she felt like she wasn't worthless, though that was only a suffocated feeling deep down in her heart. She had Chimera now.

Aranea had told her about her siblings in Abaven. And only Rain had held some kind of significance in her life. Of course she hadn't seen him since Tyranis ran off with him. And they only came to her thoughts in the early night before she went to sleep. It wasn't something she bothered Chimera about, even if he had known and told her to bury Aranea.

She came to the borders of Abaven, of course she was tacked up in her armor which was normal for her everyday life. Anxiety started to tingle across her back and body, because of running through Fireside all that time ago. But she brushed over it before calling out for the Alpha, more because she didn't quite know who she was here to see.

"Viper"

Theory wasn't used to seeing wolves in armor at the border. As she approached from a distance her ears were tipped and on alert. There was no need to get too worked up - she knew Corvus was a call away and Sparhawk would come running from wherever he and Poem had sequestered themselves. Still, it was unusual. She pulled up a few yards away, her bunny tail raised and flicking idly back and forth as she sized up the stranger on the border. Viper was smaller than her, but the armor and her stance spoke to her experience as a warrior. Theory didn't patrol in armor - she'd never felt like she needed to - but Alouette was roosted in a nearby tree and ready to take wing if she needed to quickly summon assistance. "Hello - what can I do for you?" Theory asked, cocking her head to the side. There was no reason to jump to conclusions. She waited patiently for the situation to play itself out.

""

She didn't recognize that the woman was on edge, but maybe that was because she wasn't here for a fight. Maybe the woman didn't notice that she was on edge too. Viper was usually pretty hard to read emotionally because she usually looked angry when she wasn't and normal when she was upset. But the border of Abaven was really making her anxious, not that she was jumping like she had to pee or anything. Just crawling under her skin, maybe a hidden tension. She didn't notice.

She asked what she could do for her, Viper wasn't aware that she was the Alpha of Abaven at least. But none the less, she would have treated any wolf who came to her the same. "I'm here to see Aranea- er-" She paused, she wasn't here for her mother, but that's what was on her mind, "Her uh, kids I mean." That was the down line at least. Though she didn't realize that Theory, as the alpha, could have seen her as a threat. Especially if she was looking for someone specifically.

"Viper"

Balthier heard the call from the border that was more of a rarity now a days. He didn't directly go towards it, it wasn't his duty to. But while he was out practicing patrols so that one day he would be in place of someone that would be patrolling on their own or at night, he happened to move along the border and notice Theory and the woman she was talking to.

Normally he would move around them, because again it wasn't his job to and Theory was perfectly capable to handle it herself as the alpha. But what he recognized was the other woman's markings. Her russet tones and the marks on her legs, Aranea's markings.

He found himself stalking at first, carefully closing the distance between himself and them, but he was able to catch light of her looking for Aranea's kids which had sealed the deal for what he assumed. He finally found more confidence in approaching them fully, still allowing Theory in front of him with respect as his elder and Alpha, "Hello, Theory." He greeted before addressing the woman in front of them, "Those are Aranea's markings. This is Nuada, my sister." He had never met her though, only heard that she had attacked Aranea from his mother's mouth. "Should we... bring them here?" He questioned Theory, wondering if because she was an outsider from another pack that it would be safer to bring his other siblings here to meet her instead of allowing her to come into Abaven lands.

"Balthier"

Looking for... the children? Theory's eyes narrowed. She couldn't help it. It was a suspect thing, to come to her borders and ask for the only thing she would defend with her life: Abaven's youth. She was readying a polite denial when Balthier pulled up behind her. This is my sister. She sighed hesitantly before she saw it - yes, those were Aranea's markings. "Balthier..." Theo said softly, turning to look at him. He had filled out this last season, just like his littermates. Already he had the look of adulthood about him, even if it was still an ill-fitting coat. Over the next year, his siblings would all start to make choices. They would begin to craft the lives that they wanted to live. "We will... give them the option. I will offer them the choice." I will not bring them here. She smiled at him, trying to quell her own uncertainty.

But his instincts were good. They would not invite Viper further into the territory - she smelled unfamiliar, but with an undercurrent of something she just couldn't pinpoint. Familiar but different. Like the Armada wolves she'd met but not. She must come from one of their allied packs, of which she knew with creeping dread were many. Her relationship with Sirius had once been close but the long winter had isolated them all. She did not like the idea that they were beginning to be surrounded, for better or worse. Turning to Viper, she introduced herself curtly: "I am Theory, sole alpha of Abaven. Balthier may call to his siblings and see if they would like to meet. For now... we will go no further." She flicked her short tail to Balthier. "Call to them, if you would."

""