Mæva had mostly lost touch with her father and siblings and really found herself out on her own. As such she was considering what to do with her future. Wandering alone was all well and good, at least for awhile, but she found herself missing company and interacting with other wolves. She knew Sparhawk was in Abaven and since it seemed to be a nice pack with a number of hunters she couldn't think of a better pack to join. Mæva wandered to the border and tipped back her head to call for the alphess. She was ready to join a pack and start her own path and she hoped her family could understand. She had family in Valhalla, it was true, but that independent streak urged her on to try a pack she had no family ties to. Here she would just be Mæva, not Mæva the Adravendi.

The borders had been eerily quiet for a few seasons now. Snow had kept everyone in their places for so long that she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to answer the call of a stranger. Theory shook off the feeling, reminding herself that finally things were headed back towards normalcy. No more strange creatures, no more snow and ice - just friendly calls at the border and training resuming as usual. Well, assumed friendly. There weren't many faces she would be upset to see at any rate. Her curiosity now piqued, Theory jogged at a relaxed pace to meet the call and was pleasantly surprised to see a Valhalla wolf. Former Valhalla? The smell was faint, but she did have some family characteristics. Any relative or friend of Aurielle's was welcome in Abaven. "Hello! Nice to see a new face for once," Theo grinned. "What can I do for you?"

Mæva waited patiently until her call was answered by a woman that she could only assume was the alphess. She had a casual, easy going nature and Mæva smiled at her. "Hey there, my name is Mæva Adravendi. I'm an old friend of Sparhawk's and he's told me nothing but good things about Abaven. If it would work out I'd love to join. I specialize in hunting and I can also fight pretty decently too." She hoped everything was still going well with Sparhawk and his new family. Come to think of it she hoped everything was going alright with her own family. She hadn't seen them in ages but she was getting bored of the loneliness and was eager to start her own life somewhere apart from her family. Somewhere she could more easily just be herself than a part of a giant family name.

"Ah! Sparhawk is my sister's husband. He's quite the guy, huh?" She could picture Sparhawk making friends quite easily. He was a big, imposing man - but earnest, and a wonderful father. "Any friend of Sparhawk's is welcome to make Abaven their home. We've recently lost our most skilled hunter as he traveled to be with family. Another hunter would be a perfect addition to our ranks." Theory wagged her tail to punctuate the end of her sentence. It was true, Brandr's loss had been felt, but she couldn't deny the man his happiness. Abaven was only as strong as its members. Their happiness and health were always her priority, sometimes to her own detriment. "Tell me a bit more about yourself, if you would? The long winter has kept me from meeting a friendly face for so long, it's like I forgot to have a conversation with someone I haven't met before!"

Mæva blinked in surprise as the woman explained that Sparhawk was her sister's husband. She grinned. "Yea, he really is. Could you give me your name again? I don't think I caught it." She wanted to get familiar with Sparhawk's family as she was sure he'd speak of them. It was helpful to be able to put names and faces together. She was pleased to be welcomed into Abaven and that the pack happened to be looking for a replacement hunter. Mæva was quite skilled for her age though most of her knowledge involved solo hunting. She'd participated in several group hunts but she'd never lead any before.

Mæva debated what else to say. "Well, I was raised a nomad so this will be a different life style than what I'm used to but I'm sure I can adapt. Also, I don't know if it's relevant but you should know I have family in Valhalla." That might've been a given considering her surname but she thought it worth bringing up.

Theory blinked and realized she hadn't offered her name. "I'm sorry," she laughed, only a little ashamed, "the endless winter also froze away all of my manners. I'm Theory - Poem is my sister and Sparhawk's husband. Their children are all running about as well," the alpha added. Being a perfect aunt had been her objective, but she'd quickly learned that "perfect" was a losing game when it came to raising kids. You just did your best. Theory turned and headed deeper into the thicket, gesturing for Maeva to follow along. "This is Rustling Thicket. Abaven is quite old, so we've also got our paws on Serpent Plains and Monument Rapids. These three lands make up the pack's ancestral home, though we were displaced like so many others after volcanic eruption." For a moment she gave pause. Maeva only looked to be a little bit younger than she was, but had she even been alive for the eruption? Theo couldn't imagine a wolf living in Boreas that hadn't been effected by it, but at the same time she was sure it was a foggy memory for some and a little known fact by others. She'd never forget it. There were still some early mornings where she woke with a restless start, sure that she could taste smoke curling in her lungs. "A nomad? What's that like?" The alpha asked earnestly. It was an entirely different way of life from what she was used to and Theo was eager to hear a different perspective. She'd been raised with a fierce love for these lands and when Shaye left them to her, it was all she could do to hold on as tightly as possibly. "Ah - yes, I did recognize the name. I haven't been to Valhalla in so long. The weather really threw a wrench in any kind of diplomacy," she chuckled. ""

Mæva listened as the alphess gave her name and elaborated a bit more on her family. She was excited to meet Sparhawk's children, just as long as she didn't get roped into baby-sitting. She followed along as her new alphess explained the lands that made up Abaven's territory. She'd heard of the volcanic eruption but thankfully she didn't have to experience it. "Man, that must've been scary. I'm glad that happened before I got here."

"Oh it's wonderful to be a nomad! You travel to all kinds of places following the herds and it means you can get away from bad weather… well, sometimes. Some times it's hard though. You can't really settle in one place or do anything too permanent. Everything you want to keep has to be mobile."

Theory made a soft noise of contemplation as Maeva spoke. Abaven had sizable stores and a dense warren of dens and other hidey-holes. She knew these lands like the back of her paw. While parts of what Maeva described did sound intriguing, she couldn't imagine it for herself. It was so at odds with her own life that it felt like a fantasy tale. Theo did appreciate the skills it must have granted their new pack member, however - if you were always on the move, you must be good at finding and tracking prey. "I'd imagine that hunting as a nomad and hunting as a pack wolf will present some new challenges for you," she mused aloud. "Hunting alone must have occupied so much of your time - if you're always on the move, it must have been hard to track migration patterns, preferred grazing areas... what's your favorite sort of quarry? Myself, I prefer fish - you always know where to find them," Theory laughed. ""

Mæva considered Theory's question for a moment and nodded about the difficulty in hunting when one was on their own. "As a loner its hard, you have to focus on smaller prey and catch enough to eat your fill. As a nomad its not so bad. You have your fellow nomads to hunt with and you can follow herds that migrate." In some ways it could be easier as a nomad instead of a pack wolf. You could follow your food instead of relying on prey populations to remain the same throughout the years.

"That's a good question. I think my favorite is whitetail deer when I can get them but as you can imagine its far easier with a partner. On my own I usually go after pheasant and prairie chickens."

She nodded along as she led the way towards the primary den network. The thicket posed a unique set of challenges - dense foliage, some prickly thorns, and it didn't help that it abutted the Serpent Plains. Sometimes conniving snakes found their way to hidden lairs beneath the tightly packed leaves. One wrong step and you'd meet a hissing, angry reptile. "White tail... mmm. It's good when it's good, but it's so stringy and tough when it's bad," she laughed. "But following the migration sounds lovely, in its own way. I imagine it's taken you all across Boreas." They finally pulled up at the main den sites. A few holes pockmarked the ground, most half-hidden underneath the overhanging thicket. "Here we are! You're free to den here or on any of our lands, but this is the closest pocket of dens from the border. Feel free to find me if you need anything." Theory gave her another warm smile before turning to leave. Brander was still sorely missed... it would be nice to have another strong hunter to begin to fill the void he'd left behind.