The raid from Ashen and the further hunt in their lands had been a sharp hit to the pack's health, including Yurei's mental wellbeing. Her normal anxiety now rose to higher levels, and only her pups and Casso gave her a sort of relief knowing they were all safe, no injuries at them nor at her. But despite her fear to even come out of their den she still had duties to perform, despite not having an actual rank anymore. And because of that she was out, hoping to find herbs before winter returned and ended up with the medicinal plants, and down south she was hopping to find Horsetail. Slowly she started to look for them, her companion Aki as always was on her back. The small feline was small enough to be carried on it. ""

Hattori knew the northern pack's scent when he smelled it, faint enough to just be one individual and not a raiding party out for retaliation. Besides, what would there be to retaliate? If they had fought back and lost their anger would be warranted, but they'd made no attempt to even try and defy the invaders. In the Shogun's mind they had no right to feel any way about it and suspected they'd probably continue to just pretend it never happened in the first place. Or as much as they could anyway, their stoles had been well and truly pillaged.

Lingering in the shadows of a tall and ancient willow tree, Hattori spotted the white wolf as she meandered through the woods. No doubt hoping to resupply their medicinal reserves and she'd chosen a good place for it too, there were plenty of herbs about if you knew where to look. Or so Hattori had been told.

He wondered whether it was worth approaching her, if she'd scamper at the sight of him.

"I did not think your kind would venture this far south." He said as he stepped out into the open, his voice low and apathetic.

The Medico kept looking for the needed plant, a plant that for winter would be extremely important to have secured into her stores. Being the only healer made her work load be specially heavy and all she wanted was to do her best. And it sounded selfish but all she could think of was in her mate and children wellbeing, and if by restoring their medicine supply would help she didn't mind going out here on her own, even if deep inside she shivered in fear. As both wolf and cat explored the woods, pale green eyes found the shape of the Horsetail, and slowly she picked as much as she could before placing them in her backpack. It has been so much easier to carry herbs after she had gotten this artifact. As she collected the treasured plant, heavy steps approached her way and at first she thought it could be Casso. But she doubted he would leave their pups unwatched. They normally took turns to do their stuff while the other remained in their den to watch over the pups. And upon that she felt a chill go through her spine. Turning slowly she saw a giant of a wolf, bigger than Casso himself. And the way he talked instantly turned on her worst of fears. Ears pinned as her tail tucked between her legs, Aki her cat hide between Yurei's fluffly white coat of her scruff. "I..." She wasn't able to articulate words as fear now was starting to take over her body. Lowering her body in submission. She did her best to not make eye contact. She might be older but her old habits seemed to never lose power over her. ""

The pale wolf immediately stiffened up at the sight of him, turning all skittish and flighty, unable to speak. In all honesty, it was an overreaction, Hattori hadn't shot an unreasonable look her way, let alone even touched her, but some wolves were quick to spook. Their temperaments more akin to prey animals than a predator.

His ear flicked at the tip, a subtle hint of his disapproval, but otherwise his expression remained much the same. Blank and cold, with unblinking eyes.

"There is no need to get all worked up over a simple question." He admonished, the sort of man uncapable, or unwilling, to deal with others so softly-softly. "Get up."

Her heart was nearly out of her chest, beating fast and loud. She tried to breath and calm herself, slow and steady, she even tried to think about Casso, their pups, about anything positive. And slowly she was calming down, not completely but enough to eliminate the knot in her throat. Finally she looked up to his eyes, still with an expression of fear. She tried to breath slower but his imponent presence made it hard for her to stay calm. It was close to how she felt with Ignis. Though she couldn't know if this one was as tyranic as the red alpha. "Sorry...sir" She tried to straight her back up, but still feeling heaviness in her chest. "I am hoping to...collect herbs for my pack before winter..." She said low in her tone. "And... you?..." ""

Hattori said nothing as she went onto apologise, explaining why she was here even though it was already rather self-explanatory. He doubted many plants grew up north, especially in the latter half of the year, so it made sense she had to venture down south. Even though it was a risky tangent, as wolves from her pack weren't particularly popular around here. Then again, Hattori had to remind himself it wasn't her fault. Knowing what Tsunami had told him, he assumed she was one of many who simply kept quiet as the pack take over occurred.

He wondered if she would even answer his questions if asked, no doubt their new overlord had threatened them into silence. Forbade them from sharing pack secrets, but Hattori was never the sort to let information slip by unlearned. He knew things, far more than most would assume.

"I am out for a walk." He said simply, not intending to expand any further than that. " Yes. We took many of your supplies. I presume you and your people must have much to do to regain what has been lost. Do you think you can manage before winter arrives?" He asked, watching and waiting to see what she would say.

She didnt know what to do, running was a latent alternative that grew with each moment she was before this scary giant wolf. As big as Ignis himself, and with a demeanor similar but colder. Without room to even dialogue calmly, and she did her best to remain there without escaping, but it would have been hard anyways. Her legs were rigid, unwilling to move on her command. Fear had taken over her body control and now she was frozen there, with the horned wolf in the way. "I see.." She couldn't form complex sentences with her fear, with her concern. She was speaking to her home's raider, the one who took their resources and with winter at the blink of an eye, their survival was on the line. "I hope so...I am the only healer Incendium has...but ill do my best. I don't want my children and mate to suffer...I need to find all I can..." She said with sadness. She didn't want any she loved to die. That would be the end of her life. ""

So she was the only healer they had available? Interesting. If the raid had truly gotten underway and maims had been inflicted she would have no doubt had a lot of work on her paws, too much for one flighty woman to deal with. He doubted this alone was the reason why no one had responded though, surely there was more to it than that.

Incendium. So the pack had changed names as well as leader? He supposed that made sense, no doubt an attempt to change the pack's image.

"So you knew you were being raided then? If so, then why did no one try to defend your land?" He asked, pressing for more, wondering how far he could push this. He thought little of her mate and children, wrote it off as a weak attempt to tug at his heartstrings.

His question fell hard into the white wolf's head and mind. She didn't know if Ignis would kill her if she spoke, but herself couldn't say why no one went to defend their home. Herself wasn't a fighter, just a healer so on her end she couldn't have done anything. "I dont know the answer..." She was sincere, she never really lied and not even less under someone scary asking her directly. She was afraid to be killed right now. She couldn't leave Casso and their pups alone in the world, she didn't want them to be alone as she was. Her heart was pounding fast and nothing rational was coming into her brain. She just didn't want anything to happen now. She just came to do her duties and now she felt her life in danger. Aki wasn't daring to come out of Yurei's furs. ""

Truly she did not know? Hattori's cold gaze searched her expression, an emotional contrast to the blankness of his face. Even in Ashen not all the information trickled downwards, but it was such a strange thing to leave unsaid. Was she lying to cover her tracks? It was hard to say for certain and Hattori suspected if he pushed any harder she'd withdraw within herself. She'd given him more information than she likely realised and there was still some room to learn a little more.

"I see. That is unusual, surely you must have heard our call." He'd made a point to make it loud enough, that it would have bounced off the surrounding trees and filled the empty spaces of the north. "Perhaps you were busy." Though he doubted it.  "Do you know why Ashen raided your people?"

"I see. That is unusual, surely you must have heard our call." She remained quiet this time, not really feeling comfortable to talk in any way. She felt intimidated by this male she barely knew but still was giving her such an interrogation, one she didn't expect to get when she came down south. This as far as she knew was unclaimed land, and she wasn't violating any laws. But as submissive as she always was, she wouldn't dare to speak her mind, only Casso had her full trust to know her thoughts. "I do..." She was there, in the raid. But she didn't share the wish to raid another pack, she would had said she didn't want to go but at the time what say did the healer had? None. "My former pack and Alpha raided you..." That's all she would say. Feeling her chest hurt from the fast beating heart she had right now. "Talk"

So at least there was that then, no reason for Incendium to claim they were needlessly attacked without provocation. As the saying went, what goes around comes around, and this raid had been a long time due. The fact the northern pack was unprepared was on them and them alone,  Ashen would accept no responsibility for their failings. If they didn't wish for the world to see them as weak then it was about time they did something about it.

Hattori nodded, openly confirming her response. There was no reason not too.

"Yes. Though I believe the pack was called Winterfell back then. I did not know it had changed name."

Yurei Praetor

"I was there... though I never agreed with Acere's decision...I dont like when others are hurt. But I had no say back then..." She never did now and then. Her eyes were hollow, shut down from any shine if they ever had one at all. She never wanted that to happen, no one's home should ever be invaded in the first place, and even if this was part of an agreement no one but Acere knew of, still he should had say no and do nothing. But again, she was a no one in comparison to the former alpha, and she had to simply accept in silence.

"Yes, it was Winterfell back then. Before Ignis our current king took the throne from Winter. Acere's daughter." She didn't know what else to say, she knew what they did was wrong and herself was as guilty as any of the fighters who fought in that raid.

OOC: Notes.

So was that the consensus? No one spoke up because they felt as though they had no right or reason to? To an extent Ashen was solely ruled by Venom, whatever she said went, but he knew for a fact she was not a tyrant. That if the others took issue with a choice she'd made she would be at the very least willing to hear them out. Issues only arouse when no one said anything and let old grudges fester.  

To compare Ashen to Incenduim was comparing the ground to the sky, they were not alike nor would they ever be.

Considering her words, Hattori hummed in the back of his throat. She was telling him a lot, even if she probably wasn't supposed to he would take what he could get. All this information would no doubt be of interest to his wife, later.

"Acere ruled, then his daughter, then Ignis?" The regular changes in leadership said a lot about the state of the pack, it's vulnerabilities shining through as clear as day. To Hattori it did not sound like a pack that had stable foundations, perhaps avoiding the fight all together had been in their best interests.  "Then what about now, do you have any say in the pack as we speak?"