The grand hall did certainly look very grand tonight. The work everyone had done to make the space fit for a celebration had paid off. The tables were decorated with runners of fabric and vases full of Auster summer flowers, garlands and ivy were draped over the windows, door way, and hearth. He had been working on prepping food with Eska all day and now the tables were filled with meats, berries, wines, and any other treats he could find. The giraffe that the pack had brought down made up a bulk of the offerings, but there was deer, boar, and smaller game like rabbits and fish as well.

He knew everyone had been on edge since the world around them had taken a strange turn, but he forged on with the plans for their feast anyway. He felt like they could all use a bit of a reprieve from the strange and odd happenings of the dark world around them. The fire in the hearth was burning bright and there were smaller beeswax candles made in jars scattered around the room, giving everything a warm and welcoming glow. He stood at the head of one of the tables, but he wouldn't sit at the head table. That place had been or Resin and her family the last time this feast was held and it would remain that way—except this time it would be for Artorias as their Aegis.

Ulric turned his silver gaze to Artorias now that the final prep was done, giving him a smile. "You should do the honors and call for everyone," he said, giving the young leader a nod. He would finally get to announce to the pack that Artorias had taken over the roll. It felt like a fitting event to officially hand over the title even though most of the pack had surely heard of the change by now. He sat back onto his haunches near the front of the hall, waiting for the rest of the pack to join them.

Ulric Adravendi

Artorias gazed around the grand hall with pride swelling in his heart. The room looked incredible, decorated with seasonal Austerian flowers and ivy, long oak tables lined with fine cloths, candles burning to provide intimate illumination and a roaring fire in the hearth welcoming all. The fragrances of roasted and raw meats, sweet summer berries and fruits, and honeyed wines and rich mead danced in the air along with the smell of the wood fire and fresh florals. Yes, Artorias was proud—truly, deeply proud of how the Hallows had banded together to create such a wondrous occasion come to life! It had been through the pack's dedication and hard work that this moment was happening in amidst all of the darkness and dread that had taken over the world. For tonight, those fears would be left outside where they belonged. This was their escape, their sanctuary, their home.

It took a lot of self control to keep back the tears that wanted to form in the corners of his eyes. This would be the pack's first celebration without his mother, and the first one they'd hold with him as their leader. A lot of mixing emotions twisted at his heart. Joy, pride, humility, sorrow, heartbreak... But Artorias steeled himself, drawing in a deep breath to steady those turbulent feelings and instead turned to look at Ulric with a smile. "The pack really outdid themselves," he remarked with a chuckle. Ulric told him he should do the honors and call the pack and Artorias felt his heart miss a beat. This would also be his first time summoning the pack as a whole. This was all really happening. Swallowing back his nerves, Artorias nodded, then threw back his head and let out a long, dignified howl to bring the Hallows together. The time for feasting and celebrating the unity of the pack was now.

Once his call ended, Artorias brought his fiery amber gaze back down the the blazing fire in the hearth. The fire, which stood for the warmth and shelter the Hallows provided to all, looked magnificent. It was then that Artorias decided on his own tradition as Aegis. So long as he reigned, there would be a fire burning in the hall every night to welcome strangers and friends alike as their guests. The Aegis, the lord of cinders, would maintain that beacon for this night and all nights to come. Resin had always imparted the virtue of generosity when welcoming guests. Artorias would carry the virtue of shelter. The Hallows would be the light burning in the darkness forevermore so long as he was alpha.

Turning to stride away from the fireplace, Artorias made his way up to the raised dais where the Carpathian table sat, staring with humility and respect at the larger seat his mother had once occupied. If he closed his eyes and cleared his head, he could almost hear the echoes of the past in his ears. Sitting at the mahogany table with his family, barely big enough to peek up over the edge, hearing Tamsyn's soft voice filled with laughter as he and his siblings scampered about. Resin's firm yet compassionate voice filling the halls, sharing her love for her pack, bestowing to them their family name. He missed how easy those days had seemed only a short year ago... "I miss you..." whispered Artorias to the ghost occupying his memories. Then, as strange as it felt to do, Artorias circled the table and slowly took the seat of the Aegis, presiding over the hall and its glorious feast, ready to welcome his family—all of his family.

All they needed now was everyone else...

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Jane was quick to join the feast , her very first one in her now year of age. Excitement filled the girls chest as she she helped in her own way to get the meals on the table, meals that some were hunted by her own paws. Being that the best way she saw to contribute to the festival's betterment. Hurried paws brought her to the last piece of meat she was able to get before the feast was started by Artorias and her father. Smiling she looked at both of them. Taking a seat on one of the side seats of the table happy to be here.. "Speak"

Whispers had circulated since Laeta’s arrival to the Hallows about the feast. It was a big celebration, she surmised, based on how much planning went into it. As the women approached the great hall, drawn to it by the smells of fresh meats and the heat of the warm candles, the anxiety within her fluttered, like a bird in a cage. The nervousness and apprehension about seeing more new people, having to try and make conversation — it was going to be a bit daunting at first to attend, she could tell. Still, everyone she’d had the pleasure of meeting in this pack had been nothing but kind and understanding, and as warm as the candlelit hall itself. The whole place was basked in a physical and metaphorical glow of friendship and unity. Ruby eyes peeked into the hall, already seeing Artorias, Jane, and an older male wolf already present. Her heart rushed to her throat, but the woman bravely swallowed back her anxious thoughts as she padded soundly into the room. It was massive, and grand was an understatement. The sight of all the tables, and the rich feast upon them, the beeswax candles..what to do? Where to sit? Questions bounced around in her mind as the monochromatic woman stood, wondering where to sit. She knew some tables would be “reserved” for family members within the Hallows, but where did she belong? As a pack member, she hoped she was as welcome as she felt. The kindness she had experienced for the first time in her life rushed back, embracing her warmly. Still searching for a seat, the woman managed to crack the tiniest of smiles upon her lips, taking in the sights around her. "Speech"

Serenity was for once in the room she claimed near the rest of Ulric's children. She was expecting the gathering and didn't want to be far off but also didn't want to be lingering. She still mostly kept to herself but did her part for the pack at least. She felt she may have been coming around though. Being around others wasn't hard for her, but wanting to be around them was a different story.

Artorias had called out to the pack and Serenity immediately made her way down at a gentle pace. The gathering before to prepare the main hall was nice, she didn't have any complaints about anyone. Though there weren't many wolves she came across that she didn't like. Coming to the large table, she took a seat closer to Ulric that she was sure the rest of her siblings would be seated by.

"Serenity"
Base By WatermelonCreature

Rudyard remembered a gathering in the great hall, and it hadn’t been one that brought joy.  He remembered how it tied in with the time of Resins downfall.  He could have arrived earlier, while they were still setting up but Rudy was determined that when he walked in it would be with a smile on his face.

So it was the work was done and it was time for everyone to show up before Rudy got there.  Still, he came in with a pleased smile on his face, and certainly the smell of the food didn’t hurt adding a more natural touch to the grin.  It smelled great and he already felt his mouth watering as he imagined the taste of the best smelling meats.

The boy didn’t go to the food first though, instead of heading over towards where Art was.  A respectful nod is given to Ulric and then a flicker of a proud smile towards Art.  They had all changed a good bit.  Art was now the leader and Rudy was still confident he would be following up soon.  Sure, the bear had slowed down his progress but that was a temporary thing.  There were problems out there but neither of them would lay a dour weight on the pack tonight.

“I know my belly is going to be double the size by the time we are done here,” Rudy joked mildly to Art.  A more somber glance around the hall. The boy smirked grinning wickedly at Art, “gonna give a great speech in front of everyone?” A playful tease at his brother, “Don’t get nervous now that you’re the leader.” Leader, just as Rudy had told him he would be.  Maybe someday he'd let Art live it down that Rudy had told the doubting Art, but probably not any time soon.  It was his job as a brother to needle him over pointless details.

Rudyard Carpathius

They all knew that the festival was coming and Bowen did what she could to assist with the preparations. Wherever Artorias had needed her, she had gone. Whatever he wished, she had done. In the end, the hall was gorgeously decorated and the long table was mounded with food of all sorts. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth. It was definitely a sight to see.

Bowen had been washing her paws when Artorias gave the call for the pack to congregate. Drying her sable colored paws on a soft skin, the copper and ivory fae made her way towards the great hall. Once within, her viridian gaze noted that her black and blue sibling sat at the head of the table. A small pang of sadness clenched around the lady's heart, but more overpowering was the pride that she felt for her brother. He had worked so hard for this.

From across the room, Bowen bowed her head to the new Aegis, then gave him a little wink. She didn't want to steal his attention from the other guests, so she made her way to the opposite end of the table, seating herself beside the large windows that looked out over Hallowed land. She wasn't terribly hungry, so she would leave the seats at the table for the guests that were. As usual, Bowen was a little somber and gatherings like this just hammered that mood home. It would do her well to sit alone for a time and acclimate before she was forced to mingle and socialize.
"Bowen"

After a long day of work, Eska was feeling a little tired. She'd gone up to take a little nape before the feast began. The sound of Arts call brought the silvered fae's eyes open. With a yawn she pulled herself from the massive bed that she and Ulric shared and made her way downstairs to the great hall. This was a feast of unity. Of remembrance. Eska couldn't remember someone that she didn't know, but she could remember the idea of Resin. That would have to be enough.

The black and silver woman moved to sit beside her man, leaning her shoulder against his before leaning up and giving his chin a kiss. "Everything looks lovely. Do you think he's ready?" Eska had seen the progress that Artorias had made since she'd arrived here, but seeing progress and knowing how Ulric felt were two different things. She had no doubts, herself. With Ulric handing over control, it would mean more time for just the two of them. Perhaps they could travel a bit, see the world. Eventually, she might give him those puppies that he seemed to want.


"Eska"

It was dark now. The world had been plagued by unusually long nights of a constant full moon, and with only a few hours of dim daylight in between. But here in the hall of the Hallows, it was warm.

Avantika wasn't the first to arrive, but neither was she the last. She scanned the room, and her eyes immediately fell upon Art, who was presiding over the Aegis's chair while Ulric stood near the front of the hall. She smiled. Their new leader had finally officially taken the place. She'd expected it, as her brother began to take on more and more responsibilities, and she was devoted to the opinion that he would serve and lead them well. Let nobody presume they could insult him! She knew he could fight his own battles, but she would also be more than happy to fight for him if he had better things to do.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest as she looked at the chair. A part of it still belonged to a woman now dead. Her mother. Her leader. Avantika would have followed her to the ends of the earth. As much as she liked to focus on the future, she knew deep in her soul that she would have willingly given up that future, given up her life, everything, for Resin.

She nodded and grinned at Art before taking a seat near him, but with an empty chair between them, in case someone else wanted to be near him more. She turned her gaze then to the food.

"Speech"

Tamsyn's ears perked when she heard Artorias calling for the pack, a bitter sweet pang hitting her chest. She knew the feast was coming from the preparation they had been doing, but as it drew closer she had almost begun to dread it. It felt like just yesterday that they were all gathering together as a pack for the first time with Resin presiding over the feast and now... Oh how much everything had changed since then. Resin was gone, her face scarred, her relationship with Sirius seemingly unrepairable, her heart filled with love from Kane, her children grown and developing lives of their own... It was overwhelming to think about. To think she would be walking into a feast without Resin there felt wrong somehow.

But she would go since she wouldn't dream of not being there to support her son at his first big event as the Aegis. She waited on Kane and walked with him into the grand hall, seeing all the decorations and supplies they had been gathering all put together for the first time. It was quite the affair to say the least and she was a bit in awe as she looked at it all. She found a spot for them to sit at one of the long tables, looking up at where Artorias had taken his seat in the large center chair at the raised table. She was proud to see him sitting there as much as it also hurt her. "I'll be right back," she said softly to Kane, giving him a smile and kissing him lightly before she slipped away to go greet her children. She reached Bowen first, leaning up to kiss her cheek affectionately. If there was one good thing she could take from the recent months it was the return of her ivory and caramel daughter and she was so happy to have her home with them again.

She walked over to Rudyard, giving her son a kiss as well and a smirk, walking up just in time to hear him ribbing his brother. "Don't cause too much trouble," she warned him with a chuckle. She still couldn't quite get the image of him laying in a pool of blood after fighting off the bear to save him or the sight of seeing him in the infirmary bed... She pushed the thoughts away, simply grateful that he was still here for her to fuss at. She moved around to Avantika next, giving her daughter a proud smile. Of course Tika wasn't hers by blood, but that had never really mattered. She reached up to give the young woman a kiss on the cheek as well, saying, "Congratulations on becoming Templar, by the way. I haven't had a chance to speak to you since your promotion." All of her children were doing such amazing things. Oh how she wished Resin was here to see them.

Finally she came back to Artorias, giving him a knowing smile before she reached up to wrap a foreleg around his neck and pull him into an embrace, having to stand up on her hind legs and use her other forepaw on the arm of the chair to balance herself in order to reach him and even then he had to stoop a bit for it to work. He had gotten so big and it felt like he just kept getting bigger. Sometimes she just wanted to rewind time and return him to the small, blue fuzz ball he had been riding on the back of a tortoise or swinging around a stick. "I'm so proud of you," she told him quietly where only he could hear. "And your mother would be too. You're going to do great." She gave him a sad smile as she pulled back to look at him again. "I'm going to go sit with Kane... It doesn't feel right to be up here without her." She kissed his cheek and hopped down from the chair, walking back down to where Kane was waiting and giving Ulric and Eska a warm smile as she passed. Coming to sit next to Kane, she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder as she fought back the emotions that tried to well up in her.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Of all of her talents Lillith was most secretive of how sensitive she was to mood, and as her alabaster paws brought her to the great hall she was filled with sadness. Despite Romulus being close to her, and the way her features brightened when she caught her father’s eye. Lil felt the somber mood in her heart, and her grin was not long lived.

She led Romulus closer to where Jane and Serenity were sitting close to Ulric. The girl offered her sisters a soft smile as she made herself comfortable close to Romulus. With everything scary going on outside the castle walls she was already rethinking her planned trip with her sweet boy the next season. Worry and anxiety crossed her features, but it was nothing new with everything going on and fit in the mood of the feast quite well. Everyone was on edge, their memories of their dear departed leader still fresh.

Lil sighed softly and leaned into Roman’s side, his presence a staple in her life and her closeness to him becoming an instinct after hardly letting him touch her for so long.

Lillith Adravendi

She had been resting during the time everyone was getting ready for the feast. New to the Hallows and spending time getting to know Avantika and the rest of the castle more, Audra was nervous for tonight. Not being a part of the family made her hesitant, but she looked forward to the festivities. Upon hearing the call of the Aegis, her ears perked and she made her way down. Pausing at the entrance to the great hall filled with a variety of wolves, food, and decorations, Audra stared in awe. All of it was so wonderfully put together. She'd never seen so much food in one place before. Her eyes searched first for Avantika as her heart raced. Finding the tall girl, Audra watched as an older wolf whispered something kind to her before moving on. A smile lifted the corners of her lips. Even with the feeling of sadness hanging heavy in the air, she knew it would still be a grand event. Making her way around the new and unfamiliar faces, Audra made sure to dip her nose in respect and smile at anyone who made eye contact with her. Quickly sitting down on Avantika's other side, away from the head of the table, she gently pressed her nose to the girl's shoulder. "This all looks so amazing," Audra whispered quietly before she looked over to Artorias with a bigger smile. There were not enough thanks she could ever give him for allowing her to attend the feast.

Bowen left him early that morning to begin preparations for the feast. He took the time to tidy up the room they had been sharing along with the hall outside. Whenever they were apart was when he started thinking about his family and how much he needed to return to Abaven and tell them where he was and what his desires had become. One day, but not today.

His attention was grabbed by the sound of Artorias calling the pack together, and the boy made his way downstairs to the great hall. He ducked into the feast, blue and lavender eyes searching for Bowen. She had become the focal point to his life. He felt like everything else leading up to his finding her again had been a dream and only when he was with her was it real life.

Haiku made a beeline towards the girl and sat beside her away from the crowd by the table. He lowered himself to his elbows, his form could have easily been used to block herself from the view of everyone else in the room if that's what she desired. He said nothing, but offered a arm smile and loving glance before his attention was brought to the alphas at the head of the room.

"Bowen & Haiku"

I have a white raven companion named Prose if she isn't mentioned assume she is nearby

The summons of the Aegis did not go unnoticed, neither had the scent of roasting meat that had seemed to drift lazily through the air all around the castle for the majority of the day. With a soft grunt, the titan rolled to his paws. He'd been messing with his herbs all day, but not doing anything of particular importance. Shaking the debris from his cosmic pelt, he lumbered towards the stairs and began the descent to the ground floor of the castle. He remembered the feast hall's location from his introductory tour, but hadn't pair it much mind otherwise. Feasts, in his experience, were for celebrating victory in battle or the death of a loved one. Holding them on a seasonal basis was not unheard of, but it hadn't been especially common in his lifetime. For the most part, the marauder had been too busy roaming about to settle in one place long enough to accumulate the resources for such grandeur. Thus, he was understandably wary when he entered the well lit hall. He felt out of place, and among the more muted hues of the wolves that called the castle home, part of him thought he would have better luck blending in with the bright decor. The members of the pack had settled into.. chairs. There were a few benches on the further tables as well, but the notion of sitting on a chair had caused his brain to stutter to a halt. This was not something he'd expected himself to get hung up on, and yet here he was. Most of these wolves were plenty large enough to sit on the warm stone floor and still eat off of the table. So why the seating arrangements? Shaking the thoughts from his head, he plodded to the fringes of the gathering, where there were fewer bodies clustered around the tables. The scent of the food all around was enough to ease some of the tensions he carried in his shoulders, though the tight muscles hardly loosened in the face of it all. With a little bit of guess work, and a great deal of awkward glances all around him to see how many of his packmates were staring at the old fool who didn't understand furniture, he finally managed to arrange himself into a position that vaguely resembled sitting on a bench. There would be speeches before feasting, as always. He would have to be patient.. ""

Romulus had never been to a proper feast before. Sure, his family was large and had many a gathering and family meals together, but this was a major event for the pack. How exciting that he got to be a part of it! He'd gone the extra mile to make sure he was styled up for Lillith; if he was to be the beautiful Adravendi girl's date, he damned well was going to make sure he looked the part! Roman had bathed and groomed his fur, adding some cedar oils for a little touch of masculine cologne to his natural scent, then made sure he looked presentable before heading over to retrieve Lil from her room and escort her down to dinner. Let it never be said Romulus Armada wasn't a perfect gentleman.

When they reached the feast hall, a good number of the pack had already gathered. Roman gazed around the warmly lit room, gawking at the spread of meats, fruits, and other assorted goodies and treats. Artorias sat at the head table with most of his family, the rest of the pack interspersed between a long table and numbers seats. Following Lillith's lead, he went and sat down with Jane and Serenity, lifting a paw to wrap it around her back when she leaned into him to cuddle her. He could see the worry and anxiousness on her face, so he did the only thing he knew how to when she got too in her head: he leaned in and placed a soft kiss to her brow.

"You look lovely tonight," he whispered into her ear, giving her a warm smirk before turning his silver gaze out across the smorgasbord laid out before them. He assumed there would be a speech to commence the feast, so he waited for one of the two fearless leaders to let them know it was time to chow down.

"Speech"

The call from the Aegis summoning everyone to the feast echoed loud and clear through the castle. Kane was busy trying to smooth out a wild portion of his fur on his head when dinner was called, glancing over to Tamsyn who looked gorgeous as ever while they got ready in their shared room. "Sounds like dinner's served," he remarked with a grin. Feasts were not something Kane had ever experienced, so this was going to be a fun new experience for the nomad. He knew about the emotional connection Tamsyn and her family had with this particular event, so he was doing his best to be respectful and supportive without being overbearing... even though he had considered the option of just tossing Tam onto the bed and keeping her occupied for the rest of the night.

Despite the temptation of that idea, Kane behaved himself and escorted his lover down to the great hall. The hall was decorated with the furnishings and bounty of nature, drawing an amazed coo from the dire brute. Warm light from the fires and candles cast everything in a welcoming orange glow, and the scents—by the Moon and Stars, the scents!—of hot and cold meats, sweets, and more made him salivate. Tamsyn dismissed herself with a kiss to his cheek, and Kane watched while she made the rounds greeting each of her children. A smile made its way across his lips to watch her be a mother; she really was made for the role and took to it like a fish to water.

Kane found two open seats near the fireplace and made himself comfortable in one, still baffled by the concept of chairs even after spending two seasons living in the Hallows. He rocked back and forth in the seat for a bit before finally getting comfy enough, then looked over all the food while he waited for Tam to return. When she did, Kane immediately received her with an open arm wrapping around her shoulders to hold her against his larger frame. "You're a natural-born mother, y'know that?" he teased her gently, leaning down to place a couple of kisses to her crown. He tipped his muzzle in the direction of Artorias. "If he were my son, I'd be high off the pride I'd feel seeing him up there, so I can only guess how you feel." Kane smiled and squeezed Tamsyn gently, affectionately. He'd probably never know the pride and love of being a parent, but he could enjoy seeing Tam basking in it all the same.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Ever since Ezra had left the Hallows for his work exchange over in the other pack across Auster, Syanna had spent almost all of her time neck deep in her work and studies, trying to suss out whatever was causing everything in the world to glow. She tended to her glowing lily in her room, watching how it bloomed at night and seemed to dazzle in direct moonlight. It was so peculiar! She'd also taken the liberty to redecorate the room a bit—giving it a woman's touch, so to speak. When the Aegis' howl for the feast to commence, Syanna felt a strangeness about attending. Of course she was a part of the Hallows and should go, but without Ezra, it felt very much like just a gathering of everyone. The meaning behind the feast would be lost on her, as the wolf she was united with was clear across the continent, away from his family—away from her.

Still, Syanna decided the food and wine would at least be worth going for. If nothing else, she could fill her belly, get wine drunk, then spend the rest of the night passed out in the lounge or getting high off some of the kava she'd brought back from the woods. Heading out of the room she shared with Ezra, Syanna strode gracefully down the stairs and into the great hall. The feast looked spectacular, and all their hard work on the decorations and really come together!

Green eyes glancing across the sea of faces, Syanna felt a twinge of disappointment when she didn't see her speckled boy amongst the crowd. Then again, she probably shouldn't have expected him to be here by surprise. He was far too dutiful and far away. A sad sigh slipped from her lips while she found an empty seat at the long table, settling in and waiting for Artorias to commence the feasting while trying her best to not look too dejected.

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Sota was positively thrilled at the prospect of a pack feast. He'd never experienced such a thing before and he was eager to see what it entailed. He'd helped decorate the fall for the occasion and he was quite proud of what they'd accomplished, so he didn't hesitate to head toward the castle when Artorias called for them all to gather. That didn't necessarily mean he was prompt though - he'd been quite a ways out, just outside of the pack's borders and his little legs could only carry him so quickly. When he finally arrived, he was awestruck at the sight - the room was warm and bright, filled with love and laughter. It was certainly a splash of brightness among the strange happenings that were unfolding lately. Here there were no signs of strange mushrooms or crystals, and the air was filled with the smell of food and packmates. His heart swelled with pride at what they'd accomplished, overshadowing his own wariness at climbing up on furniture to eat. Though he mirrored some of Deion's feelings on the matter he made no sign of it, clamoring up onto one of the chairs next to the tusked male and giving him a small little smile.

Emile did not want to be here, being forced to be seen, to be around others felt like one of the worst things that could happen to him. He wanted to curl up in his nest of furs and not be perceived by anyone. Most of all he did not want to be in the same room as Bowen. He has every reason to assume she'd be there and the last thing he wanted was to be around her. It made him feel massive like he was too big like he would just get in her way simply to share the same space as her. He wanted to never have to even be considered by her again, it was the only way to make up for what he'd said to her. Not for the first or last time, he thought about how much better everything would be for everyone else if he simply stopped existing.

But Emile also knew it wasn't an option not to show up, to at least poke his face in and make himself known even if the moment eyes inevitably turned to look upon his pitiable form he would be bombarded by their judgment and disappointment. He slunk his way to the chamber and pushed his way inside, forest gaze scanning quickly and noticing the area of the room he had to avoid at all costs. The window far from the majority of the congregation at the table. He slunk to the furthest corner from her and pushed his way into the stone walls, silently praying he could simply slip into the shadows unnoticed and no one would do more than let their gazes slide over him, like the worthless waste of space he was.

"Emile"

Gwynevere hung back for about as long as she thought she could without missing the beginning of the feast entirely. She lingered in the infirmary, busying herself with work and avoiding the crowd of wolves slowly filtering into the great hall as much as possible. She snuck out from the infirmary a bit of time after the call for everyone went out, peeking around the corner and looking through the long corridor between where she was standing and the large doors that led into the hall. "Oh, what are you waiting for, girl," Eilwen asked from her shoulder, nudging her ear to try and prod her forward. Gwynevere's ear flicked in response with a sigh. Everything felt hard these days, even just a simple meal with the pack. Every time they had gathered since the last time her mother called them for the feast it had been for some kind of tragedy or bad news and even though she didn't think there was any of that to announce today she still felt the ever present ominous feeling that always lingered whenever Ysmir wasn't around.

Eilwen adjusted the silver circlet that the sweet man had given her so that it sat neatly across her brow and then nudged her forward again. "Go on, go see your siblings. You hardly ever leave the infirmary these days." Gwyn knew her raven was right and she knew there was no escaping attending the gathering anyways. She forced herself forward, quietly walking into the hall behind Emile and was immediately hit with a sensory over load of sounds and smells, awkwardly looking around the crowded room as she tried her best to be as unnoticed as possible. She slipped along the wall to make her way up to the table where most of her family sat beside Artorias on the raised platform, finding her place in one of the empty chairs between her siblings. She gave Artorias a glance before shyly looking down at the table in front of her, Eilwen abandoning her to go roost among the rafters.

"Gwynevere Carpathius"