Manea had called for Ricin and relayed his first real test as the pack’s Rimor; lead the exploration of the lake that borders the pack’s lands for possible expansion with herself, her daughter and his brother. Of course, the blue painted boy had eagerly agreed and rushed off to gather a few supplies and his brother. Excitedly Ry had told Ny of the task laid out and confided how nervous he felt. Chade had soothed his worry and the pair had rejoined Manea and her daughter. The lighter boy had taken the spot at the head of the group quickly struck out to the neighboring land.

Snow covers everything, making some of the more notable landmarks as the white substance balnkets the land. It hasn’t snowed for a couple days and tracks of various animals can be seen in overturned powder. They continue on, the boy leading the group toward the lake. Near the water’s edge are frozen cattails and iced over reeds. They rub together every time the wind blows, making sweet music for the explores and, while the land is wrapped in the frozen grasp of winter, Ricin finds there is still much to see.

On the snow-dusted pebbles of the lake shore, Ricin calls for a halt while he carefully examines the iced over lake. Memories of the sibling they lost while playing on ice tugs at the boy’s mind but he pushes them aside, knowing that much has changed since then. Turning to look at the group, he offers them all a bright smile and clears his throat before saying, “It might not seem like much right now but this lake has fish! The ice is thick enough for us to walk on if everyone feels up to going out there. You can see the various aquatic animals that live underneath ad it also offers a great view of the whole territory. What do you say?”

Nervousness flutters in the boy’s chest as he hopes that he doing this right. This is a big task and he needs to get it right. Ruby eyes slide over to the darker form of his brother and Ricin offers him a happy smile that is tinged with uncertainty.


"Ricin Dauner"

Chade had hunted a few times at the firefly lake.  It wasn’t his favorite spot so perhaps not as much as others but when Ry had told him about getting to lead a group there for exploration Chade had been quick to agree in joining in.  It only seemed fitting he be with Ry at this moment and it would be good to get a look at the place since the snows had touched it.

Following the group his own eyes caught sight of several prey animals which brought a small grin to his features.  Not as many as warmer months but there was still food he might revisit later.  As they got to the lake though his head turned sharply to Ricin in surprise.

Walk on the icy lake?  Chade hadn’t felt real fear in a long time and to be honest he hadn’t known there were still any fears hidden underneath but as he looked at the frozen lake and thought of walking on it his stomach turned inside of him.  Visions of their sibling trapped under ice, scrabbling for air and then the terrible stillness came to his mind.  Thankfully everyone should be looking at the water so likely no one would notice the tension that came to his muscles or the widened eyes that were momentarily in place.

Collecting himself Chade just nodded in case any did look his way.  The young man knew what to do.  The fear was swallowed back and hidden from the world as when a thing needed to be done the emotions didn’t matter.  If stepping on the lake was to be part of this then he’d do it.


"Chade"

After the festival was over her mother and her had sat down to discuss the future of the pack and what they wanted to work on and one of the things her mother had brought up was claiming more land for the pack. They had grown fairly large in numbers already so it definitely made sense, especially considering the plans that her mother filled her in on for one of Ashen's princesses moving in and some future litters that they might need to plan for. She was certainly on board with whatever her mother wanted to do, but she had suggested the nearby lake. It was just adjacent to their other mainland territory and it would give them more coverage on that side of the land bridge that connected them to the mainland. Besides, she had always just loved the fireflies that came out and floated over the lake ever since she was little so this way she'd be free to come and go through here all she pleased.

Her mother assigned the bulk of the tasks they would need to do to make sure the land was ready for them to claim to various members of the pack, but the first of which was Ricin to explore and make sure the land would be beneficial for them. She joined in on the trip, walking out to the lake with her mother, Ricin, and Chade. She always enjoyed spending time with he two brothers and she had a vested interest in making sure this all went smoothly. Ricin took the lead and brought them out to the edge of the lake, the sound of the icy cattails blowing in the wind making a small smile pull at her features.

They stopped at the edge of the icy lake and Ricin mentioned how even if it wasn't much at the moment the lake did have fish for them to utilize and offered for them to go out on the frozen water to get a better vantage point. "I can vouch for the availability of fish here," she mentioned with a nod. "This was where I sourced some of the ones that were fed into the island's lake for the festival tournament. When it's not frozen over it's a good spot for fishing." She had noticed the paw prints in the snow from various kinds of prey on their way in too so that was always a good sign. She glanced toward her mother, waiting to see if she'd want to go out on the water.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

The plan to have Ikigai and Poe's relationship solidified soon and the mention from Merrick of possibly bringing his own pup into the world with Keelin made her take a look at the space and resources that Elysium had at the ready and while she thought they would be sufficient for a while longer still, especially if Asla and her brood were not planning on lingering here for the long term, she still would rather be over prepared than not be ready for when the day came that their family decided to grow again. She still hoped to have at least another litter or two herself and Avacyn and Saracyn both would be old enough to have their own children before she knew it. Plus with so many of her family still without their own partners she would need room for them to bring in their mates without issue... It was a lot to plan for.

Luckily Avacyn was on board with assisting her in the process and together they planned out the possible expansion outward into the Firefly Lake. She hadn't had a strong feeling one way or another on which land they chose, but Avacyn seemed to feel pretty strongly about this one so she was willing to put in the work to see if it would work for them. First up was a trip out with their lead navigator to get his opinion on the land and she brought extra sets of eyes with her to get their opinions. Avacyn and Chade had good heads on their shoulders—Avacyn for the perspective of the pack's needs and Chade for his eye on prey and resources. Ricin brought them to the lake and mentioned the availability of fish in the frozen lake which she was of course happy to take advantage of. It wasn't a good time of year for it now unless they could figure out a way to fish though the ice, but she knew that wasn't unheard of.

At the offer to go out onto the ice she nodded and stepped forward. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. We need to make sure we can made advantage of this land year round." She stepped onto the ice first, feeling it to make sure it was safe before she continued. The ice was indeed quite thick right now, but she still kept fairly close to the shore either way. There was no reason to make big risks for anything right now when they were just scouting out the land.

"Manea Mendacium"

The moment Ricin suggests walking on the ice, he feels his brother’s eyes snap to him. Crimson eyes meet his brother’s ruby gaze and the lighter boy offers him a reassuring smile. When they lost their sister to the icy depths of a different lake, the brothers had been young and inexperienced. A lot of things have changed since that fateful day and the lighter boy tries to exude confidence for his brother. Truthfully, walking on the lake is a terrifying idea to Ricin as well but he also knows that the ice is thick and stable this late in winter. When Avacyn speaks, he turns his attention to the young Mendacium heir and offers her a huge grin as he says, “Ah, so that is where they came from! Thought they looked familiar.”

A chuckle escapes as he tosses the resourceful girl a wink. Manea steps forward to the edge of the ice to test it and Ricin is beside her in the space of a second. Paws carefully spread on the slippery surface and the lighter boy deftly trots a few paces out onto the icy lake. Turning back to face the group, Ricin says, “This land has a straight shot to Abaven and it would provide a safe route for trade.” A white tipped paw points in the direction of the nearby pack, offering his assessment. He doesn’t know how the relationship with the neighboring pack is but he wants to offer all options.

With that, Ricin trots closer to the others as he continues to speak, “In the warmer months this place will be full of grass, tress, bushes and shrubs. Many prey animals will come to drink from this lake and it would be easy to set traps for land and water animals.” With that observation, he looks to Chade for any advice he has to add.

"Ricin Dauner"

Chade put his focus on the conversation and forcefully away from the notion of getting on the frozen lake.  “the lake has brought in plenty of deer,” a moments pause before adding with a small grin, “Plenty of predators also.  We’ll probably get a few dumb ones at first that don’t catch on to staying off the land.  So I’d avoid having the youngest kids or anyone that is questionable on fighting a bear on the land for the first season or so we claim it.  Make sure we’ve fully got control of what tries to trespass.”

Then Manea started to walk on the ice and Ricin darted after.  Chade had seen Ry’s smile and attempt to comfort.   The young man could also point out they had weighed far less then than they do now.  Chade could mention when he looked under the frozen ice he saw their sibling still struggling under it but these were childish fears that had no place.  He had just been promoted!  How could he act like a scared kid now?

Manea didn’t go out very far and Chade followed suit, putting all his paws on the frozen lake but not going out any farther.  Manea hadn’t gone out far so it wasn’t as if they couldn’t easily converse.  There was no need to pressure himself to challenge a fear at this particular moment.  Hell of a time to realize the frozen waters could do this to him.  Chade lifted his head to watch the others and reminded himself to not look down.  

Ry had a good point in questioning their relationships with Abaven, though Chade’s mind went a different direction than trading.  “The lake is between our path here and to the rest of our land.” Even longer was the ocean between here and there.  “If our relations ever went sour with Abaven they would have an advantage as things are.  We would want to build some sort of bridge between the rock garden and here so we could regroup without slowing down.”  

"Speech"

As her mother stepped out onto the ice she followed suit, though none of them went very far. The ice felt pretty sturdy under her paws, but she felt like it was one of those things that she wouldn't want to press her luck on. She did tap at the ice curiously though, peering down through it at the water below. She wondered if there was a safe way to make a hole in the ice and if they did whether they would be able to fish from it or not. It wasn't something she had tried on the lake that was in the middle of their island either since they had pretty good access to other kinds of prey, but it was a curious thought if nothing else. It would give them more of a reason to utilize the lake in the winter at least.

Ricin and Chade both brought up points about the pack that they would be sharing a border with if they were to take this land and it was definitely something to consider at least. The finer intricacies of pack relations were still new to her, but she could nod in agreement to both sides of the coin. They would either be making a profitable trade route to the other pack and a place for them to convene more easily or a place where they would end up needed to defend against the other pack if things went sour. The mention of lush grasses and vibrant prey were what she really hoped for from this place in the warmer months. It was kind of a shame that they were doing all this scouting in the winter since this wasn't the best version of the lake, but they all seemed to be able to see the potential.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

From this vantage point a short distance out onto the frozen lake, she was able to pan her gaze around the shore of the lake around them, the whole area coated in snow for the winter. She had been out here in other times of year so she knew the lush area it could be even if it wasn't right now. She felt like this would also be a good spot for herbs, though she would have to check with Irilyth on that. With the mountainous island being their main home base it seemed beneficial to diversify the terrains that they claimed as their own. Plus, any time that they were able to freely access a place that would surely have abundant prey through most of the year it would always be a wise choice.

She nodded thoughtfully as Chade and Ricin spoke of the pack that they would be neighboring more closely with this new land. It was something she had already considered as well. "I've spoken with Abaven's alpha once before. She seemed like an amicable sort. According to her at least Abaven is a neutral pack and their only focus is education and is open to all who which to be students so I don't imagine we'll be needing to prepare to face their army or anything of that sort. Of course things could always change, but for now I don't think it's something to worry about. But, I suppose if we'll be sharing a border then it would be best to work on improving that relationship." She glanced to Avacyn at that. That would have to be something that she and her daughter worked on together moving forward.

She turned her attention to the side of the lake that was closest to the rest of the pack's lands and hummed with thought. "Maybe we could clear out the cattails and brush along that edge there... We could build something the pack could use there—maybe a fishing spot or just a spot to lounge and relax maybe? Is there anything one of you would like to see go there?" They had left the rock garden as open hunting territory since settling and establishing the pack, but it felt like such a shame to not at least consider something more leisurely in such a pretty location.

"Manea Mendacium"

Ricin trots out onto the ice, giving his opinion before moving to rejoin the others closer to the shoreline. Chade brings up a good point about the pack and if relations were to sour and he nods in silent agreement, the optimist in the lighter brother hoping that doesn’t happen. Ruby eyes turn to Avacyn, offering the Mendacium heir a happy smile before turning his attention to Manea. The Matriarch speaks of Abaven and possibly improving the pack’s relationship and Ricin says, “I’ll help in any way I can.” A bright smile is one his lips as Manea hums in thought and, when she speaks of clearing a spot along the edge, the boy’s ruby’s eyes brighten with excitement.

When she asks what they want to see go there, Ricin says, “I think a spot to fish would be great, maybe a covered area to rest under when it hot would be nice as well. Oh, and a bonfire for summer parties!” Happiness is apparent on the lighter boy’s features as he imagines have a night where the pack comes together to play games and tell stories. Ricin quickly switches gears, turning to idea that has tickling the back of his mind. Thoughtfully, the lighter brother says, “You know, that area would also be great for a garden.”

Turning to inspect the plot of land that Manea had pointed out, he lifts a white-toed paw to indicate a flat-ish area off to the side as he explains, “We could build some raised boxes and ask the healers to collect some of the rarer herbs that do not grow nearby. Based on what the plants need to survive, we can group them together in boxes. We might even be able to find a way to use the lake to water them. Like dig trenches or something to keep a constant, steady flow of water to them.” Looking to the others, Ricin offers them a happy wag and bright smile as he listens to their ideas.


"Ricin Dauner"

Chade nodded to Manea’s words on Abaven.  It was unlikely they’d be a threat which made them stronger in the end.  Whether or not strong ties were made to Abaven it would be a defensive wall against other packs taking that route to get to Elysium lands.  Chade had enough unpleasant surprises in life he tried to think up any possible problems before they arose.

As she mentioned pulling up the cattails he nodded again adding, “I agree.  There’s no real need for them and it’s the sort of atmosphere some snakes would enjoy hiding in.”  Snakes were a danger even to a wolf if caught surprised and all the more so to younger pups that might want to play around the water. His gaze turned from the frozen lake back to Manea, turning his mind away from the frozen water. “I do like the idea of a covered area to rest in.  Both from sun, rain, and snow.”

“I agree with the garden also.  If anyone knows how to set up a spot for a bee hive?  The honey can help attract prey animals if applied to trees or rocks, so we could possibly get some of our prey to come closer to pack land if they think there’s especially sweet food close by.”  Not the born survivors possibly but the stupid ones who were normally the ones that got chosen anyway.  Chade would love to add to their ideas but nothing was coming to mind, then again an area only needed so much work done to it, right?

"Chade"

Avacyn's ears perked with interest when her mother brought up the idea of building something on the lake shore that was closest to the pack's side of the territory. She certainly enjoyed building and crafting things of that sort so that sounded like a fun project come spring. Chade threw out a bunch of good ideas and she smiled as she imagined each of them. The idea of building planter boxes and possibly building out some irrigation system with water from the lake was a smart way to make use of the landscape they had here in more ways than just fishing. They had a portion of the island that they had built into a garden, but since they were a bit further from the mountains out here the weather would be a bit more temperate so maybe it would be more productive of a garden here. She'd have to check with Irilyth first, but... she liked the idea a lot.

She could also agree with Chade and Ricin both that having a covered area at the edge of the lake was a good idea. Having a place to congregate out here would definitely be nice. Chade also threw out the idea of a beehive as well in addition to the bonfire that Ricin mentioned and Avacyn chuckled, wondering how much stuff they would want to put out here by the lake. "Well, anything that we don't end up setting up here we could also incorporate into the island or into the rock garden," she suggested. They're all really good ideas. The garden boxes definitely should happen, I think, and a covered sitting area too." She was already making plans in her mind of how to make it happen and what they could use from here as parts of their building materials, but she knew she needed to wait before she got ahead of herself and started things before they even had the territory reserved as theirs.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

She was impressed and pleased with all of the ideas that Chade and Ricin both brought up for what they would like to see if they claimed the lake and built up some items for the pack to use out here. She hadn't considered using this area as part of their gardens, but she was definitely a fan of that idea. The land would be more flat and the weather a bit more agreeable away from the mountain island. Although, she did wonder if the herbs that naturally grew out here would be sufficient without them needing to build a full garden set up. That would all have to be things she brought up to Irilyth she supposed.

The idea of a covered area for them to use was a good idea, especially if they were all going to have to start doing longer patrols to come all the way out here to the lake and around it. If it suddenly began to down pour she would want somewhere for them to take shelter without having to come all the way back to the island. There were additional ideas beyond that which is also liked the idea of, but as Avacyn pointed out they had plenty of land already that they could arrange to have these things built on as well. They didn't need to all go here by the lake. She nodded in agreement, giving them all a smile. "Well, I think we've at least determined this land would be beneficial to us and what we can utilize it for. That's enough for now. Lets head back." There was still a lot of work and planning to put into this, but this was a good start.

"Manea Mendacium"