Since she was already in the north, though she'd planned to visit possibly hostile packs first and she did not believe Menagerie to be hostile, she took the time to detour to the other pack that her friend had joined. She was startled to find that the relatively new pack's scent seemed oddly disjointed and lackadaisical. Had it collapsed already? Anyone with a nose could read the fading pack scents as much as she could, and the unscrupulous would know there was an opportunity to cause mischief for those now unprotected by a pack. She couldn't help but remember back to Abaven's fall not so long ago, and Kotori Fatalis' attempt to claim it. Her own refusal to allow him to build on the ashes of Abaven. She couldn't prevent someone from doing the same here - she couldn't lead two packs, after all - but she could offer her protection to those left bereft. Troubled for the pack and Mercury, she raised her muzzle and called out in a howl, tentatively for the alpha but mostly for whoever would heed her call and give her the news.

((Writing this post as if Bellamy had done all of her travelings and returned home by now. Aka abusing liquid time!)) The woman had returned back to where Menagerie had once stood to find the scent markers fading further from the lands in the alpha’s absence. Any hope that the pack might have had that Wren would return was disappearing along with these scents, and while Bellamy worried about what had happened to her she had found no hints at what had happened while visiting the different lands across Boreas and Auster. Now, however, the woman had returned back to the lands that were once owned by the pack, and their den in the ship, to keep comfortable while she waited to give birth. Her belly was swelling more by the day it seemed. Hearing a tentative call for the alpha on Menagerie Bells shook her head. It was no use, calling for Wren would get her no answer. But ignoring the call would be considered just as rude, wouldn’t it? Bellamy left the den, heading off into the territory of the pines. She approached the woman without fear, a slightly saddened look on her features. “You’re calling for someone who can not answer, I’m afraid. Wren and several others, from different packs even, disappeared during the Summer Fest festival. There was blood found, but no bodies reported being found before I left to do some traveling.” She recognized the woman, the one who she had found at the Rio Grande gathering clay. “With her disappearance the pack has collapsed I’m afraid, and the members are scattering. I would not be surprised if my family and I are the last ones left in the territory.” "Speech" 'Thought.'

Mercury heard the familiar voice, and his tireless search had brought him back close enough to answer. Weary, with his paws as sore as his heart, the mate of the missing Alpha made his way to Corbie. He found he wasn’t the only one to answer, and his eyes flicked to Bellamy. She had seen the woman fleetingly around the pack, but had not had the chance to get to know her before everything had fallen apart. He offered her a grim half-smile of greeting before turning to Corbie.

“Wren…” he paused, the hurt still fresh enough to bleed over into his diplomatic tones before he buried it again. “Is presumed dead, or missing. I’ve found no trail, nor trace of her. I assume you’ve come on behalf of Avalon, and I’m sorry… Menagerie is no more.”

"Speech"

Two wolves answered her call, neither the alpha of the pack though the woman - heavily pregnant, goodness - was quick to tell her that the alpha would not be coming. Corbie had begun to offer Mercury a relieved smile at the sight of him safe, but the smile faded unborn at their explanations. "My condolences to both of you for your losses," she said gravely. "I hope your alpha is alive and well somewhere and finds her way back to you." It would be - already was - too late for the pack, but perhaps it would bring peace of mind for those who had been abandoned. The facts that they had given to her she would need to mull over for the implications for Avalon, because as it stood it was extremely concerning for so many wolves of different packs to have disappeared from the same place. Predators? Slavers? She had concerns about the safety of any major gatherings now, and would need to put in thought as to how to provide her own pack with better security, particularly at the festivals. She set the thought aside, though, because there were more urgent matters. "I'd like to extend an invitation to anyone from Menagerie who's been left homeless, who doesn't have anywhere else to turn, to feel free to come to Avalon. Even if they choose not to join, it would be someplace to sleep until they get their feet back under them, and if they do want to join we would welcome them."

A man came, one that she had known was part of the pack but not one she had ever taken the time to personally speak with. She gave a nod of greeting to him, knowing he shared the fate of being packless in that moment. Bellamy dipped her head at the woman as she gave her condolences. “We can hope that she will come back home safely, somehow. I just don’t understand who, or what could have made several wolves disappear like this.” It was very concerning, to say the least. If a pack couldn’t be safe within its own borders, then what hope was there for anyone who arrived there? To her mind, they had been patrolling regularly… It just seemed so strange. It almost reminded her of the raids the Empire had once done, one of the very raids that had taken her own freedom. At the woman’s invitation Bells dipped her head. “I would like to take you up on that offer, at least temporarily, for my family and myself.” Bellamy rumbled. “Without knowing the dangers that took the others from us, I can’t be sure that these lands are safe right now… I will be due to give birth around the middle of the season. I can’t risk my family.” Bellamy lifted her head. “It would only be fair that I make my intentions known to you, however. I will be challenging for a pack once my little ones are born and old enough to sit with their father… I have no intention of giving up should I fail the first time… but aid in this time would be appreciated, and remembered.” The woman paused and then added. “I will be happy to pass this along to any pack members I still find in the territory as well… though I fear they have already started to scatter.” Little did the woman know her daughter was already seeking refuge within Avalon. It was funny how fate could bring a family back together. "Speech" 'Thought.'

He gave Corbie a sad smile. “Your offer is very kind” he said softly, and completely on par with the kindness he had already come to expect from her. “But I’m not ready to give up on her just yet” He explained. Shaking his head. He would never forgive himself if he gave up on her so soon. And it had never been his intention to join a pack, to align his future with others. It had been for Wren… it had all been for Wren. He was silent as Bellamy accepted the offer. He didn’t know her well, but he was glad to hear she would be heading somewhere safe.

“But i’ll be sure to pass it on to anyone who may need the offer. Where did you decide to settle with Avalon in the end?” he asked her softly. Trusting that she would look after any wolves he sent her way. The last he knew, she had been collecting a small gathering of wolves out to the East where she had won her challenge. He didn’t know where she had gone from there, and right before Wren’s disappearance he had intended to seek her out. To send her an invitation to the festival… He swallowed a lump in his throat.


"Speech"