TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"

He'd watched from a distance as the two wolves battled for the right to claim the corpse of his home, where he'd been born and raised and watched his family crumble. It hadn't been easy to watch, but at least the fae who'd won had done so in the name of maintaining peace and honour. After a few days lingering about the cliffs and rapids with the ghosts of happier memories, he'd struck off to follow the group that retreated south. He was a fighter, sure, but he wanted to defend a peaceful home. The pallid Destruction male hauled his meagre possessions along with the help of his mountain lion companion, moving further from the familiar lands where he'd lived his entire life.

By the time the young giant had made it to the southern lands, the myriad scents of several packs flooded his nostrils. It took a bit longer than he'd expected to figure out which one he was searching for, as he had to puzzle out the fairly unfamiliar scent of the fae who'd claimed Abaven and then track it to the borders. The orchard where he ended up had the same gentle, unassuming air that he'd associated with Abaven. This was a good sign.. somehow. Dropping the heavy, well worn pack that held his few possessions to his feet, he took a deep breath. Glanced over to the muscular cat by his side. Then he tipped his head back and let loose a sonorous, booming howl. He wanted a home, and this place was as close as he could possibly get at the moment.

The deep howl that summoned her to the border did not belong to anyone she knew, and that left Corbie both curious and optimistic as she made her way to the border. Maybe word of Avalon was spreading and attracting either would-be members or curious alphas to come to her, rather than wait for her to go to them. She had many to visit yet, including revisiting Valhalla for the first time as an alpha in her own right, so she would be heading back out again after resting and restocking. For now, though, she had duties to the pack.

A swift glance over the wolf waiting for her - and the big cat waiting beside him, which made her wary as she had very few encounters with other predators that she could say ended well - kept that earlier optimism alive as he had a pack with him that could very well be indicative of him wishing to move there. "Hello," she said to him, reminding herself not to jump to conclusions. "I am Corbie, the alpha of Avalon. What can I do for you?"

A smaller monochrome fae eventually appeared, and though her scent and markings were familiar, he hadn't expected her to be smaller than him. Most of the alphas around here were absolute giants, after all. Regardless, she'd proven a far better fighter than he was. He caught the way she side-eyed his companion, but paid it no mind. She greeted him warmly enough, and offered up her name. Corbie. It was short, simple. The tufts on his ears flickered as he tipped the gold rims back and dipped his skull in a polite greeting. "I'm Solo," he returned softly, lifting his gaze to offer her a small smile. "I was a part of Abaven before it disbanded, and I saw you fight to keep its legacy peaceful. It took me... a bit longer than I thought to let go of the memory and follow you down here." he rumbled, pale eyes lingering over the fae's features. You're rambling, get to the point. Some small voice in the back of his mind chided him. "I was hoping I could join you," he said simply. "I'm not well suited to living on my own, and I'm more than capable of earning my keep." the pallid Destruction boy added with a wry grin. "Could you tell me a little about Avalon?" he asked, slowly lowering his bulk so he could settle on his haunches to listen to the monochrome alpha. Could you possibly talk any more, Solo? That nagging voice at the back of his mind continued its chastising, and he did his best to ignore it. Narrative| "Speech" |

stock from pexels

The stranger introduced himself as a former member of Abaven, then indicated that he really was interested in joining. "We welcome you gladly, and would be happy to have you join us." Knowing that he was a former Abaven wolf, and knowing as she did the high regard that Ardyn had held the former pack in, she felt it was safe to assume that he'd be a worthwhile addition to the small, new pack even if Avalon didn't already disregard the past of those who joined, giving any sanctuary. "Avalon is rather more a village than a pack," she began her explanation. "We work together to provide a safe, secure, and peaceful place for everyone. There is a focus on livestock and farming, but we welcome wolves of all walks of life here. We choose to remain neutral politically though we have guardians to protect our members and our stock from predators." She paused, waiting to see if he had any questions.

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"
ooc. sorry for the wait, I haven't been v good at posting lately RIP (I will try and be quicker with replies from here on out, promise)

He remained quiet, tufted ears perked as he drank it all in. Less of a pack, more of a village. Devoted to providing sanctuary and keeping livestock. It sounded familiar, safe. The petite fae mentioned that there were still positions available for those interested in protecting the livestock and the members of Avalon, despite the lack of political standing they would take. Yes, it felt very much like the home he'd come to love. The corner of his maw curved up in a soft smile, and his tail thumped lightly on the ground.

"I was a guard, of sorts, in Abaven. For a while, Theory-" he swallowed down the odd lump in his throat that came up when he thought of his missing teacher. Not the time for getting emotional. "uh, was teaching me the ways of diplomacy. I would like to assume a guardian's role, if you have any space left." the pallid male said quietly, glancing to the side to catch the eye of his feline companion. "You are welcome to test my skills beforehand, if you would like." gentle lyrics offered up the chance for a fight of some type, if she saw fit to test his mettle. It would make sense to ensure the skills of your guards were up to snuff, in his mind.

Corbie listened to his explanation of what he had done and been learning in Abaven, and she nodded in understanding and in sympathy for what he had lost. "I'm glad you have had training in diplomacy. It seems too often an area of study that fighters neglect, but I've always thought that learning when to fight was just as important as how." She smiled. Tornach had taught her that - it had always been important to him. "You are very welce among the guardians. I hope that you will have the opportunity to share the experience you bring from Abaven." She didn't feel the need to test his skills. She wasn't a good enough judge to know anyway, and felt that could just as easily be evaluated over time. Instead, she gestured that he was welcome to join her over the border to walk together to the pack. "You look like you could use a rest. Why don't you come on in?"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2021

"Speech!"

The monochrome fae expressed approval that he was learning the art of diplomacy alongside the art of battle, which prompted a tiny smile to cross his face before he could stop it. Trying to hide the flash of pride, he ducked his chin and cleared his throat softly. "Thank you, ma'am." he said softly. Corbie assured him that he was welcome among the ranks of the guardians, and her interest in sharing in his learning from the old pack. He bobbed his head softly, mute agreement that he would also like to share.

With a wave of her paw, the leader of the pack bid him join her to venture beyond the borders. Without any further need for welcome, he got to his paws and looked to Sonnet. The cat wordlessly stepped forward to collect the wolf's pack, carrying it in her own jaws as she followed behind him. The pallid male flashed another smile to Corbie as he padded up beside her. "I won't lie, I am a bit tired." he admitted, keeping his pace even to let the fae lead the way to wherever she would like him to be. "It's hard to sleep away from home, it turns out." he added with a small chuckle, tail waving gently against his heels.

(end of thread?)