Kotori had spent time checking up on his sister and the hallows.  His sister was a queen, a wife, and a mother.  He couldn’t have been more proud of her for all of those things.  Both siblings had left the armada to take on the mantle of King and Queen in their own packs.  With a toothy grin, Kotori walked along the fjord, his mind thinking over recent matters.

Briar’s children were growing up, no longer little balls of fuzz but closing in on becoming yearlings.  That would have been around the stage of life Kotori had started roaming farther from the armada lands and getting to truly know himself.  Still a child but no longer as helpless as a younger pup.  Kotori still had no children, and no future heir to take up his mantle someday.  

"Kotori Fatalis"

Bellamy had intended to visit Avalon, and see Corbie again, but the pack wasn’t just ready yet. There were things she wanted to bring with her, items for trade, that weren’t ready just yet. There were some things she wanted to on her own, however. She had an heir, she had spoken with the pack about their relations with other packs, but there were still some packs that she knew of that they didn’t have standings with. Valta, Ashen, and the pack that had risen at that challenge. While Bellamy wanted to see how the pack was for herself, she had noticed how two of the men standing with Manea had seemed to react to the victor. She was wary of what the woman stood for. But if that pack was to be a threat… Bellamy wanted to know how much of one. What it meant for Ethne and the packs Ethne was friendly with. For now though, she intended to make a trip to Boreas and see if she could locate Ashen. Only, as she crossed the bifrost and moved into the neighboring territory of Faller’s Fjord the woman caught the vaguely familiar scent of wolf she’d met before. Following the scent, and picking up the pace, the woman would keep moving until she caught sight of the dark furred form. Ahh, so it was. The woman grinned, perking her ears forth. “Alpha Kotori!” The last time she had seen him the man had been looking into lands near where he wanted Valta. She hadn’t even formed Ethne yet. She approached him with the confidence she found as Leader, but with enough respect to keep a bit of distance between them. “A visit has been overdue! How is Valta fairing?” She was slowing to a stop as she neared him. Would it be as obvious to him that she had formed Ethne successfully? Surely the scent of her pack and children would be on her but... "Speech" 'Thought.'

Kotori’s mind had matters to muse on but it didn’t stop the wolf from catching the scent of another wolf behind him.  Not that it was something to be proud of considering it wasn’t long after he caught the scent he heard Bellamy call to him.  Glancing back he recognized the woman’s appearance and now realized the scent did have a familiar edge, mildly.  Kotori paused while Bellamy caught up with him.

“Bellamy,” Kotori greeted with diplomatic politeness as he assessed her standing.  Her scent was different now, marking a change to her confidence in herself.  Her scent marked her being with other wolves but it was not a scent he recognized from the packs he knew.  He couldn’t say for sure if that meant she had indeed made a pack, had a family, or had joined up with others.  He hadn’t known Bellamy well enough to say for sure how things ended up.  The tone kept formal not to try and seem aloof but only caution on not being too respectful or disrespectful by her station.  Showing well was always an important detail after all.

“Valta is growing strong.  We have fourteen members at this point, a number of which are strong fighters or already highly skilled in an area of use.  We claimed both the rapids and the falls to spread out across a good portion of land.”  He was still quite proud of the fact they had won the practice raid too but decided he could only boast so much in answer to her question before it would sound overdone.

“I can tell you’ve changed.  So, what of you?  Did you create your own pack?” No point in wasting his time trying to decide if she had or not when he could be upfront and ask.  She had mentioned an overdue visit?  Well, one matter at a time.    He’d understand soon enough if this was a concept of casual visit or a diplomatic matter.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Kotori greeted her with the same sort of polite diplomacy the woman had expected when encountering another alpha. It was different from normal friendship, but still pleasant all the same. She would listen as he explained Valta’s position and the woman found herself smiling. “I would expect no different, by our last meeting. Your determination has been rewarded. May Valta continue to thrive under your leadership.” Kind words and praise she felt that were deserved. She dipped her head respectfully. Valta, like Ethne, was raised from the group up. It was like a kinship in a way, even if the packs didn’t have official standings between them. He took notice of her differences as well, and Bellamy gave a nod to his latter question. “I have; a place called Ethne, settled in Auster in the lands of Lazuli Falls and expanded to the nearby creek. I stand before you an alpha in my own right now, Leader of Ethne.” There was a bit of pride swelling in her chest at that. They had been formed. They had survived, and they were growing stronger each day. “Our member count is close to Valta’s own, and my children have reached the point where their training can truly make progress. I couldn’t be more proud of them.” She motioned with her head, back toward Boreas. “If you would, walk with me? I’ve already met with your father, the Warlord of the Armada, Aegis Artorias of the Hallows, and Manea of Elysium. I would like to establish where Ethne and Valta might stand with one another.” She explained. “...and to be clear that we do not simply seek protection from another pack. If Ethne can not stand on its own, then it is not meant to last.” Sirius’ words had influenced her own there. She knew Ethne had its enemies lurking, but if they couldn’t stand to face them, then did her pack deserve to survive? At that point they might as well disperse into the other packs of the lands. No, she would ensure that they could stand on their own. They would be ready, and they would be capable, no matter what. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Kotori didn’t know enough about Bellamy to know if she’d become a good leader or not but he approved of her speech.  It was respectful, acknowledging his own abilities, speaking of her own, and straight in stating her own wishes for the moment.  

“Congratulations on the pack, and what sounds like a healthy start to your pack.” Kotori dipped his head in acknowledgment of her deeds.  She had children.  A mate and kids were one goal Kotori had yet to meet.  How long until he found a woman worthy in station and actions to be his equal, a proper mate?  Kotori needed someone he could count on to stand by his side and an heir of the best blood possible.  For those things, he could wait however long it took.

Kotori nodded and moved to walk along with Bellamy, “And how did those other meetings go?”  What sort of pack would Ethne be?  Yet another pack now set up in Auster.  When Kotori was a pup Auster seemed to get little attention from what he understood but now it seemed to be gaining a good amount of popularity.

"Kotori Fatalis"

The congratulations were appreciated. Bellamy had put in a lot of legwork, quite literally, to get Ethne up and running, and she felt that while she might not have been a perfect alpha, that she was doing everything in her power to be a good one. She wanted the pack to be safe for her family for years to come, as they all grew and had families of their own. Maybe in a couple years she’d feel confident enough to step down and let Hay take the reins. She was sure her daughter would be a good leader, but she also wanted to ensure that her little one had a good foundation before she let her take over. She kept a steady pace, making sure it was one they could both keep up with and talk without feeling too hurred. He asked about how the previous meetings went and Bells gave a small nod. It was wise to ask - it could help him determine how Valta would stand in regards to Ethne. “The Hallows and Elysium better, though I do not find our standing with the Armada bad. Neither the Armada nor Ethne wish to make enemies of each other, and have opened up offers of trade, but no more at this time.” She spoke honestly. “And currently we are in the middle of a trade deal. It seems like it could be an enjoyable one for both packs.” As well as get her members some things to help build them up and prepare them for when times get rough. “I got along really well with Artorias. It seems we share a lot of the same values. We are on friendly status, with trade options between us, and intended meetings between our young. We are closest to the Hallows in location, so having wolves who share those things is reassuring. I don’t have to worry about my children getting attacked just for passing by.” Bellamy thought of the pirates with that remark but, for now, she kept her thoughts on them quiet. “Manea and I seemed to get along well too. Another pack where we are on friendly status, with intended meetings and joint training between our members in the future.” Bellamy let her gaze fall back to him. “I would hope to at least share the same sort of stance with Valta as I would the Armada. We do not seek enemies, but nor do we wish for some other pack to baby us. Neutral terms between us, until Ethne can prove it is worth more than that, if such a thing sounds agreeable to you?” And perhaps a trade option as well, but she wasn’t keen on putting the cart before the horse so to speak. "Speech" 'Thought.'