After his meeting with his highest ranking wolves, the Warlord felt more certain of the path forward. Gathering information and supplies seemed vital before winter. Going after the Raiders Hallow was satisfying, even if they had changed names and locations. A constant bur in his paw, and one he could justify. They were a raiders pack, and likely gathered a decent bit of resources themselves. What they took, would likely be items the raiders had stolen in turn.

He made his way to the Col, the customary meeting place of his pack feeling familiar beneath his paws. He lifted his head back, and he called for his wolves. Called for those that had agreed to be on the raid roster. He already knew who they were. Now was the time to meet, discuss, and attack. Halo would have already begun her preparations for receiving wounded. Hazel and Keahi would be getting in some decent practice leading with this raid.

Ooc: Sirius, Hazel, Andy, Basilisk, Dread, Grimoire, Bronze, Aris, Keahi, Mortis
"Speech"

Art by Salt

After the meeting, Keahi had set about preparing for the coming raid. It was strange not to have Ruga beside her, in the Armada, and she finds herself missing his companionship and loving presence. Still, there is work to be done and the red woman is not one to shrink from her duties. With her leather armor and scabbarded oiled and her dagger sharpened, the red woman now only has to wait for Sirius to call the meeting. To occupy her time, she has taken more patrols up to First Point Light so that she can keep track of the strange lights that appear and disappear while also reading the weather for any coming storms.

Luckily, the horizon looks free of any dark clouds and it seems that even the Gods are smiling upon their decision to raid. Sirius’s call finds her up there, watching the sky, and Keahi cannot stop the smile that wiggles its way across her lips. Heart flutters with excitement as the woman easily traverses the path back down the mountain, making it to the meeting area in record time. It appears she is the first to arrive and the red wolf shamelessly approaches Sirius and offers him an affectionate headbutt. Words are not needed today and, with her greeting done, she retreats several steps to settle in and wait.

A warm smile is her lip as she looks around to see who is next to arrive.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Her dad had spoken of raiding the Raider’s Hallow soon and the purple girl has been waiting with nervous excitement. Andy has made sure that her armor and thorn wrapping are ready for battle and had even taken extra time to make sure her three companions are ready for the raid. All that was left to do now was to wait. She busies herself with her work in the Market, helping where she is needed and chatting with customers when she can. Thankfully, it seems that she does not to have to wait any longer as her father’s voice rings through the Armada.

Quickly, she finishes the patrol she had been making of the Marketplace before detaching to go to the meeting. As she makes her way out, she gives a quick nod to those on security and then the girl is racing through the tunnels until she finds the meeting area in the Col. Happily, Andy trots to where Keahi sits and offers the Gladiator a bright smile. Next, she looks to her father, offering him a warm smile while her eyes shine with excitement and she silently dips her head in greeting. With that done, she easily settles in beside the red wolf to wait for the rest of the wolves to arrive.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Basilisk understood that the raid against the Raiders Hallow was important, but being volunteered to it took him away from valuable time he could have spent hunting down his father. He was a little unhappy about the situation as he made his way to the meeting point. Perhaps that made him a bad heir, he wasn’t terribly concerned with the needs of the pack at the moment. But he came, regardless of his feelings.

He nodded to his Grandfather, and to Andy and Keahi - the first two to arrive. He sat in silence, waiting mostly for Hazel to arrive. Her knew this would be her first Raid as General, and was proud enough of her to be excited for her.


"Speech"

Leaving behind his children to go on a raid was more than enough to twist his insides into knots. Halo had assured him numerous times on his way out the door - she had everything under control. She and the healers would be preparing for the injured, and the pups could be kept entertained helping to prepare. Yes, she would make sure none of them followed the raiding party. yes She was sure.

At last, she managed to usher him out the door with a final kiss, and then he was making his way at a trot towards the Col. He arrived at the meeting point, and smiled at those that had already arrived. The nervous energy thrumming under his skin didn’t entirely replace a strange underline sense of excitement. He had been idle for so long. The pups had given him a reason to want this life, and he was actually excited for this.

"Speech"

Though she was among the last to arrive, Hazel had a good reason. It was in the last minute preparations that she found Dread’s armor not fitting properly. Fixing it had been quite the headache, especially without Ruga’s careful guidance. Still, they’d gotten there in the end. Dread trotting loosely behind her, Hazel arrived to the meeting.

She plunked down beside Basilisk, ready, willing, waiting. There was something exciting about the upcoming raid. The same excitement that hung heavily in the air before a storm, she could feel it coursing through her system now. Keen and excited, she was more than ready. It was going to be exciting and fantastic. Hazel was ready.

There were rumblings of a raid, that much Dread knew. That much Dread could be certain about. The conflict with the Raiders... it made sense, but it didn't mean he had to like it. He would be paying Deluge a visit, but it wasn't a social call. Dread knows better than that. A knot in his stomach, an ache in his side, he knows that this raid is serious. The most serious of his short lifetime, yet another conflict on the steady march toward war. What was going to become of it, become of him, and (perhaps most importantly) become of her. His heart squeezed at the call from his father. He knows.

But there's also the question of preparedness. Hazel had been helping adjust his new chestplate, still stiff and new. It had been cutting in under his armpits, leading to some discomfort and the skin ending up rubbed raw. While the General wasn't the most skilled or practiced in her maneuvers, she was trying her best. In the end, they'd managed to stretch it appropriately. Heeding the Warlord's call, the boy sauntered behind the general, though perhaps a bit more slowly. Dread took a seat beside his sister and waited for the meeting to commence.

"Dread Fatalis"

Bronze was definitely ready to prove himself to both his pack and to Sirius. He knew for a fact that his skills had improved since he'd first joined, and he was ready to put that to action. He'd never participated in anything even slightly like this before though so he couldn't help but feel a little unprepared for what was to come, but he trusted in everyone's ability to communicate and all act as a unit. He'd been continually wowed by how the Armada operated and he was eager to be part of that in something bigger than himself. These weren't thoughts he would've had even a year ago, but a lot had changed since then and he was growing to feel like he was really a part of things within the Armada. Once the call for them to gather sounded out across the lands, Bronze reacted as swiftly as he was able, heading to the gathering and finding a spot not far off from the others to settle down in. His paws were itching to begin, but he showed no sign of impatience as he sat stoically, quietly studying the faces of his packmates.

When her father's call came, Aris rose from her workshop table with a stretch, and mingled anticipation and dread. Historically, she had not done well in raids and still itched for a chance to prove herself better than she'd shown before. She was quick to armor up and gather her companions - and to tell Atreus in no uncertain terms that he was not part of the raiding party when he came in to harass her about it - but as her duties were not only fighting related she took a little extra time to gather trauma supplies in pouches to hang from the harness that held her armor, so she was among the last to arrive and was still twisting and shaking to settle both armor and pouches properly as she took a seat among those gathered.

The call for the raiders to gather went out. Grimoire paused in the stalking of his prey as it spooked from the call. Oh well, he'd be able to find it again later. For now, he made his way to the familiar meeting grounds to join the meeting itself. He would be the last to arrive, and made a note to make better effort to be on time. Dipping his head to the others in quiet greeting, Grim took a seat near the edge so as not to disturb anything, and waited for Sirius to begin. Grim wanted to do better in this one, and hoped he could secure a victory or two. Now that he had his two companions and had finished making his gear, hopefully, he'd do better than last time. "Grimoire

The Warlord waited until all the wolves that had agreed to the raid had arrived, before clearing his throat and standing up a little straighter, his eyes straying across the wolves. “With winter approaching, our goal in the Raiders Hollow is to collect resource, namely food, to bolster our own stores.” He declared to those that had assembled. Giving them a clear goal. That it was the raiders (formerly the pirates) that they were raiding just made it more enjoyable. It was time to show those upstarts what the Armada was made of.

He nodded his head towards Keahi and Hazel. “Keep an eye on the wolves, help clear a path to healers if needed, and assess those that are ready to move forward in ranks.” He told his inner council.

"Speech"

Art by Salt