OOC: Set a day after the raid. Mandatory for any character who was at the raid.

Still sore and hurting, both physically and emotionally, after they'd failed to stop the marauders from taking away some of the flock, Corbie had given the pack a day to rest and recover, to get their wounds treated and get some sleep. But she didn't want to give them time to get to really brooding over their defeat, so it was not long before she moved wincingly to the fire in the broken-down side of the barn, raised her muzzle, and called for all the wolves who had taken part in the raid. As she waited for them to make their way from their dens to the meeting spot, she busied herself in filling the kettle and pushing it over the low flames to heat water for a simple relaxing tea. They'd likely all need it after the time they'd all had.

While they had all fought to their best ability the pack had been outnumbered greatly and the wolves of Avalon were forced to watch the thugs steal away their precious livestock. Literally stealing from her children’s mouths, Twig couldn’t have been more disgusted with the raiders.

She had enough time to lick her wounds and offer the same for her husband before Corbie’s voice floated over the pack lands seeking the defenders of their lands out. Twig creaked and groaned as she lifted herself from the den floor and made her way to the barn.

The older woman was grateful for the fire that was lit, and like a moth to flame so was Twig drawn in. She made herself at home next to the fire to warm from the cold day and awaited Corvus to join her as well as the rest of Avalon’s warriors.

"Autumn Twig Memoire"

Truthfully it wasn't a huge surprise that Avalon hadn't won against the raiders, but that didn't mean it wasn't still discouraging - bordering on downright depressing. All Corvus wanted was to raise his children here in this peaceful group, to teach them to be self-sufficient but honest and compassionate - everything the raiders weren't. He'd never teach them to take from the profits of another group's hard work, not ever, though maybe this was a lesson for them in the type of wolves that were out there and willing to take advantage of anyone and everyone.

Still hurting from the minor injuries he too had endured, joining Twig in slowly making their way to the spot Corbie had called them all to. A sigh fell from his lips as they made their way there, happy to settle in alongside her and next to the fire. Though their loss was a heavy one, he didn't feel completely hopeless. He still had his wife and his children, and a pack he was thankful for, and he knew they would rebuild no matter what.

Álarr tended to his wounds and tried not to brood too much on the battle. It was strange going against a former pack mate and he'd been surprised, and impressed, at how much Úlfr's skills had improved. Still, he was not used to be on the losing side of raids. It was very different being part of a smaller, more peaceful pack than a militant or roguish one. Clearly they needed to increase their fighting strength but Álarr couldn't help but wonder if he was getting past his prime. The coming spring would bring him his seventh year. His thoughts drifted again to his siblings, Tyrian and Torrent. He couldn't help but wonder when or if he might see them again.

He lifted his muzzle from his tea at the sound of Corbie's call. After finishing the last swig and licking the remains of his chin he headed to the fire where Twig and Corvus were already assembled. He dipped his head to them as well as to Corbie before settling down to listen.

Avalon had lost the raid. But he had at least, won the two fights he had gotten into with the Viking raiders. Avalon was a peaceful pack, he realized they were not ready for a raid, especially against the more violent raiders that had come to steal away some of their livestock. But since they had failed in defending them, there was nothing else he could do but watch as they took their precious resources. He was sitting and tending to his uncle's wounds while discussing the raid and a few other things with his uncle when they heard Corbie call for them. Helping his uncle to his feet, the pair headed over to the old barn that Corbie had called from. He was met with the welcomed warmth of a small fire, and it appeared that Corbie was even making some tea for the group when they arrived. "Sorry we're late," He murmured, dipping his head apologetically to Corbie as they both approached the small group to take a seat. "Talk, 'Think.'

The raid had not gone in Avalon's favor. Which he supposed was to be expected. And yet again, he had failed in succeeding. Which at this point, he expected as much. He was up there in years, he wasn't as fast or as strong as he used to be, but as long as there was still air in his lungs, he would fight until his last breath to defend what needed defending. He was sore and had a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises, but thankfully his wounds weren't severe. he had definitely had worse going up against the prey that he hunted. He was sitting in front of his den while he talked to Finan, his nephew also helping him to patch up the worst of the wounds when Corbie called for them. With Finan's assistance, he got to his feet and made his way there. When they arrived, he quietly and slowly limped into the barn and made his way to a spot close to the fire to lie down. Finan apologized for their lateness, to which Cloud dipped his head in both apology and greeting to Corbie as he settled down to hear what she had to say. "Speak"

art by Risketch

He was upset, to say the least. He had done his best, but it hadn't been enough. Despite living among wolves, he didn't have enough experience going head-to-head with them. They fought differently then his kind did, and while he had the superior size and agility, they had the advantage of tooth and claw. Still, he had his own weaponized teeth...he just needed to learn how to better utilize them. He watched over the remaining livestock when he heard Corbie. Leaving his companions to watch his flock, he made his way there.

The wolves were gathering, and it appeared he would be one of the last to arrive. Probably. He wasn't sure who all had fought to try and protect their resources, but he knew he was late. He nickered a soft apology to Corbie as he moved to stand off to the side.

"Speech"

As the defeated defenders trickled in, Corbie quietly poured them a bowl of tea and murmured a few words of greeting as she nudged the bowl in front of them. Even Balian, though the wolf-sized bowls were a bit small for the large horse to stick his nose in easily. She made a note to herself to make sure to have something better next time. Finally she settled back down before the group with her own bowl, and heaved a sigh. "Yes, we failed to defeat the invaders," she began bluntly. "And I want you all to know, it is very important to me that you all know and understand, that I do not blame any of you in the least. There is nothing to blame you for. They are wolves who spend their lives training specifically to take things away from those who create, while we spend our time creating and nurturing. Our way is healthier, more fulfilling, but I gave too little thought to those who would rather take. I assumed that our neutrality would be a shield, and so this loss is on me, not you. You all tried your hardest with what we had and that's all I could ever ask for." She took a moment to sip at her tea, gathering her thoughts and letting them take in what she'd said already, before she set a serious gaze upon them again. "I obviously do not have the experience in battle to plan our defenses and properly train guardians for the pack. I will be turning over the leadership of our fighters to someone more experienced and capable of myself, a beta dedicated specifically to Avalon's defense. I am offering this position to you all first, as those who have already shown yourself willing to defend the pack against long odds. It will be a lot of work and expectations for whoever is willing to take the position, so I want whoever volunteers to be absolutely certain they have the time and ability to truly help our guardians reach their potential. If none of you feel up to the task, I don't want you to feel discouraged or ashamed. It's no shame to be cognizant of your own limits or desires. I would still like all of you here to share with me your ideas for improving our defenses against future raiders." She smiled grimly. "We know that this will not be the last time they, or someone like them, will target us thinking we are easy meat. We must do what we can to teach them otherwise. So," she said briskly. "Volunteers? Ideas?"

He accepted the bowl of tea that Corbie offered them, noting the silence that hung in the air. Silence so thick he swore it would take more than a butter knife to cut through. When Corbie started to speak, he listened as he quietly drank his tea. He couldn't help but agree with everything she was saying. Avalon hadn't been ready. In his opinion, they had been too content in their now quiet life. There were other packs out there that clearly had no qualms about attacking a smaller, peaceful pack. Even though Avalon was neutral for the most part, other packs would take advantage of that. He didn't know what the others had as far as fighting experience beyond Finan. He had been training the younger male himself. He had won his fights in the raid. The older male was very proud of him for that. The room fell silent again before Corbie continued. Bi-colored gaze fell on her for a moment before scanning the room. Finan would probably be a decent candidate...but his nephew perhaps needed to hone his skills just a bit more. In the past, he himself had been his brother's second in command. He had helped train others throughout the years. Protected others. Defended himself. His allies. His home. Those he cared about. This would be no different. "I would like to volunteer for the position. I am older...probably not as swift as I used to be, but I have years of experience and knowledge that I can pass down to everyone else. I've been through it all." Walk, "Talk" Think

The others arrived and Corbie dished out tea for everyone involved. Álarr gently positioned his bowl in front of himself and took a few laps before the meeting began. The warmth eased the chill that had lingered on him from his earlier chores. Corbie began by addressing the loss they'd sustained from the raid. Not only of the battle but of valuable resources as well. She stated that she was looking for a Beta who would take particular focus to the fighters. Álarr almost instinctively glanced at Corvus before looking back to Corbie. His claws tapped on the outside of his bowl and he considered whether he would be up for the position. Álarr had a tendency to keep to himself but being raised in a more militant pack he was no slouch in battle or even understanding the motivations and tactics of raiders having been one himself.

While he thought it was Cloudburst that spoke up. The old man surely had experience. Alarr considered it for a moment more but opted to keep silent. His thoughts had been on Fireside as well as his brother Tyrian. He was only getting older. At what point should he try to find his brother for one last meeting? Or should he accept never seeing his brother again?

It was a quiet group that listened to her words. She knew how they felt, certainly - she was exhausted from the fight, sore, and heartsick, and she knew they all felt similarly. Perhaps she should have waited, but she didn't want to leave them all brooding over their failure. So it wasn't entirely surprising, perhaps, to see them all so silent as her words faded with the smoke from the fire. Alarr was looking thoughtful, though, and she was pleased when Cloudburst spoke up. She'd have willingly entrusted any of the pack's fighters to lead them, knowing her own skills lay elsewhere, but both Cloudburst and Alarr had the age and experience to gain the attention and respect of the others, she felt, but she wasn't disappointed in Alarr when he ultimately stayed silent and left Cloudburst as the sole volunteer. Alarr was their best-trained healer, and perhaps it was better not to have his attention divided by training and leading the fighters as well. He did look... saddened by something, though, and she took a moment to pat his paw with her own comfortingly, though she didn't know what she was comforting him for, before she turned to Cloudburst. "Thank you," she said to Cloudburst. "I would be happy to have you lead the fighters. I'd like you to start working with the pack guardians as soon as everyone is up to it again." The elderly wolf would no doubt be retiring from the position relatively soon, but in the meantime there would be a leader for them and he could train his replacement for a seamless transition when he did need to step down and take things easier. "Does anyone have any ideas to share for improving our defenses?" she repeated. She didn't want to drag the meeting out when they were all tired, but it was important to get them thinking instead of brooding, and it would give the tea time to relax their sore bodies and hearts.

Twig leaned into Corvus as the meeting started and their alpha began with praising them. The simple truth was they were ill prepared for such a force to descend upon them. The wolves that lived here were older or younger and none of them really had fighting as their true passion. After such an experience though, that weakness was fully exploited and the peaceful pack was taken advantage of. Twig wouldn’t swiftly forget her disdain for the forces of evil that had stolen instead of built, but they had done all they could in the moment.

Corbie went on to say what they were all thinking, this would not be the last time something like this happened. So the best course was obviously to train up and increase their defenses. Twig did not feel that she was near worthy of being any kind of leader. She could teach her pups but that was about as far as she could go. Thankfully there was another who spoke up, and she didn’t have to feel forced into a position she wasn’t comfortable with.

The alphess went on to reiterate her pressing question, what did they do to increase their defenses? Other than physical defensive measures, the best defense was a good offense. Training their wolves, and waiting for the young ones to grow older, would be the best course of action but what was the second? "Perhaps we should bring in dogs for our companions?” She spoke up with uncertainty. "They may not be a great defense against another pack, but they would offer a great first line of detection.”

"Autumn Twig Memoire"

It seemed they were all bogged down with the weight of their loss, at least a little bit, even if nobody wanted to admit it. These were wounds and losses that they would recover from though, and come out stronger on the other side - that's how things like this worked. He watched the last few wolves trickle in, giving them each a nod of acknowledgement as they settled down.

Corbie spoke after a moment, and Corvus listened, leaning down to sip from the bowl of tea presented to him. Despite their losses, he was grateful, grateful that he had a group of wolves who were all willing to protect what was theirs - even when loss was not just possible, but likely.

He nodded in quiet understanding. He respected Corbie entirely, and her willingness to be open about their loss and collaborate on how they could improve in the future only heightened his respect toward her. Cloudburst spoke up, expressing his interest in helping train their fighters in defense. Though he was interested, he didn't quite have the time, nor the energy, not with his litter of children running around.

"Twig's idea is a good one," he agreed confidently.  He leaned harder into her as he spoke his two cents. "Perhaps even bird companions might not be a bad idea. Even if they're not a great asset in battle, if they could be trained to detect those poking around our borders, that might be helpful."