Spirit stood at the highest point of the ravine, aquamarine eyes trained on the forest floor below. Since his mother's passing, and his sister's departure, Spirit had felt numb. It seemed his life was in a cycle that he couldn't break from. Just as he began to feel comfortable somewhere, which was already a long and arduous process for the fearful wolf, something happened to disrupt that. Once again he felt like a stranger here in Gloom's absence, though he didn't blame her for leaving. She'd found her true happiness - he didn't know about what had befallen the woman she'd grown so attached to - and he was happy for her. Truly, deeply happy. But that didn't soften the growing emptiness he felt inside. It was all-consuming, making him feel like he wanted to lean into that deep depression and let it consume him. Here, in Ashen, he was nobody. He believed he could go missing completely and not go noticed by anyone. He liked living life under the radar for the most part, away from attention, but he'd always had someone who would come looking for him. Whether Gloom, or his brother, or his mother - but he wasn't so sure he had anyone like that anymore. He'd cried too much these days that he wasn't sure he had any tears left in him. Dry eyes surveyed the landscape, scanning the thick underbrush. Surely he could get lost in here for a long while, maybe even spend the rest of his days hiding within Ashen's borders. Or maybe he ought to just leave, to wander until his feet couldn't carry him any more. It wasn't like he expected he'd find purpose anywhere else, but maybe rotting away under the guide of being a packmate to these wolves wasn't fair either. Slowly he descended the ravine, barely even grateful for the blooming foliage around him as he moved.

Though new to being King of Ashen, Chimera wasn't new to being a ruler. He made it a point to reach out to each wolf, even the outliers who preferred their solitude. Especially the outliers, actually. Each wolf was important for the machinations of a pack and it was crucial for a packs survival that each wolf knew this. And so, Chimera was making the rounds, seeking out the wolves that had not sought him out thus far.

Spirit was a little difficult to find now that the territories had shifted. Chi was content staying on his island, but there were members of the pack that preferred to reside in the ravine instead of taking advantage of the island's safety. It was fine. He wouldn't force anyone, but it did make it a pain to find people sometimes.

The dire brutes speckled nose led him to Spirit eventually. The other man looked despondent. It was a good thing that Chimera sought him out today. "Spirit," the dual-toned giant rumbled in greeting before coming up beside him so that they walked together. "How is the day treating you?"

"Speech"

Today he'd even left his tattered herb satchel behind in his den. He liked to have it on him just in case, and with the way the world was springing brilliantly back to life with the change in seasons it was a surprise he hadn't thought to bring it along. Spirit's mind was a muddled mess of grief and confusion these days though, leaving little room for the things that usually brought him joy. As he descended into the ravine, he was surprised to hear pawsteps behind him. For a moment he half-expected it might be his mother, but he was quickly jerked back to reality. No, it was Ashen's new ruler, a man he knew nothing about and quite frankly was terrified by. That didn't mean much about Chimera specifically though, not when practically everyone scared him. He nearly flinched, slowing slightly as Chimera fell in line beside him. "H-h-hello," he stammered quietly, his stutter even more pronounced than usual. His voice felt hoarse from lack of use lately, and he attempted to clear his throat before speaking more. "I-it's okay. T-the change in seasons is nice, I guess." He didn't think Chimera wanted to hear about how he was truly doing. It was too much for anyone, as far as Spirit was concerned, and no one needed to be burdened with it. Even still, his voice betrayed his mood even as he tried to conceal it. He couldn't help but be worried, too, at why Chimera was seeking him out. Venom had understood the sort of wolf he was and hadn't seemed to have a problem with his place in Ashen, but would Chimera view him differently?

The stutter didn't bother Chimera. Very little did. The speckled man seemed rather timid, possibly unsure of himself. He did his best to make some small talk though, commenting on the change of seasons. The black and white giant nodded in agreement. The change in seasons was always rather nice. His children enjoyed seeing the world around them warp from one phase to the next.

"I've been trying to make the rounds; talk to each member of the pack individually," he informed the man as they walked beside one another. "The change in leadership was sudden and I'm not nearly as social as my sister." A fault that he was attempting to rectify. He'd learned a lot with Fenmyre. Aging, growing, it changed him as it changed everyone.

"Do you have any concerns, Spirit? I won't force you to stay in Ashen if you have somewhere else that you'd rather be." He would feel the man out first and then they could talk about Chimera's idea.

"Speech"

Surely Strawberry was nearby - she never tended to go far from him, not really, and she seemed to be sticking even closer to him these days - but where? For a moment his mind wandered as Chimera fell in line beside him, trying to spot her familiar bright form among the trees that climbed the ravine around them. "I-I see," he stammered softly, far from dismissively. Spirit appreciated that Chimera wanted to seek out each member of Ashen, even if it scared him equally as much. "N-neither am I. I get that." The conversation, though needlessly hard for him, was also appreciated. Keeping to himself for so long, with minimal contact with anyone besides Strawberry, was starting to get to his head. His mind tended to wander anyway, but lately it'd been going to darker and darker places. A break from those thoughts was welcomed, even if it was only for a short while. "N-no," he answered meekly. "M-my mother passed away not long ago, and my sister has gone to live in The Hallows. I-if I go anywhere, it would be with her, but I'm used to these lands now. I-I don't plan to leave." Her sister's life was hers to live now. Gloom didn't need to be bogged down by him, not when she'd found so much love and joy all on her own. Not in a sad sort of way - he truly was happy for her - he just wasn't sure that picture included him. He'd come to terms with that, though what that meant for him he was less certain of. "I-I just... feel a bit lost here these days." That was an understatement, but he hoped it helped convey a bit of how he was feeling to Chimera. Tentatively he stole a glance in the larger man's direction, waiting for his response.

Spirit spoke of his sister having gone to The Hallows but he was unwilling to leave as well. Chimera nodded, understanding wanting to not only stay for his own comfort, but to allow his sister to live her own life. Chi hadn't been that strong. He'd carted Siren around with him his entire life. He was still carting her around. When the topic shifted to the earthen man having concerns, his timid nature seemed to come out even more. He admitted to feeling lost and that... kind of worked out for Chimera. "Would you like a purpose? A task?" The black and white giants head tilted slightly. "I sought you out to see if you would be part of my council, Spirit." He didn't only want wolves that were close to him as part of his council. Chimera wanted a wide array of views and opinions. Having someone as... demure as Spirit would provide views of a different perspective. "What do you think?" Chimera stopped in his tracks, his dual-toned eyes locked on the other man, but not intentionally aggressive. He wasn't trying to make Spirit uncomfortable in the slightest. Sometimes it just happened though. Chimera was intense. "Would you like to take a seat on the Ashen Council?" "Speech"

Spirit was trying, and he hoped Chimera appreciated his attempts at conversing, even if he wasn't the most social wolf. Speaking to others and relating to them was hard for the shy man. When the alpha spoke, Spirit found himself pausing for a moment. Maybe a purpose was just what he needed, and who better to give him that than the new leader of Ashen? He was offering him a position on his council. It wasn't something Spirit could've anticipated and he was, not unsurprisingly, caught off guard. He stammered out something incoherent before pulling himself together to answer more properly. "I-I think I'd like that," he said finally. Though he personally doubted he had anything to bring to the table, it seemed Chimera thought otherwise. Unless he was just messing with him, though Spirit wasn't the type to be wary of the intentions of others in that way, even if he was terrified of most wolves. "W-what would you expect of me?" He didn't want to commit unless he was certain he could do what Chimera needed him to do. He was happy to pause, turning to face Chimera, brows furrowed in careful thought. "I-I just don't want to let you down."

Spirit seemed a little taken aback at the prospect of being on the Ashen council and Chimera grinned at the other man, watching his face as he processed the offer in his mind. In time, Spirit agreed and Chimera nodded in approval. He hadn't been sure what the other man would do with such an offer. Some wolves didn't want responsibility. Others needed a purpose. Spirit seemed to be the latter sort. The earthen hued man asked after his duties and then shared his concerns. Chimera shook his head. "You will not disappoint," he assured the other brute. "I need your eyes, ears and voice. Tell me what you see within the pack, what you hear. I need your opinion on things that you believe need changed. In matters of state, I'll need your vote on what course of action we should take." Having a council was standard practice. Chimera had done it all before, but this time it would be wolves who weren't his queens. "I'll be calling a council meeting within the next moon or so," Chimera informed Spirit. "Look upon your pack with new eyes, Spirit." It would be up to the council to bring things to Chimera's attention that he might not otherwise see. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Spirit. Thank you for accepting my offer." With that, the black and white giant nodded and took his leave. "Speech"

Chimera seemed pleased with his answer, which helped ease some of Spirit's worries. If he really were just trying to pick on him, he could do so much more easily than this - Spirit wasn't exactly a difficult target, given his nature. He assured him he wouldn't disappoint, that he simply wanted his insight into things that were going on in the pack, his vote when things needed to be changed. Spirit had never been terribly outspoken but he'd survive thus far by being keenly observant, a trend he could absolutely continue. He nodded in understanding. He wouldn't disappoint Chimera, Spirit would make sure of that. "T-thank you," he replied softly, his stutter still present, but some of the fear had drained away from his voice, replaced by newfound purpose. Though he'd always been interested in healing, he'd never gotten enough training to be terribly useful in that department - maybe his position on Chimera's council was a more fitting role for him. He had no doubt Strawberry would be eager to help. Giving his alpha a small smile, he nodded his head as he bid his farewells. "Y-you too, sir. T-thank you again."