Following the confrontation with Sephiran and his Syndicate, Artorias knew it would only be a matter of time before things came to a head with an inevitable conflict between the two factions. The Saxe clan had made their intentions known—first through the hostile takeover of Norad and then from the threats issued at their standoff—they would not be leaving peacefully or of their own volition. Artorias knew not what Sephiran's master plan was, but he doubted the deranged brute's desires ended at claiming a pack. The rest of Ardent needed to be aware of the looming threat and he had to put the rest of the Empire on alert. Although... there was no more empire anymore. News had arrived of Ashen's disbanding voluntarily by Chimera, and though Artorias was loathe to believe it, the word had come directly from Aliana's messenger birds. Ashen was no more, its members scattered to the winds. The head of the once-great Empire was gone and the future of the alliance looked tenuous at best. The world needed stability now more than ever and it looked like it was going to be up to him to take those first necessary steps.

Artorias had sent his ravens out with summons to all corners of the continents, bidding the alphas of the Armada, Elysium, Valta, Heiðinn, Raiders Hollow, Tojo-Kai and Ethne come to the Hallows for an urgent meeting. Their friends needed to be warned of the danger lurking somewhere in the lands. The Syndicate might have left Auster, but wherever they ended up they were still a threat and needed to be treated as such. Artorias had ordered all the guards at the borders to be on the lookout for the arrival of their guests and to direct them into Hearthstone's council chamber while he went about making his preparations. He had discussed his plans on assembling the alliances with Briar ahead of time and his Lady was likely preparing the rooms to host their guests as she usually did. Artorias had also requested Bramble join them; as the Envoy and representative of the Hallows for all inter-pack affairs, this fell right within her realm of responsibility. It was a grim subject, but politics was often a dark and bloody theatre.

While he waited for the alphas to arrive, Artorias was busy down in his armory, working tirelessly at the forge. The coals smoldered and flames rose, licking at the edges of the crucible as he smelted the steel down from the Norad effigy that had sat for far too little time on his Carved Table. The symbol of the fallen pack melted into liquid metal, superheated to maximum malleability while Artorias set up the newly created diecast with a scowl on his face. He carefully removed the molten metal and poured it into the mold, hitting the two ends of the die into place with a hammer to push out the excess steel before quenching the metalwork in a barrel of cool water. Steam immediately hissed up from the barrel as the blacksmith worked his craft, jaws gripping the tongs that handled the die carefully as he let it soak to temper the metal. After a few minutes, he removed the die and knocked it open with the hammer, revealing the completed metal piece within—a hooded cobra with fangs bared, poised to strike; the most fitting representation for Sephiran he could think of.

After final assembly of the new pack effigy and taking a moment to clean up, Artorias marched with purposeful strides down the long corridors of Hearthstone straight into the council chamber. The expression on his face was austere and focused, fiery amber eyes ablaze with impassive emotion. In his jaws, he carried the marker for their enemy. Approaching the Carved Table while Argent finished lighting the candles beneath it to illuminate the map, Artorias took the Syndicate effigy and slammed it down onto the stone surface of the table, placed over the Aspen Falls where Norad had once been, and where he had last seen the pack. His lips twitched in a subtle snarl as he eyed the Syndicate effigy he'd just made, hating that he'd had to make it at all. Making his way to his seat at the head of the table, Artorias removed Embershard from his back and rested the sword against the edge of the table, taking a seat as his ravens flew in to land on the back of his chair while he waited for his family and guests to arrive so they could begin.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Nelu carefully groomed his coat, taking great care to make himself presentable. Clay had a tendency to get everywhere despite his care and precision. He wanted to do his father proud and learn as much as he could from the council meeting for it was a rare opportunity. Nelu's intelligence aided him greatly in the realm of crafting and experimentation but social interactions were still a struggle for him. Being able to see how the alphas interacted with each other and discussed issues would be an invaluable experience.

Nelu looked himself over in the mirror for a moment before deciding he was as ready as he was going to be. He strode quietly, yet purposefully, down the stairs from his room and through the castle to the council room where he found his father. Nelu approached and bowed in a respectful greeting before going to join Artorias. "Father, thank you for this precious opportunity. Where do you wish me to be for the duration of this meeting?"

The fall of Norad has been difficult for Haydée and Ethne as she juggles trying to find places for all of the refugees within their lands while makeing sure that everyone is safe and that the Syndicate does not come back to harm any of them. However, while she does have much to do, the young Leader sets it all aside when she receives a summons from Artorias, the Lord of Cinder and a fellow alpha of the neighboring Hallows. With Bellamy in tow, the Leaders cross the beach that separate the packs, ready to see what has been planned.

At the borders, they are ushered in by the guards that patrol and Haydée appreciates the lengths that the Lord has gone to, to make sure that pack is protected. With carefully laid out instructions, the pair make their way to the castle, enter Hearthstone, and trek through the hallways until they spy the glowing light that signals the council chambers. Crossing over the threshold, she bows her head in respect and greets, “Artorias. I… wish this meeting was under better circumstances.”

So much has happened since the last, failed raid against the Raiders Hollow and the stitches that close the wound on her cheek and brow are a stark reminder of her failure. Looking to the yearling that has settled new Art, the young woman dips her head politely and says, "I am Haydée Kedieo, Leader of Ethne." The huge man cuts an imposing figure at the head of the table, with his ravens settled on the back of the chair and his sword leaned up against the table and in the face of this large room that will soon will be filled with large wolves, Haydée finds herself feeling extra small. Carefully, she picks out a chair that is around the stone table to hops up onto.

Once she is able to view the table from the top down, she realizes that it is a map of the continents and it has been etched into the stone surface of the table. No, not etched, carved out so that the candles that flicker underneath the table illuminate the entire map. Awe crosses her features as she allows her emerald gaze to rove over the detailed work, taking in the metal effigies that sit in the places where known packs rule.

Eyes finally find the hooded cobra that is set over the land that Norad that once controlled and she feels her lips twitch up over her teeth in irritation. Settling herself into the seat, Haydée continues to eye the map while awaiting the arrive of other alphas so that this meeting may start.


"Haydée Kedieo"

   

It had been a curious thing, seeing the Hallows raven arrive with a message about the meeting. Modesty certainly didn't expect to be included in such a call, but she wouldn't pass up the opportunity either. Of course she was going to make an appearance, and when she let Deluge know that she was off again, her daughter's whole face lit up. She could have at least waited until Modesty's back was turned surely? But she merely answered the expression with a knowing smirk. Modesty would never expect her pack members to be anyone but who they were.

Given the summons, she didn't pull herself up at the Plains this time, swiftly crossing into the castle and making her way to the appointed meeting place. She was certain it didn't matter how many times she managed to visit, the castle would always be impressive. She hoped she would have time to take in the scenery after the meeting, but if she had received an invitation, she was sure there would be no shortage of wolves less than impressed to see here. This should be fun...

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she entered the council chambers, a passing glance over the already gathered wolves bringing her no shortage of amusement. Her attention was rapidly diverted to the huge carved table, and her eyes lit up. Modesty observed the sigils with some interest, assuming from its placement that the wolf skull and crossed bones must belong to her lot. Her face stretched into a brilliant smile. “You know, my healer has a map like this on a cow skin, but it marks out where to find different herbs, and he keeps dried samples for the scouts...” This, of course was far more practical for a pack like hers, but she did appreciate the craftsmanship of the table.

Modesty slid the marker from the isle to the ravine, where Ashen once stood. “We've barely moved and I planned to pass it on once the dust settled, but what better time than the present? We're starting to expand into livestock, and there's better grazing for the goats and cows on the Moor, waterfowl in the estuary too. We're practically neighbours now!” Her tone was artificially excited, like a customer service representative trying to brighten someone's day (counting down the minutes til knock off). Her tail waved in a friendly manner though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes as they fell on Haydee, including her in the declaration.

The map on the table made it pretty clear that the swim from Cryer's Ravine to the Shimmering Shore wasn't that much further than the swim from Daager to Dove Island, and her pack were quite accomplished swimmers by this point. She allowed a concerned expression to cross her face as she looked at the table again, “I do hope the noise doesn't carry across the water, I'll apologise in advance for the hooligans.” Her tone was warm, apologetic, but also inviting, and she made a point to settle herself next to the Ethne leader, her smile never faltering. “Anyone from the Hallows is always welcome of course, if there's one thing we do know how to do, its throw a party!" Small talk, to fill the silence while they waited for the others to gather, many had a lot further to come than she did after all, and she was interested to see who else would arrive. Until then, Modesty focused on untangling a snaggle from her tail fur as they waited, though her expression remained relaxed, pleasant, welcoming. It was an unfortunate side effect of the way her fur had grown back after the long night, and she did so hate to appear disheveled.

“Speech.”

Another trip to the Hallows was needed, a meeting for alphas from various packs to discuss what to do about the wolves that had taken over Norad. The Syndicate. Bellamy is not fond of the way they had threatened Beauregard and Tanelan’s son to get what they wanted, how ready they had seemed to be to take the life of a child if they didn’t get what they wanted. It gave her memories of the empire, of when her own family had been destroyed by wolves who saw fit to take everything from her. Wolves such as that could only bring destruction. No doubt they held slaves within their midst, wolves that they would hurt and use as fodder for their own selfish gains. It made her feel sick. She was quiet most of the trip, walking alongside her daughter as they made their way to the Hallows.

Upon arrival she would sit. The only other alpha to arrive was a woman from the Raiders, who Bellamy gave a short, apologetic look to before lowering her gaze. This wasn’t the place to try and speak of what had transpired between their packs… and honestly there were enough heavy topics on the table already. Her gaze instead flicked to the different markers on the map, analyzing it with curiosity. Artorias had quite the interesting work here to track the different packs of Boreas and Auster, but she understood it was for good reason. A quiet nod was given to the man. Her fur would stand on end as the Raider came to sit by her daughter, but still Bellamy said nothing. It would be interesting to see what other alphas came to talk about this.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Something serious had transpired. Before she had been given a chance to depart on her first mission, even go out to meet the neighboring alphas to begin her journey as Envoy, Norad had forcefully fell to its knees. Taken without remorse by a faction that went by Saxe. While she had wanted to go with her father to meet the horrible man who had orchestrated the ordeal, Artorias had forbid her, something she wasn't ready for yet. Yet, there was promise that she could join the alpha meeting he summoned. Indeed, it was within her details of being Envoy to be included with all inter-pack affairs. With alphas coming to their very doorstep, Bramble would be ready to meet them all.

Carefully ensuring that her fur was groomed, her Carpathian steel tail clasp neatly placed over her tail by Dusk, Bramble makes her way to the council room. First leaning into the room on the other side of the hallway where her father crafts the newest effigy, Bramble can't help but grimace slightly. The look upon her father's face is gloomy, almost as gloomy as when Audra and Laeta had unfortunately passed. Leaving him to his devices, she sweeps over to the council room and helps to ensure the room is dusted, cleaned, and ready for the alphas arrivals.

When Artorias comes in to take his seat, Bramble nods quietly to him, noticing how Nelu followed in after. A slight raise of her brow toward her younger brother before she smiles at him. Apparently she needed to spend more time with her younger siblings since she hardly knew what they wanted to be when they grew up! Turning then to her own seat closer to Artorias, settling between him and Nelu and leaving the other side open for their mother, Briar, to sit on Artorias' other side, Bramble moves her attention to the table. The ravens had just finished lighting the candles beneath the surface as Artorias slams the newest effigy down over Aspen Dam. Her teeth clench together, but she holds a firm and calm expression.

Not moments later, a small girl around her age enters, speaking directly to Artorias. Bramble watches as she takes a seat as she realizes this must be Haydee of Ethne. A smile graces her lips as she dips her head to the young leader before her attention is turned to an ebony and galaxy marked woman who is quite loud and boisterous, but graceful and kind nonetheless. Her brow raises then as she watches this Modesty move the Raider's effigy toward where Chimera and Ashen had one stood. Interesting, but a smile is shown to Modesty as well. Finally, Bellamy enters and though Bramble notices the apologetic smile, she doesn't stare too long. Another smile to the third leader before she turns her attention back to the table. Introductions would come at a more appropriate time. No sense in saying her name a hundred times when she could be patient and wait for everyone to arrive.

table coding by bunni ♥

This wasn’t a meeting that Basilisk could afford to miss. It was his best chance of seeing the other alphas of this land, and how they worked. As it was, he had much work to do before he would be a piece on the playing board. As well known as the likes of Artorias and Sirius. This gave him an opportunity to catch up, and quickly. So the towering behemoth made some plans. One of them consisted of finding Ignita and sitting her down to a talk. He needed a scribe. Someone to write him an accounting of the meeting, as well as building him a knowledge base of the Alphas who attended. What they looked like, who they were inside and out. Once he was sure she understood the gravity of the meeting, they were off.

Orso pulled a small cart with the still healing Ignita and her scribe materials, while Basilisk trotted along beside. They made good time down to the far South, and he named some of the lands for Ignita as they travelled. “Alright, that Castle? That’s the Hallows. Remember what I told you. I want you to form opinions, keep an eye on the other Alphas. Scribe an accounting of this meeting and those that attend.” he said as the cart slid into the courtyard. He helped her out, and grabbed the bag of her supplies himself. He knew the Hallows, and was able to lead them to where they needed to go.

The map was new to him, and his eyes roamed hungrily across the board, taking in the information to be found there. When Modesty moved a pack piece - that was interesting. The last he heard, the leader of the Raiders Hallow was Gilgamesh. But her scent was unmistakable, and she was here. “I’m Basilisk Fatalis, leader of the Armada. This is Ignita, my scribe.” he said, as he settled a pillow for her to sit on, and placed her scribe materials before her. He took a seat, and settled in to learn as much as he could. He was surprised that his Grandfather wasn’t there.

"Speech"

Ignita was itching to get back to some kind of work while she recovered from her accident. And she had ample opportunity to brush up her doodling and scribbling skills while she rested. When Basilisk told her the job he had for her, a journey to be his scribe for an import meeting she didn't care she was still recovering, she was eager to prove her worth and do what she did best.

She sketched a map as they went along, and made notes of the spires of the castle as they came into view.

She entered the meeting room trying her best to be as unassuming and inconspicuous as she could, which was a little easy to be missed next to the towering Warlord, grateful for Basilisks assistance as she limped with her back leg still in a splint.

She added what she could see of the awesome awesome map before them to her own, making notes of the imagery chosen for each pack, and the leader. She would silently scribble and doodle along as the meeting went. On her best behavior. Taking as many notes as she could.

"Ignita"

Basilisk may enter her threads without warning.

Still reeling from the death of her own mother, another hit to her heart forms grieving emotions that she's not sure she can handle. Tenshi is sick, not just sick, but sick sick. Immobile and hiding it from everyone that she can. Vidarr isn't looking good and fights with the shadowed king have erupted. Delphi tries her best to help, but the more he shoves her away, the more fury builds in her. How could he truly believe himself fit to lead Heidinn if he would give it all up for Tenshi? What about the others? His descent is a change she's not expecting, but it's become inevitable. Though the others don't know it yet, he crowns her heir. Their litter is far too young for leadership, but... is she ready for it?

Doing what she can to help Vidarr keep the pack stable while life sorts itself out, she is surprised when a raven approaches. A flurry of midnight feathers come to land before her, insisting a message be relayed directly to Vidarr himself. Hesitation is clear on Delphi's features as she shakes her head no. She would be taking his place from here on out so whatever the raven had to say to Vidarr, he would say it to her instead. Finally the raven relents and informs her that Artorias is gathering alphas at the castle with directions there.

Well, she couldn't not go. Whatever Artorias needed to get off of his chest was clearly important enough that he couldn't put it into the message sent with the raven. "Please return the Aegis with a message from Heidinn so that he may know the change of paw before I arrive. Let Artorias know that Tenshi is ill and Vidarr has chosen to crown me, Philadelphi Hattori-Klein, heir to handle all politic affairs," Delphi finishes with a nod to the bird and sends it back off to the southern continent of Auster. Once the raven is in the air, she turns to look at Vidarr's door. No sense in bothering him. She would place Astraios here as a guard to keep Vidarr contained and others out. Not that the boy would like the orders and having her leave alone, but he would have no choice.

Once everything is arranged. Delphi takes her two companions, Binti and Taz, with her and sets off from the wintry landscape of Fenrir's Maw to the much more mild continent of Auster. The terrain is familiar and she makes good time despite her petite stature. Crossing the blooming fields and through the courtyard, Delphi asks someone to guide her to the council room so that she doesn't get lost along the way. It was her second time in the castle, but the first being this far within their walls. She takes a deep breath before stepping into the council room that is dim and warmly lit by the carved stone table.

Glancing around, she notices first Artorias who she nods to, then a girl beside him that she remembers from the raid and then on the other side, Nelu who she had met at the ball. Her docked tail gives a small wag before moving on to look at the other leaders gathered. None of them are familiar to her, but surely they would be introduced at some point. Instead Delphi moves to go by Artorias first, approaching the Aegis so that she could speak with him quietly before she sat. "I do hope your raven returned with my message. I apologize for Vidarr's absence, but I promise my presence is just as good if not better," Delphi shines a cheeky smile at Artorias before moving on to find a spot to sit at the table that wasn't taken.

Seeing that the spot on the other side of Basilisk's scribe, Ignita, was still available, Delphi moves to sit beside the girl at the table. She nods to the scribe, a small smile given to the girl before she turns to look at the table. It is massive and so finely crafted that she can't help but stare wide eyed at it. Delphi also makes note to remember where all of the effigies are placed so that her own map at home could be updated as well.

Hattori had only been here once before and even then he couldn't say he'd ventured this far into the castle depths. In all honesty, he had contemplated kindly rejecting Artorias' offer, his disinterest in politics was well known by this point, wars could rage beyond his borders and though he would indeed take notice, ultimately unless someone made it his issue, he would not interfere. But despite the empire's general distaste for Hattori and Tojo as a whole, the Lord of the castle had always treated him with due respect, was it not only reasonable to do return the gesture?

Sending word that he would attend this meeting, Hattori briefly spoke to Akito to act in his stead during his absence, before he ventured north to the Hallowed castle. A long journey for some, but not quite for the Kaicho.

He had never personally met these wolves in question, but he knew the sort. Knew what wolves with an amped up sense of self-worth could do, the harm they could inflict before they were put down like rabid dogs. And they would be in time, it was inevitable, or so Hattori had concluded.

Directed to the council room by one of the guards, by the time Hattori arrived several familiar faces were already settling in for the discussion. He intended to make no promises, but would always make an effort to listen, to consider. The short one who smelled like  Víðarr looked strangely familiar. Modesty and Haydee were known to him, and the oversized, frankly odd looking wolf was somewhat reminiscent of a Fatalis, smelled as though he mingled with them at least.

Moving to sit closest to Modesty-and even then he insisted on having an ample amount of personal space- he offered her a greeting in the form of a head dip. It had been a long while since they had spoken, from her presence here it seemed she had gone up on the world so to speak. His gaze lingered on the map, the centrepiece of the room, an accurate enough rendition of Auster and Boreas, with symbols indicating where packs had made their claim.

Introductions would be made later, once Hattori had surmised no one else was coming. He did loath repeating himself.

It seemed there was always something going on of late.  Between practice raid, pack challenge, a real raid from those damned raiders, and now a curiosity as to this summoning of alphas to the hallows.  Some of his wolves were injured from the last raid, and everyone was set to be extra active in patrolling.  The last thing they needed now was another surprise while they recovered from the last battle.

Kotori left Ochi in charge and made his way to the hallows.  It was a simple trip and he was almost surprised at no problems along the way.  He was just getting used to expecting surprises.  It had been several seasons since he’d been to the hallows and he looked forward to seeing his sister and Artorias again.

Kotori made his way to the council chamber.  The room was a mix of wolves he knew well and strangers.  He dipped a respectful nod to Artorias, "Good to see you again Art," before moving closer to the table, impressively looking over the carvings.  His eyes then roamed over the wolves he didn’t know, keeping a somber expression.  His brother-in-law would not have called a gathering of all the alphas without reason.

"Kotori Fatalis"

While the idea of leaving their young pups for a couple of days was not something she wanted to do, when she received Artorias' summons for a meeting of alphas she knew it wasn't without importance. One thing that heavily swayed her decision to go was the fact that Chimera and his family had brought the news of Ashen's disbanding, the former alpha and his family moving into Elysium. Things were shifting and changing everywhere–not just in her personal life. She did briefly consider asking Ikigai to go in her place as their diplomat, but she knew they were both in the same position of having young pups to look after so one way or another one of the new mothers of Elysium was going to have to go to Auster so it might as well be her. With Saracyn on pup duty with their mother at the ready to help with the trio of rambunctious pups, she set off for The Hallows to attend the meeting. The trip to the other end of the continent never got any easier, but she tried her best to move as quickly as she could so she could get there and back with as little disruption to her new family's schedule as she could.

She stepped into the castle and followed the sound of voices to the meeting room, finding quite the gathering of wolves already–some faces familiar and some not. Artorias sat at the head of the table, of course, and she spotted Kotori, Haydée, and Bellamy as she scanned the room. Some of the wolves, even if she wasn't familiar with them personally, she was able to pick out what pack they were associated with as she passed them to take a seat, giving Artorias a small smile and a dip of her head as she went. The massive, saber-toothed man had to be a relative of Sirius–she would have been absolutely shocked if he wasn't. Had the Warlord stepped down then? The scent of a couple of the younger wolves at the table matched Artorias' very closely so she assumed that these were a couple of his children that were sitting in on the meeting for one reason or another while she had to suspect that the dark coated woman with sunset hues across her coat and the man with a mix of gray, tan, and black were from the Raiders since their pack scent was the same as that she had smelled on Deluge. A small woman on the other side of the table from her had the familiar scent of Heiðinn on her and another orange splotched man that had a strikingly similar patterning to the Heiðinn woman was completely unfamiliar to her though surely had to be an alpha as well.

It was already quite the accumulation of individuals and she wasn't sure how many others had been invited. She settled into a chair at the intricately carved table, her dark gaze scanning the wolves around her and the topographical map that sat in the middle of all of them. She quickly picked up on the fact that there were markers where the packs resided–along with one that she wasn't familiar with. She had made a point over the last couple of seasons to at least make herself aware of all of the packs in Boreas and tried to introduce herself to their leaders when she could, but there seemed to be one she had either missed or had come into play recently. Curious, she looked to Artorias, giving the Hallows alpha her full attention.

"Avacyn Medacium"

The day had come for the meeting that Artorias had sent ravens far and wide for and while her husband waited for their guests in the council chamber she remained at the gates of the castle grounds, greeting the leaders and the wolves accompanying them as they arrived and giving them directions to where the meeting would be held. Under normal circumstances she was always happy to play host and even now she was happy that every guest room in the castle and then some would be getting some use though she would have been much more excited to have so many guests if it was under happier circumstances. However, it couldn't be helped and it was a topic that she agreed was important to discuss. After Avacyn arrived that completed the mental checklist she had of who they were expecting to attend so she made her way into the castle as well. She followed in behind the Elysium leader and closed the council chamber doors behind her just to give them a bit of privacy before she went around the table to take her place beside Artorias, giving him a small nod to indicate that they were ready to begin.

"Briar Carpathius"

Of course the first to arrive were his children. Nelu thanked him for the opportunity to attend the meeting, but Artorias couldn't bring himself to be happy for the circumstances that made it happy. "It's important for you to learn how the world works beyond our borders, son," he explained to Nelu, then gestured to the space near his side. "You may sit or stand wherever you please. The other alphas will be seated around the table. I want you to just observe for today. If you have questions, we can discuss them afterward." Looking to Bramble as she stood by at her chair, he gestured for his daughter to sit. They would be beginning soon. Her first matter as Envoy and it couldn't have been a more grievous one. The first of their guests to arrive were Haydée and Bellamy; logical, since Ethne was the closest pack to them in terms of distance. As Haydée and Bellamy got seated, Artorias would greet them both with a polite nod. "I do as well, Haydée." He wished it hadn't been necessary at all, yet here they were.

The next to arrive was Modesty, and Artorias was both surprised and delighted that the Raiders' leader had decided to show up. When he'd sent out the invitations to the alphas he had good relations with, Art hadn't been sure if the Raiders would choose to be a part of diplomacy talks, but he was gladdened to see his doubts had been unfounded. Always the outgoing sort, Modesty immediately began to remark on his map table, likening it to one her healer had for herbs as she took the initiative to move her pack's marker over beside the Ashen one he hadn't yet removed yet. A curious brow raised on the Lord of Cinder's face. So the Hollow had relocated, eh? Modesty declared them as practically neighbors and while he couldn't disagree, all Art could do was laugh again and roll his eyes. Modesty's lively personality was highly appreciated right now. "You say that as if my own lot wouldn't want to come be a part of the noise. Your invitation is greatly appreciated, Modesty, and I'm happy to welcome any from the Hollow here—provided they don't try to eat my child's face again." There was humor in Art's words, recalling Tarnish's trespass and attempt to maim Nelu, which had ended... not in the boy's favor.

Basilisk Fatalis walked into the room next, the giant young man practically dwarfing everyone and everything else in the room. Artorias looked at Bas, impressed at how much the boy had grown since he'd last seen him. A boy no longer, now the Warlord. How Sirius would have been proud to see him. With him, he brought a stranger; a woman who sat off to the side behind Basilisk's seat and began to document things. His archivist, perhaps? Regardless, the Lord of Cinder greeted them both with a nod of his head. "Welcome, Basilisk. Thank you for making the trek down here. Your presence is appreciated."

The next wolf to arrive was one Artorias had not invited initially, but was pleased to see nonetheless. Corbin had informed him of the change of plans for who to expect from Heiðinn, and Delphi he recognized from the recent raid, clearly sent as the emissary from the mountain-dwelling vikings. It did concern him that neither Víðarr nor Tenshi could have made the trip, but he understood that sometimes life had different plans than the ones they made. She approached him to speak privately and relayed an apology for the lack of her father's presence. Artorias simply shook his head to dismiss the young girl's apology; it was not needed, made evident by the softening of his stern features when he spoke to her. "I'm happy to have you at my table, Philadelphia. You are most welcome, and please bring Víðarr my well wishes back with you."

No sooner had Delphi moved aside to take a seat, Artorias saw flashes of vivid orange in the doorway, and his gaze lifted to find the koi king himself. Artorias was again surprised and delighted that Hattori had accepted his invitation. It was no small gesture for the usually reclusive Kaicho to remain secluded in his bamboo grove, independent of the world's politics. Artorias rose from his seat, paws on the edge of the stone table as he bowed his head in greeting to Hattori. Although he was admittedly naive in the ways of Hattori's culture, he did remember a few basics from when he'd met the man in his youth. Returning to his seat, Artorias gestured to any of the open chairs for Hattori to claim for himself.

The last of the alphas to arrive were the ones from farthest away—Kotori of Valta and Avacyn of Elysium. Ko walked in with a greeting to the Lord of Cinder before examining the Carved Table. "And you as well, Ko. Thank you for joining us." Avacyn entered and took her place wordlessly, offering a quiet and polite nod of her head in greeting, which Artorias returned in kind. He had not had much experience with Avacyn beyond a few pleasant encounters, but he was good friends with her parents and the former alphas of Elysium. Their relationship had long withstood the test of time and distance and he was grateful she could make the long voyage down to Auster to be here for this. Briar had followed in behind Avacyn and closed the heavy mahogany doors, enveloping the council chamber in total privacy. The only wolves who would know what was said and shared here today were the ones presently in this room. She took her seat beside him and Art returned her nod. It was time to begin.

---

With everyone in attendance, Artorias rose to his paws. His fire-toned gaze swept across each face at the table, every alpha acknowledged with gratitude for their presence. "Thank you all for coming. Many of us know one another, but as this is the first gathering of alphas we've seen since the Long Night and with many of us new, I'd like to start with introductions." One by one, Artorias went around the table, introducing the wolves in attendance by their name and the packs they led, giving each a few moments to add anything they wished to say in greeting as well. "Haydée Kedieo and Bellamy of Foi, Leaders of Ethne. Modesty, Raid Queen of Raiders Hollow. Basilisk Fatalis, Warlord of the Armada. Philadelphia Hattori-Klein, heir to Heiðinn. Hattori Hanzō, Kaicho of Tojo-kai. Kotori Fatalis, Sumatar of Valta. Avacyn Mendacium, Matriarch of Elysium."

With introductions made, Artorias turned to the matter at hand. He swept a paw across the expansive Carved Table, gesturing to each of the pack's metal effigies placed on the map like pieces on a chessboard. "You were all summoned here today because you represent the greater packs of Boreas and Auster, and between us all, we hold hundreds of lives in our paws. Lives of family, friends, those that trust us to keep them safe. Lives we are responsible for protecting from harm." Artorias reached across the table and lifted the effigy for the Syndicate, holding it up for the group to see. "This is why I've called you all here. This is the new harm threatening each and every one of us." Artorias slammed the sigil back down onto the table with a resounding thud of metal on stone, the snake effigy sitting stoic and ominous on the map. "Some of you will remember Beauregard from some seasons ago when he laid claim to his pack, Norad. Recently, Norad fell to foreigners; wolves from some distant land. They did not challenge him for his pack by our natural law. Instead, they abducted his son and threatened to murder him and Beau's entire family unless he surrendered his lands and titles to them. Then they ran them out of their homes and stole everything they could."

Artorias leered down at the hooded cobra figurine, scowling in blatant distaste at the underhanded and immoral tactics used by the fiends. "They call themselves the Syndicate. They are led by a dangerous sociopath called Sephiran Saxe. Sephiran is known by some of us for the way he behaved around our young daughters and for the violence he attempted to wreak on our homes. He also unwisely tried to fight me and Sirius Fatalis when confronted." Artorias' eyes turned to Basilisk. He didn't know if Sirius had ever told the new Warlord how Sephiran had acted in Armadan lands towards the very young Andromeda, or how he had fought both Sirius and Artorias in retaliation for being caught out as a pervert. "I had the pleasure of speaking with Sephiran and his family following the usurpation of Norad. The Saxes intend to spread across Ardent like a plague, and from what I've learned from the ones I've met, that means more depravity, more wanton violence, and more danger to our families and packs." Artorias paused for a moment to let the others digest his words. Then he rose from his chair and moved over to the western fold of Boreas on the map. "They have declared themselves mortal enemies to all of the Ashen Empire and vowed violence against us. That means the Hallows, the Armada, Elysium, and Valta are now considered their enemies as well. And if that wasn't enough..." Artorias lifted a large azure paw to the effigy of Ashen—only to topple it over with a clatter on the table. "Ashen has fallen. Willfully dissolved by Chimera Klein, and with it the Empire."

The Lord of Cinder didn't know how many of the wolves around the table knew of Ashen's fall. Many had been alerted just as they had been, no doubt, but to see a pack as renowned and ancient as Ashen crumble... it was a sobering and melancholic experience. It also meant the linchpin of the Ashen Empire no longer existed. With a considerable enemy now threatening several of the packs at the table and the head of the empirical allegiance gone, things did not look bright for the future. "I know half of us here today were not allied with Ashen or apart of the empire. We have different beliefs, different ideologies, different ways of handling our affairs, but at the end of the day, we all want what's best for our wolves and to protect our families. I know each of you personally, and I would be remiss if I didn't warn you of the impending danger growing around us. Make no mistake—this is not friendly banter or cheeky threats of raids. This is real violence and death threats they've levied. They intend to destroy, to rape, and to kill, and they have no qualms about who they hurt to claim dominion over our world. The Syndicate's threats may not target you specifically today, but knowing that they are out there somewhere and they will come for you sooner or later is information to arm yourselves with, lest they try to prey on you and your children next."

Artorias looked around at each of the alphas as he spoke, then moved around the table, returning to his seat at the head once more. He sat himself down and breathed a heavy sigh, eyes resting on the effigy of the Syndicate. "There is more I wish to discuss with you all on this matter, a means by which we can keep ourselves safe and prevent this malice from spreading like a cancer, but if anyone has any information or questions regarding the Syndicate before we proceed, or anything else you'd like to voice to the group at large, the floor is yours." Artorias gave whoever wished to speak the chance to do so to open dialogue between the alphas. There was one more major point he wished to discuss with his fellow alphas, but he would wait until after they had all had a chance to digest and deliberate the subject on discussion presently.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

A great many wolves joined this meeting, and he nudged Ignita and raised a brow at her you getting all this? It would definitely be on the quiz later. He was relying on her to keep all the relations straight. When Artorias greeted him, he nodded back and grinned at the blue wolf. “I could hardly ignore an invitation from my Grandfather’s favourite son in law.” He glanced around again, confirming the old wolf wasn’t there. Hmm. He had made it to the Hallows, right?

He listened with interest when everyone settled down, and Artorias gave introductions. Together, they made up the leaders of almost every pack in the lands. It was… impressive. It dawned on him then that Armada now stood as the oldest pack among them. His Grandfather had left behind quite a legacy.

He listened as Art spoke of intruders that kidnapped a child and forced out a pack. He startled just barely perceptively when Art gave them the name. The syndicate. He’d had some dealings with that pack already. In fact, his pack lay rather close to them. He hadn’t met the individual Art spoke of, but he listened to the blue wolf’s opinion and take on them carefully. It was clear that Art had been wronged by them, and considered them the enemy. The two he had met so far did not seem depraved and out for wonton violence - but perhaps their leader was cut from a different cloth. His underhanded means of taking a pack was unheard of, and indicated a lack of strength to do it by the usual means. They have declared themselves mortal enemies to all of the Ashen Empire and vowed violence against us. That means the Hallows, the Armada--” that was at odds with his talk with Aresenn. He ran over their conversation in his mind as Art continued to speak. Searching for some hidden meaning or threat.

When Art opened the table, Basilisk spoke. “I have met with two wolves who’s allegiance lie with the Syndicate, through not the Leader himself. What proof do you bring that they intend to bring destruction, rape, and murder? I don’t intend to belittle what you’ve told us so far, Artorias. I have a great deal of respect for you.” He said simply, but he wanted to arm himself with as much information as possible. It sounded to him as if Artorias intended to start a crusade against these wolves. It would not be easy to throw his lot in with the intention of wiping out a pack without very good reason.

"Speech"

[ooc: for timeline purposes, Mod believes Gil is dead.]

Modesty laughed when Art retorted about 'as long as her kids weren't eating faces'. She deliberately made no promises on their behalf. When Tori sat beside her she leaned close enough to bump a shoulder in greeting, grateful he hadn't left her to sit this one out alone, as clueless as he would undoubtedly be to her circumstances. She had always liked the man. Still, she was second guessing her seat at the table as tumultuous emotions battled in her heart. Outwardly, she kept a serene face, Sakana had made sure to dose Modesty to within an inch of her tolerance, being mindful of the tiny lives she carried in her belly. It was a stab to her heart to think of them growing up fatherless as she reached beneath her extra-long fur, untying one of the spiced rum bottles concealed there as Artorias began to speak, she slid a second onto the table in front of her as she uncorked the first with her teeth. A gift for the host. She had decided there was little point to hanging around once she had said her piece.

She sat through the opening proceedings, the edges of her eyes pinching at points but this was diplomacy, and she could wait her turn. She lifted the bottle and downed the contents, raising her paw as Basilisk shared his interactions with members of these supposed monsters to indicate she had the floor next. When her bottle was drained completely, it hit the table with an audible thunk and she swallowed what remained in her mouth. She hadn't spilled a drop.

The smile that she shared with the gathered wolves didn't reach her eyes.  "For a moment I had feared I was invited in error," she confessed, meeting the eyes of all at the table except the Ethne delegates, "And it all strikes me as a little hypocritical. The murderers of my mate sit among us after all, and I'm almost certain the same accusations must have been thrown about against my own pack, no? You speak of cheeky threats of raids, and I ask, when have we ever taken what couldn't be spared? Bamboo, volcano rocks, wild ducks," She paused for just a moment, "And yet at every turn we are met with violence disproportionate to the spirit of raiding. Now it seems you face the threat you feared from us all along." She looked every inch the mother in this moment, not angry, just disappointed. There might have even been a hint of karma in her posture.

"The solution is a simple one, siege, but if I have been invited here to ask my pack to put their necks on the line for those that so obviously scorn our very existence, I do apologise, but you are all sorely mistaken." She rose, dipping her head to the gathered leaders. "I wish you all the day you deserve." She offered with a smile that held a little more spark than her speech had, "Oh and Haydee? There's someone waiting for you once this is done." There was no hint of a threat in her voice, no bristled quills or threats of violence. Modesty made her way to leave the room, composed on the outside, but inside, she was screaming.

"speech"

-exit unless detained-

Delphi smiles briefly at Artorias' words. She sees the softening of his stern expression and it does help her feel a tad better. "I will ensure he knows," the young Heir replies before she makes it to her seat beside the scribe.

The dark coated and bright orange-red man that slips in after in makes Delphi stare for a moment. Was this the grandfather she had been told about? Hattori Hanzo, no? His appearance in undeniable and Delphi is forced to rip her attention away. As much as she wants to go over to him to introduce herself, she stays in her seat and remains calm, pulled together, mature. More mature than she's ever been in her life because she needs to make a good impression to these other alphas.

A few others trickle in and Delphi gets more nervous as the minutes tick by. What would Artorias address during this meeting? She was sure find out when the pretty lady with antlers nods to Artorias before taking her seat. It is then that her attention is directed to the Aegis when he stands to his paws. Delphi is attentive to his words, ears pressed forward and eyes looking directly at the table where the hooded cobra figurine stands. The introductions of the others prove that the man is indeed her grandfather, but she tucks the information away for later.

Artorias continues on, regaling details about the Syndicate and how dangerous they were to their kind. A pack has been usurped, Ashen and her uncle, Chimera, have fallen, bad things were on the horizon. At least Heidinn was not included in the list of enemies - it was the last thing they needed on their plate. As he comes to pause, opening the floor to the Alphas, Delphi thinks and she thinks hard. This was a... precarious situation that she wasn't sure how to feel about. The Syndicate isn't unknown to Heidinn, Vidarr had recently met with a Rhazien who she had hunted with before. Other than the weird, creepy vibe she got from the older male, they hardly seemed any more vicious than Vidarr did when he was at his darkest.

While she thinks, the largest wolf-thing (she's really not sure he's actually a wolf) calls attention to himself. Basilisk does make a good point. If Artorias is the only one who had ill meetings with these wolves why endanger the rest who weren't involved? Could The Syndicate truly be such a righteous danger? This adds on to her consideration of thought. It doesn't seem right to side with either The Hallows or The Syndicate. Heidinn would be better off staying on mutual ground.

Delphi prepares to speak, but as she lifts her face from the direction of the table toward Artorias, she is stopped by the audible thunk of glass on the stone table. Turning to look, her head cants, eyes narrowing slightly. When the hell had there been alcohol served? She's given no time to further question as Modesty speaks to the table and the ones who sit around it. When Modesty's eyes meet hers, she almost shrinks another inch or so, the look is terrifying even if she's not the one being scrutinized. The information causes her heart to skip a beat, glancing around to see who Modesty was even speaking about. Someone in this very room had murdered her husband? The Raid King? It brought an interesting twist to the meeting that didn't settle well with Delphi.

Turning her gaze back down toward the table, waiting for the terse moment to be over, she doesn't look back up until Modesty is well on her way out the door. Quietly clearing her throat, she looks to Artorias who no doubt is probably reeling from Modesty's statement. Though Modesty has a point, it was still a meeting after all and they would need to keep going. "Heidinn can help as an outpost for rest and food if your wolves ever see a reason to journey to The Syndicate. As far as we are aware, The Syndicate has taken up home just north of Fenrir's Maw in the Polar Sound. Normally, we might offer our own bodies to help your cause, but due to recent events within our own ranks, we don't have many to spare unfortunately," Delphi attempts to speak with confidence, eyes never leaving Artorias until she's finished.

Once the last words leave her lips, Delphi sits back and lets out a sigh. Turning her gaze back down to the table, she hopes the others speak up so she doesn't have the spotlight on her for too long. Already overwhelmed, she needs a moment to think some more.

Kotori hadn’t heard that Modesty was now the leader of the Raiders until now.  The glare he cast on her for a moment said enough of his feelings for her.  

Artorias went on to explain the situation and Kotori did admit the cause was more important than his dislike of the raiders.  The syndicate wasn’t only attacking packs but in a dirty way that went against the very rules of the land.  The way one challenged for a pack was a hard rule for a reason.  The law kept the lands from becoming chaos.  It was more than just some random law thought up to blindly follow.  Any true leader who cared about the land and their wolves would understand this.  

Kotori imagined the situation of killing any member of the syndicate on sight.  Then again, they could just maim them so the wolves were less of a threat and had to live with eternal shame.  Art didn’t say he had a solution to destroy them but to keep packs safe.  However, he also did mention to keep this group from spreading out further.  Kotori would wait to offer his suggestions on killing them all to see if Artorias had a different idea that involved less killing and maiming.  He’d give his opinion and ask questions after he heard more information.

There was some satisfaction in the raider's alpha leaving.  Then again, would the raiders attempt to create their own alliance with the Syndicate?  Would these Syndicate bastards be interested in another pack?

"Kotori"

As Haydée sits at the large table, marveling at the metal effigies laid out across the map, the appearance of Modesty rattles her. Ears slick back in annoyance as the woman oozes fake goodwill and words, moving the effigy of the Raiders to a new land before deciding to plop herself down on the chair next to her own. The smaller woman pointedly ignores the Raider woman, turning her emerald gaze to Artorias who had called them all here. While she does not appreciate Modesty’s presence, she trusts to the Lord of the castle and, if he is confident having her here, then Hay will be respectful and polite.

Artorias begins the meeting, speaking of Norad and the wolves who had risen to power, naming them as the Syndicate. Green gaze moves to the silver hooded cobra, glaring daggers at it as if that was the one causing all the troubles. At the news of Ashen falling, her eyes widen and shoot back to Art, alarm written clearly on her face. She had known that they were powerful and had even tried to reach out to form an alliance but Chimera had deemed them too small to be worthy of being an ally to Ashen… no matter the fact that Venom had been open to the talks before. Still, Ashen falling, willingly to boot, is a shock.

Still surprised by the latest piece of news, she tries to order her thoughts to inform the group of what exactly had happened between the Syndicate and Norad while Basilisk speaks. Then Modesty takes center stage, speaking about her murdered husband and Haydée turns toward the Raider with a mixture of confusion and irritation. Of course, they are met with violence, they seek to steal without alerting the pack to the fact that they don’t want to be attacked. To her, it feels hypocritical but she bites her tongue and stays silent, allowing the woman to speak and show just how silly she is being.

Once she is done, the woman informs her that there is someone waiting for her after this and then leaves the room, leaving a shocked Haydée in her wake. Unable to speak, the small girl from the Viking pack talks and then silence falls, stretching thin as she watches the door, that Modesty had left through. Mouth pumps a few times before she softly says, “He isn’t dead.” Looking to Artorias, emotions war in her eyes as she repeats, “But he isn’t dead. We have been taking care of him. Why… why does she think he is dead?”

Suddenly, the lost little Leader remembers where she is and gathers herself, pulling composure and calm onto her face even as she feels her stomach sour. Looking to the other alphas, Haydée returns to the reason they are here and explains as if Modesty had never been here, “Norad was our ally and this group stole a child to take over the pack. Beauregard, the former alpha, has implored us not to seek retribution for fear of them killing his children.” Looking to Artorias, she says, “I do not doubt that they mean to bad things and Ethne will stand with any and all packs that seek to stop this threat.”

Turning her attention back to the other alphas, Haydée gives a soft sigh and lowers her gaze, saying, “The Raiders Hollow hate us for accidents that have happened on our lands. They do not care that they trespassed or sought personal harm on me, all they care about is revenge.” Taking a deep breath, she lifts her gaze and meets the eyes of every alpha as she softly informs them, “I have been overwhelmed with all the events surrounding this bad-will between Ethne and the Raiders. Because of it, my sister, Saga, will be taking charge of Ethne for a while. She is strong and we will continue to be an ally for all those in need.”

With her piece said, Haydée falls silent, eyes dropping to the effigy of Ethne as she wonders if everyone gathered will hate her now.


"Haydée Kedieo"

The meeting was called to order shortly after she settled in one of the chairs at the table and she gave Artorias her full attention as he began to speak. As he gave introductions for all of the leaders at the table her eyes drifted across each one, committing names to faces for the ones she had yet to be introduced to. She was actually surprised at how many packs were represented here. In fact... if she was remembering correctly and doing the math right there was just two that were not here–three, she quickly corrected herself. Some of her scouts had mentioned a new pack scent appearing near their borders recently, but she had been so caught up in taking care of new borns that she hadn't had the chance to investigate or do more than instruct her Warriors to set up extra patrols along that border. Returning her attention to Artorias, he spoke about Norad–reiterating the news that she had heard from Haydée during her recent visit to request assistance from their wolves to expand the pack to make room for refugees. A grim frown crossed her features even though this wasn't new information to her. It was still a terrible series of events and she did hope that Beauregard and his family were okay.

What Haydée hadn't mentioned–or perhaps hadn't known–was the name and nature of these wolves that had stolen Norad out from under Beauregard. It was only as Artorias was speaking of these seemingly horrid individuals that she suddenly began to put the pieces of information together. She had assumed when Haydée told her about the usurping that had happened in Norad that whoever had taken the pack would have retained the lands that Norad previously held. When Artorias mentioned how this Syndicate had stolen what they could from Norad and their intent to spread across Ardent in this way she realized the pack that had formed at her borders had to be this group. Her brow furrowed at the thought, but he held her tongue, waiting for Artorias to say what he wished to say even though she was already planning out the message she was going to send one of her ravens with to alert Saracyn to the new threat so close to their home.

Art mentioned that these wolves had declared themselves enemies of the Ashen Empire, but that only raised more questions for her. Not only was she unaware of the many apparent run ins other packs had with this group, but where did the Ashen Empire currently stand with Ashen no more? She didn't exactly like the thought of being considered an enemy of this dangerous group of wolves when she had so many children back home to protect and she had no known contact with these wolves. It felt like she was being pulled into a war that wasn't hers, but with them at her doorstep she supposed she wouldn't have a choice regardless. Besides, The Hallows, Ethne, and Valta had all been close friends and valuable assents to this point. The wouldn't want to turn her back on them now regardless of the dissolution of Ashen.

As if her thoughts were following the same train of thought as Artorias, he brought up Ashen's disbandment and pointed out that many of the wolves here were never associated with the Empire. She glanced around at the other leaders again then, curious to their reactions to all of this. She had to reason to believe that Artorias would call them all here to tell them lies and slander about these wolves so she had to believe that the danger he was describing was real. Her family was no picture perfect case of moral good, but the shades of gray that they lived in seemed to at least be better than the darkness he was describing. Her ear flicked a bit when he seemed to read her mind–calling out the fact that they might not be a direct threat in this moment, but they could be in the future. With a frown she turned her gaze down to the map in front of them with heavy contemplation. She had known that whatever they would be meeting about it would be news of importance, but she hadn't expected something like this.

Luckily he opened up the floor to comments, information, and questions about this issue, but she waited for a moment, letting the others speak ahead of her. She was still so unsure of how to feel so she wanted to hear others weigh in first. Basilisk mentioned his previous encounters with Syndicate wolves and though he didn't say it outright he seemed to imply that his interactions had been far different than what Artorias was describing. What she picked up on quickly though was the fact that he hadn't spoken to their leader. Modesty, who she had yet to meet, but had heard about a bit from Deluge, gave quite the monologue in defense of herself and their pack's tendency to raids. Yet again she felt quite out of her depth and out of the loop in this regard. She blinked with confusion and her brows knit together at the mention of her mate's murderers being at this table, her dark gaze flicking one way and then the other as she tried to figure out who she was speaking about. She knew her mother's distaste of the Raiders back when they were known as the Pirates and led by Sparrow, but with her limited interaction in recent history being a couple of meetings with Deluge who had been nothing but pleasant and even amusing she had a hard time understanding the animosity that was being implied here. It made her want to meet with Modesty herself when all of this was done, but there were bigger issues at hand at the moment. The last comment Modesty made about having something waiting for Haydée after this made her eyes go to her friend with a disbelief. Haydée? No... Surely not.

Modesty boldly left the room and Haydée spoke, insisting that the accusation the Raider leader said was wrong–that he wasn't dead. Avacyn glanced between the door where Modesty disappeared through and back to Haydée again with a frown. She had no doubt that Haydée was telling the truth that Modesty's mate was alive and that they were taking care of him, but she couldn't help but have her doubts about the rest of the events that her friend spoke of. She wanted to believe her–she had been a friend and a confidant again and again so it hurt to have doubts now–but it just didn't seem to add up in her mind. Why did Modesty not know about the state of her mate? She was both surprised and not to hear that Haydée was stepping down to give Ethne to her sister because of all of the recent events. It was sad to hear, but it was reasonable. She wished she could hear the story from both sides to have a real idea of what had happened. Before that could happen though, the representative for Heidinn spoke, Philadelphia offering to be an outpost should they ever need to go to the Syndicate. It confirmed for her that the pack she had been told of was indeed these wolves that Art spoke of and she let out a long, quiet sigh through her nose at that fact. She had yet to really form any kind of opinion or relationship with Heidinn despite the fact that her father was familiar with Vidarr, but with these new developments she felt like it should probably be high priority to do just that. She didn't want to have a threat on one side and an unknown entity on the other.

That only left herself, Hanzō, and Kotori that hadn't spoken, but she had a feeling that the two men were not much for words. There was a beat of silence before she sighed and quietly said, "An eye for an eye will make the world go blind," with a glance toward Haydée before straightening a bit and turning her gaze back up toward Artorias. "As Philadelphia mentioned, it appears the Syndicate has settled in next door to our packs. I have unfortunately–or perhaps fortunately, if what you say is true–not made contact with the Syndicate yet. Family matters have kept me from doing more than putting an extra patrol on our shared border thus far. But... I do hesitate to cast blame on the entirety of this group if what Basilisk is implying is correct. It sounds like their leader is truly dark and lost to any sort of reason, but that doesn't mean every individual among them is. I'm not saying that action doesn't need to be taken, but I also don't know if I can condone casting every single wolf under his banner in the light you were just describing them as. I want more information about what we're dealing with."

"Avacyn Medacium"