There had been more pups to show up at the hunt than she'd expected, with no training for most of them and little real discipline. There were more pups and yearlings than there were adults in the pack, and many of the wolves were simply not capable or ranked where they could take on the responsibility. Katja had come to the inevitable conclusion. She was going to have to become involved. She'd been considering it for some time now, since her first encounter with Raisa's children, then later with the younger boy Sigmarr. It seemed it was the tradition not to begin training until they were a year old, but these pups wanted, needed their training to begin now. Did the yearlings they had as squires even have mentors as they were supposed to? Sitting nearby her den, perched on the half-fallen wall of the ruins, she sent out a call for the young of the pack to stir themselves and come to her. No matter what their interest in learning, she called for them to appear to a meeting. All yearlings, all pups over the age of six months would be required to attend, and any interested pups younger than that were welcome - adults could come as they pleased but this meeting concerned the children moreso. She would get this training sorted out. "Speech"

....into a land of enchantment. Thanks a lot, Tea. Now that song is stuck in my head.

Sindri kicked at the snow in front of her as she walked. The feel of the snow, the sound of it crunching, everything about it was amusing. When it had first begun to snow the little fae hadn't known what to think of it. The texture of it under her paws was alien and therefore unpleasant, and she'd gone out of her way to avoid stepping on it. Eventually contact with it had been inevitable and it came down to either slowly withering away or getting over it. Accepting that the substance wasn't dangerous, or however her body interpreted it, was hard, but eventually it became something she could do without thinking about. There was a certain amount of pride attached to this accomplishment; it gave her hope for other things that bothered her. With one final kick that sent snow flying, Sindri arrived at Katja's perch. She didn't look up until the last bit of displaced snow settled. Fixing mismatched eyes on the masked fae, the youngling's eyebrows quirked up curiously. Why was she here? Of course she'd come, the call had been very clear on that point, but it had been vague on everything else. Speaking - - Thinking

There was a call, and though both she and her companion had been reluctant to leave the warmth of the den, they would do just that. It wasn?t the most exciting to move through snow. It made things harder... And the chubby girl, despite her progress, absolutely despised when the stuff piled up and made it hard to get through. She had yet to grow into her body, legs still short, so walking through the snow to answer the call was a bit of a task. On top of that she hadn?t been feeling quite up to things... Feeling depression, even when the fox kit tried to rouse her and get her to do something. Where was Vaughan? Why hadn?t she seen him? The girl had felt a connection to the man, and to not see the high lord traveling around the lands was a sour disappointment. Svetlana had found it harder to keep up with her training, though Korrin would still push her. If not for the fox she would have done as Kassander had done, keeping to herself within a den for a long period of time... But... That was not how it should be. So, sadness or not, she forced herself to keep going. It was all she could do. Svetlana didn?t even look up at Katja as she sat in the snow near Sindri. Didn?t utter a word to either. There wasn?t much that made her happy anymore... Though seeing her Olympian siblings again had, for a time, brought her spirits back up. She loved them to death, and missed them, and they had distracted her. But now that sadness was back. She wasn?t sure what to do... She felt... Betrayed? Svet wasn?t sure. Korrin would look to her friend as Svetlana just plopped in the snow. She would give a soft sigh, approached the black ticked woman. They didn?t have a good relationship, though the fox was trying harder to keep herself respectful. Seeing Koros so well mannered, as well as wanting to ease Svetlana?s stress, was the credit for this. The fox?s gray eyes would meet Katja?s own, her voice soft, though she wasn?t entirely sure her friend was paying any attention anyway. ?Has Katja seen the high lord Vaughan? Svet has looked for Vaughan... Korrin as well... But it seems Vaughan is scarce... It?s been making Svet sad.? The fox would glance at her friend, honestly hoping that the viking had some sort of idea to brighten her friend?s mood. But soon Vaughan being gone would be a lesser problem... and it would be her own mother's absence that would hurt her. "Talk" "You" Think

Winter was a pain. Lior didn?t care for the cold, and searching for fresh herbs to study was hard. Most plants were killed off by the cold, and the gray pup didn?t care for the white snow that covered the ground. But at the call of the high lady she would leave her wanderings to answer. She moved through the snow quickly, paws crunching the cold white blanket beneath her paws. She wanted it to be summer again, when the days were nice and warm, even hot, but bearable in the shade. Then perhaps she could learn to swim as well.

The girl would slow as she arrived, seeing Svetlana, her friend, and another pup she didn?t know. Lior would pad closer, taking a seat close to Svet, though her gaze was fixed on the woman in front of her. There was the call for them to come together, though why she didn?t know. It was something important, she was sure, but she didn?t want to be here at the moment. She wanted to find Adelaide, or one of the other healers instead. They held topics that would interest her more she was sure... But the girl would remain quiet for now, waiting for others so that the high lady could tell them all why they were here.

Sigmarr moved across the snow in silent determination as he strolled toward Katja's call. His limbs moved with calculated precision. Stealth. He would know of this skill and he would master it before he was a yearling. That was his goal any way. It held also for the art of battle. The boy had trained with Katja before but there was still so much left to learn and he would not miss an opportunity to learn more. If he was to keep his promise to Val. Sindri and Svet were already there as well as a young wolf he didn't quite recognize. No sign of Kassander yet. He knew his brother wasn't fond of fighting but he hoped the other boy would show. Fighting was necessary to protect what they loved. He would not have his brother fall do to lack of training in the arts of war. "Morning Katja. Hey guys!" "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think It surprised her to hear another call by the Lady Katja specifically asking for the pups of the pack. She had seemed like such a serious lady before that Anais had thought she would have had very little patience for the young, especially since the younger pups of the pack were still young and more ready to play than they were to sit through a lesson. Shoot, Anais was still the same way, still venturing beyond the pack's borders out of curiosity and her insatiable need to wander on adventures. But the pack hunt had been very fun and more informative than she had ever guessed it would be - and she really did have a knack for hunting as she had thought! So eagerly, steps hurried in their trot, the gold-grey yearling girl headed to the location along the Steppe, past the place she knew the other yearling girl of the pack resided, to where Katja sat waiting. There were already a few there, Raisa's children mostly, and Lior. Anais smiled - she could hardly be around her younger sister without grinning - and wagging her tail she came up to stand beside her. "Hi Lior," she greeted, reaching down to nuzzle the girl's cheek before she glanced around again and whispered curiously, "Has she said anything yet?" It would do no good to miss out on what needed to be said; she doubted Katja would have called them together for nothing.

Walk | Talk | Think

Callisto answered the call for the pups and yearlings not because she wanted to but because it was expected. As far as she was concerned her time was better spent elsewhere, collecting herbs and plants, training with Max, harassing Adelaide with questions about the epidemic that she had not been able to see first hand being holed up inside of her den as one of the sick. She had missed out on quite a bit of training during the epidemic, all that time that she could have been shadowing Adelaide and learning not just technique but bedside manner as well. She really did need to work on that. Now that she was well she was doing her part to make up for the lost time, and this meeting, even if it turned out to be straightforward and short, was taking her away from that again.

A small handful of the younger pack members were present, as well as the other yearling girl who smiled too much, and so Callisto said nothing as she stepped into their midst to take a seat at the meeting. She knew none of them, at least not personally. They might have been glanced at from afar at a meeting, but she had never had time for making friends with those her age, or below it. She was far too single-minded for that. Training to become a healer, to learn what she could about the plants that surrounded them, whether it be good or bad: that was what she cared about.

Silvery blue eyes stared out of an unsmiling, disinterested face as she waited for Katja to say what was necessary, her tail twitching just a little against her dark grey leg as she willed herself to be more patient.

Kassander wasn't usually so late to things. He liked to think of himself as being punctual, and the fact that he was not so right now had a feeling of guilt gnawing at his stomach. He'd been on his way to visit Elsa and Hajime's pups to play with them when Katja's call came. He'd wasted time frozen with indecision on the path to Hajime's den, knowing he needed to go to the meeting but having dedicated himself to the duty of babysitting today he was having a hard time shifting gears. By the time he'd shaken off that paralyzing dithering, he was already too late to be among the first there, and besides that he was all the way over in the rock garden while the high lady was calling from the stone steppe. Finally arriving he found himself instead among the last, and Katja looking very impatient and annoyed. He slunk in, embarrassed, and sat stiffly next to Svet and her fox friend to wait to see what Katja wanted with all the kids. "Talk" "You" Think

There were wolves missing yet, but Katja could not continue to wait for them. A meeting full of nothing but children, with only one adult, and nothing happening to keep their interest, was just asking for trouble. Before the pups could get too bored she would need to get this underway. Silver eyes gleamed down at the pups and squires, evaluating and thoughtful. "Wondering why you were called, I am sure you are," she began, waiting no longer for the missing younglings. "Know I do not how much your parents do tell you of Ebony, but in my eyes you are all old enough to know. Ebony does not have enough adults to continue to care for all the pups of the pack, with more mouths to feed on the way." Her tone was quite serious, making it clear that this was not a subject to make light of, though matter-of-fact enough to hopefully not frighten the children, for it wasn't something to be feared as much as it was simply something that needed fixing. "Old enough you all are to begin training, to begin to contribute to the pack in the manner of adults. Some already are," she acknowledged, with a nod to the squires, "but the manner is haphazard and ill-organized. Remedy that, we must. For those who have begun your training, I must know - what training are you doing, and who do you be doing your training with? For those who have not begun formal training, for the pups - what are you interested in learning? Hunting? Battle? Healing?" Her eyes swept over the assembled ranks of younglings seriously. "All will learn the basics of hunting and defense and first aid, for all must contribute when the starving times are upon us, or when war comes to our homes, or in an emergency when a healer is not immediately available, but most of your training will focus on one or two things. What I need is for you to consider carefully your interests and tell me this, that I may find you a mentor to oversee your learning." She stopped speaking and sat back to allow the pups time to consider. They were rather young to begin their official training by the traditions of most packs in this land, but at an age when they would have been expected to take up adult duties were they vikings she knew they were old enough to handle training regardless of the tradition.

The eldest wolf of Bane and Tahlia strode behind Kailos and Jakart. Another meeting.?Nako slightly miffed that there was yet another one. The feathers woven into his neck brushed along his shoulders in the breeze that came over the steppe. Deaf ear flicking all the while as Nako made his way to the conglomerate called by Katja. The three brothers strode closer, Kailos giving a stumble in the deep snow at the edge of the meeting. So many wolves, their sisters already having arrived. Nako touched his chin to Kailos's head as all five of the siblings sat together just as Katja got to speaking.

A meeting for training, as indicated by the howl now confirmed by her words. Why did Jakart and he need to come when their father was doing already training them? Nako's brown creased in confusion. An assumption had probably made by the howler. The yearling couldn't blame the wolf in not knowing what they were being taught during the winter. There had been lots of hunkering down for the pack as the middle of winter rolled by and waiting for the sickness to be go away.

Nako bold addressed Katja with a raising of his chin raise. "Excuse me? Mam? My father has led me and my brother on several hunts, even sparring with us. I can say it has helped us learn the ways of things.?Perhaps parents should be the first ones to teach their young to find out their interests. More accepting of a parents teaching and such than suddenly one on one with a stranger. Even if a packmate. So I'm thinking the my sister and brother, Kailos and Lior, first spend a few weeks being taught the basics so that the pupless wolves can be freed up for their duties until the time comes. A more staggered pace if you, will rather then a sudden onrush of pups to teach." Nako's deaf ear twitched nervously. Was that even a good idea?

Sigmarr waited impatiently for everyone else to arrive. He was ready to get this thing going! He'd been training under Katja before but everything had been disrupted by that stupid plague and he was ready to continue. He remembered his defenses? well? most of them? some of them. Soon though Katja began to talk and Sigmarr's focus immediately zeroed in on her, his fidgeting stopping in almost an instant. What she was saying made sense and Sigmarr was excited to have some of the responsibilities of an adult. Yea! He wasn't a pup any more anyway! "You and I were training in fighting Katja. I want to learn to become a skilled warrior. I also would like to learn some of hunting? and maybe some healing." He shrugged a little at the last one. He'd entrust the healing knowledge to his brother Kassander. That was more his thing any how but Sigmarr supposed it wouldn't hurt to know at least a little of each skill but fighting was his focus. "Talk" "You" Think

Katja had Sindri's undivided attention, which was rare for the youngling. Most of the time she was torn between points of interest, but the subject being discussed interested her. Training. It was something she'd been looking forward to. Plants in particular interested her; hunting and killing, while important, required a certain amount of touching that annoyed her. As much as she wanted to get over the aversion, she also wished to not have to deal with it and was solidly torn over the matter, so the idea that she would be subject to all of the above to some degree was both terrifying and thrilling. Shifting her weight, Sindri's gaze flitted around the gathered young wolves as each threw out their opinions. The one boy in particular who seemed to oppose Katja interested her, and while he spoke, she listened. From there her gaze moved back to Katja, curious as to what her reply would be. In any case, she silently applauded the boy for speaking up. Sindri herself was rather quiet on the matter. She had opinions, sure, but unless asked they would remain hers. It wasn't shyness that kept her mute, but something she couldn't quite describe. Speaking - - Thinking

Walk | Talk | Think

To the impatient yearling's relief, the masked woman did not bother waiting for the whole lot of young wolves to show up and proceeded to address them very soon after Callisto herself had showed up. Surprised by the quickness, she listened almost contentedly, assuming the meeting to be done very soon if this was any indication of how it might go overall. And the details were revealed in short order, the purpose for calling them all together: training. She should have assumed it, though the worrisome fact that Katja had mentioned, about the pups outnumbering the adults and leaving fewer available to mentor the young, was news to Callisto. Even so, she was little surprised; she had a one track mind most of the time. Healing and herbs and plants.

Once the masked woman had opened the floor, leaving it for them to offer up their preferred school of training, one of the males present spoke up, one of the three who tended to pal around with the girl who smiled too much - brothers of hers, Callisto guessed. The suggestions he made were somewhat conflicting with what Katja was saying, and she could sense a discussion ready to revolve around it if someone took the bait to begin that discussion. It was not what the shadowy, black and grey girl wanted at all. It was an unnecessary delay; she had no parents anymore. And besides she was already training with Maximous, and she really had no intention of changing that.

Likely that was a little known fact, however. Those arrangements had only been discussed with Vaughan when he had accepted her and then Max himself when she had relayed the training message to him. It seemed time to enlighten Katja about it as well. "I'm already training," she stated when the other young male had finished voicing his own preference. The sooner she explained her own particular situation, the sooner she might be released to keep doing just as she said. "Maximous is teaching me about plants and healing." Silvery blue eyes fixed on Katja, Callisto hoped her answer would be enough to free her from this meeting already.

Katja didn?t respond to the young fox?s inquiry about Vaughan, which could only make Korrin believe that the woman did not know. The fox would fall back next to her friend, giving Kassander a little smile when he arrived. ?Greetings Kass.? The young kit would say before looking back to Katja. The woman was addressing them now. Gray gaze would flick to Svetlana, who though she was looking at Katja seemed less than happy about the subject. Her friend would sigh, gently nudging her after a couple others had spoke. Svetlana?s ears were lowered as she addressed the woman, a visual sign of the sadness that was also betrayed in her voice. ?I was trying to see if my mother would allow Vaughan to teach me fighting and hunting...? The girl would say no more than that, blue eyes falling to the ground. Korrin would glance down at her friend, giving a soft sigh before looking at Katja as well. ?Svet and Korrin have also been doing exercises, going on runs, to help build stamina in the mean time.? She would add. Surely the woman would have an answer for what they were all to do. "Talk" "You" Think

A couple others would arrive after the gray girl, including her own sister. Dull blue eyes would flick to her, shining happily. She was glad that Anais had made it, even if she wasn?t exactly sure what they were being called for. It was something that Katja would surely explain soon enough. She would shake her head at her sister?s question, answering back in a soft whisper. ?No, not yet. I think that she will soon though.? The younger girl would stick close to Anais? side, pressing into her sister?s coat gently. Before long the black ticked woman would indeed begin to speak.

So the pack was having trouble...? With so little adults... She hadn?t even thought of that. Plus there were more pups on the way... The girl would look to Anais as she thought on her answer. She knew most of it, but she was considering one last skill. Fighting. Her brother would come in those, speaking up. That might work for some families... But she didn?t think it would work for all. She didn?t tell Nako that though, because she thought at the very least for her own siblings and herself it would be fine.

Gaze would shift to the woman, speaking up now.

?Ma?am I?ve already expressed interest in learning to heal and have asked miss Adelaide to be my mentor, which she agreed to. I also want to double up and be an effeciant hunter too, so I can help in both skills efficiently. I?m not keen on fighting... Though I?m ready to learn the basics I think.?

Walk | Talk | Think With the meeting beginning, Anais spotted her brothers wandering in to the group and smiled their way, allowing a little wag of her tail to say hello without speaking. Katja was getting ready to explain their purpose for being here, and she in no way wanted to miss out on hearing what had caused her to gather all of them in one place. Surely it had to be important, especially since she wa typically such a serious individual herself. With one last glance at Jakart, Kailos, and Nako, she let her yellow-gold eyes shift back to the masked woman who addressed them all and quietly listened. The news was exciting, at least to her. Katja wanted them all to begin training, to pick aspects of pack life that they wanted to focus on and to gain mentors to help them better their skill. Anais's ears perked with interest, her golden eyes sparkling excitedly. Training! It sounded just as fun as exploring and adventuring were, and not even the thought of having to sit still and focus more than she was used to intimidated her anymore. Maybe she was maturing, changing. Whatever the case, her smile brightened and her tail wagged again, her eagerness almost a tangible thing. To her surprise, it was her brother who spoke up first, adding his own suggestion to the mix that most of the early training be left to the pup's parents to help free up available mentors for those older youths. It seemed reasonable, though it was near impossible to read Katja's expression and understand her thoughts. And then others began voicing their thoughts, their preferences - even little Lior! - and she figured she ought to too. "I wouldn't mind having a hunting trainer," she stated, hoping it would be heard. Much like her own mother, Katja was a bit intimidating, and it stole a little of Anais's natural courage from her voice. And, it was true, her mother might have been a good first starting point to learn hunting tips from, but the grey-gold youth was always eager to meet new faces. Surely there was more to be learned from being trained by someone else alongside her mother too.

As the other young wolves spoke up, Kassander at first kept his peace, letting them all talk over each other. Some said they wanted to fight, some wanted to heal, and one older girl said she wanted to hunt. A few didn't speak up at at all, including Sindri. One even argued that his younger siblings should be able to get training from their parents instead of just letting them answer the question themselves. Kassander's ears flicked back in uncertainty and a little irritation - so many people wanted to learn healing, but there were only two adult healers in the pack so they wouldn't be able to get their own mentors, would they? They'd all have to share, and he wouldn't be able to continue the intensive one-on-one training he'd gotten with Elsa. Oh if only Elsa were still alive... He'd have to work fifty times harder than everyone else to be the best and learn what he needed to know. Clearing his throat nervously he finally spoke up. "I want to heal," he said quietly. "I was learning from Elsa before she died, and I'd been watching Adelaide and Maximous when they were taking care of the plague..." He trailed off, feeling strangely like he was bragging and not wanting to give his siblings that impression just as he was starting to get along with them again. "Talk" "You" Think

Katja just let them talk. She paid attention to what they said, but she made no reply until they'd talked themselves out as much as they would, with Kassander bringing up the rear. Finally as they fell quiet, she spoke again. "It is the responsibility of the parents to be doing earliest training, yes. But your siblings do be long past that age, boy, and do be ready for real training, to be fostered to another who will mentor them and train them. There is not one wolf I have called here who has not reached that age." Her silver gaze swept them then, including more than just the boy who had asked the question. "If you have expressed an interest in the fighting and hunting then will I be finding you a mentor among the Ebon Knights to best match your interest. Healing, and you will be apprenticed among the healers. Only the very basics will you be required to learn among the other branch if you do not wish to learn more on your own." Her gaze turned stern - well, more stern. "Those who do not take opportunity to state a preference shall not be gaining a mentor and shall not be progressing in the ranks or their studies. If more time you need for making a decision, state so and time you shall have. But guess at your preferences I will not. The gods have not granted me the ability to see into minds and I will not flail in the dark. If you cannot follow the instructions I gave you, perhaps you are not ready to be apprenticed at all." Her gaze rested on them, awaiting the last few to state a preference for what they wanted to learn - if they did not, there would be consequences. OOC: Third round replies for those who have not actually stated a preference (EACH WOLF MUST HAVE STATED WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN) will be due Saturday the 12th. Those who have already given a preference will be optional but more than welcomed. "

Nako's good ear remained still as Katja spoke, brow narrowing in confusion. If the parents were good at their jobs and progress was constantly being made why should they defer to a stranger who didn't know them? Wasn't it a fair idea to have young comfortable and relaxed while they explored their prefered job in the pack? A point could be made that young had to meet strangers and get out of their comfort zone. But the unknown fellows that were to be their mentors could still be unnerving to a pup. Unless the young wanted a job that a parent wasn't knowledgable in then should they have a teacher.?The yearling didn't want to cause problems but the fact that if somebody was good at their job then let them do it unmolested and without third party meddling.

Jakart nosed his shoulder with the same confused expression that he wore. Bane was doing a fine job of training them. Constantly pushing the brothers hard in both body and mind. And they were better for it. Nako felt the feathers twist along his neck at the almost nonexistent breeze. This was so confusing, but the meeting had to conclude and Nako wasn't for standing around while Katja postured and spoke of what will happen is concrete and nonflexible. For now he would appeal to Katja, speaking for Jakart after his brother whispered into his ear. "My brother's Kailos, Jakart and myself would like to be?Ebon-Knights." Nako hoped this response would placate the female.

The little fae started kneading at the snow underfoot. The voices floated around her; bouncing off the trees, off the rocks, off the wolves, and Sindri heard each ricochet to varying degrees. For a moment her attention became focused on marveling at this, but she quickly snapped out of it, fighting hard to focus on the meeting. Finally Katja spoke again, devoting time to answering the questioning boy before addressing the group. Sindri wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do yet; there wasn't any one thing that interested her. Hunting was out and so was fighting, so if those were the only options given than there was really only one choice for her. "Healing." The choice wasn't exactly a match, but an answer was expected so one was given. Healing were good and all, but she was interested in the plants themselves, not patching up wolves. It would have to do. Speaking - - Thinking