The sounds of winter were deafening in their silence. So far the search for the cure had been... unproductive. It was not that her Sola Knights were not trying, but rather nothing like this had ever been seen before. It was certainly a dampener on the spirits. The queen found herself reflecting on every memory she had of her own interactions with healers, interspersed with missing her deceased friend Elsa dearly. How cruel that she be taken from them just as this illness ravages the land... It seemed no coincidence. What on earth had they done to deserve it? She sighed, and settled her head onto her paws. The sun had just set, and while the sky still held its last vestiges of color and light, it was bitingly cold. Raisa could not bring herself to retreat over the rise and seek her den, where she knew Koros rested. Like as not her children would be returning from their day's adventures and settling in as well. She would wait for that. Until then, the brooding Queen contented herself with turning her back to the wind and watching a crescent moon rise. "Talk" "You" Think

All was quiet in Ebony, the combination of winter and sickness reducing the pack to a silent conglomerate of wolves just trying to get by. Bane would know, his mate and youngest pup had caught the blood tears. That's what he called it, for it was the most obvious symptom of the sickness. Restless nights guarding the sick den where his stricken family members were quarantined. The four other healthy pups were all crammed into the second den, little Lior finding warmth and playmates with her brothers and sister while this epidemic lasted. And as to what Bane was doing in the Rock Garden... he still had a family to feed. Lemmings were amidst their burrows frequented under the more larger rocks. It made for some sport to try and catch them as well as take his mind off of things.

The mountain winter was not kind this year. Thick snowfall having saturated the ground from the grey clouds. Almost like the ash from the volcano eruption that had brought him to this land all those years ago. Always the need for shelter and to keep moving. The rodents little head poked out failed to notice the pale, snow covered wolf until it was too late. Pinned. Snapped up in a few bites. Still hungry, as would be his family tonight. Food required food to find more food. And Bane simply wasn't having any luck today.

The elder had scented the other wolf for a few moments before eating the rodent. Her knew this wolf from the scent surrounding and protecting the lands that letting others know who lived here. He'd never met her in a one on one conversation, or even seen her in general. But Bane still felt duty bound to talk to her, a shiver from the chilly evening fogging his steady breaths as the surrounding mountain's shadow's cast over their territory ended the Ebony wolves day early. As the twice banished approached the one called Raisa his paws naturally widen with each step so he wouldn't sink into the snow. The crunch of the frozen snow as well as the wind's direction gave way his presence. He cleared his throat and stood a few paces behind her, giving a grunt as he lay down. "My matriarch. Are you well?" Bane rumbled as he shifted on his belly.

That Raisa was not alone did not surprise her. In fact, she was rarely alone these days for even a moment. This did not bother the woman, far from from it! She found the presence of others comforting after so long in exile, especially on nights such as this. Was it her children perhaps, or her foster children instead? A knight reporting on a patrol, or a rogue too far from home. She turned to cast her gaze over her shoulder, searching for her newest companion. It was a face she had seen only in passing, once or twice. He was Ebony's oldest member for all she knew, but that meant little and less these days. As an alpha, she had been devoting more time to her ever growing family than the wolves she had sworn to protect. I must correct that... she noted. She searched for only a moment before producing his name. "Bane, lovely to see you this evening. I'm simply thinking, which is neither good nor bad. How has the day treated you?" This seemed a lucky turn of events. The sooty queen had been meaning to seek the elder out for quite some time, as after his family, and his council. She was no fool, she knew that within the mind of those who had seen the ways of the world for so much longer than she could fathom lay a treasure worth mining for. She hoped the man would sit a while and talk with her, but the hour was late and the air chilled. She would not hold him against his wish. "Talk" "You" Think

The snow had a momentary cool sensation on his stomach before his body heat countered it. The elders mind attempted to put a name to the face before him. Raisa. Alpha Raisa. The she-wolf spoke to him in greetings, Bane's tail giving a wag in good tidings as he dipped his head. How was his day? His day was ok. His four other pups showed no signs of sickness and for that he was thankful. "I'm doing fine Alpha Raisa. My young are all in their den and warm though a little hungry."

Bane's raised his muzzle with a unsure expression creasing his brow. "I wanted to ask at the meeting, the one you were absent from and Vaughan assembled. And it's about my status here. Ebony knight. Its... not very fitting for one such as myself. I was thinking of more Sola Knight. Wisdom and knowledge is more my forte. Not fighting though I can defend myself, counters, grabbing muzzles and redirecting their energy in away from me. But it's the things I've seen and known that push me to ask of this." Bane gave a heavy breath and crawled the few more paces between them, eye catching the glow of the moon and the reflection on the snow.

The man seemed to think that his request was out of place, or out of line. The queen happened to disagree, and pondered why the man seemed so reluctant to ask this of her. Perhaps simply on the basis of unfamiliarity, or was there more? Regardless, the sooty fae smiled and waved his concern away with a toss of the muzzle. "You needn't fret, Sir Bane. Far be it from me to detain you. If you feel the order of the Sola Knights is more suitable to you, I heartily agree. Consider yourself so from this moment on." She would notify Vaughan of course, and perhaps Adelaide as well. She had seen little and less of Maximous lately, though his scent markers were apparent enough. She herself had been skittish, hanging to the fringes even so. It seemed sometimes that nothing but her children drove the woman to push the limits, to do all she could for her pack. In times such as these, we must have unity, she thought. Never had she respected her mother more for holding together a kingdom so much larger than Raisa's own. She yearned for the woman's council, the woman she had despised for so long. But she was beginning to understand... Shaking herself out of her thoughts, in the guide of fluffing her fur against a gust of wind, she asked, "Is there anything else that troubles you?" It was nice simply talking to her packmate, despite the cold. It was a calm night, all things considered. Quiet, and peaceful. She knew it to be nothing but a lull, but she was grateful nonetheless. "Talk" "You" Think

Bane heard her words and dipped his chin so that it touched the snow. A mix of gratitude and relief were expressed as he looked up at his alpha with his one eye. This meant a lot to him. It meant energy that he could devote to his offspring and not patrolling. Feed them. Guide them in the first stages of their life. There was still hope that Tahlia and Kailos would be better and not stricken with the sickness. He needn't worry anymore about summing up the courage to ask the alpha he'd just met about a rank change. It wasn't really a change at all, more like a duty shift. To speak wise words and instruct packmates and their young. A fine job in the pack his family had settled down to be apart of.

The mountain breeze picked up for a moment and Bane looked away before staring back at Raisa. Did he need anything else? Besides the fact that family members were sick and he hadn't caught anything in the past few days, the elder though that he was doing fine. It wasn't about him anymore. It was about finding a cure and a way to spend his time then making sure the sick wolves stayed in the quarantined den. The elder stood and shook off the snowfall that clung to his pelt.?"I uh, I should go. Need to try and keep hungry family fed M'lady." Bane paused when he stood with a glance at his alpha's direction. He didn't know it, but it was first and only time he would talk to her. A cordial and respectful female. The grey wolf spent a moment wishing the world had more wolves like her as he focused on his hunt amidst the boulders.

-Exit Bane & End Thread-