With the festival over it was time for the pack to settle back into a normal routine. The lake region's border had once more been closed to outsiders, and she'd been sending the pack's few hunters out far beyond those borders for prey, allowing the beasts whose populations had diminished from overhunting begin to recover. One thing had become clear to her during the time following the bl?t - she could no longer continue holding on to the idea that Raisa was going to come back, that a viking could ever hope to teach the Xanilov pups to be royalty and to take over where their mother had left off. Ebony had failed the Xanilovs, or they had failed it, but the fact was that it was not and could no longer be hoped to be the Xanilov's domain. Perhaps that was why the gods had allowed the Xanilov pups to be taken from her in battle, why her aunt and cousin had lost their pack and vanished, why Freyja had encouraged the idea of the festival. She was meant to rule this pack in the Finnvi way, to be the sole Finnvi heir and to bring their ways to this world. The truth had become clear at the bl?t, when blood streaked her pelt and the iron tang in her nose and mouth had brought her once more into communion with the gods. They had not abandoned her - she had abandoned them. The clarity had come at a terrible cost but the gods would not accept a sacrifice if it was easy. She was ready to accept her fate and it was with a lighter, more fervent step that she made her way to a perch atop a ruined wall, more a cairn of rocks than anything recognizable. Her voice rang across the lands of Ebony in a low, demanding tone. The whole pack, small as it was, must come together once more for the first time since Raisa's disappearance, and new wolves must be welcomed into their ranks. OOC: this meeting is MANDATORY for all current members and will introduce the new rules IC as well as mark the start of OOC rules. Prospective members are welcome to post here to join as well. Posts due Friday August 29th by 11:59 PM ALA time.

The golden behemoth would catch the call from her regent, the vocals foreboding and demanding her presence. With a yawn, the lounging female would rise to her immense paws and come lumbering toward the meeting. Her den was no longer part of Ebony's territory, but that didn't mean she would abandon it. She rather liked the Rock Garden, and felt no need to leave it. She was still close to the pack, and still preformed her duties. As she crossed back into their borders, massive head would rise, breath slipping into her nostrils as she scented the air. No trespassers as of yet, and that was good, she would give the borders a once over after the meeting, and then return to her den. Steel cords of musculature rippled beneath her thinning coat of spun gold, banded forelimbs pulling her effortlessly forward with no real regard for the noise she might make every time one of her huge paws struck the terra.
Entering the view of her queen, the giantess found that none of the others had arrived. No problem, that meant she could have her choice of seating. "Good day, Drottning, I can see you are looking much better than when we last spoke." She rumbled with a soft grin, dipping her head respectfully. It was becoming easier to tone down her naturally flirtatious ways, but she was slowly coming to find that her queen did not enjoy the casual winks and things that slid into a conversation with her. Haunches would fall to the terra not far from her superior, cornflower blue optics flicking over the surrounding area while she waited, surveying the area her queen had chosen for the meeting.
OOC: Oh man crappy post am sorryyyy

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Maximous would make his way silently from his den at Firefly Lake to the Stone Steppe where, Ebony's Drottning, had called him along with all of the other wolves of Ebony to. He never complained when he was called to her side, nor when another would call him to their side. If the call was an urgent one he always brought herbs with him and if it wasn't an urgent call then he may or may not have a plant or two hanging from his jaws.

Today Max had decided that the usual plants he carried with him were not a necessary thing. So he did not bring them, and in turn hoped that Katja would not want him to return to his den to retrieve them. Then again he couldn't think of a reason for her to send him as she herself was healing nicely and he did not currently know of anyone carrying pups...though it was a possibility for one of the she wolves to be pregnant and for him to not know about it.

There were only 11 wolves left in Ebony, counting himself. All but one of his students had left the pack, and in a way that had made his job a tad bit easier. Now he didn't have to juggle three students and all of the other packs members as well. Having one student wasn't difficult but even if it was he wouldn't dare complain.

Now he would simply bow before the alpha as he had always done, and when he would rise a friendly smile would be upon his maw. "It is pleasure to see you again lady Katja." he would greet the Drottning before turning to Sigyn and giving the honey colored Thegn a smile and greeting as well. "And it is good to see you again as well Sigyn." his voice would fill the air and then his tail end would meat the gowned beneath him.

When Svetlana left Ebony lands it was as if the girl was born again. She felt weight lift from her shoulders, light returning back to her light blue eyes. Her course was set on a single destination -- Ebony. Her home. Olympus was pushed to the back of her mind, as well as her mixed feelings towards it. The girl moved with purpose, her small companion bounding beside her. Once more Svet held her head and tail with pride, carried herself with life. Her shackles were broken... And it was time to take control of her life again. As she neared the borders the howl for a meeting would rise. Katja. The woman had fought for her and her siblings and lost them... But Svet did not blame her. The woman bled for them, did all she could to keep her oath to her mother. Raisa had not returned. Would never return, she realized. But it didn?t matter anymore. She had her own role and life to play. One day, she prayed, she would take what her mother left behind and abandoned and shape it into something stronger... Something that would stand firm. The girl would pad up, gaze flicking just for a moment towards another present, before Svetlana would stand within Katja?s line of sight and dip her head. ?I?m home...? The Xanilov would say softly. She would lift her gaze to Katja, respect within those bright hues. ?There is much I wish to say to you Katja... But it can come later with just this said for now:: Thank you for everything you have done for us.? There was no blame for the woman losing to Virgil. Only gratitude for taking Ebony and keeping it alive. Korrin would remain silent at her companion?s side for now, but the fox?s bright eyes were on the black ticked woman now as well. She had grown as well, no longer such an annoying little creature. Nowhere near as regal as Koros had been when it came to serving Raisa, but the girl balanced her friend out and had matured. They had both grown. "Hear Me Talk," "Listen To Korrin," 'Read My Thoughts.'

Another would appear at the Ebony meeting just as the Xanilov child made her return. Galahad?s green eyes would flick towards Katja, giving a respectful nod, though if the Drottning would pay him any mind right now was probably not as likely. This girl smelled of another pack, but appeared to have once been a member of Ebony. The male would leave the moment to her, and the fox at her side, instead turning his attention on a pack mate he did not know. A massive golden woman, bigger than even him. He would give her a gentle smile, taking a seat and preparing for the meeting that was to come. ?Greetings.? She was a fellow member of Ebony... And the male wondered what rank she held. The body of a fighter, certainly, but was that the title she chose to carry? ?My name is Galahad, one of the thegn of the pack. What is your name?? He wanted to get to know the others more readily, so keeping an eye at the meeting and learning names and titles was definitely a must. "Speech" Think

And her voice found his ears. Sound rose to his paws at the woman's call. That voice. That voice of hers beckoning him to come to her again. The woman that he called his leader. Upon the conclusion of the festival, He'd been inclined to leave. To disappear away into the shadows, something he was good at. They would have never seen him again. Maybe even never known he'd been missing. But no. He'd been compelled to stay. It was the monster in him. At that display of Katja's true nature, the monster inside of him came alive, a new fire burning behind the locked gates of his chest. Watching her display had made that monster drool with lust. If ever there was someone who's soul he wanted to devour, it was hers. That monster wanted to see. Wanted to feel just how strong her conviction was. In short. She was not good for him. And he knew it. But he had not the strength to tear himself away from Ebony. Not yet. No, something was holding him here. And he imagined it was the same thing that was driving him away. Such was the condition of living as a monster. Knowing that you could never be a good soul no matter how hard you tried. He could never be a savior. A creator, a leader. No, Sound could only destroy. He was just a little monster too weak to bear living with a soul. So, with the call still fresh in his ears, Sound took his first measured step from his hiding place among the ruins and made his way along with the same measured and even stride that he always carried. His face and body language appearing as the every always did. This was one of his many rules. Always keep that which can be used against you inside of you. Display nothing of who you are. He'd seen the woman a time or two sense joining, but hadn't uttered a word the entire time he'd been with Ebony. Not once had any of them heard his voice. And he liked it that way. So, making his way into the gathering crowd, he looked not to his left, nor to his right. His eyes didn't wander around. No, from as soon as he could see her, he fixed Katja with his gaze, as if trying to bore into her. And he sat. And thus, the Bitter Heart was present at this meeting. I Wanna Live Forever!!

Val stood downwind of the gathering, chest uncomfortably tight. She struggled against allowing her breathing to become frantic, reminding herself that calm and collected was much preferred to blind panic. What was she doing here? She should never have come back! She'd found her niche in life, and even if it was equal parts hard work and struggle, she'd settled. What was it about these memories that kept dragging her mind back to the rock fields and the lake side, to the home she'd left behind? It was hardly sunshine and daisies. She'd heard the call and realized in one breath that she'd found her way back to Ebony lands, and in the next that she had turned to heed it. Perhaps it was her last conversation with Sigmarr, which haunted her like an angry wraith. How could she had left him on those terms, so... enraged at her? She couldn't remember ever seeing him that angry, not even when they'd bickered with Kass when they were young. She drew air into her lungs, letting it's muggy humor weigh her down before she convinced herself to take flight. She let the scent of home overwhelm her. It was her home, she convinced herself, whether she wished it or not. Sig had been right. Where was the honor in forsaking those who loved you? She had never found her mother, and it had been an unhappy day when she realized she was doing exactly as Raisa had. Like mother, like daughter, she thought with a dry humor. The memory of her soot-coated mother still left a sour taste in her mouth. How could she miss someone like that? But in the same breath it gave her faith that perhaps her siblings missed her too, and that they might even forgive her for her absence. She took careful steps forward, conscious of all the ways she had changed and uncomfortable with them. She waited with desperate baited breath, wondering who might notice her first. "Talk" "You" Think

Kassander had kept to himself in Olympus, shocked and emotionally battered by his unexpected claiming into the pack of the woman he'd thought loved them as Raisa did. That just went to show how much motherly love really meant to people didn't it? Raisa abandoning them - again - and Virgil kidnapping them without even asking. He might have been ok with being there if she'd ever spent any time with them but she'd had them brought there and then gotten herself pregnant and ignored them completely. The part of him that desperately wanted to be a healer urged him to seek her out but she was always unavailable so even in that capacity he'd never seen her. Then she'd been sent away without a word to any of her children, blood or adopted. He hadn't known until one of the Olympus wolves had called a meeting - he'd crept shyly into the bushes near the meeting to listen, not wanting to miss anything but unable to put himself into the spotlight here in this pack. Virgil was gone, and this new alpha was letting people leave, and that's all he needed to hear. As Svetlana left, Kassander quietly followed, shadowing her much as her own fox did, all the way here. He'd fallen far enough behind, distracted by the familiar scents and sights of the pack's lands, that he'd not reached the Ebony border yet when he heard the call. Katja, calling for a meeting. So she was still the alpha here, then? He followed the sound, but when he reached the steppes he hesitated, his months in Olympus alone having immersed him once more in his shy introverted nature. But the sight of Svetlana so mature, sitting among the Ebony wolves once more, and a few moments later Valeriya stepping in among the pack, urged him forward. But he couldn't let his siblings down by acting like a whipped cur... instead he took a moment to take a few deep breaths before forcing himself into some semblance of calm dignity before joining them, forehead pressing against Val's shoulder in a gesture loving, apologetic, welcoming, a little of all of them mixed together. "I'm glad you came back," he whispered to her, "I missed you," before settling next to Svet. He tried to turn his attention to Katja, but inwardly he was both delighted to have some of his family back together, and saddened that both Sindri and Sigmarr had not appeared. "Talk" "You" Think

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Quiet had finally settled in over Ebony with the changing of the season and the end of the festival, leaving the pack within a peaceful calm. Callisto basked in it, reveled in the freedom she had regained to walk clear across all the territories without the possibility of being stopped by a stranger for some pointless conversation. Training had picked up again as well, which she was grateful of. It had been hard to focus on anything within the pack lands what with the lakeside being visited frequently by strangers and guests alike. But everything was finally back to normal again, and it seemed with the norm came another meeting. She was quite cheerful as she moved to answer the call, though as was her custom it was not noticeable. Her expression was still set in its typical stoic mask, her thin, angular features straight and inexpressive. Her silvery blue eyes betrayed nothing as they scanned the terrain ahead, just a relatively short distance from the place along the Steppe that she had claimed as hers. If anything, her good mood might only have been visible within the ease and near bounce of her step, the loping gait she had picked up pleasantly carrying her along toward the gathering. What she found was a mixture of familiar faces and strangers, old wolves that she recognized and others that were foreign and new. The sight of the new wolves - recently added residents to Ebony from the festival? - brought her up short, and her quick pace quickly slowed into something more reserved, more inconspicuous. Quietly, with her eyes searching across the faces of those that she walked past, the shadowy girl proceeded to find a place by the only wolf there who she had come to regard as the closest thing she had to a friend: Maximous. His dark form, with his bright eyes and the purple-dyed marking situated upon his brow, was sought out, and without a word, only trying just to catch his eye for acknowledgement, Callisto seated herself beside him, straightening a little as she awaited to hear what it might be that Katja had to tell them now. Image by Maka.

Katja watched as the wolves of Ebony began to trickle in. A few spoke to her - Sigyn she answered in a simple word of affirmation while Maximous was given a curt nod of greeting. It was the next to arrive that caused her to stiffen, and all other greetings were lost in the intensity of the moment. Why now, would the Xanilovs choose to return? First Svetlana, then Valeriya, then Kassander, three of the five prodigal children moved to take places among the pack. Why now? She had been so certain... Had it all been for nothing? No... No, she was fortunate. Freya had seen fit to send a sign to her, a warning lest she make a serious mistake. A warning lest the message brought by Auora be in vain. Ebony was not hers. It never had been. Once more she had skirted too closely to the line in the fulfillment of her oaths. Once more she had nearly been burned. So, very well. This was not the time, not the place for her ambitions to be realized. She would simply have to hold to the patience given her by the gods, hold and wait in calm and readiness. Silver eyes slid from one pup to another - no, not pups. They were children no longer, but adults in their own right. Able to care for themselves, and more... for a pack. It was time to shed herself of the burden of an oath she had no more need to shoulder. Not all the pack was there, but enough that it would make little difference. Her carefully chosen words were tossed away, to leave her floundering for new words in a language but recently familiar to her. "Ebony is not mine," she began bluntly. "It do belong to another by all rights, by choices of gods and by oath. Ebony do belong to the children of Raisa Xanilov. By the laws of Xanilov ancestors, Ebony is legacy of the eldest female child." Her eyes met Val's briefly, coolly. Not dismissively, simply... evaluatingly, then shifted to Svetlana's. As the sole two female children of Raisa's line, it would be up to one of them to step forward and claim her position. "Should she so wish to, the eldest may choose not to rule and the next eldest rule in her stead. By my own family laws the wolf most qualified would be alpha, and so I will leave it to the Xanilovs to decide their own fate. I am alpha of Ebony no more." Her words spoken she flowed down from her perch. As she said, she was no longer alpha of Ebony, but her ambition was not spent. The gods had given her a sacred trust, to found here a pack that would embody the Finnvi family and the gods they cherished as kin, but she would not begin by simply rebuilding the scraps left her by another legacy, no. She would build anew, a fresh framework for a pack more suited her. But she didn't simply leave yet - a desire to see her oaths through to the very end stayed her motion. She would see who the Xanilovs chose from among themselves, but no longer. Ebony must stand on its own paws without her from the start of this era, or they would flounder and fail as soon as she left. ""

Seeing her siblings would fill Valeriya with a joy she hadn't expected, one so strong it nearly swept her off her paws. Kass's small gesture of affection gave her heart a squeeze, and she let a baited breath woosh out from between her lips. She turned on the now fleshed out male and made to bury her muzzle in the crook of his neck. She breathed in his scent, familiar and strange all at once. Looking up she tried to catch Svet's gaze. "I missed you guys so much," she said, her voice choked with emotion. Perhaps it would have been better of her to give them some space, but she couldn't seem to manage that just then. The feel of her fur brushing theirs, knowing her family was surrounding her once again despite their fractured state, was a blessing. She would not ask about their mother or Sigmarr or Sindri just yet, wondering what had befallen them but afraid to know. When Katja spoke it was something Val should have expected, but somehow the words caught her by surprise. "By the laws of Xanilov ancestors," she said, but what did that gaze mean? Valeriya swallowed, not liking the way her mouth had turned to cotton. The eldest female... that would be herself. Never mind that both of her brothers were older, they were Xanilovs, and this was their way. By the time Katja had finished her short speech her abdication was complete, and a choice had been thrust quite suddenly out before the younger fae. With wide eyes she would turn to her sister, the sister she had not spoken to in months or even seen. They were to decide this? Now? The entire pack, her mother's legacy, her ancestors... Valeriya steeled herself. A cold determination leeched into her cerulean eyes and she mastered her fears, just as she had mastered the lands beyond the comfort and safety of home. If this was to be their fate, so be it. She leveled Svetlana with an even stare and raised a brow. "Well then," she said with a woman's voice. She was a child no longer. "What would you have us do, sweet sister?" Ebony was hers by ancient right, but she had the wisdom to know it was not a choice to be made lightly. Their traditions were proud, ancient, noble, and had seen them through more struggle than one missing matriarch. Valeriya allowed a small fantasy to play behind her eyes, one of the princess sending out search parties for Raisa, true searches. She saw herself leading hunts, leading the charge into battle, dealing with foreign packs. It was... exciting. It excited her in a way she might not have thought possible the day before. But with her family surrounding her and her wild dalliance more or less behind her, Valeriya felt strong. "Talk" "You" Think

Kassander would settle next to her, and baby blue eyes would lift to him. Relief at first, until she made eye contact with another of her siblings. Valeriya. Feelings of betrayal, of the bitterness that had been nesting in her heart since being taken to Olympus would rise in her heart. Raisa and Val were two that she had never wanted to see again... yet here her sister was. The mini-version of her mother would bristle, her fox sensing the movement and looking on to see Val. The blood boiling in Svetlana's veins... she was not the same she was as a pup. No... things had changed her. Darkness stirred where one light alone was welcome. Svetlana might have met Val's guys, but it was hardly a welcoming or happy look. She barely even listened to Katja, glaring at her elder sister with such intensity and disgust it was surprising she did not lunge for her. Yet when the question was turned on her, straight from Valeriya's mouth, she rose with an eerie calm, turning to face her. "Some nerve you have, Val... to return to us like this. You abandoned Ebony the same as the woman that bore us," Whom she didn't even call mother. "...and then have the gall to ask me what we should do? Ebony is yours by birthright, is it not? Go on, take your pack. But don't expect me to hang around when you will probably abandon it again. There was so much bitter anger in her heart, and Svetlana would turn on heel, ears pinned to her head. She would not stay here. Korrin too looked at Val... though her gaze was one much more sympathetic. Svetlana would move on a bit ahead of her before the fox spoke. "Svet feels betrayed by her blood... only is it Kass that she still trusts." With those words the fox would bound after her companion, to make a leave from Ebony lands. -Exit Unless Stopped.- "Hear Me Talk," "Listen To Korrin," 'Read My Thoughts.'

Katja watched expressionlessly as her words sank in with the two Xanilov females present. The pack was theirs, for them to decide. Would they come to an agreement? Would they fight for it? Would Val abdicate her blood-right for her sister? In a way Katja expected her to after her adamant insistence on remaining a rogue last they'd spoken, her apparent distaste for it, but whether Svet was any more ready she didn't know. Katja still remembered her as the fearful young wolf of her puphood, and could not see such a frightened mouse making an efficient leader, but she had obviously changed in her time away and her entire bearing was different. Either way, whichever wolf ultimately became leader, it was not her decision. Svet's furious reaction was unexpected, given the source. Katja made no move to intervene as she spoke harsh words to her sister, nor again when she left. Though she cared deeply for the Xanilovs, it was not for her to tell them how to live their lives. She would not stop Svet from leaving, though she would make it a point to keep tabs on her to steer her away her from any harm she might bring to herself, just as she would keep watch over Val and Kass, and seek for Sindri and Sigmarr. She had not been the best guardian for Raisa's pups, but perhaps now that they were adults grown she could make a better friend. "Well, that leaves you then, young valkyrie," she spoke up without humor, without waiting for really any confirmation of acceptance. "I wish you joy, Queen Valeriya. Should you have need of me, I shall be here. For now I have... business... elsewhere. A new pack must be raised." A wolfish grin, uncharacteristic of her, lifted one lip to reveal the shining white fang beneath it. She inclined her head respectfully to the Xanilovs before turning on her heel and trotting out of the steppes. She didn't regret leaving it behind, though she'd been comfortable in her den there. She would return to her old ways, mercenary ways, viking ways. It would be well. "

Max would give each of the Ebony arrivals after himself a small smile and respectful nod. To the unknown male who sat staring at the alpha he would give nothing but a suspicious look as the man had acted as if Katja was the only wolf in the area. To all three of the Xanilov children he would give a larger more welcoming smile, though he had not expected the return of any of them. Svetlana however would not be so welcoming to her elder sister. Soon Callisto would arrive and pull his attention from the silently quarreling sisters.

She did not look happy nor mad about the festival being over and a meeting being called, then again she never seemed to let any emotion show upon her face. As she seated herself next to him, she would receive a friendly smile of her very own. She had been the wolf who he had spent the most time with since he had joined Ebony and he found himself growing quite fond of her.

Katja was the one to pull his attention from the girl at his side immediately and shockingly. The first words to spill from the woman's maw had meant nothing to him as he had known this was true from the moment Katja had become Ebony's alpha. What had grabbed his attention and shocked him was that she was stepping down and giving up the pack to pups who had only just arrived home. Why the hell are you putting the packs fate in the paws of two quarreling children? he would scold the woman in his mind though he would say nothing aloud.

Visibly, Valariya's attitude would change. It looked to him as if she had gone from loving and temporarily abandoning sister to acting as though she wanted and deserved to be queen. The girl would turn to her younger and still glaring sister to ask what they would do as if she already knew the answer, only to have it blow up in her face. The outburst Maximous had known was coming had finally come.

Svetlana would begin by stating the obvious, but for those who did not know the two it would be vital information to understand the argument. Something knew to him though was that the young girl did not even consider Raisa her mother any longer. She would finish by telling her sister she wasn't sticking around only to be abandoned again. The fox at her side however would stick around only moments after her to explain to Valariya why her younger sister had blown up on her before fallowing the exiting Xanilov girl.

Already aggravated at the Xanilov princesses, Katja's uncaring nature toward the situation would bring forth a growl so quiet and low that he wasn't sure if even Callisto had heard him. Katja had taken an oath to protect and care for the Xanilov children and Ebony and had even fought for the children. Now he had a small amount of disappointment in her as now she was just going to leave ebony and let Valariya rule. He did not think that either of them were ready, were mature enough, to take on the responsibility of being the leader of an entire pack. Honesty he didn't know if they ever would be.

He would wait silently for Katja to leave before standing and placing himself directly in front of his new 'queen'. He did not bow, smile, nor congratulate her as all those who knew him were accustomed to. Instead his eyes would meet her blue ones. His eyes, face and even the way he stood looking at the young girl who would probably be larger than himself when she was full grown, demanded her attention and respect. He was only a healer, but he was the only one Ebony currently had. With the attitude he had held his hole life, she would show him respect just as he had shown her, her entire life or she could end up with no healer.

"I do not think you are ready to be the alpha, I do not know if you ever will be." he would pause a moment to let the statement of his opinion sink in to the girl before he would continue. "Right now you probably think that I'm nothing more than a mere healer and I don't know what I'm talking about. Fine by me." Again he would stop and watch her face for anything she might say or be feeling before he would speak again.

"But for now, you need to take your place above us, as Raisa and Katja have both done before you. Establish who is staying and who will leave you. Give us our rules and our ranks and anything else we need to know." His voice had been strong and stern but for his final words they would soften back into the calming and friendly voice that everyone was use to. "And when you get a chance, you should find Svetlana and try to fix what is broken. She and Kassander are the only family you have left for sure and once they are gone you cant replace them remember that. As for myself, if you need me for anything after the meeting, then you know where to find me."

With that, the man's face would soften as would his stance and eyes. Ebony was his family now and had been from the moment he had joined them and would do anything for anyone who joined that family. Slowly he would move back to Callisto's side and take a seat right where he had been before. He himself would go find Svet after the meeting and make sure the girl knew that she could come to him for anything. For now though he would sit and wait for Valariya to take her place among them.

The venom in Svetlana's voice shocked her. Her sister had once been so sweet, so docile, but this was a fae she hardly knew. Valeriya recoiled, ears pressing flat against her skull for a moment only, as if to shelter herself from the unabridged ire. A trill of panic flared up in her gut, and she furiously thought of the weight of her transgression. She had left, this was true. She had been seeking their mother! Was this such a crime? Svetlana knew that as well as any. If any of her siblings had the right to be angry with her it was Sigmarr, but she did not see her hulking brother anywhere nearby. Where on earth was he? After all, he had been the one she'd treated most abysmally. It had been Sigmarr who'd borne the weight of her rebellion. But in the same breath, he had been who told her of Virgil's scheme, and kept her away. "What would you have me do?" she called after her sibling, her words an impression of those she had spoke just a moment before, only laced with a frustrated anger. "Svet, you can't just walk away from this! How can you condemn me for looking for our mother?" The words were heavy in her mouth, a cold leaden thing that turned her stomach. "Yes, I was gone, and so were you! You were stolen, or so Sigmarr would have me believe. Would you really wish the same fate for me, to be held against my will? If that is love than I want no part of it." If the words stung, they were meant to. After all, there was little dignity awarded to the youth, and Valeriya had taken no great lengths to learn it. She was so young, and so hurt. "What do you know of the world, Svet? What leader would you be? I've learned how to fight and hunt and fend off trouble and danger alone, and my skin is thicker for it. Leave then, and when you've experienced what I have maybe you'll understand." Svetlana was no more than an untested pup, throwing around her imagined weight. Valeriya knew that when put in a place of power, her sister would have little to bring to the table. She would need to rely on her counselors more heavily than was wise, she would need to question everything, to be taught what Valeriya had had to learn on her own. The valkyrie princess did not care if Svet didn't like it, the older of the two was heir. She was supposed to step aside from her birthright because Svetlana was upset she didn't want to become enslaved by their false mother? No. No, Valeriya would not be moved in this. She drew in a deep breath and steeled herself against this hard reality. It may be that I have lost her, she thought in anger, but mostly sadness. Valeriya would turn and give Katja a searching look. To dump this upon them so suddenly... But no. The woman had served her time, and it would be cruel of the younger fae to expect more from her. The dark warrior had given more than her due, and Val was thankful. She opened her mouth to address the ex-leader, but was approached instead. She remembered this man, though she could not claim to have known him well. When she was struck with the plague, he aided her. Whenever her pack mates fell ill or needed counsil, he had been there. And now he was looking down on her with cool criticism, and she could not help the skin under her fur from growing heated. Was this too much to bear? Her sister, and now this man, all coming down upon her in one fell blow. She struggled to contain her emotions within her voice, so that her words might come out more calm and collected than she felt. She took one deep breath, and began. "I know better than to question the wisdom of my elders," she said in a woman's voice. She was a pup no longer. "But if you think I came to this meeting with the intention of receiving a throne, you are are wrong. Still, it is a mantle I willingly accept." With a surge of powerful muscles she took her place where Katja had sat moments before. How long had it been since they last laid eyes upon her? She had grown into her height, into her gangly limbs, into her fae's frame. "Some of your faces I do not recognize," she began. "I wish that was not the case. You do not know me, and I don't know you. But I would like very much to change that." She made a point to brush the eyes of every wolf she did not know. "I do not expect undying devotion to a fae you've never seen or spoken to, I'm not that sort of foolish. But I would like to make every step to make Ebony the pack it was when my mother ruled. Strong and loyal and connected to one another. I would re-instate her laws, her rankings. I want to make Raisa proud, wherever she is. And I want to make you proud as well," she said to the wolves before her, to Kassanader and Katja and Maximous. It would take time, she knew that. It would not be easy, or fun, and this was not a game. All the same Valeriya would dedicate herself to this cause as she had never done before. She would do what Raisa had never been capable of, no matter the cost. She would do well by the wolves before her and all those to come. She had a legacy to uphold, and she could no wait to begin. "Talk" "You" Think

It wasn't long before the pack began to trickle into the meeting, calm and despite most of the entrants being warriors, they did not have the sense of attention to their surroundings as she would expect. When had the last training session been held? She recalled attending such a meeting, but remembered not of their packs sparring. A healer entered, dipping his head to her in greeting, though she could not recall the man's name. He knew hers, but their meeting seemed to have slipped her mind. After that came a child she did not recognize, but the youth seemed to recognize their regent, and spoke rather graciously to the Drottning before taking a seat as well and falling silent. A dark male with a creamy underbelly approached her, and it was astounding that he'd neared her own height. He took a seat beside her, introducing himself as Galahad. "It's a pleasure, Galahad. I am Sigyn, a Thegn as well." She rumbled, offering him a small smile and dipping her own great head politely to him. Not too soon after came yet another male, and it was becoming apparent that this matriarchy was more appealing to males than females in these lands. The strange male said nothing to anyone, simply drifting into the meeting and taking a seat, making it apparent he was not a friendly one. Next came yet another youth, bearing resemblance to the first. Were they children of someone who once belonged to Ebony? That seemed to be quite a logical answer to such musings, and the newest arrival simply took a seat as well. Quick to follow the train of siblings was a young boy, who bore more resemblance to his silent sibling than the first arrival of the three. He spoke to his siblings of missing them, and being gleeful that they were now reunited. There was another arrival, a dark girl who was remaining silent as well, it seemed to be a trend amid all the wolves of this pack. It was next that Katja spoke, and the glint in her mercurial optics had shifted in a way that Sigyn was wary of. What had changed the queen's mind now? Cornflower pools would narrow thoughtfully as she watched the granite pelted woman call the meeting to order. When she spoke, Sigyn would have spit out her drink, if she'd been drinking something at the time. Ebony did not belong to the dark wolfess? If one had accumulated power, one did not let it go for anything aside from death or the well being of loved ones. Cerulean pools widened as she watched the woman, tall caramel audits twitching to capture each word her queen spoke. When the gold flecked gaze of her Drottning shifted to the largest of the youths, a young auburn pelted femme, and it was made known to those who had not been aware that these children were supposed to rule this pack. Sigyn stifled a growl, deciding it best to leave her opinions unknown as she watched the proceedings. It was by their family laws, apparently. Well, it was quite the law, that children should be allowed to rule. With that, Katja slipped from her place at the head of the group, signifying that she had stepped down. Sigyn followed her path with keen optics, keeping her gaze locked upon the woman who she'd sworn an oath to. The golden behemoth wasn't about to follow under a child with no prior knowledge of leading, subjected to the whims of naivet?. To illustrate the reason behind her decision, a pale grey whelp began to shout at the girl who had caught Katja's eye as she asked for guidance. Sigyn's audits flattened briefly in distaste. She would not be staying here much longer. And apparently, neither would the first child to arrive, who went by the name of Svet. She stormed off, leaving her other two siblings to make their choice. Children. Sigyn let a long breath shudder through her lungs, watching the proceedings for only a moment longer. Katja announced that she planned to build a new kingdom of her own, and with that got to her feet. The angular, stony black bodice of her queen swept off into the stone steppe, heading for a better future as it was. That was a future the Viking princess wanted to be a part of, without a doubt in her mind. She as well, got to her feet. The man who knew her name, but she knew not of his, began to speak, lecturing the child. Well, someone might as well. "I wish you luck in the future, little one. However, I shall be following the Drottning I have sworn my fealty to." She would rumble, tones like quiet thunder as she regarded the slightly smaller woman for a moment longer. With that, she dipped her huge head to the pack and followed after Katja. .:Exit Sigyn:. "Speech" Thanks to Chrono for making this sexier than Captain America art for me!

Kassander sat uncomfortably beside Svet, aware of the glare she was throwing Val's way and unsure what to make of it. It had been Svet who had convinced him to try to rebuild the bridges he'd burned with Val and Sigmarr, who had taught him how important family was, so her obvious animosity toward their sister confused and disoriented him. He turned toward Katja with something akin to relief - despite his own animosity toward the woman who had taken over the pack when Raisa left - as she began to speak. Her words made him sit up even straighter in disbelief. Without even being asked, she was just giving them back Ebony, just like that? No conditions, and she was going to let the family decide which of them would lead? A kernel of old resentment flared that he wasn't even considered when Val turned to Svet to ask what they should do, but that small resentment was squashed quite quickly by shock as Svet turned and spoke to Val with such bitter anger that Kass winced back from her. "Svet..." he tried to interject weakly as he came to his senses, wanting to calm the situation that had blown up so unexpectedly, but she was already leaving, ignoring the words that Val threw at her retreating back. Her fox companion's words layed Kass' ears back uncomfortably. He was the only one Svet trusted? That was an awful lot of pressure... what was he supposed to do? Should he go after Svet, maybe try to talk sense into her like she had him once, or maybe just keep her safe? Or should he stay with Val, who had suddenly had the whole family pack dumped on her and would surely need help? His uncertainty kept him frozen. Katja left, making it clear that she really was going to just dump the pack on Val with no help, and Maximous stalked up to Val with harsh words. Stung by his one-time mentor's attitude, Kass bristled. That wasn't fair - just because they weren't old enough to have pups, that didn't make them children. But he subsided before opening his mouth to speak, realizing that saying those words would only prove Max's point. He realized, too, that his moment to go after Svet had passed, and the decision had been made for him. Val would need him here. Once things calmed down a bit he'd go find Svet and coax her into coming home where she belonged. He'd find Sindri and Sigmarr too. They were a family - they should be together. One of the wolves at the meeting, a wolf he'd never met before who was probably Katja's friend or something, left them then, leaving only a handful of wolves remaining. Kassander took a deep breath, conscious of the fact that he was bringing attention to himself though he cringed inwardly at the thought, and stepped forward to bring himself to the side of Val's perch. "I will stay with you, Valeriya, and serve Ebony," he said in an awkwardly formal tone. Lowering his voice to a whisper just between the two of them he added, "I think you'll be a great queen. The best ever." And he'd train harder than ever to be a great healer so that he would be helpful to her. "Talk" "You" Think

One For The Money - Escape The Fate

Words. It was an over abundance of words upon deaf ears. That's all any of this was to the little monster. He'd managed to put the mask back on with a marginal degree of success. But that was all it was this time. A thin mask. A face behind which he hide his cruelty. He was just a witness to their parade. That's all he was. Partaking none of it. But behind that thin mask, he was very much awake again. And he would see to no other agenda than his own. How every underhanded and faked in interest he had to go about it. That was one concept that made Sound so hard to understand. He was capable of following orders, but when he did it was not out of respect of authority, but rather, because he chose to obey. He believed in his heart of hearts that he had no master. He had a creator, yes. Sound was not a Godless man. But he respected his creator as just that, his creator. He was his own master. And so the monster sat there, ignoring the words mostly and just holding his gaze on the woman. This woman that fascinated him. In his sick, twisted mind, she was almost laughable. So she wanted to be a Viking? Vikings where barbarians. Not mindless, no. They where god fearing barbarians, but still Barbarians. He found his line of thought suddenly shifting. Chuckling internally, he watched as she finally took her leave, turning on her heels and walking off the stage. Still, the brute's gaze did not leave her. It did not venture around at all. Allowing himself a moment longer to sit there and gaze, he figured that it was time to make his leave. For him it would be especially easy. Because he nether hated nor was endeared to Ebony. It had been a place to rest his head. A hole to hide in. And hiding was not really his thing anymore. Turning his gaze finally, he looked up at the stage where the politics where taking place. He wasn't exactly sure who he was addressing now what with the confusion over who got to play leader now so he simply rose to his feet and took a brief bow of his head before very plainly making a statement. "Well, I'm out. Enjoy your politics." And with that he turned and took his first step as a Rouge again. His head up high. His shoulders board and his tail held up behind him. It was not a show of hostility nor a sign of endearing fair well. It was a display of the fact that he didn't care about Ebony at all. It was replaceable. It's One! One For The Money!

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think She received the smile that she had been anticipating from the man she sat beside, feeling rather pleased that she knew him well enough now to even expect what his reactions might be. But Max always seemed to have a smile for her, and patience that as never ending; it really was to be expected at this point considering he had been her teacher for such a long time, practically from the very moment she had joined Ebony. Her gaze lingered on him a brief moment, still struck by the luck she had in being paired with him when she knew her behavior was not always the best and her manner less so, but eventually shifted toward the dark colored woman who had gathered them all here, the one who sat at the head of their group and had something to say to them all. Callisto's silvery blue gaze was fixed on Katja as she spoke, listening with what started off as mild attention and transformed almost instantaneously into confusion. What did she mean, Ebony was not hers? She had been ruling them for seasons now, taking over since the woman who had held the spot before took off and left, and as far as the grey and black yearling was concerned she had been doing a really good job about it. The usually stoic expression the girl wore broke into a frown, her lips pursing as she listened to the black-masked woman continue to explain what would be happening to the role of leadership in the pack. The eldest Xanilov girl...? Immediately her gaze shifted amongst the crowd, seeking out those she recognized as being the brats of the woman who had left them and feeling her expression morph yet again in disbelief. But they're kids! She turned to glance at Maximous at her side, wondering how this whole change in the pack was being received by him, but really it hardly mattered in comparison to how it made her feel. She had yet to consider herself even qualified or old enough to take on the role of a healer, and yet there were children younger than her getting ready to lead a pack? What did they know? Just because they were the daughters of someone who had once ruled them, someone who Callisto could hardly even remember seeing around the pack even when she had supposedly lived here, they were suddenly the best qualified? It was insane! Briefly a little heated conversation took place between the two girls in question, the Xanilov daughters who Ebony was now supposed to look up to, but Callisto hardly paid them any attention. Instead she watched Katja and the impassive manner in which she took it all in, wishing somehow that she would have stayed. She was someone not put off by Callisto's manners, someone the grey and black girl could respect and follow, even if she was mad that she had so easily given up the pack in this manner. Her gaze followed the woman as she stepped up to the remaining Xanilov girl - the other was already on her way out in a huff - and then still followed her as she left. Where was she going? Just a little she shifted where she sat, as if contemplating getting up and following, but she remained seated in the end. Some crazy meeting this turned out to be. Her attention shifted back to Max and watched with a touch of shock as he stepped up and over to their new little queen, surprised at the words that he spoke to her - since when did he patronize kids? He never even used that tone with her - and even more surprised when he urged her into the position of leadership, encouraging her to make amends with her family as well. It was strange, watching him step out of turn when she was so used to him being so calm and kind, and she studied him openly with a curious sort of look as he came to sit back beside her. It was a short-lived look, however, as the young Xanilov began to address them all, and listening as the girl addressed them with a voice that sounded like a leader's even if Callisto was not convinced she truly was one the girl remained silent and passive, holding in her opinions and hoping that later she might find a moment when she could discuss everything that had happened here in private with her teacher. She did not trust herself to speak calmly or respectfully enough to do any talking yet with so many near to hear it. Image by Maka.

He was hardly greeted by the golden woman, a fellow thegn, before a dark cloud seemed to settle on the meeting. It took the form of the pack handover to the Xanilov?s... Wolves younger than even himself. A brow would raise when he heard this... But what happened next would leave Gala at much more of a loss. One of the sisters would turn on the other, her words bitter, laced with some undertone of hurt. The young man?s ears would flick back, silently watching it all. How the gray one spoke of her sister abandoning them... Ebony... How she would do it again. How the elder would respond with her own hurt and sharp words at the retreating form of the other who did not respond to her. The words of the elder were harsh, perhaps moreso, and Galahad would hold back for now, listening to others, watching some leave... Ebony was a bit of a muddled state now... But that was no reason to just up and leave it. No, Valeriya would need assistance, wolves who would stay within the pack and give it a chance... Give her a chance. She was a young leader but not incapable. After a long moment Galahad would rise, walking to the new Queen and dipping his head. ?I am Galahad... Accepted as a... Warrior under Katja?s rule of Ebony.? The male would lift his head, his gaze soft as he looked at the female. ?Your family business is not my own, however I would hate to see another divided such as my own. The words you both spoke were harsh, and it seems to me that both sides do not understand the side of the other, leading to bitter and hurt feelings.? The young man glanced in the direction Svetlana had gone. ?A bit of time... Then you should try and find her... Try and explain yourselves. If she will not listen you must make her... Or she will truly be gone... And as this gentleman has said, once they are gone, they can not be replaced.? Advice given, he would now give Val a small smile. ?In the meantime I wish to continue to hold the rank of warrior in Ebony, if you will allow me. I would like to try and uphold this family structure you seek in this pack.? That was why he joined Ebony in the first place, was to feel welcomed and have those who would both care about him and he could care for. It was why he did not abandon the pack to go follow Katja. Change in rule or not, he wanted Ebony to stay his home. "Speech"