MANDATORY FOR ALL CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE NON-FAMILY MEMBERS. WILL BE QUICK, PROMISE!! PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHARACTER PREPARED TO CHOOSE A RANK.

The stress of the day's events so far had Natalya wanting nothing more than to curl around her children in the den and hide there for a few hours. She and her husband had been confronted by so many issues in such a short amount of time, she wondered if their decisions had truly been proper and just. But the gods would not have allowed them to decide wrong. As the Matriarch and Patriarch, their actions were guided. Her steps felt heavy as she made her way toward the valley, her husband at her side. She had left the children in the care of other trustworthy family to spare them the bore of sitting through another meeting. This one would hopefully be quick, given that the wolves in attendance had likely already heard her sh-peel. She summoned them upon reach the hill near her den and sat back to wait, exhaustion clear in her features. She could handle no more drama today. "Talk" "You" Think

(ooc: sorry for crap)

Hani had tried to get to the last meeting. Her mood, however, was lacking. By the time she had gotten close, things had seemed to have gone to hell and, as Natalya had asked, she headed to the valley to wait. It stung though- that everyone but family had been sent away. She wasn't sure why. Wasn't a pack supposed to be a family? No, wait, the "family" in this pack were descendants from the "gods". Bullshit, but Hani still followed along. She wasn't sure why she did, it just felt like where she was supposed to be for now. Maybe one day she would truly feel accepted by someone other than Natalya. Hearing her friend's call, Hani made her way to the black woman, bowing respectfully then sitting. She hoped she wouldn't get scolded too harshly for being late earlier. Especially not from Natalya. Speech

Walk | Talk | Think She had sat waiting within the Emerald Valley as the meeting that had taken place deteriorated in the other territory belonging to Olympus, her ears nervously set back against her head and her tail twitching almost incessantly against the grasses that surrounded her. The whole ordeal had caused her anxieties to heighten to a full alert, nervous of what she had walked out on and even more nervous of what she might find if and when she was allowed to return. Whatever had happened between the Olympus family had been none of her business, and had she been alone she would not have cared so long as it meant she still had a welcome here when all was said and done. But she had two children to think about, a son and a daughter who needed her to protect them, and Ashtoreth hardly felt right being here and not understanding the implications and dangers it might mean for her children. Words had been racing about her head, different ways in which she might be able to question her possible new leaders about what had happened and whether the conflict had been remedied completely. The nervous grey hunter had still not quite decided on what she would say even as her scanning, two-toned gaze finally alighted again upon the dark woman and her mate as they wandered their way to join them. She was on her feet even before they had stopped and called out to those who remained to gather near, and with glances at both Cador and Vaishya urging them to follow she set off toward the Matriarch and Patriarch of the pack. Her steps slowed before she reached them and forced herself to complete the last few feet of the short journey, standing rather than sitting. With her head low, her eyes glancing between both leaders, she asked with great uncertainty, "Is everything okay?"

Helios

Helios was getting a head ache, blood pounding loudly in his ears and he wanted nothing more than to gather up his children and his younger nieces and nephews and curl up in his den. Still they had made a promise to meet with the remaining pack members and he would not back down now. Putting on a blank expression to hide the anger and exhaustion roiling beneath the surface, and he set off with Natalya allowing her to take a slight lead. He had done more than enough as far as he was aware, still unsure if he had helped at all to elevate them or simply dig their grave. Russet eyes watched the ground go by under his paws as he moved his mind one big mess. Finally they were moving towards the valley and he slowly adjusted his posture. Gaze lifting to gaze at those that had gathered. They first fell upon a familiar female? one who had been absent earlier. Lids dropped slightly narrowing his eyes and showing his disapproval that Hani had not managed to make it earlier. But then the ashy woman was moving towards them. Helios sighed and nodded his head. ?Sorry if I caused any worry, everything has been worked out.? He settled himself upon his haunches and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and settling in for the rest of the pack to join them.

Walk | Talk | Think She had done as her mother commanded and left to wait with the rest of those who were not immediately related to the Olympus family and the drama that had suddenly unfolded during the middle of the pack meeting, her natural wide-eyed, closed off sort of nature completely taking over again. It was apparent even as she sat, an arch to her back causing her to hunch slightly in place with her head lowered as if to make her small stature even more diminutive in comparison to the two she sat beside, her only slightly taller mother and her tall brother. Her tail remained firmly curled against her hip to hold herself in stillness as her blue and gold eyes, reminiscent of her mother's, glanced about in wary wonder. Was this what pack life was like? She might not have been part of Valhalla for very long, might not have really been exposed to the inner workings of it, but she could not stop herself from trying to draw any comparisons that she could. The arrival of the alpha pair, Natalya and Helios, hardly appeased any of her own worries. What had happened? Would they even be allowed to know? She turned her head and glanced at her mother, ears moving to loosely set themselves against her head, and rose quickly to her paws at the prompting the older woman gave her. With Ash in the lead, Vaishya trailed along behind and stayed close to her brother even after they stopped, as usual seeking comfort in his self-assured, steady presence. At least she could always count on him to always be there with a smile and a gentle shoulder to lean against.

The boy stuck close to his sister's side, letting his fur occasionally brush against hers as they made their way to the meeting. It was only his second meeting with Olympus, and their first had certainly been interesting. This one, he hoped, would have less drama and more pack related information. He was growing older, which meant that in time, he would have to find a place within the pack that was all his own. The thought of leaving, which was building slowly on the edges of his thoughts, had not yet fully sunk in. He simply could not comprehend leaving his mother, at least not yet.

As Vaishya settled down, Cador would settle into place as well, sinking back on his haunches and wrapping his tail around his paws as his gaze swept around the gathering. Only one wolf outside of his family had arrived thus far - and their leaders. Natalya and Helios, perhaps the first wolves outside of Cador's family that he had come to look up to. He wasn't entirely sure that he liked them, but he certainly respected them, and Cador's respect was not easily earned by outsiders.

Most of his attention was fixed on his mother and Vaishya, but once his Matriarch began to talk, Cador's attention would turn towards them instead.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

She would not wait long before two familiar wolves would present themselves. First, the long lost scent of Hani would greet the queen. Her mentee had vanished after the epidemic had been cured. Natalya had wondered if she would ever come back, and while she was irritated at her absence in the main meeting she was glad to have her finally present. Ashtoreth arrived shortly thereafter with her children and Nat heard the concern in the woman's voice. She wondered momentarily where Solo was, but if she had to guess she'd assume he was preoccupied with his Princess. He could be dealt with later. "Yes, we apologize for any concern we may have caused you and for stopping the meeting so abruptly. We had some unexpected relatives arrive." She tipped her muzzle briefly in the direction of Helios before continuing. "Ashtoreth, I hope that you have had some time to consider a ranking you might feel you are suited for. Also, how old are your children? Hani, you will need to be filled in on the particulars of the changes occurring here, since you have been absent so long, but I am prepared to offer you the position of lead healer, Atomist, after your performance during the epidemic. Is this something that interests you?" "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think Her question was answered by the brown male with an apology and assurances that everything had been settled back at the previous meeting with the other Olympus-family wolves. Though she wished to believe his words, the grey hunter's two-toned eyes shifted toward his mate hesitantly, seeking confirmation on this from her if she could give it. To her relief, she did, providing further assurances that hardly seemed to make any sense at all. Family? What sort of family were they if they acted with such hostility toward each other? Choosing to hold her tongue - maybe she simply did not know the whole story - Ashtoreth merely nodded her head to show she understood the piece of it that she had been told. The conversation pressed on, returning to the matters that had been discussed before the pack had split into its two uneven factions. Ash hardly had to think about where she might try to fit in to the ranks here in Olympus; she knew her strengths and weaknesses far too well to deviate from what had already proven to work for her. "I have," she answered, offering another nod of her head. "I'd do best in a hunter's position," she explained, though added quietly, "though I don't remember what the rank is called." The names of the different positions within Olympus were very different than those used in Valhalla, and she hoped with a little bit of time and a little bit of practice she might learn them and have them come to her almost like second nature. As for the kids, she went on, "Vaishya and Cador will be a year old in autumn."

Nervous, at first, and frozen by Helios's narrowed gaze, Hani stood rigid and still. Was this where she had wanted to be? Her break from the packlife had been uneventful. Somehow, though she felt like the outsider, she was drawn to this pack and this life. She couldn't describe it, and she refused to accredit it to any gods or goddesses. Natalya and Helios claimed they were okay, but Hani didn't really believe them. They didn't look very okay. They looked like they were pretending to be okay, but maybe that was just Hani's nervousness getting to her.

Natalya spoke to Hani, mentioning her absence. Unknowingly, the girl cringed, but continued to hold onto Natalya's words. Lead healer? Lead? Hani's heart stuttered, of course she was interested, but could she really be lead anything- especially in this pack? Hani's maw parted, but no words came out for a moment. Hani tried to shake off her nerves,
"I-if you believe I truly can, then of course, I'll give it my best." Hani nodded at her words, or maybe she was offering a bow, even she wasn't fully sure, "I would be honored to be the pack Atomist." she confirmed, her voice growing more solid, though her heart still raced. Lead healer sounded important. Like an actual part of the pack. Hani felt herself getting roped back into the pack, though she decided, finally, that she really didn't mind. If she wasn't the outsider she thought she was, this pack really could become home.




speech

ooc;; sorry for my absence D:

Oh he was late, dear god he was late. He had heard Natalya's howl from well outside the packlands and immediately he had turned and begun his sprint back to his new home. He didn't want to disappoint Natalya, especially since she had just accepted him as Gaia's prospective husband and had blessed their union herself. How terrible would it be if he couldn't even show up to stupid meetings on time?!? Long legs ran faster and faster, pushing his heart and lungs to the point of almost bursting it felt. In his chest they burned but lower jaw unhinged to try and gulp in as much air as possible, tongue rolling out over his teeth to attempt to lower his body temperature a bit. But even in his haste he was late. And the shake hit him like a brick wall as he heard the voices as he approached. Aw MAN... He slowed immediately, ears pinned to his skull in shame as he trotted up to the gathering of wolves. "So... Sorry..." He gasped as he attempted to speak and catch his breath at the same time. Never a good idea. He forced a weak smile to the rest of the wolves before seating himself nearby, hoping he wasn't TOO late for whatever was happening.

Natlaya listened carefully to each member before addressing them in turn. First would come Ashtoreth. "Very well. If you are quite practiced in hunting, I would like to offer you the position of Strategos. We need someone capable to lead the pack in hunts and to train the antistrategi properly. As for your children, when they reach their first birthday they will be asked to select a specialty to train in for a season before taking on a role." She addressed the children individually next. "Please, take this time to get to know the pack, the lands, and the options available to you." Next, Natalya turned her attention on Hani. The girl was nervous as usual but was accepting of her promotion. The Matriarch merely hoped she wouldn't disappear again. She enjoyed her company. "Then, Hani, you are officially the Atomist of Olympus. You will have to coordinate with Phoebe to train our healers, but that can be done in due time." She looked between both of the women. "Since you both are offered leadership roles, we can discuss responsibilities at the first meeting of the high council." Solo had arrived late, which certainly irritated the woman considering it had not even been an hour since she had sent him away. She set a narrow mock-gaze on him before voicing her disappointment. "Solo, as you are to be the husband of the Princess, I expect better of you. Your lateness is excused this time, but any further problems will be dealt with accordingly. Now, have you considered what position you would be interested in filling?" "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think Ashtoreth listened as her new position within Olympus was named, but only as the description of her duties was listed did it click within her mind just which position she had been granted. She had thought from the beginning, when she had first entertained thoughts of joining up with a new pack to protect her family, that she would need to start from the bottom of the ranks and work her way up in order to earn the status that she had once been given in Valhalla. It had taken considerable time for her to move through their ranks, considerable effort put into her practice, and even without her trying for it she had been granted a lead hunter's position. Here and now, she had only hoped to become a mere hunter, just one of many, but the label she had been given instead was Strategos. The surprise of Natalya's offer was obvious - the lean grey wolf's jaw had fallen slack and her purple and gold eyes had widened in disbelief - but the honor of it was right upon its heels. What faith this woman must have had in her words to give her such a position right from the start! Or were they simply in that much need of someone to fill it? "Strategos," Ash murmured quietly, trying the title - her title - out for the first time. It felt strange on her tongue, but the responsibility of it settled over her like an old friend, a position and task that she knew well enough to take comfort in its familiar demands. "Thank you," she answered, humbly inclining her head. It was much more than she could have asked for. Talk turned then to her children, and glancing toward them Ashtoreth listened as her new Matriarch explained what would be expected of them. They were so close to a year already, so very near to being able to choose which direction they wanted their lives to go. And in all their travels, in all their trials, had she ever tried to determine herself what their strengths, their interests were? She had been far too concerned with their health, their well being, to think about the intricacies that made them who they were, and she was sad to realize she had no idea what either of them might take an interest in. But she offered them supportive smiles nonetheless, promising herself to watch them more closely, to learn more about them now that she no longer worried so much over them, and hoped it was not too late for her to find out who here children were.