Fiori had grown far too quiet for comfort. She had wanted Fiori to be a safe-haven for family and friends alike. A true home. And yet she had not expected such obvious inactivity, such silence. The two that showed the most initiative, Bjorn and Birna, apparently had taken their leave. It was honestly a pity that they had not stayed, as they had been quite loyal and driven. Even her own children were not nearly so dedicated.. There was much to be discussed among the pack. Did the yearling wish to choose a path, now that they were growing into adults? Even more importantly - did they even want to be here, or had they only stayed because they were children following their parents? Epiphron wondered, too, as she paced closer to the center of the mangroves, if the pack was happy living quietly as they did, or did they too want more? Tilting her head to the midday sun, she let loose a call for them. She wanted to know not just who remained, but also who truly wanted to stay and what they wanted out of life here. Her call was also to any who wished to join them, for their numbers were dwindling and with winter's arrival she knew prey would be scarce.. and perhaps letting someone new in wouldn't hurt. When her call was concluded, she would lower her hindquarters to the earth, resting near the side of a mangrove tree in quiet anticipation of who might arrive.

First round is due on June 3rd. Looking to know who wants to stay in Fiori, what the unranked yearlings are interested in studying, and more. Verbal discussion will be very encouraged. :)

He'd hear his grandmother call for hi and the rest of the pack, his form lay (quite happily) in a snowbank as he relaxed the day away. After his success in the spar at the festival he'd felt much more confident about himself and his abilities. He hadn't quite gotten around to asking for more training but he was getting there. He was more than a year old now, he should have been training to pass away his days but instead he'd been enjoying his time with Absinthe. He loved playing with her, and now that he knew she liked to spar too he'd have to start practicing with her. Saving those thoughts for what he assumed to be a meeting Bacc would pick himself up from the snow and go in search of Epiphron's form. His tall form made it quickly to her side, he was growing less and less child like every day. While he'd reached his full height his full weight would slowly make itself known. If he wasn't careful he'd easily grow fat. He'd really need to focus on his studies over the next year. He'd hold himself proudly, but showed the utmost respect towards the woman who had taken them into her home. With a small smile and a low bow he'd come to sit a little ways from her. "Hello, grandmother." ""

She was looking through her minimal stores with a sigh when her mother call came. Tiny stump of a tail quivered behind her as her head rose, and she let out a soft sigh. She could not say that she hadn't expected a meeting to be called soon, Fiori has grown silent with the bitter chill of winter. She too, knew that she herself was at fault. Amalia had been more occupied with her herb studies than with the well being of her mothers pack. She had meant to call a training for healers before the winter came, but she was obviously too late for that now. Eying her diminishing pile of herbs, she let out another soft sigh as she padded towards her mother. She did not stop to grab her wife and children, it had been awhile since she had even interacted with them. Ama had dove head first into her studies, and mostly everything else was forgotten. It did not mean that she didn't love her family, but she felt as if there was a rut between her and the others ever since Vereux returned to their lives. She felt divided, and instead of dealing with these things she just simply ignored them. She almost walked right into Epiphron, blinking her bold blue eyes to see she was mere inches away from her mother. A smile was pressed onto her face, but it wasn't nearly as wide as it usually was. It was obvious that she was distracted by her thoughts, head shaking slowly from side to side. "Hey," she said softly, nuzzling into the thickness of her scruff. Breathing in the comforting scent of her dame, her eyes slipped closed and she just enjoyed the brief contact. "I'm sorry, about everything. I... have been dealing with things." Amalia said softly, but knew that it was no excuse. She had made a promise to Pip the day she joined this pack -- and had yet to uphold it. The usual joy that was carried had seemed to slip away, leaving a quiet and sad looking Amalia. Noticing that Bacchus had beaten her here, he offered him a small smile and moved from her mothers side. He was getting so big, a monster of a wolf who towered over her. Settling beside him instead, she leaned heavily against him. Amalia knew that her weight probably felt like nothing against him, which made her smile grow a fraction. Not saying anything, she nuzzled his wide shoulder and placed a swift kiss there, one last sigh leaving her lips. She had been a terrible mother, and really needed to see her boys more. "Speech"

She'd really enjoyed the festival despite not really speaking with many wolves, just being able to see them had been enough for her. Though she knew she'd have never been able to make it with out Ara at her side. She was sleeping in their shared den now, despite how much fun she'd had the relief she felt when she was back home had been almost as enjoyable. Psalm was with her, it didn't seem that he left her side very often. She worried about him, surely a boy his age should have been out exploring and making friends. Instead he opted to stay and be with his mother almost as much as Ara was. She was never lonely, that was for sure. He was slowly picking up on a lot of the healing techniques she and Ara had as well as a lot of their knowledge of the plants they kept close by.

She'd feel his nose instead of hearing the call, the greeting of his smile bringing her from her stupor and causing her own smile to broaden. She'd follow the boy to where Epiphron had called them, a small nod of respect would be offered to the woman before she lay down near the back with Psalm. Hopefully Ara and Hymn would be just as quick.

Psalm was laying by his sleeing mother, watching over her carefully as she slept. While it really shouldn't have been his place the boy did feel himself grow worried for her. When he was younger he'd never really understood why she'd been so timid, now that he was older the reasons were a bit more apparent though he still wasn't completely sure of the whole story. He couldn't help but think that his father was one cause. What the man had done however Psalm wasn't sure. He hadn't quite gotten around to asking those questions. He didn't like bringing up his father, Novel always grew worried when he brought up his sire and it had been a while since he'd said anything.

Hearing their alpha's call the boy would nudge at his mother's cheek. He couldn't help but to smile as he disturbed her, and it seemed the gesture was reciprocated. "I think there's a meeting," He'd say quietly as he led his mother to where the howl had come from. Bacchus, his mother, and Epiphron were already present and the boy offered a quick nod to each as Novel decided on a place to sit. He'd settle next to her easily. Where Bacchus, and even Hymn! had grown quite a lot over the last year Psalm was still in small a stature as ever. He was hardly an inch taller than his mother, who was no giant either. He didn't mind much, it made him that much closer to Novel, at least that's what he told himself.

speech

The boy was off poking about, probably sticking his nose in places it didn’t belong but he didn’t care! The festival had introduced him to so much new family and renewed his urge to explore but more than that it reminded him that even if it hadn’t always felt like home these lands were the only real home he knew and the fact he had once been so afraid to wander it seemed… wrong.  So he was refamiliarizing himself with the packlands.

Epiphron’s call rang out and he perked his ears, head lifting and nose pointing towards the origin. After a brief pause he trotted off to answer the call. He arrived at the small group, cerulean eyes scanning for his family. Tail beating the air behind him he approached his mother and brother. Hymn nosed at his mother’s cheek, pulling back to grin at her before circling around to plop himself down beside Psalm. He nudged his brother playfully.

""

speech,

Athena tended to spend her days lounging in the shade of the mangroves these days, especially now that winter had come and a dusting of snow coated the ground and made this place feel even more like home. She liked to be available for any of her children or her wife, although these days it seemed those visits from any of them were growing fewer and fewer. Amalia had become so immersed in her studies that it felt like Ama was a ghost that only appeared when they were going to sleep. Athena wasn't blind, she could see something was wrong and she could feel the distance between them growing and as much as it hurt she couldn't for the life of her figure out what to do about it. Her boys were grown now, they didn't need her as much as she wished they did. She did get to see a good bit of Ritselli and occasionally Abby even though the purple girl spent a majority of her time with Bacchus.

Suddenly a howl cut through the air and interrupted her saddening thoughts. She sighed and pulled herself onto her paws so she could shake the snow from her thick coat before she trotted off to the meeting. By the time she arrived she saw the woman she was pretty sure was named Novel with her two boys as well as one of her own sons, Amalia, and Pip. She made a small mental note to actually introduce herself to Novel at some point before going up to Pip with a small smile. She still wasn't quite sure where she stood with the alpha, but she knew that Epiphron's head sentries had recently left so perhaps this could be her chance to make herself useful. "Hello, Pip, it's good to see you again," she said as she dipped her head respectfully. "I would like to speak with you at some point if you don't mind too much. Perhaps after the meeting or after you've spoken at least?" She gave Pip another smile and then took her leave to go sit with what of her small family had gathered so far.

She gave Bacchus a quick nuzzle and a lick on the cheek first, happy to see that one of her largest sons had been so prompt to the meeting, before coming over to sit next to Amalia who was leaning into their son's side. She gave Ama a little smile, hoping it didn't seem too forced, and leaned down to gently press her nose to Ama's cheek. Her heart was aching with a need to make her girl happy again, but she just didn't know how. Sighing softly she put her personal matters to the back of her mind so she could focus on the meeting and lifted her gaze to look for the rest of her children.

Leo knew he hadn't been the most active of pack members... which really wasn't good considering he hoped to have a pack of his own one day. "Way to make a good impression, Leo, he thought to himself with a sigh. He honestly just couldn't figure this whole pack thing out. What was he supposed to be doing? He knew he was a council member, but with the pack so quiet all the time it felt more like a title than a job. He spent most of his days just wandering around the teritory, occasionally walking the borders just for something to do. He had kept himself from leaving the territory for a while now so he figured that was something at least. He happened to be on the edge of the hot springs when his mother's call found his mismatched ears. His head turned toward the sound and he quickly turned to head toward the meeting at a quick trot. He wasn't the last to arrive, but he certainly wasn't the first. He of course went to his mother first with a wide grin. His gait had his usual swagger in each step. Even though he had no clue what he was supposed to be doing with his life, he refused to let it drag him down. "Hello, mother dearest," he said with a chuckle and affectionately nosed her cheek. He then went to say hello to Amalia since she was the only of their siblings that he saw so far. She certainly didn't seem to be feeling up to her usual self so he just gave her a sweet smile and a quick nuzzle. "Hey, Ama." He gave Athena and their son a nod as well before going to sit a little ways from them. He looked around and wondered how many more of their quiet pack members would appear. "Talk" "You" Think

and all the boys are smoking menthols, girls are getting back rubs There was a low toned howl, calling for the pack of Fiori. The violet lass recognized the vocals, the pale lady who had accepted her into this pack. Epiphron, Bacc's grandma. Did that mean she was also the babe's own grandmother now? The question nagged briefly at her mind, before she rolled to her feet. Lounging in the heated pools that littered the areas near the mangrove had become a habit of hers at some point. Shaking out her lavender pelt, the growing youth waded to the dry ground with an occupied mind. It was getting to be close to the end of her first year, and there was still no sign of her family. Had they truly left? She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to Milli.. Sighing, the budding nymph trotted toward the mangrove. She wanted to return home, and visit her old den. Nostalgia crept into her heart, squeezing it tightly. Vi had to be somewhere as well, maybe she should seek her out. No, if her mother truly wanted to see her, she could come to the mangrove and see her. Steeling herself, the vibrant girl cut those things from her mind. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell on them now. Stepping into the clearing where they were all to meet, she surveyed those gathered. A rusty furred male was sitting a little ways away from the rest of the group, and she noted that they'd never met before. She'd have to talk to him, because if they were pack mates, it would only be good to get to know him. A pale lady was laying at the far end of the clearing, looking very solemn. There were two boys beside her, with dark fur and very pretty, intricate markings over their bodies. They looked closer to Bacc's age than her own, but she vowed to meet them as well, and perhaps make friends. Her gaze drifted toward a familiar steely blue figure, splattered with alabaster. There was Bacc! She offered a bark of greeting, wagging her tail gleefully. Bounding over to them, she was all but dancing as she skidded to a stop. "Hey!" She chirped, beaming at them. Brows knit together in concern, she gazed at her adoptive mother. Woah, had she always been that little? Abby was only now realizing that she was just a fraction bigger than her new parent, which was a little odd. She was not used to being bigger than someone. "Ama, you alright?" She questioned softly, nosing at her downy cheek gently. If she was sad, Abby could make her happy again, right? A quick kiss would be placed upon Amalia's cheek, before her mismatched optics would turn their gaze upon her other parent. "Athena!" She yipped, nuzzling the steel furred lady affectionately. Of course, that mostly consisted of burying her features in her thick ruff. Now, Athena was definitely bigger than her, and that would always be the case. "How're you?" She asked jovially, the soft drawl of her lyrics ever present. She traipsed over to where her best friend sat, and settled herself neatly at his elbow. She felt puny next to him, but that just meant she'd have to work harder to be just as strong and fierce as him. She didn't mind a challenge. An attempted soft nip to the thick fur of his side was all play, and she grinned at him. Attention would drift toward the alphess, who was at the head of the group. A goofy grin would plaster itself upon her ivory stained features, and she thumped her tail against the terra. However, because Pip was the queen and all, she also dipped her head respectfully. Maybe she should ask Pip if there had been any news of her family nearby, or anything, really. Sighing softly, the petite lilac child awaited what might happen next. She'd never actually been to a pack meeting in her life, so this would be interesting. woah, where did the party go? We're ending it on the phone "Speech" All my love to the lovely Luisiana for this gawgeous image!

Tiburtius didn't hurry to lift his hulking form onto his paws, but he wouldn't take his time getting to the meeting either when he heard Grandma Pip's call either. The more quiet the pack grew the more he began to get quiet himself. He kept to himself mostly except for when he was with Arivae, which was basically always since she joined. He tried to let her do her thing and give her space since he didn't want to smother her or anything, but there was just something about her that pulled him to her. She never really seemed to mind when he came around so he didn't feel too badly about bothering her. He arrived to the meeting and saw plenty of wolves there already, but no Arivae yet to his disappointment. Ah well, he was sure she would be along soon enough. He gave Granda Pip a big smile and dipped his head before turning to Bacchus and bumping his equally large brother's shoulder with his nose. He hadn't socialized with his siblings much lately, he really needed to do that more. He peered down at Absinthe that was unsurprisingly glued to his side. "Hi, Abby!" he said happily with a smile down at his adopted sister. He was glad his mothers had begun taking in pups like Abby and Rit. It made him feel a little better about leaving them more often since they had someone to look after. Speaking of, he came around to the other side of his brother to see their mothers. He gave Momma Ama a smile even though the worry he felt when he saw her touched his two-toned eyes. "Hi, Momma," he said sweetly and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. Tib then went around to sit on his mother's other side, giving her cheek a kiss as well and leaning into her side breifly before sitting up again so he could look around for Arivae. ""

It didn't exactly take long for Arivae to realize that the call was from Tiburtius' grandmother. Once she heard it, she was on her feet almost immediately. But her den was located along the outskirts of the territory. And the area...well, it wasn't familiar to her, either. She had lived here once before, but she had only been a little runt, who had been glued to her mother's hip. She couldn't remember a thing! So for now, she depended on her nose. Tracking was obviously not her forte. Her nose kept leading her to a tree, or a little stream, when she thought she was on the right track toward the meeting. Pft, she nearly walked right out of Fiori before noticing the scent markers were fading. But finally, after a long game of hide and seek, she found the big crowd of wolves that smelt similar to Tiburtius and his grandmother. Her innocent blue eyes found Athena and Amalia, even Epiphron almost instantly. But Tiburtius...ah! Her face brightened as she spotted him sitting beside Athena, and she instantly rushed through the crowd to get to his side. Once she was there, she seated herself right beside him and nuzzled into his neck, before reaching her lips to his ear and murmuring, "I kinda got lost." A nervous smile played on her lips, and she giggled gently, lowering back down and sliding to her belly. She really needed to grow a bit...everyone here seemed like giants. She even had to reach up to whisper to Tiburtius. Pft.

The girl was on her way to the meeting. She hadn’t really bonded as much with her brothers as she might have liked, but momma Athena and momma Amalia were nice to her. There seemed to be a tension in the air though between the two lately that the little girl didn’t understand. She was almost a year old, but still the little one felt like she was still learning all the things necessary to pack life. She’d breathe in, coming in to find two of her brothers and both of her mother’s had already arrived. Ritselli was grateful to both women for taking her in, and she would head straight to Ama was next to Bac. She’d lean into the other side of the woman, giving a happy whine and a delighted wag of her tail. Even if she had been more scarce to her parents, off adventuring and that fun stuff, she still loved the family she was adopted into. “Come on momma, you need to smile more~” The little one would encourage. "Talk" "You" Think

Table by:: Shelby

A call from their alpha was not a surprising occurrence to her. Meetings back in Seracia, where she had grown up, had been much more frequent. It didn't matter to her either way, but she was certainly not about to ignore their leader's call. Without any hesitation, Ara would divert her careful wanderings toward the pack meeting. When she finally arrived, she'd spot her wife and children almost immediately and a smile would twist the corners of her lips upward as she made her way to them. Her affection toward Novel had never been withheld, but now she was even more willing to show her just how much she cared. The woman's tail would wag happily as she kissed the side of her cheek, coming to recline at her side and press her nose eagerly into her neck. They stood near the back of the group, and quietly her eyes would dance over the gathering, though her attention quickly settled on her boys too as she leaned to offer each of them a gentle nudge of affection.

There was the oddest feeling that he wasn't supposed to be here, and yet the call had rang out so clearly and so prominently in his ears that he'd had no choice but to listen to it. He approached them. Many had gathered already, and tried his best to keep his eagerness in check. Another gathering of wolves. He liked this continent. Back in his homeland the wolves hardly ever congregated. His eyes drifted through the fray, examining each wolf. Many were very young, youthful in their very appearance. Their leader, the one they all seemed to be looking at, was older - but not old. She was beautiful, and she was someone he'd seen before. "Hola amiga!" he exclaimed, thick accent overwhelming his lips even as he voiced the words. "Do you remember me?" A grin beamed on his features. The spaniard had been a bit more boisterous than previously intended, but it wasn't every day he attended such gatherings. Besides, since when was being joyful a crime? "Talk"

He slithered among the backdrop of wolves congregating around Epiphron. He preferred the background -  being far, far away from the spotlight whenever possible. He watched closely as everyone arrived, watched how they interacted and rejoiced at simply being together. He had an uneasy feeling about this meeting, and would focus most of his attention on Epiphron - trying to read her features. A man with a foreign stench and a foreign tongue entered the scene, and he felt himself bristle instinctively. He wasn't welcome here. A growl bubbled deep in his chest, frothing until he knew it would either die where it lay or come erupting out of his trachea. Either way didn't seem like a good idea, and so instead he slowly fed it, allowing it to bubble and grumble in the caverns of his lungs. His hackles raised and his body tensed, so much so that on the off chance anyone was looking at him they would be certain to see his discomfort. "Away," he rasped, though he hadn't put enough air behind it for the commanding word to carry all the way to the stranger who was standing far too near the Sovereign for comfort. In efforts to do something, he would allow the growl to die in his chest and would slink deliberately to his mother's side, his shoulder butting up abruptly into her own. He wouldn't say a word, but his body language read danger and frustration. The real question was, what was anybody going to do about it? "Burn Baby Burn"

"Oh no, my face is turning red."
Play stumbled over her feet when she had heard the call. Something about it just made her want to crawl towards it. With her head lowered as usual, tail nearly tucked between her legs. She scuttled across the land to see.... a gathering of wolves. A bit over her tried to not let a gasp escape, hoping that she had not stumbled upon something she was not supposed to. Then again, she had scented the borders, on the inside she really just wanted a home and this was the first thing she had come across. Wiggling a bit into the crowd, her lavender eyes locked on the one who had called the meeting. The leader, and she was beautiful. Her gray tail twitched a little raising her head only slightly so that she could see and hear what was going on.

"Umm... I hope you don't mind. I'm looking for a home and this seems to be what I stumbled upon." She smiled showing off white canines. Her white paws moved restlessly on the ground, her eyes looking over at the mass of wolves for a moment. This was probably a lot easier than coming alone though. She felt as if the attention was not on her, however she would not voice her displeasures after all. Play smiled as she looked back to the alphess. "My name is Plaetic Memoire, but everyone calls me Play." her head nodded a little, it was a good start.

"Maybe it's time to go to bed."

They came quite quickly. Most of them, at least. Epiphron would watch them silently as they made her way to her call, Amalia and her family coming quickly alongside Ara and Novel's. Leo was shortly behind them, followed by a man entirely unfamiliar to her, and a woman just as foreign. For the most part, her pack seemed to be made up of family once again, including the girl Ritselli that had been welcomed into Amalia and Athena's family, and the two girls that their sons had invited into Fiori. She would watch them as they settled down, feeling a breath of relief that they were all here.. except for Cassius, who seemed to have disappeared once again, and Caeto. Still Isolde had not shown herself. Perhaps she ought to return to the range to look for her again.. "Thank you all for arriving so promptly," she would tell them gently, genuinely glad. "So you all know, it seems that Bjorn and Birna have both taken their leave." It was quite a shame, and her voice echoed the disappointment she felt; they'd both been fine Sentries and had been quite loyal to her. Wolves like them were hard to find. "And Caeto has disappeared as well, leaving Leo as the only one left on the Council. I've explained before how I'd like Fiori to be run, but thus far no one has stepped up to offer their guidance." It was understandable -- most of the pack was made of yearlings, and they'd still been children when Fiori was born. But now they were growing old enough to know what skills they wanted to improve and what they had to offer. "I want to know what you -- all of you -- want to contribute to Fiori. We are in need of two head Sentries, as well as council members. I'd also like to know what all of you are most interested in studying. Do you wish to guard the borders and fight for your packmates, if necessary? Would you rather focus on hunting and keeping your packmates well-fed? Or maybe you're more interested in healing, or other scholarly pursuits?" Her gaze was curious as it danced around the group. Even if life in Fiori was peaceful and there wasn't much need for rigorous training, she knew they needed more cohesion to keep the spirits of the pack high. "Anyone willing to join the Council will be considered, as well. I only ask you stay as long as you need to inform me what you wish to study, or what rank you wish to hold, if any. Feel free to bring up anything else you might be inclined to." Finally, her attention would divert to the man that had greeted her in any unfamiliar language. Yes, she remembered seeing him before, though knew nothing of him. "I do remember you," she acknowledged him with a simple, hard-to-read smile. "Are you interested in joining Fiori? Or do you simply wish to spectate?" Normally she would be distraught over a stranger intruding on her home, but she had called and so he had came. He would only prove to be a problem if he overstayed his welcome. The same went for the female, who she turned to address next. "Play," she greeted the timid-seeming woman. "If you are in need of a home, we certainly can provide one. Though, I'd like to speak to you privately after this meeting." Who knew who this woman was? Where had she come from, and what did she want from Fiori?

After the boy had sat his little mother would come and bury her face in his fur leaving a kiss behind as she leaned into his affectionately. He'd lean back slightly, trying to offer her a comforting touch as she looked so sad recently. He coudln't dwell on those thoughts though, as Athena came up and offered him her own affections. He'd smile at his birth mother before being distracted by the friendly bark of his sister and friend Absinthe. He'd smile down at her tiny form and greet her back with a soft, "Hey," of his own. Tiburtius was quick to offer an affectionate bump as well, one that Bacc would return as the other boy went to seat himself. Absinthe would nip at his shoulder to remind him of her presence and he couldn't help but lean over and nibble on one of her brilliant purple ears. He'd barely notice the two strangers that appeared, though at Vitus' outburst he'd be well aware. Red eyes would shoot towards his brother, the sound that he'd heard in the other Armada's voice was enough to bring him from his seat and cause his hackles to raise, though he would be calmed quickly after, Epiphron would take control of the meeting and the boy would settle back down as he listened. "I want to learn to protect the pack," He'd say to his grandmother as her question rang out. Maybe when he was older and a little more experienced she'd decide to let him on the council. ""

Slowly the rest of the pack would filter in, starting with one of Amalia's brothers. She returned his nod and then looked toward Absinthe as she ran up to join their group. She smiled and leaned down to return the girl's nuzzle "I'm fine, thank you for asking," she replied to her question. Another of her sons, Tiburtius, came along next soon followed by his friend that he had brought to the pack just a short time ago. They were certainly getting along swimmingly and Athena couldn't help but wonder what might come of them in the furture. In some ways she didn't like thinking about her sons being old enough to be considering those sort of relationships, but it was a reality and in a way she was kind of proud that Tib had found someone he related so well with. Soon Ritselli would appear, instantly clinging to Amalia's side and encouraging her to smile more. Athena smiled a little at the girl's kind and well-meaning words, but it broke her heart to know that their young daughter felt that she had to cheer up her mother. A few more wolves slowly gathered and she caught Vitus's scent, but she didn't see him. She figured he was probably in the shadows since that was generally where he tended to stay these days, but her ears soon perked at the raspy sound of her son's growl and her head turned to see him moving up beside her, her eyes showing the mild shock and confusion she felt. His shoulder bumped hers and she could see the visible tension and anger there. She and gotten good at reading her mostly silent son in his year of life. She followed his gaze to the stanger that had appeared, speaking to Pip in some foreign language and asking if she remembered him. Oh, so that was it. She relaxed a little and turned back to Vitus. "It's okay, Vitus. It looks like a friend of Pip's... She called for anyone, not just the pack it seems." she said softly to him and smiled reassuringly. She pressed her nose to his cheek and then turned her attention back toward the front. Another stranger had appeared, this one saying she was looking for a home. She leaned her shoulder into Vitus's, urging him to behave while Epiphron began to speak. She listened intently while Epiphron spoke about the pack, the wolves that had departed from the pack, and what positions where open. So she was right, the positions of head sentries were open after all. She also mentioned wanting to know what the younger ones wanted to study and she glanced down the line of her little family, wondering what her sons would choose... and she realized they were all there except for Archy. Her ears fell back and she sighed softly. Where was he? Had he not bothered to get up to come or was he really gone? Trying to put that out of mind for now, she looked back to Pip. Bacchus spoke up and said he wanted to learn to protect the pack. She smiled proudly at her son before rising to her paws to address Pip herself. "I would like to offer my skills to become a head sentry if you'll have me." Her offer was short and sweet since she knew if Pip didn't want her to be a part of her upper tier of wolves then no amount of explaining or persuading was going to help. "Talk" "You" Think

He had no reason to hate the man. He had no reason to resent him or wish him gone, and yet all of these things had crossed his mind in less than a second. His blood boiled and frothed as he tried to contain himself. There would be no use in throwing himself at the man, he wasn't old enough or large enough to take him out on his own. Not yet, anyway. So instead he would nurse the low growl that bubbled in his trachea as his mother tried to reassure him. It seemed Pip had called for anyone, not just the pack. Still, did the man not know that it was stupid to traipse into pack territory and act as he had? He pushed his cheek back into his mother's nose, grateful for the physical contact and the reassurance she offered. Pip queried them about what they wanted to begin training in, and his ears would slacken ever so slightly. Maybe he couldn't keep fools like this away now, but surely if he trained and became a seasoned warrior he could do it then. "Fight," he rasped, swallowing hard to try and relax his throat. He had spoken up only moments after Bacchus, and was unsurprised at his larger brother's response. He worked hard to try to relax, but his stony gaze couldn't keep from watching the man very, very closely. "Blah blah blah"