Despite the chill in the air and the snow and ice that still blanketed the north, Katja knew spring had come. It was barely a whisper on the wind, but she read it there and though she did not smile she did nod decisively into the wind.

Yfir had survived their first winter.

It was time to begin.

Time to gather the vikings again as had been done since ages past.

Striding silently through the wooded lands at the base of her mountain she once again laid claim to her perch atop the boulder that overlooked the meeting place. She sang out a ringing howl to carry over all of Yfir territory, calling to her all who had called themselves packmates this winter.

Ooc: all members of Yfir are expected to post in this meeting regardless of rank or inclination or will face IC consequences ranging from demotions to physical punishments depending on if they have failed to make a required post already. Deadline is Friday, 10 July at noon.

His missing presence, while inexcusable, had hopefully been understandable. The journey to the north hadn't been the easiest one, and while his spirit was accustomed to the harsh winter, for some time he had felt misguided. Katja had spoke to him of the stars that had led her here, and of the gods will that had ushered them here to these desolate lands.

It had taken him a bit longer to see the signs for himself.

Katja's call would rouse him from his dreary rest and bring him to full alert quite quickly. His paws would carry him over the jagged earth to where they would meet, a sharp peak overlooking a waterfall. He found himself grinning slightly, his expression lopsided as he came to rest near Katja - quite surprised that he was the first to arrive. Even Jǫrmungandr had accompanied him, wrapped tightly about his right forelimb, seeming content that the harsh chill of winter had subsided slightly and that she could roam about again without worry of freezing to death.

What had happened between him and Mystic, their fight, was over. But there were things he had to do within his pack as well. A responsibility that he had. He had sworn his oath to Katja and did not plan to forsake it, setting off immediately as he heard her call from his den. His leg had bothered him a bit more during the winter season, when it was even colder, but now that spring was around the aching was beginning to subside some and he was able to use the limb a bit more easily now. All four limbs would work together to bring him closer to the viking woman he respected. He had expected Kapra to be one of the first there, and naturally he was Hypnos would tip his head respectfully towards the silver ticked woman as he took his seat. "Katja." He would greet. There was little doubt that there was purpose to be served with this meeting. All would be revealed in due time... all one would have to do is wait. He'd look over to Kapra, flashing a smile. "Hey Kapra!" ""

Art by Tea

Vereux had been trying his best to fit in here, to no avail had that happened. However the man was convinced he didn't fit in anywhere. As he approached to the meeting, his face pulled back into a sneer, he was going to grow to be a bitter old man he could tell already. A mere three years of age and he had yet to figure out what he was supposed to be doing with these paws that he walked upon. Though, he was held by the very vows that plagued themselves into his blood. He had destroyed his every chance at leaving under obligation of the stars. His self torture would continue though. Standing silently to the side line he would watch two others arrive. Only greeting katja by a small dip of his head. The man was sick and tired, he wanted to know what he was going to do. Distract himself in the moments of war and pain that would be ahead of him. To taste blood and to give it, perhaps only then would the gods if they were out there grant him something of return for his dues. ?I speak?

Between the comfort of his conversation with Valentine, the constant presence of Rommel, keeping busy with moving things to Yfir's new territory, and simplely time passing, Kassander Xanilov was beginning to look somewhat less like death. He'd kept quietly to himself since the move, alone in the roomy cave he'd chosen as his new den, big enough to store some of his herbs and still allow room for treating and housing a patient. He wasn't at the edge of a breakdown any more - it was true that time could heal even this, his raw emotions beginning to scab over - but he wasn't quite ready to mingle with the strangers who had come into the pack. Katja's call caught Kassander in the gorge busily sorting through his herb stores, all successfully moved over the winter, to throw out any herbs that had gotten ruined over the course of a mid-winter move. Carrying dried herbs through snow definitely had the prospect of causing mold and damage if they weren't dried back out fast enough. He'd had a lot of caches in Ebony's old territory, and he'd ended up leaving quite a large amount behind. Assuming snow melt didn't get in and flood any of his caches now that spring was arriving he should have more than enough back there to replace the growing pile of ruined herbs, enough to last through until the plants started producing again anyway. But at the sound of Katja's howl the healer set aside his task and set out at a lope for Yfir's meeting place at the waterfall peak. Reaching the spot and glancing around hopefully, he was disappointed to see that Warja, the other healer, hadn't arrived yet. Only Kaprasíus - the cousin of Katja that Sindri had scarred - a younger male with what appeared to be an injured or weak backleg that immediately caught the healer's attention, and Vereux had appeared at Katja's call so far. He'd been hoping to see Warja and ask her how she was settling in and if she needed any of his stores to help round out hers. It was nice to finally have another like-minded healer around to share ideas and learn with, something that he hadn't had since his mentor Elsa had died after birthing Hajime Walker's pups. He wondered briefly what had ever happened to those pups. When he'd returned from his captivity in Olympus it had been to find them and Hajime long gone without even a word to him. Sure he'd just been a pup but he'd been closer to Elsa than he'd been to anyone, and they'd been his only living link to her, so the faded memory still rankled a bit years later. And they'd been foster siblings to him too, with Raisa having spent more time raising them than she had her own pups, so hadn't they deserved a little notice? He pushed aside the old grievance and seated himself behind those already gathered, silently. Rommel appeared as if by magic, licking his chops in a manner that made it clear the fox had just been hunting, to press his shoulder against Kass' as he seated himself companionably by the larger canine. ""

They'd been here around a season now, was Kismet settled? Not exactly, he'd chosen solitude for a while and the act of daring himself closer and closer towards those old Glaciem lands until at last he stood within the very spot that had once been his prison. The fact that there was no sign of them now perhaps made him a little more comfortable but he still wouldn't say he felt right at all calling this place a home, not as he had been with Valhalla or Secretua. Meetings though were not to be avoided of course and as the call went out he made his way across the lands until he hit the gathering point. A few other members of the pack had beaten him there, including Kassander, the healer that Warja apparently knew already, though much to his disappointment there currently wasn't any sign of Warja herself. She was typically quite prompt, Kismet assumed it wouldn't be long before she joined them and so taking a seat, Kismet would wait for her and of course for the meeting to begin.

She was LATE. So, so, so very late! Painfully, woefully, shamefully late. Ugh. Okay, not really. But for Warja, who was used to being the first one to everything, she may as well have been arriving towards the end of the meeting. The healer had finally settled on a den and had begun spending the better part of her days setting it up and making it functional. With the turn of the season she'd also begun to gather plants and replenish her stores. All in all her days were long, busy and dirty, and really, she didn't mind. It was nice and made her feel accomplished. Skidding into the meeting, Warja flew in from the back and made a flying nip attempt at Kass' haunch before skittering over to Kismet, grinning impishly over her shoulder at the healer as she did so. There she settled in at his side (after trying to nudge him in the ribs with her shoulder) to wait out the start of the meeting.

Lumbering into the meeting, Laufey made a beeline for his uncle Kaprasius. He aimed to settle in at his side, the side opposite of Katja. After attempting to playfully (and yet roughly) jab his uncle in the ribs with his shoulder, the brute angled himself so that he could see Katja clearly and then sat down heavily. At some point he still wanted to ask one of them about their history. It felt like there was a legacy to be proud of, but he hadn't the faintest idea what it entailed. They were both right there within asking distance, but of course now wasn't the time. Perhaps after the meeting he'd get a chance.

The pack gathered quickly, Laufey and Warja rounding out the numbers as they appeared. The thrall, she noticed, did not appear at all. Again. The dishonorable cur shamed himself and every generation of his family with his cowardice. But the wolves who mattered to the survival of the pack had gathered. It was time.

Upon the rock, Katja felt restless and twitchy, overheated and caught in a frustrating need for activity though she remained outwardly cool and unperturbed. it was spring, the season of her birth and the season of raids - it seemed an auspicious pairing since her heat manifested in a certain viciousness rather than desire.

"Yfir," she began, her voice low and intent. "Spring is upon us. The time for raiding is now, as the packs grow complacent and fat upon the spoils of the season. Many of you have traveled beyond our borders this winter passed. Tell me, what have you learned of the packs surrounding us? What weaknesses have you uncovered or cautions have you to tender? The decision of where we will raid is not yet been made - your intelligence and advise will be considered in this auspicious beginning."

Ooc: deadline is Friday, July 17. Everyone is expected to post even if they arent sharing any information or an opinion about who will be raided. Do share though if your wolf has gathered intelligence about another pack or has an opinion about where or where not to raid since the decision of where to raid is going to be left entirely iC.

Laufey's head dropped as he mulled over Katja's words. It required quite a bit of thinking. Hard thinking. He didn't do a whole lot of traveling. Didn't care about any packs either. Hell, he didn't think he could even name any other pack. There was simply no reason for him to know. He didn't care. Not even a little. He thought long and he thought hard. Really hard. He was actually getting a bit of a headache from all the thinking. It was a complicated question. Where should they direct their efforts? Where should they make their debut? There was quite a bit to consider. Close to home to make defending their territories easier? Farther abroad so they weren't, in a manner of speaking, shitting where they ate? Finally, his head lifting slowly, he rumbled, "We have neighbors up here in the north, don't we? Maybe we should introduce ourselves." It made sense. Instill fear in the closest packs, enough fear to crush thoughts of revenge, and then move outwards.

The man would have probably remained silent if he hadn't heard the ticking of Laufey in his ear. Tensing his muscle, he held back his sense of emotion even if his heart beat found itself beating fast. No, he would speak his opinion. "I know the alphess of Sonticus our neighbors well her name is Arian Adravendi, she is an old friend of mine. She could be a good asset later because of the proximity. She isn't one to attack us without reason first either." He didn't want it to seem bias. However he did believe they could be of use to them. Plus, there was not many supplies to steal from the north was there. Vereux in return however would give another suggestion. "There's a pack by the name of Threar in the east though. I don't know much about them, because they never really show their face. I do think they are the weakest of the current packs. Plus.... they live in luscious lands." He was in no regard as respect at Laufey was. However, if he could avoid making himself uncomfortable that would be best. He took his vows and was still letting those emotions take hold of him. He took a deep breath and waited, whatever happened he would simply brace himself for. ?I speak?

Hypnos would listen to Katja as she spoke, and visibly the boy would bristle. He thought of Mystic and her family. They were not a pack and yet they were a solid family unit. Someone who could get hurt if they were known of. He would hold back his panic, reminding himself that they were not a likely target. He would breathe, listening to the suggestions. Deciding to speak up he would add his own thoughts, rather, agreeing with a suggestion already made. "I feel it would be wiser to make an ally of our neighbor, rather than an enemy. I second the notion of attacking Threar." The young man would let his gaze focus on Katja. "I've seen their wolves only in passing, but they do not seem to be an overly formidable pack. They were the ones who held a festival in the lands not long ago I believe. A gathering of peace in a sense... would it not make sense to attack them?" ""

Art by Tea

The sudden whirlwind flurry that was Warja blew in from the back of the group like a tornado of Warja-colored fur and energy. Kass had barely turned his head at the flash of movement before a nip on his haunch startled a yip of surprise out of him and he jumped. He blinked at her as she grinned over her shoulder at him, and an answering grin slowly, shyly spread over his own face as his tail wagged behind him. He was happy to see that she'd made the meeting after all, and maybe he'd be able to sneak in a quiet word about their herb stores before Katja started. He stood and padded after the smaller, gray and black female to where she'd seated herself beside Kismet, and carefully sat on her other side with Rommel on his other side and snuck a glance past her to Kismet, who he'd not yet actually met but seemed quite close to Warja, before turning his gaze to Warja. "Have you been able bring all your herbs here? I've been going through mine and if you want I can..." But Katja's voice beginning the meeting interrupted him, and he forced his attention on the meeting with embarrassment. Even expecting it all winter, Katja's announcement that they would begin raiding other packs immediately sparked worry and fear within the healer. He had led Ebony into a siege once and though they had won, people had gotten hurt. On the other side of the siege, people had gotten badly hurt. He hadn't even quite come to terms with just how much harm he had caused with that attack, and now the pack was running headlong into danger once again. But the pack wasn't the same as it had been. Katja was a harsher leader, a better leader than he had been, and the rag-tag wolves of Yfir were tougher and better trained than the Ebony nobles had been. Besides, it was a raid, not a siege - they weren't going with the intention of hurting anyone. They were just taking resources. Hopefully they'd be in and out before anyone noticed and no one on either side would get hurt. Katja called for suggestions, but only a few wolves spoke up. Not Fiori, not Imperium, he longed to cry out but bit it back. Fiori had been his allies, not Katja's, so while the idea of Epiphron's family member's getting hurt, of Epiphron getting hurt, made him feel sick to his stomach he couldn't come up with a passable reasoning that would keep Katja from Fiori. "I-Imperium in the south isn't.. isn't a good idea," he offered tentatively, and at Katja's glance elaborated. "They're a really strong pack and this is our first raid. None of us really know how to work together or anything yet. Imperium's been together for a while and they know how to fight." He wasn't sure he knew the other packs mentioned. Who was the other northern pack? What was Threar? He probably should have gone through and visited more of the packs than he had when he was an alpha so he'd be less useless now when they needed that information. ""

One of the first to arrive, he would settle close to Katja's side. His reptilian companion would unwind herself slightly from his leg, peeking out at the others that trailed in, hissing in slight distaste - at nothing in particular. Hypnos was quick to find his side, and a cheeky grin would be offered to his self-professed protege, though he had an air of rare seriousness about him. The rest were largely unfamiliar to him. Kassander he had seen multiple times - and of course he knew his nephew, but the rest were merely strangers that lived in the same pack as him. Perhaps that ought to change. But then again, what brought wolves together better than a raid?

He stretched his limbs slightly as Katja began to speak, confirming what he had already suspected. He knew little of the packs of Alacritia - perhaps for good reason. He could be fine leader in battle, but diplomacy was not his strong suit, and he knew it was better if he was kept largely away from packs, if not for his own sake than for the sake of Yfir as a whole. "A pack untrained in battle, who sit upon lands brimming with food?" he would muse over their words, his ears pricking attentively. For once, the mania was absent from his tones, a rare focus shining in his eyes as he considered. Still, he wore a grin that seemed unshakeable, and his tail twitched behind him in excitement at the impending raid.  "Certainly a better target than our northern neighbor, if it is food we seek."

Sure enough Warja would indeed show up, she would stop briefly by Kassander before joining him, and though he wouldn't react to her little dig in his ribs he would cast a small grin at the girl as he lowered his muzzle to her ear. "What's this, Warja late?" He teased, words only a whisper so as not to disturb others. The meeting would begin rather promptly after that, Katja would cut straight to the chase as well starting a discussion about raids. To be honest though he had travelled a little, he didn't know very much at all about the other packs. With few words to add to the conversation, he would keep quiet for now.

Sticking her tongue out at Kismet she mocked in a low voice, "What's this, Warja late?" Funny, funny boy. "Bite me, bigfoot." On the heels of her sarcastic words she grinned up at him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kassander moving towards her and her attention quickly snapped to him. He was looking a lot better since Yfir's last meeting. His smile came easier and he looked less forlorn this time around. Plopping down beside her, Kassander started in with a quiet question. As Katja began to speak his voice faded away, but the meaning behind the words he'd gotten out was clear. Stretching up on her tiptoes, Warja aimed to quickly kiss Kassander on the cheek before he could get away from her, which he would certainly try to do. "That's very sweet of you, Kass." Alright, raids. Hm. Well, she had a target in mind. Her last visit to Secretua's old lands had told her that the prairie had been reclaimed. "There's a pack in the south I think we should consider. They've claimed Algoma Prairie, one of my old pack's lands. I know it well and it's very good hunting grounds. There's bison, whitetail, pronghorns...and I know all the best places to bring them down."

Katja listened intently as each of her wolves shared their information regarding the other packs. Laufey was quick to suggest raiding the neighbors, but hard on his heels Vereux cautioned her against raiding Sonticus, with Hypnos swiftly seconding his suggestions. She shook her head at the pair of them sharply. "Arian and her pack will be an asset to no one," she told him coolly. "There will be no potential alliance between Yfir and Sonticus to protect them." Though neither did Sonticus have anything yet this season that might entice her there, and she was not one to waste her pack's time and blood on a spiteful fool's errand. His suggestion of Threar did have merit, one that Kapra seemed to like. Kassander gave a caution against Imperium, while Warja offered up an opposing idea - a pack in the south that took over lands she was familiar with. She brooded on the idea a moment as the pack quieted once again. "Kassander, I have encountered Imperium and - as you say - Yfir is not yet ready to face such a formidable enemy. Though their hunting lands seem quite rich, I do not believe we will be raiding them for quite some time." She turned her attention to Warja. "Having a working knowledge of our quarry's land will be quite useful," she told the girl approvingly. "It is an excellent suggestion. However we know nothing else of the pack itself, and that poses more danger than an untried warband need take on their first raid. We will scout them another time and learn more of them. This Threar..." she spoke now to all of them. "I am familiar with Threar and her alphas. They are insular, this is true, but that is no judge of their ability to defend themselves. I have not seen them engage another in battle and I will not assume they do not know how to simply because they choose not t. They do not, however, seem to be as vigilant of their borders as more martial packs may be, and this may negate the need for battle at all. The eastern hunting grounds are rich, and with spring settling upon them they will shortly have a surplus of prey. We will steal a hunt in Threar's lands tonight one way or another." She lifted her hackles with a sudden fierceness, muzzle pointing to the sky as her voice raised to a snarling shout. "Odinn! Freyja! Thor! Tyr! Guide us into battle! Should we fall may we rise again to feast in Valhalla! Yfir, to me!" She gave a deep, rhythmic, ululating howl that thrummed like electricity down her toes, and leaped from the rock into the midst of the pack to lead them to Threar's borders. "" ""