Katja's decision had been made when she'd explored the mountain. It stood as the gateway from the north to the central-most lands, the perfect staging point to flood the lands below with raiding parties set to disappear back into the inhospitable northlands. She would shape this band of misfits into a viking clan yet, and this would be the start. A cold, harsh land to harden their bodies, to train in and to become far superior to the soft southern breed. She'd begun leading her wolves north, breaking them off into smaller groups to attract less attention and directing them to make for this peak. The healers she'd instructed to leave most of their stores for now, intending to go back and forth with them a little later to transfer the bulk of them to the new lands. It was stealthier, safer, to travel lightly and quickly. She did not have enough healers to risk them trying to drag an entire winter's worth of herbs across a continent. Reaching the mountain's base, she bounded further up the slope, situating herself atop a rocky outcropping surrounded by open space. Lifting her masked face she howled, calling the scattered pack together once again before settling back onto her haunches to await them, her perch affording her an advantage in line of sight. OOC: deadline to get your Yfir wolf in this meeting is Wednesday the 10th. Unless you are on absence or you have specifically cleared it with me I expect all Yfir wolves to show up or face IC consequences. ""

Following the group was rather easy for Vereux, even if his was a smaller one like most of the pack had been split into. As they reached the north, he felt a new sense of satisfaction within him. He had grown up in the north, born and raised in the sparse pines area. This, was his kind of terrain. The male's tail would flick left to right as he heard Katja's howl, moving himself to follow the sound. He moved easily in the snow, like he had never left as his paws fluidly carried him along. Stopping a few feet away from her, he would find a suitable place to stand not too far away at the edges but not too close where he would be stepping boundaries with the alpha. Single green eye peering at her with his same sense of satisfaction. Yet also with curiosity as to what would be happening next. He knew little about her, little about this pack yet aside for their rules. Vereux was eager to learn about her culture, for he had to convert into it if he wanted to get anywhere in his life. ?I speak?

The move to the North hadn't been an easy one for Kismet. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had only just moved to Yfir in the first place and everything to do with his childhood. Being imprisoned as a child and finding out about his father that way had certainly left him with bad memories. It had altered his family, nothing had ever been the same since and wouldn't be again, not that he would completely blame Isardis for that, both Azalea and Sarak were to blame there.

There would surely a small amount of comfort in knowing that no one in the Armada family currently reigned, though the moment he realised that there was one living within the pack, well it wasn't exactly going to make his day. He had his freedom though and Warja was here, that was all he would have to keep reminding himself of. He had no idea currently what being part of Yfir would mean for him, though he was sure with those two facts that it would surely be better than the last time he had lived in the North.

At the sound of Katja's howl, he would quietly gather with the rest or at least the few that had appeared. He had no idea what the numbers of the pack were like though he knew that this was not everyone. He was amongst the early arrivals it seemed and silently he would take a seat to await whatever news was to be told.

Laufey's speed came in short bursts. He was quick when he wanted to be, which admittedly wasn't very often. The pace that came to him naturally was a predatory mosey; a rolling, slinking gait that came from the cocky belief that he had nothing to fear from anyone or thing, and it was this lackadaisical pace that had caused him to fall far behind the others. The behemoth lingered at the back under the guise that he was keeping an eye out for trouble. In reality he was just incredibly slow. When he finally reached Katja's rock, the brute looked around at those gathered. He was surprised to see that the bouncy new healer wasn't there already. She'd only come around a couple of times (mostly to get in his face over that bite on his chest) but from what he gathered that irritating little pixie could run circles around him. Sinking into a seated position, Laufey casually looked up at Katja and waited for the meeting to start. "Speaking" "Thinking"

Warja wasn't exactly what one would call a fan of the move. She'd just spent the last year in a healer's paradise, and now she was moving to the north. The cold, snow-covered north. The kind of north were good plants were scarce. That meant very little would be fresh and the majority of her stocks would have to be dried and stored instead of grown. The healer side of her was a bit bummed out. There was an advantage to being in the north. Warja remembered her and Katja's discussion about hardiness very clearly so while she was dismayed, she was looking forward to what was to come. Her eyes fell on the giant named Laufey and she craned her neck to get a look at his chest over the distance. When she was done looking her eyes rose to find the brute staring at her. She quirked a brow at him, daring him say something. He was a stranger, sure, but they were packmates and when it came to wound care he was stupid. He might not have been happy with her taking charge, but the alternative was having his chest rot and fall off. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but he was careless enough with it that if it were to happen, Warja wouldn't have been surprised. Coming up on Kismet's left, Warja attempted to playfully bump him in the ribs as she sat down. "Hey, Kis." He stilled owed her an adventure. She wasn't going to forget. "Talk" "You" Think

Kaprasíus already knew that they would be moving north. Not only had Katja told him, but the gods themselves had shown them the way when they had seen the lode-star speak to them. Though their message had been a silent one, it had spoken louder than words ever could. Though the journey north was not an easy one, he wouldn't have expected anything but for the wolves of Yfir. The southern wolves had proven to be disgustingly soft-hearted and weak, time and time again, and once again they would return to the inhospitable lands from which they were more familiar. Here they could quickly weed out the few that did not belong with them, especially as they struggled to endure the winter months. He couldn't help but wonder how many of them had ever known true winter.. and how many might wish they'd never come at all. Though they wouldn't travel in a tight group, he would remain close to Katja, within reach if he was needed. He had made the decision to swear his life to her -- for the gods had proven, time and time again, that it was with her that he had to stay -- and he intended to make good on his promise. When they finally came to a halt, he would lope closer to the group. The bush viper that had traveled on his back finally slithered down and wrapped herself around one of his limbs, seeking warmth beneath his chest, finding the cold climate rather unpleasant. His eyes would search the group, finding them mostly unfamiliar, until finally settling on Katja. This sure felt like a place he could call home. A grin finally stretched his lips into a pleased expression as he settled to the earth and waited for what she might have to say to them.

The weather was most unpleasant. But the boy did not complain. No... he would not fight the winter chill. But it was the distance that had his heart ache. He was further now from Mystic than he thought he ever would be. That knowledge hurt, as well as the fact that he had not been present when Kapra had been wounded. For a long while now Hypnos had been silent. He hated this feeling. He hated the feeling of all of it. Yet through all of his dark feelings, and his hate of all of this, he kept silent. He wasn't sure what to say. How to feel. All he knew was that he needed to shape up, and start becoming stronger. He needed to prove to Katja, Karpa, and himself that he belonged here. He needed to become a viking... just like them. So his goal here would be to further harden his heart. Pantheon, or rather what was left of his family, seemed to have faded. He had taken a trip out that way, purely out of curiosity, and found that no sign of the pack remained. Hypnos was glad in some ways yet, in some was, he also felt unfulfilled.   Hypnos would sit alone. Silent. He looked like the odd one out in this group. So many of them already looked rough and tumble... and then there was him. The boy with the lame leg, the weak leg. It would never be as strong as the others and hinder him in battle. The perfect target. Hypnos would let a sigh pass his lips, closing his eyes. Somehow... some way... he needed to find the right path. ""

Art by Tea

Kassander was hesitant as the pack split apart to make the journey to the north. Even as the rest of the pack had disappeared he had stood rooted on the old pack lands, jaws clasped loosely around the bundle of herbs he'd put aside to bring on this first trip. The idea of leaving his home, the lands he'd been born in, grew up in, had only parted from when Virgil had stolen them away, that his brother was buried in, paralyzed him, and he couldn't force himself to move until Rommel had come up beside him, brushing comfortingly against his shoulder and coaxing him along. Each step felt mechanical, leaden, as they carried him further and further from everything he knew. It wasn't hard to find his way even through the unfamiliar lands, especially with Rommel disappearing sometimes to scout ahead, but he was still slow as he moved along. As such as he drew close to the small group gathered where Katja had called them together, he realized he was the last to appear there. He laid his ears back dejectedly, and stopped just back from the group, sitting with the herbs at his paws and his head down, apart from the group rather than a part of it. His heart wasn't here, not yet - it was buried back at Firefly Lake with Sigmarr.

Her eyes surveyed those who appeared beside her rock, and her gaze hardened. Oh, all of her vikings had appeared in short order as was expected of them. But there was one particular wolf who had taken the opportunity to slip away unnoticed - the yearling thrall she'd taken when he'd been fool enough to trespass. Very well. He was replaceable, if it came to that, and she wasn't going to waste her vikings on chasing him down right now, though... "If you should happen to find our thrall," she spoke in a low, almost conversational voice laced through with ice, "he is to be brought to me. It seems he does not care for his... accommodations." She passed her eyes over the group once again, dismissing the wayward thrall from her mind and she was pleased by their attentiveness though not, frankly, by their readiness. This would need remedying. Her voice changed, from the conversational tone to one of authority. "Yfir lays claim to this mountain, as well as a forest of redwoods and a circular gorge. The gorge has caves that will be useful for denning and storage - if you make your den elsewhere I must be informed of it that I may know of your whereabouts in an emergency. I marked the preliminary boundaries of our lands here to assist you in finding your way. The next season will be hard, no doubt of that. Winter in the north is never easy even for those who know her ways. But I have faith that we will prevail. Take this season to learn this land, her climate, her prey. We will strengthen our hold here and train our bodies and our minds, and when spring comes we will show the southern wolves what it really means to be a viking." No smile curved her muzzle, but a cool satisfaction dripped from her voice. "We will raid the southern packs, take for our own what they take for granted. They will know who we are and they will walk softly at the sound of our name. Yfir is destined for greatness, and I know that I can trust every wolf here to contribute their utmost. I will not call formal training - " there would not be time to spare for that, with settling a pack into a new territory and feeding it through the winter - "but I expect all of you to sharpen your own skills. Karls - I expect you to hunt together for the pack if you are physically able. Though everyone is capable of hunting small game for themselves, no wolf can survive on rabbits alone in the north. They bear too little fat, and that is something that is sorely needed in a northern diet. Medium and large sized game will be needed if we are to survive and thrive. There are deer, moose, and caribou within our lands - take warriors if you are going for the largest game. We are too small a pack to absorb unnecessary injuries from inexperienced wolves attempting too much, and it will be good battle practice for the warriors. "Healers - feel free to range as far south as need be to find herbs but be wary. Other packs or mad loners may seek to capture or kill you thinking you are the weak link of our pack. Your skills are sorely needed and you are far too important to the health of the pack to risk on foolish bravado. Pair with another wolf if you go far afield. Keep close watch on the health of the pack, and on individual wolves. Not all are as quick to get care for their wounds as they should." She cast a reproving glance at Laufey. "Warriors - I expect you to train together when you aren't hunting with the karls. Spars, mock raids, shadow-fighting. Yes, training can be a solo event but you will need to learn to work together and you will not learn if you do not train together. Patrol the borders, keep watch for intruders. Always be ready. "I will expect anyone with other skills to assist their packmates in training as well, no matter what those skills are or how useless you may initially think them to be. Languages, star constellations, history - if you have a skill, share it with your packmates. You may be surprised at who may be interested in learning. Kapra and I are fluent in German and Norwegian, we will gladly share our family's history and lore. I know to navigate by the stars, to track, to know the weather. Think of what skills and stories you have learned in your lives. What better way for our knowledge and ways... for our loved ones who have passed on..." Her gaze lingered on Kassander, alone in his grief, to Hypnos - wolves that had lost much in their young lives, wolves whose soft culture ill equipped them to deal with loss. "...to survive than to share them with each other? With new generations to come? Seek out others who might learn what you have to teach." She stood now upon the rock, clearly ending the formal portion of the meeting. "Learn your new home, wolves, and ready yourself. Spring will be upon us sooner than you expect." She leaped with silent grace to the ground amongst the gathered wolves. OOC: Go forth and multiply. Er - well, go off and do some training. I want at least one more post from everyone in this thread by WEDNESDAY JUNE 17TH but also feel free to talk amongst yourselves to look for training partners or whatever. I'm not going to expect a big pack training or hunt thread but I do want everyone to participate in and complete at least one training thread with pack mates on your own. Whether that's Navigation, Intellect, Fighting, Healing, or Hunting I don't care but you need to be able to show me that you completed at least one training session with a packmate BEFORE JULY 1ST. ""

Vereux would listen to Katja intently. Though his eye would scan over Kassander for a moment, a bit of grief striking his heart. He was still ill-equipped himself despite being raised in the middle of a war. The north being his home, Vereux was inbetween on pain and relaxation. Neither soft nor tough when it came to any situation. However it seemed like he would have to detach himself. If they were to attack Fiori if he ran into his sons, or Athena and Amalia he was unsure that he'd actually be able to fight them. His eye would dart to the ground and then look up again. Her tail flicking back and forth. The north was his home though, even with how tough it was, he was remembering his past in flashes. A viking, did he really belong in that type of setting? "I grew up in sparse pines here, I am familiar with most of the terrain. If anyone wishes to spar with me that would be great." Vereux would speak. He knew the cracks, the caves, secret places even maybe. Since he explored away from home often, as he shifted a little. But, did he really belong here was the question. ooc: Anyone's welcome to spar with Vereux for the training, you could pm me so we can start a thread. ?I speak?

His eyes followed the little healer lady as she went off to sit by an orange-headed brute. Some part of him could appreciate her efforts (he itched and ached way less than before she'd noticed him) but he was offended at her at her 'take charge' methods. He wasn't a child, he didn't need to be lead around by the hand or talked to slowly. His interest in Warja faded quickly and his gaze slowly meandered to the distance as he waited. Finally Katja began to speak and his attention turned to her. For much of her speech he listened intently, his expression unchanging, but when she cast a disapproving look in his direction his expression grew offended. He'd taken care of his chest just fine, thank you very much. Sure, he wasn't some fancy shmancy healer who knew about plants or whatever, but he'd done his best. The meeting ended and Laufey glanced around. He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do next. Maybe Katja or Kaprasius could tell him a bit their family. Or, he mused, he could ask that little healer lady to give him a healing lesson.

So this was to be their new place of residence. Just fine, he thought. While Hypnos was not exactly thrilled to be in the cold, he would make do. His mind would wander while he listened to Katja speak, listening to her go on about what was expected of them. Currently he was ranked as a Karl, a regular member, though the young man hoped to prove himself and become a better rank. Not that hunting was a rank without its respect... No. But perhaps he could find something more suited to his tastes. Training would need to be done among themselves, and Hypnos would glance at those present. He wasn’t sure how much he trusted any of them. Aside from Karpa himself. But hey... He would make do with what he had. His gaze would then settle on the slate male who spoke up, and Hypnos would find his voice, his sea green eyes aglow with determination. “I know next to nothing about these lands, and a guide to them would be most appreciated. A spar too would be wonderful, if you’d find me a worthy opponent.” ""

Art by Tea

The meeting ended on a promise. She may not have been fond of the distance between herself and gathering opportunities, but what was promised to come in the spring excited her. Soon enough Warja was going to have to head back to the old lands to cart back the rest of her stocks. Moving it a second time in one season made her cringe a little on the inside, but she was hoping she could rope Kismet and maybe one other packmate into helping her. It was all still in bundles from the last trip, so at least she didn't have to pack this time. The word 'spar' yanked Warja out of her thoughts and caused her head to snap around in search of the person who had said it. She was up for a spar! It took her a moment to find the speaker, but by the time she had, another had stepped up to claim the spot. Damn. Oh well. Perhaps she'd find a sparring partner another time. In her visual search for the speaker, the young healer had noted a familiar (and very despondent looking) figure. Kassander sat slumped over on the outskirts of the gathering. Warja's ears flicked back in concern. He just looked so...sad. So very different than the last time she'd seen him. Seeking to gently nudge Kismet, she murmured, "Sorry to leave you, but I think I need to talk to a friend of mine." Warja slowly made her way to Kassander. As she approached she greeted him softly in the hopes of calling his attention away from the dirt where his gaze appeared to be fixed, "Hey Kassander." She then aimed to seat herself just to his left. "I didn't expect to see you here." On the surface the statement was innocuous, but beneath its harmless exterior lurked a purpose. She intended to figure out exactly what was going on with him. "Talk" "You" Think