It was time. Avalon walked slowly across the territory from the orchard, trying to track down Valentine seemed a difficult task as of late. Was he okay? She wanted to find him and ask him his permission to leave so that she could start her next chapter. She enjoyed living in imperium, truth be told, it had helped her gain the confidence and strength she needed to make this decision. She stopped next to the tractor that valentine often occupied, but when she sniffed at it, she couldn't really detect his scent around it. Maybe he was somewhere else? Tilting her head back, she howled for him. It was time to go. After this, she would gather her children and they'd begin their journey. "Talk" "You" Think

The sound of a call for Valentine had Cascade slowly dragging herself to her feet with a mighty yawn. In her den, Chaos was sleeping restlessly, the faint rattling of his breathing causing her fur to prickle with worry. Evangeline was sleeping nearby, her weariness clear. Cascade looked over her only daughter with almost as much worry as she felt for Chaos - Vana had been working desperately hard to care for the sick she had been able to gather together. Chaos, Seraphim, Hati... three wolves desperately ill with some strange strain of pneumonia. Two of her sons, and the scent of sickness was everywhere. Vana was only half-trained at best, but even she knew more of illnesses and their treatments that Cascade had ever learned. Neither of them had been able to track down any of the pack's other healers anywhere in pack lands, not even Valen's little playtoy, and so many of the pack's warriors seemed to be either laying low or as absent as the healers. Cas was at her wits' end trying to hold things together for her best friend and her eldest son in their absence. She wasn't meant to be a leader, but she as much as she wanted to she couldn't just drop everything either - she was supposed to be Valentine's partner, and she was Angelus' mother. She couldn't abandon them when they needed her. Until one of them said otherwise, she would remain here.

She'd hovered at the den mouth long enough to assure herself that neither of her sons had worsened or wakened, long enough to make sure that Evangeline was still deep in much-needed sleep, before slipping away to answer the call for Valentine herself. She shook her rumpled fur to settle it, eyeing the caller with half her attention. It was Avalon, the wolf Valentine had fought Sonticus to claim. Wonder what she wanted with Valentine? Oops, maybe she was looking for a playmate instead of a ranking wolf. Too late now, she'd just have to go without if that's what she was hoping for. "Valentine's indisposed," she said blithely, locking down any hint of her evasiveness behind a faint half-smile. "Did you need something?"

The one who arrived wasn't who she had expected, but as she listened to cascade, she understood. Valentine must have gotten sick like the majority of the pack, or so she assumed. She hadn't seen many of them around lately. She faced the woman, nodding her head. "I came to ask permission to leave, and since valentine is unavailable, I suppose you're the one to ask." She sighed for a moment, and while she felt a little bad about it, she knew it was time to move on. "I wish to ask to be released, along with my children. I plan to create a pack, it's time. I'm sure you've noticed a few having disbanded. So I plan to stake a claim somewhere."

Cascade barely kept her ears from lacing back as Avalon spoke. All the trouble Valentine had gone through to get her into the pack to begin with and now at the first sign of trouble she wanted to cut and run? No now, hold on a moment and think it through. Clearly Valentine didn't consider Avalon on the same plane as Rhythm, and while it was Cascade's opinion that all of Imperium belonged to Valentine without question if he desired it, he tended to be a little less possessive than she was on his behalf. He treated Avalon just like any other ordinary member of the pack, neither as a concubine like Rhythm or a slave, and she hadn't fit into the pack any better than Rhythm had. Would it really be any loss to the pack if she allowed the Sonticus wolf to leave? It wasn't like she had enough healthy wolves in the pack as it stood right now to force anyone to stay if they didn't want to. Besides, it would give them another pack to raid if the pack recovered from the disease ravaging their ranks.

Finally she shrugged. "Yeah, I hold a high enough rank to let you go. I won't stop you if you want to - but the kids aren't yours to take." She eyed Avalon with a half-smile, a hint of disdain wrinkling her nose. "They aren't pups anymore, you know, and in Imperium we don't treat yearlings like babies. They're full members of the pack. You don't get to make decisions for them." She allowed herself a bored yawn. "Now, if they come to me and want to leave, that's their prerogative. I'm not going to stop them from leaving any more than I'm stopping you. But I'm not going to let you make that kind of decision for them and drag off potentially useful pack members either." She didn't particularly get the impression that Valentine had cared about Avalon's kids at all - she didn't know if he even really thought about them. They'd been an afterthought when he'd taken Avalon from Sonticus. But they were still healthy yearlings in a pack that was already falling apart with barely a wolf capable of hunting or taking care of themselves. She couldn't afford to kick them out just on Avalon's say-so, not if they were willing to stay. Not until she knew whether things were going to get better.

Cascade was a fickle one in her eyes. And while Avalon wasn't entirely pleased with the woman trying to keep her from leaving with her only children, she respected the woman enough to grant her a nod. In a way she was right. Her kids were old enough to decide on their own, she only hoped they would come with her to start the pack as a family. "Very well, I'll call for them and they can decide." She stated simply.

She tilted her head back and called for the four of them, returning her gaze to meet cascade. She didn't miss the look of disdain on her face, and she didn't know why the wolves here seemed to hate her. Some of them, anyway. She was not Valentine's object, and while she thought the younger male handsome, she didn't think have any interest in him in that way.

The call from his mom was surprising, but he wouldn't keep her waiting. Abandoning the bone he was chewing on, he got up and went to answer the call. Upon arriving, he saw both his mom and cascade standing there. He stopped next to his mom, looking at her with an inquisitive look. His green gaze wondered what this could be about, and wondered maybe if one of his brothers had gotten sick again. "You called?"

He decided to sit and wait for his brothers then, hoping that they weren't sick if this is what she'd called for. His sister had already died, he didn't want to lose Lykis, Gryphon or Kharnage if it was the case.

Kharnage had been trying to avoid the rest of the pack. More than anything he wanted to get out and train and meet others, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that something was amiss. The same sickly scent that had plagued him when he was young hung on the pelts of some of the pack members and after some observation he realized they were sick too. Had he gotten them sick? It made the young male worry that he had and that it was all his fault. Logically there was no way it could be as he hadn't really been around anyone when he was sick to spread it, but he was too worked up about it to actually contemplate it.

A call from his mother brought him from his dark thoughts. It sounded urgent and it was for all four of them. Curiosity drove him to quicken his pace and he ran as fast as he could to Avalon. Dragon had already beat him there and Cascade, a woman he didn't personally know, as well as Avalon. "What's up?" He asked curiously before moving to sit next to Dragon leaning into his larger brother's form.

He'd gone exploring, slowly beginning to build up his energy and endurance that he'd lost during his illness. He marveled to learn that his rangy body was far more capable now that he was older than it was even before he'd gotten sick, so he was ranging further and further afield to stretch his wings and get stronger, though not so far as to be away from his family too long. He didn't want his mother to worry, and someone needed to keep an eye on the rest of the family for her so she could rest.

So when his mother's voice rose over the range to call for their alpha, Gryphon was close enough to hear, though other than noting it just in case he mostly just ignored it as not having anything to do with him. That is, until it apparently had something to do with him, with his mom calling out again a very short time later for him and his brothers. Alert and curious, the lanky yearling retraced his steps to head towards his mother's call and arrived to find his mother and the pack's et uxor as well as Dragon and Kharnage who'd beat him there. He pricked his ears toward his mother in curiosity, but otherwise kept his silence, eyeing the stranger warily. He had a vague idea who she was, but since he'd never actually met her he wasn't sure about her presence here or why he'd been called here where she was.

The boy was troubled - beyond troubled. Journeying up to the place of his mother's birth had been fascinating, but with it came knowledge that he wasn't quite certain how to take in. Aalon planned on making her own pack, and expected him to go with. He had agreed them, neutrally, keeping those fears to himself, but truth be told he wasn't so sure about the decision. Stay? Go? Every fiber in his body disagreed with the choice to go - how could he abandon his pack, his family? And yet... how could he abandon his blood family? While he had never sworn to Imperium, never promised himself verbally, to him it seemed like he did so in his mind.

That was what made him conflicted, anxious. He awaited anziously that call of his mother's, wishing it would not come even as Imperium dwindled from what it once was. That dwindling made his decision even more teetering.

And then that call came - the one he was expecting, from his mother. First, a call for Cascade, the Et Uxor of Imperium... and then for him and his brothers. Ears flattening to his head, he made his way over to the call, slowly. He was not surprised when he was the last of his siblings to arrive, the others sitting and waiting for what their mother had to say. He greeted Cascade with a simple nod of acknowledgement. He liked what he saw of the woman - she carried herself with a confidence he wanted he himself to carry someday. She was trusted, by Valentine, and held in a position of authority and respect - all of which was something he wanted to earn one day. That day was not this, however, but dedicated to something else entirely. His unease growing, he sat himself next to Gryphon, staring at the ground.

Best get it over with.

They all arrived shortly after she called for them, however, the usual smile that often was on her face was not present. This was a serious matter, and it was their choice in the end. Though it would pain her if they decided to stay, she wouldn't hold it against them. Imperium after all, was the only home they'd known since they were babies. While the others looked curious about what was going on, lykos knew more about what was to come. He looked conflicted, not ready for the situation at hand, but it had to be done sooner or later. Her sons gryphon and Kharnage had nearly escaped the same fate that took their sister, and she felt that she had to protect them no matter what. But it would be harder if they chose to continue living here.

Finally, after a moment of silence she would speak. "You know why you've been called here. It is time, boys, to make a decision. I intend to stake a claim for our own pack, however, I need to know if you want to go with me, or stay here." She looked to each of them in turn, a soft yet serious gaze. She would support whatever decision they chose, and if they decided to stay and later join her, she would welcome them with open arms. They were her family after all, and in her heart and mind, blood ran thicker then anything. "Will you go? Or will you stay? Take your time to decide. Just know that I won't be mad with your choice. I love you all, and you're old enough to make your own decisions."

He waited for his brothers, and one by one they arrived. Kharnage leaned against him, and dragon licked his brothers ear both to comfort his sibling, and himself. His mom had talked to him about starting a pack, and he'd taken the time to think about it on his own. The more he thought about it, the more he'd grown excited about the idea and wanted to learn more about their history. Lykos though, didn't seem very happy. He knew too, didn't he? When all his brothers arrived, he looked to his mom as she spoke. Their own decisions huh? Well, he'd thought about it and already knew his answer. He wanted to be with his mom and help her, he didn't want to abandon her like their dad had. Shuffling his paws, he leaned into Kharnage as he looked at each brother before turning his gaze back to his mom and cascade. Yes, imperium had been their home, but he didn't know anything really about the wolves here. He'd spoken to a few of them, but in the end they weren't real family. "I want to go with you. I've thought a lot about it, and I made my decision. I don't wanna stay here without you, I don't wanna be like dad. I wanna help. We're Family, family is supposed to stay together." His green gaze was serious as he spoke. And he wondered what his brothers would say. He hoped they would go too, it wouldn't feel right to be separated.

Kharnage's care-free attitude slowly started to fall as he noticed how grim and serious everyone was being. Avalon in particular seemed rather on edge and he took comfort in Dragon's ear lick. Gryphon soon came after he had arrived and then Lykos was the last one to trail in with a rather nervous look on his face. A frown slowly began to crease his lips as he glanced back and forth between everyone and a strange feeling tugged at his gut. It felt like it was dropping and he felt all strange. Whatever was going on he didn't like it.

Their mother was quick to tell them why she'd called them and he shifted anxiously leaning further against Dragon. He'd never actually thought about leaving Imperium or what would happen if they were given a choice. It was all he could remember and yet in a sense he didn't feel very attached to the place either. He hadn't gotten to really know anyone outside of his family. There were no ties to anyone else, no loyalty, no sense of passion here. For him it was an easy decision. Without Lykos, Gryphon, Dragon, and Avalon he'd be all alone. His family came first so of course he'd follow. Dragon spoke first and he was glad he wasn't the only one who wanted to accompany their mother. If they all went that'd make this all easier.

"Had I not spent most of my time in my den my decision might be harder..." He mused out loud. But I want to go with Dragon and my Mother." It was spoken to Cascade. He was firm in his choice, and yet he still held a respectful tone. Especially since it seemed she was the one to be releasing them and all. Causing a scene wouldn't do them any favors.

Gryphon tilted his head slightly in confusion as his mother stated they all knew why they'd been called, though he strove to keep his expression merely that of curiosity. Maybe he had missed something? Dragon and Lykos seemed to know well enough what was going on, though Lykos' grim expression didn't really inspire a whole lot of comfort in Gryphon, and he shifted uneasily. Kharnage seemed as clueless as he was.

They weren't left in suspense though, because even though they were all supposed to know already why they were called their mother took the time to explain it as well, but Gryphon's confusion only deepened. She wanted to make a pack? But they already had a pack, and they didn't have to worry about going hungry or getting attacked or anything, because Imperium was just plain too big to be messed with. They'd just gotten mentors - who would train them if they left now? It seemed very risky, and instinct prompted a gut-deep worry in the young would-be guardian. He wanted to argue with them, convince them that they were acting crazy.

But his mother looked serious about this, and it sounded like she was going to leave to do this no matter what he and his brothers decided to do. Dragon and Kharnage were quick to voice their desire to go with her, and Gryphon's eyes widened in discomfort and indecision as he cast a hesitant look towards Lykos who had yet to speak up. What would he do if Lykos didn't want to leave, but their mother and brothers left? He couldn't stay and go, couldn't protect two different groups of his family in two different packs at the same time. And what about the caches of pretty stones, feathers, and bones that he'd begun slowly accumulating in little hiding places around Imperium? He'd never be able to carry all that to a new pack... But in the end, after an agony of indecision that seemed to last for eternity, it was that same deep certainty of the danger of leaving the pack that decided him. A small, brand new pack would need all the help it could get to stay safe, wouldn't it? And he might never have gotten the chance to train to hunt or fight, but he was a fast learner and he was determined to make sure that his mother and brothers were safe and comfortable, even if they were leaving the safest place he knew. He huffed out a sigh that clearly said you're all insane, but nonetheless said aloud, in a vaguely querulous and grumpy tone, "I'll go with you. Someone needs to keep you all safe if you're going to go off by yourselves."

The last to arrive, when he sat himself down his mother began speaking. This is when his ears flattened fully to his head, unable to stop the unease from showing. He didn't like this - not one bit. Not even a little bit. He couldn't make a decision - not yet! He stifled a whine that threatened to emerge, and he waited anxiously for his brothers to choose - and they did. One, by one, by one, they chose to follow their mother. Dragon perhaps had the most interesting reason - citing their father. The father they had never met and certainly was only by blood important; how would he know anything of their father? Why was it important? Kharnage's answer was simple, and then Gryphon responded, and Gryphon at least seemed to be as conflicted as he. Then, it was only him left, and he stayed silent for the longest time, looking down at his paws. He couldn't look at any of them - not Mother, not his brothers, and definitely not Cascade. To leave... to him, that seemed to be the biggest of sins. But to stay, that too was a sin in that he'd be abandoning his family. How could he decide between pack and family? How could she make him choose that? It doesn't matter that Imperium was quiet lately. It didn't matter that many were gone, Imperium still existed and he was still loyal to Imperium, and he had a mentor and... how could he choose?

The silence growing, and he could almost feel their gazes upon him. He was the last to decide. "I... do not know." His lack of a decision made him feel awful - from Dragon's words, which hinted that if he stayed behind then he was the scumbag their Mother mated with (for some reason he didn't understand), but to him, leaving was what would make him bad - betraying the trust, betraying the loyalty he swore.