ooc: Deadline for the first round is January 25th! Normally he wouldn't have pack meetings so close together, but so much had happened and so much needed to be discussed. He quietly made his way toward the meeting place while he tried to gather his thoughts so he wouldn't forget to mention anything during the meeting. The sun was high in the sky as he settled down on his haunches. He hoped everyone would come quickly so he could get this show on the road. There was a lot of information to cover and plans to be made. He lifted his head and let out a howl loud enough that anyone within the Fiori territory could hear it. His head lowered again as the howl trailed off into an echo. There was plenty of good news to share, but there was bad news as well. That was how life went, wasn't it? He couldn't remember a time when there wasn't some kind of bittersweet taste to the events in his life. "Talk" "You" Think

The first starting of her season had left Heather with itchy thoughts. Quickly ignoring it though she just figured it was a coming of age thing. She was two years old this season and she had a lot of responsibility to pick up. When her father sent out a call, she knew what she was going to be confronted with. The recent news of the now orphaned children had spread like wildfire among the pack. That wasn't hard considering how closely knit most of them are. Heather tried not to blame herself for not being present, even after all those border patrols and she hadn't caught scent of a bear at any time. Yet she also didn't feel so bad either, it was hard to do so when she didn't understand that much. Regardless the female tried to ignored as she moved up to see no one had yet gathered under her father. Giving a soft smile she jumped next to him and lightly bumped his shoulder in encouragement. Knowing that there was a lot to be done this meeting, surely some things she wasn't knowing about but she had that feeling. Heather hoped this would also be the day that she'd be made princess. She wanted to show of her colors she wanted to show her worth to the pack that was her family. At the end of the day she couldn't wish differently on herself. Even if she didn't quiet feel like herself. She jumped in front of her dad then closer and sat to wait. "Talk" "You" Think

Spring once again and this time the young male's confidence in his life had sky rocketed. He had such good luck so far that his doubts had disappeared and he was ready to continue with his life. As soon as it had warmed up Jackson through himself into work, first by taking inventory of where he had stored things before winter. Stocks were used over the winter which was good, but they hadn't been cleaned out which proved that the winter hadn't been so hard and he had prepared beautifully. He had also started to trail the herd again, which had returned to the lush vegetation of the pack lands. Soon he would be calling a pack hunt together especially with the bad news over the winter. The head hunter and her mate had been killed, their children orphaned. He wanted to be sure the children were properly fed and wanted to find out who exactly they were living with right now. He would continue to step up his game and get the pack fed, He hadn't known Bright Moon vary well, but he was sure that she would want him to amp up his game and bury himself in his work to take over feeding the pack. The call was expected and it made the young male's tail wag. Grinning as he stared at the three fat rabbits he had caught. Three rabbits for the orphaned children. Picking the critters up in his mouth by the years that male quickly made his way to the meeting. When he arrived he made a straight shot to his uncle and dropped the rabbits at his feet. "I got a fat rabbit for each of Bright Moon's children. I wasn't sure which den they were staying in so I'll leave them with you?" he said before stepping back. He moved back away from his Uncle, greeted Heather with a smile and wag of his tail before settling in a spot ready for the meeting. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

It had warmed up, she had fattened up, and she was feeling wonderful. Though the young girl still missed her family she was extremely grateful of what Fiori and especially Razor were doing for her. Now that it was warmed up and the snow melted she was hoping to spend a lot more outdoor time with Razor and of course get to know the rest of the pack. She had been outside playing and exploring nearby the den and mostly just enjoying the warm sunshine. When the call from Leo rang out she grinned, her scrawny little tail wagging wildly. She knew what the call meant and knew that she was to attend even though she was a child. Razor would come to the meeting too so she figured instead of having him come back for her she would just meet him there. Taking off the colorful young girl ran towards the direction of the call not wasting any time. The call sounded a little more urgent letting her know that he wanted everyone to arrive quickly. It didn't take her long before she approached the small group that had gathered so far. Leo and two others. She wagged her tail and walked right over smiling at all three wolves before sitting down. "Talk" | 'Think'

Archelaus had remained focused, doing his best to bring fresh meals for the wolves of Fiori while the prey supply was bountiful. He had felt a bit lackluster during his first few weeks with the pack, but after a month of paying attention to his nutrition and getting a run in every morning, he was beginning to build the muscle that might have been expected from a wolf of his size. He was beginning to finally bulk up and look the part of a strong man responsible for the well-being of the pack. At least, in his own mind he was. In all honesty, Archie had taken his share of 'rest days' during his self-taught training. He could have been stronger, but still.. there was notable improvement in his strength and muscle tone. When the call for a meeting rang across the territory, he found himself honestly quite relieved. He had already been struggling with finding the motivation to go out on his morning run, so he took this as a valid excuse to procrastinate. Looking abnormally cheerful, the gray male made his way up to the meeting place where he immediately found himself looking upon a rather concerned looking uncle. It dampened his spirits a bit, but he remained optimistic that perhaps he was simply deep in thought. He hoped they didn't have any bad news to hear today, but he remained unusually quiet as he waited to see what the King had to say.

Things had been rough since his parents had been killed. The independent wandering boy had really withdrawn into a shell. He found it hard to sleep in a different den and had been sleeping in the den he was born into. He had stayed clear of everyone else and really wasn't sure how to handle the bottled up storm of emotions. He had seen everything happen, smelled all the blood, and was even traumatized by the whole ordeal. He hadn't been able to each much and was going through the 'ugly duckling' stage of his puppy growth. Shedding out his winter puppy coat and the lack of attention left his fur looking clumpy and somewhat matted. He was also looking rather skinny, He was refusing to be around others and he couldn't explain why he didn't want to be around others. He couldn't even feel comfortable around his sisters. He had been moping around his birth den when the call rang through the lands. He huffed looking in the direction, not wanting to move from the spot he was at. He knew he had to go, but he didn't want to, he didn't want to be around the others and would rather remain alone. He was tired finding it hard to sleep as he was plagued with nightmares. Though the boy knew he had to regardless of his feelings. Dragging himself to his feet, the boy slaughtered off into the brush heading towards the call. When he arrived he didn't make eyes contact with any of them, didn't sit near any of them. He picked a spot far off, where he would be alone. Flopped into the dirt and let out a quiet and long sigh waiting for this meeting to be over. "SPEAK"

Sadly, the boy could relate to his half-brother in his "bittersweet" life. He felt the loss of a parent, the loss of a brother, and the loss of family in general. He spent his last few years searching for the ones that could be found to no avail. Colten didn't want to be found and that had now become very clear to him. So now he searched for a new life, with his new family. He started out all alone, something he had never felt before even when his mother died. Someone was always there; Rune, Kylar, Colten. And now he had to build these trusts and relationships with this other side of his family that he didn't even know. Amarant came gracefully to the pack of wolves, looking to everyone with a smile before taking a seat, back legs partially hanging out to the side. He looked up to Leo waiting to see what news he would bring. He noticed Heather just slightly, remembering Roza telling him of her sister with spots. But he wouldn't stare, his unknown family would come to meet him eventually. There was no rush, he wouldn't die anytime soon. Walk "Talk" Think

They were growing older, while perhaps not as big as their father had been - they still had filled out much like a male would have. Despite their female roots as well, well defined muscles were replacing whatever fluff they had. Night knew their siblings had been distant, but the orphans had to stick together. After all, they couldn't very much lose each other. Once Night ha arrived they could see that Moon was here. After many failed attempts to interact they decided they were going to push themselves into Moon's life whether he liked it or not. Night suddenly barreled into Moon not harshly, but still hoping to grab an interaction out of their sibling. "Bright Moon, after the meeting let's go hunting." they demanded more than asked. "We'll invite Autumn Star too unless you just wanna go with me." their soft smile radiated. Hoping that it would at least get a reaction out of Moon. How could it not!? The whole pack had tried to take care of them after the death of their parents, Night was dealing with it as well but they didn't want it to destroy who they were. Who all, of their siblings were. "Look up, they're watching us - so don't be too sad. I'll always be here even if you don't want me to." Night then said gently next to their siblings ear.

He had failed to express his feelings to Alfred that day. Razor had shrunk back and spent most of his time trying to take care of Sabriel. When he heard about Bright Moon's children - Razor had felt sort of bad. He knew what it felt like to lose a parent - for another to vanish and to think they were dead. As such when he arrived to the meeting, he gave Sabriel a soft lick on her head happily with a smile. Knowing that she was starting to fit in. As such he then took a detour towards the two children lumped together as he knew of Blue Moon and Gentle Night. "Please if you guys or your sister need anything come to my den. Don't hesitate to confide in me." he knew they didn't know him. Razor offered it anyway. As he then moved back towards Sabriel and took a seat beside her. "Talk"

Ryka was asleep in her den, when the Alpha's howl woke her. Rising to her feet, she padded out and stretched. Ryka then headed off towards the pack clearing. Arriving at the clearing, Ryka could see a number of wolves already, however rather than feeling terrified this time, the young wolf was more comfortable if still shy. Slinking around the edge of the group, after greeting Leo, Ryka spotted a space and sat down, keeping her head low. Looking around, her gaze settled on the orphaned pups and she was pleased to see them there. Ryka had not known the mother of the pups but was still sad over the loss of her packmate when she had heard. She could also relate to how the pups were feeling as not so long ago, she had lost her own parents when her whole pack had been wiped out. Glancing at the pups again, she gave a gentle smile and then returned her gaze to Leo, listening and watching intently.

The youngster was much less than her usual joyful self. Everything had changed in an instant, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to get used to it. She had tried to be with her siblings, but it was hard to muster the courage. Sometimes it just felt better to be alone, to hide the tears and the pain. But when she heard Leo's call for a meeting, she knew she must go and face everyone. It hurt inside to know she wouldn't see the familiar faces of her parents at this meeting. She had always looked forward to these gatherings surrounded by her family. Now she had only her siblings, and many strangers. They were nice wolves, they always tried to help. But Autumn Star was afraid to be close to any of them.

Still, she didn't hesitate to answer the Alpha's call. She wouldn't ignore him. Besides, today she didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be with her siblings, and she wanted to feel safe, like she was part of a group that cared about her. She knew they did, and she had to find a way to show she cared too. So her paws would carry her to where Fiori's leader called for the pack, and she soon saw two familiar forms, going to Moon and Night quickly. She came to Moon's other side, so that their brother was pressed between she and Night. A soft smile was all she could offer to her siblings, afraid that she would choke on a sob if she said anything right now, from grief and from the fear she felt being here without her parents.

Now her eyes turned to the Alpha, waiting to see what he would say.

Since the death of Quelt and Bright Moon, Amalia had been keeping to herself. She had removed herself from the family den and slept most nights in her smaller herb den nearby. Devoting herself to her studies once more, she tried to ignore the screaming thoughts that consumed her. The tiny woman had hardly been sleeping, every time she closed her eyes she saw their broken bodies. Sometimes they were even joined by Roman’s body, yet another wolf that she hadn’t been able to save. Both time she had been too late, not able to bring life back to their broken bodies. And the pups… the poor children had lost both their parents that day. Letting out a sigh, she shifted where she lay, trying to warm up her dirty body after a morning of digging for roots. Her chest, legs and belly were covered in dirt, but it wasn’t unusual for the healer. When the call of her brother reached her ears, she lifted her head and slowly dragged herself to her paws. Dragging herself towards the falls, she didn’t stop to say hello or even really look up from where she was going. There were no tricks today, nothing for Leo to worry about. Sitting off to the side, she finally looked up enough to glance at her brother, a tiny hint of a smile on her lips. Amalia was always usually a bubbling, happy woman, so it was quite a shock that she was being so docile. "SPEAK"

Art by Sin

Tiburtius had been anything but focused on the here and now lately. The bear attack had gotten his attention back on Fiori for a moment, but his head really wasn't here. It was in Abaven with Finch. Still though, when he heard Leo's howl he made sure he made his way over to join in on the meeting. As long as he was living here he still had to meet the expectations of doing so. When he got to the usual meeting area he spotted Archie first and walked over to his side, giving his brother a little smile. He didn't see the rest of their family just yet. He was about to settle down next to Archelaus when he spotted his little mother, looking far less bubbly than usual. His ears flicked worriedly, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty for not paying more attention to his mothers in recent weeks. Tib spotted Athena coming up behind Amalia so he went ahead and settled next to Archie instead of going over to Amalia, but he started to wonder how he would ever be able to move to be with Finch at this rate. "Talk" "You" Think

More and more recently Athena had been sleeping alone and more and more worry was gnawing at her. Of course she had heard about the attack and what had happened with Bright Moon and Quelt. To top it off she knew all too well how hard Amalia was on herself. There was also the small lingering worry in the back of her head about her daughters since she hadn't seen a lot of Jayne and even less of Diana. All that had to be put on hold for a moment though as she tipped her head up as she listened to Leo's howl. She sighed as she pulled herself up onto her paws and made her way over to join the rest of the gathered wolves. She saw Archie and Tib across the clearing, but her focus was on Amalia. As it always was. She padded up behind her mate and settled down on her haunches beside her, silently wishing she knew how to help her little woman more. She tipped her head down and gently pressed her nose to Amalia's cheek before she lifted her head and gaze to watch Leo. All she could do for now was sit by Amalia and hope that her wife knows that she's here for her when she's ready for her. "talk" 'think'  "you"

Roza took her time and hesitated before she finally made herself go to the meeting. She had been putting off talking to her dad about Ganta for so long now that she felt herself almost avoiding him. She couldn't avoid him forever though. She trotted over to the meeting, realizing that she was probably going to be late now. When she got there she looked around and realized how melancholy everyone looked. She hadn't really heard of the recent events since she had made herself so distant as of late. She saw Heather, but she was sitting up at the front near Leo and she didn't think she wanted to do that. She ended up sitting on her own in an empty space among the crowd, trying to hide her nervous energy. Maybe she could catch her father after the meeting and talk to him about it... depending on how this meeting went. By the way everyone was looking she might not want to do that just yet. The last thing she wanted to do was put more worry and stress on her father. "Roza" "Abbey" Think

Jayne was gonna be oh so late for the meeting, she knew it. But she was trying really hard to find Diana so she could bring her along! She hadn't seen her sister in a while and she was starting to get worried about her. She couldn't wait on her any more though, she had to get to the meeting or she was going to miss it. She hurried toward the meeting and was relieved when she saw that it hadn't started yet. She plopped down next to Momma Ama on the opposite side of her from Athena, not really registering the general sadness everyone around her seemed to have. She was slightly out of breath from running here, but she tried not to show it too much or draw too much attention to herself. She was sure Leo was gonna get started any second now so she didn't want to interrupt or anything. Diana was still lingering in the back of her mind. She hoped her sister was okay. "Talk" "You" Think

Luckily Alfred and Koron had made it back before they were missed for very long. Alfie actually wondered if any of his family had noticed his second trip away from the lands. He felt guilty about it… but had they cared? Wasn’t he old enough now to start taking care of some things on his own?

Alfred still felt a tad awkward being around anyone other than his family too. His anxiety was holding him back, though the young man longed to be a warrior in his own right. He wanted to be strong, to help protect his family and pack…but what sort of warrior was afraid of interacting with more than a couple wolves at a time?

Koron was helping, or at least doing her best to aid her wolfen companion. Alfie was getting strong each day, and the polar fox was proud of him for it. They had been working on the little things all on their own. At least Koron felt confident that Alfred was destined for great things. As for the brute himself…? Not so much confident, sadly.

He arrived at the meeting, gaze seeking out Razor first. The gray brute made him feel safe when there were a lot of others around, though he couldn’t yet pinpoint why. He saw Heather had already arrived too, thank goodness. Quietly the male started to make his way towards Razor, at least until he saw the younglings nearby. This caused him to hesitate and pause, Koron looking up at him curiously before Alfie just shifted down to a sitting position where he was. They were late as it was… might as well not draw attention.

"Speech"

The young man was yet another running late, but granted he had a reason for his lateness. It wasn’t so much the melancholy of losing Quelt and Bright Moon, though he had noticed how that affected the rest of the pack. Especially his poor mother. His heart went out to Amalia, and he wanted to do something nice for her. He wasn’t sure if she’d noticed the different plants dropped off near her den… or if they were even useful but… He shook his head slowly, glancing over towards the tri-color female at his side. She was breathing a bit hard, seeming to not be used to pushing herself… but she had been trying to do what she could for the pack at least. “Don’t worry miss.” Vitus’ voice was quiet, yet raspy, as it had always been. He lifted his dual colored eyes towards the meeting, the gathering of wolves. He saw his brothers, as well as both mothers, Jayne… but where was Diana? He could see a couple of Leo’s kids too… but Lionel wasn’t there. An ear flicked back, wondering what this meeting would bring. Hopefully better news than what they had been experiencing the previous season into this one? Once he had helped Carletta sit down he shifted away, with Carlisle staying beside the woman in case she needed him again before the meeting was over. For now he walked over to his brothers, giving both a smile. He’d need to spend more time with them soon… "Speech"

Carletta was glad that the other wolf had happened by when he did. She had been attempting to hunt, to try and better herself instead of lounging as she preferred to do… and what did she get for it? A paw caught under a root and a twisted muscle. She had been leaning on Vitus as she limped the rest of the way to the meeting, grateful for the aid, though she was pushing herself to hurry since they were already running late. Thus she was breathing hard, though she might have also been fighting off some minor infection that she caught as the seasons changed. Blue eyes shifted towards the pack as all came into view. She had caught on to why everyone seemed so sad lately. It was evident in the forms she saw being buried. Pack members… She let out a soft sigh, tipping her head gratefully to Vitus as he helped her get to a seated position by the edge of the meeting. The companion of the other wolf lingered near her, though the femme was sure she’d be better trying to get the attention of the healer when all of this was said and done. It would be better to see what could be done now rather than wait for it to get worse, right? "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: If Lionel, Ara, Epiphron, Diana, or Faelyn want to jump in late they can. Heather arrived first, making him smile slightly as she nudged his shoulder. He was glad to see that she was starting off her first meeting as the princess on a good note. Being first to meetings certainly didn't make or break anything, but it was a good sign all the same. Jackson came in next and he smiled to his nephew, surprise coloring his face when Jackson dropped the rabbits at his feet and explained that they were for Bright Moon and Quelt's children. The kind gesture warmed his heart and he looked to his nephew gratefully. "Thank you, Jackson, that very kind of you." The blue-marked girl that Razor had taken in and Archelaus arrived next, followed by Bluemoon. He frowned a little when the pup flopped down apart from the group, his ears flicking. He didn't expect the children to be chipper by any means, but it saddened him to see Bluemoon so distant. He saw Gentle Night come to the meeting and say something to Bluemoon, glad to see the siblings together. He hopped up then, picking up the rabbits that Jackson had hunted, and carried them over to the pair. Luckily by the time he got over to them Autumn Night had arrived and settled on the other side of Bluemoon. He placed the rabbits in front of the pups with a kind smile. "Jackson brought these for you. You can eat them now if you want, I won't mind. Or you can take them back with you, whichever you'd like." With that he went back to where he had been sitting before to see who all he had missed coming in. He spotted Amarant and gave him a small nod, glad to see that his half-brother was making himself at home here. Razor had joined Sabriel and Ryka had joined them as well. He watched Amalia walk toward the clearing, concern crossing his face. Her little half-smile was just about equivalent to anyone else looking crushed. If Amalia wasn't bubbling and playing tricks on him then something was very much wrong. He returned her small smile, knowing that all of this was just as hard on her as it was any of them if not more so. Luckily he saw Athena join Amalia moments later. At least Athena was there with her. He glanced over to see Tiburtius sitting next to his brother and then he saw Roza come in, looking a bit nervous for some reason. He looked at his spotted daughter curiously, his chat with Ganta coming to mind. He kept waiting to see if she would come to him about it, but so far she hadn't. That was a conversation for another time though since he needed to get this meeting on the road soon. Jayne joined her mothers, but he didn't see Diana anywhere. Alfred joined them next and his gaze lingered on the fox at his side for a moment. His companion had been at the last meeting, but in the flurry of activity he hadn't had a chance to really address it. He didn't suppose he would really have time to do so today either, but he was glad that Alfred had made a friend of sorts... Even if it did remind him of Svetlana. Vitus came in with Carletta in tow and his brows immediately pulled together with concern when he saw that Carletta seemed to be hurting. His ears flicked and he wanted to go to her to make sure she was okay, but she didn't seem to be outwardly hurt and Vitus was helping her for the moment. As soon as the meeting was over he would make sure Amalia checked on her. He tried to catch Carletta's gaze through the crowd, giving her a questioning look as if to ask if she was okay. Most of the pack was here now, but there were still a few missing. Lionel and his mother were the two he was the most concerned about, but there was also Ara, Faelyn, and Diana not in attendance. He tried to wait a few more moments to see if they would appear, but it seemed like this was all that would be here today. It was very unlike Lionel to be absent so he would have to go check on him when this was all said and done. Clearing his throat, he lifted his gaze to look out over the pack. "Hello again, everyone. Thank you for coming. There is a lot to cover today so please pay attention. First of all, I'm sure most of you have heard about the bear attack that happened over by the falls by now. I am deeply saddened by the loss of Bright Moon and Quelt, as I know many of you are." He paused for a moment, giving their parted friends a moment of remembrance. "Lionel and Tiburtius helped to fight off the bear and made sure it left our pack lands so thank you to both of them. There hasn't been any sign of the bear since then, but please be cautious when you are near the border of the falls. If you see the bear, or any other predator or trespasser in our lands, do not try to fight it on your own. Call for help." He considered asking everyone to help look after Bright Moon and Quelt's children, but he didn't think the pups wanted all the attention right now. Besides, he was confident that everyone would do that without him having to ask. "I'm happy to say that there is only happy news to share now. We have quite a few promotions and new rankings to announce. My children turned two years old this season and will be stepping into their new roles. Lionel has agreed to be my Archduke and Heather will now be my heir as Princess. There is a long road of training ahead of the both of them, but I have all the confidence in them both." He glanced toward Heather with a smile before he went on. "Since our last meeting my half-brother Amarant has joined the pack. Please make him feel welcome here." He nodded to Amarant, giving him a slight smile as well. "We still have three higher ranks to fill. The Grand Duke, the Duke, and the Baron. I want to offer the Baron rank to Jackson if you'll accept. You have been so incredibly diligent with your hunting over the winter months. You have more than earned this rank." He felt like it was only fitting to give the rank to his nephew after he showed up to the meeting with food for the pups. He waited to see if Jackson would accept his offer or not before he moved on. "I think now more than ever we need someone to fill the Duke rank. Carletta, if you would, I think you would be great as our Dutchess." He knew he was springing this on her and it was sure to be a surprise, but he knew that she had a big heart for pups just like he did so he was positive she could handle it. "I'll meet with you later to explain it more, okay?" He knew with the language barrier he would need to explain a bit more in detail what being the Dutchess meant, but he didn't mind spending more time with her at all. "There is one more order of business to take care of. I met with Karabela from the Ivory Ridge pack again recently and we are definitely still moving forward with the plans for our joint pack hunt and herb gathering. If anyone has any other ideas for what we can do during our gathering with Ivory Ridge please feel free to let me know! I'm hoping this can be a fun and productive meeting for both of our packs. Jackson and Amalia, I'd like to meet with the both of you sometime before the gathering to discuss what sorts of prey and herbs we need or want." He paused to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything before he said, "If anyone has any questions or anything they want to say to the pack before we leave go ahead. If not then you're all free to go." "Talk" "You" Think