OOC: Just a quick back and forth here with Esa/Sterling, feel free to jump in!

Worry plagued the normally carefree mother's mind as she thought of her daughter embarking on a potentially dangerous mission for the good of the pack. Sterling wanted to collect information from other packs, and participate in a raid?! And what about Jade? Was she going to get involved as well? It seemed that all of the pack's youngsters were interested in the raid, but did they really know what they were getting into? Even Dragon... she knew he'd grown a lot as their Alpha, and he had reassured her, promised nothing bad would happen to Sterling... but what held strongest in her mind was the memory of a young, inquisitive child accompanying his mother on a trip through the desert, long before Ivalice had even been formed. That was how she remembered Dragon, the very first time she'd met him. Esarosa had never imagined herself being such a worry wart, but she was concerned and she couldn't shake the feeling. And it seemed just yesterday her own children had been tiny pups, so fragile and vulnerable. Were they really capable now? As she padded away from the meeting - having passed beckoning glances upon her daughter, her mate, and Dragon's brother Kharnage, the one entrusted to accompany Sterling - Esarosa tried to calm her mind. She tried to remind herself of everything she had done as a youngster. She'd left home younger than Sterling was now. She'd survived a crumbling mine-shaft, and had always been a capable hunter, and she'd even come out on top in a bloody, hormone-induced scrap against a trained pack wolf. All without the supervision of any adult. Did she really have any right to worry so much over her daughter, who was well on her way to adulthood? Well, she didn't care what anyone said or thought, she was worried, and that was that! When she'd finally reached a satisfactory gathering placed, she turned and waited, seating herself as she tried to calm her nerves. Sterling would arrive first, a hardened and determined look in her emerald gaze, and Esarosa stared right back at her with matching orbs. "Sterling, are you really sure about this?"  she questioned her daughter, "This could really be dangerous... I just don't want anything to happen to-"  She bit her tongue as she saw the passion in Sterling's eyes grow, adn the girl raised her voice, much to Esa's dismay. "Speak" "Listen" Think

The girl was not impressed that her mother had called her away from the meeting when it had finished - she'd wanted to join in the talk and excited chatter with her packmates. She wasn't normally one for big gatherings, but this was different. Talis was going to do something they hadn't done before, and it would be a chance for all of them to prove themselves. She for one was ready to bound forward in life, having been cooped up and sick for too long. She had a lot to prove, and a lot of work to do, and she didn't want her parents smothering her ambitions. Dragon had said she could go, and he was the Alpha. As far as she was concerned, that was good enough for her - Esarosa would just have to let her go, and there was no stopping her. She caught up to her mother and faced her emerald gaze with a steeled look of her own, determined not to be hindered by anything. As soon as her mother started speaking, the girl shook her head, locking eyes with Esa.

"When are you going to stop treating me like a kid?" Sterling grouched, her paw stamping the ground, "Dragon asked for volunteers, and I'm going to go. This is my first chance to make something of myself, and prove myself to this pack. I stepped up, and I'm not going back on it just because you don't think it's a good idea!" Though she felt a flicker of guilt welling up inside her chest, she refused to let it sway her decision, smothering that feeling before it could grow and change anything. "So why did you bring me here, anyways?" she demanded, choosing to remain on all fours instead of seating herself. She wasn't about to get comfortable; she just wanted to know why Esa had insisted on dragging her over this way, and why she seemed to have invited her father and the other brute who was supposed to come with her on this excursion. Why was she making such a big deal out of this?

As Sterling had her little moment, her temper evidently flaring, Esarosa clenched her jaw, irritation prickling at her and causing the hair along her back to rise slightly. You better drop that attitude, or I swear I'll... her thoughts seethed, but she didn't say it, although it lingered at the tip of her tongue. It wasn't often that she found herself in this emotional state - she preferred to let anger slide off her back than to let it affect her - but the way her daughter spoke to her was more than annoying. Not only had the girl cut her off, but she was really being insensitive, and she definitely wasn't doing anything to make a case for her level of maturity or capabilities. Then again, she couldn't remember being all that respectful or receptive to the suggestions of adults when she'd been young, either. She tried to balance her aggravation and worry with some sort of understanding, all the while trying to soothe herself in the face of what she felt was an adversity. "Sterling, I'm your mother," she said, emphasizing the word mother to make a point before anything else, pausing pointedly before carrying on, "And I can't help but to worry about you. I can't stop you, but just listen to me. You haven't been out on your own yet-" And again, she found herself interrupted. A low growl emitted from her throat, her nails digging into the ground. At this point, she wasn't sure if this was going to end well, but what was she supposed to do? Where had this sudden attitude come from? She'd never had to deal with this before. She was tempted to yell back, to make herself heard over Sterling's childish ranting, but would that really make a difference? She certainly wasn't going to make a bigger scene out of this than it already was, so she sat quietly, her lips pursed and a brow lifted, obviously unimpressed by her daughter's outburst, but waiting semi-patiently for it to end so she might get another word in. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Sterling felt her muscles tensing as her mother gave her a look, and started off speaking by reminding her who she was talking to, pausing for a moment to emphasize it. The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes, paws digging restlessly into the ground. Was her mom going to make any points that really mattered, or was she just trying to waste time and prevent her from getting ready to head out? She had better things to do than stand around listening to a lecture from her mom. She glanced over her shoulder, wondering when or if her father or the other man would arrive. Was dad going to side with Esarosa? She didn't want to hear it if he did. Couldn't they just believe in her and let her give this a chance, without trying to talk her out of it? As soon as her mother spoke the words "You haven't been out yet", Sterling felt her anger flare. "So what are you saying?!" she snapped, her two-toned gray tail lashing, "You think I can't do it? Just because I haven't been out, means I can't go now? How is anyone supposed to figure anything out for the first time if they don't just go out and do it? You're not going to talk me out of it, so you might as well stop trying!"

Well, now what? What more could her mom possibly have to say? She was tempted to just turn tail and head out of here, but her paws felt planted to the ground, her eyes fixed upon Esarosa's familiar, jet black form. There was a fire in both of their gazes, but Sterling was certain that she was more determined. Young and passionate, she wasn't going to let any of this put a damper on the adventure that lay ahead of her.

Why wouldn't the girl just stop and listen for a second? Did she really think she could anticipate everything that her mother was going to say? When Sterling finally stopped ranting, Esarosa sighed heavily and shook her head, her eyes falling to her daughter's silver-tipped paws for a moment. It was obvious that Sterling didn't have the faintest clue why she'd been beckoned over here. The pure ebon fae had already surrendered her worries to the fact nothing she did or said would change Sterling's mind. Instead, she had hoped to give the girl some advice before she left, and she had asked Steel to come as well, as he would have his own experience and wisdom to offer. Of course, she had wanted Kharnage to join them as well, since he would be there to back Sterling up should anything happen. Esarosa wanted a chance to get to know him briefly - she knew he was Dragon and Gryphon's brother, but that was about all she knew. She hoped to find some solace in getting to know him slightly, and if there were any questions he had or advice they could offer him as well, then she wuold feel even better. Finally, she lifted her eyes back up to her daughter's face, still met with a rebellious stare. "I'm not trying to talk you out of it," she retorted, hoping the girl would stay quiet this time, "Your mind's made up, I can see that. I just think you'd do well to get some advice before you go. Please just listen, okay?" She had to raise her voice slightly mid-sentence, as Sterling huffed and looked as though she might throw out another remark, and Esa was glad to finally get a chance to just finish her sentence. At last it looked as though her daughter would bite her own tongue for a few moments, and perhaps they'd be able to give her some valuable advice. Esarosa had been all over the contient of Boreas, and she knew each region fairly well. She also knew a fair deal about hunting, tracking, and concealing oneself as a loner - surely that knowledge could benefit the girl. And certainly Steel would have his own words to say; hopefully he hadn't seen too much of the outburst between mother and daughter, he might have a clearer head to advise the girl. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel had strayed a bit behind the group as the meeting concluded, and Esarosa padded off with Sterling. Most of the topics covered by Dragon at the meeting had been things he'd anticipated. He knew he needed to contribute more, but to hold a hunt each season sounded a bit daunting - he found his brows furrowing at that one as he imagined it in his head. Hopefully he could team up with Esarosa, at least, to make the task less daunting. But.. talk of a raid didn't settle quite as easily with him. It didn't make a lot of sense - to him, at least - to stir up unnecessary trouble. He had always enjoyed Talis as a place for him to live peacefully with his family. It was all he had grown to want, the simple values of safety and family instilled in him since birth. He had heard enough stories of his father's to know he wanted a life without such excitement. Fighting and raiding didn't settle well with him at all. What hurt even worse was that Sterling had expressed interest in scouting for the raid. Jade seemed more distracted than interested, but it was hard to imagine her not having some form of curiosity about it if her sister was so adamant about joining in. His frown had said more than his words needed, but he stayed silent until his mate and daughter had pulled themselves away. Jade wandered off on her own, and sadly Cobalt was nowhere to be found. His mood was sullen as he eventually trailed after them, catching the tail end of what Esarosa had been saying. He wasn't sure whether he was irritated or proud that Esarosa seemed inclined to not fight Sterling further on this one. She was a yearling now, and Steel wasn't sure how much control they had over their kids any more - if they wanted, they could simply leave Talis all together now, couldn't they? A sigh fell from his lips as he settled down near them, his gaze finding Sterling and stopping on her. Briefly he eyed Esarosa, noting she seemed frustrated, and feeling very much like he had little to add to help the situation.  "Why do you want to go?" He'd ask curiously after a moment, truly wondering, as his ears flicked above his head.

All of her muscles were tense, and she glared at her mother as their conversation escalated. However, she was somewhat surprised when Esarosa finally declared that she wasn't trying to stop her from going; in fact, she was trying to give some advice. Still wary, Sterling wasn't sure if she wanted the advice. It was probably just going to be bad news, and some roundabout attempt to convince her she should stay home like a den-bound pup. Raising a brow when Esa had finished talking, Sterling sighed and turned her head aside, unsure how to respond. Before she could say anything, Steel appeared, and the girl felt somewhat cowed by her father's presence. When he asked her why she wanted to go, the girl perked up, sitting straight and setting her emerald orbs upon him.

"Because!" she started, tail flicking from one side to the other, "I need to get out and see the world. But not only that... Dragon asked for help. He needs someone to go out and scout the lands. Barely anyone spoke up. So I did. But it's not just because he asked. It's actually something I want to do, something I need to do. I've been stuck here since I was a pup, and it's time I get the chance to grow up and be on my own. This is the perfect opportunity for everything I want, and if it helps Talis, then that's even better." Her eyes were dead-set on Steel as she spoke, and she blinked just once as she finished her last sentence, before her eyes momentarily drifted to her mother, then back to her father. What else could possibly be said?

The meeting had concluded and Kharn had a fleeting moment of excitement. He'd never been given the opportunity to participate in something like a raid - the last time it had been suggested was when the pack had still been in the north and was still Ivalice. Of course that had never happened, but he was happy that they'd be given another opportunity. Scouting out the other packs would at least be entertaining and, hopefully, they'd get to find something worthwhile that would be worth the raid. He was just about to set away from the meeting when a specific summoning look was given from Esarosa. He waited a moment as he watched Sterling and Steel follow her. He trailed behind for a minute and listened to parts of the conversation as it escalated. Sterling feeling like she was old enough, her parents clearly not liking the idea, and finally Sterling explaining herself. Kharnage finally felt like it was time to intervene - he wasn't about to just let Steel and Esarosa worry about their kid's safety. After all he'd be with her, what could go wrong? It was only a scouting mission after all. He padded closer to the small group, coming into view of the family and suddenly feeling kind of out of place. He wasn't the type to try and reassure everyone that things would be fine. It felt like something Dragon should do, but since Sterling was going with him he supposed it was something he'd have to face. "Listen, I'm positive everything will be fine. She's young so she'll look less suspicious at a pack's borders and so long as she covers Talis' scent from her pelt when she goes scouting there shouldn't be any reason things should go badly. If they do I'll be there to back her up." Walk, "Talk" Think