The woman ran like she had never run before. The cold winter air was absolutely burning her lungs but still she pressed on, legs trembling every time she put weight on them and the little brown bundle that swung from her jaws occasionally bumping against her. The little warbler Animi flitted ahead, leading the way to the nearest pack he'd been able to find. It had been one heck of a journey though - especially carrying her ever growing daughter. There'd been no other option though, she simply couldn't slow down for the child when there was a very real threat behind them and Caelum didn't know if they were being pursued. They'd been going non stop, only pausing for an extended break when they'd reached the falls and been able to smell a pack not far away. Caelestis had the chance to take a short nap and Caelum had done her best to catch her breath. She didn't know if Animi had actually stopped to talk to anyone or if he'd simply found the pack and returned to her, and she was so tired and concentrated on breathing as she lay there in the snow that she didn't bother asking. They were close. They needed to keep moving. Standing with a crunch on the icy ground, she grimaced when gathering up Caelestis and waking the girl in the process. Couldn't help that now, they were almost to what she hoped would be safety. Marching through the cold landscape, Caelum tried not to think of what had become of Zephyr. He would find them. He had to, if he was alive she knew- well, the man wouldn't stop until he got them back. There was no doubt. Her paws hurt, and her jaw was sore, but the others may have met a much worse fate than this and the pack she was running towards may too if they weren't warned. Finally the roar of water ahead was becoming impossible to ignore, as well as the smell of a pack. Caelum walked all the way to the border before setting down Caelestis and let lose a howl to summon the alpha, as well as anyone at all in this pack who might respond. She needed someone to talk with, now. SPEAK

When they stopped at last the child had been determined to pepper her mother with questions. Upon reaching the ground, however, Caelestis found she hadn't the energy to do so and instead was quickly engulfed in the sweet embrace of sleep. The whole thing had been exhausting. More so than she'd realized. Her sleep was short lived, not even reaching a dream state when she found herself lifting into the air again. This time they didn't go as far, her mom's pawsteps in the snow eventually slowing in frequency and then stopping all together. Then she was on the ground, peering at an unfamiliar territory with wide eyes. Where were they? "Momma, how come we're here?" "Talk" "You" Think

Brandr started his morning by patrolling the packs borders.  While it was not his primary job as a hunter he often found that by checking the borders regularly he could keep track of the movements of prey in and out of Abaven.  With winter settling in that task would become even more vital though so far the winter had been surprisingly mild.  A soft smile adorned his face as he took in the feel of the rising sun on his coat.  It rimmed him in a halo, making him seem to glow for a moment before he continued on his way.  The morning was crisp and cold, turning his breath into mist.  He'd been tracking a flock of wild turkey when he heard a desperate call at the nearby border.  Brandr's brows bunched in worry as he took off toward the source of the call. The large, young male bounded through the ankle deep snow until he came upon an older woman and a young pup. Brandr's nostrils flared as he caught the smell of stress and exhaustion.  She looked to have been running for some time and he didn't see any way she could be a threat to them so he approached her.  "Who are you?  I am Brandr of Abaven.  Are you alright?"  Obviously she wasn't but Brandr wasn't one to worry about the finer points of starting a conversation. "Talk" "You" Think

Now that they weren't moving at a sickeningly fast pace, Caelum had a chance to breathe and realize how worn out she was. If those monsters came for her now she didn't think she'd be able to get away again. Taking deep, heavy breaths the woman did her best to try and recover while she waited but it was going to take some time. Time was short, and she had been entertaining the idea of sending Animi to the furthest packs to warn them too. Later Caelum might go herself, but for now her child and mate were the priority. At least one pack was going to know the danger that lie just south of their borders. Then she heard the man approaching. Pulling herself to sit up a bit taller as well as keep a better eye on the stranger who approached from across the border Caelum took a deep, steadying breath before she began. But- that pack name. She'd heard it before right? Maybe she was imagining things. In any case, with her daughter drooping at her paws Caelum replied, "My name is Caelum, but I don't have time for pleasantries and you don't either." Her breathing was still a bit faster than she'd like it to be, though there was nothing the older woman could do since this wasn't a good time to take it easy. "I... I need to speak to your alpha right away. I don't know if you know them, but the pack Dragoste has fallen to wolves who have proven themselves a grave threat. It wasn't the most peaceful takeover. I don't know what happened to our alpha, I assume nothing good, but-" Cae found herself choking back a sob as she gazed down at her daughter. Caelestis had fallen asleep by now, her little chest rising and falling gently as the dark girl clung to one of her mother's paws. Cae's eyes shone with the tears she didn't dare let fall as she looked back up at the man with a helpless expression. "One of them came after my child..." That was all she dared say, at least for now until the leader of this pack showed up so Caelum didn't have to explain everything twice in detail. SPEAK

Sparrow had been meaning to find Brandr to talk to him. He had been setting a fine example and Sparrow wanted to talk to him about some things. She thought maybe he would have some insight on how to recruit some members for the pack.

It wasn't hard to follow his tracks. Ash she approached the male, she heard another, unfamiliar voice. Sparrow hurried, breaking through the snow with each stride.

There were two strangers.

They were from a pack.

They looked absolutely exhausted.

Sparrow cast a questioning look at Brandr. She had heard the majority of the conversation.

"Dragoste has fallen?"

Sparrow remembered the last time someone came to their borders talking about their pack falling. Sparrow's father had launched directly into a war against the wolves who had replaced the pack. Sparrow didn't intend to do the same. She wanted- no, needed- to know more.

"Brandr, do we have any prey to offer them?" She asked, casting a glance up to the man.

Looking back to the woman, Sparrow beckoned softly, "Come, rest a moment and tell me what happened."

Brandr waited patiently as the woman sat up and took a deep breath before introducing herself as Caelum then rushing into an explanation.  A pack he'd never heard of, Dragoste, had fallen to another pack of wolves? Normally, this wouldn't alarm him. Packs changed paws every day though he was surprised to hear that one went after her child. Perhaps there was more to this than just a regular pack challenge?  Brandr didn't press the issue, instead waiting for Sparrow to take over the conversation.  She was the alpha, she'd know how to handle this.   Brandr nodded. "Yes, I took a couple of prairie chickens not long ago.  I'll retrieve them."  He took off quickly toward one of the temporary storage dens where he stocked kill on various occasions.  It was never meant to stay in these locations long, just enough so that he could pick up a few birds and cart them back to the main storage den in the heart of Abaven territory.  Swiftly he snatched up one of the birds and hauled it back to where Caelum, her pup and Sparrow were waiting.  It had cooled since it'd been killed but at least it was not terribly cold.  "Here, help yourselves to this." "Talk" "You" Think

It was impossible to be entirely happy at the moment, with the weight of the world seemingly hanging over her like a dark cloud that left her black markings seeming very pale by comparison. Worry furrowed her brows and left creases on her forehead. She'd realized she wasn't entirely certain how she'd go about describing the details when they got to them, but, it was easier to take things one step at a time. Cae wished she could feel more relieved when the Alpha arrived on the scene, but instead there was mostly just urgency welling up within her, making it impossible to relax even in this relatively safe environment. Eyeing the woman with a hesitant gratefulness, Caelum nudged her daughter to an area with shallow snow so she could pad around without sinking or getting stuck entirely, though for now the child was content to stand near her mothers legs and stare at the brown and white woman who had appeared. When the man returned with the food Caelum pushed her daughter towards the food. Caelestis didn't need much encouragement to dig in, meanwhile Caelum dipped her head to both of these Abaven wolves, "Thank you so much. I'm indebted to you." Once the little brown pup had finished chowing down and was comfortably settled at Caelum's side, still looking at these strange wolves curiously yet remaining silent. Normally she was bright and bubbly, though Cae figured it was understandable that her daughter was a little weary after what happened. After Caelum had eaten a bit herself, she found she could breathe a bit easier. Looking at Sparrow, she took in the younger woman's appearance and couldn't stop a bit of a concerned sigh from escaping her. She was tempted to lay down and rest a bit better but if she did that she would have a hard time wanting to stand up and be concerned she couldn't run as quickly if those who had stripped her of her new home were to appear suddenly. Taking a steadying breath Caelum figured it was more than time to offer up an explanation for showing up on their doorstep like this. "Now, in return for your hospitality I'll gladly tell you everything though I feel I owe you a great deal for simply lending your ears, not to mention the food and a moment of peace," she sighed, words heavy with the crushing weight of the information she would soon share, "Sadly I don't know as much as I wish I did, only enough to make me fear for not only myself but my loved ones, and anyone else unfortunate enough to become the focus of these monsters." There was a pause as Caelum had to collect her thoughts and emotions to prevent them from becoming an overwhelming mess. Life sure seemed bent on kicking her ass, over and over and over. Just when she thought she could live out her days and rest her aching bones while raising a child... "You see, I still have no idea who they are. I know that I smelled more scents than I am comfortable with on my way out, so they are not just a few creatures that can be easily ignored." if only there were just a couple monstrous beasts instead, it would be easier for them to be taken down when they messed with a larger or more formidable pack in the future. "You see, I was taking my daughter out to explore more of the territory when they arrived. We'd been on our way back when a howl could be hear that was summoning out alpha. Not long after, he warned us of danger. I haven't a clue what was said when he met the intruders, my god their scents were all over the territory, they just waltzed on in... But, whatever happened, Ganta wanted to warn us to run if we could. My companion, a little bird who's probably around here somewhere, let me know that someone was challenging for the pack. It wasn't like anything I've ever seen before though. When we were walking back to my den where my mate was waiting, I heard voices. I hid Caelestis and went to investigate since they were so close to an old den of ours, as well as the new one we occupied until this incident. Taking a deep breath, Caelum could feel herself getting worked up and forced the emotion out of her voice. Blinking back the tears that wanted to ruin her composure, the woman held her head high and forced her words not to waver. "There was a man at the den entrance, likely as large as wolves are capable of growing. He spoke and acted positively mad, and the words he used... It was more than clear that he was looking for a child. Whether it was mine he intended to go after of the alpha pair's son is of little consequence. He charged me and I'd probably not be here if it hadn't been for one of my pack-mates charging in to save my hide." Shuddering, Caelum's eyes dropped to the ground, paws shuffling on the snow-covered ground. "I don't know yet what fate our alpha met, but I have a sneaking suspicion it wasn't anything good." Looking at Caelestis, she frowned and couldn't help but whisper, "We had to leave her father, he could still be there..." SPEAK

Sparrow gave the mother and child time to cool down and breathe. Brandr was quick to retrieve food and Sparrow shot him a grateful look. They would need to talk a little later, Sparrow thought. Not only about this, but of his contributions to the pack.

Sparrow listened carefully to the panicked mother's words. Her brow furrowed. It was strange, indeed. Sparrow couldn't pretend she wasn't a little shocked as she listened. She maintained her bold and proud posture, if for nothing else than to reassure the two visitors.

"Are you sure these two incidents are related? The one who challenged for your pack and the one who raided your den. You're certain there is a correlation?"

Sparrow would have to take the information at face value. The woman did smell of a pack and seeing her so exhausted inclined Sparrow to believe her. Still, she wasn't ready to jump into action just yet.

She would do what she could, at least, to help these wolves on some level before she passed judgement.

"I will also try to find out more. Until then, would you and your little one like to remain in Abaven? It may offer some comfort in these times. Your mate too, if he is able to be located. The offer is open to any of your pack mates as well."

Brandr was pleased to see the meal consumed with gratitude and that the pup seemed to enjoy the food as well. Honestly, this was the sort of thing that brought joy to Brandr's life. He liked to see others well fed and content at least in that small area. Troubles and storms always seemed much easier to face with a full belly and a store of energy for life's tribulations. While the ate he took to surveying the surrounding territory and gazing out the way she came. The wind was sweeping in from the way she came but he didn't detect any foreign scents on the wind so that was good at least. Whoever these invaders were there was no one hot on her trail. Perhaps they had respite after all. Cae began to speak and Brandr settled down to listen. From her story he gleaned that the band of invaders was large and clearly very violent. Tradition often held that pack challenges be settled by the leaders. While surrounding scuffles sometimes occurred it was a rare thing indeed for a challenge and an invasion to coincide. That was definitely concerning. The mention of her alpha made Brandr's blood run cold. He had a sneaking suspicion the man was either dead or had been captured or surely there would have been a victory call at the Battlefield for his pack. Brandr's worry only continued to grow as she mentioned that the girl's father was left behind. Part of him wanted to spring to action right away to free the man but he knew it was foolish. Whoever these wolves were they were clearly a force to be reckoned with. Brandr turned to gaze at Sparrow as she spoke and nodded. He agreed that shelter would be something they could at least offer. "I recently cleaned out one of my storage dens closer to our denning grounds. If you give me a moment I can move in some pelts and you'd be welcome to stay there." "Talk" "You" Think

Caelum considered Sparrow's question seriously, trying to come up with the best way to express her thoughts. When she responded, she spoke with care, "I understand the need to be certain... Well, I suppose the first thing that gives me good reason to believe they are tied were the scents. As I approached the one who went after me, there were more than just a few unfamiliar scents hanging around. While I did not recognize them, they all shared a similar quality, I suppose? Like... Family. Relatives, how wolves who are related can smell very similar to each other. So I suppose it would be odd for a family to come target our pack at the same time as our leader was being challenged. Not entirely impossible, but hard to believe at least to me." She supposed she would eventually know the truth, especially if she ever got to reconnect with more of her pack mates and compare stories. Speaking of, that reminded her of another detail. "Of course, there was also the fact that when my pack mate came to my aid, he told me to run. 'Run, and warn the other packs.' I can't imagine I'd need to be warning anyone if the only attacker was the one that went after me," she shrugged. Seemed logical enough to her at least. A soft sigh escaped her lungs, the older woman seeming to deflate ever so slightly as she rehashed these recent and traumatic events. As frightened and exhausted as she was, it still felt like she hadn't really wrapped her brain around what happened. If she had, Cae figured she'd be a lot more upset knowing she'd just lost her second home in a way that was disturbingly similar to the way she lost the first one. She was too old for this crap, but fate seemed bent on dealing her some pretty crappy hands in life. Smiling gratefully at Sparrow, she struggled to voice her thanks in a way that would scratch the surface of how relieved she was to have stumbled into a pack that was ruled by a woman so generous, "Thank you so much, Sparrow. If it's really no trouble then yes, I would enjoy the opportunity to rest for some time here. I'm afraid I'll really be feeling the journey here come tomorrow morning." She shook her head and laughed a little as she realized how old she'd really become. It still amazed her she'd managed to be a mother at her age, though she was eternally happy to have her precious youngest daughter. Turning to Brandr as he spoke, she gave him a warm smile, "That sounds lovely, I'd like that very much. You've both been very kind and I cannot thank you enough." After a moment of thought she turned back to Sparrow and added, "I do feel I should warn you, my mate can be a bit... Rough around the edges when you first meet him. I wouldn't put it past him to act like a fool and... Well, you never can tell what Zephyr will do or say half the time, but ideally the worst he'll do is be a little rude. He has more than enough reason to doubt the safety of packs though so he'd be likely to let that effect his attitude." Shaking her head and rolling her cyan eyes skyward Caelum let a breathy laugh fall from her onyx lips. "He sure is a character, that man. Don't know what came over me when I went and fell in love with such a creature but here we are." She might have felt a bit embarassed to find herself rambling, but she was tired and more than happy to hide behind the excuse of being old. You could get away with quite a bit when you were old. SPEAK

The child had listened curiously as the grown ups talked, mismatched gaze flitting from one to the other as she took in what they were discussing and fought to stay awake now that her belly was full and she felt a bit warmer and safer cuddled up next to her mother. Most of what they said sort of went over her head, but she knew they were talking about the stuff that happened before they had to leave her home, and that it was all very serious stuff. While they all talked she tried to determine how she felt about the two strangers. Mostly it was her mom's repeated thanks that made Caelestis decide these two were nice, or at least nice enough. When at long last there was a lull in the conversation - grown ups talked FOREVER, geez - Caelestis crept away from her mother, sliding along on her belly, in an effort to inch closer to the strangers so she could eyeball them in that adorably curious way pups do. Tail wiggling tentatively, she crawled towards Sparrow in the least stealthy manner possible, until she could reach out and bat at the woman's paw, at which point the child skittered backwards a reasonable distance before settling into a bow and barking her challenge to the paw monster, quite oblivious to the still serious nature of the conversation here. With some energy replenished, the girl was more than ready to play, earning a slight frown from her tired mother which also went unnoticed. "Talk" "You" Think

The woman explained to Sparrow how the correlations of the wolves lined up. It did seem like, judging by her experience, that the two incidents were related and that the two wolves were possibly members of the same family. We this some sort of tactic to eradicate the whole pack? Sparrow couldn't tell. She shifted her gaze to Brandr for a moment to assess how he was taking the news before turning her attention back to Caelum.

The mother graciously accepted a temporary stay in Abaven. Sparrow breathed a sigh of relief. The woman went on to explain her mate would be looking for them and that he could be... rough. Sparrow nodded.

"As long as he poses no threat to me or my pack, I assure you he will be greeted in the same manner you were. I'm no stranger to rough types."

Sparrow's mind flicked to Ashmedai and Kanja. Yup. Rough around the edges.

Sparrow didn't miss the pup's attempt at stealth, but chose to ignore it until the girl swatted at her. Sparrow lifted her paw just so the pup missed. Sparrow smiled, "I'm afraid we don't have any other pups in this pack at the moment, but she's welcome to play with me-" Sparrow's gaze slid over to the male at her side, "Or, perhaps super skilled hunter Brandr here?"

Sparrow chuckled lightly, looking to the pup, "Why don't we escort you to the den you'll be staying at? I'm sure we can play a little tag on the way, hm?"

-Exit Sparrow?-

Brandr made a note to keep an eye out for the woman's mate and he prayed the man would be alright. The woman had already lost her pack and, likely, her alpha. It would be a shame to add more loss onto that. In the mean time he'd ponder her news about this family of invaders. She accepted his offer of one of the storage dens and he smiled gently. "No trouble at all." His gaze would drift to the pup every now and then and felt a sting of pity for her as well. To be completely uprooted but a sudden act of violence… and now having to listen to three boring adults ramble on. Brandr blinked a bit as Sparrow mentioned playing with Caelestis as well as her comment about his hunting ability. His grin widened. He didn't really know how to 'play' with pups but he could maybe teach her a thing or two. "Sure, I can teach you a few hunting tricks or if you just want to explore Abaven let me know." With the matter settled, Brandr headed back toward the den site so he could get a jumpstart on clearing out the storage den for the new family. -Exit- ooc: I think this is a good place to wrap up. "Talk" "You" Think

Caelum laughed, smiling as she sighed, "He'd be no threat. Sometimes hard to deal with, or crass, but not all bad." Oh how she did love that rough, terrible man with his snarky attitude and smart remarks. Even if he was hard to understand at times, he was a loyal mate and a good father. There was no one better, in her eyes. Hopefully he'd not mouth off too much when he got here. Even though Caelum was worried, she found it hard to think he wouldn't show up. Zephyr was far too determined to be held back by anything. "I think she'd like that," Caelum replied, watching as Caelestis nodded enthusiastically, thrilled with the idea of someone new to play with. She trotted after Sparrow, Caelestis not far behind, jumping and leaping after the adults with barely contained energy. Yes, some games might be needed to wear out the overly excited child. It had been a long day, so hopefully it wouldn't take much. -Exit- SPEAK

Her fierce attack missed! The paw escaped, and so it was that much more important to back away and escape potential retaliation by the monster she was now at war against. Her eyes grew wide and body quivered with excitement at the idea of someone to play with. Oh, yes please! Caelestis liked Sparrow, and she liked Brandr. She would for sure have to play with Sparrow tons! When Brandr mentioned exploring the child looked like she might explode with excitement and Caelum looked apologetically at him as the little one bounced around at his feet, having zipped over to him in what seemed like a single second. "Yes please! Please, please please! I love exploring!" It was entirely possible she'd have tackled him then and there and tried to drag him off on an adventure right then if the adults conversation hadn't drawn her easily disrupted focus. They were gunna go see the den they were staying in. And- did Sparrow say tag?! She raced after them as fast as she could, hoping they would play lots of tag before her mom did something like say it was time for bed or something awful like that. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think