"Rage, rage against the dying of the light" It was an auspicious morning for a meeting. The sun peeked out across the clouds, a reminder of the long summer days yet to come. Warm, but not too sunny, Vail’s sort of day. The cry of birds punctured the growing quiet, and she raised her head as she walked stately through the stream-swashed territory. The quiet would only grow the longer she left it, and she already knew what kind of Alpha she would be. One who was responsible for her members. She would not let this sleepy pack lie dormant, dusty and unloved. She would cry out! Rage! and breath life into them. she would awaken her wolves from the quiet of their self-wrought containment. Let the wolves who wished to see Abaven grow, and prosper come forth. The rest would have no place in her lands, not if they could not slink from their burrows, or had left and drifted and never truly returned. When she lifted her head to the gentle glow of the morning sun, her call would not be for the new wolves that she left the pack to seek. It would not be for the newcomers that she had spoken with, one on one to find their placement within her pack. No, this call was for those that supposedly remained after the occupier had left. Abaven was ruled by outsiders no longer, Abaven was free! So she called, she called for her wolves to come forth from their homes, to see and rejoice for what it would become. Wolves of Abaven, come forth! Come free! And make your homes here anew. - This meeting is for all wolves who where already members before Shaye became Alpha. This meeting is Mandatory for all wolves who wish to remain within the pack. You have until Oct.9.18 to reply -New members are both allowed, and welcome. "Talk" "You" Think

To say she'd been feeling stressed would be more than an understatement at this point. Cael was just plain worried now. She'd gone out a few times to look for her mom, but there was no sign of Caelum that she could find. Normally she wasn't suuuper keen on asking others for help, but at this point the girl was considering seeking out just about anyone who happened by that might be a better tracker than her to help her find her missing family. Having spent the previous night searching to no avail, the last thing the dead tired girl wanted when she trudged in past the border was to be greeted by a howl summoning her and other members of Abaven - whatever it was now - to a meeting. The look on her face could probably kill. Much self restraint and grimacing and grumbling was required before she managed to get moving. Even so, she managed it in the end. Arriving to the spot that the barely familiar woman had called from, Caelestis shuffled onto the scene and flopped down squarely in the middle of the space before Shaye with a huff. Her eyes slid mostly shut and Cael only just managed to mumble, "I might... need to talk to you after this since you're... in charge." Soon as the words were spoken her eyes closed and she opted to rest a moment... Or maybe she'd just lay there till everyone else showed up. Why not? She was beat! Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Rhyme had been getting into the groove of his new duties, feeling them out and testing which ways might be most efficient. He had also been keeping an eye on his mother and father during the time. Shaye told him one aspect of his duties would be to guard those wolves who wished to venture out, he assumed those words meant he wasn't expected to linger within pack lands all of the time. Of course he notified her of his ventures, but she understood. She loved Rhythm as much as he did. When she called for her newly reborn back to appear before her Rhyme had been within Abaven lands, his dark paws would strike the earth as he heeded her call. His tall form slipped in beside Shaye, while he didn't hold an incredibly high rank he knew she was low on higher ranking wolves. He took a seat next to her, creating two dark colored pillars as he awaited what she might say to the rest of the pack. ooc. feel free to skip rhyme next round. also appologies for typos ""

Vail didn't seem to go far from either her sister or Solor these days, though her sense of adventure had hardly been quashed. She was getting to know Abaven again, and she was enjoying herself. Of course having Solor at her side didn't do anything to detract from the experience. She was finding more and more that she couldn't live with out him. She finally admitted that she loved him, and she knew he held the same feelings towards her. Their growing relationship had taken her away from Shaye, but they had lived with each other for years up on the hermit's mountain. She strode gracefully into the clearing, Notch riding quietly on her back as she came to sit next to her sister. She offered her a quick nuzzle, nodding to Rhyme next her her. She had never seen the wolf who had plopped down in front of her sister, but she tried to smile at them all the same. Not that she could tell if the girl was even looking at her. Vail wrapped her tail around her paws as she sat up straight, she was the closest the pack had to a second in command and she didn't wish to embarass herself by not making an appearance. ooc- feel free to skip next round ""

For a year, she had been bolstered and preoccupied by the plans for rebellion and insurgency against her family pack's occupiers. It had distracted her from a very fresh grief over her mother's passing, and had occupied much of her thoughts and time. But the Abraxas had seemingly walked away from Abaven without the need for opposition, abandoning their claim on the pack as though it had only ever been a game to them. Now, Arpeggio found herself at loose ends. She didn't know how to be a part of this pack, had only been there days before the Abraxas had delivered their ultimatum, and she had deliberately done nothing to contribute after. So what did she do now? Where did she fit into her mother's home? Sparrow was dead, and as much as Peggy had resented the way Sparrow had meekly handed them all over to a megalomaniacal enslaver, she and Lark were really the only family Peggy had had to look up to when her mom passed. There was Lark's kids, but they were just that, kids, and it wasn't the same as having someone you could look to to take up responsibility. The thing is that no one really had taken up responsibility for the Destruction family, so Peggy had been left waiting and drifting, without anyone really bothering to lead.

Now there were new wolves in Abaven lands she knew nothing about, and while she wanted to reach out and be friendly, she'd spent the last year avoiding exactly that. The lifting of the occupation, the restoration of freedom, the ability to give up the bitterness that was such an antithesis to her very personality, it should have given her a sense of relief. Instead she just felt like she'd lost something and didn't know how to get back to who she'd been before.

She'd been laying beside her mother's grave when the call came from the new alpha. For a moment she'd continued to lay there apathetically as she'd gotten into the habit of doing when meetings were called, but then she remembered. Abaven was no longer under Abraxas control. The meetings were no longer a farce, with Sparrow acting as a puppet to him while he sat there staring at them with his disdain clear on his arrogant face. They were real meetings, where they'd really act as a pack.

Maybe.

She wanted to believe that, but it was with a great deal of doubt and caution that she rose to her paws and trotted over to where the alpha had called from. She didn't really believe it would be so easy, that the Abraxas would walk away from the pack without a fuss and they'd go on to live happily ever after.

Caelestis' exhausted slump caught her attention immediately, and her first reaction was to go to her sassy peer and curl around her protectively - but she didn't know Caelestis as well as she wished she did, and thought that it might be just as likely that the girl would lash out at her instead of being comforted. So instead she just eased over to sit beside her quietly. Cael might choose to ignore her show of support if she wanted to, but it was there nonetheless.

The sound of an unfamiliar cry shook Corvus from his slumber, unfurling from where he'd been lying beside Aiden and Rhea. He didn't want to go to any meeting. His father had sort of explained that a family member had come back, and planned to take Abaven and bring it back to its former glory. But his dad hadn't really seemed all that convinced by that - not that he'd discussed it for very long. No, he had also brought news of their aunt Sparrow's passing. Though he hadn't been super close to her, she'd been family and Corvus was left feeling strangely hollow after the news. Life, which had once seemed to be so monotonous and ordinary, suddenly felt like it'd been disrupted in a very unpleasant way. Between that, his mother's unshakable sickness, and his father's own very depressed state, it was hard to not feel just as awful himself. Blah. He slowly pulled himself upright, trying to jostle his siblings awake, but he had no doubt they were feeling shitty too. He wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to go to the meeting and if this Shaye woman knew anything at all, she wouldn't blame them either. Letting out a slightly pronounce sigh, he lumbered out of his family's den and toward the sound of her call. Even if her voice had sounded uplifting and positive, Corvus was decidedly not in a great mood and wouldn't pretend to be. The brown-coated yearling finally picked up his pace and found his way to the group that had gathered by the rapids. A few were familiar to him, but a few were not, which displeased the boy that was already in a foul mood. Scowling, he sat near Arpeggio and Caelestis, since at least he knew them. What he wanted right now was stability and familiarity, not... newness, and not change. "Peggy," Corvus leaned over to her to whisper. They might not be close, but she was still family and he trusted her far more than these wolves he'd never met. "What's going on, do you think?"

A meeting, called out by a familiar voice she hadn't heard in years. She already knew of Shaye and Vail's return, mostly thanks to Lark and her children. After all, the energy to investigate herself was very low and nigh on impossible for her to do. It was honestly bizarre to think of Shaye's return. It had been so long, even though Lillianna had never really forgotten about Shaye. She still, to this day, had the green feather behind her ear Shaye had given her as a yearling. the call truthfully caused a mix of feelings. Apprehension, because she knew what had caused this meeting. Sparrow was dead. Shaye was taking over. What would it entail? What was in store for Abaven? At the same time, except it was part of it, because it's really had been so long since she had seen either of the two wolves that had returned. another part was exhaustion, because she knew that just the trip to the meeting was going to take a hot minute, and was going to be exhausting.

Still, she had to go. She knew this, Lark knew it, her children knew it, they all knew they had to go. And as long and as far as she could tell, none of them were happy about it. Still as her children rose, she did as well, pushing herself up to her paws with a suppressed groan. She cast a weary smile to her children as they all moved out, her much more slowly than the rest. "Go on," she murmured. "I'll catch up."

And she did, eventually, though part of that was with Aiden's help, the stubborn yearling refusing to go on ahead this time. She didn't complain too much about it, though. As she arrived to the meeting, she slowly approached where her other son, corvus, was sitting gesturing for Aiden to sit beside him and she beside both of them. A wane smile for Shaye had appeared, but other than that, the female just sat here,her body aching as she burst into a series of coughs that led to concerned looks from her children. She shook herself then, sighing. Hopefully, she could leave soon.

Hearing from others that someone new was in charge and meeting that someone were two different things. It was weird to know that things were shifting so dramatically in the pack that was always so quiet. It was worse knowing her aunt was... gone. Rhea wasn't sure if her siblings had spoken with Sparrow much outside of a hello at meetings, but for Rhea the meeting by the rapids had stuck with her. Home was changing in lots of ways and the sudden shifts from what was once a source of stability and comfort were rather concerning to the young woman.

When Corvus rose and shook the huddled mass of yearlings awake, Rhea blinked sleepily awake, green eyes drooping heavily as she tried to wake up and let out a massive yawn. She walked with her family, just in front of Aiden and Lilli where she could keep an eye on them as she approached the meeting with her heart fluttering nervously in her chest. Things would be different and she wasn't sure in what ways yet.

Upon arrival she settled herself a little behind Corvus and off to the side opposite Arpeggio so she could rest her chin on his shoulder and listen to the conversation. What was going on?

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light" She didn’t recognize the wolf that flopped tiredly at her feet, nor did she know the reason she looked exhausted and worn down. She would murmur a quick "of course" as others began to trickle in. She would find out what was wrong and the best way she could help the wolf - she intended to do the best she could by these wolves. More filed in before her, some she recognized being family she had run into recently. Lark she had seen when the pack had almost been disbanded, though she hadn't yet had a conversation with her cousin. Vail and Rhyme of course where hardly strangers, and had arrived to support her. She nodded at them both, small, appreciative gestures.   When Lillie arrived, Shayes heart would give a stutter. Her old friend! The feather of her youth still hung to her coat, the mark of their friendship still worn. Her heart beat painfully in her chest as she looked on at the worn down wolf. She had always been a bright spark, and had burned hot and fast. She hadn't been afraid to abuse her body in her younger years, in battle or in competition. It seemed she would be paying for that now. The temptation to end the meeting then and there set upon her. To go to her friend, to kneel at her side and hold her close. To lie beside her in quiet comfort as once they had done as children. But she could not. She had called this meeting to show she was here for all these wolves, not just this one who she had known and loved in her youth. Still, she knew she would be keeping this meeting short. "Thank you all for coming. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible. For those of you that dont know me - I am Shaye Destruction. I was a member her as a child, when my uncle Bass destruction led this pack. I did not come her to take over leadership, but in the moment I knew I could not let this pack die." She surveyed the wolves before her with a heavy heart, but love in her eyes. "I know that you have, all of you, been through hardship. The oppression of Abaven is over, and I will work every moment to see it thrive once more. I offer my assistance to every wolf here. The heart of the pack is the wolf, and enlight of that, I will see it grow with each and every one of you. Do not be afraid to ask for my help, to seek me out. I will hunt for you, fight for you, heal you and love you." Do not go gently into that good night she thought quietly as she looked upon these fragile, beaten wolves, who wanted to fade into the quiet. She would do what she could to offer them a life worth living here, to give them something more to live for then the quiet oppression that had fallen upon them. Life and love surrounded by a pack that was family, and support. That's what she wanted for these wolves. "That will be all. For those that wish to speak with me, I will be here all day to assist you." She promised then. She would start with Cael who has asked for her attention at the very beginning. "Talk" "You" Think

The woman quietly agreed to speak with her and Cael was... Mostly glad. Of course this now meant she was obligated to speak to this new leader of Abaven even if she felt like sleeping immediately. A slight frown formed on her brow. No, she couldn't chicken out, finding her parents alone wasn't working and what was a pack for if not to help?

Others arrived, two strangers that Cael didn't know and didn't currently much care to know. She was resting her tired eyes and limbs, catching her breath and steadying herself in preparation for the meeting in case it lasted a bit. When Arpeggio came to sit near her Caelestis opened her eyed long enough to cast a searching glance upward. Normally more of that rough exterior she got from zephyr might show through, but the girl was tired and craving comfort so she sat up enough to lean against Peggy's leg in silent thanks.

There were only a few more attendees who trickled in. A stinging sense of sadness hit her when she took a moment to realize how many faces she'd seen when she first arrived as a pup were no longer present. It was just depressing. Eventually she managed to move into a sitting position and even looked a half degree less ragged by the time Shaye introduced herself. At first the words felt... weird. There was rarely such conviction from the members of Abaven. But then, maybe this was what they needed. Still, it was hard to remain trusting that this new leadership would bring about the change they all needed and Caelestis wasn't about to believe anyone until they proved themselves. So she'd remain quiet and await the end of the meeting. Then she could talk to Shaye, and after that, a long awaited rest.

All through the Abraxas occupation, Peggy had secretly yearned to be like the fiery, prickly Caelestis, so when she leaned against Peggy's leg to accept the comfort of her presence, Arpeggio was startled and pleased. Corvus came up on the other side of to sit with her as well, and leaned over to ask her a question. Under other circumstances, Peggy might well have beamed. She'd always been a bit of a marshmallow towards younger wolves, and Corvus' sister had been the first Abaven wolf other than Sparrow that she'd met, so she was pleased that the yearling cousin had made any sort of overture. And speaking of Rhea, there she was, coming up to place her chin on Corvus' shoulder. "I'm not sure," Peggy returned in a whisper to match his. "But it can't possibly be any worse than it was with the Abraxas, can it? Things will be better, I promise." I'll make sure of it. She blew out a sigh, eyeing the three strangers, then twisting to sweep her gaze over the few familiar faces that remained. Just Cael, her three youngest cousins, and their mother, who seemed to be concerningly ill. Lark was gone, and both of Cael's parents - which might explain her state - and Kassander, and Sparrow. Only a remnant of Abaven clung stubbornly to their lives here. Peggy firmed her jaw, straightened her shoulders and lifted her head high, staring defiantly at Shaye, rejecting the pity she saw in the stranger's eyes. We're still here, she thought fiercely towards the new alpha. We survived just fine before. Don't treat us like pups. You don't know us. The new alpha introduced herself, trying to explain why she had taken control of the pack. Peggy studied her, trying to decide which one of her aunts or uncles this Shaye descended from. Chord? Rhythm? Motif? Not having met any of them to know by sight, Arpeggio couldn't be sure. She vaguely thought her mother might have spoken of this particular wolf but she wasn't quite certain. Harmony's stories had mostly featured her siblings when they were young and when Bass had first made his pack - she'd been nostalgic for those times, before she'd gotten sick, and she'd only made passing mention of the nieces and nephews that had been absent when she'd last been in Abaven. Shaye spoke very shortly, and ended in a way that seemed to be dismissing them. "Now just hold on," Peggy protested, loud enough this time for the rest of the pack to hear as well. Arpeggio wasn't ready to be dismissed. She wasn't entirely satisfied with the meager and vague information they'd been given, and she didn't want to ask questions in private where no one else would get to hear the answer. "We aren't children, we don't need someone to come in and take care of us. We need someone who is going to actually lead us. Neither Sparrow or the Abraxas were interested in actually leading us. Sparrow mistook being social for leading and Archon wasn't even really interested in that much, he was just a placeholder for a brother who never even tried to interact with anyone except Archon and Sparrow." She sent Shaye a fierce, searching stare. "A whole year I was here and not once were we given any real direction. No training, no orders. Sparrow called a meeting once in a while for birthdays or to complain that we weren't doing anything for the pack but we were never actually given direction to act. I joined as a yearling and other than the healing training my mother gave me as a child I have never had training. I'd never even been part of a pack! So without actual leadership, what could we be expected to do?" The frustrated, bitter explosion of speech slowed, and she took a deep breath to settle herself before she continued. "So since you say you're alpha now, what are you going to actually do to lead us? Not feed us or fight FOR us but to actually LEAD? What direction are you taking Abaven? Because that's something neither Sparrow or Archon was willing to share with us, and look where it got us. You haven't told us anything but your name." ""

The wolf that spoke up wasn’t one she had seen before, but she had the facial markings of a Destruction, and the browns that ran commonly through their family. Shaye hid the smile she felt rising inside of her. She did not want this wolf to think she mocked her, when in truth she felt happiness at realising there was more of her family here then first glance at told her. Not to mention how happy she was that this wolf was stepping up and saying her piece. She dipped her head to the wolf. “Fairpoint, thank you for bringing it up.. she waited a short moment to see if the younger wolf would be forthcoming with her name, before plunging on.

“I plan to modify the ranks of Abaven, encouraging any wolf that wishes to seek higher than tier 2 to take on an apprentice. Both to encourage their own learning and the learning of others. I will be spending most days in the battlefield, both to learn, myself, and to find wolves to join our ranks. At this very moment, we lack in wolves of high ranking. Any wolf interested in rising through the ranks, right now, well we are short, would be the easiest time to do so. So I would encourage you to do so now. After this, all other rising would be through merit and hard work. Once I have wolves in Tier 3, I will assign mentors and apprentices to teach wolves their chosen skills. What is your chosen field, wolf?” she would ask, raising a brow at the outspoken female, still hiding her smile and the rising encouragement she felt as the wolf had lashed out her frustration, striving not to destroy, but to build. She wanted better, and frankly she deserved better than what she had had so far.