Ace decided to take some time to himself for a little while, so he went out for a walk in nearby lands. He wasn't yet comfortable going too far from Abaven, just in case something happened while he was gone. He doubted anything would, but he wanted to make sure his niece and nephew felt comfortable being there alone for longer periods of time before venturing further. He found himself in the rock garden, the large male climbing on top of a boulder to survey the lands. What he saw around him might have taken the breath away from other wolves, but for him, it was an opportunity to see what Abaven was surrounded by. The territories seemed to be at the furthest end of the Eastern lands, with the serpent plains practically right up against the sea on the opposite side. To the north part were the cliffs, and south and west were Ruina's old grounds and some waterfalls. He could see the rapids winding through Abaven lands, the water sparkling beneath the midday sun. The river seemed to cut through the majority of Abaven, even winding along the western side which practically cut them off from where he used to live in Ruina. Of course, it made sense since it had to swim a little to get to where he was now, but that didn't bother him. The river looked like it could protect Abaven, forcing enemy forces to swim across to get to Abaven unless they decided to come in from the south through the falls. He had never really thought about using the landscape to defend a pack, but maybe he could draw up some ideas and present them to Shaye later. It was certainly a thought, and a useful one at that if he could get the plans right. "Speak"

It was a fair day… and Philomena found herself wandering a little further from the den. She was deep in thought, mulling over her meeting with Pegasus. She had to work harder than ever… become stronger and faster. She had to get better. She had to become one of the best. Then maybe she’d stand a chance against the Abraxas and make them atone for what they’d done wrong. The crimes they committed against Yale sickened her. She didn’t know how many of their Clan actually participated in the acts… but it didn’t matter. Maybe it was wrong to lump them all together but Philomena no longer cared. Their monarch had killed her father and someone, or a group of someones, had done things to Yale. It didn’t sit well with her.·

Philomena furrowed her brow. But as she told the man she couldn’t just rush things. She had to think of her children, for one, and setting up a pack didn’t just happen overnight. Sure she’d been planning this since Ganta’s death… but it still needed fine tuning. She wasn’t ready… and without the leader being ready everything would just fall apart. But that didn’t mean she was going to give up the idea. She’d obsess over it… and someday, she swore, she’d meet the Abraxas in battle. They’d answer for what was done to her family…

She kept her gaze downward, blue eyes frustrated. She wasn’t sure where to begin… she could say it til she was blue in the face that she wanted to become better but… doing it was a whole different thing. Her ears flicked back and Philomena slowed to a stop, ignorant of the fact another might be watching her from the rocks. They offered a wonderful view… but it never occured to Philly to actually climb them.

""

He gazed out at the world from his perch atop the rocks, admiring the view as well as figuring out how he could formulate a plan to use it for Abaven's benefit. He wasn't sure for how long he'd been looking at the scenery, but a flash of movement caught his eye and his attention was pulled to finding it. The fur on his back bristled slightly, lips lifting in a slight snarl. The wind wasn't in his favor at the moment, so he didn't know if it was friend or foe. Coyotes seemed to infest the lands around here. There had been plenty of them in and around Ruina's lands. Though he wasn't sure if Elias had attracted them there so he could use them for his lessons, or if the coyotes had called those places home well before the pack had moved in. Whatever the case, it had been foolish for his brother to claim such places, especially with so much danger lurking around every corner with the pups. The thought angered him, and he knew that if he ever saw Elias again, he'd tear him apart. The wind shifted for a brief moment, and Ace caught the scent of whatever had crossed his view earlier. It smelled like a she-wolf, one who had recently had pups it seemed. He let his fur lie flat again as the snarl vanished. He scanned the terrain, and it didn't take long before a large brown figure appeared. He said nothing as she got closer, the woman obviously oblivious to his presence. Crimson gaze watched her, his brows furrowing ever so slightly as he noticed the mane that cascaded from her head. He had seen a lot of strange things in his life, but never a wolf with a mane like that. Only when she was within earshot did he speak, "You should be more aware of your surroundings, you know. Especially if you've children to return home to." His voice was neither reprimanding nor scolding, but calm as he spoke. "Speak"