Chaos had won a pack. He'd known this for nearly an hour now and the pride that had blossomed in his chest when he'd learned it had yet to subside. The scowl he'd worn in Chaos' presence had been for his son's anxiety only; in actuality he was quite pleased with the Saxe's choices. Currently Valentine was looking for Rhythm. She had a decision to make now that Chaos was taking control of two of Imperium's old lands. Things would be different, but not by much and Valentine was convinced she would benefit from the changes. If she wanted to stay where she was at but as a rogue the borders would protect her from outsiders and if she chose to join the pack? Even better. None would dare touch her. After growing impatient Valentine threw back his head and howled for Rhythm. He didn't expect her to come to him and was more than happy to go to her. All she needed to do was bark and give him an idea of where she was at. ""

took me like 20 years to dig up this table

Rhythm sighed contentedly as she lounged on her boulder, listening to the sound of the wind and the buffalo. Their grunts and rustling were the sound of home. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the familiarity of the knolls until she was finally returned to them. Being kept away had been torture, and she tried not to think about those days. Valentine’s voice was easy enough to pick out as he summoned her. Thoughts of history were thrown aside as she eagerly went to his call. The longer she was back the easier it had become to navigate her old home. Neary a misstep was taken as she easily strode over the plains and into the old farmland. Rhythm walked in the direction of where she thought she’d heard him, but when she’d gotten close enough she’d let out a quick call back. They’d find each other quick enough that way. She didn’t lower her nose as she sought to inhale the breeze, searching for his musky scent. She thought she caught a wiff and headed in the direction, and as the sound of foot falls met her elert ears she called out. ”Looking for me?” ""

But it was worth it though, right? xD

Standing on the tips of his toes and brimming with energy, Valentine waited for Rhythm's call. He was wound as tightly as a spring and ready to go bounding in her direction the moment he heard her voice. The seconds ticked by slowly as he waited. Far too slowly in his opinion. After awhile (probably little more than a few seconds) he gave up waiting in favor of picking a random direction and sauntering off. Rhythm's bark brought his head around. He had just enough time to take two bounds in her direction before her question reached his ears. "My dear I'd have come to you," he said gently as he closed what little the distance remained between them. No matter, there were more pressing topics to address. "Something's come up. There's going to be some changes, some things we need to discuss." Quickly so as not to alarm her, Valentine added, "Nothing bad, mind you. Just changes. And uh..." Even though the gesture was lost on Rhythm, he shrugged out of habit. "We've got some decisions to make." ""

Totally!

Valentine was right there as she called out, mentioning that he would have made his way to her. She shook her head though, getting out and about was good for her. She moved to nuzzle into his chest, the soft warm fur familiar and comforting. He continued though, straight to the point. Something had happened, change was coming and they needed to make some decisions. She tilted her head curiously as she pulled back away from him. She figured she could deal with anything at this point. Nothing would be as much change as what she’d gone through when she’d been captured. He mentioned it wasn’t bad so she didn’t feel any anxiety. ”Oh?” She questioned him as she took a seat close to him, leaning against his strong form. ”As long as I’ll still have you beside me I don’t think much would disappoint me.” She chuckled as she nuzzled into his neck fur again. Rhythm loved offering him her affection, she’d been unable to for so long. She was still amazed she had the strength to leave his side. ""

Rhythm stepped forward and nestled into his chest, and in a gesture that was becoming as reflexive as it had been when they were young, Valentine bent down and wrapped her up into a hug. He stole a kiss as she pulled away and only his exuberance over the topic of discussion stopped him from pulling her back. He chuckled in response to her words and then launched into a run down of what was happening. "My son Chaos recently fought for a pack and won. He's decided to bring the pack south and claim some of the old Imperium lands. I believe he's taking The Knolls and The Range." He didn't know if Chaos planned on taking The Orchard one day or not, but he had half a mind to start patrolling it and lump it into their territory. It was theirs, after all. "He gave me the choice between staying as a rogue and joining, and I've decided to join." More or less? Yes, he was joining and yes, he would support his son and aid him in any way he could, but he had no intention of behaving like one of Chaos' followers. He just couldn't. This was the hard part. Valentine didn't know if Rhythm remembered Chaos well, but something she had to know was that Legion would be much more like Imperium than Abaven or any of the other soft packs. She'd lived in Imperium for awhile and adjusted to their ways, but that was before her captivity. He couldn't be certain she would be willing to do it again. "I've been thinking about this a lot. You know that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and I think the best way to ensure your safety would be for you to join Legion as well." He was quick to explain his reasoning. "If I know one thing about Chaos it's that he will surround himself with strong fighters. You may not be his mother but he knows how precious you are to me. I have no doubt that he will see to your security." The corners of his mouth lifted slightly in a wry smile. "And I'm sure he'll leave a solid crew behind to take care of the pack when we go after the slavers. I bet I could even twist his arm and get you a security detail while we're gone." Knowing she was safe during their raid would allow him to focus on the fighting. Valentine leaned back so he could get a good look at Rhythm's face and see if he could get a feel for where her mind was at. "What do you think?" ""

She didn’t hesitate to snuggle into his embrace, being close to him was one of her few delights in life. After being separated for so long she could have lingered there for the rest of her life. However, there was business to attend to and they relinquished albeit grudgingly. She beamed at the kiss he offered, but was quick to perk up her ears and listen as he told her the real reason he sought her out. Chaos. She hadn’t heard that name in a very long time. Rhythm wondered if he’d ever grown into his impressive fangs. He had claimed alphaship and his pack would lay claim to the old lands of Imperium. The thought made her smile, knowing the ghost of the old pack still lived on. The gist of the conversation would wind up being that Valentine was going to join, he thought it best if she did the same. She would be safe, especially when the raid on the slavers took place. Rhythm was quiet for a moment as she thought the proposition over, not that she even entertained the idea of refusing it. ”I believe you’re right and I should join.” Her joining would likely be her best option, especially when she refused to leave Valentine’s side. Even for a place in Abaven’s ranks. ”I’d be upset if I had to say goodbye to my den, and I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve. I’ll be happy to contribute where I can.” Of course with her age and disability she likely would never be any kind of warrior again, but she would happily take up responsibilities of a healer where she was needed. ""

Valentine was relieved when Rhythm readily agreed with him. He'd been afraid she would outright refuse, that the sound of a dark pack would send her running into the pallid, spaghetti-like arms of Abaven. "I'm glad you agree," he said with a relieved sigh. "And I'm sure Chaos would appreciate your skills as a healer." Valentine didn't know if his son had one currently, but he did know that Rhythm, blind as she was, was a capable healer. Valentine chuckled to himself, then said, "You know, Chaos gave me the power to accept new members. Might get me off on the wrong foot with him if I let you in on my first day but uh...I think I'll do it anyway." Could Chaos really fault him for allowing his own mate to join? Probably not. Still, the thought that he had been a member for less than a day and was already accepting wolves amused him. Hopefully Chaos understood what he was in for. ""