Aurielle Adravendi

She trotted into the plains with a sigh, eyes scanning the land ahead. Spring had broken Winter’s grip, and although the ground was still mostly brown from last year’s grasses, she could see the brilliant green shoots sprouting. Today, she had planned to take Cai out on an expedition to survey the prey groups beyond the walls, but he’d strained a muscle and she didn’t wish to stress the mild injury further. Not when they needed all the able-bodied wolves they could get. Instead, she decided to call for Caelia. She ducked into the Adravendi Seat and paused long enough to spend time with her immediate family, before she gathered the hide bags the primates had made and tossed two sets of saddlebags over her back. They were open to the whole pack, and the oily fats collected and rendered helped keep the leather from drying and cracking. She stepped back out into the wooded hillock and made her way to the meeting Stone, lifting her head and calling for the girl before sitting, bags on the boulder beside her, and waiting for her to arrive. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Caelia couldn't help but replay the last conversation she'd had with her mother over and over in her head. She'd confessed to wanting to follow a path similar to her Gwen's when questioned what her aspirations were, even if it didn't end up being identical to it. She wasn't really interested in becoming a great warrior or a healer - she wanted her mind to be as sharp as the teeth of any wolf, her mind to be strong rather than only her body. Though her mother had suggested she be sent to an allied pack to learn from them, so she could be exposed to different styles of leadership, she had yet to talk to Aurielle about this - so when she heard her call, she was surprisingly glad. She was a yearling now, and it showed. Once lanky, with limbs disproportionate to the rest of her body, she'd filled in her frame quite nicely and now resembled her mother even more than she once had. Even her movements were proof of how she'd aged, now filled with a kind of grace that was quite unlike the bumbling gait of pups. There was confidence in each step she took as she traversed over the sprouting plains, glad to see life coming back to these lands. As quickly as she could she made her way to the meeting stone, offering a gentle dip of her muzzle to Aurielle, accompanied by a small smile. "Morning, Aurielle," Caelia offered hesitantly. She wasn't sure why she'd been called, though her faint excitement was mixed with a hefty dose of nervousness at the same time.

Aurielle Adravendi

Caelia’s dignified young form arrived quickly enough, and Aurielle surveyed her with a studious expression before smiling and pressing one of the saddlebags toward the girl with a paw before rising to her paws and tossing the other set over her back once more. “Hello, Caelia. I thought we might take a jaunt beyond the walls. I was thinking of making a stop at Lirim, perhaps. This would be your first time beyond the wall, correct?” There was a knowing glint in her eye as she turned a shrewd look on Caelia, knowing full well about the jaunt of the litter beyond pack walls during their late pup-hood. She let the question hang as she turned with a flick of her tail and led the way toward the wall, and the north Plains passage. As they reached the opening in the wall, she paused to be sure Caelia was with her and said, “You mother told me of your wishes.” Her tone was soft, solemn as she spoke of the woman that had led at her side and done so much work for the pack. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Caelia slowed as she approached, eyeing the saddlebags offered in her direction. Obediently she complied, using a paw to lift the midsection and slip her head under it, letting it slide down to her back, just below her shoulders. She was unaccustomed to the weight across her back but she figured she'd get used to it before long, wearing them as comfortably as Aurielle did. Caelia paused as Aurielle spoke up, explaining they'd be stopping at Lirim during her first trip behind the wall. Shit. The way Aurielle said that made her wonder if she realized that she and her siblings had showed up to that big mess of a fight, but she swallowed her words and nodded more meekly than she meant to. Agreeing verbally just seemed dishonest, something Caelia really wasn't, but being totally transparent seemed like a disservice to her siblings who hadn't been called out. Either way, the intensity of that gathering had taught them a thing or two and she was pretty sure Vivienne was scarred permanently from the experience. The less Aurielle knows, the better, she thought silently to herself. The silence that seemed to engulf them was uncomfortable, but she busied herself with following after her. The yearling tried to view the quiet that settled between them as contemplative rather than awkward, though as they neared the edge of the wall Aurielle broke it. Her words, though they shouldn't have been surprising at all, struck a raw nerve and she felt the muscles in her face twitch into a slight frown. Thinking about her mother wasn't easy, especially when the thoughts caught her off guard, and this moment was no exception. "Yes," Caelia answered, her voice soft and glum. "I aspire to be like her more than anything." Her mother had expressed that learning the ways packs operated - especially ones outside of Celestial - would be beneficial to her, and apparently Aurielle had caught on to her line of thinking.

Aurielle Adravendi

Aurielle’s brow points lifted at Caelia’s silence, head cocking as she let it draw out. As they ventured further, she nodded at Caelia’s response, understanding the pain in her eyes. While their experiences were different, Aurielle knew the feeling of losing a parent. Solveiga had not died, no, but she had lost the mother she’d had before the slavers had stolen her and Aramis away. Her head tipped to Caelia as she said, softly, “In many ways, she was like having a mother when my own was taken from me.” Her head turned fully and she looked into the young wolf’s eyes. “Our experiences are very different, but similar, in a way. My mother still lives. But in many ways, I lost my mother when the slavers took her and Aramis. You’ve not met them, nor my father. Before the slavers, my mother was a kind, gentle healer, with a soul made in the light. When my father first met her, she was timid, and he helped her find her strength. The slavers ripped that away from her. And stole the mother I knew before she was taken. "The trials she went through—the starvation, the beatings, the constant strain of worrying that my brother may die, that she may die and never see myself or my Da again… It broke her. She was not a weak wolf. She survived for her son and the hope that she and he would be saved someday.” She paused, teeth clenched in a stab of pain, eyes closing. “I am not trying to say I know how you feel—everyone’s way of coping and feeling loss is unique. But I am here for you and your siblings. You may try to talk to Paladin—he too lost his parents, around the same age as you, but to different causes.” She sighed out a long breath and shook her head before her eyes opened and scanned ahead before she lowered her nose to sniff at the scents around them. “But I imagine you really don’t want to speak of such things. So, what are the first things you’d like to learn in regards to leading?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Truthfully, Caelia didn't want to be talking about her mother. Her loss was like a fresh wound, and each time someone brought it up it felt as though it had barely begun to scab only to reopen, the sharp sting as fresh as she remembered it. Aurielle explained Gwenevere had been like a mother to her, too, in her own way, and Caelia nodded quietly. She only sought Aurielle's gaze briefly before shying away from it, preferring to focus on the horizon as they walked together. She wasn't sure whether or not to be glad when Aurielle started talking about her own mother - on one hand, she was glad to talk about someone else besides her own, but on another she wasn't so sure the situations were all that similar. Not in the mood to argue, she simply listened to her speak, dispassionate and observant, ears flicking toward Aurielle while her gaze focused on the path ahead of them. Would she speak to Paladin about losing his parents? Probably not, but she mused over it for a short while. Caelia wasn't the type to talk over her emotions. She'd hardly spoken with her own siblings regarding their loss; instead they'd focused on how they should move on from it, and where they needed to go now. Currently, though, all she knew was that she wanted to focus on getting as much training as she could.. which lead into Aurielle's next question. "I suppose it's not something that can be easily taught," she started, her voice thoughtful, though a soft sigh followed her words.  "But I just want to know.. what kind of decisions need to be made when you're in a position of power. I suppose it'd be best learned from observing how different wolves rule, and what situations come about. Like -" Caelia paused, her pace slowing.  "Like... I know you know about me and my siblings going to the Battlefield that one time. Instead of punishing us, you just... gave me a look, and that was enough," Caelia said, her voice picking up in speed, though she shrugged at the end of her words. She wasn't sure if that visual warning would be as effective as punishment, but she supposed that was what confused her the most about ruling - when did you know how much power you had to exert, as a ruler? She felt she knew well enough now about how Aurielle ruled, and how her mother had, but what about other wolves, other groups?

Aurielle Adravendi

The shimmering Spirit walked beside Caelia as the young Adravendi girl spoke, one ear tipping toward the girl as she admitted the truth about the trip to the Battlefield. A soft ‘Hmph’ of amusement escaped her at the observation and she admitted, “I should have done more than giving you a look, and as soon as I found the scents leaving the territory. What I should have done was place all four of you, perhaps with the exception of Viviane, into the rank of Delinquent. However, in the case of Artur, I doubt it would do any good, and only foster resentment.” Her eyes turned to lock on Caelia’s gaze as her stride paused. “There is a delicate balance, one I admit I haven’t entirely mastered as yet, where a leader must decide how much to intercede on a parent’s discipline. As a leader, I should have gone with my own pack laws. However, your mother was dying, and I was deeply reluctant to cause any upset or friction. I also was unsure if she would take offense if I stepped in and punished her children.” She started forward slowly, muzzle tipping to the sky, eyes searching the clouds as she said, slowly, “My father has always spoken of being a leader as… wearing many masks. Your close family knows the true face beneath the mask. But you must also wear the mask of the leader, who works for the pack’s best interest. He has had to wear the mask of the Law in the past, and in dealing with family. Our cousin Acapella disappeared once, long ago, without speaking to him or aunt Faite. When she returned, she was placed in the rank of Punished.” A slow shake of the head followed her words as she continued, “It’s not pleasant to punish one’s own family. But in the best interests of the pack, it is sometimes necessary. Even if it means banishment. Acapella was banished, a while after the Raid by Talis, because she chose to engage a known enemy who was only just barely south of the Plains’ wall, and instead of howling to alert the pack that there was a suspicious wolf around, she spoke to him, freely, and too openly about who was or was not in Celestial. Father was more merciful than he might have been in other circumstances. She was already fully blinded by the very male she spoke to. He banished her, but sent his companions to ensure she would be safe and fed until she settled into a new place.” She cocked her head slightly in thought and hummed softly with a sigh, “I suppose the moral to that short tale, is to be firm, but be merciful and compassionate where you can. 'A king who is feared is no king at all’." There is a balance that must be found between too harsh, and too soft, as well…" Her head turned back to the front, in time to see Aelloshir pouncing, rather ridiculously, for a vole in the grass, rump high, tail lashing. From the growling he was doing, she deciphered something about "-little prick just bit my toe and I am going to kill it so bloody hard-" A brief cough escaped the Spirit and she lifted a paw, hiding the smile that had twitched onto her features. The levity eased some of the weight to the conversation. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Perhaps she had overspoken. Almost immediately she found herself regretting opening her mouth, wondering if she should've let Aurielle lead the discussion rather than jump in herself. But luckily Aurielle didn't reprimand her, as she'd momentarily feared, instead simply responding to her musings. She admitted punishment would've been a better alternative, but she was right.. it only would've fostered resentment. Artur was leaning that way anyway, she'd noticed, and being punished for that event would've only made things escalate. Caelia nodded in understanding. She both understood and appreciated that Aurielle had been lax on them during that time. Their mother's death had hit them all particularly hard, each in slightly different ways. It made sense to her that rules weren't always firmly set in stone... they could be bent when certain extraordinary situations occurred, like a death. The metaphor she used, comparing leading to wearing masks, struck a chord with her. Just before her mother's death she'd watched her shift back into the role of mother, rather than leader, stressing how she'd wished she'd wanted to focus on their training more before the end of her life.  "That makes sense," she agreed softly. She listened to the brief history lesson, about Acapella being banished. It was hard to imagine doing any such thing to her own family - her siblings, for example. Could they ever commit a crime so dark that she wouldn't allow them to remain by her side? Her brows furrowed in thought as she tried to imagine such a thing, but she found herself coming up short. Maybe that just meant she wasn't quite ready to be a leader yet... which wasn't really much of a surprise. "Have you ever made a leadership decision that you regretted afterwards? Or.. you somehow knew you made the wrong choice?" Her tone was curious as she tilted her head to Aurielle to glance at her, stifling a faint smile at Aurielle's companion muttering angrily.

Aurielle Adravendi

Caelia posed a question, and Aurielle’s steps slowed as she fell into thought, missing the triumphant huff from Aelloshir—closely followed by a tiny crunch and a macabre squeak cut off abruptly, and Ayodele’s squeal of “Ewww…” as the mountain lion vanquished the overly ballsy vole and stalked to scout ahead of the two wolves, while the lemur bounded to Aurielle’s back with a shudder. She hadn’t been a leader for very long, all things considered, and so far, she could definitely say that nothing was quite going the way she’d hoped. Her changes to the pack had come long after her initial plan to make them at her first meeting. The pack was quiet, and the numbers that had showed at the last meeting told her they needed far more members than what they had. There were so few adults who were experienced and ambitious enough to climb the ranks and teach the five young wolves Gwen had brought into the world. Amos had utterly vanished, and some deep part of her heart… feared he was dead. A sigh filtered through her nose and she admitted, “I’m not entirely certain of any decision I’ve made since my father made me the leader. Perhaps it’s not been long enough, or I’m not thinking deeply enough. But… there are many personal regrets I have. And so many worries. The quietness in this pack, for one.” She fell silent for a few more strides then said softly, “Perhaps one regret is that I came into leadership so young. I don’t regret the reason – father went to rescue mother and Aramis, and brought them home alive – but I do worry that I am not pushing the pack hard enough to prosper.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aurielle wasn't perfect, Caelia knew that - no wolf was perfect, though some wolves were certainly much closer than others. Surely she had made at least one decision she'd come to regret? It already sounded like, in a much smaller way, she regretted not punishing her and her siblings for going to the Battlefield that day... though in the end she'd made a choice, regardless of whether or not it was the right one - she supposed that was mostly subjective. She wondered if her mother had ever made decisions she'd regretted. While she seemed sorrowful that she hadn't spent more time training them, before her death, it was hard to say whether that was truly regret or not. Caelia couldn't help but wonder, and wish briefly that she'd had more time with her to ask these questions that seemed to only appear now that it was too late. Aurielle seemed to struggle to find an answer for her question, though she hadn't been expecting much of an answer at all. She merely nodded in understanding. "I see," she sighed softly, wondering if asking questions like this was pointless.. but they made her think, which she figured was worth something. "Do you ever wonder what your life might've been like had you not taken the reigns?" Caelia asked after another moment, her pace slowing slightly. Sometimes she wondered if this vague pack of leadership and knowledge wasn't aimless - maybe she should focus on something more practical, like healing, or continuing to learn how to fight and protect her family.

Aurielle Adravendi

Her paws rustled in the grass as she glanced aside at Caelia as the young wolf responded, catching the soft sigh. The next question made her pause half a stride as she pondered. A soft smile fluttered across her lips as she said, “I probably would be much more well-traveled. I think I’d have been a healer. I find it enjoyable, but there is a thrill that comes with fighting, and feeling a good strike go where you want it to. I won my first spar. My best friend Amos gave me the honor of being my partner.” Sadness leaked into her tones as she spoke of her friend, and her mind wandered, fretting over his prolonged absence. What had happened? Was he dead? “I miss him. He was my first friend outside my family. He’s been missing for a while now.” She gave a sigh of her own and tilted her head to look at Caelia. “Have you ever wondered what you might do in life were you not interested in becoming a leader? I see great potential in you for being a Sentinel or Lodestar. You’re intelligent and a clear thinker. We’ll have to have some fighting lessons and spars, of course.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Slowly the initial worry she'd had when Aurielle had called her faded. No longer was she nervous and uncertain, but instead engaged and deeply appreciative for the time Aurielle was willing to spend with her, fielding her questions and offering insights of her own. It was nice to have some time to simply sit and talk, and - for once - not worry about her words being misconstrued, or saying the wrong thing. Aurielle answered her question, though her hesitation - and the way her tone shifted as she explained herself - made Caelia if asking hadn't been so wise. "I wonder what my mother would've chosen to do," she mused thoughtfully. She only knew bits and pieces of her mother's early life, and if she hadn't had she and her siblings and settled down in their pack that was once known as Celestial, she wondered where life would've taken her. She nodded in understanding, as well as empathy. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment, unsure what else to say to her admission. Luckily, the topic shifted from more somber topics back to what she'd originally asked Aurielle about.. though she hadn't expected the same topic to be thrown back her way. Sentinel sounds like something that might suit me. In time, perhaps," she added, as an afterthought. Since her mother's death she hadn't really figured out what exactly she wanted - other than to be like her. "Fighting is something else I'd like to focus on more. Not being able to defend my family, my pack..." The thought was disconcerting, to say the least, and she visibly shuddered. "I don't like to imagine that."

Aurielle Adravendi

Aurielle could feel the tension slowly lessening between herself and Caelia. The young wolf was beginning to relax a bit, to open up and realize that, while Aurielle was the alpha, she was also one who could be a friend and an equal; or so Aurielle hoped she was realizing. Caelia’s thoughtful musings cocked the Spirit’s head slightly as she considered, then smiled as she said, “No doubt, someone great. Your grandmother Epiphron was Queen many times. First of the original Valhalla, though she handed it quickly to your great aunt Chrysanthe in order to marry your grandfather Maverick of Seracia. I believe she also became the alpha of a pack called Ludicael and eventually passed it to your Uncle Leo. I think your mother might have told you of this, unless she herself didn’t know.” A quick glance was cast to Caelia, to see if any of the history divulged meant anything to the girl, though she didn’t expand upon it, not yet. Caelia’s empathy was not unappreciated, and the Spirit smiled gently, murmuring, “It’s alright… sometimes life just… draws wolves apart. He’d been a little scarce before then. Perhaps the pack life was just too quiet for him and he just didn’t want to hurt or insult me.” She smiled as Caelia mused about her future, nodding silently to herself. Cairo had mentioned much the same thing, though he was very certain of wanting to be Sentinel. The two siblings could work very well together as a Beta pair. Cairo had the compassion and welcoming nature that would also benefit him as a Lodestar, she thought. Aurielle nodded her approval of Caelia’s words and the shudder. “The entire pack is family, regardless of blood-relation. To be close-knit is to be strong and to be able to face opposition and come out victorious and safe. If ever you wish to come to one of the Pack Storytimes, everyone is welcome. I have many tales I would enjoy telling.” It disheartened her that none had come to the last one she’d called, and she bit back a soft sigh, letting it pass near-silently through her nose. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think