Aurielle Adravendi

She had to admit, there was a part of her that felt a bit of excitement for what she was planning today. After her extensive talk with Torin – from trade, to talk about Aryn, to planning inter-pack activities – this one had the most benefit for both packs. It was a chance to really practice how to defend their borders from raiders, and a chance to see how they, Valhalla, would fare as the raiders, for once. This was a definitive step forward in her plans for Valhalla’s future, and it would be practice for the real thing. She’d briefed Justice upon her return from Lirim – a trip that had been much more comfortable without dragging the sled behind her. She’d given it a few days, both to rest herself, and to let the bruises from her run-in with the bear heal up. Domari would have needed the rest as well, as he’d taken at least one hit. Now, she was ready. It was time for a group training session wit the whole pack. This one would be the first, and she already sat on the boulder, surveying the spot that had once been a cleared ground for meetings. It was now littered with piles of small boulders, logs, piles of round pebbles, mud that Loshir and Ayodele were working up into an excellent muck, slippery and mixed with surprises like more rocks, twigs, sticks and other various refuse. Her father had told her about Gwen doing something similar, and now, it was Aurielle’s turn to try it. She drew in a deep breath and let it out, flexing her toes, the claws of her bracers scraping the stone. Cairo had presented her with this set, and she had to admit, she quite liked them. She bore her torso armor as well, mane braided and tucked away under the neck-guard, out of reach of grabbing jaws. After a last look around at the obstacle-riddled meeting floor, she sighed, tilted her head back and called for the fighters of the pack, though it was an open-ended invitation. There was a challenge in her tone, and as she let her muzzle drop, Loshir and Ayodele joined her on the boulder, the black mountain cat giving his paws a disgruntled shake to send mud flying. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Cairo could not contain the excitement. He’d been lucky enough to catch Aurielle after she’d come back from Lirim, and to hear that they’d be practicing raids filled him with a sort of… frenetic excitement that had his nerves buzzing. He was pretty sure he’d been a pest for the last few days. He was kitted out in his torso armor when he came bounding toward the meeting boulder, almost before she’d called. He had to skid to a stop as soon as he burst from the plains’ grasses, because the meeting clearing was utterly changed from the last time he’d been through it. She’d made sure to shoo the whole pack away fromthis place since she got back, and those she hadn’t reached, she’d sent out a note with Justice to steer clear of the meeting area until she called the pack. Cai understood why, now. It was a veritable minefield of things to trip on if they didn’t watch their feet, and he carefully picked his way through the obstacles to grin up at her, tail wagging. He’d had to leave his bracers behind—one of the straps had snapped during testing. But he was very much pleased to see that Aurielle had the set he’d made her on. “When do we start?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

Regulus was, of course, privy to what his daughter had planned—what father wouldn’t recognize the restrained excitement in his daughter and ask about it? It filled him with not a little pleasure to see her stretching her wings and taking the bull by the horns. Had he been a more warmongering alpha, he might well have taken some retaliatory raids to Talis’ doorstep. Perhaps he should have, to find Valor. His days of leadership were over, though. He just wished he could have enjoyed his retirement instead of searching for his missing mate and son, battling the slavers, returning home in triumph only to have his love and his son fall into a funk that had ultimately killed one of them. Nevertheless, he padded toward her call in his usual hitched grace, pausing as he came upon the meeting ground. He studied the strewn clearing with interest, humming thoughtfully as he worked his way through the obstacles. Gwen had done something similar, and he found it pleasing to see his daughter take after their late adoptive cousin. As he reached Cai’s side, he smiled, nudging the boy and chuckling softly, “Soon. Patience. Raiding and sieges are not about glory or excitement, even if the ones planned are for fun and practice.” He winked one fathomless sapphire eye in humor as he looked up at his daughter, feeling his chest swell with paternal pride and love.

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Paladin had mixed feelings. He knew his sister would love the opportunity for some good fights. He, meanwhile, couldn’t help remembering the last raid they’d experienced. Really it was the only raid… But it had taken their brother from them. He was glad to know that this was a planned event between Valhalla and Lirim. This was practice for both packs, practice that stood to better prepare their defenses against a true raid by someone else. He knew he would likely be asked to found a healing camp away from the target’s lands, close enough for the injured to make it to his care, but far enough to be away from danger. More than likely, Viviane would be with him there, as she was very far from being a fighter. He cocked his head in surprise as he took in the obstacles, then smiled at Aurielle as he picked his way through them. It was a well-made surprise she’d set up, and as Kayode and Ime followed him and took seats beside him and Regulus, he nodded agreement at the older male’s wisdom.

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari busied himself running patrols. It was amazing how easy it was to fall into old routines, routines he hadn't practiced in years. The patrolling also gave him a chance to see where prey were moving in and out of the territory. He made a note to hold a hunt at some point. He wanted to get to know his fellow hunters and sharpen his terribly rusty skills. Maybe one of the more experienced hunters could give him a lesson or two.

He heard high-pitched squealing and turned to glare at the foxes who were settling another argument. Lynvarr was successful in putting a stop to Áskell's nonsense it seemed. "Would you two cut it out?" Lyn glanced at him, head cocked as if to say Áskell had started it. Well, he probably had. Dómari opened his mouth to comment when Aurielle's call rang out. "C'mon you two, and please try to stay out of trouble."

"I am an absolute angel, Dommy!" Áskell pulled along side his left while Lynvarr took his right and the trio joined the small gathering. Dómari took his seat while the foxes settled in beside him.

Nolan was a bit hesitant to answer Aurielle’s call, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He had spent most of the morning with his mother. She had good days and bad days and this was leaning toward one of the bad days. At her insistence he left to go join the group that had already gathered. There were certain obligations and responsibilities that came with being part of a pack and it was important to follow through with them - at least that’s what Baine had taught him. Right before he left their den, he remembered to pull on the bracers that he and Cairo had made. He hadn’t had a chance to really test fighting in them yet, but now was as good a chance as any!

He trotted out to see what Aurielle had planned and was met with an... obstacle course? He gave the various rocks and sticks among the mud a curious glance, stepping carefully to make his way over to Cairo. He wasn’t familiar with the other wolves there just yet, although it was easy to pick out Regulus from her mother’s descriptions of her brother. At least Cairo was a friendly face and the partially albino young man was happy to settle next to his cousin. He gave everyone else a quick, friendly glance and a small smile before focusing his pink-hued gaze on Aurielle, as eager as ever to learn.

When Aurielle called out a challenge to the pack, Red straightened and blew out a soft breath. Despite the warlike form he had been born into, and his own need to protect those he cared about, he'd never truly enjoyed fighting, and something about sparring against the very people he was meant to protect had always made him a little uneasy. They were all connected, under the stars, and to harm another caused harm to yourself and those around you - that's what he'd always believed, but he also knew that he needed to keep his skills sharp in order to protect them, so this practice, and the mock-raid that they'd engage in, would be important. He just couldn't help the discomfort he felt as he trotted up to join the others. Still, he gave Aurielle an encouraging smile as he seated himself beside those who'd arrived before him, then swept his eyes over the mess surrounding them with mounting interest.

Caelia was fully confident that she was ready for whatever the future had in store for her, and for Valhalla; after all, she'd been participating in plenty of practice fights and engaging in lessons with Aurielle quite a bit lately, not to mention the encounter with her brother she'd experience. She knew she had room to grow yet, and still she was sure of her abilities, given her age and experience. She had a stable head and was able to think on her paws and adapt to whatever situation was thrown her way, she knew that much.

She was less-pleased to see the scene when she drew closer to Aurielle's call and to the gathering it had provoked. The ground here looked slick and muddy, full of boulders and sticks and whatever else it looked like someone had dredged up. It wasn't her favorite kind of battleground, but hopefully she had an edge over some of the others thanks to her recent bout of training with Aurielle. Either way, she didn't look terribly impressed, but then again her expression was neutral by default - and today was no exception. Instead of saying anything she studied those that had gathered as she moved toward the others, finding a relatively clear patch of solid ground to recline onto, facing Aurielle and waiting for what she had to say.

Artur trotted up through the lands with an unusually distracted air as he answered the challenging call that Aurielle had sent out. He'd spent as little time as possible within pack lands, drifting away and growing bitter with it as his remaining siblings grew only closer to Valhalla and to Aurielle. He'd thought he'd connected with Caelia, but he doubted that a short conversation and a spar was going to change anything with the chasm that had grown between them. Geoffrey he'd had hopes of bringing with him to make a band, but his brother's studies had taken him away too. Artur was growing restless, finding a deep feeling of loss and resentment simmering deep. He was done with this life. He loved his siblings, but he couldn't keep himself chained to this pack just to protect them from their own folly. He needed to strike out alone and build his own life.

He'd take his siblings aside later and say goodbye, tell Aurielle he was leaving. But he wouldn't interrupt whatever... nonsense it was that Aurielle had planned for this mess and muck strewn around. If nothing else, it might prove mildly entertaining to see how ridiculous she got with it. So he was silent as he sat at the back of the group, his face a mask of indifference as he stared off into the distance.

Justice trotted through the obstacle course with a triumphant sort of air to her, tail and head raised and a grin of anticipation on her muzzle. She'd lagged to make sure that all the stragglers made it to the meeting grounds, even stopping to sweep up Viviane who wasn't much of a fighter at all to make sure the young healer got the practice she'd need to allow Valhalla to continue to field their full compliment of fighters after raids. So with the golden-furred girl in tow she bounced in to take up a position near Aurielle, in a pseudo-bodyguard position a little ways to the side of her. She stood there alertly, though she gave the impression that if she could have she'd have been rubbing her paws together in glee. This shit was what she lived for.

Viviane followed Justice in, in more than a little bemusement. She wasn't a fighter at all, really, so if there was a raid she wouldn't be out on the front lines fighting. No, she'd be at the healer camp that Paladin would be running, along with whatever other primarily-healers the pack could eventually train, along with wolves who were either too old or crippled to fight on the front lines to protect the camp from anyone who got past the defenders. So yeah, it might be a really good idea to get practice healing fight wounds, she wasn't denying that at all. She was just more than a little distressed at the idea that it would be people she cared about taking those wounds, right now in spars sure, but later in earnest as well. It was sobering, even for the bubbly young female, and she sat next to Paladin and the others.

Aurielle Adravendi

Her features broke into an amused smile as Cairo bolted into the clearing only to stop short. Good. The initial lesson planned with the obstacles began with the very entry into the usually bare clearing. The lesson being to stop and think and plan your footsteps rather that to bowl headlong into a sticky situation. Her father and Paladin were next, and Regulus answered Cairo’s excited query with his own bits of wisdom, to which Aurielle added a nod of approval. An unfamiliar voice lifted her eyes to see Domari entering, accompanied by two companions. Her lips quirked as she greeted the Xanilov man with a nod and grin. Nolan came next, and her eyes watched him with familial warmth as he took his place among those who were mostly strangers to him. She hoped he was enjoying settling in to Valhalla. From what Cairo had said, he was already working to make friends and be involved. Red was next and she followed him with her eyes and a faint smile that grew when he offered his own. He’d not been as enthused as Justice had been, but he was willing to participate. She was grateful to him for being understanding about her desires to strengthen the pack. He had only been here for a few seasons at most, and he had been steadfast in his loyalty. Caelia’s arrival and visible displeased glance at the mud brought the Spirit’s features into a crooked grin, and as the dappled young woman turned her eyes to Aurielle, the Spirit gave her apprentice a little wink. Caelia might never get over her disdain for muddy fighting, but Aurielle admired her willingness to buckle down anyway. Just wait till the blindfolds came out. Artur, as cold and indifferent as ever, was next. Her gut told her he truly wasn’t happy. Failing that, his actions made it crystal clear that he wanted to be anywhere but Valhalla. Her eyes studied the tall man quietly, and she decided that she would have to talk with the man, and make it clear that no one was forcing him to stay here. He was grown, and his path was his own. Justice caught her attention as the dark, stocky woman fairly pranced into the clearing, towing a bemused Viviane after her. Aurielle’s own brows lifted in query at Justice, though she had to smile at the older woman’s excitement. Of all her siblings that Aurielle had met, Justice was the one who lived for fighting and kicking tail. It was the reason Aurielle had chosen Sentinel for Justice rather than Lodestar. Lodestar was meant to be the gentler side of the Beta pair. The one who managed the more diplomatic side of pack affairs, from disputes, to welcoming newcomers. Justice would have been bored as hell. She gave Viviane a warm smile of welcome before she examined the group scattered around the obstacles, measuring them shrewdly. She had several plans of action for today, from having the more senior wolves who had experienced Talis’ raid personally giving their knowledge out to the younger wolves, to explaining her plans for the raids to come with Lirim, both offense and defense, to setting up teams for melee practice, and free for alls to practice the hectic scramble that a raid truly was. Firstly, the explanations. She straightened, signaling the start of the gathering, then smiled – a little toothily – at the fighters and Viviane as she began, “Thank you for coming. Some of you will already know why I’ve called the War Circle together. For those of you who do not, the short and simple version is that we will be training for Raids. Both offense, and Defense. Initially, we will be practicing here at home, polishing our skills, training through obstacles and physical disadvantages—such as simulated blindness with eye covers. “Come late spring, we will be launching our first practice raid. The target will be Lirim. I’ve spoken with Torin, and he’s agreed that Valhalla and Lirim will work together, raiding each other, so that both packs have practice attacking and defending. I want us to be prepared and ready for the next time someone is foolish enough to decide that this pack is an easy target.” Her eyes swept the faces of the pack as she spoke, assessing their reactions to this news. “This is one way for our two packs to engage in joint training. These will be friendly raids, but mark you, true raiders from those I have not spoken to about this activity and agreed with shall get no quarter. Remember, with Lirim comes our practice, but someday... I do intend to raid for real.” The news might be controversial to some of the pack, but it stood that Valhalla would need to expand, and gathering resources was part of that process. Her eyes shifted to Regulus, Justice and Domari, those experienced in this matter as she continued, “Today I have several things planned, the majority of which will be melee practice. But firstly, those of you who defended against Talis, I would like you to share with our younger wolves what you feel they should remember and practice in the time between now and our first raid.” Her gaze turned to her father. “Da?” She fell silent, giving the board to the three experienced wolves, and the pack should they have questions. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Regulus was quick to rein his excitement in with a reminder that raiding was not a chance for glory, and he nodded, taking in the wisdom as he glanced at his elders, noting the agreement they gave. He was still excited for the action they were in for, but he kept the tidbit of wisdom in mind. As his packmates filtered in, he grinned at Nolan, tongue threatening to loll as he gave his cousin a gentle, playful nudge and wink as he murmured, “I just about tripped on that boulder over there when I came into the clearing. No wonder she made us stay away from this place.” Justice looked positively ecstatic about the whole thing, and he grinned at her as she took a seat, though she’d brought his sister along, and Viv looked decidedly confused as to why she was here. Artur had made an appearance as well, sitting off to himself and barely acknowledging the gathered pack. It was a damper on his heart that his eldest brother had never felt happy here. It was as though his distaste for those who were not “true Adravendis” completely prohibited his ability to even try to like it. Aurielle’s glowing form straightened and his gaze turned to the woman as he began speaking, explaining the plans, and as she finished with a request to the wolves who had fought against Talis, he turned his attention to Regulus as the crimson man’s daughter prompted him. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

The pack filtered in, and he smiled gently at each wolf, reaching to offer Viviane a gentle, encouraging nudge with his large muzzle before all were settled and his daughter began speaking. As she spoke, he glanced through the wolves gathered, assessing as she did their reactions. After being an alpha for so long it was still an ingrained habit to assess his packmates as a leader might. As his daughter prompted him, he rose and leapt to the boulder, mentally grunting at the creak of his joints as he turned and sat, facing the gathered War Circle, watching them with fathomless sapphire eyes as he began, voice rumbling softly, but carryingly over their ears. “A raid can come at any hour. Night, morning, evening, full daylight. This may all be obvious, but it is worth repeating. A raiding party will do their best to choose a time that is least advantageous for their target. Secondly, never get too focused on your opponent. Keep aware of your surroundings and the fights around you. Raids are hectic, confusing. You may be ganged up on by multiple wolves from the opposing side. Never underestimate your opponent, or your target.” He paused, then went on after a moment to let the information seep in, “If you see one of your packmates engaged with multiple opponents on their own, and you can assist them, do so. We are a pack, not individuals who only care for ourselves. We stand together, or we fall.” He turned his eyes to Domari, Justice, and Paladin, brows lifted as he added, “There is much to learn, but each of us will have something to add, I’m sure.” His muzzle dipped as he dropped from the boulder and returned to his spot by Paladin as the slim Ancora healer took the boulder.

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

The healer observed quietly as the War Circle filtered in, smiling to each that entered, brows lifting at his sister as she came in with Viviane trailing behind her. His littermate was practically bouncing, happier than he’d seen her in a while, but his eyes went to Viviane and he offered a gentle, encouraging smile, brushing shoulders if she allowed it. As jarring as it must be to her innocence, this was part of her training in the long run. The scratches and lacerations and bruises that were likely to come of today’s training would be a useful training tool for the girl. Aurielle began to speak, and he listened, then as Regulus took the floor and spoke his wisdom, Paladin nodded quietly. When it was his turn, he leapt lightly to the boulder and faced the group, haunches settling neatly as he spoke, low tenor lilting. “If you are too badly injured, you must pull back as soon as you can. Adrenaline can mask the severity of your wounds. You must become accustomed to analyzing your own condition, keeping tabs on what hurts and how badly. Talis may have lost their raid against us, but there were several maims dealt, including to Regulus. A particularly dirty-fighting pack may try to maim you in a permanent way, such as full blinding, mangling your limbs, or castrating you, for the males here. Be ready for anything, even retreat. Your lives are not worth what resources might be gained.” He took a breath, then added, “It is also likely that a darker pack or band may seek to take you prisoner. It could even be your own family doing so.” His black brows dipped slightly, some of the old anger sparking in his heart as he glanced to his sister. “Be aware of scouts. Wolves skulking in the lands bordering ours, or acting suspiciously. Before Talis raided Celestial, I encountered two wolves, one at the Lake, and the other right here in our very lands. The latter I watched examine the stone border we had then after she tripped over it, then press onward. At her age there was no way she should have been able to mistake it for anything but a pack border, as we scented the border then, as we do now.” His eyes turned to Viviane as he continued, “Healers should be prepared in a camp a little distance away from the raid, whether it’s one we’re mounting against another pack, or one we’re defending against. They should be ready to lay on paws from the moment the first injured wolf staggers or is dragged into the camp—the best herbs and mixes to have are obviously those that stop bleeding quickly, as well as supplies to splint broken limbs, and the best pain killers we carry. Other able bodied fighters should be delegated to guard any pups or elders, and the healer’s camp.” His mixed eyes swept the group, grave and serious as he concluded, "War has a tendency to be glorified, visions of heroes and knights splashed across the lore of every culture in some way. It is not beautiful. It is not glorious. Lives are altered, loved ones wounded, some even killed, though we have been lucky to avoid such things as yet. It is messy, bloody. Yet sometimes, it is necessary." His eyes shifted to Domari and Justice, querying as he nodded to them and retreated to his spot beside Viviane, waiting to see what they might add.

Nolan peeked around at the other wolves began to gather. He was honestly surprised by how many there were. If this was just the fighters, how many wolves were there here in total? Even just this group was nearly the size of the band he had lived with before. It impressed him in a way, but also made the thought of getting to know everyone pretty daunting. Maybe getting to know everyone was too big of an undertaking... But he could know his fellow fighters at least and maybe learn everyone's names at the very least. He smiled a little at the thought at refocused his attention on Aurielle when she began to speak.

The albino-marked man was attentive while their leader explained what this whole thing was about and paid just as much attention to Regulus and an ivory male with black face markings when they chimed in with their knowledge as well. Much of his echoed the training he had gotten as a pup, though it was far more organized and pointed than just the broad, generalized protection knowledge he had been taught. He soaked it all in like a sponge, nodding occasionally as his pale pink gaze shifted from one wolf to the other thoughtfully. His ears flicked when the male he couldn't name listed all the things that could happen to them in a raid and how messy a fight like that could be. It wasn't like he wasn't aware of that possibility, but it did make the training feel a lot more serious than the obstacle course he had encountered on the way in had led him to believe it would be. He remained quiet while he waited for someone else to speak, increasingly curious about what they would do to prepare for such a thing.

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari listened quietly as Aurielle explained that they'd be doing a mock raid against Lirim in the spring. He swallowed a bit as he would put on the spot but thankfully the others went first. What could he really say about it other than it was a bloody mess? It wasn't even really anything that could be explained. There was no way to describe it in any way that would do it justice, it was a thing that had to be experienced and hopefully this mock raid would give them a little taste of what it was like. But even that would pale in comparison to a throng of wolves ready to tear you to literal pieces.

"I honestly don't have too much to add other than the raid between Talis and Valhalla was particularly bloody. Wolves walked away crippled or missing body parts. In a real raid you have to be ready to do serious permanent damage to an opponent if they intend to do so to you. During this practice I recommend keeping this in mind. For example if you go for an opponents face in this practice raid you may maneuver so your upper fangs pierce someone's brow… but in a real, violent raid. Go for the eye. Think about how your attacks can be made more or less serious depending on the situation."

Justice made a face to herself when Aurielle asked her and the other wolves who'd participated in the last raid to share their experiences, but as the others spoke she did give some thought to what she'd say. She gave Domari an approving grin at his contribution - she wouldn't have expected him to say that, but approved heartily - before sitting back and squinting at the younger wolves who had yet to go into a real fight. "Most important thing to start with is that nothing we do in this training or in the practice raid is going to really make you prepared for a real raid. You might think because someone's given you a few cool scars you're ready for that but you aren't. No one is. Fuck, probably no one who's been through the last one is going to really be ready either. This isn't just a straight up, one on one fight. No matter how vicious a one on one fight is, it's not the same. A raid's not just someone biting you and then you're done and you run off to the healer to get a bandage. It's not being sure who's who or where, your nose too full of the smell of blood and dirt to smell anyone, being in pain and fighting anyway, ignoring it because if you go running for the healers it means that someone else is going to have to fight this fight and they might be hurt or killed because you were worried about a few cuts on your own hide. It's seeing your friends and family hurt and bleeding and hearing people screaming and not knowing if it's one of your pack or the enemy or maybe you. It's needing to go on living later with what you'd done, with what was done to you and what your friends and family went through. We had pack members crippled, we had them blinded, we had them kidnapped, and even though we won it changed everything about all of our lives after that. Even when the raid was over it was hard. We had to hunt for everyone who was too injured even though we were hurting ourselves. We had some that never really fully recovered. It ruined lives. It broke people. That's what real battles do."

Her voice as she spoke was harsh and her eyes were fixed straight ahead, not looking at any of them, but now she blinked and looked around. "So yeah, this isn't going to prepare you for a raid, at all. But it will give you the muscle memory that will keep you alive when your brain is too overwhelmed to process what's happening. So yeah, fucking pay attention and work your ass off in these practice fights so we don't have to be dragging you back to the healers with your guts hanging out or or eyes ripped up. I don't feel like digging a hole for one of you kids because you screwed around and didn't work hard." With that grim addition she glanced back at Aurielle, indicating that she was done with the speechifying.

Artur sat stiffly as Aurielle explained why they were there. So, they would be practicing now for a practice raid later. He didn't object to the training - he welcomed the chance to spar more. But he had serious doubts about Valhalla's ability to actually teach him anything at this point that he couldn't learn more efficiently elsewhere. That was why Geoffrey had left. Well, he'd get in a few more spars before he left. Whether or not he would stick around for this "raid" was up for debate, but he doubted he would be. He was missing the chance to lead his own life and salvage his family name again, hanging around here hoping his siblings would grow a spine and step away from Aurielle's shadow.

He listened intently, though, to the experiences shared by the older members of Valhalla who'd actually gone through a raid. Given the nature of raids as they described it, he found it easy to discount the whole idea of Valhalla ever raiding another pack for real. Aside from the sticky "honor" thing of basically stealing from another pack, he didn't see how someone like Aurielle would ever risk sending her pack into something so hellishly dangerous. Even he was troubled at the thought of Caelia or Cairo facing someone who would gladly blind them for trying to take their resources, even though he knew it would prove them to be the strong warriors he hoped they would be. At least Geoffrey and Viviane would be unlikely to face such dire danger, though the healers would need the strength to deal with the havoc wrought in battle. Even gentle Viviane would have that strength, he thought, though he though Geoffrey had more of a spine than she did and would probably hold up better omce he got used to the sight of blood.

"Where are the crippled wolves from the last raid now?" he asked with faint curiosity. A glance at Regulus and he added coolly, "The other crippled wolves. Were the injured all fighters or did the raiders attack the noncombatants as well? Did we ever retrieve the kidnapped wolves?" He knew some of the stories of the raid - his mother had participated, so he had a bit of knowledge of it - but he was interested in learning what the longterm outcome had been for Valhalla, and Gwenevere had not lived l8ng enough for him to learn everything he could have from her, though she had tried. From a leadership perspective, knowing the longterm affects of raiding from bith sides would be important.

Red listened as each of those who had experienced a raid spoke. Raids in these lands were far different than those of his homeland, but he had known that coming into this. As the son of the last king he as well as his twin who was the heir had been expected to fight beside him to put down any other kingdoms who sought to raise themselves above the others in the constant jockeying for position, but those "raids" were highly ritualised and rarely ended with any serious injuries. They had faced off a few attacks from packs outside their lands, though, so he knew from the histories just how vicious a real battle could be. None of their words came to any shock to him, though his heart was troubled further by the reminder. He could only hope that their straits were never so dire that Aurielle would be faced with the decision to willingly choose to raid another pack for their resources, but he thought she might if it came down to her packmates or the others, and the thought made him sad.

As his own experience with raids was so wildly foreign to this land, he stayed silent when Justice had finished speaking.