OOC// set before the challenge

He'd done it. He let the pack go a few days ago, and didn't particularly care one way or another what happened to it. There was no point in leading a dead pack, and honestly, it was probably the better decision he'd made in a while. While yes, he had planned some things, he didn't feel like the pack was as supportive as they said they were. His brother especially didn't seem all that willing to be involved anymore, and the members just seemed like they were as stagnant as he felt before and after his return. The Northern pack had long died before he even took over. After his uncle passed it to his cousin. He felt things had gone downhill since, and he had made the unfortunate choice to steal an already dying pack. Would his kids understand? Would the care? He wasn't sure. He wanted to make the effort to work with them and help guide them, love him or hate him he'd do what he thought was best. Though he wasn't gonna lie to himself...his journey had changed him significantly. He had spent more time with Vulcan and Ifrit, yes, so he wasn't sure what to think of his other three. He supposed he'd determine that depending on how they acted and what their ideals and mindsets were. He had no problem culling his own to preserve the family name and taking out the undesirables. Those who didn't match the religion he grew up with that had been drilled into his head. Though his uncle had tried to steer him out of it, the demon in his own head wouldn't let him leave. He called for them, and waited. He hoped they wouldn't force him to track them down...that wouldn't end well, he was sure. "Ignis"||"Blödhgarm"

The time he spent within the pack lands had been less and less these days. He'd come home every couple of days or so just to see if anything had changed or developed and all he found was weakening scents around the border. At some point he just stopped noticing a fresh scent from his father at all and he couldn't even bring himself to be surprised. He had given up caring since caring and getting angry about it was just getting him nowhere. He had already resigned himself to finally joining the "abandoners" his father had complained about at the meeting when he had sworn things would be different. If his father wasn't here then he wouldn't even notice his absence so he might as well get out of the irritating, frigid north. If he was going to be left and ignored he could at least do it somewhere warm.

He had put on the armor he had been perfecting that morning and had begun to pack a small bag with a few supplies he could salvage from around the mostly abandoned pack lands when he heard his father's howl. He listened to it for a moment and with a sigh he left the bag behind so he could go out to the neighboring forest to meet him. He almost didn't go. He almost ignored his father the way he felt he had been ignored for most of his life, but he didn't exactly feel like having Ignis stalking him around Boreas - if he actually put in the effort to do something of that sort. At least now he could make a clean break and tell his father he was leaving even though that wasn't a courtesy he was ever afforded.

When he approached his father he glanced around and realized he was the first to arrive. He almost laughed. Somehow he was still the most dutiful child even though Infrit and Vulcan were seemingly the chosen ones in their father's eyes. At this point he couldn't even make himself be angry or disappointed. It was just sad and funny how all the tables had seemed to turn. He sat on his haunches across from Ignis, leaving a comfortable bit of space between them and just waited to see if any of the others would show.

Cináed Praetor

His dad's call had stirred him from his nap among the roots of the tree he had taken temporary shelter in. While he wasn't happy about his dad's decision to let the pack go instead of punishing those who didn't comply, he had no say in choices like that. He could show his displeasure, sure. But he had been looking forward to fighting his siblings for the title of heir, and his dad would've been next had things gone the way he wanted them to. But no, that's now how things had gone. The horned yearling sought out his father, noting that Cina had arrived before him and sat a good distance away. Honestly, he was surprised to see him there. He knew Cina wasn't too happy, believing that he and Vulcan were favored over the other three but that simply wasn't the case. Ifrit had dragged Vulcan along with him to track down their dad when they found his trail leaving the lands, and things just kind of went from there. He didn't regret it. He got to see the world beyond Boreas, and it was certainly something. He had definitely picked up a few things from what he'd seen and experienced...not so nice things, of course. He sat down and lazily yawned as he waited for the others to show up. No doubt their dad would explain why he opted to abandon the pack, but beyond that? He didn't know.

"Speech"

Vulcan and Ifrit had been like sugar and water, the stars and the night. Like a team as the yearlings ahd stuck with each other for quite sometime. There were very few times when they would be separated, gone from each one's view. And even with his father deciding to abandon the pack they were born into he wasnt too far from his brother. He was upset to see his future crumble upon his father's choice, being him and the rest too young to take over when he left. But he knew how to hide his frustration quite well, almost like it didn't exist at all, pretending to be cool, to be fine. And as he followed his brother into the unknown he didnt speak, he didn't share his voice. No mood for that really. He heard the call too, standing and right behind Ifrit he arrived, finding a Cine, someone he didnt expect would come. But he remained silent as he took a seat. "Speak"

She never used to like being the last to arrive anywhere, but as times changed and rapidly spun off course, she found the things that used to matter so much to her seemed mostly insignificant now. She spent most of her time alone now, unsure how much of that was an active choice on her part, and how much of it was simply due to the fact that no one else seemed to have any desire to be around her. It was strange to think back on the days they had all shared a den, her and her siblings playing together and training together. Those times seemed short lived, in hindsight. So eager to grow up, she had missed out on everything that was supposed to come in between.

Her fathers call pulled her from whatever world she had been lost in, and without taking any time to consider it, she moved to join those of her siblings that were still around. She didn’t like that her father had given up the pack, but mostly because she didn’t like not being the alpha’s daughter. Any status she may have been able to earn from that title would have been flimsy anyways, it hadn’t gotten her very far before and there was no reason to think that would have changed. Still, she was just another wolf now, and that particular pill was harder to swallow than anything else.

Her brothers were there, already gathered around Ignis in tense silence. She sat on her own, not too close or too far from any of them. She wasn’t angry like Cina was, but she felt there was distance between her and the rest of the family. She often felt like she didn’t belong, but it wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be.

"Speech"