ooc//set immediately after gil knockout & during haydee visit at hallows

She ran, and she ran hard. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She churned the earth in her wake, plowing through everything in her path. The Bifrost had been little challenge to her, but the rest? The rest would certainly test the young ice bear. She had escorted her sister to the Hallows, but she hadn't stayed long and had excused herself from the urgent visit after remembering a lesson about the other packs that existed that her mother had taught her when she was younger. She had almost, almost forgotten about that lesson. Not thinking she would need any of that information, because why would she? But it seemed that information would actually be useful because it appeared Ethne needed some help, and despite all of Haydee's efforts, everything was still going to shit. Why? A domino effect, she supposed. The Raiders would not leave them the fuck alone. They continued to insult and belittle her sister which meant they were making an attack on the pack as a whole. The Raider King had decided he thought he was hot shit and could just walk up into Ethne lands without consequence, and he had gotten what he deserved. Although Saga hadn't meant to knock him cold, he was still very much alive and while Haydee and Eltrys were talking that over with the Hallows alpha, Saga would move onto someone her mother had known for a long while now. Her paws ached, her lungs burned. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she felt her energy waning, but she pushed on anyway because dammit, she wasn't going to let them win! Haydee did not deserve this! She had seen the brown male she had fought twice before watch the scene unfold, but Saga had not thought to go after him to stop him and tell him what had happened. Then again, would it have mattered? Others believed what they wanted to believe, regardless of what really happened, right? She thought she was beginning to understand wolves, but clearly they were fickle creatures, maybe she'd never truly fit in with them. Maybe, some of them simply weren't worth it. They were liars. They were thieves. The only good ones she had seen were the ones she called family. She had felt the love and had seen it on the daily since she had been taken in among them. But those she considered outsiders? She had seen nothing but destruction and wanton cruelty to her loved ones. Yes, she was angry at the Raider wolves. But that didn't mean she wanted them dead. She just wanted them to leave her goddamn family alone! She grunted as her lungs burned, but at last the old rundown barn started to appear in the distance and, remembering the description her mother gave, knew she had made it! She put on a final burst of speed, paws thundering across the ground as the world shook beneath her until she slammed on the brakes, unwilling to trespass into a packs territory for fear of what might happen. After all, not everyone welcomed bears...and she had gotten many a look whenever she turned up for a fight. Instead, she took a moment to catch her breath before bellowing the loudest, strongest bellow she could in an effort to gain the attention of the one she came looking for. "Speak"

Whatever Corbie had been expecting of the day, it certainly hadn't involved a furious, bellowing roar on her borders. She'd jumped straight to her paws, sparing a shocked glance at her companions, before she was off at a bounding run for where the sound had come from. Had a predator attacked? Was one of her fighters in trouble even now? She skidded to a stop at the sight that greeted her, her hackles raising in alarm and a threatening snarl on her muzzle. A bear! Not just a bear, but one of the big white arctic bears, with strange blue markings she'd never seen before. What was it doing here? At least her first cursory glance had assured her that none of her wolves had run afoul of the massive creature. A shifting breeze carried the scent to her, a scent curiously overlaid with Ethne's scent - and then her mind caught up to her, and she remembered Bellamy talking about how she'd adopted a bear cub, the one that had been kidnapped long ago. The likelihood of a bear showing up smelling of Ethne and not being Bellamy's adopted child were vanishingly slim, so Corbie took a deep breath to compose herself, waved back Ren and Tam who had come skidding up beside her, shook herself to resettle her bristling coat, and gave the bear an apologetic smile as she stepped forward. "I'm sorry for the rude welcome - I wasn't expecting to see a bear at my borders today. You must be Bellamy's daughter." Her brow pinched slightly as she studied the polar bear a moment, noting her hard-run appearance and expression. "What's wrong? Has something happened to Bellamy? Or Haydee?" She'd only known the new Ethne alpha relatively briefly though she'd been born in Avalon, and last she'd known of Bellamy the former alpha had been recovering in the Hallows. Had she had a relapse of what had sent her there? Or had she had more trouble with Ignis? She'd gotten along well with the big red male all the times they'd met, but she'd be giving him a strong piece of her mind if he was continuing to pursue that foolish vendetta still.

She waited patiently for the Avalon alphess, and while she waited, she did her best to try and catch her breath but she had been running non-stop since she left her sister and Eltrys at the Hallows that it almost felt impossible. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she hoped with all hope that this had been the right decision. She had been mulling over different options in her head, but this would be the one she'd try first. If Corbie couldn't help, and Artorias didn't help, then what other choices were there? She feared the Raiders would come back with a vengeance, and while she didn't fear for herself, she feared for her family. Gaze looked up to find Corbie racing in her direction, the telltale sign of alarm and threat on the woman's face, but it didn't phase Saga. Honestly, she was used to that reaction by now, wolves simply weren't used to seeing a bear as sentient as they were. She had been raised among wolves. But not many had been raised among bears, she had learned. It seemed some form of recognition would wash over Corbie as she eventually calmed, even apologizing as she approached her. Saga did her best to muster a smile as she nodded, "It's okay, I tend to get that reaction a lot, and yes, I am! My name is Saga!" And then the question came. Her attempt at a smile faded away to be replaced by a grim line and a sigh of frustration, a trouble look in her eyes. "Yes, actually. That is why I'm here...they don't know I came to seek help. My sister is at the Hallows right now I think, I just escorted her there with another pack member and then I came straight here. We're having some trouble with the Raider wolves..." She took a deep breath to calm fraying nerves, though it was more for worry about her family than fear of their enemy. "The Raider wolves have been causing us trouble. They raided us a while back, came for our chickens. My mother...she maimed one of their pups. She didn't mean to, but they came under cover of night and we had no idea what was going on. My brother Gavroche, followed them right after because he wanted to try to help as a means of apology, but they tried to attack him. He got away, but then Haydee followed to get him back and the man that leads them maimed her. We tried to raid them back for our chickens, but they killed them, I think. They said they were sick, but we take very good care of our flock and we know they were healthy before they were taken." She paused to take a breath and think about things for a moment. Her mind was reeling with everything between the two packs. And she just wanted it to stop. For them to leave Ethne alone. To leave her family alone. "They keep trying to cause us trouble and grief...and it doesn't matter how many times my mother or my sister apologize or tried to make things right." Her brows furrowed as she continued, "They keep saying to apologize to their child, but that child wouldn't have gotten hurt if they hadn't brought pups to a raid! I don't understand it...and earlier...the one named Gilgamesh trespassed into our territory like he owned the place. Made demands, told my sister to go and apologize to his daughter? There were a few of us present for the conversation. My sister, she is so stressed and tired of it all, she just wants it to stop. She tried to walk away and he was told and offered to be escorted out. But then he tried to attack Haydee while her back was turned, like a coward! And I...well...I attacked him. I defended my sister. But I forget my own strength sometimes. I guess I hit him too hard and sent him flying, he hit his head. And now he's unconscious, but my pack is trying to treat him before taking him to the Hallows so they can take over. But...one of his pack members saw what happened before he ran off, but we were too busy tending to the stupid man so we didn't bother going after him. I'm afraid things are going to get out of control and that they'll try to seek revenge. I just want them to leave my sister - my family - alone." She hadn't realized how much she said. Whether it was enough or not. She didn't know where else to go or who to turn to. But her mother had said Avalon was a kind pack, and while she didn't expect Avalon to go running to save their hides...well...she was hoping for something. Advice? Maybe another voice of reason? She didn't know Corbie nor Artorias, but as much as her sister and mother kept going to him, there didn't seem to be much help on that end. Corbie, she supposed, was her last attempt at finding help before things went terribly wrong. "Speak"

The young bear took the opportunity afforded by her question to begin a long tale that Corbie listened to silently, mystified and concerned. For a moment after Saga had finished speaking, the alpha sat quietly, eyes on the horizon as she processed it. There was a lot to unpack there - the raiders bringing children with them on a raid, Bellamy maiming a child, the constant back and forth of blood for blood, the fact that Gil even now lay injured in Ethne's borders after trespassing and attacking Haydee. It sounded as though the situation was going to continue to escalate until someone was dead and the fragile balance between all of the packs was irretrievably broken. It could mean war, and she shuddered to think of a war that engulfed all the packs.

"I will do what I can to mediate, Saga," she said finally. "I wish someone had come to me before it had gotten so bad - I've always been on good terms with both packs." She shook her head, troubled. "But I appreciate you coming to me now. I'll see what I can do." At minimum, she'd speak with the alphas of both packs involved and see if she could get them to see reason, but maybe she could get them all into one room without any more maims or deaths and get them to talk it out with arbitration. She sighed. Gil had seemed very reasonable when she'd spoken with him, but the actions Saga described were not those of a rational man, and she was... concerned about his mental state, or what might be influencing him. She might not be able to get through to him at all.

"I will go speak with the Raiders, see if I can't convince whoever is in charge in Gil's absence not to do anything rash until we can sort this out. If Haydee needs someplace safe to stay to recover, if she has anyone else who can take over for her, she is welcome to take sanctuary in Avalon for a time. I intend to make the same offer to Gil, though I'm sure the Hallows would be better suited if his injuries are bad. Just..." she paused, carefully chewing over the words, "I want you to be aware that it sounds as though Ethne was not entirely blameless, and your pack may be expected to make some concessions for that. I don't know what, if anything, has already been tried on that front, but we will talk about it later, with Haydee and Bellamy both. It sounds as though time is of the essence now, and I'm sure you want to be with your sister to protect her."

She waited with breath she didn't know she'd been holding as Corbie processed all that she had just dumped on her lap. She hadn't meant to, but this was the last resort she could think of. She didn't know what else to do, didn't know of anyone else that might be able to help. Or if anyone would be willing to help...including Corbie. So it was a huge surprise to her when Corbie said she would do what she could to mediate. The breath she had been holding came out, and for once, she felt like she could breathe after everything that had been happening. She nodded, half ashamed and relieved when Corbie offered to mediate, and wishing that someone had told her sooner. Honestly, Saga had no damn clue why nobody hadn't! The Hallows kept getting the short end of the stick on what she assumed were from both fronts, but she couldn't be sure. She had never been involved in the political side of things until recently, and mostly out of sheer desperation to try and help her sister and mother. But now it seemed she had involved herself politically, and she was glad she had. She didn't just have to fight...and she felt relief at the thought of that. Corbie continued, explaining that she would go to speak with the Raiders, offering Haydee sanctuary should she need it, though it took every ounce of her being to keep her fur flat when she mentioned she'd extend the same offer to Gilgamesh. Okay okay, she wanted things fixed...she didn't want to hold grudges. She knew she'd let it go sooner or later...but for now, she'd have to deal with it and hope that Corbie would be successful in her endeavors. She did nod in understanding, however. She didn't know what all solutions or offers Haydee and her mother had already offered beyond the eye for an eye, so she didn't touch on it. That was a discussion for another time. "Thank you, Corbie. You have no idea how much I truly appreciate your help in this, I have been losing sleep over it, wondering how I can help to protect my family without killing someone over this. I really didn't mean to hurt him that badly, but..." What was done, was done. He wasn't dead, so there was that at least. "Yes, I will return to Haydee and let her know what you've said. And...if you ever need anything, I will gladly help you. I am in your debt." Truly, she owed the Avalon alphess a great deal after this. Were she in a happier mood, she would've scooped her up and given her a great big hug! But she wasn't, and considering she didn't know each other on that level yet, she didn't know how she'd react, so she'd leave it at that. She stood, preparing herself for the journey back home. There was no time to rest! She had to get back to Haydee as soon as possible. "Corbie...be careful please...I don't know the name of the one in charge now, but if she believes Gilgamesh is dead...who knows what she will do. A broken heart and a muddled mind can be dangerous..." She knew that after having watched her Mother when Gavroche had died...she was sure Corbie could handle herself, but Saga couldn't help but be cautious now. She offered the alphess another nod before turning and racing back home. -exit?- "Speak"