Newol

A lot was going through the young brutes head at the moment as he made his way down the well worn path. This raven was tight, and he liked it. Easily defendable. It reminded him of all the stories of the land that his bloodline ruled over. A massive kingdom in which multiple packs lived and coexisted. It was supposed to be an epic place doted with all kinds of amazing things. Of course, they were just stories. Newol might one day make a pilgrimage to see the place, but but was for later. Life was far too busy for him right now, too much going on. Every day waking up and hunting and tracking and learning. This pack life was so much different from anything he'd every know before. And he was trying his very best at it too. Even if it was hard. He tried very hard to get to know the wolves around them for who they where, even those that out ranked him. It was harder though because of that pack. Newol didn't just want an officer. He wanted a fellow wolf beside him. His hard work and effort was starting to show too. The boy looked more like a young man now. There was more muscle to his body now, powerful shoulder and hind legs carrying him effortlessly down the back. He carried himself in a stronger stance and walked with a confident stride. One thing was for certain, he never got bored in this place. He'd always thought at an amazingly fast rate of speed, and now there was no shortage of places to draw knowledge in from. No shortage of things to learn in this marry little venture he'd allowed his Alphess' words to lead him on. If ever there had been a pack that he seemed to have a place in, it was this one. That said, he still had no idea why he'd been summoned. Yes, he was happy to have a chance to go see Erani again, but this was different now and he knew it. She wasn't just a friend now. She was Leader. She was Alphess Erani of Valhalla. And Alacritis was no Kingdom so here in Valhalla her word was Final. There was no High King. That said, he did trust her. She had some fire and wisdom to her. That thought lead Newol's mind down a different path as he found the opening next to a small waterfall. Stepping up the steps to the cave opening, he made his way through the corridor into what he took to be the main chamber. Sitting down to admire the place, his scared muzzle turned up to the ceiling some as his tail settled around his paws. Ears standing up in curiosity. He'd gotten stronger in more ways then one sense the last time Erani had seen him. He wasn't the boy she'd meet in the woods as just an experienced healer, and him the seasoned loner with wilderness smarts. She was now a Queen, and he a young man and one of her soldiers. But that said, he was still Newol, the brat from the desert sands, who's mother had told him to run away as fast he could to find a place to thrive. Erani had heard that story too. He had known exactly who he was a long time ago and that still stood. He was just more experienced with this now. And so he waited, knowing that as an alpha, she had to be busy and so would be along eventually.

Erani

Erani was sorting herbs, recently gathered, into their proper places in her store-chamber, a content smile pulling at her lips as she worked. She was running the course she would be taking to visit the other packs in the land and see about Alliances, and then ahead to when she would be holding the Mating Ceremony for Ashtoreth and Leon, as well as the Settling Celebration, and possible Alliance Celebrations. She would hold these all when she returned, and perhaps a hunt a few days later to complete it and fully claim the lands as Valhallan. There would be singing, stories, spars, and games. Dancing and leaping and cavorting. It would be when she announced the Vocation choices of the Epsilons, and when they Celebrated the past, and made hopes for the future. She hoped Cairo would be watching, and see that one of his firstborns had come at last to join Valhalla?s ranks and bring more strength to the pack. Valerius Adravendi. She hoped he and Chrysanthe would get to know each other, and love one another as siblings, despite never having even known the other existed. Heavens, even she hadn?t known Valerius and his siblings had existed. She?d known Alice was pregnant; it was something that had been celebrated in the pack. But Alice had vanished, and no one was sure what had become of her and the unborn pups. She rose, her sorting finished, and ambled out of the chamber. Newol would be here in a moment, and indeed, as she padded through the narrow passage to the main chamber of the den, his paw falls reached her keen ears. As she came out of the entrance to the deeper recesses of the cave system, she greeted the male with a warm smile, tail waving in a relaxed fashion just above her hips before her haunches settled on the stony floor of the chamber. ?Newol. How are you finding pack life in Valhalla, thus far? Settling in alright?? Deep blue gaze rested on him, searching the emerald eyes and brown face that looked up at the ceiling, an attentive smile on her face.

Newol

When his Alphess entered the room, Newol rose to his feet. No one had taught him these manners, they'd just been something he'd been born with thanks to his family line. That said, it was kind of ironic that he fit so well into the world of loners and Rouges. You could call it what you wanted, but it was the way that he was. Offering her a low bow of his head as a sign of respect for her rank, he remained in his standing position and would do so unless addressed otherwise. He eyed the wolf that he'd allowed to pull him into this whole mess he found himself in every morning when he woke up. That was perhaps the hardest part. Some mornings he would have a good dream about strangers he hardly knew and running across the world with no goal in the fiber of his being but to spread the light of joy that his mother had told him he carried in his body. And when he woke there would be that moment of groggy haze where he found himself wondering, Where the bloody hell am I? Oh, yeah. But he was adapting. That much was apparent in his appearance. So he considered her question for a moment. He knew he was stronger, yes. But with all this new developing muscle and the more capability of his body had come a greater demand for carbohydrates. And seeing as he was a Sigma, and valued being good to the pack he was in, most of the prey he caught was given to the pack, so as a result, he was always hungry. Not in the sense that his body always wanted food or that he starved and his belly went unsatisfied, but every time he say fresh kill, or someone eating, he found himself guilty of wanting to eat. It was because he wasn't working for just himself anymore. He was working for all Valhalla. Also, his body ached. It was because of how set his nature had been before he'd ever even joined the pack. Newol was the wolf that could hardly set still. He would always be young at heart and so the want to play had never died in him. Maturity was something best left on the shelf and only pulled out when there was call for it to the brute. But over all, he was happy. He was content. He was achieving something. So finally, he returned his gaze from the veil of thought and looked at Erani. A big smile spreading his face. "I'm getting on just fine. Adapting after growing up a loner has been something of a task, but I am managing as I always have." His smile fading just a tad as a more serious and meaningful thought crossed his mind, he eyed the female before him. She'd tamed him a little in a sense. "This family of yours is quite strong, my Alphess. I'm glad to be getting a chance to serve it." He meant his words.

Erani

As she waited for his answer, and while he thought it over, Erani thought back to when she had left everything she?d known behind. Her circumstances had been more dire than his, her brother telling her to run on his last breath of consciousness. He?d been laying amongst the slaughtered bodies of the Redwood wolves, bloodied and weakened from loss of blood and pain. He was the only survivor in that battle on the Redwood side. And he had saved her. Those few years of lonely travel had been the most painful years of her long life. She had adapted to the life of a loner, wandering lost and sad, though sometimes, toward the end, she had come in contact with others. A loner pair expecting children soon. A wild lone male, lost in the delirium of a mental disease. She had stayed with the pair for a while, long enough to watch the female birth her children, for the new family to offer her a place in their small group. They had told her of the packs of Ciroc, of Starlite. So she had gone to find out if they would take her in. She had watched the packs, and settled on Starlite. It was on a windy, stormy night that she had sung the call upon Starlite borders, and met the sister of the Alpha, the Commander, Maya. She had been accepted, and made her home in Starlite as a healer, training under a senior healer to finish off her skills. Coming to Starlite had been the best decision she?d ever made. Cairo? She remembered the first time she saw the great chocolate male with sapphires for eyes. The powerful feeling of being drawn to him and wanting to be as close as physically possible. She?d thought, then, that it was from his being a powerful alpha and fine King. Now she knew what it truly must have been. Too late to act on those feelings now. She had stuck with Starlite and Cairo, as they left Ciroc behind, and became Valhalla, through all that had come. She had risen from just one of the healers to Lead Healer, and through the trials of the Exodus she had stayed with her pack, and raised Cairo?s children after Guinevere had died. She couldn?t imagine a life without her pack, and now, she would do her best to ensure a strong future for them as their leader. A smile tugged at her lips as Newol spoke at last, ears forward and listening to him. Then she spoke as well. ?You are as much a part of this family as any of my children, Newol. That is what Valhalla is; Family, bound by loyalty, love, and a persevering heart. I would gladly call you ?son.?? There was no jesting in her tones, her eyes serious and gentle. The offer was on the table. It was up to him to take it.

Newol

Her words took him by surprise. For a moment, all he could do was meet her warm gaze and consider what she'd just offered him. She'd just offered him a family. A place of belonging. That was something he'd only had a whispering glance of when he'd been just a little child. He'd had a mother, and something of father. The man had sired him and taught him of the blood in his veins and what it meant, and his mother had told him to be a good person before being removed from his story. But he'd been scent on his way early. And from there it had only been temporary alliances with others of the wilderness. This... This was much more permanent. Erani was now offering him a place among her children. That was a humbling honor. With it, Alacritis would be undeniable his home, and he would always hold a loyalty to Valhalla. He would have people he could call siblings. And that would be a first, for he'd been his mother's only pup. It was a family. Something he'd never actively searched for, always thinking that when the time was right it would just happen. And here it was, setting right before him in the form of a strong willed woman. Yet before he could just reach out and take it, something else in his mind stopped and made him consider a moment longer. She'd just offered him a name as well. Newol was a Zaraidd. A lesser member of a greater bloodline, yes. But it was still in his blood. That name didn't mean much hear because of the distance, but in the Kingdom of Zaranor, that name meant King. That name belonged to wolves who'd stuck their noses in business that had nothing to do with them and beaten fairness and moral senses of right and wrong into stubborn heads just on principle when it wasn't their place to. To be a Zaraidd was to stand firm against the world force what was Right and Fair down it's throat or Die Trying. Honor was a factor. And more importantly, it was loyalty to a fault. And when he recalled that last part it all just clicked neatly into place. Erani was his friend. That term wasn't a light one for Newol. It was a very heavy term. She had his loyalty. If she wanted, she could press him into staying a Valhalla wolf for the rest of his life. And so with that loyalty he was obligated to Accept. Not only had she offered him a name, she'd offered him her name, a name better known in this land and more tested. And right now, it too was a name that meant King. A big grin spread his maw as energy and excitement bubbled up inside him while he arranged the words in his mind. Finally, he's jaws parted as he spoke this name for the first time, it holding an interesting taste to it. "Newol Zaraidd Adravendi." A laugh escaped after it to betray his excitement, his tail wagging behind him and his ears standing on end. "You honor me, mother. I don't know what to say." His statement was true, but the lack of words was made up for by the light he held in his eyes. He'd been nothing but a stray this morning. He'd been nothing but a stray for near his whole life. And now he wasn't.

Erani

She wondered what went through Newol?s mind at her offer, hoping he would accept. After a long moment, his jaws parted at last, and he spoke the name. The fully name. His excitement began to show, and she smiled gently as he next spoke, calling her mother. ?You don?t need to say anything, my son. Your eyes tell it all.? She chuckled, adding ?And your tail.? with a small wink. Se stepped forward, nosing his forehead lightly. ?I will be going to Ludicael in a day or so, to see about an Alliance. And then around to a new pack I?ve heard recently took up residence in the East, about the Rock Garden and thereabouts. When I return, I will be holding a meeting for the whole of Valhalla. It will be an eventful night, whether or not my trip is successful. Ashtoreth and Leon will be part of what transpires there.? Her deep blue eyes twinkled merrily. ?Have you thought of what you would like to learn first other than your sigma duties??

Newol

When that word fell from her maw, Newol was truly silenced. That word that graced his ear. That one word that he'd not heard in far too long. Now that he had something he'd been missing for all this time, he had this new desire to dig in and cling to it with all his might. Newol had a family. Newol had a family that he could see and feel and touch. He'd never been unhappy with his name as a Zaraidd. He'd never been displeased. But it had never been something he could touch. Just something he carried with him. That wasn't the case with this new name Adravendi. And something about that notion just broke something inside of him. It broke something inside of him that was age old and boxed up. Something he thought he'd outgrown and had whole heartedly believed he'd come to peace with. The need to belong somewhere. It shattered inside of him and went everywhere. The brute had never been one to show weakness. It hadn't been one of his character traits. And so when he felt his eyes begin to grow moist, he found himself biting down hard. This was something he didn't do. Newol didn't cry. But that wasn't enough to stop it, it wasn't enough to put his walls back up around him. Taking a step forward, he pressed his forehead against Erani's shoulder as his eyes shut tight, every fiber in his being fighting to press back the emotions. To put his strong and non-faltering fortitude back up. It was not meant to be though. No, his body had already made up it's mind that it would have this moment. Finally, sitting down, he found his voice. Taking in a breath of the woman's scent to file it in his brain beside the word mother, before speaking. "Do you know how long it's been sense someone called me that?" It was the only thing he could manage to say. Finally arriving at the conclusion that he could not force the moment to end he had to simply just let the moment pass. And after a few moments, it finally did. Taking a step back, he collected himself, shaking off the strange emotions that he didn't use very often. After giving himself a good shake, he brought his eyes up to meet with his new mother's. Her words caused him to think. All this meant that Erani was about to be a very busy woman, how she found time for that and her family, he had no idea. But then she questioned him. What did he want to learn? One topic in particular came to mind, but it was certainly a large request. One that would take time and effort on his teacher's part. He found his gaze falling to his paws again, finding himself pawing at the ground with one. He wasn't sure how to ask, so he finally just came out and said it. Bringing his gaze up to her again he spoke. "I want to know how to be a healer." He knew it was his new mother's trade, so it seemed a little of a childish want type of request. But Newol already knew how to hunt. And he could hold his own in a fight. This was something new. This was something else he could use, plus it would give him no shortage of something to put his mind to. It was a genuine request.

Erani

The emotions that came from Newol brought a gently understanding smile to her muzzle, and as he pressed his forehead to her shoulder, she lightly dropped a gentle lick over one ear. She missed her own sons, and it helped mend the hole left in her heart by Castiel and Gabriel?s disappearances by adopting wayward castaways. ?I can imagine. I haven?t been called ?daughter? for a very, very long time.? There was a note of longing in her voice. For her mother?s lyrical voice, so like water over stone on a sighing breeze, and her father?s baritone gentleness. To her question regarding his learning, he gave a great moment of thought, paw trailing over the black stone and gold veined marble laced floor. Finally, he lifted his gaze and spoke. She smiled. ?Then it is so. You will learn. I suggest you attend any meetings called by the Thetas, Imena and Friction, and listen closely.? She gave him a warm smile.