Filia was never a huge fan of early mornings. She especially didn't like cold ones such as these. She opened her eyes, huffing at the realization that it was daytime and she'd have to make herself get out of her soft, comfy nest. She blinked a few times, yawning. Eventually Filia dragged herself onto her paws, heading on outside. She shook out her pelt and stretched, hearing the satisfying cracks of tired bones.

'At least today won't be all too boring' Filia thought to herself, remembering about the meeting that would happen soon. It'd be interesting to see the new roles given.

Looking around, she noted that there was a good chunk of the wolves in her pack where currently awake and moving about. Noticing how dry her throat was, she went over to a nearby water source crouching down to get a drink. The cold water was refreshing for her throat, assisting with making her feel more awake.

Filia walked over to a spot in the camp, sitting down. She was unsure of what to do in that moment, so she decided to just wait and see what was needed. Taking a glance over at the food pile, she noticed that it seemed a little low.

'Maybe I should try and catch something before the snow comes in...' The dame considered for a moment. This thought was quickly forgotten upon the appearance of the young lord, Sikunguak. The meeting would soon start if he was up and about. It'd be best for her not to leave and accidentally miss it.

'That would be one huge disaster' Filia smiled to herself. 'Hopefully the snow decides to hold off until the evening.'

Instead, Filia decided that she would just take a walk around the inside of the camp for now, looking for things that may need to be done to shave off her boredom.

Mavka | Southern Winds Group | Commander | [directly] Rǫgnvaldr, Arianwyn, [indirectly] Hrǿríkr, Eyvǫr, Sikúnguaĸ

Mavka listened intently as Arianwyn spoke, her heart was heavy with the weight of the revelations that poured forth. She felt a surge of empathy for her friend and Lieutenant, understanding the pain and betrayal that had driven them both to leave the Everfree Pack behind. The bitterness in Arianwyn's voice as she recounted the injustices inflicted upon her and Eyvǫr by Rǫgnvaldr's father stirred a mix of anger and sorrow within Mavka, her claws digging into the earth in frustration.

As Arianwyn's words painted a vivid picture of the cruelty and manipulation perpetuated by Hrǿríkr, Mavka's thoughts drifted to her own experiences with the tyrannical alpha. Mavka recalled the disdain with which Hrǿríkr had discovered her relationship with Rǫgnvaldr. In his manipulative machinations, he swiftly arranged for Rǫgnvaldr to be paired with another she-wolf, Phaedra. Truthfully, Mavka has no hard feelings for the dark she-wolf. Phaedra was merely an innocent caught in the crossfire of their forbidden love. The realization flooded Mavka with even more guilt.

Yet amidst the bitterness and anger, Mavka couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for Sikúnguaĸ, the young male caught in the crossfire of his father's schemes. Sikúnguaĸ was merely a pawn in the greater scheme of things, manipulated and controlled by his father’s plans. She would never admit this aloud to her beloved, knowing how betrayed he was when none of his siblings stood up for him.

When Arianwyn finished speaking, Mavka’s body felt heavy, turmoil raging within her. Mavka felt sick hearing about Eyvǫr being matched with Drathellos. The brute of a male was loyal to no one but Hrǿríkr. It was no surprise Hrǿríkr matched the male with his only daughter. Mavka’s lips curled into a snarl as Arianwyn mentioned being paired with Arnviðr, Rǫgnvaldr's brother. She briefly closed her eyes when Arianwyn mentioned being pregnant. Bitterness and excitement flourished in her heart. Mavka was excited for her friend to become a mother, but bitterness nipped at its heels knowing Arnviðr was the father. With a nod of acknowledgment, Mavka gathered her thoughts, knowing that they had much to discuss in the wake of Arianwyn's disclosure.

"Thank you, Arianwyn," Mavka said, her voice tinged with emotion. With that, she turned to Rǫgnvaldr, her gaze softening as she observed Rǫgnvaldr's reactions with a mixture of concern and understanding, her heart heavy with the weight of his emotions. She could feel the unrest brewing within him.

As he paced, his agitation palpable, she remained rooted in place, a steady presence amidst the storm raging within him. When Rǫgnvaldr questioned Arianwyn about their mother's knowledge of the situation, Mavka's expression darkened with frustration.

"No doubt she's been kept in the dark, just like the rest of us," she replied bitterly, her voice laced with contempt for Hrǿríkr's manipulations. "But we cannot afford to dwell on what should have been done. What matters now is what we do next."

Mavka's attention remained fixed on Rǫgnvaldr, her gaze bright with empathy as she watched the conflicting emotions play across his features. She could sense the anger and betrayal simmering beneath the surface, the raw pain of his past wounds laid bare for all to see. Yet amidst the turmoil, there was a glimmer of determination in his eyes, a fierce resolve that spoke of his unwavering commitment to protecting those he cared about.

Though, as he spoke, Rǫgnvaldr's anger threatened to consume him, Mavka felt a pang of fear clutch at her heart. She could see the darkness creeping into his eyes, the primal urge for revenge threatening to overwhelm his senses. Yet even in the midst of his rage, she saw the vulnerability lurking beneath the surface, the fear and uncertainty that lay hidden behind his bravado. Mavka leaned against Rǫgnvaldr’s tense body, she only sees Rǫgnvaldr this activated when talking about his family.

“My love, we will find a way to ensure Sikúnguaĸ's safety, everyone’s safety,” she assured him, her voice soft yet resolute. "But we must not let our anger consume us. Hrǿríkr thrives on disorganization and discord. We must retain our wits and emotions.”

Her head tilted with curiosity as Rǫgnvaldr inquired for the apprentice’s name. Despite the gravity of the situation, Mavka knew why this topic was of interest. It seems Hrǿríkr had a penchant for meddling in the affairs of others, orchestrating unions and manipulating lives to suit his own desires. A ripple of amusement overcame Mavka as she thought about how much Hrǿríkr disliked her; after all, Mavka was more than Hrǿríkr ever wished he could be.

As Rǫgnvaldr mentioned Cassius, his mother, and the territory, Mavka found herself nodding in agreement. The importance of strategic planning and meticulous execution weighed heavily on her mind, knowing that any misstep could have dire consequences for their group

"We will do so with caution, with care. We cannot afford to rush into this blindly," she affirmed, her voice firm yet measured. Her gaze met Rǫgnvaldr's, offering silent reassurance and determination. While emotions were at play, it was important to keep their heads. Hrǿríkr would not make moves based on emotions. Each decision must be calculated, strategic, and executed with precision. Mavka understood this, and she knew Rǫgnvaldr did too.

Teresa

Female | 5 Years Old | Subordinate/Warrior | Everfree Pack | Mentions: Anders [directly], Their Children [ ind & dir ; Mariposa, Henrik, Wisteria, Aloe, Finnegan, & Kahlia ]

The autumn colored female gave a soft sigh ; she needed to get these negative feelings away. Looking to Anders, she would've responded to his words - but she could hear the movement of their youngest children within the security of den, and then the childish scramble of one her precious babies running out to them. And her gaze softened at the sound of her children - even if they were being mischievous and trying to sneak up on her ; she gave a soft giggle at the pleading cries of daughters - and she hummed thoughtfully, this was the first time she had allowed them out the den and it was about time they be introduced to the pack, she had been keeping them hidden and sheltered for long enough and they obviously were growing curious about what she and Anders did for the pack and why they were always gone. It was about time for them to be introduced to pack members, after all they would being to shadow someone in a couple months and they needed to get to know the pack. So with a heavy sigh she stood and looked at her girls with a serious expression.

"Alright, darlings - I've thought it through," she said solemnly with a dramatic pause to get their attention, " you all may join me and your father for the morning meeting, if, " she said with emphasis and seriousness, "you can mind your manners, stay close to me or your father, and observe closely and if you have questions be able to ask in a quiet voice. Today is an important day for your older siblings and I think you should be able to witness such a momentous occasion, because soon it'll be you three having your ceremonies." She said with a sense of fondness and pride, "and also, be polite to any wolf you see and who talks to you - but do not run off or leave my sight or else you will not be allowed out of the den for a whole two weeks." And she said this sweetly and with a mother's sternness and finality.

She sighed with a fondness at Mariposa saying, "It's called fog, sweetie, and now look at you - you are a mess!" She said softly scolding her daughter as she picked the pup up by her scruff and then laid her down gently, and began grooming the little pup's autumn colored fur - a sense of pride washing over her as she realized how much her daughter favored her in appearance.

Once finished grooming Mariposa, she gave a satisfied hum before hearing the sound of their leader announcing the beginning of the meeting. "Anders, would you be a dear and get Henrik up to join his sisters? I'll go find us a spot before the meeting gets crowded," she said sweetly and then looked at her daughters saying, "come along girls, remember, stay close to me."

And with that she trotted off, occasionally looking behind her to make sure her little ones were following closely behind her. And it wasn't that much of a far walk, but they soon arrived at the meeting spot where other wolves were already there - particularly, her brother Björn, and another female. And so she went over to her brother and gave him a soft nudge of a greeting and sat near him. And looked to her kids to make sure they followed suit and sat near her.

"Morning brother, how are you this morning? Surely you're excited to see where you'll be placed amongst the ranks, I hope I'm still a warrior. I'm just excited for my children's ceremonies." She said with excitement in her tone and a hum of her voice .

Kahlia | F | EverFree | M: dir: Telӧrin ind: Sik, family

The light gray wolf patiently waited for the meeting. Though her realization came to be that she was being a healer and she hast been stuck living in the past. Her eyes came to a realization that she has not been getting ready and dressed herself up in the manners to become of the rank that she has been mannered to be. Her eyes landed on her aunt that came to greet her on this cold morning. She listened to her greeting and asked how the ceremonies were and or how ready she was. Clearly Kahlia was not ready as she had not painted herself of vibrant colors and dappled her pelt with any exquisite sighting for the others to admire. She looked at her aunt and barked, “Morning Auntie Tellie, Honestly I am not ready and woke up too late to do my ceremony painting. But I can whip something up…” She looked at her uncle Bjorn with his painted pelt and his unamused look on his face. She looked at her siblings that were trying to impress one of another with their catches and she smiled at the two.

Her eyes veered off to something that caught her in her sights of her youngest siblings coming out of the nursery with their mother. She was shocked at their new appearance to the pack as it is the first for anyone but the family to see the pups. She looked at her aunt in shock and barked: “Did you convince my mother to let the heathens out for the first time or did she finally get sick of them?” Kahlia shook her body, de stressing her body of the nervous tick that the pack would do something. She let out a harsh breath watching the kills be brought in and her stomach churned in poor anger. She growled, “This is the worst part of the ceremony is the hunger and wanting to rip off someone’s head. Best part was the alone time in the wilderness was peaceful and finding flowers and decorations for my ceremony. That I definitely should get started on.. Cause I have some ideas..” She looked to hear a howl that was a low melody that sounded from the Lord. The male wolf that had Kahlia’s heart, but a wolf that could never be hers. For multiple reasons: age, competition, and ranking. Dangerous competition as she heard the annoying nuisance of the pack Etana. Her ears pinned to her head in annoyance with a very obvious face displayed with it. Her blue orbs look around for any wolves displaying the same dislikeness of the she wolf. Though she wiped that expression on her face as she had better things to do than think of the overly annoying Etana.

Kahlia barked “I’ll be back quickly.. I’m going to get all proper looking for my ceremony, Auntie.” She padded away to her items to decorate herself for her ceremony. The colors of yellows, pinks, and greens. She addressed the green on her paws for a token for healing paws and the expert of herbs and the nature around her. The color of yellow for the energy of motherly aura under her eyes in dots. The pink has a protection of youth down her chest with a mixture of purple and whites. The three colors red, blue, and purple down her snout as a reminder of the three wolves that she lost in her time of training as a healer. The wolves being Kalliope, Kalliope’s pup, and Arianwyn that will bring her strength and honor their lives through this ceremony. She used the white mixture for honesty and sworn protection to heal any wolf instead of kill and made three lines on both sides of her face. She pulled out the feathers that she found that called to her as a blue jay feather behind her right ear of confidence for each decision she makes. The blue jay feather being behind her left ear. The cardinal feather for wisdom and hope for the future. The feather was braided behind the right ear. She decided for her body that she will ask her family to paint or put a feather in her fur as a prayer or blessing that comes for them. As her family is what motivated her to be a healer and to push through the harsh periods that come with being a healer.

Cassius | Male | Everfree | M: dir: Ravindra

The noise of his son unsettled him from his sulking. The appearance of his son came to his view with his greeting and question. The morning in his eyes was rather quiet until Teresa’s pups.. Pups that were well fairly loud, but Cassius was just jealous for the family to be quite fertile and to experience those jumbles of joy on a personal level. He let out a sigh to himself for him to hear and let his jealous thoughts slip out of his mind. He looked down at his son and his good impression on the other females. He had to let out a chuckle of his amusement because father like son in a way. He had to be a little proud of his tail whipped son in a way. Cassius heard the howl from the alpha to assemble for a meeting and he snorted in resentment of the young lord.

He barked “Morning Ravindra.. I’m decent. You? I can see you seem.. Happy.. Is it your young she wolf that puts you in this delightful mood?” His eyes flashed a flicker of amusement at the wolf with his eyebrows narrowing. He added “Snowy owl.. Quite a catch.. For the next gift I say take her to a place for you only you two to enjoy. Like a secretive cave, waterfall, meadow, whatever.. And son…. Are you excited to be an official member of Everfree?”

He lashed his tail in the questioning manner of the male. He rose to his paws with a deep growl as his hips were giving him a little nuisance to stand. Cassius barked “Remind me to see Seraphina or whatever the other female's name is?” He moved closer for the meeting and looked behind his shoulder to look at his son. He barked “You can join me or your friends.. But I want to let you know.. Your mother would be very proud of Ravindra. And she will definitely be here in spirit. I don’t want you to forget that.”

(Short, but my muse is gone for the day)

Akuma watched her display of anger with narrowed eyes, a huff escaping him as she flung moss all over their den that he worked to keep clean. Prior to living alone, he had never felt much of a need for neatness, but after a particularly foul bout of illness the previous fall, the dark male had grown far more careful. He no longer had a pack to rely on, and even though he and Everest worked as a team, it was still difficult to survive. It was in the winter that he missed having a pack of his own the most. He had been an alpha himself not so long ago, but that was another life he would never live again.

Feathers thoroughly ruffled by his rather rude awakening, it did not take long for Everest to leave. Although he often found her lacking in common sense and to be impulsive, he respected her initiative and steadfast nature. Would he ever admit that to her? Absolutely not, but he did not mind being her equal, and he found his life with her to be relatively calm and consistent. He liked routine and structure, both of which she offered him. He did not know how long their time together would last, but at least for now, he had a life that was at least somewhat worth living.

A sigh escaped him, filling the silence left in Everest’s wake. He wondered how she expected to catch a fawn, or possibly a doe, on her own. The snow made it more difficult to run and tightly maneuver the forest. Then, there was also the very real possibility of Everest getting herself into some sort of trouble. He had noticed the she-wolf was accident-prone, and though she could handle herself, he could also see her crashing into a snow bank, or falling into a frozen river. They could not afford an injury right now… last winter had been hard enough after he had broken a leg and nearly died trying to take down a stag.

With a groan that echoed off the walls of her cave, the massive, dark male grumbled his way to his paws. Oh, how he loathed the loyalty he felt towards this wolf, and how it made him feel obligated to follow her out into the snow. She may not have known it, but it was an achievement that she had managed to earn his dedication, as Akuma was a selfish creature by nature, and the only exceptions to his hardened, egotistical mindset were the chosen few who managed to soften his heart.

It was easy to catch her scent in the air, and he followed it both carefully and silently, his body low to the ground as he snuck after the only living creature who could disturb his rest and live. Akuma did not seek to disturb her hunt, only to join her. Everest was looking to take down a fawn, but perhaps, if they were smart, they could take down both. The snow would preserve the bodies for days on end, keeping them fed and warm as winter came to a close. Perhaps it was a risky idea, but Akuma was of the mind that if no risk was ever taken, there would never be any reward.

It did not take him long to find her, nestled well behind some of the scarce cover left by winter. He wiggled his way beside her silently, his thick, dark body pressed against her smaller one. There were many ideas on his mind, and he had a feeling that none of them would please Everest. The fawn was injured, and would be a relatively easy kill, but his sights were still set on the pair. “I want the doe.” He spoke, his voice scarcely audible as to not scare the pair, “We take her first… then the baby. It won’t get far.”

Dark eyes glimmered at the thought of their prize, and it was clear that his heart was set on this plan. He was stubborn, as was his companion, but the question stood: Would she follow him on his hunt, or leave him to act out his plan alone? “I’ll take her front… you drag down her rear. She will be helpless, and while she bleeds out… one of us can kill the fawn.” Perhaps he was greedy, or perhaps he was just stupid, but no one could doubt his determination. He and Everest were going to be fed, and it was going to be this doe-fawn pair, whether the odds were in their favor or not.