Gathering of Shadows {Pack Meeting}

[nightblood]

Characters who do not join the thread before Karolek will not be added to the ranks unless the owner of said characters have a proper excuse for not doing so. A certain amount of time will be given before Karolek will post.
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The sun was high in the sky looking down on the black abyss that was Arnlan. Below the canopy lay the shadows cast by those wickedly formed branches. A dark figure moved in the shade, stepping silently despite it's size. The Arnlan Sentry's head hung low as she searched for the area in which she was assigned to go. Her tail was down, uneasy, and her ears her turned sideways as they listened to the sounds of the forest. NightBlood's expression was solemn, but a battle of nerves was growing inside. The happy pup trailing her did not help in this matter.

Ziro jogged along merrily behind the massive female as she lumbered on. While digging a hole in front of the Sentry's den, NightBlood had returned from some far off area of Arnlan looking a bit uneasy and bade him to follow her. The pup did so, as she left very little room for argument, but still attempted to lighten her mood. After all, who could resist a cute pup like himself?

"Are we going hunting? I love hunting! No? Are we gunna play a game? What kind of game?"

"It's called Shut-Up and Be-Quiet."

Ziro hung his head and gave an apologetic smile as he caught up to her face. He widened his eyes and tried to look cute. NightBlood glared at him, but her cold expression slowly began to soften.

"Sorry. I'm just tense. Can we please just be silent and let me think?"

"Okay."

Ziro returned to being his happy self, but kept his mouth shut as they continued moving. He attempted to amuse himself with the goings on of the forest critters as they passed them. NightBlood, on the other hand, kept her eyes facing forward as she moved. She'd been burdened with an important task. Maybe not particularly hard, but any slip up could prove exceptionally embarrassing. She prepared herself mentally for the coming mission.

"So where are we going?"

"Yike!"

The sound of Ziro's voice was sudden enough to surprise her into raising her head abruptly and having it smack against a very thick branch of an old tree. The pup couldn't help but laugh. As NightBlood raised a paw to massage the stinging area of her head, she turned both eyes at the pup and glared. Silently, she drew a breath and counted to ten, then exhaled, trying to keep herself from simply sitting on the pup to keep him quiet.

"We're going to a clearing in the forest," she said through gritted teeth as she smiled, "There's going to be lots of wolves there, so be on your best behavior."

"Okay," Ziro answered with a worried smile, seeing the forced smile on the older wolfs face. From then on, they traveled in silence. The pup was not about to bring about punishment to himself, especially from this brute of a female.

After a few moments of walking, NightBlood's eye was greeted with a light patch of land ahead. They had finally arrived. Making no attempt to bring about her assignment any quicker, she kept at her usual pace. Just as well, she didn't want to excite the pup.

Soon her paw reached open grass. She squinted in the sunlight in order to see things. The clearing was big enough to fit the pack comfortably. As long as most of the wolves were capable of being within a few feet of each other.

"We're here," she said to the pup as he moved up to see the scenery.

"I don't see any wolves," he said after a moment of scanning the area.

"You will," NightBlood answered with a wolfish grin.

With that, she lifted her muzzle to the sky and let out a deep, loud call to alert the whole of Arnlan.

The pack meeting was about to begin.

[Sofika]

The lead of the first caste, Alpha of Arnlan Sofika, knew the exact time and destination of the rising and setting sun. She knew how to attach a name and face to each wolven paw print that made itself known in the snow. She could hear the whispers of gossiping wolves in the wind and could smell there scent implanted upon each tree, bush, and fallen leaf. She held, within her often simple mind, a complex network of information, of knowledge, and ancient wisdom. History had turned her into a legend, an immortal beast of black fur that had always ruled Arnlan without pause or failure. She was, in plain terms, who she was. She was a wolf who could not be copied easily and a figure who, though playfully, thought out each action she took and where to place each paw. She was the compliment to her sibling who co-ruled the dark and often ominous appearing lands and seen as a terror, perhaps, in other places, but to those who dwelled directly beneath the foliage of the old trees that gave them shelter and shadows she was Alpha.

So, perhaps while not appearing to, she knew exactly what she was doing and who she was doing it to and whatever she wanted to happen she would make sure that it happened with all of her power. While she had, unintentionally, caused Nightblood solemn nervousness, it had to be done, after all after this night Nightblood would be doing, perhaps, a lot of these types of errands and it was best for her to get used to summoning now.

Usually, Sofika was hardly, if ever, seen. Karolek was the face of Arnlan, the alpha who came up front and bounced about with the others within their lands, but Sofika had been in the dark for awhile, quietly, and thoughtfully watching her subjects in silence and shadow. Now, that she had seen all that she could see she was ready to confront the beasts who had seen and who hadn’t seen her face already. It was time for everyone to come together as one unit and one family and come into a new age by the next coming dawn.

Sofika knew exactly how long that would take too, and there was so much work to do but so little time to do it in.

One black paw was placed before the other and eventually, after Nightblood call lifted to the sky, she would hear Sofika’s own join with. Both sounds would mingle together, intertwining to become one majestic voice of power, of authority, and command. Come, said this song, Come now or forever rebuke your lands. It was when their individual songs, combined as one haunting tune, ended that Sofika finally parted the brush and showed herself for the first time in a few months and with a soft though conservative smile crossing her muzzle and hidden eyes steady upon Nightblood and the young male beside her Sofika whispered a soft:

“Thank you… and good day. Now, prepare yourself, there is much we must accomplish after they come.”

As for Karolek, Sofika and he had spoken earlier. He knew he duties as well as she knew her own. Together, they would weave through the crowd in their own way, becoming and seeming one unit despite being two.

Her head tilted downward, and if one could have seen the upper portion of her face they could have told that Sofika was quirking a brow in amusement at the child.

“Would… you like to sit beside me while we wait for the others….in fact, the both of you. I would be honored to have you beside me as we wait.”

And now, there was nothing left to do but… in fact wait.

[Blackfeathr]

Armageddon awoke, his torso leaning against the cold cave wall. At first he hadn't known what woke him, but then the echoing sounds of two howls, one of his mates, and another, authoritative one he did not recognize, filtered in through the forest and into his ears.
There was something going on.
His joints ached as he eased himself up. He fell asleep in an awkward position. He then realized that NightBlood left her cave without a sound, and without waking him to tell him of the news of... whatever was happening. At first he was suprised, then saddened, but then he accepted the fact that maybe she wanted to let sleeping dogs lie.

After a moment of stretching, he shook himself of the dirt clinging to his fur, and set off to the direction the howls were coming from. They seemed faint, and he knew he'd probably be in for a long trek. But, this sounded like something important, so he'd better pick up the pace.

Over hills and creeks he cantered, crossing paths with NightBloods scent every so often. As he ran, the scent got stronger and the same soaring feeling lifted his heart as he smiled. Another beautiful day in Arnlan with his mate.

Skidding to a stop as he saw a clearing of trees and growing grass, he hesitantly stepped in the clearing. Immediately he spotted his lover, and a smile came immediately, brilliant aquamarine eyes softening. His tail swished serenely, and he stepped forward to nuzzle her. Looking to his right he noticed a small, thin, black female, who seemed to be in charge of this whole matter. Staring at her features, her eyes covered in a thick mop of hair, he couldn't help but feel unnerved.
---

The steady rise and fall of the bears breathing had rocked RavenShard to sleep, and now she had woken up. Blinking at the bright world blearily, she looked around for the source of whatever woke her.
"How odd." she whispered dramatically, narrowing her crimson-hued eyes, "I've been awoken... by a ghost... No, it couldn't be... ghosts only appear at the witching hour," she looked at the back of the head of the bear, slumbering peacefully, "Was it you?" she asked loudly, jabbing a paw on its wide head. The bear growled loudly as it woke, standing up. Raven slid off and her butt hit the ground hard. The bear lumbered to turn around to see his hitchhiker, blinking at her stupidly. Raven stared back, a blissful smile on her face.
"Hello," she waved.

The bear got in close, sniffing at her. His enormous face was only inches from hers. He opened his giant mouth, full of lethal teeth, and roared powerfully, shaking the ground of Arnlan, sending the birds fluttering into the sky, and the wind from his breath sending Ravens fur blowing backwards and spittle being flung in her face. She squinted, frowning, until the bear closed his mouth again.

"GEEZ!" she yelled back at him, her vocalization clearly weaker than his, "eat some mint leaves or something, that morning breath can kill a man!" she exclaimed, wiping her face of bear slobber.

She laughed, turning around and leaving the bear to wonder what the hell had been sleeping on him that night.

She knew she had heard a howl, she knew it. It came from... there. She set off in a northern direction, running to get some blood flowing. A wolf had to look her wolfiest.
The howl that she imagined... or didnt... came from close by, so she would be there in no time. She weaved through the trees as if she were a blue racer snake, jumping over the small rivers and creeks that came before her.

Finally sensing three wolves nearby, she altered her course slightly and entered the grassy clearing where she saw her fine feathered friend, NightBlood, conversing with a smaller, dark wolf she did not know. The unknown wolf reeked of authority, and even being raised in a pack of mages that had no system of ranks, even she knew better than to seccumb to her usual crazyness. Looking to her left she noticed another black wolf near NightBlood, apprehensively eyeing the higher-ranked wolf.
Silently, she sat down, eyeing the two wolves curiously with a slight tilt to her head.

---

Mordecai took a great whiff of the musty rabbit hole, weighing his chances of getting some breakfast. There were no active scent trails leading in or out of it, and he huffed in resignation. His stomach growled pointedly. Suddenly, a mouse, probably out of stupidity or not being able to smell Mordecai, darted right in front of him. He stood up fast and chased after it, getting several yards away before his teeth clamped down on the poor creature, killing it. He chewed hungrily, feeling the crunch of the tiny bones against the roof of his mouth. Swallowing the body quickly, he felt better slightly. Though, this was fingerfood, it wouldn't be enough to sate him.
Sighing and deciding maybe taking a chance of finding a fawn or picking off a really elderly or sick deer would yield a successfull hunt and a full belly, he set off.

He didn't get ten yards before a powerful howl erupted over the land, and he instantly recognized it as NightBlood, his friend. Then, another howl mingled with it, and it first seemed unfamiliar to him, but then he recognized it as Sofika, the mysterious and seemingly nonexistent alpha female who had accepted him into Arnlan many a moon ago. NightBlood, a sentry, and Sofika, an alphess. This had to be important.

Abandoning his task of finding a decent meal, he reversed direction and headed west where the howl was now trailing off. Quickly memorizing the approximate location, he set off at a trot, conserving his energy for whatever task they asked of the pack to do. It would take a while to get there, judging by the faintness of the howl. No one seemed to have responded yet, as he took in the smells of the air and smelled nothing but musty, earthy ground and growing things. Maybe he was just out in no-wolf's land, though. None-the-less, he had a feeling he'd be seeing a lot of new faces today.

Jerking to a stop at the threshold of the clearing, he gathered his thoughts and stepped out. He saw RavenShard there, the healer he'd met when Umbra was badly injured. From her he looked across from him, seeing NightBlood and Sofika. He nodded to her curtly, and turned his ice-blue eyes on Sofika, and a smile came faintly on his lips.
"Greetings, Sofika. It's been a while."
Though it may not have been, the mysterious Alphess had her way with the shadows.

[Donn]

Phineas had an odd hobby. He would follow any form of stream or river, until he could find one very rare thing, that he would then stop, and stare at. A block in the river. A dam, so to speak. The fact that the river had been blocked by some simple obstacle, always intrigued the black and white wolf, the way the water might try to get around, the rapids that would form should there be many rocks. As though the water had a mind of it's own, and trying to guess how it did that was an intellectual task beyond simply saying 'It's the way things are", to Phineas. It was something in the family, his father had also had a quiet obsession in the finding of dams, their pack often made dens where they could find dams or rapids, and so the pups would be near such a phenomenon of nature since birth. It also happened that Phineas was doing this more often than usual, because Arnlan as a pack was very spread out over the land, near unfindable, and hard to communicate with. Since the meeting with more pack members, he had seen no wolf since. It had been a rare moment.

Phineas ears perked up. The unmistakeable chuckling of water flowing beteen rocks. He broke into a sprint and found the first rapids he'd seen in Arnlan. Now he couldn't stop staring at them. The way the water turned white, sped up, then further downstream slowed and calmed. Phineas doubted anybody would realise it was the dam he was watching, for he suspected there was some kind of prey animal across the rapids. However, whether he would have pursued the matter or stayed with his rapids (for he now thought of it as 'his' rapids), was lost to the oblivion of eternity, for at that moment two howls were raised. It was a call, he was sure of it, sure it was NightBlood, at least. The other he had no recognition of, but it sounded... demanding, for lack of a better word.

"Damn." Phineas said to himself, twitching at the unintentional pun. He could do better than such a lower class remark. "Today, this landmark I shall return to, but henceforth I must quicken to my fellow beings anon, and from whence I have come, it would do ill to say." Deciding that sounded reasonably better than a one word utterance, his orange eyes aglow, the wolf sped off, keeping a mental note of the exact position of the rapids. He would be back later.

Phineas entered the clearing some time after RavenShard, so saw three wolves, one he recognised as NightBlood. He slowed to a walk, and spoke softly, "Good day to you. Shall I assume you made such a recent outcry that I might be summoned to your presence, NightBlood? I'm afraid I've not met your..." here Phineas gave Ravenshard a searching glance, then looked at Sofika momentarily, then at NightBlood. "...intriguing companions."

[Electus]

Arnlan was as gloomy as ever. Mortil reflected on that fact. No doubt that Arnlan would always be gloomy. He kind of counted on it. But something...felt different.

Do you feel it Albireo? The power in the air? It is thick with authority.[/color]

Yes...something is going to happen.[/color]

Then Nightblood's call shattered the quiet reverie. Mortil was slightly perturbed at its authority, and as another unknown voice joined its clarion call, he was slightly shaken. Someone had called to the wolves of Arnlan.

Someone with complete power. Someone...like an Alpha...or an Alphess.

Mortil stood still for a moment, conflict raging inside him. It didn't last long. He had known this day would come, and he had accepted that whatever happened, he would forge his way. His own way.

Well well. Look who's stepping up.

I...have a request.[/color]

What?[/color]

Will you...just once, will you lend me your support?[/color]

...

Will you?

As a matter of fact...I will. Let us see this through together, Albireo. It is the least I can do for you.[/color]

I don't know what to say.

Then I will make our appearance first.

Mortil and Umbra made the mental switch with mutual agreement. The ash-grey wolf's walk was proud, arrogant, and most of all it was filled with Umbra's suave and yet chilling terrifying air. He was strong, he was confident, and he knew it. Despite the wolf's injuries, he walked as if he had the whole world under control.

And so it was like that Mortilitas Umbra made his entrance into the light clearing. He glided in silently like a ghost, his single golden eye gleaming in the dull gloom of Arnlan. A razor thin smile that held no mirth graced his lips, and his steps were measured and careful. The ash-grey killer slowly sat several yards across from Nightblood, Ziro, and that strange dark female. She practically exuded authority.

Umbra looked around. There were many wolves he recognized: Nightblood, Ziro, Ravenshard, and Phineas. And from the smell of the wind, many more were coming.

"Hello, my dears." Umbra said softly, addressing both Nightblood and Ravenshard.. But it held none of its mocking tone, not today. Today it was serious and cold, but nonetheless held the faintest hint of civility. No chances today.

The ash-grey wolf's eye simply swiveled upon Ziro for a moment before turning onto Phineas and the other males. "And a good day to you all...as well." Then Umbra's gaze finally fell upon the Alphess, and locked there.

"And at last...I meet the Alphess of Arnlan." Umbra bowed his head respectfully before continuing. "Perhaps I will soon have the pleasure...of knowing your name."

The stage was set, the pieces were in place. All Umbra and Mortil could do now...was wait.

[Squeeji]

Pollux didn't stir until the alphas called, on the far end of the lands, it took the Scout some time to get where she was going, running full tilt as well as she was able, her long thin legs pumping like pistons as she tore through the underbrush of Arnlan, it took some time before she crested the hills to find the rest of the pack.

Panting, the older female couldn't speak, trying to catch her breath, known for her good shape, it was obvious that she was some ways away before making it here, she did however manage a polite nod to those who made it before her.

After a long gasp of breath, the scout plopped down on her haunches, tongue lolling.

*****

Levy had very little ways to go, half way through giving the final blow to a rabbit under his paws, he perked as he heard the call, his ears twitching at the sound of it. With a sigh, he let the rabbit go, giving it a stern look before turning to go.

He'd get it next time.

With a shake he made he way to the pack, most faces he had seen, most names he didn't know...but then again, the same could be said about his packmates knowing who he was.

"Good afternoon Alphess Sofika." He bowed his head in respect, and then took a quiet seat towards the side, obviously trying to blend in, hoping that somehow someone he knew and liked would show up...and that was...a short list these days.

[sarhea]

Orion watched as his older sibling, Lyra nosed around the place of their birth. Their parents had preferred the seclusion of the outer most extents of the packlands for raising their pups. Now the place was quiet, peaceful, and deserted. Neither knew where their parents had gone, whether they were alive or dead. Orion was now quite sad that he'd left in secret the way he did. But he feared his parents would have never let him go otherwise. They had been so terribly protective. He'd told Lyra the stories of his growing up. And he ate up every word of her stories of their experiences outside of Arnlan lands. He'd known that he had more older siblings, but this was his and Lyra's first meeting.

Lyra quite enjoyed Orion's company. She found him alot like Cepheus, without Cehpeus's ill qualities. A strong young male, eager to do his part for the pack without his own ambitions getting in the way.

It was not long after a good swapping of stories did the winds come alive with the sound of a voice.

"That's Nightblood. Wonder why she's calling a meeting?" Orion pondered aloud, a brow cocked in question. No sooner than he'd spoken, Sofika's voice joined the call.

"And that would be Alphess Sofika," Lyra chimed in, jumping to her feet, her body tense in anticipation. "We'd better hurry. We are quite a ways from the meeting location and we don't want to be terribly late," she added, springing into motion, ignoring the complaining of her old bones.

Orion sprang from the ground right behind her, following closely as he could. He marveled at how swiftly she could run, just like Pollux-and he wondered what was so important. He'd never been at a pack meeting before.

They ran for quite a while, straight for the heart of Arnlan. Soon, familiar scents filled the air and they emerged into the clearing. 10 wolves had already gathered, including Sofika. Lyra looked around at the group. The only ones she recognized were her sister Pollux and Sofika.

"Greetings Sofika," she said with a respectful bow of her head, and she headed over to where Pollux now sat.

Orion followed Lyra. "Sofika," he said with a smile and a nod of his head as he passed infront of her. He recognized most of the wolves present. Some he'd not formally met, others he had. He cringed at the sight of Mortil, being careful not to look the ash gray wolf in the eye. He sat next to Pollux and Lyra, wondering what this was all about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cepheus had lost sight of Karolek long ago. The dark alpha had melted into the darkness as he normally did, leaving the golden beast running through the dark forest seemingly alone. Even though Cepheus had been gone for quite some time, he ran the trail to the clearing where the meeting would be held like he'd never left. This meeting intrigued him, though Karolek had hinted that it would be serious business, especially for those who may not show. He snorted at the idea. Any wolf who would ignore the call of the alpha deserved to be thrown from the lands. After living with a tribe of nomads with no land, he held great pride for calling Arnlan home.

As he neared the clearing, he slowed and paused, catching his breath. A hint of apprehension tried to rise in him. After his last encounter with Sofika, he would be very careful not to be boastful-it really didn't seem to impress her. He strode forth from the shadows, the light illuminating his golden pelt. He eyed the many wolves present. He recognized none of them but Sofika, Pollux and Lyra. And that young male next to them-had to be a younger sibling. He held such a strong family resemblance. He walked around behind the gathered group to take his place next to his siblings.

"Greetings, Alphess Sofika," he stated simply with a bow of his head.

[Bandersnatch]

Noon.
The sepia-pelted she-wolf, the smaller of Arnlan’s two sentries, halted. There was no outstanding reason for her to. The borders had been remained in silence for months now, with not so much of a whiff along it’s edges of any creature who didn’t belong. The patrols of that morning had only confirmed this. Crow couldn’t remember when the last time she’d heard so much of a howl from one of the bordering territories. Everything seemed so… dead. Such a time often extended through the winter – maybe this one had just been particularly harsh. So, she figured, with such deathly silence a short pause wouldn’t hurt, surely. With a slight wiggle, Crow parked herself in the snow. The particular outlook she had chosen for her pit stop was one of the nicest in Arnlan. Steep rock gave way to craggily cliff down to the beaches of Scatterstone. The waves came, choppy as they always were, though they lacked the intensity that was usual. Salt-laden winds whipped at her mane and though it at times proved irritating when a lose strand smacked at the corners of her eyes, the pleasantness about it all drew rather more of her attention.

It took only a few minutes for the peaceful shuffling of the waves miles away to be drowned out by the deep tones of her rank-equal. Nightblood was calling a gathering? Crow gave a soft frown. Before she had time to think out loud of the strangeness of that, the sound of another mingled into harmony. Sofika. Immediately, dutifully (and perhaps of it’s own accord) her rump raised out of the snow. With a quick flick, any small chunks of ice were whisked away and she was off.

Spring was gathering – though, to look at the dark lands it didn’t seem that way. White still coated the lands in a considerable layer. Every so often the sun’s warmth would reach such an intensity that it caused the snow to melt, rethawing when cool winds took over once more. It made the ground slippery and cumbersome, but with a tilt of her weight here, or a well placed leap there she managed to avoid any significant stumbles.

The call had come from Arnlan’s heartlands. Crow, having been patrolling the very outskirts of the lands, would probably be one of the last few there – but with a brisk enough pace she would at least be on time.
The howls had long-since died out, but with a few estimations she stumbled across the fresh scents of packmates, all leading in the same direction. It was mere minutes before she found them all, nestled in.
Faces, familiar for the most part (or mostly familiar – she gave a quick smile to Cepheus and Lyra), with only one she had never seen. There was only a millisecond with with to quizzically study this singular unknown wolf, dark and crooked. Crow’s attention snapped to her alphess and with complete respect and servitude sparkling in her eyes, she dipped her head in greeting. Though she would’ve quite enjoyed mingling, this was a formal situation. Instead, she settled herself down in one of the few remaining spots and gazed intently at Sofika, wondering somewhere in the back of her mind if Karolek would bother to show up to such a serious event.

[grebo]

Grebo was running, as he often did, through the forest. He had no real job right now, no rank of any kind - as far as he could tell he was subordinate, which eant he had to act subordinate. It also meant he had a lot of free time, which he usually spent running.

While he was running Grebo could check the borders. Even though there were scouts on the lookout all the time, he always felt very territorial and responsible for the safety of the pack which accepted him.

When a familiar howl drifted to him on the wind, broken up by the evergreens but nonetheless distinguishable, he stopped in his tracks with one paw lifted and ears pricked. Nightblood was calling for a meeting - the whole pack was invited.

He was quite far away from where the low, almost masculine song came from, but Grebo was a fast runner. He immediately turned and ran, dust and ice flying behind him like a comet. He leapt rocks, dodged trees, his small paws digging into the deeper snow drifts and slowing him down. Sometimes he stumbled, leapt, and found his feet on the harder ground, but despite his rush it was some time before he came to the clearing where Arnlan wolves had gathered.

A few deep breaths and he was calm, and before joining the meeting he dug his front paws, one white, one black, into the ground and pulled on them to stretch. Then he leaned forward to stretch his hind legs, and walked calmly to sit in the circle. He knew he was late, so tried to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. At least Karolek wasn't there yet.

[Shantik]

Oh, my....what's all this? A meeting? One in which I was not invited? Oh, how careless others must be. Night, Night, Night...not avoiding me, are you?

Mirage's silver form padded from the dep shadows, having actually been resting on the edge of this clearing before this little gathering had even started. Upon sighting Nightblood, he was emmensly interested in the other that was with her. Who could that be? He dropped the question at the howl, raising his lithe-framed head and perking his blue-tipped ears. A meeting? Usually one would have something...like a pre-invitation, would they not? He had no clue a meeting was o be started, but since he now did...

Getting if lazily to his paws, stretching out his small body along the ground, he watched with his single midnight navy eye as the other wolves entered the clearing. There were many; he had not taken Mortil and Nightblood's word for it when they spoke such. He enjoyed the sight of Mortil...or was it Umbra at the moment? Either way, he paced down to him, dipping his head in short greeting as a sly grin ran across his muzzle. Last time they had met, they had taken a fully-grown bear on. Hadn't that been fun.

As he started towards NightBlood to send his greetings, he at once halted. Who was that dark-pelted female beside her? He flicked both ears forward, tilting his head in curiousity. Huh. Oh, well, he'd find out soon enough.

Padding up, he stopped a ways apart from the brown and black she-wolf, taking the time to wait, since many others had made their way before him. Might as well be patient. In the meantime, he watched Mortil...still wondering whom it really was: Mortil or Umbra, that grin still remaining. Finally deciding to draw his attention and ask whilst waiting for a chance to be introduced, since he didn't feel like crowding the other three, he turned to the larger, more scarred grey wolf. His own pelt was riddled with marks from a particular fight, after which he'd been found by Night. They had not yet healed completly, but had stopped hurting enough he could ignore them.

"Mortil," He greeted, again dipping his head in the utmost respect. "Or is it Umbra this time? All the same, it's nice to see someone I know..." He gave a would-be anxious look around at so many who remained without names or titles or anything of the sort in his mind. How utterly confusing...

(Sorry if it's so horribly short. I suck at these things...)

[Akree]

Uin kicked in her sleep, she could feel darkness pressing around her, and then a single howl. Her eyes snapped open and she stood up, abruptly. She turned her muzzle to the sky, she definitely recognized that howl as NightBlood, the sentry. She looked at the area she had decided to take rest, the large hollow on the roots of a tree. Luckily she wasn't dirty. She smiled to herself, this would be interesting. She looked again at the sky, ever since she has been accepted to Arnlan she would waste her days exploring the area. She smiled at herself and sprinted into a mid run. The howl had came from not that far away, but not close by.

She ran skillfully, her long legs had proven perfect for exploring the land of Arnlan, a good thing too, since she wouldn't sink into the sometimes deep snow. She ran, her muzzle pointing forward, her fur beating in the wind, she enjoyed running very much. She stopped to smell the air, it would be easier to find her way if she could be led by scent. She quickly caught the scent of wolves and she knew where they were, just a quick run away. She burst into a run again and soon found herself slowing down as she could here voices.

Her ears caught a voice, a voice that showed authority, the alpha, maybe? She kept her slow pace as curiosity caught her. Her paws felt grass and she could see several wolves. She looked at the wolves, some familiar faces, some not. She smiled as she saw Ziro, NightBlood, Levy and Mirage, familiar faces. She also looked at the black wolf, she had almost neone markings on her muzzle and her mane covered her eyes, an air of leadership hung around her.

"Greetings" said Uin in the most respectful tone she could, to everyone around her.

[Karolek]

((Hooray. I am pleased with the amount of people who came.))

The howl had not come as a surprise to Karolek, naturally, as the meeting had been partially his idea. ...Sort of. Well not really, but it didn't matter, because he still knew it was coming. As soon as the call reached him, he'd set out with Cepheus, following his fellow pack member for a few minutes. He had to remind himself of his purpose continually: close up the pack meeting. Be the last one there. Meandering slowly is only difficult if you're doing it on purpose, and the dark wolf found that it took all of his self control (which, admittedly, there was not much of) to keep himself from running ahead and flying into the meeting like a complete lunatic.

After awhile, he had left Cepheus, simply dissolving into the shadows of the trees in that eerily silent method of his. Perhaps it had been rude not to say goodbye, but he hadn't felt the need to: he'd be seeing Ceph in a few minutes anyway, and the time it took him to say goodbye would only be time wasted.

But, then again, he was supposed to be wasting time.

Karolek hated wasting time when there were enjoyable things to be done. Socializing with packmates and shoving all the important business duties on Sofika counted as 'enjoyable things' for him. For a few minutes, the Alpha paced back and forth in the trees, thrashing his tail impatiently. He'd agreed to take up this duty yes...but he hadn't imagined that it would be so hard. Next time he'd make Sofika close the meeting, that would be easier.

Finally, when he could stand it no more, the dark wolf moved onward again, trying to keep his pace at a slow walk. He could hear noises close by, and as soon as he caught sight of the shapes of wolves, distorted by the dappled tree-shadows, he stopped again. Karolek simply watched with an impassive air of mild curiosity, his face clear of any emotion. There was no reason to drop his indifferent facade just because of a meeting.

Karolek stepped out into the clearing, turning his head this way and that to survey the scene more clearly (a comical action, considering his veil of hair made it impossible to see where he was really looking). Apparently satisfied with the turnout, the wolf moved over to sit next to his sister, remaining quiet...until he saw Nightblood just a few feet away. "Nightblood! I see you haven't died yet."[/color] An...odd greeting, to say the least, and the fact that he was smiling blandly didn't make the meaning any clearer.

[nightblood]

Excused Characters So Far

BladeWind- (player has RL issues at the moment)
Anek- (Jarv's comp is down)
_______________________________________

NightBlood sat up straight when a dark figure moved in from the shadows. She knew it was Sofika right from the off. She'd said she'd be the first to get there. Ziro, on the other hand, gave the Alpha a quizzical look. Only at a particularly urgent glance from NightBlood did he straighten up as well. So this was the Alpha female...

“Thank you… and good day. Now, prepare yourself, there is much we must accomplish after they come.”

NightBlood nodded stiffly. Ziro continued to gaze at the older wolfess in wonder. She did not look entirely strong. Compaired to NightBlood, the dark female looked frail. It took a moment for him to remind himself that even he had hidden potential. Perhaps her strength lies somewhere else.

“Would… you like to sit beside me while we wait for the others….in fact, the both of you. I would be honored to have you beside me as we wait.”

With a humbled walk, NightBlood stood up and placed herself beside the Alpha female, honored that she would invite her to sit with her. Ziro followed the Sentry and sat between them, but leaned on NightBlood's paw. There was still much he didn't know about the Alpha. He was unsure how to act.

A noise from the bushes announced the first arrival. A pair of green eyes flashed in the darkness. NightBlood let her tail wag slightly as Armageddon entered the area. She nuzzled him back when he did so, but did not prolong this greeting. Ziro stuck out his tongue at the gesture and was met by a swift paw to his nose.

NightBlood nodded to RavenShard and Mordecai as they arrived, neither speaking a word. The silence was broken instead by Phineas, the talkative male.

"Good day to you. Shall I assume you made such a recent outcry that I might be summoned to your presence, NightBlood? I'm afraid I've not met your... intriguing companions."

"One hopes you will get to know all of them," the Sentry answered, discreetly dismissing name exchanges until the entire pack arrived.

"Hello, my dears."

NightBlood's full attention was then passed to the gray male who now took the small spotlight as he entered the area. She recognised the voice as the one belonging to Umbra. Why was he in control? Surely Mortil was awake? She shot him a knowing glance, acknowledging him after he spoke to Sofika.

"Umbra," she greeted, then moved on to her concern, "Mortil is awake?"

Sortly after Umbra's arrival, Pollux joined the meeting. NightBlood nodded to her respectfully and then to Orion and the blonde male and female who entered next. Her tail wagged in a friendly greeting to Crow as she moved in and frowned at Mirage and his remark. She smiled at Uin as she entered and was silently beginning to wonder exactly how many members Arnlan had. Before she could Count the ones she knew, another shadow came forth from the darkness. Karolek had arrived.

NightBlood frowned, knowing that there was at least three or four more that she knew who hadn't arrived yet. Her mood perked up as the Alpha male addressed her. She didn't want to seem depressed.

"Nightblood! I see you haven't died yet."

"It's good to see you too, sir," she answered, laughing slightly at the strange greeting.

All this time, Ziro had only wagged his tail at the wolves he knew and offered friendly smiles to those he didn't. Mirage and Umbra were the only ones to whom he would hide himself behind NightBlood's leg, though he peeked out to see his Umbra would speak to him again. Disappointed, he turned his attention to Karolek when he arrived, somehow knowing that they were about to get down to business.

[Sofika]

[[Meh, finals.]]

They came one by one, each coming with a greeting of some sort of the other while some seemed confused as to why the meeting was called and her actual presence. Some came forth knowing who she was and while this gave her a mild sense of appreciation, some knew neither her name nor her place within their lands. This would simply not do. Had she been hiding in the shadows for so long that the people whom she lived for did not know the face of their alpha? It seemed that way, and perhaps she should have revealed herself, mingled, and spoken with her people far before this time.

No matter, she was there now and there lied no obstacles ahead but the future and the future of their wellbeing.

“Welcome,” Sofika said, giving a ‘glance’ toward her brother who settled beside her and made the strangest and most off-handed comment toward Nightblood. This warranted a slight frown of confusion and a stomping on his paw from his sister, who would play it off as if she had never done the action in the first place if she managed to hit him.

“I am Sofika, and as some of you may already know. I am the alpha of our lands, as much as Karolek here is. I apologize however as my face has not been… seen as of much lately.”

There’s an adjustment of her body, a twitch of her tail and ear as she lifts a foot from Karolek’s (if she had managed to hit it in the first place) and puts it back before her body. A sly grin is then give, a playful expression, “I have had Nightblood call this meeting because, frankly, we need it… I need it. You see, you may not notice it, but we as a pack have been dwindling. I do not know as many faces as I used to and wish to watch your interaction with one another.”

A pause is given as she licks her lips, “But that is not the only reason.”

“You see, I also wish to show you the face of your new Beta who will be delivering ranks and telling you of the new system we have devised to make our lands strong.”

Then she tilts her head and looks toward Nightblood.

“Beta, would you please?”

[Blackfeathr]

Armageddon lingered in the moment that he and NightBlood touched, shared feelings for one another, and then it was cut off, and with grim acceptance, Armageddon drew back and sat down as more wolves filed in. He stared blankly at the silent but ominous looking female figure, trying to make heads or tails of why she'd called them here.

It was then that he heard a hush of leaves against fur and turning to his left, saw a gangly black female with strange crimson markings.
Strange...
Something tugged at him, like a memory wishing to be resurfaced, but it was extinguished at the sight of another, more powerfully built wolf who called the thin black wolf by a name, Sofika.

At long last, the pack seemed to be all here, and the last wolf entered sat beside Sofika. The thin dark wolf looked exactly like Sofika, save for his markings, which were green.

Yes, now he remembered, when NightBlood accepted him, she mentioned Sofika and Karo... Karol... Karolek.

"Welcome," Sofika said, looking to her brother that made the comment about NightBlood that Armageddon chose to ignore, "I am Sofika, and as some of you may already know. I am the alpha of our lands, as much as Karolek here is. I apologize however as my face has not been… seen as of much lately.”

Armageddon nodded grimly to himself. He found pity in himself that he had not known the Alphas face until now. He listened intently at her speech... tilting his head curiously at her statement of interactions between one another. Was she planning a team task? Sounded interesting.

"But that is not the only reason," she said after a pause.

Armageddon's body tensed. Something unsaid hung in the air, and they were all about to know it.

“You see, I also wish to show you the face of your new Beta who will be delivering ranks and telling you of the new system we have devised to make our lands strong.”

A Beta? Armageddon glanced at NightBlood by her side. There would be only one reason she was there... surely... surely it is...

“Beta, would you please?”

His heart thumped hard in his chest as she acknowledged NightBlood. He wanted to jump and leap for joy like a yearling, wanting to cry and laugh and tackle her, but he stifled these feelings... at least, for now.
---

Thoughts danced around the mad wolf's head as she stared upwards at the circle of trees, making herself dizzy. It was the best way to pass the time. Sitting still was not her forte. Just when she was about to fall over, she looked back down at planet earth. A sizeable group had come in, and whats this? A counterpart to the alphess walked in and sat beside her. What sorcery is this? She stared at him in wonder, deducing if he was a trick of the light.
It was then that the alphess began to speak.

“I am Sofika, and as some of you may already know. I am the alpha of our lands, as much as Karolek here is. I apologize however as my face has not been… seen as of much lately.”

Sofika. Sooooffffffooofooofoo.... SofikAAAH... Soo... ficus! Ficuses are very nice trees... supple, yet hardy...
Ravens thoughts continued down its tangled path as she half-listened to Sofikas speech. However they faded as she began the announcement of a new Beta.
She turned to NightBlood, and RavenShard simply could not help herself, she let out an "EEEEEEEE!" of a high pitched squeal and clapped her paws happily, settling them back down heavily on the earth, smiling ear to ear.
---

All the wolves had filed in in no time, either Arnlan was smaller than Mordecai thought or everyone was just really, really fast. He dismissed the thought, as the Alphess began to speak. He saddened at the thought of a once great pack spindled down into a ghost of what it once was. But the important thing was, there were still wolves here, ones that had pledged their loyalty to Arnlan, and with that support, Arnlan would never die.
A realization ebbed at him, and he craned his neck around to see any more of the denizens of Arnlan he had met. In an instant he seen Crow, the curiously intriguing mute Sentry of Arnlan. His tail swished across the grass, and a coy smile graced his lips. She was interested though, in what Sofika had to say, and well, so he should be. He turned back to the black Alphess.

A grizzled smile warmed Mordecai's serious features as NightBlood recieved her Beta rank. He couldn't think of anyone else that deserved it more.

((A-buhhh.))