until dismissed, germanicus would keep close to célnes as her flock gathered. it had become noticeable over the past several days that he was the only greyish among them; they flowed close in all shades of umber and earth and gold, and all bore the same reverent haughtiness that marked his guarded leader.

impassively he allowed his eyes to travel over the assembly, lingering upon the young woman who appeared to cause a passive-aggressive stir in their numbers. at her identity he wondered, but she would not have arrived were she not a déorwine. he was silent, one ear tuned to the elk-wolfess and her wishes.

"May the High Elk be with you all," said the Deorwine, as family started to pour into the meeting. She didn't see everyone yet, but didn't mind and assumed they would come a later time. Though a familiar face, who seemed to catch the groups scent arrived, "Rohesia," her uncles bastard seemed to survive, "perhaps it was destiny, for you to come at this time.

"Friends and family," her fire-lit eyes scanned the crowd, most being of the Deorwine' origin, but she made sure to look at Germanicus, as by now, the rest would surely notice the grayscale man. Someone who is claimed to be unholy, but still, at the moment, she welcomed him into the band, "we are starting to gather as a group; no longer a small band of wolves."

"Have any of you joined any of the local packs?" Célnes looked at her family, "they are different. Their origins, are not praisable of the High Elk, and many, are not with the blessed colorings." To win their hearts, was to win with their God. Her voice opened and proud, like a priest to the chorus. She stated her claim, the hope the others would listen. They had not been to this land long, but surely, an understanding must, be met. If she wanted to be a King, subjects would need to follow. They didn't have enough Deorwine to do so.

"It is time to accept the fact; we are no longer secluded like we once were. Our home, is destroyed. The fire has taken all we loved, and so has it taken our origins. We must now accept the fact, our new beginning will start at this land. Not here, in these mountains, but we will scout, for the High Elks blessing. Only his land, will bring us an abundant of resources." 

"Cenric and I have decided, the renwel of Kingslend will be led. However, I decided," she looked at her brother. The discussion was not met, but she decided to speak about it, "we will be accepting everyone- regardless, of them being Deorwine. We require bodies, and we are only a small group." She could already feel the tension of the disgruntled family, "we are in unknown lands. We must be open-minded, and teach of our ways. Spread, what is ours."

"We will be scouting, and moving, to find where the blessed land is. Upon finding, be aware Deorwine's, not all of us will be of that name. Family, our ways are dead," her eyes narrowed. She had thought about this but never spoke of it. Upon coming to this land, those who claimed to be 'unblessed' were no different then themselves. Elders would teach they are disgusting, cursed, and do not deserve to live. Yet this land, is only those of non-brown-pelted, and they survived peacefully so. "Our history, is dead. We must renew ourselves, to survive, is to accept not everyone is of our kind."

"Kingslend will be our home, but now, it will be a sanctuary for others as well."

"Will you all pledge to the new Kingslend, led by Cenric and I, despite knowing, the changes to come?" She was ready to hear the barrage of opposing opinions; though regardless, while she was going to listen.. It wouldn't make a change to the decision. Their back-water racism held no chance at these wilds, and if they wanted to survive, they would have no choice to follow.

A glint, a smile of perfect, as she stared at the crowd with such a pleased look upon her face.

Célnes caught sight of Toshi, but unfortunately, he picked the wrong man to sit by. Thankfully though no anger was directed at him so, and straight at her. Calhoun followed with a laughter, and a judgement upon her. He was always a loyal follower to the High Elk, and the elders sung praise of his loyalty to so.. How they desired all young, to be like so.

A smile upon her beautiful features, but her eyes narrowed as she looked at the angered elk-like man, "If we do not want to be destroyed, we must intertwine. Cousin, you want to perserve so, how are you to when there is no land to claim? No wolves to join to? No children, for the spring." All those were born, and to-be born.. Seemed to have perish. 

"As my dear brother has said, we have no able-bodies. This man, Germanicus has helped me so, and became a guide of sorts. Unholy or not, at the moment he has done more then you have for our renewel." In truth, her didn't do much except guide the two up the mountains, and simply stay by their sides. She saw him as a guide, and would keep him as so. 

Loyal as well, why would she throw that away?

"It is not their fault they were born without His Grace, and as well, they can be proven through the tests." Her fire-lit eyes glanced and agreed with Cenric, if they wanted to be approved.. The test would be taken. Célnes knew it would be the only way to calm their flames, as they dragged the fire from the old home, into their hearts.

germanicus julius caesar learned two things that day.

one, that he was unholy.
two, that among the déorwine clan, it was he who was the heathen.

to step out of line once in formation was to invite a beating from your superior officer. germancius had not been exempt from a stumble or, when he was younger, joking about behind the back of the instructing captain. therefore he had earned marks still existent beneath his greatly disdained stormcloak. 

it was the training such pain enforced that kept the man calm now. for within his heart he was incensed, thrumming with a healthy worry that his service to the woman might end in death. but he would not have pledged himself to célnes if there was not some modicum of trust. even now she raised his name above their voices. he was a flawed vessel, but something to bear water all the same.

the soldier remained with limbs rigid and eyes fixed on some distant point, willing that he become a fixture of the land rather than their focus.

"If we don't want to erase history we have to survive." She repeated her earlier phrase, looking coldly upon all these wolves. She couldn't help think some were fools, because who would deny more help in their dying need? More bodies to protect, more wolves for their league, and would it not help if they were accepted with the High Elk?

"If the High Elk had said otherwise, would he not show us now?" Célnes  looked around to them to them all, before her head turned straight up to the sky, "have we not had this war before? Where our red bretheren were slaved away, and the High Elk accepted them so? Who can say he won't accept them, if no one has tried? Our history has always thrown them away!" Her head snapped back to the ground as she narrowed her fire-lit eyes to them all.

"We are fools not to mingle, we are fools not try, we are fools. They will not be under you," she snapped her fangs toward Calhoun, "they will be under me," and an eye toward her brother, "as the new Kings."

"We will preserve what we can, and pass our god to the outsiders. Who can say the High Elk will not accept them, you, and you?" Her gaze frosted toward Calhoun, then Rohesia, then a little toward Odessa before turning back toward her cousins. "Our land has been burned! Is that not a sign of change?"

"Let is be known now; I, Célnes Déorwine of the royal bloodline, ask @Toshi, the young pup, and @Germanicus to pledge to us, the new Kings." She did the unspeakable, despite the barrage of displeasure, she ignored them all. The elken woman saw no need to listen to their old-fashioned opinions, it reminded her too much of Grayson, and it lit a small fire of bloodthirst in her heart. But she would never act upon it. There was a love for family, after all.

"We will bring Kingslend to a new era, a new place, and the High Elk will be pleased for his word to be spread."