Redsand Canyon remando

no posting order! we can start next round when everyone gets here/after maybe five days? @Ruenna @Glaukos @Kallik @Diesel @Arsenio @Malila @Aquene @Tamar

after informing his wife of the misstep committed by not one but two of the soldiers, germanicus had revisited his first thought of wifeliness among the unmarried plebians. he had delayed this conversation too long, focused instead upon the formation of mereo.

after a moment, he called for the pack, standing beside a sandstone pillar.

the expansive cave he had discovered was open to the cooler air. he stood with ruenna, ready to receive the plebians and soldiers alike.

it was their first appearance as man and wife before the assembly of mereo. he could not help to feel that it carried far less pomp than akashingo, and far more direct than the palace could muster. his vision of an outpost had changed significantly. germanicus had learned he was not able to build alone.

The sullen boy came when he was called. His limbs red-dusted, storm-hewn coat wild.

He drew upon where the Imperator waited with the woman but did not look at them; his eye was upon the many passages leading to this meeting place of tall sandstone and high ceilings.

Even with the size of it, Glaukos was unnerved to have a roof over his head. He watched for Kallik and the others, out of the way of the sunlight as it filtered in and baked the earth.

The cave Germanicus had selected for the meeting was open and airy, and at this particular point in the afternoon, sunlight streamed in through several openings in the wall of the canyon. 

Ruenna waited beside Germanicus at the foot of the pillar. It was hard to believe that there was need for this conversation so early in the season, before even the Wolf Moon had grown entirely full. But two of their number had already strayed, and those were just the ones who had been caught. 

Ruenna's eyes lit warmly as each wolf appeared, welcoming each soldier or citizen with a nod, smile, or wag of her tail. The wolves of Mereo would find her looking more robust on this day, a far cry from her usual wan appearance. Liveliness hummed in Ruenna's chest and played merrily across her features.

Kallik quickly answered the call from the imperator, pulling himself from his patrol and heading towards the meeting place. 

When he arrived, He noticed Glaukos was already there and trotted over to sit next to him. His icy gaze went first to Ruenna. He was still unsure of her purpose here, and he regarded her with complete indifference, although he felt differently on the inside. 

Eventually, his focus turned to the imperator. He was curious why they had been called here, and he waited for the rest to arrive so the meeting could start.

When the call went up from Germanicus, Malila was quick to answer it. She may be a civilian, and the newest member of the pack, but she was determined to try and make a good impression. That meant following any instructions she was given and heeding any calls promptly.  

She arrived on swift, light paws. Entering into the open, spacious cave, she was momentarily awestruck by the shafts of light that poured in, and the ruddy sandstone curves. It felt...quite cozy. Germanicus and Ruenna were already there. So was Kallik, sitting by another dark young man she didn't know. She stole off to the side, where she would be out of the way, but in view. Dipping her head humbly to the leading pair, she waited.

Aquene knew she shouldn’t be startled at the way that the leading pair called for them, but she was still pondering the offer that Germanicus had made her, wondering if perhaps it was a route she should be considering. She didn’t know how to fight, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn, right? She quickly tucked out of her den, the scent of herbs clung heavily to her pelt making no mistake the role she carried within the pack before she arrived quickly.
 
She was not the first to arrive, and in fact she felt a little late to the party, for which she scolded herself. She was still punctual, but she tried to make it a habit to arrive earlier than most. She felt it represented her better. Auxilia were there, as well as the Matrona and Imperator. Aquene herself made her way to sit next to Malila, noting the way she sat off to the side. She figured perhaps it was their place because their rankings were separate from that of the warriors and waited patiently as she dipped her head respectfully in greeting to the leading pair.

everyone present has been assigned new names by diesel

Diesel was severely out of the loop. But, that was what she got for dedicating her time to building mass, pissing new border marks and chasing bunnies (discovering that she was fiercely untalented as a hunter, but refusing to admit so) instead of interacting with her "comrades". There were some fresh faces she eyed from the distance, and she had to admit - she liked that the pack now smelled distinctly more bitchy. Or, well, she-wolfish, to be accurate to the species.

Trouble was, she didn't know anyone's names. Well, alright, maybe that wasn't too big a problem. She could always give them more fitting ones in her brain, as she did even after proper introductions.

The dog was returning from patrol, which took her halfway down the mountains before she determined the weather was not on her side and turned back, when the call reached her ears. While she was still uneducated in the intricacies of long distance wolven communication, she was pretty sure this was the first time Boss-o made such a howl. It sure got her to quicker her pace, in case anything interesting might be happening.

Upon arrival her eyes went over the Boss and the Hen by his side, took in the forms of her sparring buddies Shitface and Cop, and then, as if by some magnetic force, were drawn to the two new additions to the gang.

One was a creamy white thing with swathe of chocolate across her face and underbelly. Built so lithe, so fine, that for sure she was either teenaged, or stunted. Either way, Diesel didn't mind. She knew how to admire petite beauty.

Sweet Cream.

The other was also well-built, but in a different way. Black and grey, she looked fit as hell, muscled like someone used to good work and mild meals. She, also, brought with her the sharp scent of herbs Diesel now knew were used by the wolves' equivalent of veterinarians.

Black Tea.

As she passed by to take her place next to fellow soldiers, the molossoid gave the girls a saucy wink, string of drool dripping from her jowls.

She seated herself next to Shitface, purely to spite him.

germanicus had given his summons.

but tamar had taken advantage of the near-empty housing area and found herself rather indisposed for a time with @Arsenio.

the plebian decided they had enough time to arrive.

tamar's face burned to find that they were last after all. and yet she could not keep a foolish smile from her mouth, even as she put her head down and crept to sit among the other commoner women.

she tried to avoid the matrona's intuitive gaze, clearing her throat lightly and waiting to hear the reason they had all been summoned.

If anything could have kept Arsenio from Germanicus’ call, it was Tamar.

The Greek had happily spent his time with her, doing anything that she wished, doting upon her, bringing gifts that he had found on his patrols of the canyon. None of it was mundane and all of it had filled him to the brim with warmth, love, and a sense of boyish clumsiness.

Arsenio prowled to the meeting place with his wife, nudging her haunch softly before he moved to join the other Auxillary. The Greek could not help but to let his gaze wander to where she was. A smile curled his lips each time he found himself searching where she sat. Seeing her smile thrilled him.

The mercenary was finally able to pull his eyes from his wife and focus on the Roman, waiting to hear what Germanicus might say.

woohoo second round! no posting order @Ruenna @Glaukos @Kallik @Diesel @Arsenio @Malila @Aquene @Tamar

mereo attended swiftly. germanicus could feel ruenna's energy renewed beside him. for a swift and masculine moment he wondered if he was part of its reason.

he noted how the auxilia gathered to one side and the plebians to the other. while tamar was the only wife in that group, it would be fitting if there were others the next time a meeting was called.

yet somehow the most boyish man was arsenio yet again, arriving after everyone else with his shy young wife. he thought them obvious but did not disapprove. the red pair were after all a sort of connection he wished to exemplify today. 

"soldiers and civilians of mereo, we are formalized. each one of you here must take a necessary role to remain in mereo. we were originally meant to be a military outpost, but lady ruenna had a vision more detailed than my own. she has been integral to its formation."

a pause. he went on. "each contributes their ability to this place. it is this sharing of resources and might that call upon me to point out that there must not be undue strain on our camp. this takes the form of sickness, injury, and children conceived outside a marriage sanctioned by the matrona and myself."

he did not look at glaukos or kallik. "conception by female soldiers will result in demotion. siring children outside the pack by male soldiers will result in demotion as well as physical punishment. the expectation is that you hear me now and heed me now, as your imperator." 

germanicus looked to ruenna presently, inviting her to speak. he had little doubt that she would manage to be far warmer in her address. he rather counted on it these days.

It was a short wait before all of Mereo stood gathered. Glaukos did not look around until he felt the supple easing of too much flesh against his bristling coat, and leveled an agitated glare towards Diesel as the flesh-hound positioned themselves. He flashed his front teeth in an overt warning but before he could do much else, the imperator began his degree.

Somewhere in the back, Arsenio and Tamar made their arrival. The subtle motion of what looked to be the stone walls - but was in fact the blushing woman with eyes averted - briefly drew Glaukos' attention. He grimaced and about-faced as if he had seen nothing.

He remembered how useful the woman had been after returning from his punishment; the boulder he had moved up the hill; the reason given, now repeated by the general before all of Mereo. Glaukos felt his chest tightening with something he couldn't identify.

The boy was silent while he listened, unaware of how the jealousy tempered his anger in to stillness and dangerous calm.

Diesel had to think very slowly and very carefully to figure out the reason behind this meeting... but still it seemed to her as if it were a pointless formality.

(to the he-wolf's bared teeth she responded by sticking out her tongue)

She really couldn't understand the need for all of this. What dumb bitch or bitchman would let someone stick it in or stick it into someone when they knew there was a risk? Sure, she never experienced heat, but if the boys she met so far knew to pull out before they swell up, then not giving anyone unwanted puppies couldn't be that big a challenge.

The dog stretched out a leg and scratched her neck, her collar clinking.

The Mereoans arrived, and each one earned a smile from the Matrona. She could not help but notice the near-late arrival of Tamar and Arsenio, the two of them looking rather flushed. Ruenna lifted a brow at Tamar, but the housekeeper was unlikely to see it, as she seemed to be avoiding Ruenna's gaze. 

Germanicus addressed the pack formally. Ruenna's heart beat faster as Germanicus praised her, and she repressed a bashful smile. 

The Imperator progressed rather quickly to the point, laying out the rules and consequences on no uncertain terms. This was as they had agreed. 

Soon it was Ruenna turn to speak. 

"Thank you for gathering. My heart is full, seeing you all together. Mereo is strong." Her tail waved merrily. 

"Mereo's civilians are preparing the canyon to receive children. These children will become Mereo's next generation of soldiers." Ruenna clarified this, in case there was any question about the usefulness of children to Mereo. 

"Only married civilians may bear children," Ruenna reiterated, addressing her own ranks. "Concessions will be made for any unsanctioned children, but the civilian responsible may expect to be dismissed from my employment." Ruenna hoped dearly that she would not be forced to hand down such a consequence, especially to Aquene, whose services were so valuable. She could not help but agree with the sentiment that Germanicus has previously expressed-- that it would all be so much simpler if the soldiers and civilians would pair themselves off in marriage. 

"Demotion and dismissal will only occur moving forward. They will not be retroactive," Ruenna assured them, speaking to the consequences she and Germanicus has laid out. "If an event that could lead to unsanctioned conception has already occurred, please report it to me or Germanicus." Germanicus had already caught two of his soldiers post-rendezvous, and so it stood to reason that there had probably been more. If there were already possible litters out there, it was better to know than to not know, and she hoped to encourage wolves to come forward honestly instead of concealing the truth. 

"If you are unsure what actions specifically lead to conception, you are encouraged to speak with Mereo's medic, Aquene." Ruenna nodded to the dark-pelted civilian. Ignorance would not be a valid excuse for unsanctioned conception in Mereo. Rue had already asked Aquene to speak specifically to Malila, who due to her age seemed to Ruenna to be the most at-risk for accidental pregnancy. 

"Are there any questions about these policies?" Ruenna asked in summary. Her honey eyes flicked quickly to Germanicus, wondering if there was anything else he wished to address.

Aquene sat quietly and listened as both leaders spoke, ignoring anyone else’s presence for now. The discussion of children, and missteps did not surprise of Aquene. She already knew of one because she had treated Kallik after his punishment. Only married civilians may bear children. The rule made sense to her, and she was more than willing to follow it. Truthfully she had been worried that the Matrona would recommend arranged marriages, but it did not seem to be the case.
 
She offered a soft and sympathetic smile to everyone before nodding back to the Matrona when she was mentioned. She could surely clarify any misconceptions about conceptions. It did not mean it would be a pleasant situation. It would likely even be awkard… but the girl would manage as she always had. It was part of her job, to educate members of the pack and eventually their children on these things.
 
The call for questions came and Aquene remained silent. It seemed rather straightforward to her, and she had not made any missteps. She had not yet experienced her heat, but even when she did she had been trained to control herself through the burning desire to scratch her itch. Her mother had instilled that discipline in her during her first heat and for that she was thankful.

As the imperator spoke, Kallik could feel the shame growing in his chest. He didn't look at him or call him out directly, but it was enough that the auxillary knew what he had done. He kept his gaze cast down at his paws as he listened, only briefly glancing up to the matrona as she started to speak.

She reiterated what Germanicus said, but in a more gentle way. Maybe that was why she was here: to soften the edges of the imperator. 

She encouraged them to seek out their healer if they had questions about conception, and he was suddenly glad he had already had that revelation and that it had been with the imperator, as shitty as he felt about it still. 

When asked for questions, Kallik said nothing, and his gaze remained on the ground.

Malila sat in place, silent. The meeting was about Mereo as a military outpost. Then the subject switched to breeding rights, responsibilities and consequences particularly for soldiers who did not obtain consent. Pups were apparently, reserved for the Matrona and Imperator, as well as married civilians. Malila was not aware that Glaukos and Kallik had went behind their backs a had a fling of their own.

Although nearly of breeding age, Malila did not expect she would go into season this year. Even if she did, she had far too much on her plate. Other, more pressing issues to get in order. She had to figure out what path to take here in Mereo. The last thing on her mind were children; wanted or not. With nothing to say, she let the meeting move on.

lady ruenna was gentle where the imperator was firm.

tamar snuck a glance around them. no one spoke and so she would not.

but her cheeks flamed and her heart thrummed as she thought of arsenio and the fact that their marriage was indeed sanctioned. would it be expected of them to bring forth children?

she did not look at arsenio, only waited to be dismissed so that she might be alone with him for a moment thereafter, before he was sent out on a soldier's tasks once more.

last round, feel free to post an exit or leave it as is, i'll archive in a week :D @Ruenna @Glaukos @Kallik @Diesel @Arsenio @Malila @Aquene @Tamar

no words were forthcoming. this satisfied the imperator, who looked toward his wife with a warmer expression. the invitation to dismiss the others with a kinder word was open in his gaze.

those in mereo now knew and understood what would be expected of them. kallik and glaukos he hoped had revisited in their minds this transgression and it would not be repeated. mereo would exist on its own merit, and germanicus meant to jealousy safeguard the right to bear young.

he still did not believe that the packland was suitable for children. and he wished few of them born. pups were a liability and a barracks was not an apt place for them.

mereo would have to be made into such a locale.

the eagle would remain within the alcove until the wolves of mereo had filtered away, lingering in the event his soldiers asked guidance or ruenna wished him to stay.

Last for Arsenio!

Arsenio was careful to listen to the Roman and his wife. He understood that they were working to establish ground rules for Mereo, for the soldiers who had gathered. Judging by his conversation with Aquene, the Greek man could easily see why there was a need for such discussion. Of course, he had no issues with the items that were explained. He was married – Tamar was no longer in danger, they did not risk their lives, and they had a home where they were accepted.

When the Roman had finished his speaking, and the lady Ruenna had offered her piece, Arsenio wound his way toward Tamar. He bumped his head gently to her side, rumbling affectionately. The waver of his tail was swift, happy. If she allowed it, he intended to take her on a walk outside of the canyon. Arsenio thought that a place among the trees would be good to them.

Later, he would meet with Germanicus and offer his support to the man.

tamar was eager to be with her husband.

she bowed to the leading pair, unable to help herself after the influence of akashingo.

and then tamar scampered away, joining her bright red mate soon thereafter and agreeing to his idea of a walk.

mereo had become a home for her, rather than a refuge.

Aquene's exit!

Aquene listened, letting the silence fall over the pack before others started to take their leave. She followed suite of Tamar and Arsenio, offering a slight bow to the leading duo because she had seen Tamar do the same and was not aware of whether or not it was the proper custom before making her leave in order to return to her duties.

 
The winter months were always stressful, but Aquene was also starting to prepare for the spring thaw… the more prepared she could get before the first budding, the easier fully building her stores would be. She was hellbent on making sure she had the proper tools to care for the wolves in her new home, and in many ways recognized them as her new family.

With no questions to be had and a mutual understanding, so it seemed, amongst all the members, the Imperator dismissed them. For Malila it was an interesting meeting, but not one that she felt would concern her in the future. Still, it was informative and she would try her best to remember the guidelines. Giving Ruenna and Germanicus one last slight dip of her head, she quietly turned and took her exit.