Moonspear with just a hint of pain for the feeling that i get when you are gone

@Constantine and @Eilidh (:

She was weaker and thinner than she thought she'd be by now. They'd hunted best they could, but two wolves were not as capable as an entire pack-- something they'd struggled to make. The lands were crowded and Constantine had wanted too badly to stay near Donnelaith. If they'd wandered further away there might be somewhere to settle, but not nearby. Though Aria was convinced that Constantine may return with Eilidh, the both decided they wanted to travel still-- so Aria led them to the one wolf she knew.

A little ways off from the border she tilted her head back, her posture low and humble. She had plenty of respect for herself, and knew that she didn't need to be so formal with a friend-- but she didn't dare accidentally offend anyone that wasn't her Floki. She howled for @Floki, but the leadership (@Charon / @Amekaze) was implied, and Aria was prepared to meet anyone who came their way.

Her breathes were heavy and nervous. While she knew Floki would not deny her the time of day, at least, she did not know if they would find a home here, or if Floki's alpha's would be as friendly as Floki had been. She nudged Constantine's shoulder gently, let out a breathe, and stood quietly in wait.

They were not supposed to be this close to the borders - and they hadn't been, at first. Truthfully, Alya was not sure how far she'd traveled from @Lyra and @Hydra in their game of hide-and-go-seek, but she knew when she began to smell the thickening of her father's scent that she was getting a little too far out. The mountain lion attack had left the kind of wound on Alya's heart that could not be easily removed, and since then, she'd been a lot more strict about these kind of rules. Alya thought she'd even be willing to go against Hydra's wishes if it looked like the other girls wanted to go a little too far on their adventures.

But it hadn't come up yet, and Alya certainly hadn't meant to break her own rules by straying so far. The inky girl turned at once to retreat deeper into the territory when she realized what had happened. But then, a sound stopped her. A loud, terrifying sound.

Fear froze her to the spot for a moment - something that had never happened before Dashie was attacked. Her breaths came in uneven pants, stealing the word that she longed to scream. "D-d-d-d - " she stuttered, the words barely above a whisper as she tried to summon the breath necessary to cry out.

Could the monsters see her? Were they swooping down on her, now?

Ever since the attack, Hydra herself had felt significantly less adventurous on her sisters behalf. Though there was a significant part of her that wished to find the thing that brought Alya to feel this way, an even greater part of her, for now, knew compassion. That Hydra, the bully, had it in her was a remarkable thing. But still they played together. When one went too far, now Hydra coralled them back to the rendezvous site. For now, taking risks seemed dumb. Particularly if it brought Alya to act so differently.

Well, she and @Lyra had been playing hide and seek with @Alya, and after finding Lyra swiftly enough the duo found that Alya was much, much harder to find. Hydra grit her teeth and fret, and snapped at Lyra quickly, Find father, because when one of them went astray, now, it brought feelings of anxiety in her for what had happened. What if Alya had been hurt as they covered for her? Young though she was, Hydra understood that she did not want anything bad happening to those she loved most.

She did not, despite her vanity, count herself in this number of people to be afraid for. Hydra could sometimes be too bold. Hydra struck out to find Alya in the meantime, and was able to catch her trail. Hydra was no scout, but her 'skills' and style both would lend her the ability to excel in becoming an adept hunter and guardian both. Too small was she to be a good guardian, now, but she imagined herself a fierce one! She heard the stammering of her sister, and Hydra broke through shrubbery to make it to Alya, smelling the fear before she saw it. Hydra looked 'round them but saw nothing, though she had heard the howl. Hydra moved alongside Alya and offered her the only comfort she could truly give--her presence--and moved to push her snout against Alya's shoulder. I'm here, the gesture said, though there was an irritable sweep of her plume that came before the decision to comfort rather than scold. The scolding could wait 'til later.

!!! Assuming Alya and Hydra aren't right there at the borders?

At first, Floki didn't recognize the call -- it had been so long since he had heard that voice. But it dawned on him soon enough, and he was curious and excited to know that Aria was waiting for him at the borders. It had been some time since their adventure through the hinterlands -- and quite a while, even, since his last solo trip -- so he headed towards her quickly, paws threading deftly over the uneven terrain.

He unknowingly breezed past Alya and Hydra, who were near to the borders but just out of sight; besides, he wouldn't have expected to see either one of his nieces so close to the edge of the territory. Floki was focused on Aria, and his eyes lit on her as his feet hit flat ground. She looked a little worn, and there were two unfamiliar wolves with her. Floki adjusted his posture ever so slightly, establishing his rank for the benefit of the strangers while still allowing him to greet his friend warmly.

"Aria," he breathed as he closed the gap, reaching out to touch her cheek with his nose. He then backpedaled, gaze sweeping over her companions. "What brings you here?" he asked, his breath rising in a frosted cloud on the cold air.

Feel free to assume she'd follow Charon to the borders!

Lyra shared her sister's fear, having found out the dangers of the world recently as well. The eagle's talons had left their marks, both physically and mentally. Her shoulders where the creature had pierced skin were sore, though she hid it well, instead pretending the encounter had not bothered her — that she was brave and strong like their parents — channelling her Hydra-side. Alya had seemed more shaken up over her own learning experience anyway. Her usually exuberant sister was more withdrawn, more hesitant to go on adventures just as a trio.

However, it didn't deter them from a quick game of hide and seek which unfortunately led them further away from the den than intended. Lyra was found easily, making the mistake of peeking out from her hiding spot at the same time Hydra was in her line of sight. Surprisingly, their loud sister was harder to find. Her anxiety rose each minute they couldn't find her and, when Hydra commanded her to find @Charon, she obeyed without hesitation.

Her run back towards the den was swift but steady (at least, as much as a gangly pup could be). Only when a howl pierced the silence of the mountain did she suddenly launch into a panicked sprint. "D-DADDY! DADDY!" she cried out as she neared their den, eyes wide as she searched for either of her parents.

gonna sneak this post in here before constantine and eilidh post. (:

Aria could hear the voices of children from a short distance away, but she couldn't quite see them. Her tail stood idly as she waited almost fearfully, but when she saw Floki's ashy figure in the distance she let out a breath she forgot she was holding. "Floki," she murmured in response, relief flooding her features. Hhe greeted her warmly, and she returned the greeting with a friendly lick to his muzzle. She'd forgotten how fond she'd grown of the Moonspear wolf, as he was friendly and kind in all manners.

"I'm afraid I'm here for more than a visit," she said quietly, a weak smile gracing her features. "This is Constantine and Eilidh Mayfair. We were hoping for a place among your packs ranks, if you'd have us," she explained, her head dipping lower to humble herself. Floki was a friend, but she was prepared to go through the whole joining process need be-- especially for Constantine and Eilidh's sake. 

Just when he was beginning to tell the difference between these bloody kids, two of them happened to get into an accident with a predator at the same time. Just his luck that now he was completely unable to tell Lyra and Alya apart yet again, except when they were in very safe situations (where Alya's fun, bubbly side would show again and Lyra would remain a bit more bashful). Hydra was, for now, the only one he could tell apart... When she wasn't pretending to be one of her sisters, anyway. Her acting seemed to get better by the day.

Anyway, so when he was just lounging at the rendezvous site and he heard the girl's panicked voice, Charon didn't have a clue which of the girls was coming towards him. His first instinct would've normally been to roll his eyes and say 'yeah, yeah, daddy's here', but ever since two of his girls had come so close to death and one of his pack had to pay for that, things'd changed. Charon was already on his feet by the time the girl got to him. "What's wrong?" he asked. Assuming that Lyra told him the story of her quest for her sister, Charon was quick to join her in the search. He couldn't help but feel panic rise up as he went on the search, afraid that something bad might have happened again. Yet he also believed firmly in the right of the strongest and the last thing he wanted was to smother his children so that they would never grow up strong and confident, so he let them play as they wished.

Just as he followed Alya's trail, Lyra close behind (whom by now he had identified as such... possibly also because Alya was the one that was missing), he heard the call from the borders. "We'll just have to tend to that after finding your sister," Charon said non-committally and he started making his way closer to Alya. As they walked he noticed her trail was mingling in with Hydra's, too. Little did he know that his journey would carry him straight to not only his daughters, but the border job, too.

Eilidh stood beside her brother and Aria, studying the peak that rose before them. Eilidh had no idea how she'd fair on a mountainside, but having lived on a plateau and within a forest, she was sure to adapt soon enough. The golden wraith waited quietly beside this remnant of her family, and lowered herself accordingly when the wolf - Floki - arrived. She spared him one glance, and even in her still-grieving state, she wondered how such a young wolf had risen to power.

Then she remembered her yearling sisters at Donnelaith's helm, and dismissed the thought immediately. It wasn't her place to ask questions about that. Aria introduced her, and Eilidh bobbed her head in greeting, but remained silent. If he or anyone else asked what her skills were, she would respond, but for now she would let Aria speak for them.

It was the sight of Hydra that finally released the breath in her lungs. Alya exhaled a sharp sigh and then gasped in a full breath, relief flooding her as the Crown Princess came to her rescue. Abruptly, her legs unlocked and her tongue untied, but she no longer felt the need to scream for their father. Floki had flown by, and his amicable voice was heard along with others - it was not any monster that'd howled, but another wolf.

"Let's go," said Alya softly, shying away from the sound of the voices. Though it sounded like Uncle Floki had it all under control, she still wanted to get as far from the border as he little legs would allow. In her haste, she went ahead of Hydra - perhaps she would pay for it later, but for now, fear drove her more than anything else. And, while she had a great reverence for Hydra, Alya had never been afraid of her.

Neither had she ever been afraid of the Great White - but when her hurried steps brought her face-to-face with the pale wolf, Alya found her heart quailing.

"I di'int mean to!" she said quickly, lowering herself to the ground.

Floki was oblivious to what was going on nearby with his nieces and brother. Instead, he was looking over Aria and her crew, smiling as his friend gave him a lick and introduced her companions. They shared the same last name, which indicated that they were relatives -- siblings, perhaps?

But before he could wonder too much more about Constantine and Eilidh, Aria spoke of joining Moonspear's ranks. Floki's brows raised in surprise; while he had no qualms about Aria's character and trusted that she would vouch for her friends, he hadn't expected the proposal. Last he had heard, Aria had been promoted to serve as Donnelaith's Alpha -- so what had happened in the meantime?

"Of course we'll have you," he said preemptively, then asked, "What about Donnelaith?"

It would have been a lie to state he was content with the decision to settle in a pack called Moonspear. Had they only been seeking to remain in a pack as subordinate’s, Constantine would have simply remained below his sisters, content on remaining one of Donnelaith’s only guardians. He did not wish to part from Blacktail Deer Plateau, and even worse was the idea of living among strangers once more—but Aria would not likely have returned to Donnelaith, and nor would his sister, Eilidh.
 
And Constantine could not argue the logic that three wolves in the harsh of winter alone was not likely the best survival plan.
 
So they had come upon the pack’s doorsteps, and as others came to greet them, the swarthy wolf found himself silent for now, feeling particularly protective of the two ivory she-wolves in his company. A wolf named Floki greeted them – he seemed amicable enough, and Constantine determined this was the one Aria was on friendly terms with – offering him a kiss to the cheek. His muzzle dipped lower in respect – awaiting the verdict of the other, though thus far had not been asked a question.

i'll post again in 4-5 days to start the round if everyone is still okay with that!!

Aria smiled somewhat weakly, dipping her head. "Donnelaith is in good hands, but it rightfully belongs to the Mayfairs, and Deirdre was ready to take over," she explained. The pale wolf gave him a smile, her tail wagging a little. "We're all trained in our respective fields-- we're not here just to mooch, we'll put in as much work as the rest of you," she added, glancing to Constantine and Eilidh to see their agreement. Both were welcome to state their pursued trades, but she looked back to Floki afterwards anyway.

"You have alphas, don't you?" she asked, head tilting to the side.

Soon the girls were found and reunited once more. Alya was quick to be submissive about her mistake, which made Charon quicker to forgive. He said, "We'll talk about this when we --" But just at that moment he heard the murmur of voices in the background. His hackles rose, feeling protective over his daughters, but soon followed the sound of Flóki's voice and Charon calmed again, hackles falling flat and demeanour relaxing.

"Come with, but be quiet," he ordered his three girls and made for the sounds at the borders, where he saw Flóki and three strangers. Assuming his daughters would head his words and stay quiet, Charon stepped forward. He looked at each one of the strangers, then at Flóki, and then back at them as he said, "I'm Charon Ostrega, Alpha of Moonspear." And he assumed that the rest would soon be explained to him.

The situation had ended almost as quickly as it had begun. After a rushed explanation where Lyra stuttered and tripped over her own words, Charon quickly went with her to find her missing sister. It didn't take long. With his tracking experience and much more capable nose, their father found Alya with ease, who they found trying to meekly slip away with Hydra. Lyra frowned slightly in annoyance from behind Charon as their paths met, wondering how long she really been missing, or if this was all just a prank. She had been so worried! But the uncharacteristic fear in Alya's voice as she pleaded to their father seemed genuine. Thankfully, Charon was forgiving — at least, for now.

There was the matter of the strangers at their home that they had to attend to first.

She had expected to be sent home with her sisters, but instead was invited along with, the only condition being they had to be quiet. Lyra shot an excited look to her siblings, elated that they were being included in on adult things. She had heard Floki's voice as well, and was eager to see her uncle again.

That was until they arrived at the scene. Three foreign wolves stood at their borders and Lyra gasped and immediately ducked behind her father. She peered out from behind him shyly, up at the strangers as Charon introduced himself. There were two females and one swarthy male, she concluded, refusing to meet their gaze if they so happened to look to her. She did quickly glance at the two dainty females though, admiring their soft, pale coats and their long, slim limbs. A soft frown crossed her face as she slowly turned to study her own dark, dirty paws before she looked to her mirror-image sisters and their equally black, dusty fur. For the first time ever she felt a strange sense of...inadequacy, though she had no word for it. She didn't like it.

Alya's bravery had been... diminished, somewhat. Only time would tell if she would ever be the rowdy, adventureous girl her family had known before the Cat, but for now, Alya was meek in the face of strangers. She hid behind Hydra whenever she could, and behind Charon when she couldn't. She'd never seen a wolf that wasn't her family before, and it was frightening to know that they could simply come up the mountain if they wanted to.

But Daddy didn't seem afraid, and Uncle Floki seemed glad - so Alya allowed her curiosity to lead her eyes.

Unlike Lyra, Alya felt not discomfort at the sight of the women's pale coats. There was a time when she'd once been jealous of Korei's likeness to their father, the the little girl had long since gotten over it. Daddy liked them better than Korei - at least, Alya thought so - and that meant that they were better. Though she still believed quite fiercely that the Great White was the most handsome and wonderful wolf to have ever walked the earth, she had also come to accept that it was not his coat that made this so - it was just a part of her Daddy's magic.

And, as she gazed out at the strangers from behind her father's heel, she noticed the dark male most of all. He was handsome, like her daddy, and strange and mysterious in a way she couldn't quite grasp.

He tilted his head at Aria's explanation. It sounded like there was more to it, but this obviously wasn't the time nor place to press for more details. Aria went on to mention that she and her comrades would all work to provide for the pack, each of them being skilled in a different trade area. He knew that Aria herself was a scout, but his gaze roved curiously to Constantine and Eilidh.

He opened his mouth to ask for specifics, but paused when Charon arrived. The Alpha wasted no time in introducing himself, and his timing couldn't have been better, after Aria's prior query. Floki smiled at his brother and spared a quick glance at his tag-along nieces before making introductions. "This is my friend Aria. She and I did some traveling together," he said first and foremost. "She and her companions are hoping to join Moonspear," he explained, glancing back towards the trio to allow them to speak for themselves in Charon's presence.

When Aria explained Donnelaith’s situation – and how it belonged to the Mayfair’s, the swarthy wolf flinched inwardly. He would have worded it differently – two Mayfair’s now stood on their borders – the eldest Mayfair’s left, but it was clear to them all that Lasher would have wanted his druid children to take over the land that had spoken to him. Blacktail Deer Plateau, though.. one day, he would be home once more. Of that he was certain.
 
As another came to the scene, Constantine lowered himself even further. He was a proud wolf, certainly – but he respected the hierarchy and the pale wolf presented himself with authority the Mayfair could recognize instantly. His fiery eyes drifted over the pups, who now poked out from behind who he assumed was their father, and his expression softened. “Constantine Mayfair, guardan and aspiring warrior,” he introduced with a gentle rumble, his muzzle indicating toward his pale sister, who also stood beside him. “And this is my sister, Eilidh who is a talented healer. We would like to offer our services for a place within your home.”

Eilidh listened as the introductions were made, lowering her posture further when Charon, the alpha, arrived. He seemed young to be an alpha, but at least he wasn't a newly minted yearling like her sisters. Eilidh shouldn't have worried over their age, but it irked her for whatever reason. Perhaps she despaired that her father didn't choose her to succeed, or perhaps she was just angry at the world in general. Constantine introduced them promptly, and Eilidh bobbed her head when her name was spoken. She was a healer, that was true, but hadn't much practiced lately. I offer my healing services to you, as well as my knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs. Much of her mother's knowledge was instilled in Eilidh, but some of it had disappeared as swiftly as her mother had. The golden healer bowed her head again, waiting to hear the verdict on their fate.

A large, pale man approached them, little ink-blotted children circling his feet. She did her best not to stare at the girls, but they were all too adorable-- and she still longed for a family of her own. His presence did the same to her as it did to her friends, and she bowed humbly as he spoke. She tilted her head up only a bit so he may see her face, introducing herself as the others did. Floki had already introduced her, but she added on as Constantine and Eilidh had done so.

"Aria January," she said, waving her tail a few times even as it was so low. "I specialize in scouting," she began, her gaze falling to the little girls at his ankles for a heartbeat before returning to their neutral place, "and I have a fondness for caregiving."  She hesitated to bring up being an ambassador, since it was what she so desperately wanted to do for Lasher when she was still his trusty beta-- perhaps it didn't seem so appropriate to a stranger that she wanted to handle all of his foreign affairs. 

Their father found them swiftly enough, and for that Hydra was thankful. At her young age, she wouldn't have been able to cleverly conjure up the thought of following their tracks, and even if she had following them all the way 'til the end would have been... difficult. Hydra was meek when their father found them, not sure, quite yet, who she wanted to be in this situation. Who will be in the least trouble, she tried to deduce, but a distraction came and saved perhaps all of them. Or, maybe they'd come back to this later... but the thought was a fleeting one. 

They arrived before many strangers. Her eyes fell upon Lyra, and she nosed Alya before moving through their fathers legs to get a good look at these strangers. For her part, she did stay silent, but her own posture spoke of her imagined authority (which, at her age would look far more adorable than it did intimidating). She wanted to see how their father handled this... one day, maybe she'd help him like Uncle Floki was! The dark male talked about being a guardian, and also a warrior... aspiring was not in her vocabulary. Her eyes remained upon him, as scouting, nor healing, was an interest of hers. Guardian and warrior sounded cooler than the rest.

"Con... cons... Consantine," Alya said aloud, testing the wolf's name out for herself. Though there seemed to be something not quite right about how it sounded on her own tongue, it was the best the little girl could do.

They all seemed like nice wolves - she had already decided that she liked Constantine, but when they all introduced themselves, Alya decided that they all seemed very likeable. The gold-toned shewolf was, perhaps, a little bit boring (Alya had no love for plants, nor did healing sound as exciting as being a scout or a warrior), but she still seemed to be alright.

Alya swivelled her head around to look at Daddy, hoping that he would allow them into the lands. Maybe Aria and Uncle Floki could take her on a scouting trip, or maybe Constantine could teach her how to be a gaurdian and a warrior. Then, she would never have to be afraid again, and she could protect someone the next time something hungry came up their mountain.

It was a good thing that his children remained docile like he told them to. The visitors, in turn, paid little attention to the girls so that they wouldn't be too emboldened. Charon was surprised to see his girls so bashful, but then, he hadn't often seen them with so many strangers around. The newcomers each introduced themselves, though all Charon really needed for judgement was Flóki's approval. And he seemed to very much wish these wolves into their pack, therefore easily making up Charon's mind.

He was curious for why they had departed from wherever they'd gone from; Flóki knew Aria which lead Charon to believe that these wolves must've been settled elsewhere before. But he didn't want to spend too much time on such things now, as it wouldn't be a breaking point to their case. So instead of asking for more he decided he'd ask another day and said, "We could use a few more able bodies for winter. If you're Flóki's friends, you're mine, so long as you stay loyal to my pack." He glanced at the wolves, then glanced over his girls as best he could (considering they were all crowded up around his ankles) and said, "Do you think you'd like these wolves to live with us, girls?" He spoke in a manner as though he'd take their opinions into account, though of course, they were but children and would change nothing to his judgement.

Each of the former Donnelaith wolves introduced him or herself to Charon, for which Floki was glad; surely their manners would make a good impression on the young Alpha. He took note of the trades of Constantine and Eilidh, storing the information away for later. When he turned his gaze back to Charon, he was pleasantly surprised and relieved that his brother found Aria and her friends worthy of joining their ranks. His tail began to wave as Charon playfully asked his daughters for their opinions.

"Welcome to the pack, friends," he said, grinning broadly at the trio, though his gaze lingered on Aria.

Her head dipped gratefully, tail wagging behind her. When it raised she found that Floki's gaze lingered on her, and she gave him a sweet and genuine smile, giving him his own nod that expressed her gratitude. Floki had done a lot for her-- and though she had known she was not the most sane of wolves all the time, the Ostrega had done a fine job of calming her nerves when she'd almost fled Donnelaith months back. She waited for the formal invitation across the borders, though she was thrilled that she was amongst a pack again. Aria did wish she was leading her own pack, for she had always felt a desire for respect, but there were no good circumstances for that. For now she would give respect where it was deserved-- to Charon and his mate, and even Floki-- and earn their respect another way. 

Her gaze flickered to Constantine and Eilidh before returning to Charon, responding with a humbled "Thank you," and another wag of her tail. 

"Yes!" Alya exclaimed in response to Daddy's question. She loved these wolves! They were so cool and Constantine was handsome, like Daddy.

Feeling bold and safe in the company of her elders, the little princess pranced forward and wiggled excitedly toward the three strangers, her eyes wide and darting fast between them. "I'm Alya and Lyra and Hydra," she chirped, gaze creeping toward Constantine as she spoke. "I wanna be a scout and a warrior, too!"