Blacktail Deer Plateau The show must go on [pack meeting]

Non-mandatory pack meeting! Dating this for Dante's return, I will be completely mobile this weekend so want to get it up before. This guy will count for points if we get it to 3 rounds, so feel free to have your characters respond!
First round will end on Monday, Nov 13
Edit: @Finley is also welcome! ^^

Dante returned to the Plateau heavy of heart and weary. He wasn't sure of the reception he would receive but his course was set and there was no turning back. He knew, at least, that some would see his decision as right. Saena had pushed for it from the beginning and Junior wasn't likely to argue (though she wouldn't be happy with him anyway due to his disclosure of her condition). It was Osprey, Blue Willow, and even Lasher whom Dante most feared disappointing. He wasn't sure if Lasher had undergone a change of heart and he knew that Blue hadn't wished for this outcome exactly. Osprey he worried would be furious at his insistence her brother not return.

He was still convinced it had been the right call, but only time would tell if he was tearing the pack apart by doing so. He was already a dick in Peregrine's eyes, but he didn't owe Peregrine much. To be seen as such in his pack's sights.... it would be a crushing blow.

Lifting his head, he summoned them, all who could or wished to. He had an announcement to share, one that would surely affect most if not all who dwelt within their borders.

He could only hope in the meantime that the repercussions hadn't followed him home.

Blue knew that Dante was going to give some crushing news to Peregrine, and though she was not happy with it she understood. At the moment Junior was her main priority, for all the gods in the world, the girl had almost died. She feared that her father would limit her healing if he showed up. She loved Peregrine just as she loved her own brothers and he was her very best friend, but right now he needed to give his daughter space. She could mend the bridge later if need be, but she was confident that Dante handled himself well.

She lifted her green eyes from the task at hand at the summons, and she trotted towards it. She was happy and excited, for today she had found out for sure that she would be expecting. She was not entirely certain she wished to tell too many people yet, because the first few weeks were always critical, but when the time came to pass along that news, she would be ecstatic.

She had told Junior she would help her if she wanted to go to the meeting otherwise it was up to her.

A few days of interrupted rest did a body good. Finally, Junior was truly on the mend. Her legs looked absolutely gnarly—they were covered in scabs which were more often than not slathered in an herbal paste of some sort—and they still hurt, but she no longer felt feverish. In fact, aside from the slight ache in her limbs and her weariness, Junior didn't feel that bad at all after having slept for nearly forty-eight hours straight.

When Dante's call echoed over the plateau, Junior lifted her head from the den floor, then slowly pushed herself upright. She glanced dully at Finley, then rose onto all fours and hobbled from the den. The cold air stung her legs but it was manageable. Blue Willow was out there and offered to help her but the juvenile motioned for the Healer to go ahead. She felt strong enough to walk on her own, though it might take her a while. Hell, the meeting might be half over by the time she arrived, a thought which made her smirk slightly.

She actually made decent time, however, and arrived at the meeting place simultaneously with several others. Junior remained on the outskirts of the gathering, feeling rather self-conscious of her legs, and slumped down against a tree for extra support. She sighed, then turned her mismatched eyes to her leaders, her gaze inquisitive. Why had Dante called them here? she wondered, then began to scan for her siblings' faces.

Unlike many of the other pack wolves, Saena knew almost nothing of what was happening lately. The Blacktail juvenile knew that something had gone wrong with Junior's healing, but likely due to the stress it put on her to think of what she would do if Junior was ever lost, Saena hadn't gone to the healer's den. She'd instead taken to walking 'round and 'round the plateau, unwittingly missing her brother at several turns, although occasionally she caught his scent at the pack's edges and assumed he was merely hovering as he sometimes did. She also caught Tytonidae's scent at one particular part of the borders. None of these things were more important to Saena than her father's true abandonment of his kids (which was old news apparently). For a pack gossip, she was immediately out of touch with the rapid events.

It was therefore a mystery to Saena why Dante summoned the pack. It had been some time since their last gathering, so the white teen assumed that it was merely time again. Hawkeye and Peregrine had had frequent gatherings when they were Alphas, so it made sense that the pack would uphold that tradition. She couldn't imagine the incredibly good news that Dante was about to deliver.

"Hey," she said brightly as she swept into the presence of the Alpha and Beta. She almost sat next to Blue Willow but, spotting Junior, she made a beeline for her sister instead. "How're you feeling?" she quietly whispered, settling down nearby and searching Junior's drawn face with concern in her eyes. They lingered on Junior only a moment before flicking back to Blue Willow and Dante, her tail swishing attentively behind her. "What's goin' on?" asked Saena, unable to help herself, though something about the tension she sensed around Dante told her she would find out very soon indeed.

I am so slow, must edit

When Dante's call reached Koda's ears, the napping wolf lifted his head from his paws and blinked sleepily. He wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but he'd promised his Alpha that he wouldn't miss any more pack meetings. No time to start like the present.

He rose with a yawn and stretched before leaving his cozy sleeping spot to meet Dante. Several of his packmates were assembled by the time he got there, but at least he wasn't late. He nodded respectfully as he approached his Alpha. "Hello, Dante, what's the news?" He questioned the other male. Judging by the serious expression on his face, it wouldn't be good news.

Pura's first night back had been dramatic, to say the least. After nearly stripping Junior's leg of flesh in the process of rescuing her, he had dumped the ailing wolf in the river at her own (feverish) request - and it seemed to have done the trick. She was neither wobbling nor singing, thank the stars, and seemed to have her feet planted firmly on the correct side of recovery.

Pura's cold gaze swept across the backs of the other heads that had arrived before him, fastening on a familiar set of rust-coloured ears. There she was, all grown up and lovely, with all four paws planted firmly on Blacktail Deer Plateau territory. Pura had followed his sister's progress as best he could after her return home, diligently stalking her scent along the borders but rarely catching sight of the wolf herself.

3 out of 4 pups had returned home. Pura did not hold out much hope for Ty - sweet girl, but incurably strange. Perhaps she would stake her claim on some forest, surround herself with woodland animals, and become a mystical seer. Packs would bring their own Uncle Attis to speak to her, and she would have a place in the world. Yes, that sounded nice.

Pura sat down at the edge of the circle, alternating between staring at his sister, Junior, and Dante. There was an undercurrent of nervousness among the group. He experienced it as a tickle at the base of his spine, and it made him shift uncomfortably where he sat.

A howl went up in the air which drew out Val from his hiding place. It wa not a voice he recognized, but the sound was close. Although the child had never attended a pack rally an indescribable temptation pulled him forward. The bony pup set off at a slow meander, his hunched figure watching the surrounding scrim with a wary and distrustful eye.

The whelp approached the gathering cautiously and obviously skittish. He recognized Junior's bi-colored eyes but made sure to keep far away from the screaming banshee. There were others at her side, notably the white colored girl he had encountered. Juxtaposed, Junior appeared her shadow.

A large and impressive male stood a the forefront, silver and strong bodied like his father but lacking the characteristic facial structure marked of Russian descent. At his side stood a wolf he knew with verdant eyes; Blue Willow the healer. The other two were anomalies, though one appeared in a much better mood than his blued, apathetic counterpart.

Val's small body took up an empty space in the circle and waited.

he knew that dante had gone to speak with peregrine; he doubted that the silver male would escape unscathed from the temper of the panther. and so he heeded his leader's call with alacrity, arriving among those who had already gathered. junior was there, and he glanced fondly toward her, nudged blue willow's cheek, and took up residence alongside valtyr. pura was given a level, approving glance; he was happy to see that the boy had returned, but presently taltos allowed his attention to be usurped by dante.

Like Saena, Kaihra knew very little of the recent happenings on the Plateau, and if news had passed through the grapevine, her ignorance only proved she was more of a raisin than a grape. So when she heard Dante's summons, she did not rush to the meeting place in eager anticipation, but rather drew herself idly along the Plateau, choosing the path most concealed in her efforts to reach her gathered packmates.

She felt no surprise when she found a large number gathered there already, and she drew up along the outskirts. Her choice to sit nearer the front at their previous meeting had been an anomaly: she felt far more comfortable here, where she could see every happening and slip away like the shadow she was if things chose to get ugly.

Kaihra drew her gaze along those now gathered, giving a small nod to Dante, then Blue Willow, before she passed her fleeting eyes onto the others. Most, if not all, she recognized from previous meetings. She let her eyes flicker quickly over Koda, still embarrassed from their past encounter, and lingered on a wolf she'd never seen before, a frail boy next to the dark man, Lasher. He looked too young to be with them, and his scent carried something... different. Were they taking pups into the pack now? She wondered if this was the reason for Dante's call, but surely he didn't need their approval to bring the child into their midst. There was something else going on, she could feel it in the air, but with all the changes as of late, she found herself growing too apathetic to worry anymore.

Amber trots through the dark forest. No alertness at all, just out for a nice walk. She had lots on her mind, Junior and Runt. Runt mostly. Negative things flowed through the girls brain, but the most feared was, what if she gets caught? A great howl cut off her thinking. She could tell it was Dante who was calling the pack. Oh no, what if he found her?! She ran as fast as she could to the howl. Amber did not know that it was a howl for a pack meeting, she thought it was a howl to summon the pack to attack Runt. She knew nothing about pack meetings.


She bursts through the trees, her eyes wide and terrified. But she did not see Runt, only the wolves of her new pack. She then realized there was no attack and all the wolves around her seemed calm. Her ears and head drooped with embarrassment.

Round 2! I'll wrap up with round three on Thursday, Nov 17. Just a quick round. Feel free to chime in if you wish, if not the third round can just be a departure one ^^

Also, as per usual with pack meetings, there is no post order so that everyone can respond who wishes

He watched as they gathered, filing in slowly. On the faces of most he saw confusion, for they could have no idea what he was about to announce to them. Only Lasher and Blue Willow, to his knowledge, were aware. One face was glaringly absent, perhaps the one to whom he had most dreaded announcing the news; Osprey. He wondered at it but figured she was beyond the borders. He would need to seek her out when she returned.

He gave a small smile when Koda came forward and asked what was up, obviously distracted but giving him a nod of greeting. When he answered, he addressed all. "I have just returned from the Caldera. I spoke with Peregrine." As he remembered the encounter with detail, the smile faded quickly. He determined that it would be best to cut straight to the chase.

"I have rejected his offer to make the Caldera our sister pack. Furthermore, I have asked that all Caldera wolves stay off of Plateau lands. I do not do this out of anger, nor is the Caldera to be considered our enemies. I know that some of you are tied to the members there, and you are more than welcome to keep your own friendships. But this is our home and all members should feel safe and content within its borders. This would not be possible for some should Peregrine and his wolves have access to our lands. Out of respect for your packmates, if you wish to meet with Peregrine or his packmates, please do so away from Plateau borders." He looked around for reactions, wondering how they all would take the news. "He has made it clear that all of you are welcome to visit should you choose." He did not enunciate on his own status, but the sting of it still plagued him.

"If you have any concerns about this, please, bring them first to me. I do not wish for this to cause argument amongst us. It was my decision and mine alone." He would not lay it at anyone else's feet, not after the reception he had gotten from the other Alpha. Others might have given it the go ahead, but the final deed was his responsibility. And he would take it as such both at home and afar.

"Not great," Junior answered Saena's question, "but definitely better than before. They tell me I went out of my mind? Did you get to witness any of that?" she wondered, burningly curious. But before they could delve into a conversation about Junior's mad antics during her spell of fever, the rest of the pack arrived and the humming and buzzing died down as the Alpha male prepared to address the assembly.

The first sentence out of Dante's mouth made Junior's blood run cold and she looked at Saena, dread blooming in her chest. Had he gone to tell Peregrine about her condition? Fortunately, his next few words alleviated this fear—or at least distracted her from it—and now it was a sense of justice ballooning within her at this unexpected turn of events. It was a bittersweet relief and the youth wondered what had prompted the pewter Alpha's decision.

Dante hadn't asked for it and certainly didn't need it but Junior's voice rose up in a yip of approval. She looked at Saena again, hoping to share in a smug smile with her sister. Surely Saena would also be pleased at this development. The black youth wondered what Pura and the rest of Peregrine's relatives might think. Strangely, she didn't see Osprey anywhere and Lasher was looking in another direction at the moment. She also couldn't read Pura's expression from here.

A burning question suddenly came to mind and Junior's lips parted to voice it when she thought better of it and pressed them together in silence. She pictured Finley waiting back at the den, oblivious to what was being discussed at this very pack meeting. "I have asked that all caldera wolves stay off of plateau lands," Dante had said. "...this is our home and all members should feel safe and content within its borders. This would not be possible for some should Peregrine and his wolves have access to our lands." Indeed, Junior didn't like that Finley was living it up in Blue Willow's den, mooching off the plateau's resources.

She had no idea whether the leaders intended to escort her way from the territory following the meeting. Junior licked her lips and decided she would get a jump on that for them, just as soon as she could slip away, back to the Healer's den. Junior would positively delight in enacting her Alpha's will on the silver bitch. Something of a cheshire grin wound over her dark lips, though anyone that looked her way would probably think it was in response to the news about the caldera. After all, it was no secret that there was no love lost between Peregrine and the daughters he'd left behind.

Valtýr's face grew hot when Lasher took a seat besides him and bashfully looked away towards the ground. Any attention from this new pack felt awkward at best. When Dante brought the klatsch to order a wave of relief washed over the youngster who turned his ears to listen.

It turned out the rally was of a political nature. Little of what the alpha said made sense to the child, but he listened intently anyway. Something about a Caldera and a wolf named Peregrine -- two name the Sveijarn didn't know -- they would be considered separate from the Black Deer wolves, where the fireborn now resided.

Junior appeared to be in agreement with their leader's sentiments, making her opinion known with an approving yip. Val remained silent, with nothing to say and a scant understanding at best, but watched the others with interest.

Blue kept a weather eye on the child Valtyr and she was glad to see both Saena, and Pura in attendance. She laid her ears back as she listened, feeling some dread, but also knowing it was for the best. She looked at Junior with a strange look, a little disappointed the girl would give up her father so readily, but then again isn't that what her father had done. She wasn't sure the delicacy of that situation, but knew it would be possibly years before she could broach it.

She heard an undercurrent of something in Dante's voice, but couldn't tell what it was. She would have to ask him later, right now though she wanted to go back to her den and sleep, she was so very tired.

Amber studied the wolves around her. She recognized of coarse Dante, Koda, Lasher, and Junior, but no one else. As Dante spoke of the name Peregrine she tilted her head in wonder. When he said sister pack, she became more baffled. She realized that there was no point in coming, for she had no idea what Dante was explaining. She didn't want to ask either. She wasn't in the mood for Junior to give her smug retorts. Amber sat up and walked to the back of the pack, seeming there was no purpose in her coming.

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despite the renewal of good spirits betwixt himself and peregrine, lasher could not help but feel that dante's decision had been sound, and made in good faith. their relationship, that of his own with the panther, was not the only one involved in the chaos that peregrine had wrought in his abandonment of the plateau — taltos felt that the opinions of the half-grown children mattered a great amount more.

yet, he could not help a brief sting of pain, one that flared as junior voiced her evident pleasure with the ruling, and glanced at the loam between his paws quietly.

Lol you guys got a few free days on this ^^ last round, I will close on Wed or Thurs!

He did not look at Junior, unwilling to acknowledge her cheers but knowing why it was she was so content. He could't blame her too much, but since he was not overly happy with the outcome of the situation he wasn't about to any strong opinions on the matter.

"That is all. I know this decision will affect everyone here in very different ways, so as I said, I am open to all concerns. We'll work this out." Some were closer to the Caldera while others had no ties nor likely any true idea what he was talking about.

With a heavy heart Dante dismissed them all with a nod, then turned and walked away towards his newfound den. Normally he would stick around after a meeting, but not today. He needed to process for a while.

There was a heaviness in the air as Dante concluded his presentation, one Valtýr had trouble comprehending. The other wolves were silent in response... perhaps acquiescent to their leader's law. Val couldn't know their sentiments, unaware of the Plateau's history, and so he merely gazed at the grey male with a blank expression.

When the others began to depart the bony pup stirred, and followed them down the pack's well-worn trails.

Just as soon as Dante gave the nod of dismissal, Junior rose and hastened away from the meeting site. She didn't even say goodbye to Saena or stop to talk to Pura or anyone else. Adrenaline gave her power to push through her pain and weariness as she ran back to the medic's den. If Dante was the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the pack's government, then Junior would the long arm of the law, enacting her commander in chief's latest mandate.

With the gesture of Dante for the pack to leave, Amber darted as fast as she could to find Runt. She knew that the other wolves that may have become suspicious of her entrance and exit. She didn't care. She needed to speak with the little wolf. She couldn't take it anymore. She stopped and flung her head back, to see if anyone was following her, then ran off into the woods, without a sound.

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dismissed, lasher dipped his head to dante and gestured to valtyr, inviting the boy to follow himself and blue willow back to the healer's den; he intended blue willow to rest and the child to eat. nudging the gentle woman's shoulder softly, he fell into step with her, sweeping the figures still gathered with an affectionate eye.

Koda blinked sleepily as he listened to Dante blabber on, slightly annoyed that his nap had been interrupted. The young wolf zoned out half-way through, the news didn't affect him, so why should he bother listening? But he did wonder how this ruling would affect Finley, the Caldera wolf was still recovering from her injuries in the healer's den. Surely, they wouldn't throw her out before she was fit to travel.

When the meeting was adjourned and the pack members went their separate ways, Koda rose and shambled back to his little nest. He hadn't yet found a proper den, one of the many things he'd been neglecting to do. With a sigh, he flopped down and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd go find a den, after he finished his nap.

Blue Willow followed beside Lasher keeping a weather eye on the child Valtyr. She was ready for a nap, most assuredly. She however was also enjoying the day with it's slight bite in the air. It was nice to have someone take care of her for a change. She thought on Peregrine and the way things were and she was saddened. She wondered for a moment if he even had any regrets, or if Fox was his whole world and she could replace all of them easily as that. She certainly got what she wanted hadn't she. Blue shook her head pushing those thoughts away, it did not do to dwell on such terrible things, and she did not like the thoughts in her head about Fox anyway it wasn't fair to the red furred girl, even if some of it was true.