Moonspear workin' on the night moves

We will do rounds, with no posting order! First round ends 11/10 or when everyone has posted — whichever comes first. This should be the only mandatory round. @Kinusi @Treepie @Kira Lazore @Cosmo @Haedwig & all your other cool cats and kittens.

Katmai had gone around and informed everyone that they'd be having a meeting that morning, and in particular, had made sure that Haedwig knew where to go, and was able to get there easily enough. They met now at the rendezvous plateau, Katmai arriving to see Kindle already there.

"Ready?" the older Morningsider asked him.

Katmai gave him a look, and then howled to let his packmates know that the meeting was about to begin.

Tiuttuk was still en route—she’d just emerged from the northern fringe of Bramblepoint—when she heard Katmai’s howl. She muttered an expletive under her breath and hastened her step. As soon as her little paws hit the foot of the mount, she sent up a howl to let everyone know she was on her way, then began her ascent.

Wyvern joined her somewhere along the way, casting a shadow over the Ostrega as she panted her way toward the plateau. For some reason, her yellow eyes flicked first to Kindle. They then bounced to the others as Treepie stood at the edge of the gathering, catching her breath and debating where to situation herself.

The nighthawk dropped onto her shoulder and folded her wings, her beak tugging gently at the long, silky fur of the wolf’s nape as if to say, Hurry up and make a decision!

Haedwig had expected the meeting, and remained near so as not to miss it entirely when the time came.

Hobbling onto the plateau, she nodded a greeting to the arriving Treepie before sitting herself down to listen. What would the new leader have to say? Haedwig was curious to see if a crowd would make him stumble. Katmai had managed to gather a pretty good sized group, from what she had seen.

She would need to make plans to scout the area after this - what sort of herbs grew on a mountain like this anyways?

Kinusi came in like a battering ram. Humming and moving. Her first glomp was Treepie a not so soft nudge to the shoulder, a bump to kindle and a step beside Katmai. Pressed fur to his side a nudge to his chin. Then she settled into a sit. 

A small hum still in her throat while she waited.

Alaric wasnt for behind his daughter. A soft nudge to Treepie. A curious glance to the youth Kindle. A small smile to both Katmai and Kinusi. Then he settled not faw away and stretched while he waited

Quietly she arrived. She made no fuss, no bustle. Simply greeted those she knew with soft smiles and a blink. Then settling nesr, but not so near that she couldn't see everyone. Her yellow eyes on her pack mates.

Kira heard the howl and made her way to the area where Katmai had said the meeting would be. She wasn't far, as she was excited about meeting all of her new pack mates. Though, when she arrived, quite a few were there already. Kira found a spot and sat down, watching everyone excitedly.

Kindle was looking for his two very favorites, Treepie and Cosmo. When he saw the first arrive, he grinned and tapped the ground next to him, inviting her closer. While the others filtered in, he murmured to her in a low voice:

"Ain't they cute up there?"

Speaking of their new leaders, of course. Kindle meant it only partly in jest, and he was quick to fall quiet as Kinusi's attention turned to the rest of them, and Katmai's too.

He exchanged curious looks with Alaric, his tail whisking in friendly greeting. They'd not properly met, but Kindle was sure this was the man from all those kiddie stories he'd heard.

Cosmo totally hadn't fallen asleep between when Katmai had informed him of the meeting and now, when he was not startled awake by the howl that he was definitely ready for. He jumped up from where he was simply resting his eyes and not sleeping, whirling around to locate the source of the howl, and then began bounding towards it until he reached the plateau.

“I'm here! I'm here! Am I late?” Cosmo gasped, panting a bit from his sprint. It was then that he was able to shake his fur out from where it had been flattened by his lounging around before.

No posting order! Next round will begin 11/14 or when everyone has posted. Whichever comes first!

When they'd all gathered, there was only one face that Katmai did not recognize — but he already knew her name, and he offered her a welcoming smile as he did all the rest. He only deviated when Kinusi arrived, at which point his smile was less one of welcome and more one of joy.

With her beside him, how could he feel anything but confidence and ease?

"I wanted us all to stand together today, so that our faces are known to each other," he said to them, after having counted each head in his growing flock. Seeing them like this filled him with something looming and unknown. Like when he looked at Kinusi and felt called to action — only he wasn't quite sure what action he ought to perform. But it was a nice feeling, full of warmth and gratitude, and he was pleased enough to let it curl up in his chest like a dragon in its cave.

"The strength of a village is in the wolves that make their home there," he said, the words coming to him easily.  "Not in our numbers, but in the strength of the bonds we have with one another. But we are many, and we do not all know each other very well yet. It is my hope that I will find these bonds in all of you, so that my strength will be your strength, and your strength will be mine. So that even in sickness or injury, none of us will truly be weak."

He stole a glance at Alaric, just to check the older man's expression. It felt strange to speak before him like this, even if they didn't know one another well. Alaric was still a kind of role model, and he wanted to make the man proud. As proud as his own father might have been.

"And I wanted to ask," he said, moving past the more serious address to speak more candidly with the others, "If any of you have any traditions from your homelands that you wish to bring to this place. We are called Dawnspear to honor our Morningside and Moonspear lineage — but not all of us are Morningside or Moonspear. And I would like to have ways to honor all our pasts, and the long stories that have led us here."

Alaric listened. Kinusi's paramour had big ideas. And he hoped that the could see them to fruition. He really did. They seemed decent, they were not harsh or unyielding and he tried to include everyone. Though, part of Alaric knew that could possibly backfire. He hoped not. To many fingers in the pot so to speak, but he looked on. Giving the boy a nod when he looked his way. He realized he was probably one of the oldest here. And if that wasn't sobering.

Kinusi lifted her head and spoke in her sing song voice. Welcome to the pack folks. I don't believe i've met many of you. I'm Kinusi. I'm here to help where I can.

She smiled and shifted a tilt of her ears. I sing, heal, and tell stories. I can also hunt if you need a hunting partner. But just know I'll be singing while i do it. She smiled again. 

Then a tilt of her head. I second all of what Katmai said and please let us know of any things you'd like to see.

Tiki did not know what to say and the thought of introducing herself. Well. It made her stomach tight and sore. She didn't mind a few wolves, but this was. This was a lot. And it overstimulated her in a big way. She searched for Pie's face. But her sister seemed to be interested in other things lately, and she wasn't sure if she would have the help that Tiki needed. So she stopped her gaze searching and put her head down. Thinking hard. She had nothing to offer. She was a wolf who liked silence and creatures of the world. 

She shuffled and moved backward a step or two, but she didn't run yet.

She gravitated toward the familiar comfort of Alaric and Tikaani, though she caught Kindle’s signal out of the corner of her eye. Her heart did a funny little leap in her chest as she paused. Reasoning that it made sense to mingle with those she didn’t know as well as her loved ones, she glided toward him, the nightjar swaying silently on her shoulder.

His question prompted her to look toward the two leaders, a soft smile curving her lips. They began to address their gathered pack mates then. Treepie didn’t take a seat—not with Wyvern perched on her back—but she faced forward attentively. It was a little strange to be part of the audience rather than standing at the head of the village, though she found no fault in their unifying message.

When Katmai brought up traditions, Pie looked over at Alaric and her sister. Tiki returned her gaze, a quietly panicked look in her eye. Excusing herself in a whisper to Kindle, she stepped to the other she-wolf’s side and nudged her cheek. From just behind her head, Wyvern made a soft chortling noise that Tiuttuk supposed was meant to be comforting.

Kira listened to Katmai and Kinusi, excitement filling her chest. Her ears twitched with excitement, but she managed to keep the rest of herself still as she watched. 

There were no traditions that she could think of. It was a nice thought for the leaders to welcome others' traditions. And, if Kira had remembered any, she probably would have one or two to add, but she couldn't think of any traditions that her family had before.

Her gaze swept to everyone else around, and she wondered about them. She'd heard all of, or at least most, of the names from Kindle, but she couldn't quite tell who was who. Though, she recognized Treepie, her head bowed to the other she-wolf, but Kira assumed that Treepie hadn't seen her.

No one had any suggestions. Kindle thought that Katmai would've done better to speak to them individually rather than call out a bunch of near-strangers — but there was a kind of charm to the younger wolf's naivety.

He stepped forward.

"I'd like to teach you all the dances of my people," he told them, and then amended, "Anyone who wants to learn, at least. That's all I need to feel at home."

free for all at this point. Thanks for threading, gang!

There was a long beat of silence following Wyvern’s chirr, broken by a masculine timbre. Treepie tore her eyes from her sister’s face to behold Kindle as he spoke of teaching dancing. Intriguing, she thought, brows lifting slightly over yellow eyes. She then shifted her gaze back to Tiki.

Can we get back to you? she said eventually, her eyes still fixed on her sister’s face before they glided in the direction of Katmai and Kinusi. I’m sure we have things to contribute, I just can’t think of any off the top of my head, she added with a small smile.

The nightjar tugged at her ear, trying to grab her attention. Treepie shook her head lightly to tell the bird, Not now. She would stand close to her sister in silent support, then get her out of here as soon as they were dismissed.