Haunted Wood Selfish lover at night

The Nightwalkers have been marked for disbanding, sad times. This is a mandatory pack meeting and I would like everyone to post at least once. No post order, rounds start when I post again. @Valour @Serem @Santiago Arcos @Clarence @Guardian @Arwen @Leshen @Ghidorah @Surya.

Their numbers dwindled and fell, slipping away from them.
The Nightwalkers were not strong. The Nightwalkers would not be able to force their claim upon these woods.

Vanity wanted to go to the mountains, but they had to look after the injured male.
This was where Vengeance rested, too.
But she had a duty to this pack, as did Valour.
Vanity grumbled and huffed for some time, debating everything, the pros, the cons, the issues that may arise and issues that would be solved.

But she still needed that little push to tide her over into packing up and moving.
But she had to announce to them all the situation.

She howled, expecting all to come to the rendezvous at the main densite.

Santiago’s ruined ears perk at the howl that rings through them. A howl from none other than Vanity. He’s begun recognizing his pack members howls over time. He’s not far, for he’s able to make it to the grotto in no time.

Turning a corner of rough rock to see the she-wolf come into view. Slowing his gait to a trot and eventually to a languid walk coming up to face her. “Vanity.” He greets lowly. Realizing the aura is off and he quirks a brow. “Everything alright?” 

arwen hadn't been far off when her mother's summon reached her ears. she would have rather stayed where she was to continue her little game of hunt with the mouse she'd found, but there was a serious tone to her mother's call and she knew it was best if she didn't ignore it.

and so with a grumble she pull herself away from the terrified rodent and headed off to find her mother. upon arriving she gave only a glance around to see if leshen or guardian was there before situating herself near her mother.

Where the fuck were all the kids going? Conquest and Lithium were gone. Pestilence. Death. All of them just vanished like ghosts. There still remained the issue of Ursus who had stolen Valium but in their shape, with their numbers there wasn't anything they could do about it for the moment. The young warlord could only hope that Valium had somehow gotten Ursus's favor with his nasty little temper and been saved from abuse. Heaviness in his heart he answered Vanity's call from outside the territory where he'd been searching aimlessly as he had for weeks the first time Guardian and Conquest had vanished. The adolescent didn't look good, his eyes carried a permanent film that hinted at exhaustion and thought he approached the meeting panting from the run back with a lifted chin the stoic expression he usually carried looked more depressed than anything. Hearing Santiago's question as he walked to stand beside Vanity he shook his head "No. It's not. Five of our pups have managed to disappear. Lithium being one of them" his gaze swept around for Serem who he'd have some words with when the timing wasn't going to make him look like an asshole for calling her out on losing her children and the ones she'd agreed to care for. "Ghidorah has been gone for two months. Seagull also vanished. We barely have enough to feed the remaining members" He wasn't gonna lie having Seagull around to help with things besides fighting would have been a blessing despite him being afraid of every shadow in the woods. looking to Vanity he fell silent waiting for her to add on whatever she'd called them for if he wasn't already on top of it. 

day by day, he improved. it was a slow process but an undeniable one. but his leg remained broken, his ribs fractured. as much as he wanted to, he couldn't go home. not in this condition.

he could, however, make the short distance to the summons. walking was a chore; he clambered forward on three legs, and each brush of his injured limb against the ground was agony. by the time he reached the other wolves, he was trembling and wheezing. he lowered himself down, slowly, wincing as he did so.

surya was in time to catch valour's words. there's a pup on the rocks just outside the woods, he rasped, once the warlord had finished speaking. that's how i got hurt. i was trying to rescue her from the. . .creature there. he had forgotten the word for the big cat in the common language.

besides, was it even appropriate to speak up now? too little, too late?

he'd never been very good at holding his tongue.

Some came. Some didn't.
She was disappointed that some wolves in these woods didn't respect her enough to come to her summons. She'd forgive them if they cam soon, but if a seriously injured stranger came then the pack should.
Disgrace.

Her ruby eyes burned with fire, watching as her packmates waited for her reasoning.
"No," she echoed Valour, letting him talk first. 
"We do not have the strength as a pack to keep a claim. There may be those that want this land. There may be those who will come to kill us all. Like Ursus." she paused, letting that thought settle in.

"Moonspear won't endorse a weak pack, there will be no war on our part, though if they decide to come, then they will come. You may leave if you wish, but I will stay," she looked to Arwen. Her beautiful, soft daughter. She wished that she didn't have to be tainted with her harsh lecture, but it was important. 

Surya spoke, about a child. Insolent child. He indeed spoke too late, but that fact he'd tried and suffered so earnt him a softer look. "Thank you for your efforts, Surya." There was no hope of finding that pup now.
She will stay here with Surya, help him find his home, and then hunt that bitch Abbadon. She knew he'd stolen a child from them. She knew that she'd find him.

"Again, those who are able to are free to leave, find packs that are stronger. I suggest you do not use the name Nightwalkers, tell them you have come from afar." She didn't want her daughter to suffer from Vengeance's hand should she decide she wanted to see more than the world Vanity had kept her in. She'd speak with her soon.

She waited for questions, and the rest of her pack so she could beat their asses into respecting -- or fearing -- her.

Clarence had been slow to get to the gathering, but only because he'd been so far away. The boy rushed in last minute, barely catching the tail end of the discussion. They were leaving? Everyone?

Pausing, the spotted wolf drew his brows together and scanned over the little group. They had been dwindling in numbers, and their leadership shifted constantly...

His tail drooped and he sighed through his nose. At least, he was mostly healed now. Perhaps he could...

"Where are you all going to go?" he asked, turning his gaze from wolf to wolf. His loyalties would be splintered here - on one hand, Valour had his loyalty for leading him and being a close friend. On the other, Santiago was his mate and he wanted desperately to go with him. And still yet, there were pups to defend and a hurt stranger...

Vanity laid it out clear as day. The days of Nightwalkers were over. Valour had known the reality of the loss of members, he'd seen it coming but even so hearing Vanity official announce it was a deep blow. He'd failed. One after the other the children had vanished. Worse than missing adults. What kind of leader let so many children slip away unnoticed? Then she offered everyone an out and his head turned to her almost disbelieving it. It was really the end then...everyone would seperate and he'd probably never see any of them again. Clarence's question brought a slow exhale from his lungs and he shrugged, putting on a brave face and grinning, he could go anywhere and do anything now but as he looked at Clarence the smile did not reach his eyes "This place is filled with memories I don't want to keep anymore and the world has billions to make" he turned to Vanity looking at her his ears pinning back against his head "You guys will always be Nightwalkers to me. Family. If you want to stick it out then i'm here for everyone still" was that a lump making it hard to talk? Clearing his throat he looked to Surya considering what he'd said earlier "If it's a bear or a cat the kid can stay. They're lucky to be alive considering the shape you're in" the words were cold but he'd spent months searching for a child only to have her vanish practically the next day he'd brought her home. The exhaustion was something he could finally succomb to, he could go to his den and curl up to sleep for days without worry that he'd be called lazy for slacking off. 

Why was something so freeing so painful at the same time? Like the world was being yanked from beneath his paws. 

Ending here

She looked over her people.
Well, they weren't really hers anymore, were they.
Perhaps her Mother was wrong about how vain she truly was. Or was she still blind to it?

"Thank you for your time," she mused loud enough for them to hear.
She watched them all take their leave, and too turned away.
She didn't know what to do now but formulate plans for her next empire, which should surely reign longer.