With Quinn to his side, he showed her the areas he had claimed for the pack. With each changing scenery, he was able to show her the world he had found, and soon the pack grew to love. They spoke of simple things, catching up over the years of not seeing one another. They found that in their separation, they had stayed true to who they truly were after all of those years. Azul was still the strapping young wolf at heart, handsome and his vibrant eyes, how they sparkled. He had ambitions, ones he had accomplished and she as well. When they finally made it back to the clearing, Azul turned his body to face her. "Quinn, This is where we hold the pack meetings. I stand upon this rock to the left of my den. But from now on, it shall be your den. It is large enough to fit myself and the rest of my family. It shall be perfect for you and yours, when you either rediscover your own, or you create a new one." He looked to the den and then to the rock. "Here you will stand and address the pack on all matters. With me as the Elder, I will stand on the rock by you, not taking the center of attention, but right there in case you need me. You will howl, once loud and strong. This will call all the members to you, and you can address them on issues. Now as far as promotions, we have a couple positions which are available: Guardian Male, Elite Male and Female, Lead Warrior Female, Lead Caretaker Female, Lead Healer Male. Now, you can choose to promote how you wish, of course. But I will always give you recommendations if you need it."

He walked over the the rock and stood on it, facing outward to her and the pack when they came. "I will demonstrate for you, since I am still the alpha of this pack, and I will share the news, then you can step in and introduce yourself to the others. All shall be fine, please do not worry or become nervous, just be yourself." He lifted his eyes from Quinn and looked over the dens of the pack. He lifted his chin into the sky and released a loud and thunderous howl from his throat. The sounds echoed around the tops of the trees, forcing the birds to scatter with fear from their branches. When he stopped his call, he lowered his head to his normal height and curled his tail over his spine. He stood proud on the rock, knowing this would be his last time addressing the pack as their Alpha. He looked over to Quinn and smiled gently, "see, easy as can be." He sat on the rock and waited for the members to arrive. He was curious to how they would handle the news, and he hoped they would take her in with open paws, allowing her to reign over them justly.

She followed the Alpha, listening as they spoke and speaking back in return. The two seemed to be so close even when they had been so far away for so long. It pleased her to see he had stayed the same. After all these years, he was still the loving wolf she looked up to. When they made it back to the clearing, she watched and listened to his words. It was a lot to take in at the moment. She breathed slowly, thinking of all the right things to say or even to keep track of. "Thank you Azul, I think some help would be great with promotions, as I do not know any of these wolves accomplishments or anything of that nature." She smiled to him and watched as he moved away and called the pack to the circle. She had done something similar to that before, though she did not have a rock. He looked so majestic there, and she wondered how she would ever be able to take his place, even though she knew that was what he truly wanted. She moved to the rock, sitting beside him, not too close, but not too far either. She looked out at the clearing and waited patiently to see the stunning faces of the wolves around them. She was curious to see if this pack was larger than Maple Woods. That would be quite the challenge.

Sharply kept onyx claws clicked against the slab of rock that made the floor of her den. Despite being a mother of two and a faithful mate, Fel resided alone in her little cave formed by stray boulders. The pups slept with their father in the Caretakers’ den, away from their other parent. Fel always thought it was best this way. Nothing, not even her family, had the right to surpass her duties in importance. Besides, she knew in her mind that she was not the best at child-rearing and should leave it up to Alanoth… But if she was to choose one of her offspring to raise herself, it would be Thorin. Without a doubt. Though her daughter resembled her in appearance, Thorin surpassed her in chivalry, strength, and determination of both body and mind. Pondering on the fates of her children, Fel paced the inside of her den, stopping when she heard the summoning call. With a quick grunt, she padded out into the clearing, following a small trail that led to the great rock.

The raven fur of the Guardian swished gently over her body as it moved at a brisk pace. Her blue eyes, almost devoid of any color, looked up at the two wolves as she slowed down to walk the last little distance to her spot. Glancing around quickly, she noticed that she was the first to arrive, and dipped her head significantly to her Alpha, whose brilliant white and statuesque form stood upon the rock. The new female had the form of a wolf of significance, but Fel could also catch some sort of nervousness upon her face. Regardless of whoever she was, she was in her Alpha’s favor, and so the Guardian dipped her head to her as well. Fel then turned and sat down quietly in the shadow of the rock, neither too close nor too far from it for her rank, and returned her calm gaze onto Azul and the other. As always, her face was calm and did not betray any emotion, though she was quietly wondering of the purpose of this meeting.

The Delta had had no real excitement to speak of since the civil pleasantries with her neighbours. She was thankful there had been no brutal entanglements. She couldn't understand why there was need for hostilities between their numbers, but then, she was not entirely aware of the situation between the two rival Alphas. The estrangement had occurred long before her acceptance into the ranks of the new Helidos. She only knew rumours, whispers upon the wind that were only specks of dust to the real truth of things. But even if she knew what had transpired in its entirety, she could not judge the newer members of Steele's pack. They had made a choice between two packs based upon what they knew, what they were comfortable with, what was familiar. It was only natural. The mind sought what it already knew. It required some semblance of similarity, of the old in order to move into the new.

Perhaps their previous lives had been lead with brutality and fear. With clear structure and strict hierarchy. Had she not had a change of heart, Nnlya very well could have ended up at Steele's borders, faced with Irrationality or some other high ranked wolf. Her kind personality, or what remained of it at the time, would have been squashed from her in little enough time. But a recent alteration in perspective had made her shift course that final Autumn day. The season of change had indeed brought an array of colour into her life and from then onwards there came much happiness. From the first meeting with the Beta Marrok her life began to improve and slowly return her to who she was intended to be. Her history was unfortunate, but necessary for a lesson to be learned.

This day much was contemplated as she ran for the feel of wind in her fur. The heat of summer was far more difficult here than in her home, but slowly her body became acclimated to the warmth. As she ran she lost herself in the ease of nature, slipping between the trees, mildly keeping eye and ear for the trace of a stranger. Soft caresses as sweet as honey gifted her with breath and light footsteps. The winds were changing, the scent of Autumn with them.Winter is coming... She thought to herself. She had hoped by then to have a mate of her own. She could not leave a pairing too late, else risk birthing complications. But her faith in the healers held her resolve. It was in this state the sound of the Alphas howl came to her and in an instant her course changed. Another meeting so soon? Indeed the winds of change did not so easily precede their events.

Swift and silent paws brought her to the Alohas Den where few were already gathered. She passed by both Fel and Juno, giving each a respectful nod in greeting, as befitted their rank. She approached the Alpha, sitting aside a regal looking femme wolf. The Delta nodded to each in turn. "Greetings to you Alpha. And to your lovely friend. She eyed the female carefully, noting the nervousness in her eyes and stiffness in her posture. But the Alpha would not allow an untrustworthy stranger so close to him. She was noteworthy in some way, she had only to find out how. "I don't believe I have seen you around miss, but suffice it to say I am the Delta called Nnlya and I hope you will find Helidos to your liking." With a final nod, the sweet charcoal wolf moved off to sit before the two, allowing space for those who came after her.

Since returning from his long journey Marrok had set aside this morning to catch up on some rest. Snoring loudly as he left himself drift into a deep sleep he felt Juno's warmth leave him as she rose to leave. Whimpering slightly at the sudden lack of her body he rolled over and clutched a large rock in the recedes of the den. Clinging to the rock he soon started to dream of Juno and felt his tongue dart out to lick at her fur. She smiled sweetly at his, but as he licked his dream Juno he felt the cold and roughness of the rock he had grabbed. Waking up with a jolt he jumped to his feet, spitting out grit from his mouth, his Juno tasted much better. Suddenly he heard his Alpha's howl and quick as a flash he darted from the den and into the clearing.

Wolves were starting to gather and near the front he spotted Juno seated in her spot alongside Azul. The Alphess had been missing lately and in her place sat a new fae. Wondering if Azul had found a new love he walked over, his head low as he approached Azul. Dipping into a deep bow and smiled at lord, "Greetings my Alpha and to you miss. I am Beta Marrok it's a pleasure to meet you." He said warmly to the new fae as he rose and seated himself next to Juno. Eyeing her he flicked his tail at her then leaned over to nuzzle her neck. "I missed you this morning, the rock I woke up with was not nearly as lovely as waking up next to you." He whispered to her, not wanting to disturbed what ever this meeting was about.

Crystal was asleep in the entrance to her den, when the Alpha's howl woke her. Rising to her feet, she padded out into the warm sunshine and stretched. Crystal then headed off towards the pack clearing. Arriving at the clearing, Crystal could see a number of wolves already. "Greetings my Alpha." Crystal said bowing. Slinking around the edge of the group, nodding at the two betas and Fel as she passed, Crystal spotted a space  next to Delta Nnlya, with whom she had interacted with recently and curled up in it. Looking up from her lying down position, Crystal could see a unknown wolf, stood next to him.Turning to Delta Nnlya, Crystal said "hey nice to see you again." before turning her gaze back to the Alpha. The caretaker wondered if the new wolf was what this was about. This was her first pack meeting without the presence of her good friend, the recently departed Aurora. She still missed Aurora but was making progress with interacting with other members of the pack.

Yiska lay on the floor of her den, her paws crossed, and her legs tucked neatly under her. Her ears twitched, and her tail swished side from side, wishing she had anything to do. These past months with the pack were interesting. Everything went smoothly, and her mentors—Nnlya and Drogo seemed to be doing fine, along with Altair—Nnlya and Drogo's other apprentice, and a friend of hers. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Altair, nor Drogo in quite some time. After the issue with the spar, she dare not mention anything about that incident. A thunderous call rang proudly through the campgrounds, low and hollow. It could only be identified as a howl, signalizing the gathering of the pack. It was Yiska's first meeting, and she realized others had already stirred and continued to leave. Her den was on the outskirts of the camp, near the entrance of Helidos, and it was placed carefully, so that if any intruders came marching in, Yiska could easily be ready. She lifted her head, shuffled her paws and rose from her comfortable spot, padding calmly out of her wide den.

There she was met by many wolves, spotting right away her leader—Azul. He stood proudly atop his rock, giving a warm smile, and getting ready to address the entire pack. Beside him stood a beautiful fae, eyes of orange, and fur of pure grey. Her muzzle was striped with a thin line of bark colored fur, and the lower half of her face was a crisp snow color. The raven she-wolf dipped her head, and spoke. "Good afternoon, Alpha." She began merrily, and bowing, then turned to the new fae. "And to you too." She said, while smiling. After finishing her greeting, she spun around to spot Nnlya, but had seen another brute next to her. She smiled at them both, and sat on the other side of her. "Hello, Nnlya, how's it going?" And then turned to the other male. "Hello, sir. I am Warrior Yiska." Pausing to think of what to say next. "How are you on this fine day?" She ended with, and sat up. Yiska wondered why Azul had called a meeting, and what this new fae had to do with it. She shoved the thought aside and concentrated on the two before her, wondering what their responses would be.

A quiet shadow's ears heard a howl. One of power and calling as she sat not far from the open area of the pack camp. Being disturbed from her day dreaming, she went and padded into the clearing she had just came from and sat down. Watching the others as she spoke to none. Her sapphire eyes burned with a urge to hunt as she sat there. Her tail wrapped around her and over her paws. She darkness from the shadows of the trees slightly blended her into her back ground. Although she was still visible. Shadow waited for the alpha to speak. Wondering whom he was standing beside, but it was all the same to her. She was but a mere huntress. Shadow's words only mattered on a small scale outside of hunting. Other then that, she was to be seen; not so much as heard. So she, as like others, waited in silence to be spoken to. Growing slightly tired, she fae laid down. Her head still up as she continued to watch.

Moving in his den, he paced back and forth. He looked to the walls of his den and smiled softly. He had done a good job. His home had held fast for the last two years. When he heard the call of his Alpha, he lunged for the entrance. When he moved quickly, he hit his head against the entrance. Falling back in his rear, he shook his head back and forth softly. He closed his eyes, opened them and then closed them again. When he finally opened his eyes, his tongue lolled out of his mouth to the side. Exiting the den, he looked to see the congregating wolves around their Alpha and a female to his side. How interesting this was. That was jot his Alphess, and he surely hoped that Lucy was not going to be replaced. She was a darling wolf who loved all the others in the pack for who they were. He walked to the gathering and rested his rear to the back of the circle. He looked to the Alpha and then quickly to the wolves around him. There were a couple faces he had never seen before, which was a good thing for their pack. He waited patiently to hear what his great white leader would say to them.

Apollo was not a lazy wolf in any sense of the word.  The young brute trained the hardest, he tried to run the fastest, all to show that he was worthy of the pack he had been born into.  In his mind, the notion of finding a pack stronger than Helidos beyond their borders was absurd, for there couldn’t be anything better than theirs.  The previous day, Apollo had worn himself ragged.  His restless energy made sleeping at night difficult at times, but if he was tired enough, he drifted right to sleep in the den, no problem.  In the morning, it was more of a challenge to wake up.  He was not the type who rose with the sun, preferring instead to sleep until someone roused him.  That morning, the powerful howl of his alpha woke the wolf.  The dark youth jumped to his paws, which still seemed too large for his body, but he was still a growing brute.  Alpha Azul would not call for a meeting unless there was important business to discuss, and Apollo did not intend to miss out.  He took a brief moment to stretch his long sable limbs until he heard a satisfying pop.

Containing his excitement, Apollo stepped out into the bright sunlight, eyes squinting as he took in the sight of the Helidos pack gathering beneath their alpha.  He knew all of his pack mates, with the exception of one or two who were very new to the area.  He noted one pure white male in particular, sitting beside Delta Nnlya, and Apollo offered a friendly nod in greeting, making a mental note to introduce himself to the one called Jackle when the opportunity presented itself.  For now, Apollo knew to keep quiet and pay close attention.  He was no longer a helpless, useless little pup, something he wanted desperately to prove that day, making great effort to maintain an air of maturity as he passed through the throng of waiting wolves, all of whom were his elders.  Each received a polite nod and the occasional hushed ”Good morning.”  Brilliant emerald orbs with their characteristic gold flecks scanned the crowd in search of Athena, his closest friend, or his barely younger siblings.  All three appeared to be absent from the crowd.

He watched as his father took his place atop the rock beside his mate, unable to suppress a smile at the sight of them together in a place that commanded respect, along with the other higher-ranking members of the pack.  Apollo couldn’t help but be proud to be the oldest son of the beta pair.  His parents were a fine example of loyalty, unwavering affection and dedication.  Ebony nostrils wrinkled at the sight of their loving greeting, for no son wanted to watch his mother and father, no matter the species!  He moved through the crowd gracefully to find a spot near the front, turning his focus to Alpha Azul.  His head lowered in a deep, respectful bow for the elder wolf, someone who Apollo truly admired.  Normally, he would greet his alpha verbally, but he felt it was not his place to speak aloud, not before an important meeting like this.  Sitting back on his haunches, the wolf then noticed the female at the alpha’s side, and he merely blinked.  His curiosity was immediately seized.  Who was she?  Not even her scent seemed familiar to Apollo, but he offered another polite nod to the fae.  Undoubtedly, she was someone significant, or she wouldn’t be sitting up on the rock with Azul and the other powerful pack members, his parents included.  Silently, Apollo waited, focus moving between his alpha and his feminine friend.

With the seasons beginning to change life had been busy for the brute. His duties as the lead hunter of the pack took up a majority of his time and energy, being one of only two in charge of operating the hunts and ensuring all the many mouths of Helidos had enough meat in their stomachs, for food was required for survival and for them to be able to efficiently complete their own duties which were far more important than his own in a lot of cases. Some days were more stressful than others, but no matter what happened through the course of time between dawn and dusk he always had a family to return to once all tasks were complete and done. Even if he could not find his mate or pups in the evening he could find a friend with whom to chat or play, or if not he could lay to rest in his den knowing that he was surrounded by others who he loved and who cared for him. It never ceased to create a slight grin on his maw as he would close his golden eyes and succumb to fatigue-induced sleep.

Yawning now, the mahogany male flexed his muscled limbs and allowed his body to drop down onto the earth with a tired sigh. Hunting was over for the day, which was a great relief as prey was becoming rarer to come by each week and more difficult to catch. Autumn was indeed getting closer. The brute glanced around the many dens of the pack clearing with a mild curiosity as he rested, tail lightly thumping the ground behind him. A movement from over by the alpha's rock made him quirk a brow and look over to see Azul himself and an unfamiliar female beside him engaged in a conversation. It interested him mildly, but he was much too far away to hear what they spoke of. Just as he yawned again with a quiet whine and began to drop his chin to his paws, the great howl of the white brute made him pick his head up instantly, ears perked and eyes alert. By now he was aware that this was a summon to a meeting. Not wanting to be the first there, he waited a few minutes until other wolves had entered and found their places. Then he quickly got to his paws and dutifully trotted to the back of the circle around the big rock where the alpha sat, never being one to be confident to present himself in front of many wolves. His dark pelt slipped quietly past the wolves towards the rear of the crowd and he kept his posture low as always until he finally took a seat. Watching Azul, the unknown fae and the other superior wolves at the front he felt sure that whatever this matter was about, it concerned the fae.

[Echo is in the process of being accepted into Helidos in another thread, so I’m going to throw her in here, too.]

Echo’s first night with the pack had been a little awkward for the fae, though most of Helidos pack had not noticed the shy newcomer.  After finding a quiet, uninhabited, rather cold den, Echo slept fitfully.  Snowy paws jerked erratically as she slept, batting at the air as if she was running, but her movements did not rouse her from her bad dream.  The nightmares were incessant, a constant reminder of the family she had once belonged to – the enraged howls, fierce snarls, the cries of agony uttered from the throats of those she had loved.  The acute sound of a lupine howl work the fae with a start.  The den was still dark and chilly, but Echo would take a minute to recover from her disturbing dreams before she would emerge into the sunlight, where she found her new pack mates gathering.  The sun was soothing against her ivory pelt, a welcomed change from the coldness within her small, solitary sleeping den.

The she-wolf was so new to the pack, she had not even had a chance to meet the current alpha.  She knew who he was immediately, though, the moment she saw him.  Azul carried himself with dignity and confidence, the very portrait of what it meant to be an alpha, in Echo’s young mind.  The pale brute sat in a place of honor, along with the other elites of the pack who had earned their high positions.  There was a lovely fae at the alpha’s side.  Naturally, Echo assumed this to be his mate.  Her place was beside Azul, and in Echo’s mind, this meant she had as much power in the pack as the alpha himself.  She had no idea that she wasn’t the only one in the crowd who had never met Quinn before, or of the life-changing news they were about to receive.

She sat safely in the back where she would likely go unnoticed, behind the rest of her pack members.  Echo sat in silence, acknowledging one of the others who had just arrived with a gentle smile.  He was a dark male with a mottled mahogany pelt called Eclipse, the pack’s head hunter.  She didn’t want them to get the wrong impression about her, but now wasn’t the best time for proper introductions.  Their alpha waited for his pack to gather and settle, and Echo watched the massive white wolf with growing admiration.  Azul silently commanded respect and loyalty from all that were present.

Walking into the clearing Creek bee-lined towards the dark male she had grown to love for so long. Seating herself next to Eclipse she nudged him and whispered into his ear. "Might we speak after this meeting, I have something important to discuss." She said quietly before turning back to face the crowd. Most of the pack was here by now and Creek frowned as there were more wolves she had yet to meet formally. Not that that was a bad thing, it just made her more aware of how much she had been missing recently. Athena's training was nearly complete and now that she had Jackle to help it made her days shorter of work. Dipping her head when she caught Azul's eye the pretty fae beside her made her curious, who was she? Having not seen Lucy for months made her uneasy, was this fae going to replace her?

Ryland was woken from her rest near the caretaker den, ears flicking at a howl. Her jaws popped in a large yawn, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She rose gracefully to her paws, joints cracking as she stretched them to their limit. Her tail wagged slowly at the howl, nose twitching. She noticed wolves heading towards the familiar howl of alpha Azul. The apprentice shook out her dusty coat of fur, beginning to follow the other wolves. As she ventured closer, she scented an unknown wolf. Her curled tail slowly stopped wagging as she spotted the unusual wolf upon the alpha rock. Her emerald hues narrowed, wondering about this strange fae. Her eyes cast about, looking around until she spotted her parents, and her brother. She veered towards her brother, to sit by his side. She nodded to him with a smile, and s thump of her wagging tail. "Hello brother. What's going on, and who is this new wolf who sit upon the rock beside the alpha?" She asked, her interest and curiosity piqued by this unfamiliar wolf. Was it a new mate of Azul's? A family member whom had gone missing? Her ears tilted foreword, to pick up every word that the alpha should utter.

It has been a long time since the brute made his way through the lands of Helidos. His absence have been unacceptable to him and what he believes is the view from the pack. However, with important matters taken care of, he can finally move back to his home land. The male's memory begins to refresh as he thinks about Erenxy and Helidos. His curiosity of Erenxy is still strong but the call of his Alpha made him turn his head toward the sound. With haste, the Lead Warrior made his way to the thunderous call and soon found himself at the clearing where the Alpha stood on his rock. All around him were wolves that Khane knew and several more who were new to him. Khane smirked as he made his way to a darker spot and away from some of the pack members. Seating himself down, he took a deep breath and looked to his Alpha with his eyes occasionally looking around at the other wolves. Khane began to feel a little...out of place. He knew some of these wolves well and as a Lead Warrior, he should be rather comfortable to be around. However, Chiara was on his mind, her words like poison seem to cycle in and out of his thoughts. "Helidos..." Khane thought. "What do you have to offer..." That thought tickled Khane's head but before long he shook such thoughts out of his mind and payed close attention to the Alpha.

Fenris had followed the scent of Nnyla to the lands of Helidos. He entered the packs main clearing. Around him the voices of other wolves rang in his ears. Surrounded by wolves he did not know, he kept quiet and found a place to sit along the outside of the mass of wolves. Though he did see Nnyla, and he nodded to her quickly in hello. He turned his attention to the boulder that stood in front of the group. There he assumed the Alpha Azul stood along with another wolf, whom he did not know. He was not sure what this meeting was about. He had only just arrived to the pack, and was unclear in what was taking place here. That aside, he was curious in the alpha. What did he stand for? What did he have to say here? Fenris moved to the side of the crowd, near the front , and closer to Azul. Delta Nnyla was farther to his side, but he left her be. Fenris felt slightly awkward around these wolves, most seeming to be higher ranks. And being he was a new face, he could only imagine that they wondered who he was, and why he was here. He waited patiently for the group to settle down.

Azul looked over the grounds as the wolves began to settle in their places. Some made contact with him, in which he gave a nod. His mind was wrapped around the possible words he would speak to them. How could he tell them he was stepping down? The white wolf stared to the pack, his eyes moving over every form in the gathering. When they had all come to settle and silence their private conversations, he looked to Quinn for a brief second. He took a deep sigh and stood on all four paws. He pressed his chest forward so his voice would carry loud in the clearing for all to hear. "Brothers and sisters, I have gathered you all here for a very important reason. As many of you know, Lucy has been rather ill. She has not been able to assume the duties of Alphess, and for that I fear far worse things shall come of the pack. Some of you may know that Lucas has betrayed us to live among those shrouded by hatred and evil. I speak of Steele's pack, which he calls Erenyx. Deimos, my son has been long dead now, leaving only myself, Lucy, and Athena. I must keep what matters the most closest to me in these dark times."

He looked out to the wolves and closed his eyes as he forced his lips to speak the words he knew he had to say. "From this moment on, I shall be stepping down as your Alpha and allowing a very dear friend of mine to continue leading the pack. Please do not be upset with me or think that I did not try and leave the pack in trustworthy paws you all know and love, but the Beta pair was not ready to take on such a large task as caring for their own pack. The fae to my side is named Quinn, and she shall be your knew Alphess. I have known Quinn far longer than I have known any of you. She comes from another pack far from here, where she lead their pack to grow and flourish. I will not tell you all about her, but instead allow her to speak at this time." He smiled to Quinn and then looked to the rest of the pack. "From now on, I shall be called Elder Azul. In this position I will be able to advise Quinn on all of you, the pack lands, and any other issues that seek my insight. I will still be around for anyone that may need me. I promise I am not going anywhere. I wish for you all to show her the love and respect you all have shown me over the years. Thank you." With his words completed, he took a side step and bowed his head the the new Alphess, allowing her to take his place upon the rock. "After you, Alphess.."

The rude awakening of a summoning howl jolted Athena from her nap. Groggily, she stumbled out of the healers’ den and began to trot to the clearing, taking a side trail. The fully grown dusty paws passed silently among the grass as she picked up to a trot, still trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. As she closed them for a moment more, she felt a vine snag her right forepaw and had her world flipped upside down as she tumbled over and fell onto her back. At least the impact woke her up sufficiently. Grumbling unhappily, the apprentice healer pulled her paw closer and released it from the emerald tendril with a quick snap of her jaws. Not wasting a moment more, she rolled up to her paws, shook her pelt free of dirt, and raced off to join the meeting. It only occurred to her that she was a little late when she heard the beginning of her father’s address. And so, instead of sitting among the wolves she knew the best, Athena moved quietly among the foliage to Fel, who was seated silently in the corner. Settling down beside her guardian, she looked up at the statuesque fae. ‘She looks more like a demon than a guardian angel,’ she noted mentally before returning her attention to Azul. Strangely, his resignation did not daunt her. Athena figured that he would retire someday. With curious, emerald orbs, she watched the newly appointed alphess with anticipation.

Listening to the great Alpha before her speak, she could feel her heart beating quick within her chest. Taking a deep breath, she watched as the wolves came to the clearing. There were so many of them, much more than that which were in her lands of Maple Woods. She looked at each one, curious as to who they were and how their personalities were. She hoped in her heart, that none were like Teren. he had turned out to be a monster, all the lies and hate that seeped from him, it was horrid and she could live without it for now. As she looked over the other wolves, her mind fluttered with the news they would be sharing with the pack. She could not believe that this was even happening. her heart beat against her chest hard and loud, while her tail wagged silently behind her legs. she wanted to yip for joy, but knew it was not the way an Alphess should act. She was more than used to the idea of being an Alphess as she had been one for so long. His news was sad and she hoped the other members of the pack would accept her for who she was, that she would be welcomed with love and affection. Perhaps not right away, but with time she hoped they would come to love and adore her as they did for Azul. When the white wolf looked to her, she looked back with a smile. He was ready for her to make her move now. Taking a deep sigh, she moved her paws for the center portion of the rock. She was taller here, and could see the rest of the wolves much easier than before. All their eyes were on her.

"Hello dear wolves of Helidos, I am Quinn and as the great Azul had just said, I shall be your Alphess. I do not expect you all to love me or care for me particularly right off at the start, but I do hope you will respect me and my word. I am an honest and caring wolf once you all get to know me. I hope to be able to meet you all, spend quality time with you and get an understanding of how Helidos is from all of you. Promotions and demotions will also be coming around for those interested in that sort of thing. But before we get into all of that, I want to introduce myself to the rest of you. I come from a pack very far from here, I was Alphess there and the wolves learned to love me and think of me as their own flesh and blood. I wish to do the same for you all. Maple Woods was a smaller pack than this one here, but I am honored to be the Alphess over it just the same. I love to run, so if anyone also likes to run, I would love to race with you or just get a good run going. I do have pups, though I have not heard from them in some time. That is all I have for now. Azul and I will be discussing ranks and how it all shall shift. Once it gets figured out, be on the look out for an announcement around here. Thank you for all coming here today. It means a great deal to me." She gave the wolves a smile and looked to Azul, then back to the pack. "If any of you would like to introduce yourselves to me now, I would greatly appreciate it."

A rustle and an approaching set of paws made one onyx ear flicker, but then it returned to Azul once Fel realized it was just Athena. The Guardian sat silently as Azul resigned and this new female stepped onto the rock as Alphess. Fel thought it was rather unfitting for a complete newcomer with only prior experience in a smaller pack to come and take over leadership in a community where she knows nearly no one. A slight resentment towards her former leader rose within her, though she allowed no reaction be visible upon her. It seemed like a poor decision and degraded her previous thoughts about the elder whom she was once obliged to serve and protect with her life. But there was nothing to do about it.

She listened on through Quinn’s speech. She seemed bubblier and less formal than the regal white brute. Regardless of this, Fel would serve her as she would any leader, professionally. With these hints of changes of rank, she hoped that the Alphess would accept her services. A slight reassurance did come to her, however, as she had been trained for her position, and had not yet disappointed. She figured that, as the only acting Guardian of the pack, she would keep her current position. With the conclusion of the meeting and the start of a more conversational period, the raven fae raised her frame and was the first to break the silence of the crowd, “My name is Fel, the only Guardian in this pack as of now. I am disappointed to hear of Azul’s resignation, but wish you luck in leading us now. If you will have me, I offer the same services to you as I did to him and his family.” With a bow, she concluded, and waited for a response. Her icy eyes watched the female neutrally, then, once she was through, the Guardian would nod once and disappear into the shadows.

The Delta became quickly surrounded by friends. Already she sat beside Crystal. Jackle followed soon after offering conversation. Keeping with his air of privacy she whispered back. "A hunt sounds wonderful. I could certainly do with stretching my limbs in action. But for now we must wait and see what Azul has to say to us." Her eyes returned forward as others trickled in around them. Yiska followed up behind Jackle. She offered a nod to her student and offered her own greeting. "I am well Yiska, I I hope you are also. How has your own training progressed? Perhaps we should have a refresher course if you're up for it." The yearling Apollo offered her a nod in greeting which she kindly returned. Echo, the shy caretaker, crept in and sat towards the back, trying not to draw attention to herself. Nnlya made a mental note to go see how the fae was settling in. Fenris was the last she noted before the Alpha spoke.

She was saddened to hear of his struggles and losses. But there came the bombshell. He was stepping down and offering the position of Alphess to this new wolf by his side. Before she could even ask what of the Betas he explained his descision. Then the Female stepped forward and addressed them herself. The grey Delta pitied her some. She was so new to these lands and already was expected to rule. She decided she would watch this new Alphess. Offer her help where she could. Perhaps they could be good friends. She had not known Azul past being her Alpha and superior, but he had taken notice of her enough to promote her. Perhaps she could be better acquainted with her leader who was responsible for her own wellbeing and the wellbeing of those she cared for.

When all was said, the new Alphess invited members of the pack to introduce themselves. Nnlya stood and nodded a polite "Excuse me," to those around her and made her way to the great rock. When the Guardian had said what she would, Nnlya stepped up and inclined her head respectfully to the Alphess and Elder. "Congratulations miss Quinn. Or I should say Alphess Quinn now. I know I have already introduced myself, but it would like to say something nonetheless. Azul and by extension this pack took me in, cared for me and helped me evolve, for that I am great flu and serve him faithfully. I turns his judgement and therefore I will trust you until you should prove me wrong. I wish to offer my services to you to do with as you see fit, whether I remain as Delta or another should take my place is at your discretion." She took a breath, grinned and continued. "Now the formalities are out of the way, I'd just like to say I hope we can be good friends. Any time you feel like a run, just howl." She winked, held her grin and trotted off back to her little circle of friends.