Gwen, & Argolis
Pale legs carried the darker, brindled body of Gwen from one side of the Den to the other, and then back again. This loop continued on for several minutes, broken only by a pause to briefly contemplate an old, bleached skull laying at the base of a steel drum. Gwen knew this aged relic was belonged to her great aunt, a wolf that died before her time and lost her life to due an enemy's fangs. She knew of her stories through her father's tales. She heard the same stories of Hydras, Skeil, and Lyckos...
Gwen closed her eyes and sighed, wishing she could speak to her grandfather most of all. She'd never met him, but he towered tall in her mind, painted powerfully by her father's stories, a rightful king and noble leader, and someone who'd know what to do in a situation like that. Argolis himself had offered advice, but Gwen was still torn. Should she trust the Haunters, and hope that they'd truly changed their ways? Or hold firm against them?
The Lurker Queen finally sat down. Her breath caught in the crisp, cold air, rising slowly in the quiet atmosphere of the building. That's when Argolis approached, after rising stiffly from his nest of tattered blankets, seeing that his daughter was still struggling to make a decision. "You know that whatever you do, you'll have the full support of your family." When the troubled look on her face didn't ease, Argolis offered a comforting lick to the side of her muzzle.
Coyota & Cael
After watching her alpha pace by for the umpteenth time, Coyota rose on tawny limbs and approached the pair. "If I may, why don't we seek out the Silver Glades again? If you're not certain about the Haunters, we should bolster our alliance with trusted friends first." The coywolf looked upwards, searching the rafters for Darkwing or Pirqua, "And why not send a spy over there? They might know Pirqua, but have they really been keeping an eye on Dark? We can at least get an idea of their numbers."
In the far corner of the den, Cael's tall, ebony ears twitched and shifted, focusing first on Argolis' quiet words to his daughter, then his mother's words to the alphess. A quiet sigh escaped the young hybrid and he settled his paws down between his stretched forelimbs.
Gwen & Argolis
"We should seek out Crucifix." Argolis added on, knowing the aging wolf had always been a staunch enemy of the Haunters, "If he still lives, it may be better to keep an alliance with him, rather than risk losing it by siding with enemies we can't fully trust."
Coyota & Cael
"I wouldn't mind heading out to see Crucifix." Coyota offered. "Cael, why don't you come with?" Her long, lean muzzle towards towards her son, who'd been more withdrawn and despondent in these last few months, following the death of his sister and the others.
The ebony wolfdog didn't move, but his brows perked as his honeyed eyes lifted to look at his mother. "I..." Cael's voice trailed as he sought an excuse to escape the mission, "..was going to hunt this evening. Maybe I'll go on the next one with you?"
Coyota resisted a worried sigh, and debated whether or not she should force him to go. A furtive glance was thrown towards her alpha, seeking some assistance in the matter. "Either way, I know where his territory is, and I don't believe his pack is as large as it once was. Shouldn't be too dangerous, even if he does get aggressive with us."
Gwen, Argolis, & Pirqua
Gwen's sharp gaze met with Coyota as she now went over all that she knew of Crucifix and his pack. It wasn't a lot, just what was passed down by her father, and the murmurs of strangers she caught in passing. He'd assembled and led a massive pack at one point, and if Coyota's information was to be believed, it was no longer quite so gigantic. "An alliance with him would help. Pirqua!"
The sharp bark brought a flurry of movement from higher up in the rafters, and soon the old falcon was coasting down, landing with a clack of talons on the floor beside the alphess. "You want me to go with?" Her preemptive guess suggested she'd been listening in on the conversation, and with a nod from Gwen, Pirqua bobbed her head back, "I'll start ahead then, and see if I can't find Darkwing out there; she had been out hunting earlier."
"Thank you." Said Gwen. She then turned her attention to the shadow of a canine coiled up in the far wall of the Den, having not missed the look Coyota gave her. "Cael, you'll be going with your mother. You need to learn the routes and locations of our neighbors in the Valley, as well as how to deal with diplomacy." Her words were firm, but not unkind. She knew he was still struggling - in truth, she was too - but she knew laying around in the Den would do him no good.
Coyota & Cael
The coywolf gave her coat a firm shake and stretched her limbs, preparing herself for the journey ahead. "If I see Desmon or Windcaller, I'll give them a heads up on the way out." She brushed fur with her alphess then, and offered a cheek nuzzle to Argolis, mingling their scents and reaffirming their bonds before each would set out on their important mission today. Then to Cael, she called with a quiet yip, "When we get back, I know of a good hunting spot we can try."
Cael was not enthusiastic about this, but he was even less willing to argue with Gwen about it. Ears back, the ebony canine rose to his paws and lifted his eyes to his mother's yip. He forced a nod in response to her offer, even though he hadn't really planned on hunting; it had merely been an excuse to get out of traveling. Mentally grumbling that he was now roped into both activities, the young Cael followed Coyota's lead as she squeezed through the rusted front doors.