As his blue-black wings carried him on the cool wind through Aspen Grove, Tikipak rehearsed once again what he'd been told to say, for certainty of the words always made him less likely to lisp and stutter. Finally convinced he had it correct, the raven landed on a low branch and began to use his magnificent lungs to make the kind of raucous sounds his species is so famous for. He had been sent by Taini to speak with Vestige, to report to him, and he needed to find the alpha.

The strange call of the bird caught his attention as the alpha male came to the end of his meal. Licking his muzzle, the now full wolf barked for Cortinarri and Liseli to follow as he began to follow the call of the bird.

Spotting the Raven, Vestige approached it, noticing it was not one of the Lurker's birds. This made him feel a bit better, thinking it wouldn't be a grave message. With his mate and Beta by his side, the alpha approached Tikipak. "Yes?"

It felt so nice to be able to hold her head up high once again, even better not to worry about someone wanting to lunge at her throat. She still couldn't get over just how peaceful and cohesive this big pack was. The threat of war always loomed over the horizon, but she would relish in these good days while they lasted.

Letting Vestige do the talking, Cortinarri gazed curiously at the bird. Of all the birds, she reguarded the ravens the highest. Even if they did have a tendancy to annoy her at times.

Liseli pulled up beside Vestige on the opposite side of Cortinarri, head carried a little lower than either of them but still in a respectable position, waiting for the bird to speak.

The raven was surprised to see all these respond to his little call, and it flustered him a bit. So the lisp was a little heavy as he spoke to everyone. You are Vethtige, yeth?I am thent to bring you greetingth from the thliv- the s-liver of moon, and bid to tell you that darkfire'th blethings fly with a hunt. Sliver of moon... that's what Taini had called herself, for it was the meaning of her name, and the second an old phrase Liseli had used with them when they were pups. The raven allowed the full effect of these words to hit them, so that they might understand that he was Taini's messenger, before he continued.

Thith will be the code methage between Taini and yourthelves. It will not alwayth be I who cometh, thuth it becometh necethary to make a code that will tell you that the methage is-s genuine. If the methage is not offered, or if a known thource of Taini's methages doeth not thpeak the code, you may athume one of the following: for the first ca-ase, that it is not a methage from Taini, and in the thecond ca-ase, that the methanger hath been followed and cannot thpeak freely. Underthood? Tikipak rested a large, dark eye on them all, waiting for a response.

The alpha listened carefully, and whilst he found the lisp difficult to understand, managed to grasp the message. A quick glance was given to both Cortinarri and Liseli, before he nodded to Tikipak. "I understand. Please, continue."

Seeing that the alphen understood, the bird fluffed his feathers nervously, and spoke. I am thent to tell you that only half the forth of the Haunterth goeth to the Thadow Hedge. The other half prepareth for a raid here, and even now waith at the edge of your home. Do not be obviouth about your preparathions, or they will attack much thooner. And he gave a great leap into the sky, ebony wings carrying him aloft quickly, soon disappearing from sight so that the Haunters in the terra might not find him here.

Panic set into Vestige as Tikipak delivered the message Taini had sent. A glance of anger and fear flicked to both Cortinarri and Liseli. "I feared this would happen." Nodding in thanks as the raven left, Vestige glared at the ground. "Why can't they just give up! What's done is done! I bet Risen won't even show her cowardly face here, anyway. Now, how do we call the pack together without drawing the attention of the Haunters?"

Liseli forced a lilting tone into her voice, as though she were speaking of light matters, though she spoke still in an undertone. Make a call to change the den guards. I will head to the den and intercept both sets of guards, and tell them of the situation. Then, between the four of them and the three of us, we can quickly spread the message without being detected. The sage was back again, for the moment, and everything she said was perfectly logical, perfectly normal.