[Cockatrice]

There were fields in Inaria that still smelled of blood, though every blade of grass and blooming blossom had long been washed clean. There were tracts of earth still scored and upturned; there were pits in the forests half full of crumbling dirt, and snares hidden in the trees and buried along game trails that still lingered despite their dismantling. It had taken days following Saboro’s retreat for the scent of iron to fade from Cockatrice’s nose, and longer still for the limping and bedraggled bands assembled in the aftermath to make some organization of the chaos, and to clear the woods of enough traps that they might be deemed safe for what little travel the ravaged Inarians might do. The children might not smell the war that had been here, but the old guard still could. Each rain would wash it clean again, and each damp afternoon would bring the memory back like the phantom pain of his missing ear, or the dull ache in his shoulder, left for him to carry alone.

They had been unprepared. They had been soft. They had not learned.

Kashmir knew the truth of it. They did not speak much, but Cockatrice recognized that look in the wiry jackal’s eyes – that he had known war long before their paths had crossed in the swamp. Dragon had not been the first of the new King’s battles, and had not been his last; if they had any kinship in this, Trice never asked, though he hoped distantly that the regime change would be good for routing Inaria’s years of idle peace – offering Haven an ally whom might understand the necessity of tactics, of preparedness, that the Kingdom would rather forget. (He had never entertained the idea that, despite his newfound family, he would stand beside Haven and not in permanence at her flank – such thought was so foreign to Trice’s sense of duty as to be inconceivable, and the jackal’s promotion had been met with almost dogmatic acceptance and little fanfare.) This was not the Inaria of his youth, and in many ways, it never would or should be that again, but that did not mean they could not learn from their past.

There was much they had yet to recover, and much they never would. There were children, now, his children, and he could not afford for another threat like Saboro to arrive snarling at their door. The wide meeting grounds where Moons had stood all those seasons before, calling Inaria’s soldiers to war, was his chosen destination – the ground was packed hard, and the location was familiar, though it felt lonelier than he remembered. Still and quiet, a reflection of the dawn that had just risen into morning, the light golden and the shadows long. Tipping his head back, the guard’s howl was short and immediate, as commanding and curt as his usual voice: a summons for Inaria’s fighters, of any age or skill, to meet him here. The borders were empty. The ranks were barren. This would change.

“Inaria,” Trice began simply when a few had arrived, eyes flickering over them – he was not fond of conversation or talented with words, but this much, he could do. “Despite this time of peace, we cannot forget our defenses. We have no Captain, no Gatekeeper, no Marquis.” Too few. He ran his tongue across his teeth, considering. “Until these positions are filled, those of you interested in acting as Soldier or Sentinel will report to me. Today, you will be assigned a partner for training. No one will be turned away. If you volunteer, we will find you a use.” That included, he thought with a sigh, the children. “Tell me your name and your desired role. What experience you have at the borders or with fighting. Your goals, if you have no experience at all.”

Sparring and drills would come another day.

---

[ This thread is a general Soldier & Sentinel recruitment for any Inarian. Children are welcome, as are wolves who may not be suited for these roles but would like rank suggestions or just a training partner, and kids will be paired with an adult mentor to shadow. Consider it liquid timed so it’s easy for you to attend – I was thinking directly before Trice leaves to invite Gemini for the puppy party.

It’s not going to be anything fancy, so just reply answering Trice’s questions, and I will post once more to sort everybody out. If, in the way of many ranking threads, this never has a real ending, I will come up with an ooc conclusion. It will not drag on forever, promise, so just get in here! If there’s interest, we’ll do more fun/active threads next, once we’ve got some bodies in the ranks. ]

[Cappella]

A E S T H E T I C       A R T

She notices in her time recovering that Inaria's army lay dormant. She had fought Sage for the right to command it, and yet still nothing had been done. Another Captain that had disappeared - Inaria seemed to have a bad habit of it. They can't have forgotten the war; how much it took, how it highlighted the vulnerability of their kingdom. To add onto it, there were now children everywhere - princes and princesses roaming and exploring unchecked.

Another Captain had failed, and Cappella scolded herself for letting herself lose.

Not again, she promised herself. She would not let herself get roped into another bullshit test - being able to best an opponent without harming them meant nothing when you were facing off against someone who wanted to take your life. Cappella had never been one to rigidly follow the rules - she had tried to do things Inaria's way to become Captain and look at where it had gotten everyone.

Nowhere.

She reaches Cockatrice and stares at him in silence, muzzle twitching as she tried to clear her thoughts of who exactly he reminded her of.

"My name is Cappella." She begins, the first to speak out of those who arrive. "Moons originally trained me. I fought Dragon and lost." A pause there, running her tongue along the back of her teeth, feeling her scars on her face and her neck itch. I won't lose next time. "I was involved heavily in the war with Saboro." Her voice is quieter now, but it regains it's confidence as she boldly states:

"And I'm going to be Captain of Inaria."

Someday.

[Pawprint]

Ooc: is it all right if I bring my bear Moonachie in? Technically she's not a member (the thread never finished) but has interacted with Cockatrice, and members of the pack took part in saving her cub. It could be a way for her to repay Inaria for all they done for her.

[Rider]

    Rider had only been apart of the pack for so long. Instead of making friends like she should have, she spent time to herself. It was almost as if she regretted joining Inaria, but it was more of her anxiety. She didn’t know the land or the creatures that walked it as good as she hoped to. Everything was still a mystery to her, and it was scary. Rider had spent time alone, telling herself that she was scouting the land. In actuality she had been going in circles, not sure what to do and too scared to stray off her path. When she found herself in a field, with a great wolf in the front, she wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was a chance to gain a rank, to get some kind of purpose, and to get out of the shadows of the trees. So she stood there, trying to put on a stoic face and standing still, listening to whatever was to be said.

    “Inaria. Despite this time of peace, we cannot forget our defenses. We have no Captain, no Gatekeeper, no Marquis.” She could take a guess at what the ranks meant, but wasn’t positive in her guesses. She had yet to learn the true rankings of Inaria, but could sense that it was the same as many packs, just different names. “Until these positions are filled, those of you interested in acting as Soldier or Sentinel will report to me. Today, you will be assigned a partner for training. No one will be turned away. If you volunteer, we will find you a use.” Rider wasn’t a soldier yet, but she felt as if everyone in the group was being addressed as if they were. “Tell me your name and your desired role. What experience you have at the borders or with fighting. Your goals, if you have no experience at all.” The wolf held her tongue, eyes looking at others to speak first.

    A blue girl was the first to speak, her name being Cappella. Rider had not met her before, but also had only met the sentry that let her into the pack. There was this speak about a pack named Saboro, and a war. Some kind of guilt twisted in Rider’s stomach, as if she should be able to share in whatever pain the others had. Cappella was bold, though, wanting to be Captain. Rider wasn’t sure if she should be impressed by her words, or annoyed. For now, she choose to be impressed. And then a darker boy, Blackmoore, spoke up. He had experience in this war with Saboro as well, and had trained from the start for this rank. He wondered if these two already held the fighting ranks, and if they didn’t, why? But then it was Rider’s turn to speak. Even though her voice wanted to crack, it came out perfectly, flat and simple. “Rider. I’m new to Inaria. Raised to be a fighter.” She had nothing else. Hopefully no eyes would linger on her, and they would turn their painful attention to someone else.

[Scratch]

Ooc: is it all right if I bring my bear Moonachie in? Technically she's not a member (the thread never finished) but has interacted with Cockatrice, and members of the pack took part in saving her cub. It could be a way for her to repay Inaria for all they done for her.

[ Totally okay with Moonachie attending! Trice wouldn't mind her at all. ]

[Aeolus]

He was of course working when he heard the summons for Inaria's fighters and while it was not something he readily considered himself to be he was aware that in regards to his duties as a Sentinel he was which meant he likewise had a duty to show up. Of course as a Page it was also his duty to appear in order to observe and maintain knowledge of the inner goings on of the pack and as just one of those would have been plenty of reason to attend the combination was more than enough and he quickly diverted from his usual work route and schedule to where the gathering was being hosted in an area he was well familiar with and was being hosted by the very one who had accepted him into the pack. He dipped his head in respectful greeting and acknowledgement to Cockatrice before taking a place to watch others file in in order to observe but when Trice spoke he listened, of course, and turned his gaze to their host as it was made known what this gathering was for.

He wasn't surprised by it as he had noticed the lack of preparedness himself and was glad something was being done about it, or at least it was attempting to be done, he had attended the challenges for the lead ranks and had listened to the declarations that had not carried through in to actions. It was disappointing in a way but it was what it was and his own path in life was hardly free from mistakes. As he noticed others he recognized from his duties present and he assumed ready to volunteer to pitch in for Inaria he was..pleased. He would hold off on feeling proud until he knew how it would work out though and would instead focus his pride on his correct assessment in assuming that Sentinels were indeed being included as fighters in this instance meaning the summons had indeed been meant for him.

Of course that being the case it meant he would be expected to take a bit more active role at this meeting that just that of an observer, if that had ever been a possibility, which he supposed should start with answering Cockatrice's questions if only for the benefit of those not already aware or familiar with who he was. "I am Aeolus, current Sentinel and Page of Inaria, accepted just prior to the war with Saboro which I participated in as a fighter and messenger and I also was trained and served as a messenger and fighter in my previous pack before it fell and it is my wish to not see Inaria  suffer the same fate". He stated leaving off an explanation of how much experience he had as his resume already did that for him as would his scars, and besides that it didn't seem right to tout having loads of experience when it had been a lack thereof which had brought him here, the place he was supposed to have delivered a message to from his now fallen pack, asking Inaria for aid which he had not delivered turning back before ever reaching his assigned destination, only to find chaos and destruction remaining rather than the pack he had set out from.

It had been ironic and a sort of things coming full circle in a way when so long after that he had again made his way towards Inaria, finally reaching its border, and being accepted as a member rather than a foreign diplomat and from there he had gone on to fight in a war and to later be promoted to the ranks he now held waiting and watching to see who would be joining him in preparation and readiness to defend the Inairian Kingdom which they all called..home.

[Pareidolia]

It was not in her blood, nor her nature, to sit passively by and wait for life to dole out some destiny she could only hope she preferred enough to tolerate. Pareidolia was so like her mother in that respect, all passion and fire at her core, ever the pupating valkyrie who would tear what she wanted from the universe’s fickle grasp and damn the consequences. There had been a seed of hunger in her belly from the time she was born, and it continued to grow, branching out like an untamed weed for a taste of this, a bite of that...

Shaggy and wild, the girl approached, comically small among the veteran adults, but she sure seemed to take this seriously. Her tail had risen straight into the air, and she carried herself with a jaunty, imperial mien... it was the look of someone who knew exactly who the hell they were, and conversely, the look of someone who had never been given a war to lose. Dragon, a blue wolf with a pretty accent said — nobody had told her yet, had they? Saboro, they all thought in dread, and the princess simply had no idea, it meant nothing to her yet, all the horror and carnage, the way Haven walked funny when it rained, the caged-animal look in her godfather’s eyes.

He’d shown her here, godfather. That little jackal. Now he lingered somewhere nearby, silently watching and listening. There was no doubt of his loyalty and competence as a protector, but ah, here was that thought, buried and disquieting — what exactly might a creature like Kashmir whisper into the ambitious young girl’s ears?

“Daddy,” purred their princess, one of several, blithely as she took care to look around, capturing each subject of Inaria in her mind’s eye. She bowed, an overplayed and dramatic gesture, even pressing one paw to her heart.

Someday I’m going to be queen of everything I see.

[Pawprint]

Moonachie pondered in her old age.  She raised what she was sure were her last cubs.  The two bears were almost old enough to venture on their own and she wished to hold them longer.  Inaria was safe haven, from the wolf cub Rhys whom she kept safe during a storm years ago to the members who saved her son when a human snare choked him nearly of life.  Rhys.  Moons.  Cockatrice…she still bristled about the wolf large enough to reach her size...and possibly strength.  However, they respected each other, and he brought no harm to her children.  He tried.  She tried.

Come spring her friends disappeared.  Her children slept away from their mother.  She was lonely.

Then she heard the howl.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She came, walking behind the ‘bearkiller’ and purposely making noise like a bumbling cub.  Knowing Cockatrice, the wolf would have heard her even if she had been in stealth mode.  The other wolves, strangers, would probably react to her, maybe attack her, but the melanistic grizzly would lower her head and protect her neck.  If he didn’t mind, she nudged Cockatrice’s shoulder—which was too close in height to her shoulder for comfort—and sat in front of him.  Among strangers, she sat slightly away from them, warily assessing each one.  (If she had heard the mention of Moons in time, Moonachie would have taken serious attention to Capella.)  Quite a tough crowd.  These Inarians were not soft like Moons or Aeeeelooolus?  What was his name?

"I am Aeolus, current Sentinel and Page…"

Oh speaking of which.  That’s what she got for being standoffish.  She offered the Page a gentle look, grateful for another familiar face.  It held another purpose: I see you and I thank you for saving my son.

Her heart twinged when the child said daddy.  Moonachie took a deep breath.

“Wulvs.” Her voice still didn’t allow her to enunciate.  That was okay.   “My name is Moonachie.  I am an…ally.  Inaria has housed me and my cubs and saved my son’s life.  So I will protect your cubs.  I will fight as a soldier and as a mother bear.”

As many will know, an angry mother bear is more dangerous than even the best of soldiers.

[Dali (RP)]

Well, he most certainly needed to do more.

The long-limbed hound cast a strange and maybe quite a pathetic figure amongst the throng of powerful, determined wolves gathered. His tail tucked between his legs and his ears pinned back slightly. He was nervous. Not a good way to show up to a recruitment but this was all part of giving back to the community, wasn't it? The wolf who called the meeting - Cockatrice - was perhaps the biggest wolf he had ever seen and he almost wondered if he could even force himself to speak. He recognised Aeolus from Page recruitment but nobody else. This is how out of tune he was with Inaria's ranks. Turning back to Cockatrice, the hound's ears pricked up as the huge dire spoke. 

“Inaria, despite this time of peace, we cannot forget our defenses. We have no Captain, no Gatekeeper, no Marquis. Until these positions are filled, those of you interested in acting as Soldier or Sentinel will report to me. Today, you will be assigned a partner for training. No one will be turned away. If you volunteer, we will find you a use. Tell me your name and your desired role. What experience you have at the borders or with fighting. Your goals, if you have no experience at all.”

His fellow recruits spoke in turn. A dark blue lady who appeared young but had the air of a veteran at the same time described how she had been in a war and had fought a dragon. Dali frowned. Inaria had dragons? That sounded rather cool, actually. A mental image formed in his mind of the dark blue female taking on a fire-breathing dragon (if Dali were human, he would've read a ton of comic books) and almost completely forgot where he was and what he was doing. Maybe he wasn't really cut out for this. These wolves were so confident, so fierce and he was... Well, a skinny dork of a dog. Aside from Aeolus, they were all born fighters or circumstances had morphed them into fighters. What had he done for most of his life? He had ran. He had hidden. 

He suddenly realised he was stood right next to a bloody  bear once she began to speak and barely managed to hold back a yelp. After all, it was his turn to speak.

"I'm Dali, a Page. I... I've never fought in any war but I have been the prey, the captured and the lost," the hound began, pawing the ground nervously. "I know how it feels to be frightened and aware that every second might be your last. Since joining Inaria, I've come to realise how lucky I was to survive and find this place. I want others who feel as lost as I did to feel protected and watched over. I also want to repay this pack for what it's done for me. I want to stop running away."

I want to do the right thing for once. And if he had to learn, if he had to train. So be it.

[Blaise]

“Inaria. Despite this time of peace, we cannot forget our defenses. We have no Captain, no Gatekeeper, no Marquis. Until these positions are filled, those of you interested in acting as Soldier or Sentinel will report to me. Today, you will be assigned a partner for training. No one will be turned away. If you volunteer, we will find you a use. Tell me your name and your desired role. What experience you have at the borders or with fighting. Your goals, if you have no experience at all.”

Blaise's eyes flicked around the gathering, taking in familiar faces and Cappella's in particular, his own face twitched briefly with hatred before he looked away, back to Cockatrice. He hadn't actually wanted to come at all but Felix had heard the call and insisted they were needed, his obvious relutance had started to make Felix ask questions - Why not? So rather than open that can of worms and he had unwillingly come along.

Felix had rushed to the front as soon as they arrived at the gathering, placing himself as close to Cockatrice as he could get with out actually invading his personal space. While Blaise stood at the back, watching, offering nothing and saying nothing, Inaria had taken everything he could give, chewed him up and spat him out. He'd done so much for Inaria in his long years, but the pack had a short memory and no capacity for gratitude, they were all too busy trying to martyr themselves to duty to notice anyone elses efforts. He'd been just like them once, he would have bled purple... But that was before Capella had attacked him and Weiss had publically branded him a coward. None of the so-called leaders had spared a breath to stand up for him on either occasion. Loyalty did not only work in one direction and now he found his was not unconditional.

Felix wagged his tail enthusiastically along to Cockatrice's words. If he volunteered he could be what ever it was he asked? This was too easy but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He jumped at the chance. "I'm Felix. I'm going to be an Elite Guard!" Felix announced with a pugnacious look round to challenge anyone who might be thinking he was too shrimpy for the task, Aeolus in particular.

"He's only a child." Blaise said softly but firmly, speaking up from the back to gently remind Cockatrice his responsibly was not only to protect his own little prince and princesses. Blaise had realised that Inaria royalty was very blinked about the value of life not directly related to them. His children were not disposable. And if they were to measure by how much Inarian blood actually flowed through their veins then his kids were the royalty compared to those mongrels.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. I can do what I like." Felix argued back, clearly annoyed by the interjection. He was right, he was on the cusp of adulthood. But Blaise wanted to keep him a child because children are innocent and they don't need to know the things that will hurt them; keeping things from them could be justified by saying they wouldn't understand them anyway. But Felix wanted to grow up and grow up fast, he'd started to realise just how sheltered he'd been kept and just how many problems Inaria and the world had. Young, brash and full of energy, he felt like he had the answers for every single one of those problems if only anyone would just listen to him for once and let him solve them!

"I want to be an Elite Guard." Felix repeated making sure to pronunciate every word clearly, making eye contact with his Dad the whole time. Sorry Dad. But it's my turn now.

[Gyr[RP]]

She had heard the call, sensitive ears pricked forward at the sound.  It had been quite some time since there had been a meeting regarding the guards and soldiers, the last time she'd seen all these types together had been-  well, she didn't like to think about it.  Her head was low to the ground as she travelled to the summons.  She had been secluded, neglecting her duties as a soldier, so wound up within herself and with no one to talk to, she'd been skirting the borders, keeping away from those she knew, and those she didn't.  

But no longer, it was time to suppress her hurt, and her and her anger and sadness for the better.  It was time to come back out into the world and do her sworn duty as a soldier of Inaria.  She owed them that, she owed herself that, what she had done in the war was terrifying, but, it was in defense for her pack, she should not be ashamed of it.  (But she was, and it ached)

She came upon the gathering, many more wolves then she would have assumed would be there, almost all of them she did not know. There were a few she could pick out, but the amount of those she did not know outweighed the number she did.  She offered those she passed a small smile, excusing herself as she made her way to a small tree to the right of Cockatrice, towards the rear of the meeting.  

“Inaria. Despite this time of peace, we cannot forget our defenses. We have no Captain, no Gatekeeper, no Marquis. Until these positions are filled, those of you interested in acting as Soldier or Sentinel will report to me. Today, you will be assigned a partner for training. No one will be turned away. If you volunteer, we will find you a use. Tell me your name and your desired role. What experience you have at the borders or with fighting. Your goals, if you have no experience at all.”

She glanced up at him as he spoke, agreeing that there had been many vacancies as of late, but she could not judge them, she herself had been neglecting her duties as well, but had chosen to return.  She turned to each of the others who spoke in turn, listening to their names and committing them to memory, patiently waiting her turn to tell this man who she was.  When the others had finished, she cleared her that and spoke in a low tone, her voice laced in a quiet sadness.  "My name is Gyr, I am a soldier,  I fought in th- the war against our enemies, and I am prepared to do what ever it takes to keep ours protected."  

Even if it means committing the same atrocities again.

[Luna]

ooc: I'll code this up late but for now here is a post, keke.

The smell and sight of war would not be anything the princess would know, nor did she feel the same scars and weight as many others within Inaria. But she could see it, the way certain patches of the forest still grow back slowly, the look of haunting memories eyes of some soldiers, the small scar upon her mother’s hind quarters that fur no longer grew, the missing ear atop her King-father’s head. The bright-eyed, still very innocent Princess could barely imagine what it was like. But oh, she’d heard the stories. She pried many stories from her parents lips to get the greatest feel for Inaria she could— she was a princess, after all, one that she took seriously and didn’t want anyone to forget.

How romantic that her parents pledged their love and lives to one another on the battlefield. Although it could be seen by anyone how in love her parents were, the catalyst of near-death experience only brought them closer. Luna would speak of the Inaria war like the mighty victory it was, even if she had no part in it, only to those who had the heart to want to listen. Her patriotism for her pack only grew with each breath and day she lived; it only made sense for her to feel a skip of excitement when she heard the gathering call.

Luna spared no time arriving to the call made by the Elite Guard, smiling with pride and awe to see the many brave and commendable people of her pack to seek usefulness and job opportunities. Among the many faces, she recognized the young Valor princess, striding up beside her with tail near-high alongside her royal ‘cousin’ both the two oozing their obvious status in their saunters and stances. Luna had a certain spark in her eye, a glint that was commendable and respectful for the russet girl beside her as they were the only two children of Sword and Shield who showed up so far.

Two who seemed to have the same devotion for Inaria.

“Hiya Doli,” she whispered, large grin upon her face that read more; ‘of course you’re here.’ Her attention didn’t last long on the Valor daughter, before it turned toward Cockatrice as he spoke. Luna hadn’t really taken the time to consider why she was here or what she wanted— all she knew is she loved Inaria and would do anything for it. Perhaps Inaria would know what’s best for her before she knew it herself.

“I am princess Luna, flower daughter of the King and Queen of Shields.” It was obvious she rehearsed this, having the worlds roll off her tongue perfectly when given the opportunity to speak. That, however, was all she had practiced, although very ambitious she was still a child, and her voice settled into a small prideful giggle to herself and perhaps Pareidolia for being able to sound so fancy.

[Belioh]

✦

Three children.

There were now three children of Sword and Shield.

Bel had heard the call and her ears flattened. How bad would it look if she didn't go? Would her parents frown in disappointment? Or would they shower love upon the ones who did show interest? What if no one went?What if all her siblings went? The latter one was a little harder to bear. If she were the only of either brood to show, well... all the power to her. But if she were the only one who failed to make a presence, that'd look bad and everything would be terrible from then on.

Anxiety and what ifs were a powerful motivator it seemed.

Belioh's heart hammered when she already saw a crowd gathering, but she held her head up and changed up her pace so she at least looked like she was raised well thus far. Even though her sister sat with one of the other ones, Bel took her place on the other side of Luna. She sat straight, sat like a princess should sit, but her ears were plastered against her skull. The others were introducing themselves and she just... did not want to speak aloud. or to the giant one eared wolf.

Her sister spoke and Bel sighed softly, nerves mostly, that was quite the mouthful to memorize -- Bel knew. Then again she didn't really wish to copy word for word either.

"Be-Belioh," she spoke up, with her eyes cast down and her front paws pulling together. "daughter of the King and Queen of Shields. I jus- I just want to do my p-part. To help."

[Cockatrice]

They come.

Inaria is, if nothing else, loyal and steadfast. She may be naive in her innocence, or foolish in her hope, but she is unwavering in her devotion – it is this quality, Trice thinks, that he finds most valuable in his nation, and that he sees reflected back at him in several sets of curious and eager eyes. His gaze skips over the first few gathered, settling instead at his bold daughter, his chest full of pride and a strange trepidation. Of course she would heed him. Of course she would want to fight. It was in her blood, her bones, and he would not deny her this.

“Princess,” he murmurs at her fondly, for a brief moment a father before a guard. “Stay close.” The wolf picks his head up, his single ear rolling forward in mild surprise and curiosity, though his hesitance shifts to a subtle brightening at Moonachie’s rumbling approach. “Bear.” It is as friendly a statement as her greeting of wulvs, and meant without any disrespect. “Inaria would be honored to have you as a soldier. And you, too, Rider.” Trice turns slightly, regarding the unknown newcomer with a steady gaze. “You will train under Gyr.” He trusted the little wolf who’d fought beside them against Saboro – perhaps the responsibility of a charge would do her good.

If only there weren’t so many children. They were all the hope Inaria had for the future, but it did not make it any easier when he had so few able bodies to train them, to teach them. Trice watches Blaise quietly a moment, as though he might communicate some understanding to the old wolf in his silence. They were all only children, once. Saboro had not cared.

“Felix. If you want to be an Elite Guard, then you will train with me.” It would not make him any safer – might put him in greater danger – but he could promise the old Page, at least, that his son would have a careful eye on him. That, then, would be it for the Soldiers; the Sentinels required more care, but Trice had spent enough time holding the line at the borders to have some understanding of what it required. Aeolus had come far since his acceptance – he receives a brief nod in personal greeting – but the Guard then faces Dali, considering.

“Aeolus is the most senior Sentinel we have available. You will learn the rank from him, if you take to it. Tell others at the border what you’ve learned for yourself.” Value. Loyalty. Protection.

Which brought him to—

“Cappella,” last. Cockatrice knows her. He knows of her even more – she has been waiting. “A Captain must be patient and prudent. They must be as thoughtful as they are strong. They protect the heart of our very home.” He nods, slowly, to the children – to Belioh and Luna, both, and to his own Doli – before looking back into Cappella’s orange eyes. “You will train the princesses, as both their guardian, and their Elite Guard.” Trice lifts his head, but does not linger on her longer than he must; the implication that her job should be successful is already clear.

“If you have any questions, you may discuss them with me. Otherwise, you are dismissed.”

---

[ "A SHORT THREAD" HE SAID--

Sorry for the wait! YOU GET A RANK! AND YOU GET A RANK! You are welcome to reply (I can reply with Trice if you need) or just start up a new thread with your rank partners, etc. Go, be free! CONGRATS! ]

[Pareidolia]

- Pareidolia's little jaw drops wide open when she sees Moonachie. WHAT IS THAT!!!! If the bear happens to glance over, she might see the royal pup grinning like a goblin in her direction. Hey Doli, note to self: ride that into valiant battle when you're queen.

- Ooh, some friends. She wags her tail at Luna's greeting and starts shuffling sneakily over to Belioh (to chew on her ear, most likely) while the adults share their stories... but lo, dad calls. The young girl pads over agreeably and settles at his massive front paws like a pet cat expecting a stroke.

- Grownup-With-Pretty-Accent is told to train her and the other girls, gasp! What could this entail? She watches Cappella from around her dad's leg, secretly studying the scar tissue marring her proud face. Presumably follows her into this thread momentarily.

- Kashmir steps forward after the meeting is complete. Yeah, forgot he was here, didn't you? Seems like he wants to speak with Cockatrice privately.

- The king of swords considers saying something awkward about the weather before dropping it and cutting straight to the chase instead. "We've been discussing the ranks as well," he says, referring of course to he and his fellow monarchs. "Setebos is gone. Sage is gone. Moons is gone." A somber reflection; these were all good wolves lost to the aftermath of war, vanished as though they'd never been here at all. It was difficult to imagine or even guess what exactly may have happened to them.

- He continues, looking up at the old titan, inviting him to sit and share. "I have... someone in mind for medic. Cappella will take over Sage's duties." A brief lick of his lips. "We'd like you as our new marquis, if you'll have the position."