At Corinna's words Indru nodded in agreement and without hesitation lifted his head skywards, his mouth opening just slightly as he begun the wavering notes of his howl, only to widen as the deep call started to reach crescendo along with a volume that was guaranteed to carry for a long distance to beckon his pack. "Come", it called to them all as Corinna's own lighter and more delicate howl had started to twist and curl around the deeper sound of his own, creating a complimentary melody. The leaders beckoned and Indru knew it was an instinct of the pack to respond to the command.

After Indru had felt sure that all who had needed to hear it would have and that it had travelled out along the nearby lands like a ripple, the leader slowly let his howl waver before it faded completely and he lowered his head. They will come, he told Cori confidently, turning his head to nip lovingly at her cheek as they waited, the Tainn's body pressed against her side in a protective stance as they awaited the arrival of their pack.

Of course Hael hadn't been hanging out near the den lately; there wasn't much of a den to hang out at, after all. The thought annoyed the kid more than saddening him, but nevertheless, he tried to avoid it as best he could, lounging somewhere else with his siblings most of the time. But today Dad's howl called him to a different location. Hael simply climbed to his feet after a short nap and trotted the short distance through the woods. Soon fe found them, nodding simply to his parents as they came into view.

Silently triumphant that he'd been the first pup present, he circled nearer to the gathering of his family and pack mates, brushing deliberately roughly against Dad as he passed him, and licking his mother's cheek affectionately, asking the question on his mind: [dohtml]"What're we doing?"[/dohtml] as he passed by them. Moving to the big roots of a tree nearby, he surveyed the new female Second briefly, though the abandonment of Naira was still a tender spot in him, and he only briefly smiled to her before reaching it. It was here he'd entertain himself by climbing the big, twisting roots before the gathering officially began.

Marsh had not been sleeping; it was far too late in the day for that. The borders had been well-checked, and the day's productivity looked to only be improving; instantly Marsh stood alert at the sound of the summons, Indru's familiar voice matched with Corinna's irresistible one. He did not hesitate to follow.

The eruption of blackbirds heralded his arrival - not his fault, but perfectly timed - and he eyed the black flock momentarily before regarding the scene before him. His gaze fell upon Corinna first, of course, and he huffed in pleased greeting as he approached her, her tongue lapping out onto her chin before he turned to Indru to pay him the same respect. The reason for a meeting in this place was yet unclear - would it be to announce Corinna's pregnancy? why not the pack den? - but he was patient. Retreating, he glanced to Ice, and only then did he register the presence of a stranger.

It was only due to the unknown female's proximity to Corinna and her children, Rihael and unborns all, that Marsh's instincts were of defensiveness; he froze, fur bristling slightly, until common sense caught up with him. Curiosity rapidly overtaking hostility, he approached the female boldly, inhaling her, noting her authority with interest (she had been quite forward with Ice, after all). Another female Second? She had better prove she deserved it.

Sitting right beside the new member, so that she was securely placed between himself and the trustworthy Ice, Marsh gazed serenely at his leaders, all agitation gone from him.

Grinning as widely as he could, Fenru raced through the woods. The cold air pressing against his face urged him to run faster, to slick back his ears along with his whiskers and the short tufts of his newly preened spring coat. Somewhere along the way he had stashed away his frayed scrap of boar hide in a hollow log, thinking to come back for it sometime later; his success in learning how to adopt a lighter, virtually silent 'walk' had his head swimming with pride. Bounding through the grove he came to a stop somewhere near the old pack den. His feet had brought him there out of habit after promptly heeding his father's call.

The boy took a moment to reorient himself then took off running again, sprinting until he began to trail after Rihael's scent trail. The sight of the small gathering set his tail into motion and, without hesitation, he respectfully greeted his parents then stepped to where his brother was engaged with the roots of a large tree. He watched him quietly before setting his paws on one of the gnarly 'stepping stones.' He raised one of his hind limbs to try and scale it but could not gain his footing. His forehead wrinkled thoughtfully, the barnburner that was his brother's amusement became a source of frustration for him; with a still, curved tail and lofty ears, he waited for the meeting to begin with the sound of Indru or Corinna's salutations and announcements.

Following after Fenru by a few minutes, Angier Lyall approached the scene. Tentatively he stepped forward to graze his tongue to both Indru and Corinna's chins. For one reason or another he hadn't actually noticed the large, upended tree and it took him a second to react. To give a nod to his other superiors and take a seat at the back of the group. He respectfully kept his eyes trained on the forest floor, simply listening to the sound of nails scratching and shuffling against tree bark.

He smiled to himself as he relaxed his ears, waiting a while before he lifted his eyes to watch the young Tainns clamber (or attempt to clamber) over the tree's roots. His head tilted and he counted the heads of those present. Indru was now here... Perhaps he should have brought something - a squirrel or a ground hog or a piece of unearthed venison - just like he had during the last meeting. At a loss as to what to do while he waited he diverted his gaze to his left flank and his bottlebrush tail that he had curled around it.

If I go crazy then will you still
call me superman?

Patiently he sat, watching as Angier and Triell filtered through the trees to the group. He offered a twitch of his muzzle to the latter, ever fond as he was of the boy, but otherwise waited for Corinna and Indru to get to business. Kisla's tardiness had not gone unnoticed by him, but it seemed her mother was more concerned by it.

Marsh's ears pricked forwards at his leadess' words, the simple question easy for him to follow. The grey eyes turned to Rihael, who could not seem to answer satisfactorily. Chuffing softly to gain his master's attention, Marsh rose to his feet once more and half-turned back towards the woods, eyes trained on Corinna. Did she want him to search for her daughter? He did not think that it would take long; the child was likely on her way.