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It was time. She and N​ó​ttin had spoken of it for far too long, mostly in between themselves, to keep it quiet for too much longer — and the recent months had been busy, followed by their desperate search for runes and the trip to Northfall. Dal wanted to wait, not to stress or add to anyone's plate. They'd both wanted to wait until the curse itself had abated completely, but on that voidless, starless night, with the soulless eye of the Blood Moon watching them, she didn't want to wait any longer. Since the recent vision, followed by the waning of the clouds in the North, what better time than now?

Nonetheless, the spotted woman was a little nervous as she weaved her way around the gathering spot, where they'd previously had meetings and voting for the head Pillars. She wondered if she was important enough to make this announcement or if she should have had her fiancé do it — and he, of course, was not far from behind her. There were small worries that wormed their way into her mind, hoping it wouldn't be too surprising for anyone — that everyone would be happy for them all in all. But with those came the hope that it would bring them all closer together, even their allies. She wanted this to be about new beginnings, a time for them to rest after all they'd been through in recent months.

Dal was making sure each of her little bundles of lavender, elderberries, and pink blooms she'd found near the Blushed Meadows was enough for each member of the pack (if all of them decided to show), and if not, that was okay too. It was for whoever wanted to celebrate and enjoy the upcoming celebration of love. After counting each one for the third time, she felt her husband-to-be's presence and glanced over her shoulder to find his steady form. There was a sense of calm whenever he was around; she could feel her shoulders relax underneath the warmth of her worn-in elk's pelt. And it was all she needed to let out the summoning call for all of Dawnbreak. The future in his eyes sparked her to ignite the kindling of their love.

Good afternoon, everyone. Her soft voice would reach those who heeded the call, now seated at the behest of the deemed post. I hope I haven't interrupted your daily duties too much... I've set some bundles of herbs and berries for each of you, just as a little thank you for coming to hear Nóttin and I's announcement. Her periwinkle eyes would dote on her Glacier's form for a few seconds before casting her gaze back to the gathered and continuing, A little bit before we left for Northfall, Nóttin proposed... And... Well, we are getting married... And we are hoping that you all, and maybe if the Pillar heads are okay with it, some of our nearby allies, would gather with us in a month's time, watch us wed. She was not the best at conversing with a whole group at once, but did her best to speak loud and clear, touching her shoulder to her soon-to-be husband's.

---

tagging all of Dawnbreak + visitors! Nóttin and Dalmatia are announcing their engagement and wedding date (12/3)

Aurelia Tiberii Vidarr Wolf Cassius Euphemia Isaiah Freya Sólúlfur Valkyrie Jökull Viola Azrael Brynhild Belladonna Torgar Svajonė Seutonius

N​ó​ttin had been both looking forward to and dreading this announcement. He had spoken with only a couple of members about this, being Tiberii and Sol. The memory of Tiberii's reaction to their engagement still remained vibrant in his mind's eye, fearing that he might instill the same dark feelings she was surely harboring into the others of their pack, their family.

But there was also hope in his heart, hope that this union would bring great happiness in a time of sorrow and grief. And with the possibility of puppies also on the horizon, he was sure that their future would start to look so much brighter. N​ó​ttin joined Dalmatia by her side as they readied themselves for the announcement. As the other members came to their meeting, he smiled upon them all with much gratitude.

Dalmatia finally let her voice fill the void, catching the attention of all those who decided to attend. The sable man watched with keen interest, a softness to his face that was becoming more readily seen by his peers. A softness that was brought out more all thanks to his beloved. At the end of her speech, he caught her loving gaze for just a moment, before letting out his own share of the happy news.

We hope that this can bring a happiness and joy in an otherwise hard and tricky time in our lands. Let it bring hope that light can still shine through the darkness, and bring a much brighter future no matter what comes our way. That love, trust and the strength of our bonds will get us all through anything. N​ó​ttin looked back to Dalmatia in that moment, beyond happy that she was sharing in this moment with him, happy that she was the one that he would share the rest of his life with.

---

Nothing but vast oceans of light.

Currents of energy,

a sea of vibrations.

Amongst it all, was she.

Complete and utter dispersal.

Then, there –

at the edges,

there was a form. a shape.

Something that was.

It had a face.

It had a name.

It opened its eyes.

---

Olive didn’t remember such brightness. The world, it seemed, was filled with things that accosted the senses. Like a newborn, she blinked against it until she could make out the trees. With them, came knowledge. Memories – an identity. She was Olive, and this was the north.

Her north.

Somewhere; somewhere different than that vast presence that heard everything, she could hear movement. She perceived the hustle and bustle of a gathering group.

She heard the voices of her children.

Olive couldn’t say how she did it, for she did not feel her feet move, but she was looking upon them. She had seemingly approached from the back, and from that vantage point she watched them all, those of her blood and those without,

but they were watching them

It was impossible not to know Dalmatia, the look of new love smeared across her bespeckled face. The man beside her, she couldn’t recall. He looked noble. They looked the paragon of partnership.

Some things came back slowly and some came back quickly; some came back in pieces, and others not at all. The memories were more of a feeling which gripped her, viscerally. She was this place. She was those who had gathered. Those who were not present, were not noticed.

Of those present, she was exceptionally aware.

She smiled – oh, how she smiled! Through and through, it was as if the core of her being shone outward, casting a glow on the earth beneath her and the air that connected with her spectral skin.

The sylph hadn’t forgotten it, not one bit. She hadn’t been blinded in her death. It was just... instead of being everywhere at once, now she was here. Singularly here. Seeing only this.

Olive couldn’t feel the chill to the air, the smell of the bouquet so diligently prepared, nor the hunger of not having eaten for years; but she felt them, and that was everything. The woman could focus on nothing else. She lifted her nose to the sky, awash in the presence of those she loved deeply, and thanked all of the gods that existed in the great ether for such a privilege.

It seemed that her resounding piety, when she walked upon this planet, had finally paid off.

---

— EVERYBODY STAY CALM, ITS HAPPENING, I REPEAT STAY EFFING CALM!

He'd come - of course he had. The world was strange enough, and the hunt beneath the red moon had left them all feeling differently. He hadn't realized until then the depth of Tiberii's worries. He hadn't known she'd been so broken lately, and that felt like a betrayal. That he had clearly not spent enough time around his sister to know how hard she'd been struggling. Which of course meant that since then, Isaiah had been halfway up Tiberii's ass. He was probably annoying her at this point, barely letting her pee alone. And so it was natural, knowing that Dalmatia wanted to gather the pack.

He could just sense the nervous energy as it budded up his speckled sister, until finally she was giving them all the news, and he felt his energy rising until his feet tap-tap tapped! it out a couple times. Oh! My goodness, D-dal! He squeaked her name out before he looked to the Pillar next to her. Congratulations, both of you! They would gain a brother, too! It wouldn't only be the four sisters and him and Cassius, holding all the grief for the missing halves of their litter. There would still be the massive void of their parents and of Genghis, and nothing could soften that jagged, raw wound. But this? This was joy.

He appreciated her thoughtful gift to all of them, but he hadn't even stopped to think much on it. Not when he had the means to celebrate with her, not when they finally had some good news. His tail moved in a quick blur before there was other movement that pulled his gaze from the happy couple who had gathered them all together. His brow furrowed, looking from Dalmatia who seemed to glow from within to the otherworldly sort of glow that seemed to emanate from the figure that had glided? towards them. He couldn't make her out at first, and after all they'd seen it wouldn't be so wild to imagine something so strange.

But she was not strange - she was there. She was everywhere. She was nowhere. She had rested above the Vale, she had watched them for so long now - Isaiah was no more a mere child, he was grown. It did not stop the tears that filled his eyes, or the way that he seemed to immediately become so little again. Mommy?

The seasons were changing, and so with them did the wolves of the Vale. Growing, learning, grieving; and within this pain, love yet bloomed. Time eased the aches in their hearts as life rolled endlessly on, and through this hard lesson in patience Aurelia had lifted her head and weathered the storm.

Dalmatia's call rang out, her silver tones breaking apart the silence, and Aurelia dutifully followed its source.

There weren't many reasons her spotted sibling might call a gathering of such proportions - but she suspected one.

Nottin had thus far proven to be a steady and reliable figure among the pack since his introduction. Loyal, strong, and capable - the frá Norðri seemed to have this in common, she thought as heat crept into her cheeks at a sudden vision of Solulfur - it pleased her to see him spending so much time with Dalmatia.

It was a marvel to witness how her sister had gradually emerged from her shell, transforming from the timid girl of their childhood into a radiant woman full of hope. With Tiberii's despondent attitude since Shiloh's disappearance and Aurelia's own sorrow losing Solvi, the pack was in desperate need of something to uplift their spirits.

Aurelia padded quietly into the clearing, sitting near a neatly-packaged bundle of herbs as she listened to her sister's announcement with an uncharacteristically gentle expression. She was happy for her - truly - but her thoughts could not help drifting to Tiberii, who would no doubt be wrestling with her own demons regardless of the joy this news brought.

This might have been her and Shiloh as well - in another life.

It is wonderful news, Aurelia said, rising to give Dalmatia an affectionate press of her forehead against the spotted woman's. I am happy for you both. Nottin is right. We must move forward and greet the dawn at last, and what better way than through the union of two beloved -

The words died in her throat. A faint shimmer had caught her eye, flowing along the edge of the gathering like a pale river, and Isaiah was the first to see her.

Aurelia felt the whole world stop.

Mother?

How long had it been since she'd uttered that word?

Mother... Mother!

Memories flooded back in a torrent, culminating in that singular, selfish tantrum where Aurelia had exploded to their father - sick over Tiberii's disappearance, fraught with worry both for her and Olive's fragile state - that she shouldn't be beholden to Mother's worries, that it wasn't her responsibility to shoulder anyone else's feelings, that Mother would be just fine on her own, and Aurelia had regretted those words every day since.

She saw her Mother, and she saw her own shame.

Perhaps Father had told her about the outburst - perhaps not. But it had always hung over Aurelia's head like a dark cloud since, poisoning every memory with the humiliation of her own ingratitude and selfishness, that those words had ever been uttered from her mouth.

It was largely this shame that had compelled her to step up and carry every burden thereafter, putting the weight of the world on her own shoulders in order to absolve herself of this stain she had placed on the most wonderful wolf to grace this mortal life.

Whatever eyes were upon her now, she did not care. Aurelia fell forward toward her mother's spirit, stumbling across the ground as she dissolved into tears.

Mama. I'm so sorry, she choked out between strangled breaths. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

With wet lashes and tear-streaked cheeks, she looked up at Olive with the eyes of a child.

I'm so sorry. When Tiberii was gone - I was selfish. I didn't mean any of it. Mother, I wish - I would give anything -

I wish I had told you this while you were still here. I wish I could have said goodbye. I wish we'd never had to say goodbye at all.

I miss you - so much, she said. How are you - for how long...?[/font]

Skill:

---

The announcement was one she'd been expecting, especially after her last conversation with Nóttin. The bittersweet conglomerate of feelings still dwelled within her, a sickening mixture of happiness and vile jealousy. It was horrible, that bitter sensation that left a rotten taste in the bull's mouth ... but Tiberii refused to let her own feelings get in the way of Dalmatia's happiness. The land was shrouded in darkness, but that did not mean there was not room for light.

Dalmatia deserved her happiness. Nóttin, too. And Tiberii would not deny them that. Not for her own selfish feelings. It was horrible, and she hated herself for even thinking jealous thoughts.

Not when Dal could be so happy.

Not when Dawnbreak needed a spark of light in this endless darkness.

So Tiberii would go, following the song of her sister's voice that drew guests forward for the announcement. And it was incredible to see it. The joy in Dalmatia's face, the boldness in her voice. The smile upon Nóttin's lips. The sincerity that lingered between them. They had both grown and flourished with the guidance of each other, building each other up upon a pillar. Just like Dawnbreak had taught them all to do.

It was ... perfect.

Tiberii would soften herself, steeling herself to put on a Happy Face as she often did. The clangorous cheers would guide her forward, the words of her siblings and family melting into her ears. It was easy, simple ... it was ...

... it was ...

Tiberii slowed, her paws suddenly still... motion paused as her gaze caught the misted apparition in the distance. Silver, sparse, ethereal. It was too familiar. It was too familiar..

Mom? Tiberii's voice barely left her, the hoarseness of a whisper lost to the blizzard of time. Everything slowed, the ticking hand of time reversing as a portal opened to reveal the nymph that was their mother. Small. So small. Tiberii remembered — she remembered that body, coiled up delicately upon a pile of snow. So small.

Mom! Her voice was louder, but softer than the thunder of Aurelia's own pleas as her serpentine sister also realized the strangeness of the otherworldly situation. It was a haze, a dream, a farse. It was a farce, certainly. It was just a tired, exaggerated mind wishing for something (for someone) so lost. It ... couldn't ... it couldn't.

But if she didn't try ...

Tiberii would run, pushing forward upon powerful limbs and charging toward the figure until ... until ...

... she ran right through her mother's materialized form.

And all Tiberii felt was a zap of cold, her physical frame unscathed while her mental frame was crippled beneath the weight of realization. The bull would slow, half-collapsed into the ground as she heaved a gutteral sigh. Ma ... It was pathetic, small, and oh-so-childish. Tiberii was no longer the bull. No longer a woman. She was just a little girl again, seeking salvation from her mother's soft words.

And on this, the day of her sister's engagement.

---

There was a pretty good guess at what all the commotion was about. Cassius returned his sister's call with a howl of his own, a blond form trotting through the brush as quickly and effectively as he could. Dalmatia had meant a great deal to him, having found him again after he had been taken the second time. She would always be there for him, so he would be there for her. As soon as he entered the meeting, blue eyes could see the happy pair sitting next to each other in front of the others. Cassius hadn't really known the new Pillar of Courage personally, but did appreciate all that he had seemingly done for the pack. Most importantly, he greatly appreciated how happy he made his beloved sister. Cassius came up to Dalmatia next, a happy yet shy smile on his face.

Congratulations, Dal. I'm so happy for the both of you. I wish you both great happiness for all eternity. As he turned to find his place within the crowd however, he took notice of what looked like a white haze appearing before them, just barely visible behind the rest of them. Aurelia and Tiberii were standing in front of her, Isaiah not far behind. No, it just couldn't be. Mother? Is it really you? Cassius froze up, not sure whether he could approach her. His legs and feet began to shake, ears folding back against his head until they were no longer visible. Why here? Why now? This was just all too much for him to bare, for his heart to handle.

some time ago suetonius had met a kindly woman with mottled fur, and now it seemed she was one of the eminent figures for today. dalmatia. clad in elkwhite, it was her craft which had laid these fruits and blooms at the man's place. he decided he would partake later, smiling politely as the young couple gazed into one another's eyes, lifting his voice with many congratulations when there was a lull.
what happened next he did not understand. seutonius held few superstitions and was more dutiful than religious. his passion lay in other things, and one of them was the slander of heathens. yet had they not taken him in? mended him?
thus far the roman had not been untoward in his thoughts. but as some force seemed to gather, as the dawnbreak wolves cried out and reacted, he grew more and more unsure. for suetonius this translated into a grand stillness, the role of a soldier who has been put on watch.
mother. was that what they were saying? a shudder might have threatened one with less control, and silently he watched with a face grown unreadable the longer these proceedings went on. if his own dam had crawled from her grave, he might have thought himself mad. was this normal? did this happen often at such gatherings? on and on, the questions which suetonius could not answer.

to be part of dawnbreak had pleased torgar immensely and blunted his need for communion. he would have loved to see dagfinn back all the same, and preparing for his first gathering without the other boy made torgar feel sick. for the occasion he washed pelt entire, then rubbed hardened shoulders through pine-boughs to scent himself.
now. he did not quite allow himself to think of her, but of course she would be there. and much as torgar pretended not, his ministrations were for the Mediator. it took him a few moments to gather himself and his courage, and set off after the others.
he found dalmatia very pretty, but of course did not show this. she was to be married! i will be there, he agreed, though not loudly, for he was still unsure of himself. putting a berry to his mouth, he watched the young couple with interest. it was the goal of young northmen on the fjord, of course, though when it would happen varied from boy to boy. for torgar, it would be part of his early time as a man to settle and to build. he wondered how long they had known one another, how any wolf came to this conclusion. was it a feeling? an agreement?
so lost in his thoughts was torgar that he did not immediately see the gathering ethereality. and when he did, he only stared in dumb blinking. was it a -- a wolf?
a mother. a mother! isaiah reacted, then aurelia. the eivorsson boy felt his eyes widen, felt his heart race. when tiberii reacted, true panic struck him. he tried to trot pointedly to her side, crouching down beside her collapsed form with an awkward protectiveness.
another call, cassius; mother.
torgar tried another look at the phantasm, but felt his pulse roar to acceleration so fast that he had to glance away, back toward tiberii with helpless hope she was not injured, that she would rise.

[she doesn't know that the world is turning just for her]

skill: heartbroken

---

The news that Euphemia had been expecting finally reached her. Only, instead of a pregnancy announcement, it was an announcement of engagement. Somehow, the maiden found it in herself to be happy for Dalmatia. Truly and genuinely happy. She sat there, grinning, for once unable to heed the call of jealousy. It whispered in her ear, gently threatening to ruin such a fortuitous moment, but the love she felt for her most darling of sisters kept it at bay.

Huzzah!

In fact, she did have a passing thought for the man Alaric, but alas, he was not here. Sometimes, she wondered if the man had only been a passing dream. Still, she managed to find happiness in the ones who were. Euphemia turned to look at the others who had gathered around the happy couple, eyes moving amongst the moving bodies and congratulatory words.

The maiden stood, wagging her tail, waiting for someone to approach her in conversation or visa versa. She noticed the tide of attention begin to ripple in another direction, at first in an almost imperceptible manner – the casting of glances askew, twitching of ears, then the turning of heads, and suddenly –

The soulful exclamations that burst from her siblings confirmed what she doubted was truly before her own eyes. Euphemia stumbled forward, unearthing new reasons to not trust this spectral force. It looked like mother, but it did not speak. It smelled of nothing. Tiberii ran straight through her, as if she was made of air. Her siblings cried. Euphemia’s ears pressed back, almost melding into the back of her skull.

Her vision swam, and when she tried to step forward, it felt as if her body moved to the side. She did her best to approach, to suss this out for herself. It was very like this world to allow ghosts to walk, and mother herself had always said that the veil was thin during this particular turn of the year. At the same time, but she did not want to believe it;

because, was this truly a gift, if it was only going to take her mother away again?

Her head throbbed suddenly, and her eyes rushed with tears laced with confusion and overwhelm. She could not speak, and instead focused on steadying herself. Paws on earth. Head on neck on shoulders.

---