!The light gray colored Savant muttered uncharacteristic curses under her breath as she hurried toward the gathering. She had heard the howl, but she had not immediately answered it. It was not because she did not respect the source of the call. As usual, the woman had been lost in her thoughts. And her thoughts had centered around her absent mate, undoubtedly the reason that the meeting had been called in the first place. Still, it had been hard to rouse herself from her thoughts, even as that thread of logic wound its way through her mind.
Put simply, Geneva missed the grizzled, one-eyed Patriarch with a ferocity she had not expected. Geneva was a quiet, tempered soul. She was usually balanced, but Jefferson's absence from Phoenix Valley had truly thrown her for a loop. She did not usually act foolish, she liked to believe, but for the last few days, since he had informed her of his decision, she had been somewhat reclusive. Geneva had tried to argue with Jefferson over this, but she had respected his decision in the end.
As Geneva neared her gathered brethren, she brushed past Zynex. She murmured an apology for the brief contact. Zynex, like Jefferson, could be reclusive and withdrawn. Like as not, the Tundra-bred woman still sat apart from the rest of the gathering. A small smile touched the Savant's maw - at least some things stayed the same.
Geneva noted some unfamiliar faces among those gathered. She had vague recollections of seeing them in passing. Truly, Geneva had been out of touch for some time. The veil of her thoughts did not keep her separated from her pack most of the time - her duties, usually. But she would have to put her thought-filled wanderings to an end for a while, at least until the ex-Kalona got his bearings.
She took her place at Dawali's side, shooting him an apologetic smile as she settled beside him. Her heart ached dimly as she thought of the times she had stood beside Jefferson in the same manner. Still, she did not hold any of this against Dawali. He had proven to be a good, responsible ally. He had been a leader beside Ember in AniWaya, and she held the black wolfess - her friend of long acquaintance - in high esteem. She gave a voice to her thoughts, hoping to leave her packmates with the same feelings of ease.
"Dawali speaks the truth," Geneva said, taking a care to project her usually whisper soft voice. Her gentle tones rang out like a bell now, as she spoke with the authority of her position in the pack. "AniWaya is indeed a good, reliable ally. We are lucky to have someone like Dawali among us, with experience and goodwill." Geneva cleared her throat a bit and then continued. "I would trust him with my life, and I would entrust him with your lives as well. And that is something neither Jefferson or me would take lightly." Her last words gave credence to the happenings here, as well as the joint-decision that the two leaders had made together. Geneva spoke with emotion clearly evident in her words and features - whether or not she had made the acquaintance of all gathered here, she cared deeply for each one, and she would do everything in her power to safeguard them from harm. She hoped they knew as much. [/html]