“The what!?" Gregory turned around quickly to hiss the words at ULf who had fallen in behind him.

He hadn't been told that he would be expected to give or receive any sorts of gifts at the ceremony, and all he had currently available to give were the trunks he was wearing. In response to his alpha's understandable alarm, ULf merely offered a reassuring smile and a Light shove of his friend's shoulder to get him turned back around to face the proper direction.

“Do not worry, alpha. I am told that all will be well."

That wasn't terribly reassuring to hear, especially since sometimes

Gregory had heard ULf in meditation mumbling conversations toward The

First Dragon and Dal Gahlla. He really hoped that Ulf's sources claiming that all would be well in this matter were somewhat more practical.

The Blood Snakes were the first to be proven, and Grolfir arose from behind the high table to stand before Duraz. There he gave the alpha an ornamental knife, and in return Duraz offered a golden box. They clasped wrists and smiled at each other when the warchief welcomed him as an equal to orc society, and then Grolfir stepped aside. Borika took over at that point, and pronounced Duraz as having alpha status. She took a small bag of powder from within her cloak and held it up.

“Duraz, alpha of the Blood Snakes, with the ashes of Dal Gahlla's Last fire, I prove you are worthy," she proclaimed.

Then, Duraz bowed his head as Borika poked her thumb inside the Little bag and it emerged coated in black ash. She reverently drew a small sigil on Duraz's brow, and stepped back. Gregory felt himself almost jump out of his skin as the hall burst into a deafening roar of approval. Duraz grinned and stepped aside for the next in line of his pack to step forth. Once again, Borika said the words to officially prove the orc and the roars of applause went up for the former pup. It was difficult not to be swept up in the energy of the hall. Soon enough, rather than being startled by the cheers, Gregory was joining in with the rest of his pack. Each orc was proven by Borika, and then went to shake hands with the warchief before going to stand at Duraz's side.

Once it was over and the last pack member of the Blood Snakes had finished his proving ceremony, Borika turned to take an ornamental cup from the high table and reverently placed some of the ashes from her little bag into the bottom of it. With the knife that Grolfir had given

Duraz, the alpha drew the blade across the palm of his hand. Borika fell to one knee and held up the cup before him, allowing Duraz to bleed into it before passing the knife along to his pack mates. One by one, each made a shallow cut and bled into the cup. Once the last had made his offering, Borika stood up again and held her hand over the vessel.

“Dal Gahlla offered its fire to the first of us. It still burns hot in the blood of our kin. Together it binds us all, and on this day that fire forges a new pack." With that, Borika took a small stick from within her cloak and pressed it into the flames of a nearby torch.

She then took the small, flickering flame that burned at the end of the thin stick and placed the whole thing within the cup of blood. It immediately lit up with a bright red fire that burned several feet high. Once the effect was finished, Borika turned the cup to show the hall it was once again empty without so much as a marking on its base.

The fire had seemed to claim the entirety of the blood inside and turned it into something else entirely.

The name of the newly made war-pack was chanted loudly as many orcs beat their fists against the tables in celebration.

“Blood Snakes! Blood Snakes! Blood Snakes!"

The thunder died down as Borika set the cup down at the high table and moved to stand before the next alpha in line. Gregory became painfully aware that he was next in line whilst that alpha gave his gift to the war chief and received a medium sized bag of silver in return. This time, there was no pronunciation of an alpha as the pack was proven one by one and each shifted off to sit with other packs. It seemed that they were all ready to disband, though a few hugs and salutes were given to each other as they parted ways to find their own places amongst packs that needed new recruits.

Gregory hadn't known that disbandment was an option. It might have been logical for him to disband The Runts, given that he aimed to move north in search of answers as soon as possible. It was simply that a very illogical but highly convincing part of his brain utterly detested that idea. These orcs had trusted him, fought beside him, and he'd be damned if he was going to give them up just yet. He'd have leapt head-first into the dark realms for any of them, and their own bond was closer than all but those he shared with Janette and Algra.

Once the disbanded pack had taken their seats to a more muted but still genuine applause, Grolfir and Borika moved to stand before the human in their midst.

Ok ULf, now is the time for the gift to magically appear in my hands.