Crossing the river that separates the lands between the maplewood and Drageda isn’t something she likes to do, knowing the risk might turn around to bite her in the ass. It isn’t the rule she and Reek came to decide and as long as she didn’t take prey down below, she’d be fine, but that means little. They wouldn’t trust her in their territory, just as she wouldn’t trust any of them above the river. Unfortunately, with her home in the corner, miles and miles and miles away from the next pack to their east, leaves them a little isolated.
Thuringwethil walks the length of the river, well beyond the valley, before she crosses over a safe distance—nearly half a day—away from the Phoenix. She finds herself in a territory she doesn’t recognize but she hasn’t been this far south before. With spring around the corner, the grove she searches bubbles with the idea of new life coming. The foliage, dead or dormant from the winter, begins to show the little sprites of life. Winter had never been her favorite season.
Rare had it become that she'd travel so far from her home, but after the encounter with Ezimette the girl had needed to clear her mind. Space had been needed between herself and her tribe, the need to reduce her negative thoughts to nothing. She doubted, truthfully, the intentions of the pallid woman. She doubted her every move, and it was for that very reason that she believed she was losing herself. The Asterr from a few months prior never would have doubted anyone, but then again, never before had someone broken their word to her after pledging their loyalty. First there had been Frostrar, and following him was Ezimette; both of which had departed from the territory without a single word of farewell. The prior had yet to return, and she wondered if he ever might, but the latter... she'd returned, and had not been greeted with pleasantries. The entire situation was troubling, bothering her on numerous levels, and so she'd chosen to take a short trip. Of course, before leaving, she had told both
@Noctura and
@Jolon of her plan, insisting they leave her to make the journey on her own.
That had been... oh, perhaps half a day ago? She wasn't quite sure, for she'd not been keeping track of the sun's position in the sky. She knew, at least, that she'd traveled through the night and well into the morning, but the specifics eluded her. No matter, she'd continued forth anyways, her journey leading her past numerous territories until she'd decided she had gone far enough—landing her right at Jade Fern Grove. Never before had she been to the area, making her curious of it and allowing for her to begin in relieving her mind of all bothersome thoughts. If her attention was placed elsewhere, then perhaps Draco might assist her by stealing away the negativities of her mind. Hoping such would happen, the dragoness continued on through the land, taking her time to explore it.
As she traversed further into the unknown, she was eventually met with the scent of another. The owner was a female, her scent recent, making the girl wish to seek her out. With nothing preventing her from doing so, she did exactly that, too, her pace even as she trailed after the stranger's fragrance. It was someone new, and she wondered if, maybe, that was what she needed to truly get her mind back on it's proper track. When she had finally spotted the other female, the young chieftess offered a soft chuff to announce her presence, but other than that she was silent; she knew not if she'd be given the opportunity to converse with the stranger, and so she decided to wait patiently and see if the other meant to stay or continue on with whatever it was she was doing.
The chuff catches her attention and both ears swing forward, turning her head to find the source. The way the wind moves, she's unable to garner much from her surroundings. Eventually she finds the source and she watches for a silent moment instead of speaking. She's dark in color, like she, but smaller—perhaps less than half her own size—and Thuringwethil offers a slight nod of her head. The other's appearance does not deter her into feeling safe; a warrior size meant little most of the time and she knew they were capable of plenty. Gyda being a prime example and her own warriors in Seageda had not always been as large as she.
Thuringwethil turns, deviating from from her original course to face the woman whom had summoned her. There's no recognition in the girl's silver eyes; she doesn't know Heda. She's been in these areas long enough to not be surprised anymore, getting used to the idea the wolves outside Drageda do not see her the same. It never does settle well and her former followers might have a problem with it, but molding what she has to her culture takes time. Heda shifts her weight into something a little more neutral, easing the visible apprehension, and waits for the other to state her purpose.
The closer she'd gotten, she more apparent it had become that, while similar in colouration, they were quite different. She was a small girl, her physique svelte, while the stranger had the bearings of a beast. Such builds were not unfamiliar to her, several of her tribe mates being the very same (perhaps even larger). There was not even a twinge of fear permitted to run along her nerves at the sight of the female, knowing better than to give into such an easily unacknowledged emotion. Instead, she looked upon the unknown being with fascination in her gaze, posture remaining neutral and body still. It was not until the other girl had turned, giving the yearling the O.K. to speak, that Asterr chose to lessen the distance between them a bit more. Though she remained a respectful distance off, still, it went from being stretched to comfortable, the ideal setting for a conversation.
"Do forgive me for my sudden approach," she began, the faintest traces of a smile gracing her maw. "But I have yet to explore this area, so when I had spotted you I had grown curious." There was a great deal of knowledge that had gathered and then been stored within her mind, but even still there was much that remained unknown to her. The woman presently before her was one of those things, earning her Asterr's interest as she was driven to conquer that which she did not know so that it might be laid to rest. There was also the matter of wishing to clear her mind, to focus on something else entirely so her troubles from back home could be eaten away by the dragon within.
"My name is Asterr Draconid," she'd announced, the hint of pride when she spoke her family's name easily detectable within her normally soft voice. "May I know your name?"
While Thuringwethil settles her posture into something she considers neutral, it differs from that of the woman that approaches. Her tail raises a few inches but she offers a smooth, cat-like back and forth motion, and her ears remain cupped forward. Dark slate eyes watch her close the distance between the two but settle with enough space that the dark leader doesn’t feel the threat upon her. Where these wolves might not know who she is, wouldn’t have a reason to catch her out of Drageda without a guard, she still feels the unease for the risk she takes each time she steps over her pack boundaries.
She’s quick to explain her approach and Thuringwethil offers a fraction of a nod in acknowledgement but it does not ease the tension created. Her path shifts so she is more facing of the other dark woman, someone that can’t be much different in age than herself, with a curiosity that changes from her location to her new companion. “Thuringwethil,” she introduces then, smoothing out her own step forward to show that she, too, meant no harm. “I’ve never been here,” she explains, just in case the woman had any reason to ask her questions about the unknown location.
The tension is something she had picked up on, but had chosen to ignore for the time being. It confused her, at times, how one could be so skeptical of a wolf with her physical standings, but then she'd recall how appearances alone could never be used as the deciding factor. A wolf of any size and age could have been groomed into the finest of warriors, that she knew, but she was also well aware that it wasn't the case in regards to herself. She had been groomed, yes, but not to lead some grand army. Asterr was simply a scholar and a leader of peace, the results of her having been born a medium and a vessel. There was naught a single dangerous bone in her svelte body, and such was a fact she hoped to make known through body language alone.
A name is given, one she feared she might butcher if an attempt to pronounce it is made. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Thur-ah... Thurenwetheel." For a moment, her nose has scrunched up ever so slightly, similar to that of a rabbit's, as she repeated the name once more within her head. "I apologize if I have mutilated your name. It sounds like none other I have ever heard before." So many names, so many peculiar gifts of birth. They were sometimes difficult to say, her tongue unaccustomed to forming those from beyond the borders of her birth tribe. Some, however, she could grasp quite quickly. It was obvious into which category Thuringwethil's had fallen.
Moving past her problematic pronunciation, her ears perked at the other's reveal. "So it seems we are one in the same, then," the dragoness had voiced, words fading off at the end as she grew thoughtful of the situation. If neither had ever stepped foot into the territory before, then both had a reason to check things out—why not together? "If you would not be against having my company, then perhaps we could investigate this land together?" Never was Asterr one to pass up the opportunity to learn more of a specific area, and often found that doing so was better when another was there to share the same experience. "I will admit, I am also curious of what has brought you here... did the land call to you?"
Asterr attempts to pronounce her name and a flicker of a smile forms. She kills it quickly. She could offer her title but it would mean little to this wolf when she barely had her own claim in Drageda of Taiga. Wolves of her home, of Seageda and surrounding clans, knew her name well but even then they only referred to her as Heda the moment she became commander. For a long time, she hadn’t often heard her real name except for the few times she’d been able to be casual with others. Being alienated from her own clan, however, did not allow much room for pleasantries that wasn’t keeping her home safe and secure from outside threats.
Without addressing it, mostly because she is close enough, and offers a slight nod of her head. She seems easy enough to relax and Thuringwethil allows her own tension to slowly fade. It still grips her, mostly on the edges, but she moves her head to pull the dark girl along. “I have not explored much of these lands, to be honest, and thought I would make an attempt to familiarize myself with it,” she asks while she puts one foot in front of the other, giving her a chance to settle alongside with her. “Where are you from?”
Verbally, her request had gone without a response, but the physical gesture alone was all that the girl had needed. With naturally precise steps, she fell into place nearer to the other girl's side, leaving only enough room for each to be comfortable—by Asterr's standard, of course. It was easy to remain close, even when steps were once again taken, for she had never been slow. Even for as small as she was, moving was not an issue for the young dragoness. It served as helpful, too, for her attention could then better remain where it was needed, rather than having to focus upon the task of not falling behind. It was during such moments in which she felt the utmost gratitude for her elders.
The girl nodded, acknowledging and showing her understanding of the other female's words. It was further proven, then, that they really were walking a similar path. "I, too, have not seen much of the land in this direction," she'd commented. While several places across Teekon had earned a visit from her, she'd never trekked too far north. She hoped to change that, eventually, whenever she felt confident enough to leave her tribe for longer periods of time. It was, after all, her duty to protect them all.
A question was then directed her way and, seeing as her own had been answered, the yearling wasted no time in responding. "I was born within a tribe north of these lands," Asterr had voiced, beginning with her true point of origin. "Presently, I come from my tribe within the mountains that are south of here." The chieftess had yet to reveal her role within her home, seeing no point in doing so just yet. "What of you?" Her silvery gaze had slid towards Thuringwethil as the query was passed back in her direction, glancing her over for a second or two before looking forward once more. She could not place from where the girl might have come by appearances, and her scent was lost to the dragoness; she knew nothing of Sleeping Dragon, nor of the wolves that called it home.
There's a way the girl speaks that Thuringwethil finds familiar, almost comfort. There's something important always on the tip of her tongue but she never reveals it. A quirk of an eyebrow and a sidelong glance is all she's given while she speaks, expecting something to follow. It's vague but she gets the information she needs, answering her question as much as Thuringwethil might answer if it had been asked of her first.
Nothing in their present surrounding, however, draws enough attention for her to focus on so she focuses back on the dark female. "I was born north along the sea," she tells her fondly. She realizes then she hasn't seen the sea since she left Seageda and an ache, homesick, settles into her chest. Perhaps, one day, she'll expand her reach to the coast but for now she keeps herself rooted.
"I am on a mountain, now, to the north. Sleeping Dragon." Thuringwethil looks up through the trees and ferns in the direction she thinks her home should be but she isn't sure and refocuses on the way she's walking so she doesn't trip over her own feet.
The troubles that had been plaguing her had since been forgotten, the stranger serving as an adequate distraction. Of course, that was not the only thing the dragoness viewed her as, for doing so seemed like a terrible thing. To look upon others only with eyes that sought out that which they could be used for was something she was incapable of doing, for never before had she tried. Within her birth tribe, to be so selfish was practically a taboo, those who went against the unspoken rule being, silently, looked down upon. Being who she was and serving the purpose she did meant that Asterr was the least likely to grow so manipulative, for that particular way of thinking had been drilled into her practically since her moment of birth.
Just as the yearling had done, the other spoke first of the place she'd been born. That in itself, the story for why she'd left, was another thing that inspired curiosity, but the two had yet to reach the point at which the Draconid felt it appropriate to ask such personal questions. And so, instead, her attention was given to the response of what she had felt comfortable questioning. "If you don't mind my asking, what might the sea you were born near be like?" She had mentioned it being up north, so did that mean it was especially frigid? Frozen, even? It was a silly thought, she'd realized soon after, that an entire ocean might freeze. Such an occurrence seemed impossible, but for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
Oh, the next part of the answer. To Thuringwethil, perhaps it was nothing more than a name given for no particular reason. For Asterr, however, there had to be a more complex reason for why a place might have been bestowed with such a name. "Does a dragon reside atop your mountain?" The question was genuine, her tone of voice being enough to make that obvious. Her family's tribe had possessed a dragon—Draco, the very same that she'd been born the vessel of—and her own had also made a pact with one. They were all around, their spirits having chosen to linger long after their physical bodies had faded away, so it did not seem too far-fetched as to believe that another place within Teekon might be the home of one.
As much as she wouldn't want to admit how much time she thinks about Seageda, how much she compares her current home to her past, she can't deny it. From the weather to the terrain to her wolves, everything is different. A forest next to the shore and a large cave that a mountain sat upon. Too slope for the wolves to really climb, it was the only mountainous terrain she had experienced. Sleeping Dragon has definitely been a
struggle to adjust to when her heart calls for the ocean.
"Cold," she considers, glancing off to the side as she hears a creak somewhere to her right. It doesn't hold her attention long when no scent comes with it. "Occasionally a storm would drive us to the further reaches of my claim but it was never enough to destroy. The real threat was more inland."
They had less sides to protect with the ocean on their backs and Trigedakru had never been terribly far and an easy alliance had been formed years prior to her reign. The inclusion of the others had come from her but in time, they managed to slip back into a threat. Here, she didn't have nearly as much to worry about but she found her way around that.
The next question causes her brows to burrow and her face wrinkle in confusion. Thuringwethil blinks a few times before she turns her head back to look, in disbelief, at the woman. "No," is all she can find herself to say. Not that she'd seen the top, by any means, and she realizes she never gave the name of the mountain much thought.
In terms of what she'd been expecting to hear, nothing could be properly placed. Asterr had seen a sea before, and knew of what might come from living so near to one, leaving little room for surprises. Even still, she'd listened, her attention having never left the other female. It was her question that was being answered, after all, and she also did not wish to come off as being impolite; the mere thought of such nearly had the voices of her teachers coming back from the past to haunt her present self. Their reprimanding words and sharp tones—she did not dislike those who'd come before her, and respected all that they had done for her, but the corrections done unto her had never been forgotten.
Rather than living within the past, Asterr focused on what was currently before her. The time for thinking of her own home would come later, once she'd safely returned to the lair and was able to curl up within her favoured clearing. "If you do not mind my asking, what threats had you faced?" It had been a curious thing to hear, really, for she would have suspected that the sea was the greatest threat. The dragon that ruled it had days in which he was most unkind, leading to destruction and the deaths of those who'd been foolish enough to dare and challenge him. Such tales had been weaved into her memory so long ago, they'd become a part of her life. Not a major piece, exactly, but enough so that she found herself wishing to hear more after having received Thurin's answer.
While the topic of the sea was not something she'd so easily drop, moving it aside for a short while was not something that she was against. A conversation regarding dragons had arisen, successfully obtaining the girl's greatest portion of thought. "May I ask how your land obtained the name 'Sleeping Dragon', then?" It was her turn, then, for her brows to knit together—only slightly, of course—in confusion. Behind names, there often lived meanings. So if not for a dragon that might live atop it, then how else could the female's home have gained such an appellation?
Is it okay if we fade? :)
The woman asks for more information and Thuringwethil wishes she hadn’t been vague about the threats Seageda had over time. Instead of answering, she shakes her head to brush it off. Her home was no more and there is also no use dwelling on it. Drageda is the new empire and as long as they remained strong, she could learn from her mistakes. Opening that up to someone that doesn’t have any relation isn’t in her interest and so she keeps moving, occasionally dropping her nose to the ground.
“I do not know,” she decides to say, then, to the second question. Gyda had told her the name and Thuringwethil had simply adopted it and molded it into Drageda. It isn’t perfect, but it’s hers, and her wolves, and their roots grew deep around the mountain. Thuringwethil takes a deep breath, turning her head in the direction she needed to do to return. Her interest in the place had waned and she isn't sure she could offer much more to the dark woman.
"I should work on returning,” she comments, even if they hadn’t spent much time together. With a slight shrug, she dips her head in departure.