Mountains. Hadraniel found them to be utterly useless expect for the occasional prey or coincidental protection they offered from unwanted guests. Overall however they proved to be nothing but a nuisance to the male and more often than not he would simply downright ignore them and take a longer route to go around. Unfortunately Hadraniel was a stranger in these wilds and what he needed most at the moment was a bird's eye view.
So he pushed himself to the summit, his body racking with pain while doing so. And although it felt like torture to his delicate frame the male was eventually rewarded with a cool lake to rest his tattered limbs, and a view that made his eyes dance with satisfaction. Now all he needed was a good meal and a lady and this trip might be worth all the trouble.
Time drifted by at an easy pace, neither too quickly nor too slow. It was just right for her, allowing the dragoness as much time as she needed to spend with her daughters. Each day that passed them all by brought with it more and more growth to their bodies and minds. Soon the day would come where she’d introduce them to the rest of the tribe, which made her both happy and nervous. She was made to be excited by the idea of bringing her children out into the world, to allow them to mingle with the rest of their family and start to form opinions. Yet, she was also worried about doing so. How the tribe might react, what sorts of things would be said in the hatchlings’ presences, and so on. There was also the matter with Jolon—did she really wish to allow her daughters to be near him? Honestly, she wasn’t sure anymore, and so it was decided that some time away would be needed to clear her mind. A chance at seeing things clearly, and coming to a decision that she’d know herself to be capable of living with. Thus, it was with a kiss to the foreheads of each little girl and a brief look in Ukko’s direction beyond the den that she’d set off, exiting the cavern and making her way through the opened land.
Familiar paths were trailed along, her body moving through the rough terrain with learned ease. Some time had passed since she’d last visited the lake, and so to lay her eyes upon it again was ideal—and so she had. It was along the water’s edge that she’d walked, each step careful and calculated. A moment was taken to realize that she was not alone, but, even once she had, neither her movements nor her posture were altered. Asterr remained relaxed, seeing the male not as a threat, but another wanderer like herself. It was with a soft chuff that she’d greeted him, leaving the stranger to decide whether or not he’d like to remain in her presence.
It was a scent, so alluring and bewitching that caused the male to stir from his rest. His eyes scanned for the creature that would pull him from his peace and when his sinful orbs found what they were searching for, they became captived by the beauty they had seen. A goddess, for surely that was what she must be as her grace was too magnificent for a world such as this.
A lustful smirk tugged at the edges of his mouth, her chuff taken as an invitation to join her. He was cautious as he approached, tail swaying behind him as he neared her. "Well hello gorgeous" he spoke, yellow stained fangs peaking out from behind his sandy lips in a wicked grin.
From a greeting into an invitation had her chuff been turned, and soon after had the space between them shrunk. Caution was observed in the way that he moved, but she’d said nothing of it. The girl simply wore her usual, welcoming smile, its appearance far less impish than his own. And when he spoke, she’d done the same shortly after, her words having begun with a gentle, “Thank you.” Compliments on her appearance were still a new thing, but she’d grown more accustomed to hearing the kind words since having arrived within the Teekon Wilds.
Words such as gorgeous were not, however, a proper name. And so, “My name is Asterr,” was her next choice of words, accompanied by a slow dip of her head. “May I learn your name?” She could not see the wickedness of his grin as being worth raising concerns over. For now, he remained as an amicable being, incapable of posing to her a threat.
Asterr. It fit her well he supposed, the uniqueness of it going hand in hand with her distinct beauty. "Hadraniel" he introduced, tongue sliding out to lick his lips. "Come for a swim?" he asks then, curious as to why she had traveled to lake. Perhaps it was to get away from some family squabble, or maybe she had simply been wandering and coincidentally found herself along the shores of relief. Whatever the reason was the sandy male found himself interested to know why.
The male’s name was not kept from her, having instead been spoken aloud so that she might remember it. As her eyes trailed over his facial features, she’d repeated the name to herself silently, tying it to him as a way of committing it to memory. It was a unique name, she’d decided, and she would do well to keep it from slipping from her mind.
Asterr glanced towards the lake when asked about swimming, then looked back towards the male and shook her head. “Not today,” she’d answered, having not even thought about doing so. Had it been for a swim alone, she’d have simply remained within her home. “I came to clear my head. There is an issue within my tribe, which I must find a solution for.” An answer more so than an actual solution. To allow for Jolon to be around her children, or to ensure that he was never in the same location as they might be at any given time. It troubled her greatly, for, as a mother, she wished to protect her offspring, but as the Chieftess, she needed to maintain the peace. But, she would not force so much information on to him, for he was a stranger and undeserving of having his mind weighed down by such matters. She’d moved on instead, making the question her own and then asking it of him. “What has brought you here?”
It was a shame she didn't come for a dip in the water, it was certainly a fine day for a swim, even with the breeze. She instead went on to explain her true reason for being here, an issue with her...what? "Tribe?" He was unfamiliar with the term and since he lacked common sense, failed to put two and two together.
Yet his mind did not dwell on the strange word for long as he was instead faced with a question that had spilled from his goddess's lips. "I'm new to these wilds, came up to see if I could get a good view" he answered while glancing out over the lake.
The term she used, and the one that she was most familiar with, had been questioned. It was not an uncommon occurrence, she’d realized, especially after having spent so long within Teekon. Some knew what a tribe was, others didn’t, and a few just refused to question it. Never was she against explaining the term, however, for it was a great part of her life. “You might call it a pack,” she’d said. “Though there are plenty of differences between the two.” There were also a great deal of similarities. Asterr was familiar with both sides, and favoured neither one. Both a tribe and a pack provided for an individual a home, a place that they could feel safe in, and so neither were to be spoken of a negative manner.
They were there for different reasons, it seemed, but still had they been brought together to share the moment. It was strange how the world could work like that, but rarely did she question such things. “If you travel northwest from here, you will come upon a mountain that can give to you a wonderful view of these lands. The climb is not a harsh one, either.” The Sunspire had been visit by her in the past, and she’d always enjoyed seeing the world from atop its peaks. So much could be seen, and so beautiful it all was.
His being new to the area had stood out to her, and she’d wondered if that meant he was by himself. “Are you traveling alone?” the dragoness asked, interested to hear what his answer might be. Given that winter was just around the corner, it was not particularly wise to remain with none other than one’s self, for such could lead to a terrible fate. Of course, the medic within her wished to assure that no one died, especially when she could have prevented it, and so she’d extended to him an offer. “If you are alone, you may stay with my tribe,” he was told. “I do not usually allow for outsiders to join unless they have offered their loyalty, but given the changing of the seasons, I cannot allow for anyone to suffer and still be at peace with myself.” Loners had been helped before, even mended whilst they were broken, for her heart was too big to allow for another to be left in pain.
A pack, of course. His brain instantly made the connection after she explained what a tribe was to him, and he mentally smacked himself for not figuring it out on his own. Though she did say there were differences and Hadraniel couldn't help but ask "what kind of differences?" He had been forced to know the laws of a common pack all his life, so if there was something out there better suited for him, he wanted to know about it.
She, unlike so many any others before her, did something the male wasn't use to. She offered him advice without him having to beg for her help, and Hadraniel's heart was touched by the thought, despite how little it probably meant to his companion. "Thank you" he said while leaning over to give her shoulder a soft nudge.
"Yes" he answered with a nod to her question and listened carefully as she placed an offer out for him to grab. "Tempting, but at the moment I wish to wander and I do not know how far the wind will take me. But I will keep your offer in the back of my mind, and if fate wishes for me to join your tribe, then we will surely see each other again." Her offer would not be forgotten, this he was certain.
Never could Asterr blame someone for either not knowing what a tribe was, or being unable to piece it together by themselves. It wasn’t a word that was commonly used, and so she expected confusion more often than an understanding. Of course, she was always ready to tell of the structure of her home, so it didn’t matter much if someone knew or not. “A tribe is more of a family than it is an army,” she answered, wording her response in the best way that she could. “There exist various titles within a tribe, but we are all equal to one another. There is no one member whose life is considered to be greater than that of the others.” The young or sick might receive more attention, for obvious reasons, but their lives were not considered to be anymore important than someone of perfect health. They were equal with one another, like a true family, and supported each other in everything without question.
Having no desire to send someone down a terrible path, she’d been more then happy to offer to him a bit of advice. He had wished to get a great view of the land, which made the Sunspire a perfect location for such. Besides, it was a nice territory to explore, and so she would likely suggest that anyone and everyone should visit it at some point in their lives. When thanks were given, she’d nodded her head, and then paused the moment he had touched her. The gesture was a familiar one, and meant something to her that was probably entirely different from what the male had intended by using it. Despite that, she’d smiled softly and followed him with her gaze, not voicing the meaning she’d been raised to relate to the touch.
The offer that had been extended was not taken, which had disappointed her—not that she’d shown such an emotion. Her expression had remained calm, understanding his reason for denying her, and knowing that she would need to respect it. “Very well,” the girl responded. “Should you change your mind, there will always be a place within my tribe for you.” The offer would never be taken away, for as long as they both might live. Asterr saw within the male something wonderful, and knew him to be in possession of a great deal of potential. If ever he might be led her way once again, she hoped to watch him grow to be even greater. “If you travel north from here, you will find an opening in the mountain, which is where my tribe lives. If ever you wish to visit or stay with us, you may do so.” Even if it might not be a permanent thing, he would be welcomed; members that could grow to give the entirety of their loyalty to the tribe were preferred, but she would never chain down an adventurer.
Her explanation caused Hadraniel's expression to relax, and for a moment he wondered what it would be like to be part of a family that considered you an equal. He had only ever acknowledged the few members of his family that had stuck by his side and even they weren't here now, so her tribe she spoke of was almost irresistible for a man like himself. Thoughts of his past shot a sour expression on the sandy male's face, but he quickly transformed it into a smile, hopefully before Asterr saw since he did not wish for her to believe she was the reason for his disdain.
"Sounds like a nice place."
Her expression never changed at his refusal to her offer, but instead to his surprise was told that there would always be a place for him in her tribe. He couldn't help but wonder what would compel her to make such promises to a stranger she had just met a few minutes ago, but Hadraniel just supposed it was in her kind nature to be so welcoming.
North and to an opening in a mountain, he would remember those directions as best as he could, if not to join then perhaps to just simply see her again. She was an alluring wolf after all with her kind spirit, so few were like her and Handraniel enjoyed being in the company's someone he felt wouldn't judge him on his past sins.
"Thank you again" he said with a smile before glancing up at the sky.
"Well I better be off " and with a dip of his muzzle he was on his way heading in the direction she had suggested he take to get a good view. He only hoped that he came across more wolves as kind as she, but the man had a feeling he wouldn't be so lucky.
last post from me <3
The expression that had flickered across his face went unnoticed, but his words had not. She was unable to do anything more than smile and nod, confirming for him that her home was, indeed, rather nice—she thought so, anyways. It would never be identical to the tribe that she’d been born into, but it was still her home and she adored it. Yes, there were some complications, but nothing that she could not come up with a solution for over time.
Their exchange was to end there, she’d realized, which hadn’t bothered her. Though Asterr had enjoyed conversing with the male, she knew that he wished to travel and that she had no reason to hold him back from doing so. “I hope your travels are safe,” she’d said, dipping her own muzzle in the process. There she would linger for a short while longer, up until the point where he could no longer be seen, before turning and setting off towards home. Whilst a solution to her current issue had yet to be found, she was glad to have met another being with kindness in his heart.