eske no longer took note of the collar around her neck. she'd been sporting it for a month now and after the initial fear and shock had worn off — and multiple but failed attempts to remove it from her person — she'd came to tentatively trust that it wasn't going to hurt her or anyone else. thus, she was able to put her mind to more important matters at hand and drageda and brewing tensions between the pack next door to drakru was certainly more deserving of her attention. wanlida ventured out of drageda's claimed territory and took to the heartland of the wilds. she isn't necessarily looking for anything in particular and she isn't really traveling to sate wanderlust. she'd always been a homebody and that had inspired her frequent trips outside of dragoncrest cliffs.

eske's lived in teekon for her whole life and at almost two there was still much of it she left unexplored for no reason other than she'd had a severe lack of interest in anything aside from drageda. eske follows the snaking rivers that all feed into the giant lake she nears, her pace slowing as she catches the scent of a pack wolf nearby. eske's never been known to be a social butterfly but as she drew nearer realized that it was too late to adjust her course.

the other woman was lounged upon a rock beneath the rays of the sun and eske, unsure if she was asleep or not, let out a low chuff to announce her presence in the hopes of avoiding startling the other and so eske could be on her way.

wanlida lifts her chin at the pallid woman's gangly jerk of surprise that had almost thrown her off the other side of the rock she lounged atop. eske swallows the snicker and laugh that she feels bubbling in her throat. it becomes evident to the warrior that the other woman had been asleep, she hears it in the drowsy tones that cling to the stranger's vocal chords as the last vestiges of sleep are wont to do. "hei," eske greets her back in trigedasleng, assuming that the words are similar enough that she will not need to translate into common tongue for her pale and sleepy companion.

eske's never been one to invade personal space, especially that of a stranger, and she is perfectly content with the distance that lingers between the two of them. it is comfortable but leaves plenty of room for a quick escape for either woman ...just in case. "eske." wanlida offers her own name in return with a curious tilt of her head. the pale woman smells of a pack — albeit not one that eske knows and she makes a mental note to inform heda upon her return that another new pack has cropped up in the wilds — and eske finds it curious that she's fallen asleep outside of the safety of her territory ...which eske assumes is not anywhere directly close by. at least, she has yet to come across pack borders of whose scent this woman carries. "it's not safe to sleep out in the open like that." eske offers, trying not to sound patronizing. her 'advice' (if one could even call it that) had not asked for, after all.

eske's gaze lingers, for a moment too long perhaps, upon the pale woman's eyes, drawn in by the vivid green of her irises. eske's never been one to pay much attention to appearances — with the exception of the male she met a few days ago ( caw ) — after kendra died those things had ceased to matter. attraction ...love they were only distractions from her goal; and while eske is happy with the title of wanlida her ambitions have not yet reached their fruition. it is in her nature to want to challenge herself, to want more. she likes the other woman's eyes and that is one of those moments that coming to that realization startles her a little bit, yet she does not afford it much thought.

"right," eske murmurs, diverting her gaze to scope the landscape around them. she has been a mercenary ... a guardian for far too long and those habits instilled into her are hard to shake. she is exposed outside of drageda's borders and it always sets her a little bit on edge. "there are plenty of those types around." eske states, taking on a slightly grim undertone. "i know of one pack whose wolves you are better off avoiding but it would seem that there are new packs that i'm not yet aware of." eske speaks bluntly, referring to nara's own. she recognizes none of the scents the other woman carries upon her pelage. "what pack are you from? i don't recognize it." eske inquires candidly, thinking after the fact that it might not have hurt to have implored a little bit more tact.

nara's answer carries with it an amount of discernible pride. sunspire. eske's heard the territory name, perhaps even ventured through/near it when she left drageda on official business but never associated a pack with it. new, then, just as she'd initially assumed, confirmed by nara's following words. according to her, they'd just settled. eske spares a glimpse over her shoulder to look towards where nara gestures. it's too far away from them, possibly even for eske to see, but she knows it's rough location and in her general opinion: you've seen one mountain, you've seen them all. "who leads it?" eske inquires, wondering if she would recognize the names of it's leaders or not, despite that it was more than likely that she wouldn't recognize them. she's not known for being a social butterfly and her knowledge of who exists outside of drageda is limited.

"no," eske both confirms and muses with a quirk of her lips into something of a wily smile, despite that nara had made more of a statement and less of a question. "i come from the coast. drageda is the name of my home." it is eske's turn to gesture in the general direction of her home with a sharp movement of her muzzle in dragoncrest cliff's direction. "we have been around for some time. longer than i've been alive." and she is nearing her two year mark.

nara offers eske the names of her alphas at the wanlida's behest but the names she's given do not bring with them recognition. eske's tail gives a contemplative flick behind her as she tucks that tidbit of information away. she isn't sure what to think about the congestion that is forming as all these new packs pop up. when spring comes in full and the herds begin to return eske can't help but think that the tensions will run high due to rivalry and competition for hunting grounds. they are far enough removed from drageda that she isn't overly worried — and besides drageda does have the unwanted growth of next door neighbors and thus more pressing concerns regardless. still, heda might be able to make some use of the information. "i've never heard of them." eske muses aloud in a contemplative hum, mostly for nara's benefit. eske doesn't want the pallid beauty to think that her information went ignored.

nara's eyes were bright as she asked what it was like living near the sea and for a moment eske is disarmed. her ears flutter back and she diverts her gaze for a moment feeling a heat creep up her neck and into her cheeks. abruptly, wanlida wishes that she has the ability to spin words poetically. she doesn't. she is brash and cutting. words and their manipulation had always been freyja's forte; and the truth was eske never really thought about it. the sea is just ...there and while there are moments: like when the sun sets upon the calm ocean and it paints the water in fire or when a storm rages out at sea that eske appreciates it's wild and untamed beauty. but at the end of the day it is simply where drageda is. drageda is her home and it matters not to her where they are only that drakru is still there.

"i never really thought about it," eske admits. "for me, it doesn't matter where drakru resides." it could be a barren desert or an oasis and eske wouldn't care either way. "you could visit," eske suggests suddenly, drawing her tongue over her jowls once before she offers nara an coquettish smile. "i could show you all our best views." wanlida invites as casually as she can manage.