Hushed Willows Whatever It Takes

It would be his first time venturing outside of the Empire since he had told Reiko he wished to stay. She had been welcoming of him, and it had honestly been no surprise given the way the two had seemed to have similar goals. He had wanted a fresh start and a chance to be loyal and she wanted to hand out fresh starts to those who wishes to be loyal. It had been an interesting road to walk along. 

 This day he found himself exploring the lands of Teekon once again. While the Empire was well-known to him...the rest of the place he had traveled to seemed foreign still. He was fresh here still. 

 The sun was shining hard in the clear sky. It was approximately mid-morning and there was still a sharp crispness to the air. He enjoyed the colder weather given how thick he was built, and it aided him in keeping a comfortable pace as he crossed the lands this morning.

 The particular area he had come to was covered in willowy trees and quite nice. Collision decided to rest and explore the lands eagerly. Jumping from tree to tree to examine their uniqueness.

Even when the snows melted away and the frosted beauty of the landscape had vanished Eilonwy still felt more at home than ever before. She missed her mother, she wouldn't deny it, and the constant giggling of her annoying sisters was gone leaving a very specific hole in her heart that not quite anything would be able to fill out again. But she was home. She was free and she'd found the place where she belonged, all by herself.

With a wide yawn and a stretch, Eilonwy abandoned her willow tree to start a new day. She'd been planning to talk to Lumi about planting a garden and maybe going on a herb hunting trip to start it, so she set a course to find her faerie queen and pranced through the willow-ruled forest to her destination. Only something was off. Her usual springy step was increasingly replaced by a watchful prowl, she'd picked up an unfamiliar scent and was looking around hoping she wasn't about to be ambushed. She hadn't yet seen whoever was stalking the woods, but by now she was completely sure she wasn't alone so she let out a howl alerting the rest of the court of the possibility of a guest within their willows. The howl was meant for the mysterious lurker as well, who Elonwy hoped to make aware of the presence of a whole pack based in the forest. Seelie Court was not an aggressive or barricaded society, but Eilonwy liked to know who went in and out of her chosen sanctuary.

He would stop at the nearest tree he had come to when the piercing sound of an alerted howl rang through the air. His ears rocked back against his skull and he found himself  turning in each direction. The sound the howl had come from was obvious--but what exactly had he gotten himself into? His body was unmoving albeit the rise and fall of his chest with each breath. 

 This place hadn't smelled like it was inhabited? Perhaps he were wrong. Perhaps it was newly lain claim to. If so he was going to be in a particularly awkward predicament when the wolves of this place began to show. Run? Don't run? The decision wasn't easy. He was not fearful, but he also knew that given he was among ranks of another place it was quite possible for him to entangle those whom he lived in with a problem he created. 

 In an attempt to not be an alarm a chuff bellows from the boy. he wants the stranger to know he is of no threat and only wishes that she can find him and be pardoned of any concerns.

While she awaited a response from the rest of the court Eilonwy kept advancing towards the overall direction where her nose was telling her the intruder was most likely located. The visitor gives away his position with a faint huff, and Eilonwy picks up the pace while doing her best to remain concealed behind the long tendrils of willow leaves that reigned her paradise. She makes his shape out from the distance, recognizing the submissive stance as she approaches, but only reveals her voice while giving behind a nearby trunk.

Who are you? she said with a hushed, wispy voice. Are you alone? she wanted to know. While they were mostly peaceful, the Seelie Court's sovereignty over the willow land deserved as much respect as any other pack, and Eilonwy was willing to protect it to the best of her ability.

She was careful not to give her exact location away and the boy could respect that. She maneuvered and stalked around him with ease--granted, he had at least a suspect of where she were given the direction the voice seemed to flow from. He straightened up his figure and stood, while unthreatening, confidently. His ears turned with the silence that befell him after she finished and he was careful with his response. 

 "Apparently an intruder," He confesses this truth with ease. Even if he did not know this place to be a pack land--he had caused her offense. Who was she? He would get to that later, "I am," He usually was...

 His back legs fold and he brings himself to a seated position. He would show as much comfort as were possible to draw her out. He was no threat: A gentle giant. "My name is Collision. I apologize for my intrusion," His words were sincere and so he didn't so much as miss a beat.

Though there was absolutely no reason to trust him, Eilonwy had heard the honest undertones in the sound of his voice. He seemed calm and confident, not a thing that Eilonwy would consider to be in his favor given that he was pretty much a trespasser and was aware of it. But he didn't seem to be any immediate danger. She didn't blame him for not noticing the faeries' presence, it wasn't meant to be some kind of statement, so she gave him the benefit of the doubt just for now. Without giving away her exact location, though, she dug in for more information that could advocate for his innocence.

Are you looking for someone? she wondered. Though if he was indeed unaware of the court's existence it didn't make much sense for him to come looking for someone. .. Or... Something, perhaps? maybe that was something the court could help him out with.

Collision had wandered right into a land that was apparently home to another in his curiosity to better acquaint himself with the lands he had happened upon and in turn had offended a young woman. He was, admittedly, disappointed in himself for not taking better notice. Though...why was it so faintly claimed? 

 "No," There was no real reason for Collision to be here, but he hoped he could clear the air as quickly as it had become fogged, "I'm from the Reneian Empire. The Vale. I was simple exploring and have overstepped my boundaries," His answer was detailed and to the point. He wished to do her no more worry than he had already inflicted and hoped that he could offer her reason to come forth now. Collision was no bandit or bad man provided his company weren't themselves.

The more they exchanged words the more Eilonwy believed in his word. He was no danger to her or the court. But that was her nature, gentle and eager to trust even if she knew to be cautious, so she stepped out of the shadows and revealed her form to him, cautiously taking a few steps towards him and examining his figure with detail. However, there was yet one thing that unsettled her. You said you belong to an "empire"? she asked as she took seat still at a safe distance, the word in her mouth leaving an unpleasant aftertaste. For her, that word had belligerent and expansionist connotations, not something to be excited about, but she wondered... Who runs this empire of yours? for the kind of leader seating at the top could say a lot about the kind of enterprise they ran.

Eventually the girl would apparate from amongst the trees. She cautiously, and yet confidently, seemed to present herself. She was quite different from the wolves that seemed to live in the Empire. Darker in color, though, she seemed just as breakable. She was no warrior that had come to confront him. He was thankful she hadn't summoned others as he didn't expect her to do any attacking. 

 She continued to press him for answers and he willingly answered. Her first question confirmed with nothing more than an honest nod and her second required a bit more, "Empress Reiko and Queen Ibis," Collision was still a bit confused on how the ranks worked within the Empire. All that he kept in mind was that they needed him and so he made sure he was readily available to anyone in the Vale. 

 He had thus far been respectful and not pressured the girl to do anything, but he wanted to sate the curiosity that had dragged him on this expedition to begin with and so he began, "What was your name?" She hadn't yet mentioned it and he had so far seemed to divulge so much.

So it was women running this empire, a curious thing. She wanted to know more but it was only to be expected that the male would eventually want some answers himself. So far he'd been courteous enough to answer Eilonwy's question, but he was arguably not in a position to refuse as the unspoken offender in that situation. However, Eilonwy had no authority or intentions to force anyone to do anything.

I'm Eilonwy she said gently, allowing herself some confidence given the other one's compliance. You're in Seelie Court's territory.  she clarified, which she thought was only fair now that he had given up as much information as he had, and still, it was not enough.

Collision had been completely compliant given his current state. he was in a place that was home to a whole group of wolves. truthfully, he was pleased that there didn't seem to be cause for further repurcussion. how long had they been here? how had he not paid attention to the borders? all questions that he kept to himself as they weren't necessarily important to the present predicament. 

 "It's a pleasure to meet you, though, I once again apologize for my intrusion," She cleared the air about the name of the pack who's borders he had penetrated and he wondered...what was a court? what was the intention of calling that. Of course, he came from a place called an empire instead of simply a pack and so he supposed he had no reason to further the investigation. 

 "Would you like to escort me to the borders? I'll be on my way from there. Perhaps you can tell me about this Court," He did let his curiosity get the better of him, but he didn't want the girl to just let him go from her sights. Perhaps she would feel more comfortable knowing that the stranger had been purged from her home.