Lake Rodney and not a drop to drink

"i don't know what you are to me, adi. but whatever it is; i care for you in a way that's different, somehow."

why had he come here, of all places? the conversation rattled through his mind as if it was yesterday. and yet he stood on the banks of this massive lake, the same water lapping at the toes of an irreversibly changed man.

these memories were better than others, aditya supposed. these were farther in the past, the blows they dealt cushioned by much time gone by. the valley reminded him of his newcomer days in morningside, when things had been simpler. when grayday had lived and breathed, and he was head-over-heels for the leader's daughter. simpler, easier, happier.

would he ever feel that kind of ease of existence again?

"i want this. i want us, adi." and yet she had hurled herself into the embrace of another, and he had shed blood for a woman who'd never given him a verbal confirmation like that. what was wrong with them?

aditya heaved a sigh, staring across the water with eyes that saw things miles and moons away.

ooc; hope you don't mind meeee

ever since she left the beings of dark designs, Heloise was unnerved. though her steps had recovered from her spar with Derg, there was so much uncertainty. she had chosen not to get involved in the devil-worship, exiting hastily and removing that connection with the girl like a limb needing to be chopped off. she was foolish to assume heathen gods had no followers here. perhaps she had merely not wanted to think long on it. she had pushed it to the back of her mind easily.

that was her mistake.

should she not be recovering, Heloise would have easily destroyed the shrine and rid the air of the thick evil lingering there. she would have purified it with salt from the ocean, for water always cleansed sin. though she had not done so. there had been two beings there, not one. she would have met resistance. it was a battle not worth fighting; to live and do such a thing another day. it would seem she was not the only one deep in thought. 

ahead of her was another, a man, staring across the abyss of the lake. the pale woman would hesitate, her encounter with the pagans fresh on her mind, and unwilling to be pulled into another embrace that led to corruption. yet this man did not hover over an altar. he was not in a trance. "greetings" she called to him, her steps moving her to stop a distance away. just in case he did not want company.

not at all!

the pale woman caught his attention, drifting along the shore to stop nearby, and he gave her a nod. hello, he mirrored her greeting, keeping his golden gaze trained on her. once, he would have been ebullient, affable, ever-willing to engage in conversation. whatever man that was had been beaten out of him over the moons, and aditya didn't know whether he would return.

for now, it might be up to her to open the floodgates.

do you need something from me? he asked, polite enough but guarded. he didn't recognize her, or at least he didn't think he did. and there didn't seem to be any familiarity in her voice, either.

"no" she would reply to the man, a small shake of her head at his query. "I merely thought it would be rude to ignore you as I passed." which was true, Heloise felt, to simply walk by someone without a word to them. she considered it greatly insulting. the woman did not care if she was the one ignored; if the man had chosen to avoid her, she would not take offense. it was her own personal opinions and views that made her approach. 

the man was, however, a bit guarded. a bit hesitant. she wondered what was wrong, if her presence was prickling him or if it was another thing altogether. her thoughts turned, suggesting she ask, though she barely knew him enough for that rapport. instead, she would ask something else entirely. "are there any packs in this area?" it was clear she was a lone wolf, regardless of her brief stint into Stormrift. she was seeking others, to be informed before a decision was to be made.

of course, the types of communities here could be avoided if the man gave her wicked rumors.

fair enough, he responded, the barest of smiles curving his mouth. he would have done the same, a while ago; he couldn't blame her for being polite. at her question, he took in a deep inhale, hawkish gaze scanning the horizon for a long moment before turning back to her.

moonspear is close, i believe, aditya responded, nodding toward the mountains to the west. at the northern edge of that range, there. otherwise, i don't know of any others close by. there was the cruel pack within woods, but were they even a threat anymore? the war was long over, and he hadn't heard of them since.

he cocked his head. you're looking for a home? he asked, half-rhetorically, the ambassador in him coming out once more.

Heloise would think quietly as the man listed one of the packs in the area. her eyes followed his nose as he nodded toward the mountains. hm, so Moonspear was it? perhaps she would visit one day. "I am, yes" she would respond to the other, a small smile placed upon her lips "I have visited two packs thus far. they do not seem fit for me." she had her own ideas on how things could be done. sometimes they were not ideal for everyone. 

Stormrift put stock in skills and self-improvement; which was fine yet she felt their leader was difficult to approach. Diaspora was a nomad pack, also fine, yet the presence at their border had nerved her. the woman chuckled lightly. "sometimes I think it would be best to make my own" she would confess to the stranger. a place of refuge, where people could work on their skills for something in return. many packs around here required aid; one could make a profit off of it. build a camp out of the alliances they gave. a guild. oneness.

"and do you have a home?" Heloise asked softly.

her ideas on packs weren't foreign to him. everyone needed the right fit. he'd appreciated morningside's 'one-size-fits-all' attitude toward things; as long as they brought skills to the table, they were part of the family. nothing special really needed. they'd folded him right in—and then he'd squandered it.

i think it's worthwhile to try, adi remarked, nodding. you need some good souls around you, and a place to keep them safe. not easy. . .but worthwhile. he thought of the plateau, the maplewood, the coconut grove. . . all places dear to him, forever, no matter where he might go.

to her question, he shook his head. not right now, he murmured. i'm perfectly content on the road. some of the happiest times of my life were as a wanderer.

she had a moment of clarity at his words. resisting the frown attempting to lace itself across her muzzle, she would remain quiet. the man encouraged her, yes, but he was also right. she needed worthy people to start this with. people she trusted. people who she could rely on. such things were rare in the Teekons. as for a place, there were various unclaimed landscapes. she wasn't so worried about that.

"yes" she agreed, a bit solemn in knowing most of her encounters so far had been brief little things. she may never see this man again, for instance. the thought was a bit sad. he seemed a good sort. "I do like a challenge, though" Heloise would smile slightly. nothing in life was free, was that the saying? she'd shake her head, bothered by her lack of manners. "I am Heloise, by the by." the woman had yet to mention her name to him, despite the two speaking.

"I have wandered far, without a companion. or even company" she would add with a dip of her head "I find it hard to give my freedom up so easily."

it seemed like they were on the same wavelength, overall. he gave a quiet, muted chuckle at her rebuttal, taking her name and filing it away with the hundreds of others he kept in his mind. would he have to use it again? he wouldn't know until later. it was funny, those wolves you met and then never saw again. he supposed that was choice as much as fate.

aditya, he said in response. i like my freedom, too, but i don't mind giving some of it away to a pack. it just has to be the right one. he tilted his head in inquiry. were you born in these lands, heloise? or did you come here, like me? it's harder to find your way, when you don't feel like you belong anywhere.

"a pleasure, Aditya" his name sounding foreign upon her tongue. she agreed with him. casually, she'd roll her shoulders. her tone took a rather faraway tune. "I would like a pack that does not demand you remain on their territory all the time. the Teekons are a lovely place, full of their own mysteries. if I had a chance, I would allow my people to come and go as they pleased. experience life for themselves." and not be glued to her side constantly.

she'd chuckle at the thought. an amusing scene. "I was born far away, recently coming here on my travels" Aditya had confessed to being a foreigner himself, earning a nod. "yes... there are many families here. generations of natives. it is difficult finding a place for yourself" especially when she had no inkling on where to look. it was the age-old question of finding a fit for yourself, and where to settle when you did. "I may just start with friendship." she'd add.

now that sounded like a good deal to him. morningside had given him such freedom, sometimes, although when he became a leader, it was harder to get away. the ability to just. . .leave? with no consequences, no worries? it honestly struck him as heavenly.

i like your idea, adi complimented. and i think it's best to start with friendship, too.

pyaar dosti hai. love is friendship. and there again was the ghost of dawn, lingering nearby, her gaze so unnervingly like her father's drilling into him with each and every beat of his heart. how long would she haunt him? how long would they all?

where are you headed next? he asked, less out of curiosity and more to distract himself.

she'd dip her head graciously to Aditya at his accepting words. it seemed he was reasonable enough. if she had more ambition she would have asked him to join her idea. but that was all it was right now. a fleeting idea. a promise of what could be. she hoped to count him among her allies one day, even if their meeting was brief and random. "to the coast" for she was part of Stormrift technically until her ambition grew. "are you heading the same way?" Heloise asked "if so, I could travel with you as far as Scavenger Bay." company on the road was a good start to a friendship.

the coast. even the sound of the words gave him qualms, and he shook his head, trying to keep the acrid, wholly-imagined scent of salt from his nostrils.

i will stay inland, for now, aditya said, his voice firm but kind. but thank you for the offer. and best of luck with your travels there. the coast here is very beautiful. sad, but beautiful. but she didn't need to know that.

he canted his head. any reason you're headed to that particular place? he asked. it sounded vaguely familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere before. hell, he'd probably even passed through, once upon a time.

he refused, though kindly. she was not offended. Heloise gave him a small smile, nodding before rising. his words caused her to pause and she twisted her neck to look back at him. "I remain in Stormrift until I gather interest for my own pack" she'd tell him honestly "I cannot hope to lead others if I do not know how people live in such communities." it was very clear she had never been in a pack before. never involved in their politics. such things she hoped to avoid if she was to run her own. politics never bode well for any involved.

stormrift really rang a bell, and he rummaged through all the useless junk in his brain, until. . . ford, he said, name suddenly on his tongue like some kind of an ephiphany. i believe a man named ford ran that pack, when i was there last. give him my regards—tell him govinda says 'hello.' looking sheepish, he added, a nickname of mine.

still, he smiled. best of luck, heloise, aditya said sincerely. perhaps our paths will cross again some day. it was time for him to leave this place of shadow and memory, of times that were and never would be again. with a murmured farewell to the woman, he slipped away, straddling the shore before peeling off and heading further up the mountains.

"I shall" Heloise vowed to him quietly, though she did not know when she'd even see her temporary leader again. he seemed too swept up in his own thoughts to venture out much. "farewell, Aditya. safe travels." she'd watch as the man made his way before wandering back to the coast. her eyes were a bit hopeful now, more certain of what she planned to do.