Blacktail Deer Plateau grab a cup of coffee for your head

AW but @Arielle welcome to either hop in whenever or play behind the scenes. These two officially left the Empire.
He nudged her gently along, trying to keep the weariness and worry from his gaze as he gave her a crooked smile. He hadn’t looked back when he had coaxed her past the borders of the Empire. When Ibis and Lilitu hadn’t returned, his gnawing worry had turned to full fear, as much as the wraith tried to hide it from his daughter.

His mate’s scent faded from the mountain—the rain of previous days washing away a decent trail. He followed it best he could, encouraging Arielle to follow after him. After all, without Ibis and Lilitu, neither had many ties in the collateral wreckage that had become the Empire. Death lingered there, and now children were claimed royalty, rising to lead over them all. Akavir had accepted the strange ways of what was deemed noble in the pack prior for the sake of his family—he couldn’t swallow following after a child.

One ear flickered to the gentle rustle of foliage, noting a pheasant streak away. His stomach rumbled in protest, but he would not give chase—not with Arielle by his side and possibly unable to keep up—nor would he wish to expend their energy.

Ibis seemed to grow further from him with each step he took, and with a huff, the Frostfur reclined upon the plateau, his features blank as the sun began to sink down the horizon.

Venamis stalked his intended prey, a silent and deadly shadow who lurked in wait for a moment of opportunity. Eyes as pale as settled snow barely blinked as he held the pheasant with a hungry stare and, in anticipation of tasting fresh meat, his tongue slipped from between fangs to sweep the drool from his chin.

He crouched low, raven lobes smoothed back against the rugged ebony furs of his nape, and waited for the bird to return to its foraging while he prepared to pounce. Instead of turning its attention to feeding as Venamis hoped, however, it was alerted to another creature's movement and tore away through the foliage.

The wolf gritted his fangs, visibly frustrated as he gathered himself to prowl forward with a low rumble. Dark tail lashed the air and his mood only soured as he stepped into the open, where his pallid gaze settled on the unfamiliar frame of another rogue male. "I didn't place this order to go, y'know," the yearling barked with an accusing tone, clearly having learned nothing of manners in his lifetime.

She was sensitive to the emotions of the ones she loved, and so she picked up on papa's wariness even though he tried to hide it from her; she didn't completely understand it, though. She was happy to be on an adventure with papa—it helped take her mind off how much she missed mama and her sister. She was often sad about the fact that they were gone, and had stuck pretty close to Akavir the last few weeks, secretly afraid that he would leave too. 

Even now, when she was distracted by all the newness, she stayed as close as possible. And when papa stopped and settled down to rest, she situated herself in her favorite place—between his front paws with her head resting on one of his front legs unless he stopped her. She was on the smaller side, so she still fit there for now, although it was obvious she wouldn't for much longer. She released a long, quiet sigh, her golden eyes searching the area around them as her mind swam with thoughts of what their life was going to look like with just the two of them. 

Arielle hadn't really noticed the rabbit, but she did notice the stranger when he spoke out to them. She raised into a sitting position between her papa's paws and stared warily at the man. Then she looked up at Akavir for reassurance on what to do next.

Arielle crept between his front paws--a position she would only fit in comfortably for a little longer and the man bent his muzzle down, brushing his muzzle to her crown reassuringly. Leaving the Empire behind had been a relief but he would only breathe easily when Ibis and Lilitu were with them once more.

"Are you hungry--" His words to the girl were cut short with the biting words of a yearling, causing Akavir's intense champagne eyes to rush to the other lone wolf's annoyed posture. He could feel his own defense prickle at the words, but instead tried to maintain composure--if only for the sake of his daughter. "Can we help you?"

He was older, this silver-tipped stranger, though not by much. Despite the bold platinum that he could see peppered over lean shoulders, no ashen hairs seemed to have grown on his muzzle. A wolf who was alone but very much in his prime, and probably not one he wanted to mess with.

Venamis parted his jaws in preparation to bark something snippy in response to the rogue's question, but promptly shut his mouth at the sight of a child. It lingered by the other male's paws, uncertain, and its stare unnerved him. The young loner glared right back, his eyes hollow, before the cub broke that gaze. He lifted his chin and exhaled with a frustrated huff. "No," he rumbled, and shifted his weight to veer away and disappear through the foliage.

The eye contact from the eerie stranger made he heart race in her chest; she had never seen anyone look so empty before. It was confusing, and there was so much more to it than she could even try to understand as a little girl. All she knew was that she was glad she had papa's large, reassuring form to cling to. 

She refused to look back at the man as her father spoke to him, instead shifting closer to the dark fur of his chest as she waited to see what the stranger wanted. He offered a one word answer, and she was expecting more, but it never came. She heard a rustling and chanced a peak over at the man, who had turned to leave. 

She looked up to her father again, this time with confusion. What happened? she murmured quietly as if her voice might make him stop his retreat to wherever he had come.

The usual warmth in his champagne gaze was gone—the study of the youthful wolf before him contemplative, but not one of friendliness. No, he sought weaknesses—the sharpness of the others tongue indicating a brazen and perhaps foolish temper. Akavir, genial before, was hardened with the mind of his missing mate and daughter, and protecting what remained of his family.

When the other relented—the jerking word and the swift dispersal of the wolf only served to stir at the frosted wolf’s hackles, his gaze following him sharply as he disappeared.

Arielle whispered to him, drawing his focus to her bright and beautiful eyes that held inquisition in that moment. He chuffed softly, giving a brisk shake of his fur and ridding his tension, despite the lash of his tail through the air. “Just some angry kid,” he replied, not bothering to put more importance on the matter than it deserved. Instead, he tilted his muzzle down, though his gaze would draw back to where the stranger was looking to leave to. “So. Are you hungry? Want to try to hunt?”

Arielle looked back to the place the stranger had been, her expression filled with concern and confusion. She wondered why he was angry with them—they hadn't done anything to him. Maybe he was just angry in general, but she was sure that wasn't their fault. Regardless, she was relieved that he was gone,

She stared up at her father with adoration as he spoke, her chest swelling with the warmth that came from his protection and reassurance. The mention of hunting made her tail sway where it rested on the ground behind her. She was hungry, and she was more than excited to have a hunting lesson from papa. Yes, please, she answered, a smile adding to the exited expression on her face. She stood and waited for him to do the same.

“Good,” he rumbled, shaking off his irritation from the other wolf with a quick roll of his shoulders, his eyes warming as he studied her. “My little sealgair,” he continued, his tail giving a lash as he nodded. Constantine had passed the tongue of Taltos and the Mayfair down to his children—something Akavir would try with his own two.

Two. They would find Ibis and Lilitu. He was determined.

“Come. Tell me what you smell—first, to hunt, you need to learn to track your prey.”