Northstar Vale dine with me

No matter how far she wandered in search of food, her paws always brought her back to the Vale. Fresh rabbit in tow, hanging from charcoal jaws by its ears, she wound through the mountains and to the valley with teal eyes glimmering even in the faint autumn light. Clouds covered the sun as it began to sank lower and lower behind the not-so-distant mountain tops. She came to where the Court had taken up residence for the time being, dropping her rabbit at her paws and looking around in search of someone who might need it more than herself. She had eaten that morning, and Andraste’s words swam through her mind — the rest of the court should eat first.

@Aiolos

After Aiolos visit to the seaside, he came to realize although the herds and birds could run away from these lands (because they never stayed in one place anyhow) due to the quakes and all they had caused, the fish would always remain.

Though it was not season for salmon, the beaches had been littered with sealife washed to shore. Aiolos had hoped that with no where else to go, the rivers, lakes and streams would remain plentiful as well. Living on an island the majority of his life had trained him well, and whilst having waded in the shallows for nearly fifteen minutes, he brought up from his jaws a sizable silvery fish. 

Success yet again for his (temporary) brethren. 

Trotting back to the sidelines of the small river, he catches eyes with another whom had been successful this late afternoon. The hunters were coming home from their day of hunting and their efforts were not in vain.

From the corner of seawater eyes she saw a glimmer in what faint light slipped through pale grey clouds. Her meager rabbit propped upon the ground, she looked to the fish he brought. Andromaque had not seen him before and quickly felt like she should introduce herself. ”Hello!” she called, lifting a paw to shift her rabbit a bit closer to her. ”I’m Andromaque — care to come eat with me?” He had his own sizable catch so she need not share, but having someone to eat with and speak too would be nice, especially since she had spent most of the day alone tracking prey and scouting the Vale.

His ears perked, the silver fish clenched in his jaws. His eyes met that of the seaside- a beautiful blue-green coloration. Oh how he longed for the seas. Their current dangerous and devastating manner of being now kept him at bay. 

She introduced herself in quite the friendly manner. Aiolos was learning on the mainland here there was alot more gentle natured females like his birth home had. Far different then his time on the island. 

After her introduction and offer to eat with her, who was he to deny a woman? He trotted forward, placing the fish down out by her feet. I am Aiolos, ma'am. He spoke and then stepped back and laid down, indicating that she may not only pick what she wanted to eat but also eat first as she should.

She could not help the welcoming smile that plagued charcoal lips, watching as he and his fish drew nearer. Aiolos. She promised herself that she would remember his name. Andromaque knew strikingly few members of the Court, hence how friendly she often was to each and every one of them -- she sought to have a good reputation among the Courtlings. 

Andromaque watched as he set down his kill and then used her paw to nudge her own rabbit closer to herself. She was particularly fond of them despite how often she ate them. 

"How long have you been with the Court?" she asked after a first bite. She couldn't recall if she had seen his face before.

As he settled, he noticed her pulling her own kill closer to her so that she might begin to eat it. Aiolos eyes turned down to the fish between them, though didn't grab for it just yet. He allowed Andromaque to begin eating first and casually began conversation as though they were equals amongst one another. Here, he supposed they were, but Aiolos had been digging at the bottom of the barrel for so long it was hard to come up out of it. 

Not even a full month's cycle. He admitted, answering her promptly. It was amazing the difference he acted between another male and a female wolf. Andraste found me after I lost my unit from the quakes.  He frowned, holding back the deep sigh. If he were to get lost, might as well be in a place as pleasant and free as here.

Andromaque took small, careful bites, not wanting to seem impolite in front of the unfamiliar face. She looked up at him and watched as he spoke, chewing slowly until he finished. "Are you planning to stay for long?" she asked, not sure if he would be a permanent resident or not. He had lost his unit, he'd said -- Andromaque didn't know exactly what that entailed, but assumed that he was perhaps looking for them. 

"I haven't been here long either," she admitted. Andromaque didn't know how long the Court had even existed -- all she knew was that she was dedicated to it now, this Aiolos included.

I... He hesitated, uncertainty obvious. I don't know. I frequent the ocean, for our kind favor there. We are from an island. It is the sea which brought us here. He pawed at the fish in front of him, dull claws digging into the white meat, ripping away at the silvered scales. My venture to these shores left me very... unsettled with what may become of us. After all, it was a waste land of destruction with all the debris and flooding.

 Perhaps the Winter would cleanse it and breath anew for the springs. But that was months and time would only likely push him further from them. The loss has left my future most uncertain. Our customs are very, different, you see... A place for me can only be with them. Its all he knew. All he understood. Everything else was puzzling, confusing... frustrating.

She listened to him recite his history and wondered if she should have even asked -- the words he spoke seemed painful and she furrowed her brow slightly in concern. Her ears twitched as she listened to him admit that Courtfall was far different from what he was used to -- that perhaps he would not be staying with the Courtlings. She found that a frown had drawn across her maw and she took a bite of her rabbit to hide it. "I hope that perhaps you will change your mind and decide to stay with us," she admitted after taking the time to chew and swallow. "Perhaps once you find your companions they can join us as well?" she suggested, her voice lifting in a bit of a question, wondering if it was even an option for him.

He noticed the concern on her brow, the frown which she quickly tried to smother. She cared for him to stay? Or was it that she cared for the Court's number of workers only? He breathes deep a moment, watching as she took another bite of her rabbit and spoke further. 

I plan to stay until I can find them. Andraste grants me leniency to search for them and after the winter passes, use Court sentries for aid." Why she offered such help to someone she barely knew, he did not know. Either she was a very holy wolf or believed her kindness to him would be of great benefit in the long run.

When she spoke then that maybe his unit would stay here with them when he found them, he smiled delicately. "Perhaps." He spoke only. He did not wish to bring her down, but knew the Nereides would likely not live under the rule of a non-Nereides if given the chance. That their way of life would clash with many, especially that of Andraste's way. And they were sea faring wolves. Being entrapped within walls of mountain simply wouldn't do. 

He does not say all this though. Only dips his creamy chin down to rip at his first strip of fish.

She listened as she chewed, bones beginning to peer through sinew, fur matted with blood that had grown cold. Andromaque knew of Andraste's kindness, so of course she would want to help him. "If you need more scouts I am always available to help," she offered after swallowing. Her rabbit was half finished by now, her hunger stronger than she had anticipated it to be. 

Andromaque heard how he said perhaps and felt that perhaps was the time to back off, not to stop offering her kindness but to stop trying to convince him to stay. She valued the Court and it's members above everything now, but knew that it wasn't for everyone, especially if he had other allies who did not want to live within the Court.

Andromaque did not push on with convincing him to stay, or stating that she hoped he would once more. It was not at all that Olo did not like the place. It was beautiful,  secluded, a safe haven for those whom arrived. Intruders which came had to purposefully trek over the mountains to do so and thus, left no easy escape from their wrath either. It provided both open land, small woodland and flowing creeks and streams.

It was simply that he belonged to the Nereides and he had seen them as his saviors after they had raided his home land and took him as their prize. He did as they demanded, perhaps brainwashed to others by him doing so. They in turned belonged to the Sea. 

Your trade is that of scouting then, ma'am? He asked, dipping his muzzle down once more to take another piece of fish for himself to eat now that the woman before him was nearly done with her own meal.

The rabbit was finished quickly as silence fell between them for a moment. Andromaque often ignored her hunger until it turned painful and gnawed at her stomach, some roaring beast clawing at the lining. She left the guts and bones behind and looked to Aiolos as he spoke and then lowered his maw to his fish and took a bite of it. "It is," she answered simply.

"I've been exploring the vale a lot recently," Andromaque continued, trying to make more of their conversation. She was enjoying getting to know him and hoped that she might be able to help him find his people, even if it meant that he would leave the Court behind once he did.

Once finished, Andromaque left the remains of the kill for any and all whom may wish to pick it clean. Aiolos took strips of white flesh off the fish, eating it in large gulps. Far less bloody then the female before him,  he still licked at the pleasant metallic taste on his mug. 

She said that scouting was her best skill and how she had been learning the in and outs of their new settlement. After another bite, Olo's ears perked with curiosity. Would you like to come with me then a time, to the coast? Perhaps she would have better luck with searching then he and if anything he would have company on his venture.