Spotted Eagle Mountain dare you to do something

@Vallkyrie

The sleet and ice that fell from the sky as dusk began to fall had created the perfect skating rink. Paws gripped wearily as she wound her way among a steeper edge, precision in her pace slowing her greatly, given she felt it best to not misstep and find herself careening down the steep slopes of the shadowed mountain.

Each day that passed gave her more reason to flee. The scents of others that clung to her pelt were unfamiliar in so many ways, though the fault lied with her alienation from Diaspora.

The news would need to be given to Mahler, but for now, she scouted, keen on finding the perfect placement for the next chapter she so desperately needed.

Vallkyrie had been here before, well, more or less... She had scouted much of the flatlands all the way up until she had reached the coast and back down again. Now she found herself at the familiar mountain chain she had been met with before. She had not scaled them yet and so decided upon it, perhaps for a better view of the Teekon Wilds which lie to the east beyond. 

Her navigation was not an easy one, though a with a hope something were to be gained here. The Great Lake and a canyon were easy to spot from here, and, as she manuerved through the burned and broken trees (or big sticks, more so) she would come across the path of another. A blonde woman, to where her path was taking her Kyr did not know. 

I see I'm not the only one who had the odd idea of venturing this dead icy mountain. She spoke with a slight huff of a laugh. Though she did not wish to ignore the other woman's presence she did not draw nearer either, should the woman not will company.

Ooof. Here. <3

The voice beckoned to her in a way that was jovial and casual, drawing jade eyes to sharply glance in the direction of the dark gypsy. Consideration played upon her tongue for only a moment before she allowed a small smile to pull at the corner of her lips—a sight so rare these days. “The mountains call to me,” she admitted, her tail giving a genial sway behind her as she took in the posture of the other woman. “Though I’m afraid they’ve never been that good for me.”

Stigmata, her heart whispered, and she blinked against the cold, the faint smile vanishing from her lips.

“Ketzia,” she introduced, in way of keeping her current company from questioning her or prying too far in to her words.

It took the other woman but a moment, either due to being caught off guard or deciding if she wanted the company after all. In the long run, a smile moved over the other female's expression and Vallkyrie's icy attention regarded her with curiosity. With so many packs in these lands, Kyr could be left to wonder if she was a part of one located on the mountain or if she too was a wanderer as herself. Vallkyrie had been wandering on her own for quite a few months now, since Spring not long after turning a year old actually and although this was true it did not mean she was not still a social creature. After leaving her home pack she had just not found her new place in the world yet but with so many wolves and packs here in the Teekon Wilds, there was much promise of a placement to come. 

In my homeland, we had only one long chain of mountains. Looming and very dangerous. Nice to explore... Cant imagine ever living on one. She didnt imagine steep cliffs, narrow paths and rock slides were her thing. Hard rock under her paws constantly and not being able to run freely didnt sound very pleasurable of a home to her. Though the mountains were certainly something for exploration, just not comfort. 

As she woman's smile faded, she introduced herself then, to which Vallkyrie did the same, dipping down her black chin politely. Vallkyrie Archer.  She spoke, taking a few paces closer, a more comfortable distance for conversing now that she knew Ketzia didnt mind the company. Why are you out here along on this rigid mountain, if you dont mind me asking?

Ugh, so short.. so sorry. Screaming baby every few seconds. -facepalm-

She contemplated the dark woman’s question, her eyes regarding her with open curiosity as her tail gave an idle flick behind her. There was nothing to lose in being honest—but what was there to gain? “My pack is nomadic and we search for places to settle often,” she offered, testing the words upon her tongue before a gleam lit within her gaze. “But I would be lying if I pretended that I also wasn’t looking for something a little more… permanent… for myself.”

Your good girl!

The golden touched woman before her spoke of her pack being nomadic, that they looked for new places to call home. Likely, it was as the seasons changed or during natural disasters. Though her home pack had never moved as such, certain groups off of it did so. But then the woman relayed the truth, that she had meant to go off and find a new place for herself, her own pack, perhaps. Unhappy within the pack she was in now or perhaps just looking for a change, Vallkyrie couldnt judge her given the fact that she had left her birth pack for a new place to call her own, as many children had before her. I doubt you'll have much luck finding what your looking for here.  She spoke with a bit of a chuckle. Nor will I. She admitted. Havent found the right place to lie roots either.

The last statement that slipped past the inky woman’s lips struck Ketzia with a wave of grief. She remained rigid in her stature, clinging to the very last bits of her strength to contain her emotions, and yet she felt a certain kinship to the stranger in that very moment—perhaps the first with any female that was not her daughter.

How long had it been since she had searched for a place to lie roots? Stigmata had made a promise to her—and had been unable to deliver, perhaps even long before the strike to his skull and his untimely death. His promise to Takiyok had broken them before starting—and the loss of @Thorn had been the wound that had begun the initial fester.

“It shouldn’t be so hard, should it?” Her tone was soft—gone was the playful mystery that usually aided her smoky wisp of a voice, replaced with a certain hesitation before she released a gentle sigh. The question wasn’t necessarily meant to be answered, and she found her gaze swinging to the woman, wondering if she had turned the conversation far more heavy than what the other had been anticipating.

Vallkyrie took in a deep breath and exhaled, following Ketzia's own sigh. She didnt know if it would be hard or not, forming a pack of her own, claiming a home. But she did know... Nothing in life worth having is easy to get, I think. She spoke up, offering a small smile to the woman that, in this moment, seemed relatively lost and it wasnt just because of where they were on this rocky and barren mountain. I'm guessing it will take a lot of work, but if you can get a well trusted group together, at least you'll be able to watch one another's back until your settled. Vallkyrie spoke, thinking back to Belharra which she had kept in tabs with during the winter thus far. Being a loner, especially in winter, was not easy. But having a partner or even a little group was much better off.