Fairspell Meadow bleak midwinter

the sweet scent of fermenting berries draws sullivan's attention towards the meadow. it brings with it a twist of nostalgia; an almost.

almost a memory.

an almost that felt like too many lifetimes ago.

he weaves thru the tall grasses, subconciously chasing the peek of the sun thru the clouds; bicolored gaze sweeping his path as he moves, the chill of the air a reminder that the snowseason would soon be upon these lands and of his plans: to find a place to ride out winter before it took hold of the wilds.

Wind direction trailed her back to the outskirts of Akashingo. Her search suited the mouths of their kind, wisping through drying grasses and following up an abundance of scents. Many of which she'd never smelled, and could only catch puny traces of. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

BOOOORING!

BORING!

Too far! But the high of being about and traveling was at its peak. She'd return when she had something to return with. It was, however, a new scent, a wolfish scent, and her ears that made her stop nearby with an averted head. Intentionally. 

sullivan does not notice the presence of the other; not at first.

wrapped in the nostalgia of almost a little too long. plagued by thoughts of his mother and father and siblings, went unseen since he was a child.

something draws his bi-colored gaze in her direction. a shift in the wind, a bird call even. something that has forced his gaze to errantly shift and her shadowed form comes into view.

ears cup forth, at attention, atop his skull and he turns his head to face her, a low chuff slipping betwixt his lips.

A low huff of air nearly puffed against her ears once the sound hit them. Swiveling her ears, her head came to a turn while her nose swept the grass.
There it was!

But then her eyes went up, up, to touch a much larger figure than her little mind had anticipated. Icy, golden eyes. Much big. Big.. Quickly twitching her ears back towards her body, her hackles briefly lifted before rapidly dropping back down against her spine.

Her nose twitched, and a quick, curious, big grin formed across her inky lips until she called out, head dipped. "Hello!"

upon closer inspection, she is dipped in a wash of nightshadows; a slyph of a thing, the scents of many — a pack — lingering upon her pelage.

he is unfamiliar with all of them, which spurns the unanswered question in his mind: how much of these wilds have changed?

already, he knew that he was not the same lostboy that had taken off on a fool's adventure so many years ago.

hello, sullivan rumbles in return.

"Hello!" she called again, offering a swishy bounce of her tail. Upln his eyes, she checked for his thoughts- his aura, his intentions!

A quirky smile on her mouth and a squint to her right eye, "you are-- traveler? Stranger? You stand close to Akashingo!"

a traveler — was he? though he rankles against the title, that he was as free as a caravan leader with no roots ... he considers that he has been severed from his roots for some time. granted, he'd left home with good intentions. only to not return for almost three years.

somewhere along the line, good intentions had went horribly wayward.

not for long, if i can help it. he replies with a wily grin ghosting across his lips; harkening to the thoughts only he is privy to. i'm looking to settle down. perhaps she would not ask, but as he realizes that initial reply could be taken a multitude of ways, offers a looking glass glimpse into his thoughts; brief though it was.

akashingo? is that your home? sullivan asks, though he would assume so in the way she announces it.

"Hm?"
Swiftly, her frame fell into a disciplined sit.

"Ahh," her ears sat atop of her head, stiff and alert with her tail swaying side to side. "You are looking." He had a grin plastered on his features, one that she took careful examination to and interest with a traded one of her own.

"Yes, sir! I serve Akashingo. We are in the midst of expansion, within the dunes. I've traveled from.." pause, pause, pause, "not far." Within her strumming tail, she chose to touch upon it too. "Perhaps that fancies you?"

indeed, the neverwinter prince purrs in agreement, offering a small, soft nod of his head.

she speaks again of her pack, offering more information this time. that they were in the midst of expansion, which told him more than perhaps might've been intended. it spoke of sizeable numbers, which meant they were strong. especially if they were making a branch off.

an alluring prospect, then.

it does. he murmurs after a small pause. simple and to the point.

That worked.

She heard a roll of satisfaction across his tongue. Perched across his vision, a little hum quickly touched her lips. "If you must." Forming to a brisk stand, her flank turned to him and her direction shifted.

Her attention, however, was far from gone. "Should you make the trip, yeah?" A series of mouthy, sadistic, playful laughter.

for a moment, sullivan feels as if he's being spoken to in riddles.

his is quiet for a prolonged moment, bicolored gaze studying her before his lips part to speak, placing a halt upon her perceived intentions.

what can you tell me of akashingo? after all, he would be a fool to blindly try to join a pack without knowing anything of it's politics or it's leaders.

Well, Briar had been stupid and he was easy! Oh, the perils! The pain! She must explain! So much work! Labor was so terrible.

"Ah-" her head lifted in pain self-playful pain. He would be the type to ask questions. Fine! She'd answer! Their new addition would be in need of extra paws. Then, her eyes were locked back on him again.

"Akashingo is an empire. We are loyal to Gods. We take pride in the dunes. We serve Queen- serve our Pharaoh. There is order of rank. Engage in feasts, wines, treasures. The Queen would be most pleased to have you amongst her people." 

She blinked, and then with an addition and little grin, "does that fancy you?"

she speaks of an empire. of gods. of those mysterious dunes again. a queen titled pharaoh.

feasts! wine! treasures!

though the title pharaoh is unfamiliar to sullivan, the title of queen is not. it sounds intriguing, and his bi-colored eyes sparkle with the promise of it. he, perhaps given his own status as ex-prince was lured to the promise of court intrigue.

of what is familiar despite the fact that it sounds new and thus exciting.

indeed it does.

Last from me! Hope to see more of him>:]

Finally with a feminine, hearty laugh, she bowed her head and shook her tail out. Oh, yes, so that got him! “Yeah? Perhaps I see you then, yes? To the north of river, it will lead you to us, should you not follow me, yeah? I go now! Gotta get back! Bye-bye! Say Legend sent ya!”

Then, she turned tail to the tall man and took run back to the pass. No need to get a bopping from Zaahira’s awfully attentive tongue, Khusobek’s taunting, or god be given, Senmut for missing a sudden class of the gods. 
Go-go-go! Gotta get home now!

Her common-speak sucked.