Flycatcher Downs She came from over the cliffs

She came from over the cliffs.

Her golden form, travel wear and ragged, slipped over the edge of the sheer cliffs as the sun hit the horizon. Above, a beautiful, chaotic light display, the sun's last battle before it was bested by the night. Vibrant reds, golds, and fiery oranges created a spectacular colour palette that faded by the moment as it's creator slipped away. 

The woman's fur was wild, a beautiful golden tawny slicked up in places to reveal the grey base coat. As always, she looked like she had just walked through a storm, and yet, possessed a wild, chaotic beauty to her. Storm grey eyes issued a challenge to the new land before her, land that had yet to be tamed by her path. Before her, a mountain range, stretching out to the horizon, to her right, a distant corpse of trees, around her, flatlands, and beneath her paws, the rocky ground she had just arrived on. Behind her, lay hundreds of miles of travel, mountains climbed, rivers swum, forests navigated. And she would do just the same here, though she now had a goal. To long had she been alone, and it was a band she sought. Not one to join, for she was no follower. One to lead.

But first, she had much to do. She would explore these lands, judge them on their worthiness to carry her home. She was a traveller, a wanderer, at heart, this would prove no boring endeavour. She needed to find those like her, ones she could trust and gain respect from. 

But now, she stood, watching the flatlands, standing a moment at the top of the cliff she had just conquered. When, after a moment, her breath returned, the creature composed of storm clouds begun to move. She settled into a lope, a steady run across the Downs flat and clear. There was a simple, primal delight in this running across a land that had never before felt the drum of her paws. She was an arrow, shooting straight across the Downs, true in her direction. 

She settled into a steady rhythm, the drum of her paws a comfort, mind wiped clean as she simply ran.

Zephyr never was one opposed for travel, and now that he'd moved to a new place he felt entitled to explore the land surrounding. His conversation with Sen, the last they'd had near Seadog, it'd really hurt his spirit. With Rana gone and Heldi clearly not coming back, that meant that Shadowfax, save for him, was dead. There might be a few scattered here and there, but none of them had been picked as the heir.  His only possible surviving daughter, perhaps, but one may never know if she had lived or not.. Maybe she DID have a pack. 
The ebony male was lonely. There was no other way of saying it. According to Sen, she was not his friend, and as much as he loved Chusi the little pup had a much too possessive mother. So it was easy to get up before morning, strike out and explore for a day or two. 
He didn't get far, though, for as the sun began to peek above the horizon the brute caught scent of another. A female. Perhaps he was curious, and perhaps he was feeling confident, even flirty, he wasn't sure why he turned towards the woman. Maybe it was just the loneliness, or perhaps he knew of what came ahead. Either way, he turned his path to one that would intersect with hers, and let out a friendly, low howl for company directed towards the female. He galloped forward, intent on pulling beside her and running with. His tail swung neutrally, but his head and ears were high, and a goofy grin was splayed across his face.

A call. It was one for company, a lonely call, but she did not turn yet. Another, a male, pulled beside her, grin on his face and seemingly friendly. She did not stop. There was no motion that she was even remotely interested in him but for the flick of her ears and her redirection toward a small corps of trees. Her legs, her body, was made for running, for travel, and for a moment, she pulled ahead as she sought the shade of the trees. But then, for some reason, she slid back into her position beside her new running-mate, stormy eyes impassive as they finally arrived at the corps, and her momentum was suddenly, smoothly, stopped. 

She was still, the woman cut from a storm, her golden pelt perhaps moving a bit quicker with her breaths, but that was the extent of her tiredness. The male made her curious, so different than the mysterious clan people of her youth, the effective and brutal wolves from the surrounding packs. He was openly friendly, and from this, she deduced a few things.

One, he may be an idiot. Two, the wolves were, in general, friendly here, and that meant a land that could provide for them. Three, should all wolves be as friendly as this male here, it may be easier then thought to begin her band. 

Watching him, carefully, slightly guarded eyes of storm passed over his figure quickly. She looked at him, stance alert but calm, head inclined as to say "You speak first". She wanted him to make the first move here, not her. She knew nothing about this land, they could all be idiots, serial-killers, or weird people in general.

She didn't slow, not at first, and Zephyr took it as a challenge: one he accepted and carried out with confidence and his usual gentlemanly prowess. 
They ran, and ran, the ebony brute allowing her to lead the way and bring him to a copse of trees. To his surprise, she didn't pull ahead more than a time or two, and she seemed to let him tag along without bother. Neither spoke, apparently didn't need to, but as they started to slow words processed in his mind. Good thing, too, for when they did stop and stand for a moment of breath. Naturally, he waited for her to start, but the look this wild female gave him clearly said that it was he that should start. Very well. 
Grin still firmly on his maw, tail wagging behind him, the Maverick extended a leg and dipped his head in a bow. His voice rang with joy, with hope, and was somehow even more warm than his body language.
                  "Thank you, for allowing my company this morning. My name is Zephyr Maverick."

Ah, good. He was polite, and introduced himself, something no shady serial killer would do. After a moment, in which she dipped her head in the slightest to him, accepting the name and tying it to him in her mind, she herself spoke. An accent clung to her words, ethereal and indescribable, one that didn't seem to fit any language. But it was faint, and not all would immediately hear it as it tainted her words. 
"Zephyr. You may call me Aglaeca."

Her tail lashed behind her a moment, pleased at his polite greeting, before she deftly slipped it around her paws. Her stormy eyes glanced over him quickly, impenetrable optics giving away little of her thoughts. She tilted back her chin a moment, appearing as a regal queen may before her subject, examining him a moment longer before settling into a more relaxed stance, her quick flash of queenly stature gone. "What can you tell me of this land, Zephyr? My time here has been...short."

Zephyr, enthralled as he was in her for the time being, made it his mission to know this woman fairly well by the time he departed her company. And so he payed close attention, noting the exquisite patterning and colors of her lovely fur, a mixture of golds, reds, and silvers that didn't want to lay flat. It was her eyes, though, her stormy orbs catching his own grassy green gaze as it swept appreciatively over her frame. It was then she spoke, giving him the name Aglaeca in a voice that sung with power and twisted with an ancient melody. He couldn't place what it was from, but that mattered little to him right now. She was all that mattered, this striking female who so commanded his attention. Heart thrumming in his chest with exitement, Zephyr pulled up from his bow and couldn't wipe the grin off his face if he tried. From what he could tell, she was happy with his friendliness, his openness, and wouldn't have pulled it away even if he wanted to. She was regal, she was the epitemy of power: and Zephyr needed to be at her side. He felt the pull, the urge to follow her where she went. As what, perhaps that didn't matter right now, but he knew he needed to go. Aglaeca relaxed, but asked him of the land around, claiming she hadn't been here long. Suddenly all those times he'd left Seadog borders and gone exploring, against Sen's wishes, became very, very important.  
                      "I've been here a few months, and I've traveled over a good part of the area of the Teekon Wilds, miss. I can tell you a lot of things, especially in the area just North of us. We're in Rising Sun Valley now. It leads into the Snowforest Tiaga to the north, and beyond the Sunspire mountians are the Flatlands and the Great Bear Wilderness."
He pointed his muzzle in each direction as he spoke, knowing that he could for the most part take her wherever she wished to go, and knew of the packs they had to avoid. If she was looking for a guide, she'd found a pretty good one.

She was silent as he put labels to all that she had seen, and more. Her interest grew in this land, the Teekon Wilds, as it was called. It's land was varied, she gleaned, with it's Taiga and Valley's and Mountains. She thought this land would serve her well, be a fine place to establish her rule over a clan of her own. She eyed the male with interest, perhaps, would he be the first to follow her? It would be odd, to ask one she only just met, but he seemed eager, and was full of information of the wilds. He stank of pack scent, however, it was faint, he must be new. 

Eyeing him a moment longer with her eyes of storm, she spoke again. "Good. Your information will prove useful, it is a great help to me." After a pause, she went on. "My purpose here is simple. I wish to establish a clan, a pack. I seek followers to help me settle my claim, information of these lands, and a place worthy of settling." She finished, eyeing the male. Would he offer anything else to her? Perhaps he would join her in her travels, be the first.

Again, she seemed pleased, eve as she silently listened to the details he gave her.  His pride nearly bubbled over at her praise, and he found himself taking just one step closer to her. Tail wagging and eyes bright, he realized she was waiting for him to speak, and at once his thoughts went to Chusi. He couldn't leave her there, to deal with Sen and be cramped in a den all her life. So he wouldn't....
                 "If you're willing, I would come with you. There is a pup, back at the place I've been staying: we're good friends, and her mother isn't the most loving. I'd bring her with me if she wanted to come, raise her, and she too could join our band. "
He was careful not to push any rank for himself, but secretly hoped that when things were more familiar with them, he could slip into a higher position. Perhaps a co-alpha, or even Beta! Posibilities were endless, but they didn't matter right now: Zephyr was happy to have the option to leave.

He offered to pledge himself to her cause, Aglaeca was glad. This would go well, this male's enthusiasm was obvious and he may make a fine addition to her ranks. Aglaeca was not in the least bit picky about who joined her, having grown up with others from ever species and faction, she only ask they respect her and did not commit any despicable acts of violence. 

His next words gave her pause, a pup. The story surprised her a moment, being close to her own. She, the unwanted child, the one who didn't quite fit in, who's parent's didn't have the same love for her as they did their other siblings. She didn't have the girl's whole story, nor would she ask, but she agreed with this. "It would be an honour to have you join me. The girl is more than welcome, but what is her name? Where should I meet with you, once you get her?"

Aglaeca was willing to take both he and Chusi along,  and that was a relief. Now he wouldn't have to separate her from the only friend she'd ever known, should she chose to go with him. The next question brought a pause, and Zephyr sent his grassy gaze around for a good . Finally, they stayed North, and he remembered the last time he'd met a female as powerful and regal as this one. The Maplewood.
            "That way, past the lake and the marshes. There's a Maplewood there.... Chusi and I will meet you there tomorrow morning. "

She looked toward the way he spoke, already planning a route along the mountain. She was glad to have found followers so early on, and was interested to meet this pup. Her stormy gaze fixated on the distant point that must be the Maplewood. With a curt nod, she agreed to the location. This Chusi sounded to be an interesting girl, she was curious to her story. She did not ask, but said merely. "Good. I will make my way there, to the Maplewood, and meet you two there in the morning." Already she was standing, preparing for the journey ahead, though the strange new land that would soon become know to her. "I will leave you now." With that, she offered him a final glance, making her way to the north-east, first at a trot, then a steady lope, as she crossed the flatlands before her.