Lone Star Mountain somewhere there's a party

She had almost bypassed the range; the Valley lay before her. She supposed that she'd spend the night somewhere at its fringes; she remembered distantly that there ought to be a forest, and some wetland, somewhere near here. She was not sure if she would arrive too far to the south, but she could do with any somewhat protected place to sleep a few hours. Her mind wondered just how long it would take her; if she moved at a good pace she might be able to get there late tomorrow; perhaps spend the night near the territory. It had taken longer for the Morningsiders to move, but they had been many; both the elderly and newborn pups hampered their progress.

She paused, plopping onto her haunches and catching her breath, twisting to see just how much of the range she had passed. It ought to have been a lot, for she could only see rock fading to more, distant rock. She gave a pleased shake of her pelt, sliding onto her stomach. She could certainly use and deserved a brief rest.

Having spent months mostly by himself, Talion was being careful in choosing a place to settle. He'd passed by a couple of territories clearly marked, but he recalled his previous experience of lurking at pack borders and withdrew completely. It might be easier to interact with the Teekon wolves at a distance, he figured, by making the effort to interact with pack wolves on neutral turf.

The young Roux-Abrhen found himself near an unfamiliar mountain range, and while it would've been safer to go around, Talion decided to find a good vantage point where he could see better and plot his next move. He had no destination in mind, simply wandered until he found somewhere to belong, though at times he doubted he would ever find that place.

The late afternoon sun was low, but the day was still bright enough. Talion trudged upward, trying his best to avoid the more rugged terrain. When at last he found a small plateau overlooking the valley before him, the ashen year-long pulled himself up onto the ledge and tentatively stepped forward toward it's edge. He gazed out over the vast land, from the autumn shades of its forests to the distant mountain range, and allowed himself the opportunity to admire the beauty of it all. 

He would go South next, was his final decision, and as he turned away he heard what he thought to be clacking claws against stone. Talion moved in to investigate, woofing softly to announce his presence and not surprise his potential new companion with a sudden appearance.

He found her sitting alone, her pelt a mottling of various ashen and ivory tones and as he sauntered closer, noticed the warm hue of her gaze. This she-wolf was very young, perhaps just shy of a year old much like Talion himself, and he greeted her with a friendly lash of his peppery tail and a backward dip of his raven ears to signify that he meant no harm.

Paws on stone had her glance up, and the approach of another had her shuffle back up to a sitting position. So much for her rest; she supposed, but there was lots of time for that later. The boy arrived with a backwards tilt of his charcoal ears and lash of his tail, and she mirrored his actions, remaining seated. A smile tugged at her muzzle; this male was hardly bad-looking and seemed friendly. There was no recognizable pack-scent on him, so she assumed him a loner. This piqued her interest; loners tended to be more mobile than pack wolves and could, potentially, carry interesting tales. " hello"  She greeted him benignly, gaze sharp but not uninviting. "I'm dawn; dawn morningside." The girl didn't ask for his name; she knew some might not be so forthcoming, and pressuring one to be so might end poorly.

The girl pulled herself into a more respectable pose, and Talion continued to observe her in silence as her tail swept the ground at her rear. She smiled then, the softness of her expression allowing his muscles to slacken somewhat. The corner of his mouth tugged upward in response, though his own smile didn't quite reach his pale eyes.

"Talion," he responded simply, opting to offer his true name rather than the cruel nickname his mother had bestowed upon him - "Vex". All of Astarte Strand's females called him this during his time there, and it had taken him some time to readjust to using his original moniker. His surname, Roux-Abrhen, had only been gifted to him by his father when he'd been moved from the Priestess' chambers to reside among the guards as a small pup. He'd never been formally given one by the Nereides and Notturno's held no meaning to them, so Talion did not see the importance of it.

It was still strange to him, to be treated kindly by females. Talion had learned on his travels that not all of them were like those where he came from, that sometimes girls welcomed his companionship or invited him to hunt with. Despite his background - a past that no one had to know about - he hoped could be accepted amongst a normal pack. His mother and sisters' rejection would be something he would likely carry with him forever, but the possibility of a new beginning was worth holding onto.

Canting a velvet lobe curiously, he looked upon the young she-wolf's lovely features, careful to never meet her eyes; "are you from around here?"

Talion, he introduced himself as. She was glad to see that he wasn't a jaded, secretive loner, and instead seemed somewhat more open. He didn't offer a last name, but then again, she wasn't sure if loners had them; her family had simply taken the name of their pack. She didn't wonder at this long, for he posed a question that she answered without much hesitation.  "yes; I'm from a pack to the south of here, called morningside. my father, Grayday, leads it." she paused a moment before continuing, adding "I'm on a scouting mission." she elaborated, seeing no harm in giving away the information. it wasn't as if Morningside were secretive or seclusive, nor was she especially quiet.

She wondered at the fact that his gaze never quite met hers, thinking it odd, but perhaps the typical gesture of a nervous lone wolf around a pack member. Her gaze moved over him unabashed, he certainly was handsome, and the glimpses she caught of his gaze were a beautiful periwinkle she admired.  "are you from Teekon, too?"  she asked carefully, the question purposefully vague to avoid prying; yet open-ended enough for the boy to elaborate if he wished to.

It was still strange for him, to interact with females who were kind to him. Months had passed since he'd been booted from Astarte Strand and he'd crossed paths with many since then, and still he had to remind himself not to gawk at them in surprise when they actively attempted to engage him in conversation. Talion blinked at the ashen wolfess as she shared that her pack was not far, and led by her sire before tacking on that she'd left on a scouting mission. 

The boy nodded, intrigued. He wanted to ask if there was purpose to her quest, but hesitated. The Nereides had never allowed any of the guards to question them, and although Talion reminded himself that he was no longer forced to submit to women, he was still very much adjusting to life in the real world.

"No," the young Roux-Abrhen answered, "I was born far from here." He was vague. Although certain that this girl was not of his lineage, his past was something that he wished to leave behind. His mother and her sirens would likely always plague his thoughts, but Talion wanted only to move on and live his life peacefully. He opted to elaborate further, however, for although he was quite clearly somewhat awkward, he found himself keen to keep Dawn from thinking he wasn't interested in talking with her. "Trying to find a place to fit in, I guess. Not sure if I'll stay or just pass through."

 

He was curt, and to the point, which the girl admitted she liked better than those who threw around words needlessly. Had she known the male better, she might have asked about just what he'd seen and where he'd been, ever interested in travel, but as she knew only a name, she kept silent on the matter. She thought a moment, before replying earnestly. "If you're searching for a pack, I know there are a few spread throughout Teekon. Easthollow is where I'm going; it's south-east of here. There's a pack near here, in the middle of the range; and one settling a little north of here. And, of course, Morningside is open to those who pull their weight and can fit into our ranks." She said, pausing briefly between thoughts as she collected her thoughts. She remembered Rannoch's pack distantly, and had heard of the pack settling near to them, but couldn't quite remember the name of the first or knew much about the latter. She attempted to remain unbiased in her description, citing only the basic facts.

 

Truthfully, Talion didn't know what he was looking for. He was always searching for it, whatever it was, hoping that he would simply know when he found it. Whether that be a place to belong, a loyal companion, a pack to aid him through the cold season or parts of himself, the young Roux-Abrhen had no idea. "Winging it" had always been his forte even during his time at Astarte Strand, even though it rarely worked in his favour.

Dawn began listing local groups, though she was vague in the details. The boy supposed she might no little of them because they were of no interest to her, and wondered if they all lived in harmony despite their proximity. His birth pack had bickered constantly with the wolves nearby, he recalled, over everything from hunting grounds to differing beliefs and opinions. He doubted very much that the new Siren Queen would have strived to settle the differences with the neighbours, and considered the strong possibility that she would have escalated them.

"Thanks," Talion said, warmth in his tone, "I'll check some of those out." He probably never would, considering his active avoidance of pack territory during his short time in the Teekon. The possibility of rejection and his overwhelming pessimism on the matter was what prevented him even attempting to seek a place among already established ranks. "What takes you to Easthollow?" Talion asked for curiosity's sake, ears thrust back warily as soon as the words parted his mouth, and quickly tacked on: "if you don't mind me asking."  

There was warmth in his tone that she didn't miss, and a smile softened the fierce set of her jaw. She didn't mind answering his next question, truthfully, though the answer was much abbreviated. "My brother. He left us when he was young, and some childish arguments didn't help the distance between us." She paused, thinking a moment before continuing. "I promised my father that I'd find him, talk to him."  She hoped too, the mend their relationship, and, if things went well, bring him back with her to avoid the looming disaster that was her father's next litter. She wasn't even sure if he still remained at Easthollow, but she didn't see where else he might have gone.

Dawn shared with him an insight to her personal life, openly admitting that her relationship with her brother was a rocky one. Talion pricked a sable lobe, curious. The only real family he'd ever had was his father, Notturno, and although they'd loved one another wholly, their bond was more like that of those in the brotherhood than the typical parent and child relationship. He was okay with that, though. It wasn't like Notturno had much of a choice in taking on that role, but he'd taken on the responsibility anyway and fulfilled it to the best of his ability.

He'd had a mother and sisters, but was forbidden to call them such despite their biological link. In their early childhood, at least the fleeting moments he recalled, his littermates Clio and Ceto had been gentle and sweet until they'd been brainwashed by the Nereides into thinking the males of their pack were beneath them.

"I hope you guys can figure things out," Talion told the ashen girl genuinely, a friendly lash of his tail to accompany the words.

[narrow]
A small smile touched her muzzle, and her ears flicked toward the male. "I hope so, too." She canted her muzzle slightly, offering a dip of her head. "I hope you find the pack you're looking for. As for me - I think I should go, if I want to make Easthollow by nightfall tomorrow." She admitted, surveying him as she rose neatly, shaking her shoulders stiffly. "Goodbye, Talion."  With not much more than a smile she spun and was on her way, never much good at goodbyes or small talk, and eager to throw herself into the rigour of travel once more.