Deepwood Weald You never knew? Good.

While he should have brought @Gwen , Cry went to this Weald alone. Well, unless she managed to follow him. But he hadn't told her he was leaving, so had she come, it was on her own accord. He rather she didn't, as though he had hung up his weapons sachel for the sake of bettering their family, he would never forget the multitude of ways that this deal could go down. But @Damien hadn't let Cry become aware of his plans for nothing; there was a promise betwixt the two, and Cry was going to make good on his deal. He was going to seek the fellow killer out, and tell him the Keeper's location.

Considering months had gone by since they had met, Cry kept mind to the area where @Nocturnal 's mate had mentioned they would be, yet before he had gotten there, the scent of the male grew immense around the Weald. And he had just almost crossed where the thick of it was. Taking a step back, he kept aware of the thick frozen forest, aware that he might end up being watched at this moment. But he held his tongue and waited to be addressed.

Nyx was indeed watching, her raven friend perched proudly upon her shoulder. The dark male seemed to move with purpose and so she was waiting to see what it was before she made her own move. It was then that Damien turned up from behind her and made her realize this wasn't just a lone wolf disrespecting their borders ever so slightly. He didn't call for an audience, not that he needed to - they were already close.

From the mist they did appear before him, Nyx's tail just a bit lower than her lover's and her mismatched eyes fixed upon the man which, for her, was a stranger. She looked to Damien then, waiting for things to get cleared up while Tulugak kept eyeing the other man.

Proudly he stood next to his queek as if saying 'I told you we would make it' to his mysterious friend. The last time they had spoken Damien had been but a homeless renegade, and now he was a king in full right.

You found us, he said with a hint of disbelief. Given how unlikely it seemed he would ever find Slade Damien had guessed the nameless assassin to be terrible at his practice. It seemed more likely that he had simply stumbled across their borders by mistake.

I would introduce you... he said taking a short, yet proud glance at Nyx and then returning to the sky-eyed shadow, ...but I still don't know your name.

The ebonian had yet to notice the empress, who snuck behind him with utmost silence - her practices in tracking swept to her aid in such an instance, and she managed to keep her presence masked from the one she followed. If he had spotted her ivory coat amongst the crystal surroundings, he made no mention; she'd wanted to surprise him with an affectionate kiss on the cheek, but on this evening Raziel seemed to walk with a purpose. So she said nothing, following his steps and mapping his route with the precision of a hawk, who could visualise the tracks from the frigid sky.

Only when he met with two other wolves, draped in similar coats primarily void of colour, did she step forth from the undergrowth to slither up beside her king (being sure to gently bump her shoulder against his own), azure gaze tipping from wolf to wolf in silent assessment. What business did her husband have with these strangers?

It was true- had been completely ignorant of his wife pursuing him. Perhaps it had been him growing rusty on his lifelong trade...because her stealth was immaculate. Yet once he parted his mouth to return such a greeting to the ebony pair of regal Melonii, his heart was blindsided by the graceful appearance of the Winter Queen. Stunned though remaining imperceptible of the surprise, he easily took the shoulder bump, his own humble love for the flawless ivoria showing through his warming glacials. As majestic as the duo before them, they made the ultimate team. But Gwen stood out from the triad of shadows as the queek(lolz smd) of all that was right in the world.

At the accusation, a seemingly disbelieving one, Cry canted a crown to the brute, a slight smirk on his lip's dark edge. Did he think Cry lied in being an Assassin? A name was meaningless. His name wasn't even Cry. Should he be asked for, there would be no Cry, as everyone that Cry was surrounded by had fallen away as dust would have, eons ago. But he chose to righten himself now, nodding with a chuckle, seemingly in a better mood now that his Ice Empress was here beside him. "I only went where you suggested to look. You were actually closer than expected."

Next time, a playdate would have to be set up. And by play-date, he meant an actual discussion of where they would go from here. Pack Politics, and the like.

"I am Cry. Currently founding Shadewood's Keep, should we be still keeping this alliance." He left a second for Gwen to introduce herself, but it had been too long since he had tasted her name, and as a gentleman should've, the Phantom introduced his Ghost. "And this is Gwen, my Wife." Everything within his heart contested with the instructions still ringing in his mind - he wasn't to issue real names to any and everyone, and this included those who were close to him. But if he was meant to be a Family leader, then he would have to make sacrifices, and that meant releasing a bit of the privacy standards he had held so close for so long. This was meant to be an alliance, and if it was meant to work, then they had to be upfront and honest with one another.

Even though the ones who could easily slit your throat the quickest were the ones closest to you.

She raised a slight brow at Damien. The two had met before, that much was clear, but had he spoken about any of it? Nyx was unsure if she was forgetful or if Damien had forgotten to mention something to her. Had he told the other Meloniis? Oh there she went again, getting all jealous of their heritage and mopey because she still wasn't part of the team really. She felt as much as an outsider as Alarian, waiting for whenever the question was popped. I mean, if they were to be mates forever why not get married and make it all official? But she wasn't about to propose it herself of course - she was a lady, it wasn't her duty to ask the man.

Soon they were joined by a white wolfess and she quickly glanced at Damien to see if he recognized her too. What had he been up to? Who were these wolves? For what did they need to find them? Her brow only raised farther when it was revealed Damien didn't even know the other man's name and she was left to keep quiet and wait for a proper moment to introduce herself. Tulugak had had enough of the confusion and stomp footed to turn his back to the other pair before cawing an annoyed sound and Nyx rolled her mismatched eyes.

Cry? What a peculiar yet strangely awkward name. She'd almost call it dumb but perhaps they were the dumb ones really. Why think of a sophisticated name when one could keep it simple? Perhaps they should name their kids after actions too like Fly and Walk. As if. She wanted cool names, like their soon-to-be cool parents. Now that got her wondering what genders their children would even be... Would it be wrong if she only wanted boys? Probably, so she reluctantly agreed with herself she'd be happy with girls too. Should she be thinking about naming them already? Would Damien be up for discussing it? WOULD HE ALONE BE THE ONE TO DECIDE THEIR NAMES BECAUSE IF SO SHE WAS FUCCING OUT.

She snapped back into the situation, only slightly picking up on things every now and then. They had an alliance with this Shadewood Keep? Since when? Why was this couple already married and why weren't they too? Instead of voicing her confusion, she dipped her head gracefully and said with a soothing voice; I am Nyx. I suppose you are already aware of our plans here in the Weald. I mean, what else would they be doing other than starting a pack? A kingdom? They weren't keeping a tea party 24/7, even if that did sound pleasant for a few days. Tulugak finally turned around to introduce himself with a loud caw. And this is Tulugak. Nyx added with a slight nod to her feathered friend. Happy now?

Not long after the trio of shadows was joined by another spectral figure, this one of a much more luminous nature. But what really caught Damien was her ocean eyes, and deep within a sad memory of his lost siblings, Damien got lost for a second. He would have called her Potema hadn't Nyx broken his trance with her own introduction, making Damien realize he's hardly paid attention to Cry's pitch about his pack.

Picking up his lover's words Damien shook his head lightly. He wouldn't really know anything. I've only told him how to find us. he explained, failing to notice how redundant it might sound. Damien had managed to realize on his own the nature of Cry and this woman's relationship without having the need to listen to the male's decorous introduction. They were fucking, he could see it by the way they touched, and in conclusion, this was the one Cry had gone to 'collect' the last time they saw each other. Shadewood was, most likely, his life project with the present lady, and since Damien found himself in a quite similar position he respected his counterpart's efforts.

Oh. forgive my manners, he said after realizing his mind had wandered in these thoughts a bit too long again. I'm Damien, he said dipping his chin lightly. They had never actually said it, but their last encounter had resulted in a pact of collaboration, which Damien pretended to uphold (at least for now). How far exactly are you settled? asked Damien, also without realizing that the matter of distance had been a point in Cry's greeting. Great minds think alike, they said, but maybe it was just the darker ones that shared some kind of wavelength.

She melted into his touch, snow drifting onto a backdrop of night. It appeared, as plush ears tilted to absorb words and details from the conversation her presence had interrupted, that these were less strangers than she'd originally thought - not entirely unascertained to Raziel. 

An incline of her pale chin gave signal to her greeting, after the empress' name had been spoken from her husband's lips. Gwen felt the uncomfortable prickle of acapuncture needles prodding at her figure, drawing her gaze to meet the eyes of the stygian male opposite - she watched his vision trace her own, as though locked in unspoken thoughts, and pondered to herself what had brought upon the secrecy of his memories. It was not the first time she had been mistaken for someone else, and she doubted it would be the last.

"Pleasure to meet you both." Came the curious nod, shifting her eyes away from Damien to listen as the conversation progressed. An alliance; this had not been mentioned to her, but she would listen. It could be beneficial for everyone involved.

 Cry brought forth with a politely canted tilt of an obsidian maned shadow crown, a subtle and silent second to Gwen's aquaint to their current company. Wintery irises glassed a shard of minor appreciation to Tulagak being introduced. His natal pack's woods had bore plenty of crows, and he wasn't very glad for the evil feathery things. They stole and snitched, an omen to dark tidings all about. But as he was contempt of the avians, he remembered this type of background was one he knew overly well. And it was familiar, almost reminescent and almost homely to cuddle such a distant memory. 
A painful cuddle. 

Resurfacing to the current the quad rode now, he chose to speak not too far after Damien's own finalty. Righting his crown once more, artic winds cested through the group as his suggestion came after the vie for Damien. "It's true- had to do a bit of travel and circle tracking to find you all. But regardless, I believe we're less than a day and a half's lope far west. Following the coast, a jungle will greet you further back, but unmistakable." A single second paused to warm the silence, before he frosted it yet again. "Should you all come to find us, you and your band will be welcomed." It spoke against his nature to be so open with secrecy and his own home, where he planned to raise his children, and where his- where their Family would bring up their own spawn. But to form an alliance, open honesty was required. And that included letting them intimately slither up to your jugular. Was it trust? Or hope?

Hope tasted bitter across most tongues...but to Cry it had the distinct flavor of poison, of immenent death.
He needed this to be far from the poison he feared too well.

Short becus life >_<

Nyx was still a bit confused. Damien wasn't the kind of person that trusted strangers easily, that was clear, and these two wolves weren't part of the Melonii bloodline - so it seemed. So the wolves she met were a threat but the ones he met were allies now? Hmpf. Still, acting rudely now might cause more problems than necessary. She was sure Damien and her would discuss it whenever they were alone again, and if not she'd just straight up ask about it.

That is kind of you. She remarked with no sign of suspicion. She then turned to look at Damien, curious as to what this conversation would reveal about their meeting and future plans.

It was somewhat strange how interested Cry was to strike an alliance with Damien. If he didn't know better, he would have thought he's recognized his name and wanted something out of him, but the Melonii name, although widespread, had mostly been kept in the shadows for generations. It was also unlikely that Cry saw any potential benefit from an alliance with his clan other than to have an upper hand in full out war should the occasion arise, which in turn was also a benefit for Damien's interests. But that, again, was suspicious in itself, or wasn't it? Maybe he was just paranoid?

It seemed that their packs were relatively well positioned in strategic terms, and Damien committed to memory the directions given on how to find them. The offering was well taken by his lover, and although Damien ould have to confirm some things before truly depositing his trust on a stranger, he saw potential in their alliance. They were like-minded from what he could gather, and if not for political power, then what was Melonii Clan working for?

And so will you, Said Damien, metaphorically crossing his fingers. It was too soon to know whether he could trust the odd pair, but he had ways to find out.

A nod sealed the alliance, and with a brief nuzzle to his Queen’s shoulder, he brought them around and began their trek back home. There was quite a bit for him and his Empress to discuss on this matter. Quite a bit, indeed.