Sunset Valley these wild hearts run
spectrelight
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#1
All Welcome 
Despite the light rainshowers that the afternoon had picked up, for what was one of the first times since the bear encounter, Opalia had it in her to roam beyond the grotto's immediate edges. She was feeling restless from keeping to a quiet, easy routine since then--one that a bit of mending and recovery did demand of her, but now that she was feeling back up to par, she couldn't keep herself so tethered.

Eager to get a proper feel for everything, she went cruising more northward to see what she could find there. Kiwi's chosen mountain loomed just beyond, earning a low glance from her of course, but she was going to keep to the valley for now. Its low expanses seemed to welcome her readily enough, so the golden-furred gona kept her explorations deepening, enough to warrant a slow jog.

She was officially on the lookout soon after, and scanned the path ahead as more trees began to dot this stretch of landscape.
A heart coated in gold
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#2
He kept on moving, looking for the perfect place to start his life. The land grew colder -- colder than he'd ever known. Though he'd inherited plush fur and it was summer he was not used to the wet wind blowing across the Taiga and rain that came intermittently. Though, he'd yet to find any signs of a pack. The prey was abundant here. 

He stood at the top of the valley, watching the golden figure jogging through. They didn't look too harmful, right? He waited a heartbeat longer before starting towards them at his own jog. Keeping his posture friendly, he chuffed to alert them he was near. She seemed to be scouting anyway.
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#3
Her pathway forged on smoothly, leaving her to cruise comfortably and set her own pace across the fields. She was free to take it in as she pleased, and when a stranger's presence appeared on the edges of what she saw, she was quick to divert her attentions from the landscape to the oncoming wolf. Drageda had trained her to always be ready and even separated from their cliffs and the structure she had been born into then trained under there, these were not habits that would ever be quick to leave the yearling.

She eased her jog to a walk, then a slow stop shortly after her new company chuffed and came upon her with friendly-looking intent, with which she eyed him back promptly--her own neutrality plain to see, but underlined in a guarded tension just enough to be noticeable. Already, she wondered if he was one of Kiwi's mountain's sorts.. but scents weren't aligning quite the same from what she could tell so far.

For now, she just didn't know all that much, so, she steadied herself and chuffed back her own greeting: Hei, she said, having found that trigedasleng still substituted nicely for that much. As she did, she noticed his empty eye socket. Are you from near here? she asked first of all; he didn't express himself like a territorial wolf so far, but deep down, and still nursing a few fading bruises from the bear fight, Opalia wasn't in the market for trouble today.
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#4
She seemed a little unsure of him, but that was ok. He supposed some would be of a one-eyed wolf. 
"Heya," he replied to her foreign-sounding greeting. He wondered about her life, what cultures she'd been part of. 
His brow quirked at the question, "Indeed. The southeast." He flashed her a soft grin, "What about you?" If he had to guess, he'd say further north. He knew there was probably more further on, worlds couldn't end at oceans, right? There had to be something beyond them. 
Either way, he'd be intrigued by her origins. Perhaps he could learn about what lay there and decide if this was the right place of his grandmothers and mothers birth or if it was further on.
He was sure, though, he's got the right place.
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Hm, she wondered immediately. As for southeast, her own mappings were poor. Aure and the others had headed off that way, but this was the vaguest relation the yearling could muster--and it didn't really do her anything here.

Originally cliffs by the sea, west a bit, the Drakru arced her snout in a gesture towards Dragoncrest's rough heading, although it was past the mountain, the tangled woods, and then there, lined with such imposing redwoods that she knew she would never forget, was the lands of her birth. She still felt homesick thinking about it, and how empty it must be, probably trailed with Rusalkan stench by now. For now I'm staying in a grotto just south with my brother and a few others. Maybe calling them a few was an overstatement, but one-eyed-guy probably didn't need to know that just yet. To stay secure, and train.. she did go on to detail, and watched him as she said so--because were they a threat to anyone of his sorts? Maybe in the right kinds of light but honestly, Opalia knew they were a small blip on the radar to anyone except those who threatened the cliffs. Or, there was always the chance he'd think that was odd.. in which case, the golden gona had little more to say to him.

She shifted her weight but kept a guarded alertness on very well as she focused on him so very carefully--unsure still what she thought about him, honestly, and meeting strangers was something she was still establishing her skills on. So what are you doing out here? I'm Opalia, she said.
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#6
He followed her gesture, wondering if he should check it out sometime. It'd be a fun trip, he supposed. The ocean was largely a mystery to him, known only from stories. He wondered what sort of arrangement she was living in. Were they forming a pack? Perhaps they'd make good neighbors if he decided to start here. Not today though, and perhaps not so soon. But certainly one day, he'd get what he came for.
"Sounds good."

He looked back to her, remembering her name. "I'm here to start my own pack. Perhaps not yet, but one day." He smiled, wondering what she thought of it. Wanting to not be a threat to her and her forming pack. Not that he ever would be -- not unless he threatened him. "I'm Komal." 
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#7
The pale-furred yearling gave a soft nod, though she tried not to miss the Cliffs too badly. She wanted to revisit them again one day soon.. just to check in and see it all for herself. But, for now? Hearing he was out to stake his own claim was worth noting more than her missing her homeland, she decided quietly to herself. On this matter, she felt it acceptable enough to pry just a bit more about the notion, which assumed he knew what he was doing.

Opalia, on the other paw, was still learning. She wanted badly to support her brother's endeavors, each and every one, but the unexpected addition of Kiwi to the situation about Dragoncrest left the yearling uneasy and unsure how to do what was best--and how to proceed. They were not having great luck in accumulating followers, and she still felt strange tucked in the crook of their mountain's shadow. Interesting. Do you plan to do that here? Just to clarify, in case she might need to consider him a potential ally or enemy--a competitor for resource here in this area with the mountain and the grotto occupied somewhat. Are there others with you yet? she asked, obviously curious, and considering what this meant.
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#8
He suspected she'd be at least a little suspicious of him now, but that was no bother. He could assure her readily enough.
"Nah. I'm jus' lookin' an' p'rhaps those mountains will fry better fish." He tilted his head off towards the Sleeping Dragon. Days walk from here, likely. He smiled with his good-hearted nature. He should start thinking of gathering numbers if he was going to do it now. 
"I'll be joinin' someone an' findin' me feet firs'. " The corner of his mouth quirked up. He half wondered if she'd offer a place in her forming pack -- which he'd kindly decline. He still wanted to travel. "So no, no one else yet." 
spectrelight
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#9
Still, as he answered outright, Opalia had no reasons to doubt him as he really made this whole exchange pretty easy so far. This time she followed his gestured towards the mountains on the faraway horizon, and the Drakru nodded. They might, she supposed, not having anything of use to add about them really; she had yet to explore them at length and had only passed by at best. For most of her life, she had stayed near the coast. I haven't been deep into the area myself, she added.

As for him joining someone for the time, Opalia quirked her expression upwards ever so slightly. Trying to recruit wolves to help her and her brother train was not coming easily, and even knowing of his over-arching plans, it left her undecided if she should even extend the offer. He could just be a fleeting presence, if nothing else... but that only prolonged the inevitable for them, she thought. Still a maybe, depending on which way his interests seemed to point. If you want a well-established pack, there are definitely a few south to here. Some on the coast too.. but not all of them are worth encountering, honestly. Meaning Rusalka, and she didn't have stellar reviews for Dalia's coastal pack that had let itself be claimed by a Rusalka usurper.. so almost as bad to her. Around here, as well as I've run across anyway, it's us in the grove and another similar group of yearlings on the mountain near that are maybe trying to stake their claims or whatever else. Maybe east there's more, eventually? she supposed, not sure, but maybe it was worth finding out if he really wanted to keep his options open fully and absolutely.
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#10
He was excited about the unknown really. The unknown could be anything and he was ready to take it on.  "Perhaps I'll see you exploring them someday." He hoped he would, she was good company and likely a great companion. She looked full of wits which was a valuable scouting skill.

He listened to her recommendations, taking in the information. He supposed he'd see for himself but didn't want to lose a possible ally in the process of joining an established pack. "I think I'll see what may fit me, or gather recruits, but I think I'll stick inland." He wasn't much a fan of the coast, especially this far north. He grinned, his tail waving softly still. "I'll be sure to tell you of the east." He was almost certain he'd be seeing her again, yet life would still flow after their departure an anything could happen. Anything.
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#11
With the path for her future not set in stone, it was hard to say what maybe become. She did hope to get a chance to explore these northern Teekons in greater detail but a lot of her attentions were often pulled elsewhere lately, especially with her and Dacio hardly more than glorified squatters most days in the grotto and needing to watch their own backs first and foremost. Most of why she wanted to see whatever else was out there was all for her own sake, just to cater to the curiosities, and the interest of what else there may be that she did not yet know.

Plus maybe, depending on where she was and when, maybe it could benefit her situation at the time. Hard to say until it she knew, and her future was not so clear today. So much had changed for her in only a few short months as it was already.. she was learning firsthand that it wasn't always what you expected. Maybe, she agreed with a short nod, not at all about to discredit the opportunity for herself; Opalia wanted to see more and one day, if not soon, she did intend to make it happen eventually. I plan to, sometime. For now I feel like we have to focus at the grotto, even if it may not be a permanent thing.. she admitted. It felt more like a stepping stone to the next phase, whatever that would be. Anyway, she would gladly hear about the east if that opportunity ever came. Good, you'll have to if you see me again, Opalia switched her tail and canted her head, looking a lot less harsh about her expression than she had initially.
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#12
He understood fully what she was saying. It was no bother, though. It would be perfect, in fact. Let them both help their packs grow so they could form a relationship and eventually be allies. Then, when they travel, they will have a pack to go back to. He yawned, content with the outcome. 

"I want to focus on whatever my travels are. Perhaps a forming pack we can ally with." He winked -- or would it be a blink? -- "We'll certainly meet after this." He sighed softly, ruffling his fur. He'd never been this far north and despite it being summer, he still felt the chill of the air. "I s'pose I should get on with my travel if I'm to tell you of it all." He grinned, stirring his limbs into motion again. Though he'd certainly listen to any last words from Opalia.
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#13
Although their paths seemed destined to wander different routes, as it truly ought to be--her worldview was not so narrow to think it should revolve around her, after all, but she took a second to admire the similarities in his answer to her thoughts anyway. Maybe her doubts were exaggerated, and she was undertaking this in-between stage of her life well enough.

Nevertheless, his words had her nodding. Sounds good, she agreed, well after having decided she had nothing to lose here. She wasn't opposed to the opportunity to see a halfway familiar face again one day, either, so she was fine to go along with the chance. Safe travels, she offered in her way of good luck, and farewell, together at once before she turned off onto her own path deeper across the plains--heading for whatever caught her eye next, with that all carefully in mind now too.