Emberflame Ridge and martinis in my bones

@Bhediya - hope this location is ok!

The wind and his nose had taken him northbound, weaving him over mountains and through valleys until eventually he ended up caught in a territory one what might describe as odd.

Xizur imagined that whatever higher being had created this corner of the earth was not too pleased with their creation. For it was as if a smoker had used the ridge as their personal ashtray, stubbing out cigarettes with each new season that constantly added streaks of burnt grey not unlike the scorch marks found along an ash-pit. It made him wonder if from above the birds might play games of connect-the-dots, linking the charred pockets together in an attempt to create some grand picture that was more than just ugly patches of death and ash. 

yeah! can we date this for...01/15?

empyrea drove her north, away from the what was known. she'd never come so close to the teekon coast, not since her time at morningside. bhediya enjoyed the freedom and found it to be both comforting and frightening, never both at the same time.

walking along the rim of a stone ridge, she looked up and saw the distant frame of someone other. it wasn't pygmalion, or anyone who she knew; the seraph chuffed her greeting and continued in her approach.

sure, that works for me!

Cinnamon ears swiveled atop his crown at the sound of the gentle greeting, sea salt eyes turning to blink sluggishly at the woman's dainty form. Petite, sylphlike, and surrounded by an air of youthfulness despite the telltale signs of middle age betraying her otherwise girlish features.

Perhaps it was because she was the polar opposite of him, at least appearance wise, that he thought her properly beautiful. And so with a steady swish of his tail he silently invited her closer, all the while wondering where exactly she'd come from.

the stranger seemed friendly enough. he hadn't given her a reason to retreat, rather inviting her to continue onward. bhediya bounced off of the stone and walked atop the layer of matted grass. there was a slight flutter to her heart, partially due to being out in the open. so far as she knew, the murderer was still at large; was this him, luring her as his next victim?

she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. we haven't met before, she said, once close enough to be heard, i'm bhediya. a moment too long was spent staring at the colors of his pelt and admiring their arrangement.

He shifted uncomfortably under the weight of her stare, tail feathered and heart fluttering as she introduced herself. "Bhediya" he repeated aloud, allowing the foreign taste of her name to be committed to memory as he went through the syllables once more in his head. "I'm Xizur" he introduced a beat later, ears twitching from anticipation of what she might think of his far less elegant name.

For a moment his jaws parted once more, but whatever thought had danced along the edges of his lips had retreated before ever forming into words. And so their world fell to silence once more as he left the option to continue or end their conversation completely up to his newfound company.

xizur, a unique name. bhediya wanted to ask where it'd come from, if it meant something; the thought of this being grezig's son never even crossed her mind. she noted that he was quiet, so in hopes of keeping their conversation going for a little while, she decided to make small talk. is this where you're living? she asked, hoping that the answer was no.

would he ask where she lived? the paladin was doubtful. there's a pack just south of here at the emberwood, if you need a place to stay.

Any tension he'd been holding in his muscles relaxed the moment she spoke, a strange wave of relief washing over him. Her voice was calm, soothing even, and he found himself easing into her soft spoken words. "No" came his response to her question, sea salt eyes glancing from the features of her face to the woodland surrounding them.

It was her later choice of words that stirred a different reaction from the youth, one he'd usually never entertain. But he was curious and so he leaned a bit closer, nose wiggling as he took in her scent. "Yours?" he asked, referring to the pack she had mentioned before.

bhediya did not take offense to xizur's one-worded replies. she figured that if he was disinterested in their conversation, he would have long since excused himself. turning back in the direction of the emberwood, she thought for a moment — uh... — before telling him, one of them, yeah.

it felt strange to dissociate herself from the emberwood, but it was a necessary evil. i've been helping run it for a while, she explained, shifting to adjust her stance, but i'm starting something new, in the mountains.

It was hard to miss the disapproval wash over the youth's face after he learned of her future pack's choice in territories. "They are unkind.." he let out, sea salt gaze turning to glance toward the crusted wound along his hind leg "...the mountains I mean", he added on not soon after, briefly recalling the handful of poor memories he'd earned in the past week alone.

He decided then quite abruptly that mountains weren't his thing. He'd stick to the forests and fields he was use to and leave the mountains for the more fortunate of individuals.

it was hard to tell what exactly xizur meant. he might have been referencing the quakes, which made the most sense to bhediya; the mountain packs were both decent, so far as she knew. she also had a friend in both packs so her opinion was somewhat biased. that's fair, she told him.

maybe this one, then. if you ever need somewhere to go. if interested, she might offer to escort him halfway.

He offered a few lazy blinks in her direction, his attention set on the ebony curls of her fur as she spoke. It was only then, as some fleeting rays of sun broke through the cloudy sky, that he realized just how tiny she was. A wisp of a woman mixed with something foreign to him. To think that she, so dainty and slight, could conquer a mountain...

Xizur was rarely impressed with anything besides himself, but she had managed to earn his favor during their time together and he thought it only fair to give her the time of day. And so as the last words left her lips, the wayward youth's ears cupped forward in interest, ready for whatever it is she might yet share with him, if anything at all.

i just realized that i left an entire paragraph out of that last post?? i'll go with it LMAO
(ready to wrap?)

bhediya's tail wagged upon seeing xizur's interest. she'd met so many new faces, and each one so kind; would he be the same? while he might not have said much, she could tell that he meant well. with one firm nod, she stood and began to walk forward, circling around his backside to orient herself in the right direction.

we'll go toward the emberwood first, the seraph said as she began to move, and you can stop there, if you want. turning back to face xizur for a moment, bhediya told him, but if you don't, i'll take you to my new home.

ngl, i was a little confused lol. and yes, i'll fade with my post <3

So often were his lack of words viewed as standoffish or rude, that he'd grown accustomed to being misunderstood. So when she did not judge, did not assume that his silence was unmannerly, it was as if he'd just taken a breath of fresh air in a stale world.

And so with a single, sharp nod to her words, Xizur followed where she led - anxious, yet eager for what was to come.