Hoshor Plains don't wanna spend my whole life catching my breath

Boredom sent Bat in entirely the wrong direction on this clear, sunny, wintry day. She and @Tegan still intended to visit the Firebirds as soon as they could manage the last leg of the trip, though it was simply out of the question until Bat's ankle mended. In the meantime, she couldn't stand being stuck in this damn forest any longer, so she struck out in an eastward direction.

They'd passed a ginormous lake between here and the Sunspires. Although Bat detested water these days—nearly drowning twice can have that effect on a person, even one who practically grew up with gills—she just badly needed a change of scenery. Huffing and puffing as she walked, she reminded herself that she couldn't exactly avoid all forms of water for the rest of her life, regardless. It was kind of essential.

It took her hours to reach it, by which time Bat could only slump, exhausted, by the shore. She rested for a long while, even drowsing a bit. When she roused, she climbed onto all threes again and began to shuffle along the great lake's northern shore. It was so unlike the ocean, she barely thought about her most recent near death experience. But she'd learned her lesson about the dangers of ice too, so she gave the water line a wide berth, walking a solid ten feet back from the edge.

It caught her by total surprise when she scented a pack as she approached the lake's northeastern corner. With so much down time lately, she'd had a lot of time to think, and Bat was pretty much decided that she and Tegan should find the nearest pack and seek shelter, at least for the winter. Sure, they could make it on their own, but it would be smarter to seek out support. And although they were both a little piecemeal lately, Bat and Tegan both brought a lot to the table.

Idly wondering if he'd tailed her today (as he often did), Bat sent up a howl requesting an audience with someone from the nearby pack.

The howling did not go unnoticed by the golden and gray wolf, who curiosly followed to where she had heard. Soleil had appeared from the nearby, and went up to them with a bit of caution, but a warm smile plasted upon her soft features, "hello?" She responded to them, walking a bit closer to see the smaller gray wolf, whose ears ironically, reminded her of a bat.

"Are you in need?" She politely asked the other, assuming the howl meant assistance of some sort.

Someone heeded her call almost right away, which boded well, as did the stranger's demeanor. She appeared totally nonthreatening, her voice a gentle, polite lilt. Her eyes reminded Bat of that mute wolf she'd met sometime over the summer. This lady's were a paler shade of purple and quite lovely, though Bat quickly averted her gaze out of respect.

"Oh, no," Bat replied, glancing at her busted ankle. "I'm okay. I just stumbled across your borders and I was curious about your pack. Do you have a few minutes to tell me about it? I'm Bat, by the way."

"Oh, well then, it's nice to meet you. We are Kaistleoki," Such a strange but unique name, Soleil thought. She had grown a liking to it though, and by the bits she caught of their ways of working, was quite intriguing and different from what she had known. The typical Alpha and Omega system seemed to go out the window, "and I am Soleil Kinaiver." She smiled brightly toward the other, who funnily enough, was actually named Bat. It was best to keep some thoughts, to herself.

"What do you wish to inquire about us?" While she had limited information, only knowing the jist, she would never pass to help another wolf out, especially one curious about the Pack! The more the merrier, and a bigger family that the lavender lady oh-so desires. Though she wasn't sure where to start, besides giving out the name.

She offered her name, as well as the pack's. Kaistleoki, she repeated in her head. It was a lyrical word but didn't mean anything to her. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was Trigedasleng, but she dismissed that thought out of hand. Besides, it didn't have the right feel to it.

Soleil wanted Bat to provide some more specific talking points, so the scout chewed on that a moment before firing off a few hopefully easy inquiries. "Does the name mean anything in particular? What are the pack's values? Who are the leaders and what are they like?" A few more sprang to the tip of her tongue, yet she bit down on them. She didn't want to overwhelm Soleil.

She only smiled at the bullet-train of questions, trying to answer them, "as far as the name, i'm afraid I do not know. You would need to ask our Count, Ira, who is our current leader, or Evergreen." A good question that Soleil also needed to ask, for such a unique name definitely needed some sort of meaning. Maybe a play-on-words somehow? Nontheless, something the two could learn about if a more veteran wolf would come by. Tobias would be a great companion at the moment.

"I do apologize for my limited knowledge, for I joined only recently. However they treated me quite kindly, and invited me, who had no home, to join their pack. A lovely group I do say and vouche for." Though while saying, her head dipped to the side, as a new thought came to be. She had a realization! "It seems most individuals came here together to find a place called home" 

Soleil's answers were frustratingly vague, though Bat didn't hold it against her. She was so polite and, besides, she said she was new. Bat swirled her tongue around in her mouth as she chewed on the given information. It wasn't a lot to go on, though from her acquaintance's description, it sounded promising, if a bit clichéd.

"Do you think either Ira or Evergreen would be available to answer more questions?" Bat wondered. Because she didn't want to summon leadership for no good reason, she added, "I'm considering joining, if it seems like a mutually good fit." She didn't mention Tegan just yet.

But thinking about him made her glance over her shoulder, wondering if he might magically appear like he often did. She hoped he might, so the two of them could interview simultaneously. Bat just hoped he wouldn't be opposed to settling down somewhere for a little while, even though this place was surely no Margaritaville.

Leader no more, Eve finds it hard nonetheless to keep from investigating. By the time he circles in debate about showing his face, a newer member of Kaistleoki’s family already heeded the call. Yet Ira hasn’t passed him, and thus, Eve inhales a deep breath and the bear emerges.

Mismatched eyes blink first at Soleil, a smile curving lopsided upon his face in a brief display of gratitude towards one ambitious yet kind—and then to the stranger on their doorstep.

Hhi, he slurs, and clears his throat after. Uhhh… I’m, uh, Evergreen. I can answer them. His speech is far from perfect with pronunciations slow and difficult, they don’t sound right but he’s trying to practice more. Might as well do so by being useful, too.

Soleil nodded, and thought to go grab one of them- but speak of the devil, the wolf thought as she nodded to him. She personally did not know him too well, and this might as well be there first reaction, so she didn't know too much how his speech orginally was. She only heard there was some minor issues, but she could understand fairly well, "he is the one who created Kaistleoki," though not the current leader.

Tegan did not magically appear, though someone else did: Bat turned around and jumped slightly at the sight of a burly brown bear of a wolf. Her eyes widened as she beheld him, though soon she smiled and waved her tail, bowing her head in respectful greeting. He certainly cut an imposing figure, though he seemed just as amiable as Soleil. And something about the way he spoke reminded her of Towhee, warming Bat to him right off the, well, bat.

"Nice to meet you, Evergreen, I'm B—" A howl suddenly cut through her introduction and Bat immediately clapped her mouth shut, ears swiveling. It was definitely Tegan, calling in the distance. "Oh shi—oot," Bat mumbled, remembering her manners at the last possible second while being distracted by the summons. It sounded at least a little urgent.

"I'm so sorry, that's for me," Bat explained to her host and hostess, shooting them each an apologetic glance, "and I gotta go." Tegan had probably spilled his tea or something silly like that, though Bat wasn't going to risk delaying if her concussed side piece needed her help. "Sorry again. I appreciate your time. I may swing by again later!" And then she was off, scrambling toward the sound of Tegan's voice as fast as her busted ankle would allow.

Plans changed for these toons, my apologies! Thank you for the thread though. :)