Sawtooth Spire Snowdrift and Sadness

exploration thread! hoping for a new face or someone from the court!

it was a new place with new scents, overwhelming at worst but exciting at best. gracious was mature enough to know she needed to take intitative and see what this land had to offer her and her new family, which has been mashed with members of her old one. her pace was a light trot as she heard the light coating of snow crush unerneath her heavy weight. it was a light trail that was seemingly carved out of the mountain side, providing a road for her to travel on.

the clouds were dark and grey, though didn't hint at a storm quite yet. she wondered if it would snow soon. she was no meterologist, though maybe she could see agana and ask her to see if she would know. the women did star reading and studying, the sky couldn't be too diferent during the day vs the night, could it? she paused her thoughts for a moment as she saw a clearing up ahead of her, and suddenly gracious finds herself on an edge, staring at the other hills and mountains that either met the height of the spire or coawrded themselves below.

a clearning cliff, crisp cold air and fog wrapped around her.

She would have been satisfied to keep to herself, were it not for the perceived expectation to socialize. Ainhoa worried what the leaders might think if she remained reclusive, and so set out with that thought, hoping to meet someone new. 

The distant figure of a woman called Ainhoa closer. She chuffed once near enough and drew in beside the stranger, discretely picking the scents from her fur. What had she been up to?

 here's a visual for where they are 

A sound of arrival, paws crunching and a greeting was made. her ears swivel back in the slightest, though her eyes finally make a shift to look at the other next to her when she comes beside gracious. the greyscale woman offered a chuff back to welcome the new wolf. gracious could feel the wind begginning to kick up a little as she stood on a raised rock of the mountain. "it's quite a sight, isn't it?" she asked in a smooth voice. it had been awhile since she had been able to admire the land that she called home. while the vale would always reign true in her heart, she couldn't deny the beuaty of this new landscape.

"i'm Gracious, you are?" she wasn't sure why this woman decided to join her all of the sudden, but was glad she would be able to learn a name and a new face. this is where bonds could be made.

Quite, yes. Ainhoa's voice was breathy and soft as she peered beyond the overlook. Snow was slow to fall, but came in abundance. She had missed visuals such as these and knew that if Eneko was here, he would have shared in her appreciation. Mountains are magical in winter. A smile crept onto her maw as she faced the she-wolf, now titled Gracious.

With a polite nod, she extended the same courtesy. I am Ainhoa. Her gaze shifted back to its starting place as she sat and released a heavy sigh. Do you come from Diaspora or Courtfall, Gracious? she asked, hoping to spark conversation.

Magical, that was a good word to use to describe the snowy mountains. Mystical, tall beings that stood in silence as the wanderers beneath search for a new place to call home. Ainhoa had a tongue for poetry in Gracious' mind. After the exchange of names, Gracious felt her ears perk at the mention of Courtfall and Diaspora.

"Courtfall," she said politely, "however, our Undomiel passed before she could even think about a merge at the time. I wish the Diaspora wolves could have met her, she was as magical as these mountains." She frowned for a moment, thinking about how she missed her moon maiden. So gentle, so wisp-like -- it was a shame she became an angel too quickly.

"You must be from Diaspora, yes?" She didn't recognize her from the Court, so it was either Diaspora or outside lands from where this lady came from.

What was she like? Ainhoa turned a curious eye to Gracious, hoping that she might share more. Wintersbane had not mentioned anything aside from her untimely death. I come from outside of here, she answered, I didn't know Diaspora, either. Her mind trailed back to time spent travelling with Eneko and for a moment, she was filled with contentment.

However, once the memories began to fade, Ainhoa was drawn back into reality. Do you know stars? she asked. There were few to be seen behind the shield of snow and faint sunlight, but that was irrelevant.

the question struck her with surprise for a moment, and gracious had to think of the best way to describe andraste. "regal," she started off, "with a gentle voice, and a heart that loved many." simple, yet straight to the point. there were many other words she could've used to describe the dove, but she felt her short description was fitting to keep ainhoa's attention and interest at bay.

she held no ties to either of the packs that came togehter. a brand new outsider, with stories to tell and friends to make. gracious was intrigued, she didn't realize those outside of the two packs were already making their way to sagtannet so quickly. she was pleased with the idea, however. "i hope you find your place here, then. from where do you hail?"

as for the talk of stars, gracious slightly shook her head. she had talked about stars faintly with agana, but nothing to a large extent. though, she had to admit, she wanted to learn more. "i'm afraid i don't, but i love to look at them. to learn more about them is a goal of mine. what do you know?" her voice is soft, full of a child-like curioisty of this new girl. stars were so interesting, yet they had a learning curve to them.

Gracious's short description was sufficient for Ainhoa's understanding. The acquaintance of a true woman, one who knew herself and her purpose, it could be a transformative experience. She smiled and turned away from the snow-pelted sylph, content to listen to the whispers of snowfall. 

Another question came. She shifted uncomfortably and considered her answer. Everywhere, came the reply, but I was born on a mountain. Ainhoa did not want to discuss her background any further, and so hoped that Gracious would understand.

Nothing, she laughed, turning her gaze upward, It's too much to memorize. Remembering the placement of seeds, or the best patches to forage, these things came easy. She was a natural horticulturist, but not an astronomer. I know plants. Flowers, mostly. Once the ground became soft, Ainhoa planned to start her own garden.

she shifted, and gracious silently took note. history of the home, not a good question to go on about. but her answer, mysterious at first, narrowed itself down to a mountain. she smiled at the answer and nodded her head politely to show she heard the response. 

as for the stars, gracious giggled a little bit. "yes, the sky is quite endless at night. too many stars to count and remember." when it came to plants, gracious felt her ears perk a bit. she enjoyed the idea of being a botanist but wasn't quite sure if she was cut out for it. "but knowing plants and flowers, that's impressive. would you ever consider taking on a student?" she shot the girl a hopeful gaze with her grey diamond eyes, her lips curled in a smile. she'd love to expand her knowledge, in any way they could.

"consider yourself an explorer? i think we may have found a new spot for sagtannet."

Ainhoa appreciated Gracious's presence. Of course, she replied, but I know most of the names in only my language. This shouldn't have been a problem, but she wanted to be sure before agreeing.

I think we may have. Ainhoa smiled at her companion and turned back to the stars, content to enjoy the woman's company in silence.

a new language? that interested gracious. she was older, and she knew that picking things up could be difficult, her hearing would be less sharp. yet she only felt excitement with the idea of learning. she had the desire to expand her knowledge, and this young girl next to her would be her next mentor. a pupil, gracious thought to herself, she hadn't called herself that in such a long time.

"language may be a barrier, but i can always try to learn that too." she said, a grin on her face. she liked ainhoa, not for the skills that she possessed, but for the kindness in her being. she had a feeling her conversations with her would continue to be pleasant. as for talk of the bluff cliff they resided on, gracious spoke once more. "what do you suppose we call this place? certainly gives you a bird's viewpoint."