Nova Peak Mind,

Asra was welcomed into Sagtannet, and was given the rank of 'Thrall.' It was interesting, she thought, and was quite fascinated upon the group. She knew the right choice was made, especially since the surroundment seemed quite familiar to the northern forests she knew, it felt nostalgia.. And not the bad type, where the heartbreak came in remembering Court of Nightmares.

The north coldness was always a home to the wolf, and pleased by so. Though curious enough, she had not seen the sea before and was a bit curious beyond so.. For now, preferred to gain acceptance from others, before venturing further out to the land. Asra definitely wanted to see more of the surroundments that the mountain had.

For now, she was peacefully taking a stroll.

Accepted late October

Bottom. Again.

To be doing this a second time felt strange. Before, he had followed Aphrodite's lead only because he had trusted her. Now, he had done the same, but it was Takiyok he followed. They were completely, entirely, absolutely different women. He had no interest in trying to forge romantic relationships with either. It was only that this trust was something he desired in his life, for things were hard enough without it.
Taikon was not fascinated with the group. He knew what was expected of him, and he knew that he would deliver exactly what he had promised to Wylla. The rest was an unknown. As the pale-coated prince strode about a clear part of the mountain, he found a young woman. She looked dog-like. She had a husky stare and an odd coat pattern that made him uncomfortable. He sighed.
Hey, said Taikon, attempting politeness. I'm Taikon, he said, bowing in the classical way he did, low and formal.

Her own Court had similar formalities, so when the gold wolf approached, she bowed in the same manner before rising with a polite smile. Asra was not sure of his rank, but remembering such manners, if a wolf bowed so low, he could only be of similar status- a Thrall.

"I am Asra, it is a pleasure," a warm smile to ebony features, "i'm afraid i'm unfamiliar with many, as i've only recently joined."

asra is a full-blooded wolf fyi! i dont mind her being compared to a husky though

He is basically a wolf racist - he thinks blue eyes are husky eyes and patterning is for dogs

The odd wolf bowed. Like he did.
Taikon rose. One ear turned sideways. This had never happened before. Of all the people he had met on his travels, not one bowed in the way of the Farukan kingdom. His interest piqued, he nodded when she introduced herself. Same, he said calmly. She confused him with the combination of her strange appearance and familiar mannerisms. None of it made sense to him.
My friend Takiyok convinced me to come; I was at Whitebark Stream before. He explained it in the shortest form of the story he could tell. She didn't need to know the details; they would probably bore a stranger. And you? He tilted his head slightly, wondering where the strange one had come from.

The ways of the court were to bow to anyone higher then themself. A paw forward and the other bent, body bent low as head was near the ground; she was used to such ways. Though Sagtannet did not seem to need, as Mahler did not warn her if she needed such formalities. Perhaps it was but a simple culture difference, and that Taikon was in a familiar one.

"I'm unfamiliar to the groups around these parts," the nightmare wolf confessed, "I was a loner, wishing for a home for the next few seasons." She would hope to stay longer then but a few, but one could never know when they are betrayed from the very pack they are loyal to.

Despite some sombering thoughts, Asra always held, a soft, warm smile.

Asra was greener than green. Right off the boat.
He supposed this was the most common story. She was merely a traveler, a young woman dispersing from her home of wherever land. Taikon was the odd one out. While he had never actually told anyone what had happened to him, he assumed that other people just left when the time came. He had done so as an exile.
I see, he answered. Taikon sat down, relaxing. The air was chilly on the mountain. He could smell moisture on the wind — a foretelling of snow. And after the next few seasons? He probed on purpose, wondering why she had only planned that far in advance. He was reminded a bit of Celnes, who had joined Whitebark with her siblings and then abruptly left after they had had their fill of the caches. He wondered where the elk-like woman was these days.

"I would hope to stay longer if fate would allow it." Perhaps she should change her way of orders instead of saying 'for few seasons." It would be rather rude if she explained the wariness of betrayal that came with it, especially to one she just met. Asra flickered her tail just a bit, as her blue gaze wandered to the sky, and back toward Taikon.

"Do you like it here?" The nightmare wolf inquired.

So she did want to stay longer. Perhaps permanently. Fate. Taikon drew in a deep breath. He didn't used to believe in fate. The more recent, continuously negative events in his life had started to convince him that he was indeed cursed, and it was fate that followed him. It was fate that made his friends leave him or die, and fate that broke his life apart whenever he felt remotely stable. He nodded.
Sure, I grew up on a mountain, so this is familiar I suppose, he said, although the mountain homes had truly nothing in common. It's nice not to have to scrounge for food quite as often, he continued, looking rather knowingly at her. Surely she was also enjoying the stability of hunting that came with pack life. If ever they were hungry and they didn't manage to catch anything in a day, there were almost always full caches available thanks to the pack's hunters.

"I grew up in the far north, where the pine's are constantly brushed by snow, mountains are familiar, but I never lived on one." As he explained where he grew up, Asra dashed on her own homeland of the Nightmare Court. Where winter was endless, and the snowflakes always tittering to her nightful pelt, and forever dashed a white upon her eye.

"It is nice, I do agree." Months of wandering for food and growing hungry for days, she enjoyed the fact even if her own hunt had failed, there will be something there for herself. In return, the next day would be pushed into hunting even more bitterly to fill what she had taken.

The far north? He had known some from there. Takiyok, he assumed given her name, was likely originally from up there. Or else her parents were. Astra was no tundra wolf, though, for she spoke of trees where in the tundra there were none. He wondered what could possibly have brought her all the way down here. Dispersal was an interesting thing.
You'll get used to going up and down the mountain a lot — your muscles won't always be sore, I mean, he said, though he wasn't sure if she was feeling it yet. For Taikon, he was fit even though he had lost weight, but acclimating his body to the constant inclines was a different kind of workout. Do you have somewhere to stay yet? A dry place? He asked it in the hopes that she hadn't so that they might look for some suitable spots. The peak was a large territory. Many chose fox burrows and altered badger holes as good places to sleep, while Taikon often slept in the open until the rains came.

"I hope so." Her muscles were slowly starting to feel the pain of going around the mountain, but Asra had yet to go outside of Sagtannet and return, so usually staying in the main area where the others were. She did hunt, and could feel her joints ache slightly upon running through on catching the critters.

"I'm afraid not," the nightmare wolf shook her head, "I have yet to find one for myself."

Asra was a pretty young thing. He figured she would have no trouble making friends and finding herself on the mountain, or whatever it was young wolves did. She hadn't yet figured out good sleeping quarters. Though Taikon by no means knew all of the areas of the mountain, he did have a couple of spots of his proverbial sleeve that might be helpful.
There are many small caverns closer to the treeline, but they are quite cold. Perhaps we can find you something closer to the rendezvous, something to your taste? He asked it while standing back up, watching her carefully. He wasn't sure if she'd rather do that sort of thing on her own, or if she might like some help getting to know the area better. Takiyok had done the pleasure of showing him around.
He placed himself in such a way that it was clear he was offering to help, gesturing with his stance toward the terrain. She deserved to have a good start, after all.

"I was born and bred within the cold, I would rather prefer it." While she doesn't look particularly fluffed, Asra does have rather thick fur, more prominently in frosted-dipped chest. She wasn't completely like the winters, for the ebony that hung to her pelt was surely a hell within the summer times, so above all else, she would enjoy the coldest of dens.

"Mind if I be a bit selfish? I'd like a few to the stars." Softly so she chuckled, and accepted the mans offer.

Born and bred eh? Taikon saw that Asra was a proud young woman. He nodded to the declaration, understanding that everyone had their preferences. The prince also preferred when the weather was cooler, although it was more bitter during his stints as a lone wolf due to a lower percentage of body fat.
You can be as selfish as you want; it's your place, he smiled cooly. His tail waved back and forth as he moved forward, watching her pace closely so as to match it. There's a trail that leads up the slopes this way, he explained, leading the way through the meadow and then to a forest. For a time, they moved quickly. They passed by little streams that flowed down the paths carved into the mountain slopes. A turkey was spooked and made a quick exit from tall grasses.
When they approached the sloping path that led up to the colder regions of Nova, Taikon's pace slowed. You bow the way my family bows. I've never met anyone that does that, he observed, glancing at her. They were from very different places. The Farukan Kingdom was a long way off from the far north she had spoken of. Clearly, the Tse family line had learned the move from somewhere else.

She followed Taikon, a misty eye glancing around for what could be but a home. She wasn't picky to what it could be, a tree, a cave, a burrow into the ground, but Asra had but one desire; a view to desire. Cold as it was, and preferred to be, it was but a hunt to so. Her gaze occasionally crossed to the few nooks into the mountain, small caves formed from centuries ago..

She wondered if the were vacant.

Then the snow-blazed thrall turned to smile lightly at him, "I was born in a Court, they held similar formalities to the higher wolves. I assumed this place would no follow the same, but I am equally surprised." She know not of his Kingdom, nor anywhere of his birthplace. Though suppose in a way they could be similar, for hers held nobles and commoners alike, and the highest of leaders. She, was but just a commoner in love.

And she, in the end, was to be betrayed.

The ascension was slow up the pathway. It was not far up the caves; Taikon used the journey as a chance to get to know the emblazoned she-wolf better.
Asra spoke of her Court. The bowing now made more sense. Traditional courts were the type to follow such formalities. Technically, the Kingdom of Faruka also had a court, but it was not much of a subentity. His mother had put it in place in order to give certain members of nobility the guise that they were partially in charge of decision making. In reality, she was quick to oust anyone who did not act as a sycophant for her.
Ah, see, I was born in a Kingdom. Here, though, I am but dirt from the perspective of others, and so I bow, he explained. His wording started to slip into an older, noble way of speaking that he had long ago abandoned. This happened sometimes when he was reminded of his origins. Clearly, the two of them had more in common than he thought they had in the beginning. Taikon was not the type of person to open up easily to others, and so he left the rest of it unsaid as she had.
As they moved further up the path, a borderline violent gust of wind whipped past them. Taikon nearly lost his balance, forced to plant all four feet down hard on the ground to avoid being swept away. Instinctively, he placed himself between the wind direction and Asra, standing sideways to shield her.
When the wind passed, he let out a short, breathy laugh. Well, you wanted cold, he offered a lopsided grin.

"Is not that not harsh on yourself?" It was one aspect she disliked from the court, however being a commoner herself, it was but a simple reason why. She was not graced with the life of a noble, and even then, her peaceful one was not the best. She thought of herself majority to be equal, not lesser in ways, but simple respect toward the eisen's and others.

"Ah, I see a small opening in the side," Asra nodded with a warm smile as he blocked her from the cold wind. A desirable place to be, and she enjoyed so. Her glacier eyes turned toward but a small hole, cave-like in entrance, but it seemed like to fit a wolf.

Taikon didn't answer her comment. It was true that he was often harsh on himself, but it was also true that he did not have status anywhere in the Wilds. He had gladly traded in his princehood to become the prince of nothing here. It was a great bonus that he was able to be with his friend in a pack that neither of them was particularly thrilled about being in.
Easily, Asra located an entrance to what looked like a cave. Taikon wasn't even sure how many of these little areas were worn into the mountainside, but felt quite pleased that she had managed to find at least one to shelter them from the wind. He walked further toward the opening and stuck his head through the entry. It was quite dark, but the light entered in enough to see by once his eyes adjusted. There was enough room for both of them, so he entered and called for her. Roomy in here, he said, happy that they might have found something.
If this one wasn't good enough, he was happy to keep looking.

"I enjoy it." Approaching in, she prodded inside and smiled brightly. It was cold to the touch as well, for the stone walls simply gave a shiver. She would imagine in the summer it would be absolutely soothing, but perhaps a nightmare with winter coming. 

"Perhaps can add some bedding.." The thought came too to make it more comfortable, gathering bits of prey's fur and pelts of the like to make but a cozy gave for only herself.. And perhaps one day, a chosen lover. The dream was nice.

We can fade and make a current one or continuelol jk he not at sagtannet no more

Bedding, right. This was a sensible thing for her. Because Taikon generally slept in the open, these weren't typically things he paid attention to. He noticed that women, and men who happened to live with women, were quite particular about the types of places they slept. Him, he was happy to sleep under a tree in a rainstorm, even if it meant he would be soaked to the bone and miserable in the morning.
Good idea, he followed, wondering if they might be able to catch some squirrels or other small prey that might act as good bedding once skinned. Taikon would have been pleased with dried leaves and other litter, but she was a Court lady. We can look for something suitable; I've got time, he said, eager to help more with whatever she might need. Any previous assumptions about her being lesser because of a dog-like appearance had been left behind. She seemed like a good person. Time would tell.

fade is good!

"Perhaps for now some soft leaves would do." Hunting for suitable pelts to sustain her size would take some time, especially as there wasn't too many that would fill that requirement in the mountain. She thought perhaps a deer would do, unless the frost-woven wolf went on a spree for the smaller prey, and even then, a squirrel's hide would not do too well.

And so the two set off, to find some sort of soft bedding for her newfound home.