Whitefish River grass is always greener on the other side

Backdated to Novermber 22th. @Hieronymous

It was risky.

After having wandered aimlessly to the lake, Ambrosia decided it'd be best to follow the stranger to her next destination. The woman was still a Saint, she never left her pack nor did she plan on joining a new one. But it was always nice to explore options, and when she heard the grey she-wolf was planning on heading home, she took the chance to see new land and faces.

So here she was, waiting at the borders. It seemed Ira had left to attend to other business, but without clear intructions the dragon-wolf was practically clueless. She was careful not to cross, and remained standing in case there may be any need to run. But a part of her doubted that'd be the case, especially since she was familiar with one of the pack wolves and followed on an invitation.

Ambrosia had also decided it was best not to release her real name. At first she planned the alias for purposes of privacy. However, after all that had happened with the Saints, maybe it was time to shed her old self. At least for now.

Pacing back and forth, the she-wolf hoped someone would arrive soon, whether it be by choice or accident. If she'd be welcome to enter, meeting the pack would be lovely. But if she'd be turned down, at least she could move on and look for adventure elsewhere.

@Ira had finally come back and with her, she had brought Kaistleoki a visitor from her travels. They didn't spend much time talking as Ira had much to catch up with, and left Hieronymous to go and greet the young lady she had brought back and left at the borders. Bringing anyone back unless they were already acquaintances with Ira sounded strange, but perhaps the roan woman was a little more welcoming these days than she was last year when they first met. Stress was at an all-time high then too, which was honestly a good excuse to be on edge. 

He didn't want to make her wait for very long, so he moved quickly to find where the young lady was left. She was stressfully pacing the borders, and he simply smiled casually as he approached to try and ease the tension as soon as possible. Hello and welcome to Kaistleoki! He called out while approaching from a distance.

I am Hieronymous, Ira has sent me to greet you. With a wag of his tail, the painted man dipped his head respectfully. May I ask what brings you here to us? Thankfully with the Count back, he was also able to take things a little slower. To fully greet and familiarize himself with people without rushing to the next as if he was on some kind of tight timeline to get everything done.

As soon as her orange eyes spotted the wolf, she came to a swift halt. Ears raised in alert and twisting to catch any sound, her lips curled into a faint smile in response to such a kind greeting.

Perhaps it was nervousness. Perhaps it was excitement. Regardless of whatever she was feeling, Ambrosia was eager to meet the unfamiliar face. A unique one at that. The wolf standing before her seemed to have mimicked a painted canvas. And although Kynareth was definitely a sight to get used to at first, Hiero for sure was something she never thought she'd see.

But it was a good uniqueness. A pretty uniqueness. Listening to his introduction, it seemed the woman couldn't escape elaborate names. Hopefully this stranger would settle for a nickname, as Ambrosia would probably melt with embarrassment if she butchered it.

But no time to worry about that. Although a little surprised by the energy radiating from Hieronymous, the she-wolf did her best to match it as a response fell from her mouth.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you-! I'm Ambrosia, and I suppose I was just looking for an adventure. Ira was kind enough to let me tag along."

Already she was on his good side. There were few who hit him right in the bitter zone, to which he will refrain from mentioning any names - but this one he was absolutely certain was nothing but as sweet as sweet can be. Already he could feel his cheeks stretch to their limits as his eyes squinted from their presence invading his sight. The multicolored plume danced behind him and only swayed faster as she returned the kind greeting. 

It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Ambrosia! Ira doesn't bring home many so you must be special. He teased, well, not fully. There was some truth behind his words as well. Ira wasn't unfriendly, but she didn't often bring anyone back to Kaistleoki unless she had some faith in them. 

An adventure huh? Pondering this request, he took a seat upon the ground. He thought hard about this. Adventures could be many things... some would consider a bear hunt an adventure, while others an absolute nightmare... and he wouldn't dare bring a young lady on a bear hunt in fear of what may happen. He already didn't want Ira going. Mind elaborating?

The painted wolf that sat before her was quite the character.

Ambrosia didn't mind the positivity at all. In fact, it was refreshing in comparison to how stale the Saints could be sometimes. There was occasional laughter and smiles, but it never felt as genuine, and it definitely wasn't for the right reasons considering their celebration over an innocent's death. But still, trying to keep up with and match the energy was a challenge.

Taking a seat herself, the woman tucked her tail along her paws as she listened to the inquiry. She knew the question would inevitably rise to the surface, and she allowed a moment to pass as her mind conjured a reply.

"Well, I guess lately I've been a little upset and staying stuck at home wasn't helping."

A little upset. That was the understatement of the year. But for now the she-wolf didn't feel like explaining. She didn't think she needed to explain, especially to a wolf she hardly knew. And, no offence to Hieronymous, but Ambrosia didn't think it was necessary to spend a century filling him in on all of the Saint's drama.

"My family didn't mind if I needed some time alone, so I took the opportunity to branch out and explore. I've hardly touched this world and yet I've been in the area for months."

Sure, her family didn't mind at all. Except, Kynareth would spontaneously combust when he found out. But too bad for him, she was having an adventure and so far, she'd only met wolves a heck of a lot kinder than him.

He could understand the need to branch out and stretch one's legs. There was always the desire to see more than what was beyond the borders, but like a child, he would need to be escorted. It was a frustrating fact of his life, ever since he was young - an unfortunate safety precaution he didn't always follow until now that he had a duty to fulfill as Constable. 

Nodding along, he truly did sympathize is the thing. Exploring does the soul good. As much as he loved Kaistleoki, he could still remember the beauty of his travels. All the beautiful landscapes and the strange faces he met, both good and bad ones that taught him valuable lessons along the way. He would not trade his life experiences for anything in the world if such an offer was brought to him.

Yes I can understand that. This is a beautiful place to explore and I have only seen a bit of it myself. He wouldn't share why. I hear there is beaches, islands, mountains that touch the sky, dark woods and shimmering caves to see. All things he hoped to see for himself one day. I hear things that are far more beautiful than my mind could ever come up with on its own. It never ceases to amaze me. He sighed dreamily.

If you do see anything of interest, would you pop by and tell me all about it? I would love to hear your journey.

Nodding in agreement, the woman was happy to have met a wolf who understood the wonders of travel. When Ambrosia first arrived at the borders and after Ira had departed, a sense of worry had filled her stomach. There was no knowing what type of wolf would arrive to greet her, but she was glad she had stayed to see. Hieronymous was indeed kind, a high contrast in comparison to the Saints. The most they'd say about travel was that it's necessary to find wolves to kill.

Even if it seemed that Hiero hadn't seen much of the world either, surely he knew more than she. The way he described the land was as if he had caught a glimpse. And beaches? Beaches? Sand? Oh how Ambrosia would have loved to see the sand again, especially with winter approaching. But that'd have to be a journey for another day.

Smile widening as her ears twisted and listened to the way the wolf spoke, she replied with a nod before her lips parted.

"Of course! I can't promise I'll see much of interest anytime soon, but if I come across something in future travels I know where to find you."

I'm sure you will see many splendors by the next time we again. He said with a bright smile, time was a strange thing. It could be years by the time they meet next unless she specifically came to their borders to find him, even then he could not promise he would be here waiting... what he would promise that when they do meet again, his ears were hers for the listening. Shoot, I may be old and full of my own stories by then. He laughed at the thought, oh as if he would last until he was old and decrepit - that was the dream for one like him.

If only he knew what she was, maybe then he would not be so welcoming as he was now to a friend of the enemy. Of the man who had brought nothing but hardship wherever he went, nothing but annoyance and pain. Excuses like the child he was. Instead, he was blissfully unaware of Ambrosia's affiliation and simply enjoyed the random talk with a stranger from a land far enough away from here.

second to last post! <3 ill post once more after Leigh to close us out

As small as the talk was, it had been one of the best conversations Ambrosia had experienced in a long time. In some ways it was silly, they were simply exchanging words in regards to traveling and adventure. And yet Hieronymous seemed so engaged and interested, and it was nice to talk with another wolf who was just excited about a certain interest that she was.

Smiling at his words, the woman gave a nod in response before her lips parted to speak.

"If by the time we meet again you have just as many stories as I do, I too would be more than happy to listen."

It was better this way, to not speak of the Saints. The only relationship the Saints had that she knew of was with Ursus, and that definitely didn't end well. So she could only assume that they weren't the best neighbor. And although she wished the world wouldn't judge a wolf based on where they chose to live, for now, Ambrosia would remain silent and simply enjoy the company. It might be the last happy conversation she'll have for some time.

Whoever this woman was, wherever she came from, whatever her plans were, Hiero was glad she stopped by for a brief visit. He enjoyed talking to a new traveler, a new face, someone to maybe encounter some other day here or elsewhere and just take off where they had left off after today. It tickled him pink honestly.

I look forward to that day, Ambrosia. With a pleased smile, he paused for a moment. Unfortunately this is where I leave you, for now, hopefully, we do meet again soon! He had fish to catch, after all, borders to patrol, he didn't want to be distracted for much longer despite how nice this may be.

I wish you all the luck on your travels and bid you farewell for I have duties I must attend to. With that, he wouldn't wander too far from their visitor just in case there was some.. hidden agenda he or Ira wasn't aware of, but for now, he would happily let her wander along their borders to meet other members should they come up on Ambrosia after he left her side.

[exit! <3]