She crossed the ashy ground, golden paws caressing the murky-looking dirt beneath them. Her leaf-green eyes looked up and around in silent wonder, face remaining expressionless. She had never come across the faded woods before, nor did she know the cause of their horrid appearance. The unknown was a welcoming presence for Maija, so she accepted its tender embrace with an icy heart. What a place to be. Her heat was slowly dwindling, meaning that summer was almost over and she was seeing fall in her future. Despite the level of her hormones decreasing, she was still agitated and missed the touch of a man upon her skin. Thoughts of Taurig flashed in her mind, of which she easily flicked away like a mosquito perched on her arm. She had bigger fish to fry, considering how she fried her last victim. A wicked smile flashed upon her face, but it quickly faded as she walked deeper into the ashen-stricken forest. Her attention focused on a form far from where she stood, slowly approaching her way. Golden tail flicked behind her before she began to move through the dead trees, hoping to keep her frame hidden from anyone who tried to find her. speech here

The man didn't wander often, but the heat of the summer was driving him mad. So he roamed around, hoping that he could at least make his body weary enough to the point where he could just collapse and pass out without the fear of his past haunting him. The coup waited behind his closed eyelids, daring to repeat itself whenever he sought slumber. Grumbling the man kicked at the sooty land, making a puff of ash blow up and hit him in the face. Letting out a growl he shook his auburn coat, which of course only stirred up more and more ash. "Damn it all to hell!" The tall man roared, standing very still as the soot settled around him. Metallic eyes narrowed as he huffed, not really wanting to move any more. His auburn coat was covered in a thin layer of the burnt woods, making his eyes narrow even further. He was too wrapped up in all of this that he did not catch the golden female watching him from the shadows. The grumpy man just fell to his rump, once more scattering the once settled ash. "I give up." The regal man muttered, quite cross at the world at the moment. All he wanted to do was get up and find somewhere to wash off, but he knew that he would only make things worse. So he just sat there, more black particles settling around him. Mumbling under his breath he scanned the area, wondering if there was anyone lingering who had been watching his little mishap. "Talk" "You" Think

The male that she had caught on her radar didn't know she was there. Mild satisfaction slipped through conscious and was pulled out to her gaze as she observed him with a tiny bit of interest. She let a small smile appear on her usually smooth features before slowly stalking forward. Maybe her day wouldn't be so bad after all. He began to move, creating a cloud of dust and ash to cover his massive frame. Maija wanted to laugh out loud, but she knew that if she did, it would turn into a nice situation...and she didn't feel like dealing with positive feelings. Instead, she sat a few meters from him, leaf-green eyes watching him with a stone-cold gaze. Finally, her laughter got the best of her and when he voiced his white flag to the mess, she gave a wicked, Romanian cackle. From where she stood, Maija felt like a spider looking down at a fly. Who knew how he would react next. Talk like this

The golden wolf sat before him, looking very much like a statue as she sat, amused at his current state. A peel of her laughter rang out, causing Fendar to cast his half blinded gaze that way. His silver eye saw little but blurs, so he shut it so that his bronze eye could take her in fully. "Are you quite amused?" He asked gruffly, a huff scattering a few sprinkled of soot that lay on his muzzle. His auburn coat was almost hidden beneath the black stuff, but he had given up on fighting the substance. It clearly wanted to coat him and make him look like a big black bear, it was the ashes plan all along. A dry chuckle left his lips at his own attempt at humor, opening both eyes as he focused as much as he could on the woman before him. He did not miss her heat scent though the haze of soot, but he was not some horn dog to beg her to let him lay with her. Plus, he did not know her name nor her heritage. Fendar had been raised to be a royal protector, but what of hers? He didn't miss the accent in her laugh, letting him know that she too was not from around here. "Where do you hail from, stranger?" It was not a demand, more of a curious inquiry. Unless she had something better to do than to laugh at a man covered in ashes, he awaited her answer.

His question was one with irritability noted in his words and Maija couldn't help but bask in its presence. She enjoyed making others writhe in front of her, but for some reason, it wasn't as amorous today as it had been before. Perhaps it was because of the lack of adventure and pain, but she didn't fight it. Instead, she giggled again, enjoying the way he made his situation worse. Such goofiness was hard to come by from such a tall fellow. He continued to deal with the many layers of ash and dirt that rose and fell upon his massive frame. When he asked her where she came from, she decided to give him a very, very small peak through her window. While she considered her answer, she also analyzed the words that formed his inquiry. No sign of danger came from any part of it, so she took a few steps to the left and reclined to her haunches. "Romania," she said, giving him her answer on a silver platter. She flicked her tail around her golden haunches as a slip of a soft smile appeared on her face. "What of you?" Talk like this

Her words told her of a land he had heard of, although he had to admit he knew nothing about it. He could probably draw out its location on the earth, but as for culture? That he knew nothing of. She also gave him so very little to go off of, which made him raise a brow. He asked about where he had come from, a dry laugh leaving his mouth. "Its gone now, covered in blood and vipers." His eyes flashed with the sight of the coup, broken bodies fallen everywhere. His large body shivered slightly, only enough to make a few bunches of ash fall on the earth. "As for my name, I am Fendar Xanilov." He did not know if this dame had heard of his line, from what he knew only recently had the line been flocking towards the new Ebony, the one that Raisa had escaped to come and make. "And what might your calling be, miss?" The polite words sounded strange, since his voice was so low and obviously carrying his grumpy attitude. But Fendar had been raised as royal blood, so it was second nature to be polite, even if it was surely the last thing on his mind. "Talk" "You" Think

She had to admit, his tones did sound weird. He wasn't in a good mood, but he was acting like it wasn't a problem, either. Maija could only assume that he was tired or just one of those men that wanted to be left alone. She could agree with the latter, especially since she had just been thinking about loving isolation. The ashy atmosphere would have been perfect for her if she hadn't come across the stranger. He also introduced himself, giving her a name with the natural face. Perhaps she owed him just as much. Her claws flexed in the ashy ground beneath them as she considered how much she should let him know. After all, what if he decided to use her identity against her? It had happened with Sendoa, it would probably happen again. There was always the chance and whether or not Maija took it was up to her. "Maija..." she began, luscious gold tail flicking around the dirt around her form. "Maija Artenie..." Of course she wouldn't be well known. She hadn't made the effort to have it a household name, therefore, she would just be a memory lost in the wind. He spoke of his old home being filled with blood and vipers. She briefly imagined a dry, desolate land cluttered with various snakes eating wolves already dead with dry blood upon their fur. The gory details would not be discussed, but she could see their inner organs and vultures eating upon the carrion that had been left behind. She never intended to return to Romania, but she always had the option if she changed her mind. To know that he had been forced from his old home, it was something she could not relate to. Instead, she pushed past the awkwardness of the topic and coolly asked, "What of your family?" She didn't know why she was asking him personal questions, but a part of her had to evolve from where it had been since her arrival so long ago. Speech,

Although he had given up on his battle with the ash, his eyes and posture somewhat relaxed at the two grew slightly more comfortable around each other. It wasn't like Fendar was quick to judge others, he was just very tired and easily irritated. He was a very well mannered man usually, but lack of sleep did strange things to creatures. This one seemed too to be hesitant, but he passed it off that it was due to her heat scent. He couldn't imagine how irritating it would be to broadcast to the world that they were ripe to be seeded. At least for him when he was feeling erm... in the mood -- it was a lot easier to conceal it than it was for a woman in heat. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his own thoughts, his two-tones gaze resting on the golden woman before him. She offered her name, although it was slowly bestowed upon him. "Pleasure, Maija Artenie." He said, most likely butchering her last name. It flowed much nicer on her tongue, it was too rough on his own. He had not heard of her calling before, but from the way that she asked about his family he knew that she did not know about his line either. No matter to him, these were not the lands that they were known well in -- yet.

Taking a deep breath the large male shook his coat, scattering more of the ash and dust that still clung desperately to his coat. He took in a deep breath, the story of his family was indeed a long one. Fendar decided to spare her the whole boring story, mulling over the more minor details that would be less of a drag. "My cousin runs Ebony, her mother came here from my old home lands to start a new pack after the coup. Most of my family died in the battle, the rest are just... well presumed to be the same way." He said, his eyes somber. It was a sad tale indeed, but one that he could not deny. It followed him no matter where he went, and he could not change the past even if he so desperately wanted to. "But what about you Maija, I do hope your story isn't quite as blue as mine." He said in a soft voice. His body still stayed still though, he would hate to stir up more of the burnt forest.

Even if her heat hadn't been bouncing around her within a mile radius, she still would have remained far from the male. Maija was used to being away from people, especially those she was not familiar with. The only wolves she preferred close to her were Sibelle, her children, and (these days) Cataleya. The memories of Taurig's presence being her security blanket were now faded and she hoped that she wouldn't have to endure empty promises again. The male, whose identity was revealed as Fendar, told his short story of how his family had been slain in what sounded like a war. He came to Alacritis, only to find his cousin ruling Ebony, one of the many packs that dotted the large continent. When he asked of her family, Maija only snorted. What could she tell without revealing every aspect of her past? "I am the only member of my family left...except for my children." A shadow of a smile appeared on her lips. "I hope they will keep the linage going." That fact was indeed a bit too revealing, but she didn't mind if this stranger knew. Talk like this