At last he'd made it home. It took him a few weeks to complete his journey, but he'd made it back in one piece and had met a couple of interesting characters along the way. One of which had followed him, and he was happy to have her company. Bounding towards the borders, he flicked an ear towards Kieryn. He wondered if she would be too shy to meet his mother. After all, he had to check in with her and let her know he was back. And then maybe after, he'd take Kieryn back home if she wanted. She was a year old now, so she was capable of returning home on her own at any time, but more than likely he'd walk her back home anyway. The young male would howl upon stepping upon the borders, calling for his mother. He still wondered what she had in mind, though the territory scouting was obvious enough. They were probably going to move, and honestly, he wouldn't mind the change of scenery. "Speech"

Ears perked and her head immediately rose when she heard that howl. She'd been waiting for a few weeks, the days feeling longer without the presence of her son. Even through everything, he had remained with her. Not because she begged him or anything, but she didn't question why he chose to stay here either. Lifting herself to her feet, she quickly made her way to the mines where the call came from. She did not hesitate in her arrival, and as soon as she saw him she let out a happy bark and approached, ferociously nuzzling him. "I am happy to see you're home safe!" She whined. While she didn't want to step away, she had to eventually to learn about what he'd found. And she knew too, that she would also have to inform him of Vereux's passing while he was away.

His mother was prompt in her arrival, no doubt she had been waiting for his return. He wagged his tail, letting her nuzzle him as much as she wanted without complaint. "Hey mom, nice to see you too!" He laughed, watching as she decided to finally step back to stop covering him in slobber. He glanced around for a moment, wondering if Kieryn would come over, though he understood if she didn't want to. "Just so you know, I picked up a hitchhiker during my journey. Her name is Kieryn, and she's been great company. I promised to take her home after this...and maybe after some rest, my paws are tired!" He chuckled, tail swishing as he took a seat then. Green gaze met his mother's expectant amber eyes, and he knew she was waiting to hear what he'd found. "I also did as you asked, and I found a lot of interesting places. Some of them stood out to me more than others, but...the territories I found that I think would really suit us are pretty far..." He looked at her, wondering if she wanted him to continue with his findings. "Speech"

She was so happy to see him home, and eager as well to hear about what he'd found. Her head tilted slightly when he mentioned having brought someone back, though the name didn't ring a bell at all. She didn't mind though, if the girl wanted to rest here for a few days before going back home then it was fine with her. "Don't worry, rest as long as you both need to. I'm sure she is tired from such a journey as well." She would mimic him, sitting down and curling her tail around her paws. Before she could ask what he'd found, he had already begun to talk about it. She listened quietly, a thoughtful gaze crossing her when he said it was far. So, not in the North? She had grown quite accustomed to the north lands. It was where she was born, where her family was from. But half of the North lands were also full of memories she wanted to forget. But the north lands never let her out of its clutches. "I see...go on. Where did you go? What did you find?"

Yes, rest. He needed it so bad! He felt like his legs were going to fall off any minute after so much traveling, and especially the pace he had kept up to scout and return as fast as he could. He nodded, an appreciative smile showing. He was sure Kieryn would appreciate it too, especially since this had been the most that she had ever traveled. When she asked about where he'd gone and what he'd found, his eyes seemed to glitter and light up as he recalled all that he'd seen. "I don't even know where to begin! Let's see...I went all over Boreas, but since we already knew what was in the south I didn't really go that way...in the east, there are a couple of packs. So...I think there would be a lot of competition if we went there...the west has a lot of desert, and I remember where we first met Esarosa, all that sun and sand was a nightmare! There is a couple good spots, but then that would place us right next to another pack..." He had to admit, there were a lot of good options. But then again, they seemed to come with a price. They had a neighbor before, one that wasn't too friendly, and he wasn't too keen on sharing borders with another pack again.

He glanced at his mom for a moment, a near disappointed look flashing across her face for a second. "That's not all. I went across the land strip to the southern continent of Auster. And there are places there that I thought only existed in dreams! I ended up coming across this one place at night, a huge plain lit up by the moon and stars. But the best part, you could see those other moons that we sometimes see before it gets dark. The moon looked amazing! And the stars mom...so many clusters and constellations! On top of that, the prey seemed so...plentiful. They're fat and a lot different then what we have here. We would never go hungry, there seemed to be a whole lot...and I didn't smell any other packs, and very few wolves. So I think the prey is kinda running around in abundance." He thought about that for a moment, and decided that it was right. He'd explored parts of Auster, and hadn't found any packs and had only come across very few scent trails of other wolves. He then remembered the huge structure he'd found, and was even more excited to tell her about that! "Also, near those plains...I found the most amazing looking structure! Left behind by humans I think, but it's even better then the ship up north. I think we could really benefit from these places, especially if we got into trading or something...plus the other place I found seems like it would offer great protection for us. From the elements, attacks, enemies, anything! But like I said...it's pretty far...and I know how much you love it here, so..."

Her full attention was given to him as he began to dive in to his account of what he had found. He mentioned the eastern lands, but of course that would be a no go. Not only was Abaven in the east, but so was Fiori and another pack that had recently sprung up. If they had moved there, then there would be too much competition for food, water, and other resources. That simply wouldn't do. With the prey as thin and as scarce as it was, last seasons droughts withering away precious herbs and water, it would spell doom for the pack. And staying here in the North? No. While she had always loved the snow and some of the memories it had brought, it also reminded her of all the bad memories. The cove where she had last seen her family. Where she was abandoned. The ship where she had been held prisoner and enslaved. Even the very pines they lived in...when Isardis ruled and had sent them all into war. Her and another being forced against their will. Not only that, but now there were new memories she wanted to forget. The stupid fight with Mercy. The confrontation with Lykos. Vereux's death...and various other things she didn't want to be around anymore. What used to be home...no longer felt like it.

She listened with interest and surprise that he has traveled so far away. She herself had never been to Auster before, so she had no idea what was over there. But it seemed, he had found and seen some amazing things! Her maw lifted in a small smile as he recounted what he'd seen. His own eyes lighting up as he described the Plains and another place he'd found. When he mentioned the prey, and the potential benefits of the territories, she pondered for a moment. What about herbs? Water? She was sure that they'd find that there as well, but again, she had never been there. So she wasn't sure how different Auster was compared to these lands. "It seems you've done well, Dragon. You've found some places you like, and places that you think will support us. That's good. How is it there? Are there any herbs we could use? Water? I've never been to the southern continent...what else did you find?"

His tail wagged at her praise, his excitement rising. "It's beautiful there. Truly. And it's raining there too, so it would be a relief after the drought we've been having. As for water and herbs, there's plenty. Like I said before, prey was bountiful. There's many resources that would benefit us. Plenty of food, space, water, medicine...we'd be the only pack there until another comes along. There wouldn't be much competition until then, save for whatever other predators are out there." Thinking for a moment, he knew they would be farther from some of the other packs. But he didn't mind. He felt that they could do it, and if not, then there was always the option of returning to Boreas. "What do you think? You could always go see for yourself, you...look like you need a vacation." He nosed her shoulder, sensing that something felt a little off with her shifting mood. He noticed the scar on her shoulder, and while it was healed now...it seemed it would be a permanent reminder. Which in turn, made him angry at the one who did it, as well as with his brother. If Lykos always thought him and Kharnage an idiot, well...his conceited brother was the biggest idiot of all. "Mom, what's the matter?"