Benedict he had little chances to explore lately. before winter, he wanted to travel and see all there was to see. Benedict wasn't sure how he got to the island, only that he had gotten here. it was all a faded dreamscape right now. after meeting Moon, his injured paw felt better. he'd rested for a few days and went back out. not one to be kept down, the man wandered to the island with little regard in mind. he found the wasteland of the west fascinating; he could almost taste the adventure. but he was getting older, and next year would be his fifth one alive. the silvery sand beneath his paws felt nice, though the man always kept one paw - his right frontal one - upward. he was still a bit worried about getting it infected. having previously cut it on a rock, Benedict was being careful. it was too far, the island, from the other packs. he wasn't sure if he'd meet another wolf out here or not. he knew three other packs were close by; only knowing the name of Valhalla after participating in the hunt. he wondered how they were doing and what their actual goals were. when he met them all, their intention was to survive. now that a pack heavy scent hung in the west, he worried about survivability. but he was part of Abaven, not Valhalla. nor any of the other packs. Benedict continued with his exploration, though he did catch a whiff of a new scent coming closer. "Speech"

Aurielle Adravendi

She sat, long dried from her swim to the island from the mainland. The moon was high, bathing the beach in silvery, shimmering light, but she hardly saw it. Her mother was hovering on the edge of death and life, barely clinging now, and Aramis had become scarce. She couldn’t deny the hard squeeze around her heart, the feeling that her chest was being constricted. She’d ducked away once her patrol was done for the day, letting paladin at the very least know she was heading out, and her general direction. It had been a long, hard swim, and at one point she’d thought she would be swept away by the ocean currents. She’d been sitting for several hours by now, arrived at early evening and watching the full moon rise over the mainland and sea, glittering on the water and rollers washing over the beach. Now her eyes were closed, chin lifting into the buffeting wind that tossed her mane on soothing fingers, willing herself to breathe. Finally, a sigh, deep and shuddering, broke through the constriction, and she tamped the emotions down, controlled, barely, under a carefully layered veneer of serenity. A scrunch of sand under paws drew her attention, her head tipping slightly toward the noise as she studied the form that came into sight. He was familiar, she realized—Benedict of Abaven, a hunter that had assisted in the pack hunt she’d called before the new neighbors had moved in. She remained silent fo0r a few breaths before hailing him quietly. “Hello, Benedict. How goes it and Abaven?” Her voice held no hint of the turmoil she’d tamped down, merely bearing its usual easy lilt and warmth as she offered the male a smile. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Benedict he'd pause as a voice reached his ears. twisting his head toward the source, he'd spot Valhalla's leader a few paces away. she was the last wolf he'd expect all the way out here, but then again her pack was closer than the east or north. he'd shift his body to face her, dipping his head to the woman. "lo there, Alpha Aurielle" he'd greet her as she greeted him. how was Abaven, though? Benedict knew that his pack was still recovering from the fire. but he didn't want to give that away; it would be easy to use against them. "Abaven fairs 'ell enough, thank ye" he would settle for a polite and neutral answer. Shaye would not enjoy it if he gave away pack secrets, after all. Benedict wasn't a stupid wolf either. "and 'ow is Valhalla?" did they feast well after the hunt, he wondered but did not ask. if he was unwilling to gift details to Aurielle, then she had no concern to gift him her own. it was not fair to ask. "Speech"

Aurielle Adravendi

There was a sense of hesitation before Benedict responded that Abaven was fine. Concern flickered visibly across the shimmering snow-white features as her eyes, fathomless sapphire and vivid sky, studied him with an intensity that said she didn’t quite believe him on that front. Perhaps she would venture across Boreas to check in on Shaye. “We’re alright. Come late Autumn our first bear hunt of the year will take place.” She didn’t mention how quiet the pack was. Or how little her only high-ranking hunter was attending to his duties of calling hunts. She considered then added, “We’ve some new neighbors. I haven’t yet approached them, but their alpha is a female. So far, we haven’t had any trouble from them, but it’s early yet. I’m not sure what their alignment is, but I think Shaye might like to be aware of their presence. Would you be willing to carry word to her?” There was no command in her tone or words, merely an enquiring lilt as he eyes flicked to his, curious and slightly hopeful that he would convey the notification to his Alphess. For now, her own emotional turmoil was tucked out of sight and out of mind, and she was silently grateful for it. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Benedict she did not seem convinced, though she didn't prod him for answers. he was glad for that. Benedict still felt like an outsider in Abaven. he had no place in it outside of a hunting skillset to contribute. he had little allies and acquaitances to call on. it was not fair for him to gossip idly about his pack. they had taken him in and shown him kindness, so he felt any talk about them - especially regarding weakness - was best kept to himself. "a 'ear hunt?" he instead exclaimed softly, a brow raised. that was quite ambitious. but Aurielle wasn't done speaking. he would listen as she went on about having 'neighbors'. yes, he did scent an overpowering smell near where Valhalla had hunted. that territory was claimed now. he could see why the alpha was concerned and he'd dip his head. "I can. what would ye like m' to say?" he asked her, accepting the messager position readily. anything to be of use and of importance, even for a brief second, to his pack. and if he could help Aurielle too, that was an added bonus. "Speech"

Aurielle Adravendi

At Benedict’s exclamation, the shimmering wolf smiled, faintly amused, though she understood the surprise. “Yes. It’s an annual tradition I hope to observe for years to come. A bear will be hunted down and killed, its pelt and meat and bones to be used to keep the pack fed and warm. The wolf who makes the killing blow gets to keep the pelt in his or her den once its processed. It’s one of the few hunting expeditions where weapons other than our own jaws will be used, to give us a little space from the bear’s claws.” She nodded to her shoulder, grinning ruefully as she added, “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve faced a bear.” The shoulder in question bore several ragged furrows, clearly given by a bear’s claws. It had been a harrowing moment for the woman, and the bear had survived, but the bear had been the one to flee. Her head tilted slightly at Benedict’s enquiry as to the message she wished to send, then spoke, “That we have some new neighbors next door and that, as yet, I don’t know where their tendencies lie, and if they lie in the dark, and are hostile…. War may come. Also my apologies that I have yet to call a festival of my own, though I hear many other festivals have been called lately…” Her message given, she smiled at the man as she asked easily, “How have you been since the hunt?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think