this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

For a long while did the young fae think herself walking in circles, pads calloused and numb at they kissed the barren, frozen earth beneath her weight. The only confirmation that proved this theory false was she never once saw paw prints painted in the snow, telling her there was nothing here but a wasteland of ordinary; there were no grandeur sights to set it apart from that of a desolate badlands, offering no solace nor potential as far as she could see. It was an intimidating thought, at first; that Rhen had wasted so much of her own time exploring nothingness, rather than training and stimulating her mind with a mysterious force she could obsess over- but then she saw it, on the horizon, something that caused her heart to pound and emerald orbs to widen infinitely.

Spires of ice, reaching heavenward, grasping with icy fingers toward an unreachable goal, tangled in a battle that would draw on for an eternity... Beautiful dangerous, poetic in all it was. With a renowned hope- or was it desperation?- Rhen found her second wind, and began to run toward her new heading. And then, standing at the base, panting with the causation of her efforts, she stared upward toward what could only be described as a gift; a large formation of spires, pillars, unearthly things Rhen had never before seen. What had placed this here? What had created it? Rhen was never a believer of the Gods, only believing that which she could dissect and pick apart, but times like this always managed to force her to question her very own loyalties to her own heart.

"Beautiful..." She breathed, lips parted and curled in a serpentine manner, eyes going vacant as she dared to take another step forward.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

The Ashen Warlord found no friend in the winter landscapes of the North. The chill that came off the partly-frozen ocean curled about the tips of his ears, the edges of his coat, and numbed the pads of his paws. The Vulture that sought warmth at the base of his skull dug her talons into his coat deep enough to leave marks. Sullen deep-purple wings ruffled as she sought some measure of warmth. The spotted bear that had been following him since the start of winter roamed on ahead. Free and content in her motions as she scoured the frozen wastelands. Only her, and the snow leopard, seemed unaffected by the clutch winter held over them all. Ears pinned to his skull, the Titan wolf raised his head to call out to the Ursidae, prepared to call her back to him, and turn from this fool's quest. The sound died unspoken upon his tongue, as he found the tiny form of the russet wolf, and the curling spire that reached upwards before them. A strong wind rattled across the ice, tossing up a tiny puff of snow, and bringing his scent towards the stranger. "Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

She found herself trapped in time, were such a thing possible; though she had long believed nothing to be. In a frozen stupor, Rhen only saw that which lay before her, a grandeur castle of glass forever reaching skyward, it's icy spires and pillars reflecting the light of the snow around her. Emerald orbs were trained on it for a long while, ebony lips parted as each breath formed a cloud of fog just before her slim muzzle. What she would give, in this moment, for mother's company, to dare try to explain such a... Formation? She could think not of a single word in her known vocabulary to describe this beast of a sight, and she felt an ache in her heart as she longed to understand.

A sudden gust of wind danced through each strand of coarse fur of her chest and cheeks, causing it to billow forward as she held in a giggle; was nature, in that moment, trying to remind her she simply couldn't stand here the rest of her life in awe? A moment later, though, brows furrowed with curiosity; a scent was carried in the wind, an entirely unfamiliar one, like many things in this land had been. It was stranger, though, that the scent... Could not be identified to any singular essence. It was a mixture of more than one, more than wolf, and it dared cause Rhen to slowly turn her back on the heaven-spire she had found such intrigue in, almost regrettably.

She saw them in the near distance; an ebony male of massive proportion, whose eyes, even from this distance, seemed to mimic the coolest of ice... And jutting forth from his lips, two shimmering fangs. Instantly, her own emerald orbs lit up in curiosity as she dared a step forward, stopping when she caught the others; a feline, one she had never seen, and a bird, mounted atop his back. She cocked her head, then lowered it, finding herself again stunned into perplextion of those things she understood not.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

He continued his approach without caution. This smaller wolf gave no reason for concern. Bast, his snow leopard, stuck close to his heels, and Marshal flared his wings a touch upon his back, surveying the scene with more caution than his wolf. The bear, still unnamed, and curious in nature, lumbered closer to the russet white-stroked wolf. He found curiosity in the emeralds of her eyes. The motion, then stillness, of her forward step did not pass his notice. He hid a smile, wondering if she felt alarm at the sight of a wolf that so many beasts followed.

“Well met, wolf of the ice” he conveyed curiosity in his words, noting how much more at home she seemed in the dreary landscape of the North. The Warlord was chilled to the bone, his feline-like toes curled inward in search of some vestige of warmth. Bast leaned against his legs, offering a measure of her own, and Marshal huddled back into his feathers. The Bear, on the other hand, moved closer to the wolf, rising to two feet, a hand raised in greeting. “Hu-llo” her speech improved every day. She really would have to decide upon a name soon.

"Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

She couldn't help the way her eyes widened as the man approached her, offering no signs of hostility nor threat; for that, she was glad, but her curiosities were swiftly growing into something more; was she dreaming? Curiosity turned frustrations of not understanding just what was happening grew evident as her brows furrowed atop round eyes, lips parting just slightly. She got a better look at the animals that heeled after him; a vulture, a leopard of some kind, and... Unnoticed before, a bear. Her eyes turned to it first, being the center of her attention; she hardly caught his words as she stared curiously, longingly, to the grizzly.

"Well met, wolf od the ice," she remembered him saying, eyes turning back to the saber toothed wolf a moment, her lips curling into a serpentine grin. "Master of beasts," Rhen teased back, fluttering dark lashes with a girlish giggle. The feline leaned upon his legs, the vulture rode him as though a saddle were present, and the bear ever approached Rhen- what happened next, she couldn't believe. It rose to two limbs, a paw rising up in a manner she had not recognized; "Hu-llo," is said. Rhen gasped, but her smile never once faded. It was a whiskey hued beast, with golden markings embroidering it's face; she found herself unable to stop herself as she swiftly approached the beast.

Perhaps a lifetime ago, in another place, she'd had never done such a brash, bold thing; but she had no reason to believe this beast of any ill intent. She approached it, stretching a lithe neck forward, and touching her nose to bear's thick pads, inhaling the scent curiously. She remembered he father wearing the skin of one of these, before; but now she wondered why, if they could be so... Friendly? "Hu-llo, beasty," she greeted with such a soft voice, equipped with a warm smirk.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

The Warlord chuckled, surprised and pleased by the teasing words she offered back to him. Perhaps not so intimidated, at least, not enough to lose any sharpness of her tongue. The girlish giggle and fluttering of eyelashes was an unfamiliar sight to the Warlord, and he simply raised an eyebrow at the display, coming to a stop a few paces from her. He took a seat, letting his backside fall into the cool snow with a wince.

Sirius would watch, amused by the brashess of this stranger as she approached the bear. Showing less caution then he had, the first time he had met the Ursidae. His companion grinned, and grunted, a noise of pleasure and welcome. Her paw twitched, as through the wolf's breath tickled the skin. Awkwardly, but gently, the bear flattened her paw and patted the girls nose.

“I’m Sirius Fatalis, the Leopard is Bast, the Vulture, Marshal. She, however, seems to decide on a different name each day, and settled on none yet.” hard to introduce someone that won't name themselves.

"Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

She hardly noticed when the male sat his haunches to the freezing earth, the only indication the soft thud of crunching snow, as she was entirely transfixed with the bear before her. Delighted was young Rhen, when the bear dared indulge her curiosity, pressing a surprisingly rough paw against her nose. She twitched it with a sniffle, giggling lightly before stepping back slightly, tilting her head up to meet her eyes. "Oh," she breathed, finding it's height glorious in some manners, intimidating in others; the way it made her heart, but for a moment, jump... Not of fear, but again of her own bewitchment of the creature. "Good ursa," she laughed a moment later, closing her eyes and smiling in greeting to her.

“I’m Sirius Fatalis, the Leopard is Bast, the Vulture, Marshal. She, however, seems to decide on a different name each day, and settled on none yet.” The man's voice brought her attention back to the wolf, whom while glorious in all his own rights, had the least of her attention at the moment. She ingrained each name into her head, before tasting them upon her own tongue. "Sirius... Bast... Marshal..." She repeated in a breathy manner, meeting each of their eyes with an absentminded smile. Again, her eyes rolled back to the bear, whom was yet unnamed; she pondered a moment, wondering if she needed help, before deciding to bless them each her own calling. "Rhen," she murmured softly, her smile growing as her tail began to sway behind her hocks.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

The bear seemed as intrigued by the wolf, as the wolf was of her. There was a wide grin to her muzzle, and she hovered on her two feet, looking at the smaller wolf, hands raised, a soft, huffing laugh escaping her mouth. “Guuuud Wolf-a” the bear said back, her broken speech understandable, if barely.

“Rhen, a pleasure to meet you. It’s not often I meet a wolf so willing to humor my bear” he teased her gently. She was certainly enamored by the bear. “What brings you to the North?” he wondered. Of course, she could well be a local. He did not traverse these lands regularly, and would not know the scent of those that lived here. He suspected however that she was not from these parts. Perhaps it was the transfixed way in which she had looked up at the cathedral when he had first come upon her. He might be wrong, but he suspected not.

"Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

The bear seemed to be just as transfixed with Rhen, as she was with it; what sounded awfully like a laughter emanated from it's throat, and Rhen mimicked the sound in a bit of a sporting game. "Guuuud wolf-a," it said, as Rhen's tail began to wag more vigorously. "Let's be friends," Rhen suddenly giggled in that girlish laugh again, a reminder that despite the wisdom she bore, she was still but trapped between girl and woman.

“Rhen, a pleasure to meet you. It’s not often I meet a wolf so willing to humor my bear," Sirius chuckled, a handsome sound that resonated within Rhen's auds as she turned toward him with a curl of inky lips and cocked head. "Likewise," she hummed with an affirmative nod of her ashen crown. Then, back to the bear; "I like her," she said with such truth, she wondered if she had ever been so straightforward with another.

“What brings you to the North?” Sirius suddenly asked, or perhaps not so suddenly. Turning back to him, her smile had faded as she contemplated the answer within her mind... What had brought her here, of all places? To the coldest, most harshest nature she had known? She thought hard, but the answer had always been there. "Mmm," she hummed, shrugging her shoulders. "Fate, I suspect," she breathed, turning back to the pillars of ice. "The heaven's-spire," she added quickly, almost forgetting the source of her transfixation before the bear and it's wolf had arrived.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

The bear looked delighted at the words, showing in the expression that she understood them. With a measure of delight, and zero embrasement or self-consciousness, she reached out. Aiming to wrap both paws on either side of Rhen’s head and plant a big, wet kiss across the others nose. “Fer-riends” “She’s good company” The Warlord agreed with a soft chuckle. In truth, the bear had adopted him along the way, and decided to stick around. The Warlord looked over her shoulders at the icy structure behind them. It was a strange, majestic work of art. Far beyond the clumsy paws of wolves. “The Cathedral Point?” he asked, having heard the land name in passing, but thinking little of it. He could only guess that ‘this’ must be a cathedral. Not something wolves had any use for. “The South is much more agreeable. My pack resides there, and I find winters are not nearly as harsh there. I prefer it that way” he said with a dry smile. He was half worried his fur would freeze to the snowy ground. His retractable claws were numb. "Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

Rhen couldn't help her delight when the bear grasped her crown between impossibly large paws, saying "Fer-riends,", and placing atop her wet nose and even wetter kiss. She erupted with giggles, trying to wriggle out of her grasp, before lunging forward slightly to nip lightly at the furs of the bear's cheeks and then returning the welcomed lick with one of her own. "Yes," she murmured in a victorious manner, before taking a step back and studying the bear with a cocked head and shimmering eyes. "Mmm... You do need a name, ursa. Kat... Katya?" She murmured with a contemplative, thoughtful expression.

"She's good company," Siruis said with a warm chuckle, as Rhen nodded in understanding. "Yes, I can sense that much. We're of likeness, her and I," Rhen laughed with a wink to her new friend. Both young, both daring to understand what might have, eons ago, been deemed out of their reach. "The Cathedral Point?" Sirius suddenly questioned, giving a name to that thing that had originally caught Rhen's heart. She frowned a moment, finding she much preferred her name for it, giving it the ethereal title seeming much more fitting, before shrugging it off.

His next word brought more intrigue, as she glanced toward the way his lips curled, though found no humor. “The South is much more agreeable. My pack resides there, and I find winters are not nearly as harsh there. I prefer it that way” A pack, then? She berated herself for not having caught the scent before, though the many beasts were of far more interest. She remembered her pack life before, and questioned if she would go back, if she could... If only for mother and father, she decided, she would- but that was a far off fantasy, now. "Is it very far?" She questioned with raised brows and parted lips.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

The wolf and bear seemed to frolic before him as they got to know each other. Then returning the gesture with a nip to the bears cheeks, and then bestowing the creature with a name. “Kat-ya. Kat-ya!” the bear turned to Sirius, beating one fist against her chest. “Sirius, Kat-ya” she announced, ‘introducing’ herself to the wolf with her new name. The Warlord bit back a laugh, and shook his head in soft amusement. “Alright Kat, got it” he agreed easily. Finding amusement with the name choice. He caught her look as she once again moved her eyes to the cathedral. She seemed much intrigued by its strange working, and he wondered what she might think of the island that lay not far from his Armada. That was filled with strange, abandoned trinkets from another people, and another time. “It’s a day’s journey from here, in fact. But well worth the trek. Perhaps that's just my pride speaking, but the Armada territory is a pleasant view.” "Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

Rhen could do very little to hide her pleasure and pride alike that the name she had chosen seemed to fit the bear perfectly, as she repeated it, tasting it upon her own tongue; “Kat-ya. Kat-ya!” Rhen giggled, nodding her head eagerly, tail wagging furiously; she had never named anything before, and the way it made her heart suddenly warm was a new experience, something the young fae utterly thrived on. Her smile, normally hinting at something darker, normally hiding some ill intent, was now wholesome in it's essence. Katya his her gigantic paw upon her chest, turning to Sirius and introducing her new name, as Rhen looked back to the male with a smug sort of smile upon her lips.

"Alright, Kat, got it," he chuckled in soft amusement, Rhen still wearing an expression showcasing she felt entirely full of herself in that moment. She turned back to Kat and nodded her head vigorously, before finally settling to her own hocks, tail swaying and disturbing the snow just behind her. Rhen watched carefully then as Sirius glanced toward the heavens-spire, and caught the thoughtful expression he wore for a moment, wondering for herself what was going through his mind, her audits perking forward atop her crown.

“It’s a day’s journey from here, in fact. But well worth the trek. Perhaps that's just my pride speaking, but the Armada territory is a pleasant view.”

Rhen's brows furrowed for a moment as her lips tightened; an armada, then? She had heard of those before, and wondered what his might be like; and while the mention of a pleasant view was nearly tempting, Rhen wasn't sure that she wanted to explore pack territories quite yet; but she would not deny herself the intrigue, of what such a strong sounding name might value. Her pack, before they had been forced apart, valued strength, power, control, ambition, secrets... And her, alongside her mother, valued the power of knowledge and intuition. "Armada?" She finally asked, audits falling atop her skull as her head cocked.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

His new companion had fallen mostly silent now, though the pleasure brought about by her naming was clear. His bear - Katya, now, took a seat on her hunches beside the female wolf. Bast curled up beside him, warming his paws as she covered them with part of her own coat. Body heat was a valuable resource in this cold climate, and he was lucky to have two furred and warm beasts that called him friend. The vulture on his back offered little in the way of warmth, mostly Marshal was borrowing his own. The conversation turned to his pack, and he gave a brisk nod of his head. “The Ashen Armada - the pack I founded. It’s essentially a place of learning for warriors, with a sprinkling of healers and hunters mixed in, where loyalty is important. Any who join my pack become part of my family, I offer them my strength and knowledge, for their knowledge and joint strength in return.” He explained, a warm smile gracing his lips as he considered what he and Zee had wrought together. The Armada had once been small, just immediate family. Now… now it was something great. "Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

Rhen watched as the feline curled beside his master, seeking body heat that suddenly seemed endlessly valuable. She realized in that moment the chill that bit at her own skin, and when Katya settled near her, Rhen grinned and moved herself closer, eventually leaning onto the ursa and daring to steal some of her treasured warmth.

Sirius began speaking, then, of his pack, and Rhen listened with respectful attention; her eyes met his, her audits perked forward, and all motion stopped as she went still in body and mind.  "The Ashen Armada - the pack I founded. It’s essentially a place of learning for warriors, with a sprinkling of healers and hunters mixed in, where loyalty is important...." Rhen once thought herself loyal, though as circumstance changed, so did her heart. She had once been a loyal Saxe, bound to her family and their way of life- but when cataclysm hit, rather than searching for them, she decided to start anew.

"Any who join my pack become part of my family, I offer them my strength and knowledge, for their knowledge and joint strength in return." Family... While she did miss it, there was something utterly freeing about what she was doing now, on her own.

And all while she listened, despite remembering a time she cared not to return, she saw the appeal his words had. She simply smiled, a serpentine curl of her lips, and raised her brows. "You sound a very kind leader," she murmured softly, tilting her head. Her father had never been such, though she loved him for all the things he was, too, in his own right; powerful. Unwavering. Though cruel, it had a way of keeping those beneath him in line... So how did this man gain his followers respect and loyalty, if not through means of fear?

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

He laughed at that, amused, and a little proud by her statement. "Perhaps some might think that, but not all." He commented wryly. Well there was little he would not do to keep those beneath him safe, it could be considered a tough sort of love. "I will protect them to my dying breath, but I will not stand transgressions, and well I do not stand on formality, I demand their respect." He was the strongest of them, a fact he had proved again and again. They did bow and call him lord, but they did not cross him or offer disloyalty, either. It was a balance he had learned through trial and error. Most of the error being the firm hand of his Wife. She was not afraid to bite him if she thought he was hurting others through his actions. A thoughtful smile on his muzzle, he found his eyes glancing back at the spyre, and the ocean that could be found beyond it. This Northern territory had a sort of harsh beauty to it, even if he did not relish staying here for much longer. "Speech"

this soul is not so vibrant; the reckoning, the sickening
packaging subversion, psuedo sacrosanct perversion

His laughter was a sort of soft acknowledgement, Rhen perceived, her auds bending back ever so slightly as emerald orbs shimmered in the same manner the forest trees might, dancing in the sunlight. "Perhaps some might think that, but not all." To this, Rhen cocked her head slightly, an unspoken question hanging on her tongue. Why not all, after all the things he had told her of his values? Why follow him at all, if they didn't believe that? Her curiosity had grown to be too much, as brows furrowed slightly, tilting her chin upwards. She wouldn't want him to miss the subtle question, for her desire for it's answer to strong.  "Not all?" She murmured.

"I will protect them to my dying breath, but I will not stand transgressions, and well I do not stand on formality, I demand their respect." As Sirius spoke it, Rhen frowned slightly, though not out of anger. She understood some of what he was saying; demand respect. Her father had done that, no matter the means- but would he have protected them to his dying breath? Perhaps her, or her siblings, but as for those outside of her bloodline within the ranks... She was unsure. No- she doubted he would. "Mmmm..." She hummed to herself thoughtfully, eyes glazing over again, in the way that often spoke of her wondering thoughts.

"this is the way you wished your voice sounds"
my tongue's the only muscle that works harder than my heart

She asked her question, and seemed to take his words as an adequate answer. His eyes moved back to her from the ocean, looking down at the green gaze that sat in her shorter form. She had little to say in response, except a noise that could be taken as agreement or understanding. He offered her a wry smile, having told her perhaps more than he had intended to. The two of them stood in silence for a time, the cold seeping deeper into his bones until he felt he might never be free of the chill. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you then, but I best be off home.” he told her, breaking the silence with his words. He felt their meeting had reached an end point, and well she interested him, and he would enjoy getting to know her, he knew he could not linger here much longer. “If you ever find yourself to the South, look up the Armada, and i’ll welcome your company, and offer you a bite to eat” he promised her. Getting back to his feet, gentle so as not to throw Bast, he rose with him, or Marshal, who still clung to his coat. "Speech"