The sparkling sands were almost even more pretty when they were dusted in snow. Indigo made it a point to keep some alone time for himself, he refused to become dependant on anyone. Except for maybe Short Round. The badger plodded along beside him, usually rather quiet comparatively speaking. She was good company when Indy sought solitude. He was already half tempted to finish the rest of the trip and make his way back to the Armada. After meeting Briar he was even more homesick. Indigo was making a place for himself in the Hallows, but he felt like more and more that this was not where he belonged.

Indigo wanted to speak to Resin on just that thought as he started collecting strays and other lonely wolves. He couldn’t just keep bringing every orphan he found back to the Hallows, there was something else out there for him. The sad thought that it wasn’t in the Armada crossed his mind more than once as well. The yearling shook the uncertain thoughts from his pelt and continued onward, curious to see if Boreas was still just as cold as Auster.

Restlessness had seized Aerndis again. Things had been quiet in Fireside since the raid, everyone tended to their injuries and split the spoils. She debated trying to visit Orion and her mother again but she could shake the feelings of awkwardness at the idea. She wasn't sure what she needed apart from a change of pace and so she headed south, seeking to explore some of the lands to the south.

She had edged around a pack and out onto a bridge of sparkling sand that shimmered in the sunlight with a wide array of colors. She trotted happily along, enjoying the sun and the ocean despite the fact it wasn't that much warmer here than it had been back in the Range. She hadn't gone far when she spied a massive purple wolf walking in the opposite direction. She smiled and voiced a greeting. "Hey there! Headed to Boreas? It's cold as a witches tit up there but there are some nice territories to explore."

Indigo didn’t have much luck loosing the thoughts from his mind. He missed his birth pack, but it was better this way. It had to be, or that was what he told himself. He’d had so many second thoughts over and over he didn’t know what the right decision was anymore. He knew the time for a private meeting with Resin was needed, she was a guiding light. Indigo wouldn’t take her wisdom for granted. He always felt plagued by his thoughts, but to Indy’s benefit a beautiful distraction was coming his way.

He might have been too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the woman at first had she not spoken up. Indigo would have just kept right on walking and it might have taken him a long time to fully accept what she said. There was no relief from the cold. The poles were not switched, everywhere was covered in snow and ice.

Bright blue eyes lifted to the stranger’s features, in some odd way her markings almost reminded him of Fatalis blood markings. There was no way though. Indy had already realized his appreciation for wolves that shared his vibrancy. Duchess and Colette were dainty little ladies though, Indy had a feeling this woman would chew him up for breakfast.

”Hello,” He returned with a polite nod of his huge head. He’d never heard the term ‘witch’s tit’ before nor had he experienced one, but he understood none the less. ”I assume that means its just as cold.” Indigo stated with a heavy sigh. ”I’d hoped the colder weather here meant warmth northwards…” She truly had saved him so much time, not that he had much if any hope. ”Blast.” He muttered with subdued disappointment, he hadn’t really been expecting any different. ”I’m afraid you wont find much difference southwards. I’ve been to the farthest southern tip and was still chilled to my bones.”

Aerndis chuckled and nodded. "Yep, cold and miserable." She wished summer would hurry up and she hoped it would bring actual warmth and not be frigid cold like spring was turning out to be. She listened as the man spoke of the weather in the south and she scowled, sitting down heavily. "Really? I was hoping maybe the cold front we've been having pushed all the warm weather south. This is ridiculous." Well, so much for going south for the winter.

"My name is Aerndis. Who might you be? Heading northward for anything other than warm weather?" She had nowhere to be necessarily and didn't mind some casual conversation if the stranger was game. She would have to decide if she wanted to continue southward anyway or go ahead and turn back north since she wasn't going to find the warmer weather she sought.

Indigo didn’t think he was uptight, but this woman was the most casual wolf he had ever met. He wouldn’t have guessed with her appearance, but her words were so easy going. She was carefree, something that Indigo needed more of in his life. Maybe he was stiff. ”Really,” he answered forlorn as she offered up her own theory. They were both very wrong and it seemed like both continents were frozen over for the foreseeable future. He felt the disappointment that she spoke. Winter was already too long, now it was extending and they were being flooded with creatures the likes of their world had never seen before. Indigo’s thoughts on the future were cloudy at best but now the outlook was bleeker than night.

”Indigo Fatalis,” he answered in kind, hesitating with his answer about his motives moving northward. ”I.. No, just curious to see if I could find spring. I owe you thanks for saving me quite a lot of time.” And heartache. He squished any thoughts of Aslatiel, knowing how dangerous they could be. ”I hope I didn’t ruin thoughts of a vacation.” He added with a curious tilt to his head. ”Heading southward for anything more than warmth?”

Aerndis chuckled lightly, boy this yearling seemed a somber sort. He answered her with one word and she nodded. "Really, really. Seems we're doomed to freeze our butts this spring." Hopefully summer would manage to break the cycle of cold and dreary weather.

The boy introduced himself as Indigo Fatalis and she immediately perked up as she recognized the name. "Don't worry about it. I don't really know what to do with myself, haven't been able to settle down so I just thought I'd head south and see what is going on. If you don't mind me saying, I think I met your sister some time back. Are you related to an Aslatiel Fatalis? Her father is Sirius Fatalis." She remembered encountering Sirius while she was working on her map. In exchange for making a map of the Armada's territories for him he'd allowed her to explore the lands there. She remembered meeting Asla, the star loving pup with the adorable paintings.

To say Indigo was ready for spring would have been a horrendous understatement. Even if the dates said spring the cold remained and the boy was completely dissatisfied with their lot. He wanted the green to return and the plants. He never felt at home in the snow despite his thick coat and adaptations. One day he’d feel the soft green grass beneath his paws again, but for now at least he had company in his misery. Aerndies seemed to perk when he finally mentioned his name, the recognition was impossible to ignore.

She told him her vague plans, unable to settle, wandering, not the vacation like he had hoped to plan. She was much more focused on realizing his familial ties. She spoke about his sister, and while he realized Briar and the others existed Indigo knew Aslatiel’s name was going to fall from her lips. There wasn’t any kind of surprised reaction, the boy simply nodded slightly as he tried not to dwell on that heart wrenching feeling of being homesick.

”You’ve thought right. My littermate and Father.” Indy affirmed her suspicion. He narrowed his eyes slightly, uncertain what her experience might have been. She didn’t seem like she was holding any grudges. ”I assume they both treated you well?” He didn’t want to make any apologies for them, not that Aerndis looked like she wanted one.

Aerndis' hunch turned out correct. Indigo relayed that Asla was his sister and Sirius his father. That certainly made sense. Aerndis nodded. "Yes! Sirius invited me into the pack lands for a tour in exchange for making a map." It had been fun to explore another pack's lands and see how they had structured the territory to suit their needs. She was momentarily distracted as a seagull flew overhead but she quickly focused back on Indigo. "If you don't mind me asking, I can't help but notice that your pack scent is different. Striking out on your own?" It wasn't too odd for young adults to go off and find their own paths so she assumed that was likely the case with Indigo.

He was never really sure how either of those wolves would react to anyone, so he couldn’t be completely sure what kind of interaction Aerndis shared with them. She seemed to have pleasant memories, and he was kind of surprised of the trade but then again Sirius was open to reason as long as he hadn’t yet made up his mind about something. He tried not to think of that day so long ago and focused on the woman before him. She didn’t go too far from Sirius and the Armada and she asked about his current situation in life. He was no longer of the Armada, he proudly held the Hallows scent on his brilliant pelt.

”I don’t mind at all,” he assured her politely, she was practically a stranger but he felt like he didn’t have to hold back. ”I joined my grandmother’s pack to further my healing knowledge.” It was mostly the truth, there weren’t very many that he told the full of it to. ”But between you and me…” His bright blue eyes shifted to the cloudy sky. ”I think I do want to set out on my own. Lead my own band of misfits in the world.” His tone took almost a dreamy kind of sounds as he spoke about thoughts that had hardly even formed in his own mind.

Aerndis listened as Indigo explained that he'd joined his grandmother's pack to further his healing knowledge. She'd always been impressed with healers and their ability to know so much about plants and their uses as well as being willing to risk taking someone's life into their paws in such a way. It was definitely not something she'd ever try. It seemed pack leading ran in his family, from his grandmother, to his father, to Indigo himself.

She perked up as he mentioned leading his own band of misfits, interest clearly written on her face. "Oh? Funny you should mention that as I happen to be a misfit without a destination. I've been a member of Fireside on and off but…" Her voice faded as she debated how to articulate the complexity of her feelings. <"Let's just say I've been through some shit and haven't been able to settle. Would your band need a hunter or explorer? I'm skilled in both areas."

To Indy healing came almost naturally, from a young age the boy loved plants and flowers. That probably had a lot to do with how close he had been to his aunty Iolaire. There were many days he missed her, and Meadow, desperately. He yearned for their knowledge and guidance, but now that he was older and without them the boy was coming into his own wisdom. There were many days where he felt incompetent or unnder qualified, but that was just life. He knew now that sometimes good enough was perfect and doing everything he could had to be enough. He would never stop drawing from his memories of those wolves who made him who he was. Forever he would see himself looking up to them and the strength they possessed.

He hadn’t fully developed a plan, being the leader of anything was a relatively new idea in his mind. Indy had been looked over to become the heir of the Armada, and any dream of that path had been killed. Now that he was older he’d found wolves that needed him and the idea had returned. Indigo never expected what Aerndis said next. He blinked back his surprised a vivid sapphire eyes returned to her.

She was older than he was, but it didn’t seem like that was a limiting factor as she prompted him to take her under his wing as well. Maybe he really could create a place for the misfits of the world to gather. To build a support system that they had been denied, or hadn’t quite fit in before. ”I could make great use of both,” he told her honestly. Duchess was an explorer, but he was sure the vibrant woman’s skill would be valuable. Everyone would benefit from a hunter as well. Indigo tried not to feel surprise at the way he was suddenly thinking. Like a leader.

”I.. I mean.. I don’t have anything concrete yet. I’d be honored to have you along though.” He lowered his head humbly, again surprised how he attracted the odd ones out in the world.

Aerndis grinned as he stated he'd have use of her skills though he didn't have a concrete plan yet. She could understand and it wasn't like she had a lot to do. "Great! That's alright if you don't have anything concrete. Right now I have nothing but time. Just look me up when you get things rolling. I hang out mostly in the Orchard and the Rio Grande. Just leave a mark on a tree." She was becoming intimately familiar with the regions she lived in and if he scratched out a mark on a tree or something she was likely to notice and could track him down from there. She made routine checks around the territory.