The giant deer grazed easily behind the small bachelor herd of wapiti. Rannoch wasn’t sure he would ever find another herd when he came across them. They were all young, yearlings and two year olds mostly, with one five or six year old that was kind of small. Had there been any real mature bulls the irish elk wasn’t sure they’d have accepted him. The fear of being alone still haunted him. There were no more of his kind here, he was utterly alone. He didn’t know how to get to his homeland, with summer arriving he didn’t know if that was even a possibility anymore.

Rannoch was alone, and he’d be cursed to trail along at the edge of the herds for the rest of his life. Well, if he was lucky they would. The young stag didn’t want to think about being forced into solitude. He’d seen the moose do it, but he wasn’t sure he could handle a life like that. The herd was everything and without it… He shivered despite the warm evening and his fur.

The sun was just beginning to set over the ocean beyond. The summer melted the frozen north and for a while they lived in perpetual green. The sun reflected over the water and off the massive ship on the shore. Rannoch’s hooves sunk into the dark sand as he lifted his head to the hull that towered even above him.

SS Antiox / early evening / balmy

"Speech"

Kiela hadn't been this close to a herd in awhile. Though she tended to follow caribou, as was her family's reason for existence, it wasn't like they spent a lot of time discerning the two - and even if some did, elk were no less sacred to the Jarvela. This one group in particular had piqued her interest for a few weeks now and she'd embarked back east to follow their trail. One set of hoofprints stood out to her among the rest, larger than she'd expect after such an unforgiving winter and spring season. Had the herds of northern Boreas fared much better than she'd anticipated? Perhaps her attention would've been on her surroundings if she hadn't finally caught up to the herd. It was by all accounts a lovely evening - the sun was setting and casting a deep orange huge across the sky, signalling a night sky free of clouds and instead filled with brilliant stars. The land itself wasn't all that different than most of the northern tundra - save for the massive structure nearby whose former use was lost to her. Instead she zeroed in on one of the herd that definitely stuck out like a sore thumb… at least to Kiela, who knew deer practically as well as she knew her own species. It was hard to tell immediately why he struck her as different but after a long moment of observation she noticed his antlers, which were considerably more developed than.. well, the antlers of any elk she'd ever seen, even the oldest. Quiet as always, she lurked in the shadow and watched from a safe distance, thankful for the shadows cast by the setting sun to partially obscure her from their sight - or so she hoped. Most elk were not terribly receptive to the presence of wolves, and though lone wolves posed no threat to them they hadn't quite learned to coexist with her kind as the deer in her homeland eventually had.

The massive elk shouldn’t have ever been here, had he been stronger or older when it happened Rannoch should have returned across the ice bridge he had come from. He’d gotten separated from the other megaloceros and now he was mostly alone. He only just managed to fit in with the elk here, who were so much different from his own kin. He was the odd one out, but he was allowed to travel with them. He didn’t enjoy being alone, and trailing after these young bulls made him feel safer.

He knew that he stuck out, even to a creature that hadn’t seen a deer before. The other bulls were very uniform, roughly the same size and all of them shared the same markings. He was much larger, colored differently, and even now as their antlers started to grow in, much different from the other deer. He was the weak link technically, but he had a better chance with many other eyes and ears looking out.

His own emerald eyes were cast at the massive ship, its hull reaching towards the sky like some metal mountain. The young stag had never seen anything quite like this. Curious he paced up the side of it, spying a split up the side of it. Gently sinking into the sand as he lowered his head to peek inside. He could potentially fit his head inside, but he was far too big to further than a step. His hoof hit the metal floor with a rattling clang and he startled himself. Alarmed, Rannoch leapt from the open ship and kicked his heels away. With a graceful turn he faced the ship again, ready to defend against the unseen enemy.

But there was nothing there, and the metal sound was enough to keep him distracted from the wolf watching from the shadow.

"Speech"

Kiela was held captive by the sight of the strange elk; she wasn't one to gawk but she was staring with a strange captivated intensity, her jaw unhinged slightly as she watched him approach the strange metal structure. He moved along its length, lowering his head as he peered inside. Warily she took a few steps closer, still mostly obscured in the shadows as she watched the spectacle and tried to make sense of it. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was in the presence of something far greater than herself and she was compelled to interact with him, no matter the cost. Hesitating as Rannoch startled himself, she took a sharp breath in before taking a few long strides closer. Kiela abandoned her usual self-assured posture; she was submissive at best as she dared approach and take in the strange creature as best as she could. A full-grown elk was a dangerous thing to a wolf, and though this one wasn't quite adult, not that she could tell, well... that only made him all the more impressive. She'd never seen anything quite like it, but she had to see him up close even if it meant putting herself in danger's grasp. "Terveisiä," she greeted him, instinctively using her native tongue, as she had no idea if he'd even attempt to communicate with her - or if he even could. Surely he was not from these parts. It was impossible. "I come alone, and I mean no harm to you or your herd. I promise you that." Her scent was that of a loner and she made no sudden movements, warily lifting her orange gaze to meet his and marvel at his existence until he reacted to her.

Rannoch shook his head of the metallic clang that rattled his head, the deer was extremely sensitive to sound. Cone like ears swiveled back towards the boat, but caught the sound of someone’s breath at the same time. Rannoch moved swiftly, lifting his head as the wolf drew his attention. On the verge of fleeing the she wolf spoke before his hooves were moving. Had she intended on his demise he knew he would have been hers. He had made a grave mistake letting his attention focus so precisely.

Emerald eyes lingered on her form as she revealed herself from the shadow,claiming her solitude and promise not to harm. Rannoch stared but did not move beyond letting his ears swivel in different directions. Uncertain if her claim of being alone was true. "Then what is your intent?” He asked her warily, standing at the ready to run. She was predator and he was prey, the natural order dictate he partake in the ancient ritual. "You know I desire to run.”

"Speech"

Every second hung heavy in the air, the tension pulled so tight she feared it might be ruined at the slightest misstep. She stood frozen as she watched him, her eyes wide - with interest and something that looked oddly like reverence. Such a look was a rarity for Kiela. It only intensified when he spoke, looking like he was ready to bolt. Her tail nearly curled between her hind legs and her ears pinned back, showing she truly meant no harm. "I've never seen an elk that looks like you before," she admitted, wondering if she'd misspoke almost as soon as the words left her mouth. "I simply wanted to see you up close. I have no desire to harm you. I promise you this, with my life." She managed a slow bow of her head, holding herself in that vulnerable position for long enough she hoped he understood she was not lying to him. Already she was wondering how to explain to him her connection with his kind, with elk as well as caribou. The Jarvela were not yet explicitly known to the herds here, not in the way they were in her homelands, so she feared that he might not believe her or worse - still want to flee.

There was obvious tension between them as the two of them paused. Rannoch felt himself stiffen and contort internally as he spoke to her instead of running from her. Rannoch had never seen a wolf offer such a demeanor to him, all he knew of them were their snapping jaws and bloodthirsty nature. This she wolf was nothing like that so he was made to pause. Her tail curled beneath her and her posture made her much smaller than she was, enough to make Rannoch trust he wasn’t in immediate danger.

Rannoch relaxed, but he was still on edge, this wasn’t that natural course. His shoulders relaxed and he lowered his lifted hoof, though cone-like ears continued to swivel in case she was the distraction before her friends arrived. She spoke again softly, telling him that she had never laid eyes on an elk quite like him, and why should she? He was a great elk… The last of his kind here in Boreas. Rannoch was quiet for another moment after she spoke, telling him there really was no ill will there. The young stag took a chance on her, and hesitantly stepped closer, emerald eyes taking every inch of her in.

"I am not an elk as you know them.” His impossibly distant cousins were nothing like his kind. "We are the Megaloceros, the Great Elk, the Irish Elk…” A look of defeat crossed his features and his gaze averted. "And I am the last of my kind.”

"Speech"

There was little in Kiela's demeanor, especially in her current stature, that could be misconstrued as bloodthirsty. She was timid as she slowed he approach and watched him react, looking rightfully cautious. The single step toward her was regarded with a look of awe, her head dropping a bit lower to the ground though her gaze remained planted firmly on him. "The Great Elk," she repeated softly, the words sounding strange on her tongue. She'd never heard of such a thing but she was humble enough to know there were many things in this world she was ignorant of. That was why she'd originally come to Boreas after all - to experience more of the world that her beloved herds inhabited. "How did you end up here?" She asked, though quickly backtracked, looking apologetic. "Forgive me. My name is Kiela. Kiela Jarvela."