Recluse Ithuriel-Klein The woman was almost certain now, she wasn't swelling yet but there was a familiar feeling burling in her stomach. She wanted one more chance to go beyond her usual borders before she would hide herself away in the pack to protect her growing litter. But there was something more than that, she needed a moment to think about how to tell Eraithus. She'd had no intentions of having anyone else's children, but well it seemed her proclivities had caught up to her. Still, he had promised that he would raise her children with her like they were his own. She hoped that had not been an empty promise... And soon enough she's put those words to the test... But not tonight. No tonight, she'd wander further than usual and find herself making the swim to the island, the light of the waning moon reflecting off the water as she pulled herself onto the beach on the other side. "Speech"

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Sayuri wandered from the Bamboo Maze, crossing the Bifrost and taking to the east. She spotted an island that was teeming with little ones. It drew her attention, to how even in the thick of winter, did this land hold some tropical climates. Crossing the waves, she shook out her thin coat and roamed. However, the koi woman was not alone. "Evening to you, Good Madame" Sayuri chirped cheerfully, a friendly smile at the albino woman. Her tail swayed in greeting as she stopped a few steps away out of respect. Her broken English could almost be charming to the right wolves, even if she did not play that game "how fare this night?" she added for conversation. Sayuri found it to be a lovely evening. Cold but lovely. "If the Good Madame does not mind, might I ask for company? One has traveled far, and one requires passing words." She wished to know more about Boreas, even if she remained in Auster. speech here

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein Recluse it seemed, would not be left to her thoughts for too long. Instead a stranger would approach, a woman who's coloration reminded her of the former shogun of the empire, her brow lifted for a moment. Curious. Recluse would say nothing but she straightened slightly, her confidence and dominance easily settling on her, it was the easy confidence of a woman used to being in charge, of being a leader. The stranger's words spoke to a lesser level of fluency in the common tongue and that too seemed to grab Recluse's attention. The albino woman inclined her head and gestured to the space in front of her for the stranger to sit if she so wished. "It is a mild enough night to enjoy an outing so I am personally doing quite well." She finally responded to the very first question. "How are you doing this night?" "Speech"

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She approached. Not boldly but respectfully. While this woman possessed a regal air to her, Sayuri had no way of knowing her status. And would it have mattered? They belonged to two different communities; she owed nothing but politeness to another alpha. She stopped at her front, angling her body toward the albino, and sat. "Quite" she chirped in her musical tones "it is pleasant for one winter's night." She had lived in Auster for a few weeks now, yet she had wandered from the Maze a few times. Nothing really kept her there, despite the company being pleasant. She had to hone her skills, and the only way to do such a thing was to roam and meet others. Now that she was closer to the woman, she could smell a change. A shift. Something familiar. She had helped many midwives deliver children in her brief pursuit of the healing arts. She knew the smell. Pregnant. This woman was pregnant. "I am called Sayuri, and you are?" She brushed past her revelation, finding it quite rude indeed if she pointed it out. speech here

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein The multi-colored woman agreed with her assessment but otherwise offered nothing too informative, that was fine by Recluse, she was more than capable of teasing things out if she wished, she knew how to play the part of a lovely conversationalist. For now she didn't even know if there was anything to be gleaned from this interaction, maybe it'd simply be a pleasant but inconsequential chat, easily forgotten in the flurry of the things that would need her attention when she returned home. No doubt by the time her newest litter were born she'd have forgotten all about this little chat in that case. The woman gave her name and Recluse filed it away in her mind. "I am Recluse Klien." Her response was simple, she didn't expect the name to mean much to the stranger, but if it did... Well, perhaps the association the woman had made in her head between the stranger and Hattori wouldn't be so far off. "You strike me as being relatively new around here, am I correct?" She watched, cherry gaze intense even if her words weren't. "Speech"

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The Klein name had not been given to her before. Fleeting instances for socializing caused her to only know of a few surnames, and even then she did not think it was much important. Names were things, labeled and also cast aside at times. They were often chains, rules, and guidelines to follow. She did not care for that, a being of freedom. "You would be correct." Sayuri gave a slight nod of her skull to Recluse. "I had come from away, far from Boreas and Auster" she did not think her past was anything special, so she retained a vagueness unless directly asked "at the beginning of this winter" Sayuri informed Recluse "have you been long for this realm?" Politely asking, not prodding. It was up to the other woman if she wanted to tell or not, just like it was up to the koi lady. Considering her condition, Sayuri assumed she had been here for a longer time. speech here

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein No real response to her name, that was fine. Recluse listened as the dappled woman spoke, though she was not particularly forthcoming with details but that was fine, choosing not to share could sometimes say as much as what was said. But yes, Recluse had been correct that the woman was not a total native to the area, a recent arrival in fact. Then the question was turned back towards her. Recluse nodded. "I was born in these lands, though I've not seen as much of the lands as some others, though not totally by my own choice." The woman shifted slightly, again conscious of the life she was certain was growing in her, she was lucky, soon enough she knew that she'd start struggling to find a way to sit comfortably, might as well enjoy it while she could. "You're lucky you arrived this winter and not the past one, this winter is proving much nicer." "Speech"

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"Is that so?" she mulled over the information given "is one averse to travel?" Sayuri supposed she should give Recluse something, so she opted to play it safe as she also mulled over what to give "or does one stick to pack lands?" The scent clinging to the woman was clear as day; she had run into another with the same scent. A Medusa of some sort? She forgot the name until it was brought up.

Placing this to the side, she focused on Recluse's words. "Did something happen last winter?" she also asked, frowning gently "forgive, ah, ignorance. Not many have spoken of bad things" Not at all, actually. They only focused on politics, packs, and rank. If a vagabond, they needed survival. That was really it. "last winter, I had hunted in a land far away. The prey kept me quite busy. It had been overpopulation." Sayuri tried vagueness because it suited her previous profession.

As an assassin, a ninja, an infiltrator... She could not afford to give up client details. "Though I parted with my party, and had come here."

"Speech"

Recluse Ithuriel-Klein Recluse shrugged as the woman asked why she hadn't done much traveling. "Didn't have many chances too as a child, for reasons you'll forgive me for not sharing." Notably that she'd nearly died from neglect, been taken to the north by the lightning king when she'd been so near to death that it was that or lay down and die. "And once I was old enough to be independent I was old enough to have responsibilities, and then after that the responsibilities of motherhood." And that hadn't really stopped, nearly 3 years of children and raising them and Habari and she was staring down probably her 3rd litter, she was busy in short. So she shrugged again. "Maybe when I'm ready to retire I'll give it up to go exploring. But I'm in no rush." The stranger asked about what had passed last winter and Recluse shuffled, grimacing. The woman was a proud warrior queen, she didn't usually let the mask slip but the memories of the pain in her skull as the crystal had rooted itself over her eye... The worry that any of her children might fall sick and she'd be unable to help them. She sighed. "You're lucky then, an unnatural darkness fell over the whole of Boreas, I can't speak to Auster but I have reason to believe it too was stuck in that long night. You may struggle to believe me but things were... bad. Ghosts, a sickness tearing through our continent that caused wolves to mutate in painful ways. I lost sight in one of my eyes when a crystal latched itself onto my face, I saw mushrooms also growing on some afflicted wolves... Some didn't make it. And then one day it just... Went away. The sun came back out and those that had made it through the night started to get better. Like nothing had happened, but anyone who lived through it could tell you it was the longest winter of our lives." "Speech"

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