Dark colored and long-furred, Katja had been struggling in this damned heatwave. Unable to do much during the day but curl up in the shallow, stuffy den she'd scraped out for herself, and pant. In the early morning before it started truly heating up she would go between her den and the dying spring nearby to thoroughly soak the moss she'd padded the den with - the evaporation of the water did at least a little to keep her cool during the day, and the multiple trips to the water allowed her to drink her fill before hiding once more beneath the earth. Normally she would have preferred to sleep beneath the stars rather than be tied to a den, but in this instance she saw fit to change her ways. Between sundown and early morning, she had been spending her time down in the bay doing what hunting she could in the tidepools and shallower water where she could be cooler than chasing rabbits. She was there now, moving swiftly and with no hesitation to stride out into the salty water before dipping below the surface in one smooth motion. Holding her breath, she paddled around beneath the surface, simultaneously exercising muscles she didn't want to atrophy during her forced rest and allowing the water to work it's way through her fur to cool her feverish body. She didn't fear the fins she'd seen at some distance in the water, heralding the sharks that called the bay home. Their behavior showed no aggression today, and besides she wasn't deep enough to tempt a shark with it risking beaching itself. Finally, lungs burning for air, she had to surface and make her way back to shore. The water sluicing down her sides flattened her silky pelt to her, emphasizing her slim form and, momentarily, revealing the multitude of scars it would normally hide. Then she shook herself, throwing the water from her coat, and was once more herself, if a bit spikier from the dampness. Cool now, her first order of business would be to fill her empty stomach. The heat had effectively killed her appetite, but still she knew the importance of keeping herself healthy and ready. Without conscious thought she reached out with her heart to Nj?r?r, the god of the sea, and Ullr of the hunt, asking their assistance this night in her mission. The Gods proved merciful, as the second tidepool she checked held a few stranded fish nearly as long as her foreleg. She slipped down into the water, startling them into darting around the pool. They were fast, but she was faster, snapping up two in quick succession. But something had her on edge - a sound, intuition, the touch of Freya warning her? The still-damp fur over her shoulders bristled as the masked mercenary searched the beach for the source of her unease. "Speech"

Raisa was just about done with this gods-be-damned heat. She was dark of fur and large besides. Her homeland was far more northerly than her new one, and this summer heat spell was far more than she'd bargained for. She might have grown angry or irritable, if bringing forth any emotion at all didn't require so much effort. Despite the moist soil of her boulder field, despite the shadow of her den, it had not been enough. She refused to cool off in the springs that dotted the garden, less she carry away water they may soon need to drink. So it was with a heavy heart that the ebon Queen set our towards the bay. The trek was slow going and circuitous, as she kept in the shadows whenever she could. It lessened the rage of the sun to a degree, if only that. She planned to spend her day in the water and return by moonlight, if things went well. The woman was on the verge of collapse by the time the ocean came into view. She let out an airy laugh, realizing belatedly the folly of her venture. She could have easily collapsed, dehydrated, withered up. She was not oh so far from home either, and how embarrassing would that be? She could picture it now, the conquering queen, brought low by a heat spell. How the bards would sing. With a grin, Raisa picked up her gait and ran to the water's edge, sinking into it with gusto. Oh, how brilliant it felt! The heat seeped form her body, wicked away by the current. The Queen let the water's will thrash her about for a few moments, reveling in it's embrace. She paddled back to shore and flopped down on the cool sand, letting the tide ebb and flow around her. As the sun singed the water from her fur, it carried the heat away as well. For the first time in weeks, the sooty queen felt cool. She stood, shook the sand from her coat, and began to make her way down the beach, oblivious to the scents and sounds around her, beyond the salty air and pounding surf. "Talk" "You" Think

Freya be praised for her warning - approaching down the sands was another wolf. Ever the strategist, Katja cast an appraising eye on the interloper. Female, taller than Katja herself but built lightly. Her coat, seemingly soot-colored with markings with the appearance of flame in the uncertain light, bore the remnants of sand and salt. Unaware of Katja's presence, if she were any judge of it. She considered allowing the wolf to pass in silence, but her path would bring her close by the viking mercenary were she to continue, and anyway, Katja had been needing to find a native of this land to assist her search for her erstwhile cousin for some time now - this was an opportunity sent by Freya and she'd be a fool to turn it down. "Halt," Katja barked out to get her attention. "Wer sind Sie? Was willst du?" Imperious and demanding as her words were, there was little of aggression in either her tone or her stance, just an intent readiness, a watchfulness. "Speech"

The voice startled the dark-coated queen, and she skidded to a stop, checking her surroundings for the first time. The words were harsh and foreign and birthed of no language Raisa could understand. With eyes narrowed in suspicion, Raisa cast her gaze along the darkened shoreline. Bi-colored optics finally came to rest upon the offender of the peace, finding a smaller fae awaiting her. "I'd apologize for whatever I did to you, but I have no idea what you just said, so..." She let her final word hang in the air. She was half tempted to continue walking, but instead she stayed put, curiosity binding her toes to the sand. Never mind that turning her back on an unknown entity was foolhardy, perhaps the fae might be an ally. With a pack to consider now, these were things Raisa knew she must be mindful of. The new Ebony was but a shadow of it's empirical namesake, but that did not mean she would treat it any differently. A lone wolf meant the same now as a pack or lineage meant before. "Do you know this tongue?" Raisa maintained a courteous tone, speaking at a normal pace. She was equal parts cautious of insulting the woman's intelligence and eager to see what the strange fae made of her. "Talk" "You" Think

The intruder finally deigned to notice her after Katja spoke, startled even by the sound. No hint of a smile crossed Katja's dark face when the wolf failed at first to find her, nor even satisfaction. It was just as it should be, for the hand of Freya cloaked and protected her from prying eyes and to be so arrogant as to claim it was her own small skill would be an affront to the goddess. Finally the other wolf's mismatched gaze came to rest on her, and she spoke. For a moment the words seemed like gibberish - an inconvenience, but she had become adept at overcoming language barriers between her sister's different native language and her own roving nature, so she was confident she could make herself understood - but a few words in she recognized the language. It took her a moment to make the mental switch that would allow her to more easily speak in this language, and a moment more to piece together what the woman had said. "Understand, yes," she said slowly. "Not well, but speak it also." She took a moment to put her words into the correct language, then continued. "It was for your name that I asked, and what it was you wanted here." She regarded the other wolf calmly gold-flecked silver eyes studying the other female. The beach was not her territory, not truly, but it was part of her home for the time, and as such she would know who traveled it's sands and why. It was simple good sense to her. "Speech"

The woman's speech was disjointed, but understandable. Raisa's brows raised of their own accord, and she weighed the woman's words. Was this her land then? Raisa had scented no borders, saw no signs of ownership. Besides, this woman had a foreign cant, she certainly was from another land. Raisa made a note to use words most easily understood, less she inconvenience the woman. "My name is Raisa Xanilov, I lead Ebony, not far from here. I've come only to escape the heat. Do you lay claim to these lands?" With a territory of her own, the sooty queen could respect another's claim, but not simply for the sake of desiring privacy. She did not allow herself to pass judgement, however. Raisa eyed the dark fae for a moment before posing a query of her own. "What might your name be?" It was only fair to ask, as she'd given her own. Raisa had a dozen other questions fighting to be let loose, but she restrained herself yet again, not wanting to seem rude. "Talk" "You" Think

Katja maintained her impassive mask as she listened to the woman speak. Her rank did nothing to impress Katja - she had worked for, and killed, and raided from many alphas, most more physically imposing than the slim girl before her. Likewise, she knew not to discount her based on her size, for that was a fatal mistake many wolves had made concerning Katja herself. Nor did she entirely trust the wolf's explanation as to why she had come. The facts seemed to fit her having come for a swim to cool off, but it was not Katja's way to make assumptions of innocence. Still, she would reserve judgement for now. "The sea provides much, Raisa Xanilov," she agreed. "Not to claim these lands do I seek these answers, but to know is to guard from folly. Katja Finnvi am I." The pack this Raisa claimed to lead interested Katja. She'd had no real contact with a wolf of these lands, and knew disconcertingly little about the political and diplomatic structure of the packs here. The lack of knowledge disturbed her, for it could be that if she could not return home soon she would need to join one of the packs so that she could better concentrate on her search, rather than simple survival. Not a social wolf by nature, Katja was nonetheless aware of the worth of a pack. "I would know more of this Ebony," she spoke, her usual blunt manner enhanced by her lack of practice with the language. "Speech"

Raisa did not know what to make of the foreigners mannerisms, and for the most part ignored the incongruities. It did not matter to the sooty fae whether or not Katja showed her respect, as she was not one of Raisa's wolves. So the woman let her blunt, distanced demeanor roll off of her like water on a duck's wing. Instead Raisa focused on that which was immediately required of her: speaking of her pack. It was, understandably, one of her favorite topics. A smile graced the Queen's face, images of her territory and the faces of those who dwelt within appearing behind her eyes. "Well met, Katja," Raisa said with a small nod of greeting. Moving on she asked, "What would you like to know? As of this moment we are a small, but close-knit group. We make our home in the Rock Garden. Our ranks are divided by the nobility, knights, and commoners. One who works within the pack may choose to battle with their bodies or their minds." Raisa shrugged, unsure of the detail this dark woman sought. If she had pointed question the Queen would gladly answer them, but as it was she let her words settled on the air and waited for a response. "Talk" "You" Think

Katja listened intently to what the woman was saying - how she was saying it as much as the words she spoke, the cadence of the language beginning to be remembered. As the woman stopped speaking, she nodded slowly. "Very passionate for this pack are you, yes? Your voice, your speaking tells me. That is good." She thought a moment, then asked, "Small group - raiders? Or new pack, just begun?" A legitimate question, as there were many very small "packs" that operated as raiding groups rather than true packs. She had spoken of nobility, but that did not completely rule out raiders - simply made it a little less likely, and it would behoove her to know what to expect were she to have dealings with this group in the future, as she would make different demands of one group over another. "Are many packs in this land in this way... ah, put together? Or is unique?" Experience had told her that most packs had a similar structure as far as the organization went, with only the names and rules differing in most, but she had no wish to taken by surprise if this land were an exception to that. "What makes Ebony set-apart?" The thought of joining this pack had crossed her mind more than once in their short conversation. The reasonings for joining a pack were sound, but it was not a decision to be undertaken lightly. It would do her search no good were she to be trapped in a restrictive heathen pack that had no respect for her body or beliefs, but would use her simply as another pawn. "Speech"

Katja's remark that Raisa seemed passionate brought a smile to the sooty woman's face. Her measure of the queen was correct; Ebony was her greatest passion. Her companions and followers meant the world to Raisa, and the thought of going on again without them was a hard one. Unlike her past home, where she had been born into a collection of wolves, she had gathered these on her own. She knew them, they were her friends, and each was dear to her. "No, not raiders," the queen was quick to confess. "In all honesty, we have more wolves crossing into our borders than we are encroaching on theirs." Raisa rolled her eyes and smirked, considering all the 'visitors' she had entertained in the past few moons. Continuing on, she said, "Many packs here are a combination of family groups and recruited rogues. I suppose Ebony is unique in that, at the moment, we are a band of rogues coming together under a common banner. We are dedicated to improving ourselves, our strengths, so that Ebony might become a sanctuary and a force in equal measure. Wolves in need of training or refuge can seek us out and be protected, welcomed. Those who seek glory and honor might find a home among our knights to hone their skill in battle. We are not a pack to seek out war and violence in cold blood. All of our members are expected to be unquestioningly loyal to the well fare of the pack, and trustworthy. In this, we have found a very unique strength that I believe is hard to come by in this realm." Her speech was short, but heartfelt. Everything she spoke of had been carefully considered and thought through during the queen's moons and moons of wandering. In practice, so far, it had worked out very well. Many of her pack members were unfamiliar with one another, but their bonds were growing stronger and stronger by the day. As it was, the sooty woman waited to see what the dark furred stranger would think of all she had said. "Talk" "You" Think

Katja was silent for a moment as the queen finished her speech. She had already made up her mind what to do, but she hesitated. It seemed like such an important thing as swearing fealty to a pack would be something she should discuss with her sister, but she feared that Au?ra would feel obliged to join her on this risky venture if she knew of it, and it was in her mind that one of them should be free of entanglements. She wasn't certain of her ability to convey that to her norwegian-speaking sibling, though. She would just have to do this now, and ask forgiveness later, if it was required. Freya had given her this chance, and she could not simply set it aside. Bowing low, right paw stretched out before her and nose down, she spoke in a solemn tone in her native language, "Ich bin Katja Anke Finnvi, Tochter von Anvarr Finnvi, Enkelin des m?chtigen Geirthor. Ich reiste weit, t?tete ich den Sohn des H?uptlings von Asterla im edlen Kampf. Ich ertrug die K?lte von einem zugefrorenen See, eine Gruppe von Wikingern gegen den ber?hmten Lorenscha Stamm erfolgreich zu f?hren." German translation: Translation doesn't really matter, basically she's giving a bit of her lineage and some of her brave deeds in the past, it's part of a viking oath of fealty) Taking a deep breath and marshaling the words in her head so that they would come out clearly, she continued in the Queen's language so that she could understand the import of what Katja spoke. "If you would have it, I do swear I will always fight before you, to always hold my loyalty to you dear to my heart. To follow your laws to the utmost of my ability. To avenge you to my last breath should you fall in battle. To care for your pack as my own until the end of my days or you do release me from my oath. This I do swear, and the Gods shall never have cause to reproach me for breaking of this vow." She remained bowed low, every inch of her the model of absolute seriousness as she gave this queen Raisa a viking oath. "Freya help me if this is the wrong decision," she preyed in the silence of her own mind. But the feeling in her chest, the instinct she attributed to Freya's guiding hand, told her that she needed to join this pack. If it seemed abrupt to Raisa, well it was. But Katja had long ago learned to follow that instinct and she would do so now. "Speech"

The woman stared at Raisa for a long moment before dipping into what appeared to be a deep bow. She began speaking once more in that language, the one form before, and Raisa's brows drew together quizzically. It wasn't until she rose and reverted back to their common tongue that Katja's purpose became clear. The queen tried her best to keep the utter shock from showing on her face. The woman had seemed somewhat distant and disinterested in her, if not the pack, but Raisa had chalked it up to simple curiosity. Now this? The woman wanted to join her? The queen listened avidly to her proclamation of service and couldn't help but wonder at it. Still, the woman seemed able bodied and of sound mind, if a little strange. But all things considered Raisa was a stranger to the lands here as well. The prospect of growing her pack ranks further yet was an appealing one, and the Katja's demeanor seemed to denote the makings of a fine warrior. Raisa smiled and nodded and the woman after a long moment of consideration. "I would be honored to accept your oath, Katja. I have every confidence that you shall not be given reason to breach it." Raisa took a step back and tilted her head over her shoulder, in the general direction of the garden and the lake. "Our lands lie this way." OOC: End maybe? Or no? "Talk" "You" Think