It was a miracle: the ebony female was outside of border lines. She had been hesitant at first, more so than usual because of the anxiety that was slowly starting to settle into her old bones. However, after Faolan had encouraged her and promised to be there if she needed him, Silent had succumbed to his gentle prodding. Getting out of the familiar territory was going to be hard for her, but her silvery son thought she could handle it. With a shuddering breath, Silent stepped across the safety lines of Seracia and into the unknown. Having Faolan there was definitely a good thing. He was the only lifeline she had within calling distance...that was what she thought, anyway. Scenarios of becoming tripped and swallowed by the large lands outside of home made her want to curl into a ball. Silent never thought being alone could be so scary, but it was safe to say that she wasn't alone that day. As she thought of how long it would take to get to the "surprise" location, Faolan cleared his throat and gave her a gentle nudge. Her green eyes, nowadays still glassy and giving a faraway look, blinked and the glassy appearance was taken away. She slowly took in the details in front of her -- the black sands and the very blue ocean -- before taking in a deep breath. They had made it in one piece and her anxiety only simmered at its lowest level. With a look from Faolan's light green gaze with the brown spikes around the irises, Silent gave a soft smile and proceeded to follow him. When her paws went from the grass to the sand, Silent closed her eyes. She remembered the many shores she had walked across, not to mention the lost souls that had met her own. Some were good, others bad; she had survived them all. Silent was still on this earth for a reason, even if she didn't know why. It was then that she opened her eyes and proceeded to take a few steps closer towards the wetter parts of the beach. As the water rose up to the shore, she let it trickle upon her toes and a gentle sigh escaped her. "I haven't felt this way since..." A gentle chuckle escaped her and she looked at Faolan fondly. "Since I met your adopted sister, Song of Ludicael." Silent's tone was weary, but she still held a young woman's light in her emerald eyes. "I do miss that sweet babe, even if she isn't a young one anymore." Her head turned to look out at the ocean and she let the breeze blow across her black fur. Despite being more tired these days, she enjoyed keeping herself up in appearance. Her slender haunches reclined on the drier part of the beach and she glanced at Faolan through the sides of her eyes. "I'll be all right," she chided, giving him unspoken permission to patrol away from her for a little bit. With her son's smart mind working, he set off and she amused herself by running the first day she met Song in her mind. "talking"

Faolan had quite a fun morning that day. First, he had stopped by Queen Loccian's home to drop off some new items for Enola. His plan was to try and get her to associate scents with different things from around Seracia so she wouldn't be so hesitant to explore. Due to her vision being taken from her without a choice, he wanted to make sure she had as many opportunities to expand her mind and her other senses as he could. If he didn't have some type of emotional attachment to her publicly displayed, then it would be obvious by how much he cared for her to be more independent. It was Enola on his thoughts that morning when he met his mother outside of his parents' den. He saw the signs of anxiety building up in Silent's eyes and he knew she hadn't taken her morning dose of herbs. A sigh escaped his lips, but he smiled as he nuzzled her lovingly and encouraged her with words only a son could bestow to his mother. After sitting down, giving her more nuzzles and offering her morning herbs, Silent began to come around and she nodded to his suggestions. He didn't tell his mother where they would be going -- it would be a "surprise" and he intended on making sure it was a pleasant one. The two of them walked side-by-side through the forest until they reached the borders. Silent hesitated and Faolan watched her silently, noticing how she struggled with the decision. His nose met her neck and he softly voiced, "It's okay, Mama. I'll be right here." To his delight, Silent took a deep breath and stepped over the protective borders...and didn't faint. It was something that he hadn't seen in months and it did his heart good. He was sure it would be good for his mother, too. As they walked together, Silent didn't seem to notice where they were going. Faolan figured she had something on her mind, but didn't verbally ponder. He knew if she wanted to talk about it, then she would. Faolan was an open ear and shoulder to lean on if someone needed it; Silent was definitely the first person he would offer them for. By the time they reached the edges of the grass and beach, he cleared his throat to announce their presence. His mother looked up and took in all the details in front of her. She stepped out to walk towards the watery sand and he followed as if he were a pup again. While he kept an eye out for anything that would spook her, she spoke of remembering Song and that she wasn't a young one anymore. He nodded and continued to watch her until she voiced her stability without him there. A smile appeared on his face and he silently slipped from her side to check out the tide pools that were a bit away from her. Even if he seemed preoccupied by the sea urchins and shells, he kept an ear out for anyone approaching the part of the beach they were on. Speech

It was the strange smell of salt mingling with water that had lured Ellis down toward the beach. She had heard tale of the ocean before, but never before had she looked upon it with her own eyes. Teal-green shown with wonder as the dainty fae padded upon the soft black sands of the beach. Everything was beautiful, a captivating view, just as her mother had once told her. The water stretched on farther than the eye could see, and the beach, though it would soon reach the water, extended to her left and right in the same manner. The snow and earth female would pause once she was fully on the sand, taking a deep breath of the salty air. It was different and not exactly in an unpleasant way. 'How beautiful...' She would think to herself, taking a few moments of stillness to admire the beauty of the place before starting down the sandy stretch.

While her mother had told the young healer of the beach and it's beauty she had also told her that fish, as well as other aquatic creatures {naturally} could sometimes be found upon the shore when the tide went out, left in small pools. She was curious to see if any of them tasted any good, though she had no idea when the tide would go out. But Ellis was in no rush -- she was not bound by family or pack anymore. The world was open for her to explore, and her paws would carry her where they would. Meeting other wolves was half the fun of traveling, especially if they were other healers that she could potentially learn from.

After some time two scents would begin to invade her nose, and Ellis would prick her ears forward. Two wolves, one young, male, and the other much older, an elder, a female. She would proceed in a calm manner down the beach, eventually coming close. The female was the one closest, though the male wasn't too terrible far away. Considering the similarities in their scents, well, she would assume that the two were related. A mother and son perhaps, or a grandmother and grandson. She would bark out her greeting, not wanting to get too close unannounced and startle the older femme.

"A good day to you both."

Silent's mind had been playing back the day she met Song. The meeting was coincidental, but she wouldn't have taken back that chance encounter for anything. If she hadn't come across the white female, then she would have never realized how amazing the woman was. She wouldn't have experienced being pregnant the same time she was, except Song was carrying her first bunch of babies and Silent was carrying her last. The roles had been reversed in regards to the age processes and she couldn't be happier that it had happened. A soft sigh escaped her black lips as she continued to blankly look out across the vast ocean. The blue seemed to merge with the sky at the farthest point possible, making it look as if it continued up and over the whole world. The atmosphere was calm and serene, making Silent's nerves less frayed and more relaxed. As she continued to enjoy the observations she made, a voice broke through her thoughts. It wasn't Faolan, so who did the voice belong to? An ear turned in the direction of the stranger, shortly followed by the silent turn of her head. Emerald green gaze lost its distant expression, only to be replaced by evident caution and curiosity. The female seemed nice enough, but who was to say she was covering up a personality that was the opposite? Silent proceeded to show guard in her words as she spoke after the stranger's greeting. "Good day," she said, tones mirroring the caution in her gaze. And yet, they remained warm to the ears of the female and Faolan, whose ears had perked and his head rose to check on her. Silent's other ear moved in the direction of her son, letting him know she was aware of him noticing. Her eyes slowly blinked and she let a soft smile appear on her aged face. "The weather is perfect for a day at the beach, don't you agree?" "talking"

Faolan had become wrapped up in the presence of a seastar. It was lazily lounging against an oyster, but it was slowly attempting to open the two shells. He raised an eyebrow and sniffed at it, but made sure to keep his nose from touching the water. If he didn't know any better, he would say that the star was trying to get some breakfast. Well, he could understand that! Nature's show of the star getting some food was brought to an intermission when he heard the voice of a stranger. His gaze turned to her encounter with Silent shortly after his mother fixed her eyes on the female. He noticed the other ear that moved in his direction and a gentle nod was given to the back of his mother's head and the female facing her. Faolan then proceeded to lower himself upon the sand, curiosity still peaking for the female, but more than obvious for the continuous episode of Star versus Oyster. Speech

There was caution in the elder female's eyes as she turned to look upon Ellis. The snow and chocolate female wasn't put off by the other's actions. The female would stop a respectable distance away, dipping her head to the dark furred female as she returned a greeting. The male that was with her took notice of Ellis as well, though he didn't say anything. Likely, more than anything, he was just making sure that if the elderly fae needed help she would have it. After a moment though a small smile would appear on the other's face, some softer words, an attempt at conversation would spill from the dark female's mouth.

"Definitely. This is actually my first visit to a beach, to be honest." For a moment Ellis would allow her gaze to drift out over the ocean. "It is a beautiful place, more than what the stories I would hear as a pup suggested. I feel blessed that I have made it somewhere I am able to see it." The femme would shift her gaze back to the other. Again she would dip her head, speaking in a kind and soft manner. "Please allow me to introduce myself. Ellis Cathal, a healer in training." Though it was true all healers were in training when one thought about it. There was always some new thing they could learn about.

The femme would lift her head again, teal-green eyes shining softly as the gentle spring breeze played with her fur.

Silent

The stranger spoke of her visit to the beach being her very first one and it made Silent's eyebrows rise in surprise. Silent had been introduced to the scenery when she was only a child, so it wasn't something she intended for her own babies to miss out on. Most of the life-changing events of her children's lives took place at various beaches around the world. Nevertheless, having someone admit they hadn't been to a sandy shore before was a shock, indeed. "You are indeed lucky to have come across this shore, then." Silent agreed whole-heartedly with the other female and a gentle nod was given. "The beach can be a place where so many things can happen...I am living proof of that." Oh, the stories she could tell of her own experiences. Just thinking about revealing them to strangers made her tired. With that, Silent sighed. After exhaling, the female continued by introducing herself. Silent's knowing smile remained on her lips and she dipped her maw towards the now acclaimed Ellis. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ellis Cathal. I am Silent Shadow, but most call me Silent." The breeze then swiftly rose and fell around the two, making Faolan's scent greet her nose with a welcoming spin. The older female sighed softly and dreamily added, "By most, I mean those who are not my children, such as my son." From her peripheral vision, she saw silvery movements around the tide pools at the mere mention of him. "Requested by me, though, he is over yonder, tending to whatever he found interesting. I am sure he will introduce himself later." She lightly chuckled and turned her gaze back to the ocean. "So much can happen with the beach as a meeting place. You never know what or whom you will come across..." Memories of old tempted to rise to the woman's mind, but she brushed them away with an airy paw and continued the conversation with the newcomer. "Where do you ail from, Miss Ellis? Have you travelled far?" I speak

Ellis would give a small nod as the elder said she was lucky to have found the shore. It was such a beautiful place, though she couldn't help but wonder what kinds of things the other woman might have experienced at the beach. Would she too find some unique things to experience here? The thought made Ellis feel a bit excited. It seemed like a wonderful place to make memories at the very least. Perhaps, one day, should she have pups, she would bring them here to this beach, and together they would explore the sands together. Her, them, and the male she chose as her mate.

The elder would soon give her name. Silent Shadow. It seemed fitting for her, a woman cloaked in ebony fur, to bear a name with shadow in it. Silent, however, was one that she wondered about. Was it because she didn't make any noise at birth or while she was young? The questions would rumble around in Ellis brain. She would give a nod as Silent continued to speak, her teal-green gaze shifting over to the male once more. Whatever it was he found interesting, well, it seemed to keep his attention, though she did notice how, when Silent mentioned him, the male shifted some. He was definitely listening to them talk.

Ellis would take a seat, giving a small nod as the woman asked her question. "I believe so. I'm no longer sure of the distance I have covered, only that I have been wandering for quite a few moons to different lands learning what I can about herblore and healing. The place I hail from, well, it didn't really have a name according to my mother, so I refer to it as The Place Of Great Winds. No matter the season the winds would howl through the area, always washing over the moors. I didn't mind it too much though. They were almost like a lullaby to me, singing me to sleep." The female would shake her head, a smile on her face. "But now I'm here... and I have the feeling that it is about time to end my journey and settle down somewhere."

Silent listened with interest as Ellis spoke of her past home. She wasn't aware that such a place existed, but it seemed that the new female was happy with living there. "I bet you have plenty of memories from living there to last a lifetime," Silent gently said. Her tones held warmth and she gave a soft smile as Ellis continued. "Sometimes it feels that way...about the distance, I mean. I don't know how long it took for me to get here, but I did...It was one of the best decisions I had ever made." If Ellis decided to ask about that, Silent wouldn't hesitate to reveal her past. The female spoke of wanting to settle down and relax. It made Silent chuckle before replying. "You sound like me, but years ago, obviously. After travelling for so long, one can get tired of seeing everything and just want to stay in one spot. I encourage you to see as much as you can while your body is still strong and your mind is still good. However, if you feel as if you have seen enough of the world, then I applaud you for such a large journey." Her eyes sparkled when she looked out to the ocean, silently admiring the water. "You never know what or whom will cross your path." "talking"

Memories. As Silent spoke of them Ellis would give a small nod. There were certainly many memories from the place, even if it felt so long since she had been there. Her paws had lead her to somewhere distant, a new land, to new wolves, but she knew a piece of her was always there, the winds singing and howling along with that part of her spirit. Her family would surely be there forever as well... If not physically then in spirit. That land was a part of them... And as long as the wind blew they would always have a reminder of it. Who they were. Where they came from.

The words were not spoken but Ellis was certain that Silent knew of such things... Especially when the elder spoke again. One of the best decisions that she had ever made. Leaving ones pack, ones home, could be a hard decision, but ultimate it could lead to something beautiful... A new life with new chances. Every wolf had their own reasons for leaving a pack. But one should never do anything halfway... Because what you might find could actually be something even more amazing. Something that Ellis got the sense Silent knew firsthand.

The female would blink a little as the black elder said she sounded much like she did when she was younger. Getting tired of traveling for so long and wanting to settle down and all. But Silent would give her advice, advice Ellis would give a nod to. She understood the need of using her body while it still had the strength to do all that she wished it to do, and, perhaps one day, she might journey again. But for now her path was set. She was settling down here in Alacritia. She wasn?t even yet two years old, not even a full fledged adult, and she felt, at the very least, there were some lessons yet to be learned in these lands.

Her smile would not fade, and Ellis would look out across the water as Silent spoke again, her heart filling with warmth at the kindness and gentleness the she wolf possessed. She thought of her mother, again, for a brief moment. Silent certainly seemed the type of a gentle mother, though at her age more of a grandmother or even great grandmother, though that was okay. Age wasn?t a bad thing. Everything a wolf could go through, every experience both good and bad, could make an elder an extraordinary being to come across.

?This is all too true, miss Silent.? Her gaze was soft as she spoke those words, already thinking of different wolves she had met. Though she had not stayed with them those wolves were all a part of her memory now. Her story. The femme would chuckle softly. ?Maybe someday... Before my body decides it no longer wishes for such things... I might take up journeying again. I?ve still got quite a few years left in me yet... And... While I love to travel... Part of me also wants to settle down because I feel there is more to be taught here. I get the sense there is something that is supposed to happen in Alacritia that hasn?t happened yet... And so I have to stay and find out what that is.?

She was a wolf who believed strongly in the path of destiny... But she also believed that a wolf could alter their path, their destiny, depending on the experiences they went through and the wolves that they met. Ellis would look to Silent, teal-green orbs shining. She was certain that she had met Silent today to be reminded of that. The small femme would tip her head forward, respect shining in her eyes for the other wolf. ?Many lives are remembered in the hearts of those we touch... And in our memories. I am sure that I?m going to remember today. I get that sense as I speak to you, miss Silent.? How happy she sounded when she said these words.

But being young, and always searching for any sort of knowledge that could help guide her, Ellis would decide to ask about Silent?s own journey, should she be willing to share. ?What was your own journey like?? The female would take a moment to glance over at Faolan again before looking to Silent again.