The grey fea made her way through the tall, draping willows. It was chilly out in the afternoon light, a slight breeze passing through the lands with Fall's touch. Winter was soon to approach, but Tessi had done what she could to make sure her body was ready for it. Eating every chance she'd gotten during the falling half of Summer in an attempt to build up some fat in her body to protect against the coming cold. A few extra pounds could always serve a wolf well in the scarcer seasons. Of course, it fit her nature as well. She couldn't afford to lose her edge. Not just because it was cold outside. Not in a world so dark and cruel and unforgiving as this one. No. Not with all the demons she had to run from. Which, here in this land, that was essentially all she had left to run from. Her own demons. Here, no one knew who she was, and no one knew about her past. Here, everything about her was nothing more than a riddle in the dark. But that was never enough to change such learned behaviors as hers.

Something you've known from pup hood was hard to cast aside. Her guard was always up to a degree. That was clear enough to the keen eye in the way she walked. A steady pace, not too fast as to give off being in a hurry and be noticeable. But not too slow ether. She had somewhere to be and she wanted to be there. Because trouble was less likely to find you when you found somewhere for your ass to be. And right now that was underneath cluster of willow branches on the pond at the center of the woods. This stride was second nature at this point. Something she could do on demand with out the first thought or pinch of effort. And every now and again as she walked, she would look over her shoulder, a neutral expression on her face. Her two toned gaze scanning her angles every so often. And as she did so, even though the rest of her did it's best to remain neutral, her eyes always remained the same.

Angry. Ever and always, angry. It was better that way. It was all just better living his way. Because if you never believed you where safe, you couldn't be hurt with the disappointment of that safety coming to an end. If you didn't trust, then no one could break your trust. And if you didn't have allies, no one could stab you in the back. It was a bitch of a concept to look at, but survival ain't pretty at it's more basic levels. And Tessi had retreated back to one of those levels. Forget being happy. She wasn't in the mood to be happy. Right now her only concern was being alive tomorrow.

And so, with no catastrophic disasters, she arrived at the pond. She'd slept here once or twice before, and something about the spot put her at a state of ease. So, at one corner of the water, she hopped up onto a large rock half submerged in the water, and worn smooth and flat at the top, with long willow branches draped over it, and checked her angles once more. Finally, she lowered herself to her belly, resting her head on her paws as she laid out. Her eyes remained open, and her ears up and alert though. It was always like this with her. She wouldn't give into sleep so easily. Not until she was certain she could. No one had challenged her for her little corner of quiet so far. But she refused to allow that to give way to complacency. Such was her way. Everyone in this world wanted to take what you had, and the day you gave up some slack, you got hung with it.

Life was good. He didn't know of any other way to think about it. Life was really and truly good. No, they didn't have a for sure home as of yet, but the willows had become as much their home as anywhere else. His children were healthy and growing up to be amazing creatures. Surreal and Falk's children had been born and were healthy as well, something he was certainly glad to see. Now that the storms had passed and he had Imena had been given the chance to restock their stores of herbs he was at ease once more. He trotted lightly through the willows with a few sprigs of meadowsweet in his jaws. He could feel the cooler weather on the air and because of that he had been even more motivated to collect as many herbs as he could find. With so many little ones running around now and of course with several members of his family getting up in age there was a high chance many of them might come down with something and he wanted to be prepared. That had been a harsh realization for him. He realized that he would soon be eight years old and he could only wonder to himself where the time had gone. He was seven and a half and he had just now had his first litter of children. He was just now getting to settle down with the love of his life. So much of his life had been in turmoil and uncertainty that these precious moments felt all the more fleeting. He knew the signs. His joints were a little more stiff than they had been in the past, the spring in his step wasn't quite so springy. He just refused to accept it. He wanted to see his kids grow up, he wanted to see them have his grandchildren. In the back of his mind he knew he was probably over reacting, possibly having a small mid-life crisis, but it was still a hard pill to swallow. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost hadn't noticed the gray woman laying at the edge of the lake he was currently walking around the edge of. He skidded to a halt a few feet away from her, his two-tone gaze blinking with surprise. He quickly set down the meadowsweet currently occupying his jaws and dipped his head apologetically to the stranger. "Oh, hello. Sorry, I didn't see you there. I hope I didn't disturb you too much." Speech Thought Companion Others

Ooc;// sorry about the wait

BIC:: The woman watched as the male approached, seeming ether lost in thought or just plain a scent minded. She did not move from her elevated position atop her stone, nor did she really move much at all for that matter. Her head still resting atop her paws she simple watched him as he made his way around the water's edge. Her ears still upright and alert, and her eyes fully open, she sized him up. He was an older male judging from the way he carried himself. She didn't take up to arms, her body for the most part free of tension, save form her shoulders. But, then again, her shoulders where always tense. He didn't appear a threat to her just yet, but he was only the second wolf she'd met here in Alacritis. So for now she remained.

Even as he got closer and closer still, she just watched him. Maybe he would pass and never even notice her. This was something of a preferred situation as, again, she was one with particularly bad trust issues. But sadly out would not be so as he finally came to the realization that he was not alone. His reaction thought surprised her. He gave her a polite bow of his head and apologized for encroaching upon her in the wish that he wasn't a disturbance. This where only face value words to her. She put no stock in them until she had a reason to do so. But for right now she was comfortable. And she intended to enjoy it as long as she could. His eyes made it a little easier too. They where two separate colors just as hers where. It interested her.

Lifting her head just enough to face him with her own two toned gaze, she attempted to speak, but all that fell from her expressionless maw coated in her German accent where the words "You're fine." And they didn't fall easy ether. It was hard to speak with a tongue that was cautious that anything it uttered could be used against her. So she just remained there. Expressionless and wondering what his next move would be.

Cael watched the girl has she lifted her head to look at him, her lack of expression making him curious. He had met wolves of all shapes and sizes from all walks of life in his years and he had learned not to be so quickly off put from a seemingly unfriendly wolf. Her words after all were not unkind, though they lacked emotion just as her face did. However her words interested him in a completely different way, his ears perking up at her accent. His own accent had dulled a bit from his years being around the Alacritis masses, but in certain moments it still came on thick and strong. "From the sound of it you aren't from around here either," he commented, his words picking up a heavier touch of his scottish accent. He smiled and added his name, figuring if they were going to chat at all she should know his name. "I'm Cael. It's nice to meet you." He thought back to the first time he stepped foot into Alacritis. A mission to find his sister had brought him here. He had come with a purpose in mind and ended up making this his permanent home even after they had found Claire. There had been no reason for him or his brothers to return to their homeland so they had made this their new home. He met Imena shortly after and the rest was history. He never regretted his decision to stay. There was a lot of things in his life that he could regret, but staying in Alacritis was not one of them. "What brought you to Alacritis?" he asked curiously, his two-tone gaze finding hers again. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." Speech Thought Companion Others

His words met her ears with none hostility. She was not in jeopardy of loosing her spot atop her rock just yet it would seem. The male appeared to be genuinely attempting to be welcoming to her. And they would turn to a more Scottish touch at that too. This was a display that he was from farther fields, same as her. But she suspected that her reasoning and his where something far from the same. The similarities that they might share would be very very few and far between. But he did offer her his name. That was something of a sign of peaceful intentions. You wouldn't hand your identity out so willingly if you had more devious intentions. Honestly, it all confused the woman. She wasn't sure how she should react to him now at this point. Perhaps it would have been easier if he'd have just not noticed her at all after all.

She was willing to attempt to have a pleasant interaction with a stranger, but she both didn't trust him, nor herself. So, with an unpracticed, hesitant voice, she again spoke, the words once more falling from her maw with a fight. "I am Tessi." Something of embarrassment making her warm under her fur as she realized she only knew how to be cautious anymore. "And Nein. I am not from here." Now that the rough introductions where done, she realized that there would be a conversation that followed, and that this interaction was not going to be completed any time soon. Raising herself to her rump and propping herself up with her front paws as she prepared for his next question.

And when it came, she was perhaps a little put back by it, but she maintained her level expression. Though she couldn't stop her gaze from dropping down to her paws. It was very much a sore topic matter for her. Because it wasn't just any one reason. There was the constant belittling she endured as a pup. All the trouble she'd managed to find. A handful of back stabbings. And then, on top of it all, the woman who captured, claimed, and ran off with her heart. That last one being the deepest cutting wound of them all. Oh yes, it was all one messy heart string tragic story. But she wasn't looking for sympathy. She didn't want sympathy. And she didn't expect to find any damn thing accept for others telling her to suck it up and get over her damn self. That's all she expected and so she didn't even bother to go looking. And she didn't want to think about it ether. She wanted to just put it out of her memory and go on with her spiteful existence. But right now, right now she was in one of her calmer moments. So long as he remained friendly to her, she would attempt as best she could to do the same. Finally her eyes lifted from her paws and settled on the water in front of her. Her voice met the air once again, this time in a very distant tone, her mind trailed off down the road behind her. ?Bad memories... I vanted to be somevhere vere zhey vould not know mine face anymore.?

It was a very vague statement. Offering no specific details nor descriptions. Only providing the broad oversight of her logic. She wanted to be in a place where she was a total and complete stranger. Nothing more. And it was all she could bring herself to give him. Even now she questioned herself if it had been too much. Information was as much a noose as anything else. Give a clever wolf enough, and he'd find a way to hang you with it. It wasn't a matter of if. It was something she believed. Which was why she wanted things the way they where. No one here knew a damned thing about her. From here, she could attempt to start over, perhaps, in time. Once she had relearned how to interact with others. She could keep everything important buried in a lock box and let nobody in. This time it would be on her own terms. She would survive.

The woman seemed to struggle with her introduction, but Cael was patient. He settled back on his haunches and patiently waited while she sat up and finally introduced herself as Tessi. He smiled softly at the name, silently thinking that it was a good one while she went on to confirm that she wasn't from these parts. He could already tell befriending her was going to be a bit of a struggle, but he didn't mind giving her time if she wished to put up with his curiosity. She hesitantly answered his question, being incredibly vague and leaving a lot of questioned to be answered. He did nod in understanding though at her comment of her former home having bad memories. "I know that feeling... Not so much the not wanting anyone to know my face part, but the bad memories. The wolves that adopted me and my siblings and raised us were murdered so being near their home just wasn't good for any of us... But now here I am. Alacritis is a good place, I'm sure you'll like it once you settle in." He smiled assuredly, remembering a time when they had first arrived here when he had been so uncertain about what their future might hold. A cool breeze picked up, ruffling his pale coat. He glanced down at his small pile of herbs, placing a paw over them before they could blow away. Glancing around, he found a small rock near him that he picked up and placed on top of them in place of his paw before lifting his eyes back to hers with a chuckle. "I went out of my way for these, I better keep a hold of them, huh?" Speech Thought Companion Others

Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz

He took kindly to her words. And proceeded to proclaim that this land was a comfortable one to live in. He also claimed to have an understanding of her want to remove herself from home. But where they differed was in reasoning, and comfort level. He was able to tell her why he had left his home. Where as she didn't want to. She couldn't bring herself to say in out loud, nor did she want to for that matter. Because as much as she didn't expect sympathy, she didn't want it ether. Maybe one day, when she'd used up all that spite to make something of herself, but right now... Right now there was only the become stronger. So she found herself unable to draw forth an explanation to give him. It was beyond her at the moment.

Thankfully though, he provided her a moment's distraction, her gaze coming up to watch his paws as he moved to secure his herbs that he had gathered. This gave her a spark of curiosity. And so this time, she questioned him. "You're a healer, aren't you. A mender of vounds." This would offer her all the explanation she needed. Healers where born with an will to help others. Tessi's mother had once told her that they'd been hand picked by a higher power and anointed with a bright soul and an instinct to pull sickness from the body. It was a noble trade. The woman respected it as such.

Finally, she returned herself to his first statement. About Alacritis being a comfortable place to live. This brought a puzzled look to her maw as she curiously went to question him on that topic. Because from her point of view, this land was a tender box. Just another disaster waiting to happen. One more chapter to be tossed in among the Riddles that where muttered in the darkness. But perhaps she could be wrong. Perhaps there wasn't a day planned when the empires would burn. A tragedy, maybe. Because there where some that deserved such. "Tell me. Your land, it has a very large number of tribes intrenched upon it, nien? Normally zhis is a recipe for much discord and chaos, is it not?" Her question was a fair and honest one. She wanted to see how much he believed his own words, and maybe then, she might let them hold some value.