This was it. The day that she had been waiting for since she first set paws on Alacritis soil. Those same paws carried her towards the lands of Seracia, each step making her a tiny bit more anxious. Her eyes were filled with that same emotion, which made her an open book for anyone if they chanced to read them deep enough. The winter's breezes began to pick up as she got closer to the invisible borders of Seracia. Her eagerness and the present anxiety within her chest combined and she felt like she was about to swoon. Even though she was five years old, she couldn't help but feel as if she were a yearling again. Aeil slowly turned her head to the right and met Gerhardt's eye. The King himself had offered to escort her to the well known pack, and that had brought some relief to her many running thoughts. When his gaze met hers, Aeil took in a deep breath and said as she breathed out, "I am so nervous...Is it normal to be this way before walking towards your future?" A nervous tick in her tail made it move to the left and she inhaled deeply again to keep her legs from shaking. She hoped that the journey she would make into Seracia would be one she could look back on with pride and happiness. It had been quite awhile since she had lived with other wolves and not knowing how they would take her was racking her brains. Aeil broke her gaze with Gerhardt and looked at the land that seemed to stretch in front of them. She put her trust in the King, which was something not many wolves had the pleasure of receiving. Silently, she waited for him to make the next move or say the next word. At this point, they were so close, but she wasn't sure what she should do next. All she could do was try to calm her mind and push her 'What if?' thoughts into a dark corner. "Gerhardt..." she said softly, a new thought popping up into her mind. "What if..what if they don't like me?" Aeil knew she sounded like a pup, but after being by herself for so long, she couldn't help but wonder. "Do you think I will be able to make you proud...and them as well?" "speeeeech"

It was perhaps the most genuinely happy he had been in a while. Granted, he had had a few great moments here and there - particularly when Elphaba had been present - but he felt as if this moment he was moving toward would turn over a new leaf in his life. He titled his head to the left, catching the gaze of his companion for the journey, Aeil. A smile crossed his features as she talked about being nervous. How uncertain she must feel. "I would imagine it's entirely normal, but not absolutely necessary." He offered her a dip of his head. "There is not a thing you should be nervous about, my friend." His ear tipped back idly as he kept up his stride, following the familiar path back to his home and family. A silence fell over them as they walked, the only sounds accompanying them being the crunching of the snow beneath their paws. It was not particularly thick in this area, but it was present. In Seracia it was a bit thicker and more plush, but only just.

As they grew near enough to see Seracia opening up before them (for he had brought them down the path that led to the more open plains of the pack) he slowed his pace to let her take in the scene. Her voice split the silence as his welcoming ears turned toward it. His brow furrowed slightly at her fears. "Aeil, they will like you just as I do. You are a special kind of wolf and I know you will do well here." More concerns spilled from her lips, did everyone have these same worries about Seracia? "Just by coming with me you have made me proud. You are my friend, Aeil." He offered a genuine smile. "You are welcome to cross the borders, as far as I am concerned you are a Seracian.. unless you choose otherwise of course." The one thing he would never do is force her into joining, though he did hope that she would choose to stay. Smoothly and naturally his gait carried him onto Seracian soil. He slowed and pivoted to watch her enter, the Seracian landscape expanded behind him.

"Speech"

She couldn't help but have the physical attributions to her nervousness. The slight shakes of her legs as she approached the border to Seracia, as well as her rapid breathing and eyes shimmering with an anxious read. Her previous tail twitching became more evident with each step in the crunchy snow underfoot. The once perked ears had begun to fold, flattening bit by bit. It wasn't until her focus was on Gerhardt's words that those observed movements changed. His tone, the encouragement through each one, and his confident smile and gaze together made Aeil's own thoughts relax. From the inside out, the same wave of calmness splashed across Aeil's body. Her muscles stopped their consistent shakes. The ticks in her tail ceased, causing it to limply hang between her hind legs. Respirations became slow and gathered, supplying more oxygen to her working brain. Her ears unfolded and continued to take in the meaning of his words. He was already proud of her...They were friends...Everyone in Seracia wouldn't have a problem with her joining... "Okay.." she said softly. Aeil looked at Gerhardt with a gentle gaze. All she could do was nod and the movement caused a smile to appear. Half-lidded eyes moved from the King's maw to the lad that stretched out from the border. She wanted to take it all in, absorb the details of her new home, but doing it all at once would be too much. For a strong wolf, she was in a fragile state of mind. It was all about believing, and with Gerhardt as her King, she knew it was worth the chance to do so. She watched Gerhardt step across the borders to his home, where many other wolves had stepped and more would continue to be welcomed. Eyes hit the ground beneath her paws, still frostbitten from the snow and white as a mourning dove's wing. Aeil closed them, took in a deep breath, and took the necessary steps forward. The actual walking wasn't long, and when she felt Gerhardt's warmth close to her, she raised her head. She opened her eyes, which had changed from their dark blue to a mellow turquoise. Exhaling, she saw her breath become a temporary mist and her teeth shined in her wide smile. "I did it..." she said, looking over her left shoulder to see from where she had come. A look of satisfaction shone from her face as she turned back to look at Gerhardt. "...and I will never look back." Everything about her was confident, nervous thoughts and anxiety gone. With a gentle wag of her tail, she playfully nudged the King and padded a few steps ahead of him. "Come on, Gerhardt Mathias. We're not through the woods yet!" Her play on words made her laugh and she looked back, eagerly waiting to have him join her and take the lead again. "speeeeech"

To him this was nothing, it was just a normal day in which he did normal things such as crossing the own borders he had laid out and marked. However, as he tried to imagine the myriad of emotions running through her veins, he began to realize what a big step this must be for her. She had been a rogue, a loner, and after not even a day of knowing him she was choosing to stride alongside him into a completely foreign place. She knew not what she would face on the other side of this line, knew not what sort of wolves or situations she would have to encounter. All of this was strange, frightening to her. He would have to remember that when dealing with newcomers.

The smile never left his face, but it did grow in size and length as she paced across the border and seemed determined that she would never cross it again as a rogue. Excellent. His tail swished behind him, curling between his hocks and resting along the contours of his right hind leg. There was no need for a display of dominance. She knew who he was, and certainly didn't need a constant reminder. Her nudge was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. With a smile he padded after her, snow crunching beneath his weight. "We certainly aren't," he mused in response to her comment. "Within these woods is a meadow, and beyond them lies an open plain. To the east of our territory is a continuation of the grassland and another forest - this one with a lake. To the north and west lies a large field." Perhaps there was something she would be more interested in seeing than anything else.

His tail swished behind him as they walked at a leisurely pace. There was no need to rush. His ears twitched idly, taking in the sounds of the forest ( as few as they were in winter ) and deciphering their origins. He wondered if they would run into anyone in their travels, though he knew that the lands of Seracia were immense enough to never meet anyone at all. Sometimes he liked it that way, but other times he missed the companionship.

"Speech"

The King had started speaking as he regained the lead to take her deeper into Seracia. With perked ears and her slightly increasing better focused attention span, she intensely listened to what he described as her future home. The size of it, stretching for miles in all directions, made Aeil think of the future adventures she would have. Her paws already itched for the potential travels ahead of her, taking her to pieces of Seracia that hadn't been seen (by herself, of course). A friendly wag by her tail followed the train of thoughts and she kept the same pace with Gerhardt as those thoughts returned to their present walk. "All of it sounds exciting, Gerhardt," she said in a dreamy tone. The faraway look in her eyes was enough evidence to prove that Aeil had been thinking of her future travels around the kingdom. "I hope that I get to see all of it, even if I see each part only once." Her positive outlook on the variety of Seracia land pieces made her more confident in that she would try her hardest. As they continued to walk at a gentle pace, Aeil's eyes left Gerhardt and moved to the trees that stretched far and wide. She imagined green leaves, luscious and bright, on the currently naked branches that stretched up to the sky. A gentle wind would move those said branches, causing green ripples and waves of the breezes. Aeil thought of the warm weather, wrapping around the wolves that were her future family members. She thought of the river Gerhardt mentioned, running smoothly and making noises that would cause her ears to perk. Thoughts of pups (hers, maybe, or anyone else's) racing around the fields, playing hide-and-seek in the tall blades...All of these images racing in her mind made her grateful that she had chosen Seracia. She knew she wouldn't be disappointed. "speeeeech"

It was always fun leading new members into Seracia, but it was all different when you knew that member from the start. Although he'd only known her for the better part of a day, he felt she was a kindred soul and considered her a friend. Her willingness to join him only served to show him that she felt the same. As he led her deeper into his homeland he took a deep, prideful breath, ears tilting to take in her words. She was excited. He remembered his first time in the range, and how excited he had been to be moving his pack here. He'd come to scout it before he moved everyone, and from the moment he saw it he knew that it was perfect for them. The delta had been nice, but impractical when it came to the wet season. This place was far more balanced in any season they faced.

A loud squawk brought him back to reality as the black and white eagle raced toward him on outstretched wings. Gerhardt! She chirped at him in the shrillest of notes. Usually her tone was alto in nature, and very regal. This was much different. "Robin?" he questioned her with an uncertain tone laced around his word. You must come quickly. Jaw dropped as he glanced apologetically at Aeil. "I am sorry to leave you, but apparently I must go at once." With that and a flicker of his tail he was off, knowing he would find her again soon and make sure she was settling in well.

Exit Gerhardt.

"Speech"

The surprise of the eagle arriving and alerting Gerhardt made Aeil's ears flatten and eyes widen. She backed up a few paces from the sight of the bird speaking to the King, unsure of what to do. It wasn't until Gerhardt spoke to her and made his exit that she made a move. A simple nod sufficed and she took his words to heart as he ran off deeper into the woods. "So...now what?" she mused out loud. Her ears perked and she looked around her, even at the tree that was behind her. It rose to incredible heights and the idea of climbing the branches came to her...but then ran off as fast as it arrived. Instead, she looked at the trail that stood out in front of her, stretching to the rest of her home. With that in mind, she began to pad towards the heart of her new home. Whatever - or whomever - she met along the way, she would embrace those opportunities.-EXIT Aeil- "speeeeech"