Walk | Talk | Think He had warned Surreal that he wanted to venture back toward the east after committing himself to her budding pack and cause. It had struck him very soon after arriving that he had left too quickly and had given no thought to the possibility that other members of the pack might have stayed behind as well. Miksa had assumed the quietness around his den and on the shore of the Bay when he visited the place all meant that he was alone, that Threar well and truly had dissolved around him. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe others lingered, even now. Maybe he just needed to look better. As much as he wanted to be optimistic, the white wolf tried not to be. It would have hurt too much to get his hopes up, convince himself that he would find someone, only to find no one. He breathed out a deep sigh as his paws crossed the threshold of where he recalled the pack boundary being, and tried not to hold his breath. His tan ears sat perked atop his head and listened closely, intently, as he traveled through the forest that sheltered the Sunset Falls, the sound of which he was not yet close enough to hear. But it was the focal point of this territory, the life source in a sense, and so he made his quiet, slow way toward it, listening, scenting, searching for any sign of the wolves that had once been his packmates.

It was no use. Everyone was gone. Mother, Father, her siblings, her friends, her family - they had all left her. Maybe that was how it was meant to be, maybe her life was destined to a rogue lifestyle. Maybe she was supposed to be alone, though ever so desperate for the company of others, even strangers if she came across them. She didn't want that, she didn't want any of that. She didn't want to entertain herself with other loners as a mere way to occupy her thoughts and pass the time. There wasn't much left to do other than roam uselessly across the lands and just take up space. Every day seemed the same. Wake up, hunt when on the brink of malnourishment and search for family. She'd finish each day more depressed than the previous. No hope. Never did she know it was all about to change. She found herself lumbering through the falls - a ghost town of a pack now fallen. Every paw step she dreaded, frightened of the hallucinations that plagued her mind every time she entered the empty territories. Yet something pushed her onwards, what was it? Was it determination? Was it out of pure boredom she searched the falls and bay every day? Perhaps she was like a machine, automatically programmed without any thought or objection. She just did it. Besides, she didn't expect much anyway. Stale scents, empty dens, sickening nostalgia - it was the same every time. Well, not this time. For the first time, a fresh and bold scent wafted to her nose. It was such a shock; she had been so used to the old smells. Then a familiar white form drifted through the trees. Mother? No. You're hallucinating. Turn around. Turn around now. At that point, she didn't care about logic. She didn't care what the odds were, or what happened the last time she mistook a loner for her mother. She just felt it was him. "Miksa?" she called out, vocals faltering. "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think The slim chances of finding the other wolves who had made up Threar did not prevent Miksa from exploring the territory. He was doubtful, yes, knew it what he tried to do was likely futile, but that slim chance was enough to keep him there, to prevent him from giving up too soon. Just one check, he told himself, and then I'll go. Regardless of who or what I find. So long as he looked, he knew he could rest easy knowing he had tried. So long as he did this, he hoped, his conscience would be clear. Because of his underlying pessimism, it came as a surprise to him when he heard a faltering voice speak out from the trees, in a voice that was familiar and called him by name. His ears were already perked, and immediately he froze in place, turning his head to swiftly scan the forest around him. Where was she? Where-? His bright yellow eyes alighted on the pale figure of his ex-alpha's daughter, so surprised to see her that for a second he could not react let alone speak. It was her. It was her! He had found someone! An unexpected happiness welled within his chest, soothing the loneliness that he had been living with since Threar's disbandment, he spoke her name on a breath of relief. "Varda?" The edges of his lips curved very slightly, threatening to draw his features into a smile, though the sudden realization that here stood a member of the Destruction family, alone and unaccounted for, turned happiness into sympathetic concern. How long had she been here? Had she really been left behind?

The longest and loudest sigh of relief exhaled from her lips, on the border of being a groan. Nothing satisfied her more than hearing her name spoken by a familiar voice. Never for a moment did she doubt it was him; a feeling inside assured her of it. She wanted to hear his voice over and over and never allow her gaze to leave his pallid form, like as if she feared he would disappear into thin air. Perhaps this was all a dream, maybe she was having another hallucination. Maybe it was too good to be true. No, of course someone would come back, she told herself sternly, and to be on the safe side, she gently bit her shoulder. Yup, definitely real. There was no other reality she wanted. "Miksa!" she called out more clearer, confidence rising in her voice. "It's me!" In fear of him leaving her sight, unable to imagine how mad she could go if she was left alone once more, she pelted towards him, like as if he would fade if she didn't reach him fast enough. There was no way he was leaving her, not now. Never did she want him to leave. When she had cleared the distance between them, she hoped to greet him in a friendly and long embrace. Emotions overwhelmed her, even making tears prick in her eyes which were unsuccessfully held back. She just wanted to be held, like she had been with her parents. They were the two canines she desperately wanted to see, though her friend brought just as much relief. How long had it been since she had seen him? A season? Two? Wow, had it been that long? "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think Concern lingered for a moment as Miksa got his first good look at Varda since their separation with the disbandment of their pack. She seemed overall well, standing on all four feet and looking much the same as he remembered her being last. Only, if he was being honest, she did look altered. She was slimmer, likely a product of being left alone and fending for herself all this time. There was also a noticeable desperation within her mismatched eyes, as if she might have been second guessing his presence and hoping he truly was there before her. He hardly knew how to interpret it let alone what he ought to say to her, but she did not give him another chance to speak or react. With only a quick assurance spoken, she raced toward him, surprising him yet again. He looked on with a blank sort of expression as she rushed over and embraced him openly and unabashedly, not fully comprehending what she intended until it happened. For a startling second, Miksa tensed, his yellow eyes blinking perplexedly. For all the closeness he might have had with the packs throughout his meager years, he had grown used to the distance that they all kept physically, standing with them and yet apart as his own person. Varda blurred those lines now, reminding Miksa of how he imagined someone sought comfort from their family, and the change was wholly unexpected to him. But he thought he knew how to respond after he had taken a second to get over the initial shock. Hoping to soothe and provide whatever comfort it was that the white girl with the brown markings needed, Miksa schooled his own disquiet and returned her embrace, letting his neck curl over hers and hold her beside him. He hoped silently he was performing the gesture correctly, tucked his tan ears to his head as he tried in vain to peek at her from the corner of his yellow eyes, but could hardly tell how she was receiving it other than that she stayed there. "I didn't think I'd see you again," he murmured softly, "or anyone, really." It was mostly experience talking - Glaciem had disappeared without a trace from right beneath his nose. It would have been foolish for him to think Threar would be different. "Have...you seen anyone else?" It was hard for him even to speak it, to suggest that the rest of the pack was truly gone, but perhaps Varda's experiences had been less lonely than his own had been. OOC: Omg, so sorry for the wait! D; School got in the way, still trying to catch up.

In those moments of their embrace, she closed her eyes and shuddered as if releasing her loneliness. He was actually beside her, holding her. It definitely brought her comfort as she inhaled his scent over and over again, focusing on the feeling of their intermingled fur. Yes, she finally felt safe. "I didn't think I'd see you either," she sighed. Through the vibrations she could tell he felt a little tense and uncertain about their greeting. Perhaps she had been a bit rash - sudden with her actions. Embarrassed, she sought to peel herself away from his form at the right moment - not too long though not quickly either. "I-I'm sorry," she murmured, staring into his yellow gaze before looking at the ground, heat flooding to her cheeks. "I don't know what's gotten into me." She had changed; this past season on her own had altered her mind. She had grown more impulsive, doing whatever popped into her mind. Could she reverse? Could she return to the previous Varda? It didn't seem likely, not unless her life returned to its former state, and that wasn't happening either. He asked if she had seen anyone else, and when she had heard those words, her heart sank. Oh, right, there was the rest of Threar still a mystery. She couldn't win; there was always going to be a dark cloud hanging over her. "No," she confessed, shaking her head. Why did it feel like she had failed? Had she tried hard enough to find her family? Perhaps the mission had grown tedious at times, and she was equally careless when she couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Her expectations had been held high for she had pictured finding every member of her fallen pack and restoring Threar to its former glory. You haven't failed, she told herself. In fact, you've succeeded. You found a familiar face. The voice in her head was right. She had found someone, and that was just perfect. She had run through the darkness of that tunnel, blind and hoping until, in the end, she found a faint glimmer of light. Miksa was that light, shining ever so brightly. "Have you? Have you seen..?" Her voice faded as she choked on her words, imagining the two wolves she desperately wanted to see. Although she was an adult, it didn't mean she couldn't yearn for her parents. "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think Taking Varda's cue, Miksa released his hold around her and drew back to meet her gaze as she began to pull away. Her mismatched eyes met his for a second before suddenly dropping, and he was surprised to note it was a gesture that was all too familiar to him. Embarrassment? Was that it? But the Varda he recalled had been self-assured, confident, even to the point that she could offer guidance to a lonely new packmate. Uncertain, Miksa's own yellow eyes averted, puzzling over whether he had done something to cause this sudden change, but in an attempt to smooth it over brought his eyes to hers again and offered a timid but happy smile. He truly was happy to have found her again, and he did not want any sort of embarrassment to interrupt their reunion. He knew the answer to his question almost before he finished speaking it, and felt instantly guilty that he had brought it up. It should have been obvious by her manner that she had spent the last few months lonely, that spotting him, someone who had still considered himself new to the pack by the time it had disbanded, could bring about such joy to her features. To his dismay, Varda turned the question back around on him, and as his tan ears tipped to fold to his head his bright, sunny eyes lowered. How he wished he had better news for her, that he knew where her family was and that Threar was not gone at all but in hiding. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, lost for words and unsure whether his apology counted for anything. How could it, when it was her parents, her family, that was missing and gone? He thought momentarily about changing the subject, but remained silent as the heaviness of their conversation stilled the words on his tongue and prevented him from saying anything further.

A frown moulded into her features as he apologised. Apologised? What for? Oh, was it for failing to find their former pack-mates? It wasn't his fault for not finding anyone; he had to have been searching as well. Either her family were hiding in lands she hadn't yet ventured through or something truly tragic had happened. Why couldn't her parents have at least met up with her just after Threar was taken over? Maybe then they could have said where they were going so she could follow them and never leave their sides ever again. Did they not care about her? Had they just abandoned her? Don't cry. She sent an urgent message to her eyes, her vision starting to blur with water. Think of the positives. Miksa is here - he hasn't abandoned you. Indeed, she agreed with a sniff, feeling her eyes starting to dry. He was here and that was all that mattered. In a way she felt complete. "It's alright," she gently assured, not wanting him to blame himself for the outcome. After all, he couldn't control how the events had played out, and neither could she. Forcing a smile, she tried to start a conversation. "Where have you been anyway?" It wasn't a demanding voice, or one that inferred, 'Why didn't you come any sooner?'; merely a curious tone. She wanted to know what he had been doing over the past, how he had occupied himself and where he had travelled. Besides, there was a faint yet strange scent that clung to his pallid body. Even with her hunter's nose, she had no clue as to where it had come from or what it meant, though she could only hope he would mention it somewhere along his lines. Although, perhaps it was nothing - her mind just messing with her, and that wasn't rare. "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think With his own eyes downcast, he missed the way Varda's mismatched eyes glossed over with tears, and was lucky he had. It surely would have piled on more guilt, added to the disappointment he carried over being separated from all of them just when things had finally started looking up. He had been promoted, had set out to become a proper fighter, and had at last felt like one of the pack. No matter where he went, his living arrangements seemed to fall apart fairly quickly, and he should have been used to it. It was such a shame that this time others had been hurt too, left behind to feel the same lonely pain that he felt. It was not something Miksa would have wished on anyone. She tried to tell him - with a sniff that suggested otherwise - that his fruitless searches were alright, that not finding her family was okay. Of course, it was not. Miksa believed that wholeheartedly, but because she was making the effort he lifted his gaze to peek at her, glad to see that her eyes remained clear of tears and her face had managed somehow, though possibly by force, to draw itself into a smile. To encourage it, Miksa smiled back, softly and with a mix of emotions that he could not express in words. Joy to have found her, apology for the loss of her family, gentleness because he knew, perhaps a little too well, how desperately she needed a kind friend. He had been there too, once. Her curious question brought back immediate visions of the west, and the white, yellow-eyed wolf drew in a breath before he began. "In the west," he explained. "A wolf named Surreal - I guess she was friends with your parents - stopped by the Delta. She said she was going to start a pack with her family, and said any of us left behind could join." He remembered the offer, how he had waited but eventually caved to accepted it. It had strangely been harder this time around than it had been the last. "Took me a while to agree. They're by the Willows in the west now. Not a pack yet, but Surreal looks determined." He stared across at Varda, feeling suddenly torn. What if she had no interest in joining Surreal's pack? Could he let her walk away, alone? His ears twitched, threatening to fold again as his thoughts became conflicted.

At the mention of the west, anger began to boil beneath her porcelain pelt. That was where the pack that had taken over Threar had relocated to, as she had swept around the borders back when she had first found herself without a home. Eventually she had summoned enough courage to trek back to the east and begin her long search for family. Whether that pack was still around remained a mystery to her, though it seemed hostile by an encounter she had gotten herself into with one of its patrolling members. She didn't want that pack to still be ruling; what if it posed a threat to other empires? At first she thought the male had been residing alone in the west, which she didn't mind to be honest. Just him and her - she could get used to that. However, he then spoke of a woman he had met, who apparently had been friends with her parents. Her bi-coloured eyes lit with hope at those words. Perhaps she knew where her parents had travelled to and would be willing to tell her. But what if she didn't? What if she was just as clueless as her friend? After rethinking the situation, the light and excitement vanished from her gaze. The former Authors were gone and weren't coming back - she just had to accept that. The mention of a pack caught her interest, and she listened to discover that this woman, Surreal, was planning to form a pack and the male had accepted his invite to join. She hadn't ever thought about that - joining another pack. Perhaps she was so used to Threar, its ways and her former lifestyle that she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It wasn't like she had a choice; wherever he went she followed. There was no way she was going to give up this opportunity because of her uncertainty. Could she ever get used to another pack? Could she move on from her old life and start anew? "Would she let me join?" she asked in a small voice, unsure if this female was still searching for future members to recruit. "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think Miksa waited, nervous and expectant, unsure how Varda would handle what he told her about his recent endeavors. The decision to join Surreal and her eventual pack had been difficult for him, yes, what with his loyalties to Threar deeper than his loyalties had been for any of his previous packs, but still the decision had been made. Changes of that nature were becoming something of a routine for him, a pattern that was familiar even if it threw him into new territory each time. For Varda, however... He struggled to imagine how it was for her. She had grown up, he presumed, in Threar, safely surrounded by wolves who were relatives or close to it. That was such a different loyalty than what he felt, and he could only imagine that it made her current situation as a loner that much harder. Just as surely as it made the thought of joining another pack seem almost absurd. He shifted a little where he stood, and cast a quick glance around but saw nothing and no one of interest. Only the kind wolf who had gone out of her way to help him adjust to life in her pack after he had joined. Her voice, when she answered, was so quiet the yellow-eyed wolf almost thought he imagined it, but as he blinked he realized the words he only thought to hear had actually been uttered and asked by her. She was interested in joining too? That was much more than he had hoped for. A gentle sigh, coated with relief, exited his muzzle as his lips drew upward at the edges into a soft, reassuring smile. "I'm sure she will," he answered with a gentle certainty. Surreal seemed like the type to keep an invitation like that extended for an unlimited amount of time, and she did know Varda's parents. Even if she did not immediately let her stay, Miksa hoped he would be able to convince her to if it came down to it. But, if for some reason she chose to send the Destruction girl away... His look became thoughtful for a second, and to offer further reassurance he added, "And if she doesn't, I won't let you wander alone." Her family had made an impact on him, enabling him to see the hope and brightness of better things to come, and as he saw it he owed them. The just and patient leaders, even this lonely young woman. Perhaps even her especially because she had become his first friend within the pack. He cared too much for the memory of her parents, for her kindness, to see her live alone and suffering for it.

When she had travelled with her father and brother to the north, where they first encountered the male before her, she never imagined herself ending up like this. Perhaps it was her confidence in Threar's rule, that false belief that it would never fall. However, she had wondered what it felt like to be displaced from her home; afraid of being alone; wondering if someone would return for her. In his case, no-one familiar had found him though they were kind enough to offer a home. She remembered seeing it in his eyes - the reluctance, the uncertainty. To be honest, that was how she felt right now. A new pack, lead by a stranger; what were their motives? Their alignment? If not for the male being a part of this new empire, she would have been a bit skeptical. After all, why should she follow a stranger? Then again, that was what he had done. It seemed this Surreal was likely to accept her, though it wasn't a definite answer. Even if she declined her, which she hoped wouldn't happen, he vowed to ensure she wouldn't wander alone. She smiled at his words, this one more natural-looking and genuine. What would she do without such a loyal friend? That was another reason why she wanted to join this new pack - to return that loyalty. Just in case, however, she quickly formed another plan in her mind, one that she hoped she wouldn't have to result to. Be positive, she thought to herself. You will be a part of this pack. "I'll travel to the west," she told him, voice louder and firmer. Her gaze stared into his with determination and promise. "I'll be there when it rises." -end thread?- "Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think He could tell by her smile that she was grateful for his promises, though he hoped greatly that they would be unnecessary. He did not begin to think he knew Surreal well enough to predict her behavior and reactions, and so he had no absolute way of knowing that she would welcome Varda into her future pack without issue, but still he wished for it. It would make things easier, he assumed, to have that option available, for that possibility of another stable start to begin over with. And, having been in the same position that Varda was currently in once before himself, he understood how important that stability was in starting over. Varda's return promise to show up to the pack's formation drew a smile back to Miksa's lips, and he felt more excited and hopeful than he had felt since pledging himself to the pack's future ranks. He intended to join a new pack, something he had done once already, but this time he would not be doing so alone. "I'm looking forward to it," he admitted through an expression that had brightened quite perceptively. Until then... "I'd better get back. I...I'll see you later." That sounded like the appropriate farewell, only temporary as they intended to meet up again, and hopefully soon. With another smile, the white wolf turned and began the long trek back toward the west and the future pack that awaited him there. -Exit Miksa and end thread-