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If Khu could've dreamed of a far-away and very strange place, this would be it. He'd spent the better part of his life wandering here and there and back again, but hadn't stepped paw on such a diverse area. He barely really realized how he'd gotten here; but here he was. Large paws slowly stepped towards the lake, silver fur ruffling up in the brisk, warm wind that was blowing across the land. His gray eyes glanced about as his nosed sniffed for any indication that there were others nearby. There were a lot of overlapping scents here, but it was definite that wolves had been here on numerous occasions. How soon ago he didn't know. Cautiously he made his way to the water's edge, knowing how exposed he was. A strange land and a strange lake to get caught unguarded taking a quaff of water from. Edging closer now, he took one more sweeping glance, he strode close enough to the water and crouched down to take a drink. The water was gloriously cold and refreshing. He drink his fill and arranged himself on the edge of the lake so that he could see across and all around. It wasn't like he couldn't protect himself, he just really didn't want to deal with that sort of crap today.

Step by step, Epiphron's paws carried her further from the borders of Valhalla's claimed territory. She'd recently been crowned Alpha, had been told that Chrysanthe would be preparing to wed Maverick, a unite to tie the two packs together forever. An alliance that would be unbreakable.

Her last meeting with Maverick still haunted her; their physical closeness, the inocent teasing, the way he made her fur stand on end with the simplest words. Slightly frustration was etched on her features as she tread across unfamiliar land. She wasn't terribly familiar with the area, having only been there once before. But her cranium was tilted toward the sky, inhaling the scent of the warm summer air. The scent was filled with the aroma of the fresh water. The female redirected herself to head towards the lake, paws carrying her at an unsteady pace. The yearling's ears would twitch with curiosity, well-aware that the lake might be occupied on such a lovely summer day.

And without a doubt, in the distance she spotted the silhouette of a silver beast along the water's edge, a creature much larger than herself, but instinct told her that he wasn't threatening. And if he was, she was confident she could diffuse the situation long enough to slip away. A slightly wary glance was offered as the girl approached slowly, her head held low to the earth and her shoulders squared, a strangely defensive posture for the typically regal princess. Surely he noticed her approach, for she had to navigate around the water's edge to creep nearer to him.

"Enjoying a lovely summer day, I see?" Epiphron remarked conversationally, words spilling sweetly over her parted lips as her eyes swept over the stranger with curiosity.

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Khu felt like he had sat there for what seemed like days. He had emptied his mind of his troubles, even though he knew he had other more important things to accomplish. There was much to think about now. A new land to explore, possible new wolves to meet, and of course, his past he had to shake out of his mind. Though...what if she was here? There was no possible way. For all he knew, she was dead. Completely and utterly dead. His mind kept wandering, now filling back as much as he'd just emptied it. A lot of things had happened in his life, and a lot of things he had regretted. She had slipped so carelessly from him. Khu had only known her for a short span of time but she was a huge part of his. Unfortunately. Amongst his internal dialogue his brain picked up on something else - sounds of something or someone in the vicinity. How foolish! Here he was exposed and not giving a care to what was going on. Ears flicked round until he pinpointed the source of the sound, and his head and eyes traveled with them. Soon, the creature showed itself. Another. His heart skipped merely a small beat as he saw the white fur. He knew better. It wasn't her. A small, genuine smile drifted to his features as the she-wolf proceeded closer and closer. She was a small creature, definitely not a threat and wasn't even assuming herself as one. No matter the case, he always liked the ladies. especially if they liked him. He got to all fours now and positioned himself to face her. He noticed her azure eyes look over him as she spoke. "Ah, yes. I am new to these parts...guess you can say I'm lost. Are there others around here?" he paused for a second, realizing he should probably introduce himself, "Oh, sorry for my rudeness! My name is Khumai but you can call me Khu if you wish."

Epiphron was more than content to forget about Maverick for the moment, and instead focus on the male before her. The girl's head would bow, offering the stranger a graceful bow. The motion was not exaggerated, but rather contained and proper, nothing short of lady-like. This was how she was expected to act now -- she knew it, and her mind had been too consumed by the boy she was falling for lately. She needed to shape up, and fast; but she needed some kind of closure first. Should she say goodbye to the boy? Would that really help her, or would it make it worse?

Unwilling to let her mind stray too far, the girl shook her head slightly. The girl's sapphire gaze flitted over the male, observing him silently for a long moment. Was he a rogue? He would surely make a good asset to Valhalla -- that was how she was supposed to think, right? Especially now that Valhalla had an officially enemy, she wondered how long it would be until war broke up. She truly hoped she never saw it in her lifetime. Epiphron had seen enough bloodshed; she wasn't sure if she could handle watching loved ones die. No, not again.

She returned his smile with one of her own. For a young girl, she was certainly a master of expression, of forcing emotion when she truly felt nothing. She knew that would become even more useful, now that Collision had promoted her to Alpha, to lead alongside him. Epiphron had no idea how she was going to do it, except how she faced every challenge -- she'd grin and bear it.

"Lost, you say?" Slight empathy crept over her features, but the look disappeared quickly. "Actually, these lands are unclaimed. But if you go slightly south, and to the east, you'll encounter the lands of Seracia," she explained, settling down on her haunches a safe distance away from him. She'd never been there herself, but Maverick had told her where his family lived. "And to the west, is where the Valhalla pack resides."

She paused then, smiling, a genuine expression. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Khumai. My name is Epiphron Adravendi, Alpha of the Valhalla pack." She spoke with slight apprehension, as though testing the title, unsure of whether she liked the way it fell from her tongue. Curious eyes would watch him for the slightest reaction that might be visible; would he be surprised that a girl her age could lead a pack? Certainly he would be more surprised if he knew of Valhalla's legacy, of the numbers of wolves it boasted.

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Formalities, always formalities. He tipped his head in a bow as she had to him. It seemed that this was a normal occurrence no matter where you went. How interesting that creatures can vary so much but still have some of the same traditions and rituals... He knew she was someone of interest. The way she held herself, the way she talked. Once she said she was an alpha, he couldn't help but be taken a little aback. She was a little creature, so it wasn't as if she fought her way up to the top. She must be either really important to the pack or the male alpha had taken a fancy for her, albeit she seemed a little young. He had little knowledge of where he was, so his speculating, for all he knew, could well be completely and utterly incorrect. Not like he was one to judge, he was a hapless wanderer, after all, with no rank, title, or really history - at least to anyone he encountered. "Alpha, you say?" the topic piqued his interest, of course, but didn't want to be TOO rude about it. "Ah yes...responsibility. Always nice to have, never nice to deal with." "I guess I'm not lost in the traditional sense, but prefer to be lost, if ya know what I mean." He didn't really know what to say, it had been quite a while since he had to deal with another - especially an alpha. "It's a pleasure to meet you Epiphron Adravendi. Kinda a mouthful...your parents must've resented you or something." Ah yes, be an idiot the first time meeting a girl in A LONG TIME. Girls were trouble, anyway. He was for sure he didn't want anything to do with them for the time being. Khu had too much going on with missing Light still. Of course he knew he had to let go, but for now...it was still a comforting feeling, even if it was a sad feeling. "So this Valhalla you're the alpha of...what is it like? Of course you're not going to speak bad about your own pack. What is the land like? What is the main game? Any enemies?" Like hell she was going to tell a total stranger some of that, but it was worth the shot.

Formalities were perhaps a bit tiresome, but they were important -- despite the fact that they were slowly becoming the bane of her existence. She would present herself as a confident lady, her white tail curled above her back with only the slightest bit of dominance being displayed. Family names, lineage, and pack affiliation seemed to mean far more than she ever would've expected. This man seemed to be a rogue, but she cast no judgment upon him.

Instead, she offered a charming smile as he questioned her role as Alpha. "Responsibility indeed," she noted sweetly, though failed to mention she had yet to fully explore the exact kind of responsibilities she would be dealing with. For now, she would follow in her brother's pawsteps, hoping to live up to the legacy her family had created. Despite her slight nervousness, she was confident she would not fail -- she couldn't. It simply wasn't an option.

Khumai went on to say he wasn't lost, simply wandering as he saw fit. Not at all strange. Epiphron often wondered herself what it'd be like to live free of boundaries and expectations, but her surname was like a shackle that bound her eternally... a quite comfortable one, but a shackle nonetheless. "Thank you. And I suppose it is a mouthful, though I don't think my parents harbored any ill feelings towards me. I suppose you can call me Epi, if it tastes better on your tongue." A very slight smirk toyed with the left corner of her mouth, eyes brightening with faint excitement. Perhaps flirtation would ease her heartache, soothe the wound that seemed like it would never heal. At the very least, it would take her mind off Maverick. Even if just for a few moments, it was better than nothing.

"Valhalla... well, it's hard to describe something when you know nothing but..." The yearling's thoughts trailed off slightly. She shifted to recline on her back legs, not too far off from her new acquaintance. Sapphire gaze directed itself towards the lake, watching the rays of sun glisten of its slow-moving surface. "It's a good pack, a very good one. We are a very close family, and we value respect above all else. We currently reside in the plains, just a few miles west of this lake." Quite a few questions, and so few answers... how terribly difficult it was to describe a pack you'd been in your entire life! To Epiphron, it was simply home, and it was the only thing she'd ever known. "We do have a single enemy, a pack to the north, called Tortuga. But nothing has come of that, yet." She was wary to give information, but Khumai didn't smell of any particular pack, and she supposed the information would leak over time, especially if the threat of war ever began to hang overhead..

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Something tickled in the back of his head that she may be hiding a bit of information. Of course she was, though. Wasn't he? It wasn't like he was going to spill everything to a complete stranger. Man, that would be way too much anyway. His voice would grow hoarse and more questions would have to be answered. How did he end up here after wandering in a desert? He didn't know, either, really. Fate. Maybe. Hopefully? He liked this mysteriousness anyway. No need to drag around all of that baggage. They won't ever know his full story and he was glad for it. No one needed to know. "Epi...much easier on the tongue and on the mind to remember. You may call me Khu if that is better for you, as well." He fully acknowledged that there was a flirty curl to her words, but was a little unsure of himself after having not talked to anyone in so long. How sad! He knew he should be leaping up and down that someone was giving him that kind of attention but it had been SO LONG. "I'm sure you know more than nothing. For instance, you know what this place is and I'm an ignorant and wandering fool." A sly little smile danced upon his features. Girls always ate that kind of crap up. "Valhalla sounds...blissful. And no pack is immune to having enemies every now and then, if not all the time. Just a price you pay for being in a different pack. Nature and all." A place of plains, she said? He was already used to barren, treeless lands. He just didn't feel like he needed to commit to anything at this point. After all, settling down wasn't exactly his cup of tea nor did he really know how to do it. He was more of the adventurous, save-the-damsel-in-distress-type, leaving behind more questions than answers and always charming the pants off anyone. Khu knew one day he needed to rest his weary paws; he just wasn't sure this was the correct place. He still had the hole in his heart after all.

She continued to relax, letting her shoulders slump slightly, muscles relaxing as she sat near Khumai. It had been quite some time since she had ventured from Valhalla's borders and had spoken with someone other than Maverick; but those days were over. And she supposed focusing her attention on other things would be the secret to mending her broken heart. Distraction, it truly was wonderful right now. And so her sapphire eyes sparkled with interest as she watched Khumai speak, marveling at his sleek silver coat.

"Well, Khu works for me," she returned the grace with a gentle smile, bowing her head ever so slightly. He explained that he was an 'ignorant and wandering fool'; she laughed airily, her words nearly floating away on the passing breeze as she began to speak again. "It's lucky you've been found then!"

As he reflected on her description of her home, her ears perked and her expression seemed to brighten considerably. "It has its downfalls," she said, a very slight sigh escaping her parted jaws. "But it really is a wonderful kingdom. I've never known hunger, nor illness there." Was she trying to sell the pack to him? Maybe a little bit. But she would not grovel before him and beg for his interesting in joining. Epiphron, however, knew Valhalla was a splendid home -- certainly things had been in a bit of unrest lately, with Collision's slightly misguided decisions, but they would recover. They always had, and always would, persevere.

A brief pause would follow as she considered his words. Enemies were natural, sure -- but she debated the consequences behind this one. Valhalla was bigger, but she'd heard rumors about the wolves of Tortuga. Killers. Cannibals. Wolves without conscience. So very different from her own family, the Adravendis especially, where loyalty and moral righteousness was rooted in their upbringing. "I suppose you're right. This particular enemy -- Tortuga, the monsters of the North -- were able to convince my adopted brother to join their ranks, and divulge information about us." It hurt to even call Neo her brother, hence why she added the 'adopted' bit with a slight wrinkle of her nose, attempting to disguise the pain that threatened to spill into her lyrics. "I'm really not sure why else they would do such things, if they were not intent on attacking us at some point."

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No hunger? No illness? He had been in enough places that those things were so common...but she was a youngster. There would be a time that she would experience it. Maybe not now, maybe not even in the near future...but it should be something that is always in the back of an alpha's mind. He wasn't a good judge of a character lately, considering how long he had been out of contact with the rest of his kind, but she was naive. To say the least. "Ahhh. Those kinds of things come in time, sickness and hunger. Anyway! I don't want to sound like I'm trying to dish out bits of wisdom here or sound like I'm millions of years old. Because I'm not!" Small, wry smile appeared upon his features. He shifted slightly, realizing slowly how close she was sitting next to him. Really? He goes a few months without seeing anyone - he is still marveling - and the first wolf he sees is a lady? What are the chances? (Probably 50%) He tried not to foolishly grin at these thoughts but it was hard. He was acting dumb and he knew it, especially since the conversation turned to her pack's enemies and her brother jumping ship. "That's probably they will attack. I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you, but luring away someone who was close to you is obviously the best way to figure things out. It wouldn't be shocking if they did try to do something..." He wasn't sure what he wanted. Did he want to join a pack, now after all this time alone? She was an intriguing creature for sure, but it sounded like there were storm clouds brewing on the horizon. He knew not matter what he did he'd probably get swept along with it anyway, though hopefully he can stay in the shadows instead of having to lick wounds later on.

"Well, you appear to be older than I... and with age, often comes wisdom," she asserted in gentle tones, smiling lightly. It was slightly rewarding to flirt, albeit subtly, with another male. It would brief ease the pain of her broken heart, as she pushed thoughts of Maverick away -- but part of her very much doubted that she would find someone who could replace the piece of her heart that had found room for him. Khumai accurately found one of her flaws; her slight naivety. But this change in position would change her, and she knew it. It was time to focus on reality -- on Valhalla's members, and their survival -- rather than running around trying to spend as much time with Maverick as possible, without seeming as though she was absent from the pack.

To say the least, it had definitely been a reality check for her.

The woman shifted slightly on her haunches, briefly letting her gaze drift from him to examine the lake. "At least I'm fairly certain we would win, in case of an attack," she mused a bit as her eyes trailed over her own reflection, moving on to Khu's, finally finding their way back to his real self. "Our numbers are at least double theirs. I just dread the thought of losing any of my family." Her father was growing old, and she doubted he would see another full year... would he even make it through the winter? She could barely handle the thought of it. "What about you, Khu -- I know you said you've been wandering on your own, but have you ever considered joining a pack?" She inquired lightly, obviously insinuating that she might have a home for him, but not wanting to pressure him as though they were desperate for members. They weren't, but she liked him so far.