Waiting and fading and floating away.

Standing at the edge of Boreas, he could feel his front toes dangerously placed half-off of the cliff as his oceanic gaze mirrored the sea below. He was a tall and out of place pillar among the stalagmites of ice that surrounded him as the makings of Cathedral point. It was an incredibly far drop, and the dark part of his thoughts wondered how long it would take his body to make contact with the freezing waters below. Of course, this was just a thought... Brutus soon stepped back from the ledge though continued to listen to the crashing sound of the waves as the higher tide rolled in.

It brought chilling winds with it, ones that made his muscles tense as it disheveled the dull edges of his fur. The peculiar happening of the rise and fall of the water seemed to directly relate to the moon's positioning in the sky, he was almost certain of it though it would take a few more nights traveling along the coast to ensure that it was not just coincidence. He did not mind traveling, in fact.. his pioneering soul found solitude in keeping his mind occupied through the means of discovery; his only regret was not waiting for Cesar before answering to the call of the wild and leaving to discover the many mysteries of the world.

And that is what compelled him to returned to Boreas, having explored here once with Cesar.. it was the last memory of the man that he held on to. Perhaps he would find his long-lost friend and sate his need for discovery as well. He wanted to know all the secrets the land had to offer, each notable point of interest to be filed away in his memory. Afterall, knowledge was power and Brutus wanted it all. If it was interesting, it had to be his.. and learning the secrets of each land would be his own way of laying claim to every turf.

Though he normally moved with a gentle, loping gait.. today with the sheer amount of ice he'd had to tread over, he forfeited his leisurely posture to one that portrayed the focus he had on his footing. He yearned to get out of the wind that rolled in off the freezing waters of the ocean and off of the slippery slopes of ice along the cliff, so slowly but surely.. he made his descent back into the lands of Northern Boreas.

Armai and Nox had both agreed to take a bit of a "vacation" before Xephyris claimed his own pack. Ever since the male had come to them asking them if they were interested she had been thinking on it more and more. She liked the idea of it and a new pack would surely benefit them. Nox was good at taking care of herself but Armai.... well not so much. Two mouths to feed, one mouth blind, was a lot harder to feed than one. A pack again would be good for them. Why they had chosen the north as their designated spot ... well that had yet to be revealed. The lower northern section of Boreas had been fine due to her fur but the farther north they walked the less and less she liked it. Eventually biting winds nipped at her skin and tugged at the silken strands of thin fur and she realized that if they stayed north for too long she'd probably freeze to death. While she was failing miserably at staying warm Nox was absolutely loving it. The snow leopards warm coat had more than enough insulation to keep warm. Armai found herself envying her friend. Eventually, when the snow began to feel flatter a bit more like ice, they decided to split up for a bit. Nox had wanted to explore something a little less "boring" as she had put it and Armai allowed her. This land felt pretty vacant and, with assurances from Nox, she realized she'd have an easier time walking here than she had before. If all of it was flat and barren it meant she wouldn't walk into anything which was good for her. Last thing she wanted was a bruised nose or a twisted ankle. So she'd set out on her own for a little while. Her pace was slow and her steps deliberate. Each foot was carefully placed and she made sure with each stride she wasn't falling into any holes or bumping into anything foreign. To her glee, despite the footing being slick, the terrain was kind to her. Well at least it was for a little while. It felt like one minute she had been walking and then the next ... Well she wasn't sure how it had happened. One second her foot had been there and now she was sprawled out on her stomach with her limbs in a disarray and her chin to the ground. "Ouch." She muttered. She didn't bother moving and decided to lie there defeated for a moment until her chin stopped hurting from where she bumped it. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

The oceans within his eyes were as active as the crashing waves the echoed along the cliffs of Cathedral Point, searching each ice pillar for imperfection though he only found incredible works of art in each one. They reflected his image as he walked around them and listened to the tide, so he found it entertaining to walk through denser collections of them and witness the distorted version of himself in each one.

He'd been so absorbed in admiring the uniqueness of his surroundings that he didn't see the pale figure lying on the ice at first, though she was still several yards away. When he spotted her finally, he paused for a moment to process what exactly he was looking at. She couldn't be sleeping, she was out in the open.. exposed and vulnerable, no wolf would ever betray their survival instincts and leave themselves in danger like that, would they? She had to be in trouble, or dead. He was downwind and too far away to really tell if she was breathing, though part of him wondered if he should investigate or keep moving and studies without any distraction.

As if in protest, a strong gust of wind shook his pelt and chilled his skin, surely carrying his scent downwind to the fallen wolf. She would be aware of his presence soon enough, and well.. he was interested in what it was she was doing just lying there like that, interested enough to trot forward on splayed toes to discover what it was.

The front of his cheeks bellowed with a slight chuff as he announced his presence, "Hello, can you hear me? Are you alright?" Despite his tall stature, his voice was low but not unusually so; his articulation rather smooth and modulated.

Her chin hurt. She couldn't smell any blood so that was a good sign. It'd be bruised but that was something she could deal with. She was half tempted to call out for Nox, but she knew the cat was farther than calling distance so she resisted the urge. She'd used to live in the north so she had to remind herself she could navigate without her companion. It was slower and took more effort and concentration, but she could do it. Her attention had been focused elsewhere so she hadn't noticed the approaching wolf until a breeze changed direction and carried a very unfamiliar masculine scent her way. By that point though paw steps could already be heard and it was too late to slink away before anyone saw her. She'd just have to deal with whoever it was and hope they weren't looking for trouble. She doubted she'd be lucky enough to have an opponent back down like Nixie had. A sound of the male introducing his presence caught her attention and she lifted her head to point her ears in that direction. A voice came next and slowly Armai forced herself to her feet, chin still smarting, so she wouldn't be in such a vulnerable position. Considering he was asking if she was alright seemed like a good thing. Maybe he wasn't bad after all and she'd gotten lucky. Still now she was just embarrassed for falling in the first place. "I'm fine. I just lost my footing and bumped my chin. Thanks for the concern though." She smiled softly, doing her best to seem friendly. "I'm Armai." She introduced herself. She almost introduced Nox, but then she remembered she wasn't here so she clamped her mouth shut. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

As she stood up and found her footing, he stopped and simply kept to his observations. The white screening over her gray coloration were unique by far, though it was the color of her eyes that caught his attention as he studied them carefully. Something about them seemed off enough for him to suspect her of possibly being blind, but her awareness of his position made him doubt that enough to hold off on coming to assumptions just yet.

As she smiled, he met it with a gentle pulling of his own lips to do the same. He'd nod his head lower just slightly as his ears relaxed and his neck kept respectably level. "Pleasure to meet you, Armai. I am Marcellus Brute.. but please call me Brutus." While he did not hold any resentment toward the name his mother had given him, he was far fonder of the nickname bestowed upon him by Cesar as the first only seemed to harbor memories of the darker times in his past.

When the wind died down, he was able to catch more of the scents that lingered on the woman than before and a change in his demeanor was almost immediate. There was an aura of alertness that surrounded him as his muscles tensed and his eyes drifted along the ice and snow that surrounded them, glancing at every icy pillar or snowy bank in search of the predator that he suspected to be lingering close by.

"I don't mean to alarm you, but we might want to get moving.. quickly. I've only ever caught that scent once in my explorations but I'm certain that it belongs to one of the big cats that reside in the north. They can be vicious creatures, and I do not feel like getting in a fight with those claws today." His words trailed off as he took steps closer to her, gradually experiencing the growing scent that Nox had left on the woman, was it.. coming from her? He had not fathomed that possibility and quite frankly it was a perplexing idea, leaving him standing there staring at her rather dumbfounded as his nostrils flared and his nose stretched to get closer to her. "...but you know that already, don't you?" How odd.

The man introduced himself and Armai would lower her self into a sitting position. She couldn't see his body language, but if he'd had any ill intent she felt like he would have already done something by now. She'd already been so vulnerable when she'd been lying on the ground. That would have been the perfect opportunity to attack her. She highly doubted if he would have checked to see if she was okay. Overall she had a good feeling in her gut about him. She trusted him enough to at least relax. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Brutus." She honestly couldn't fathom why he wouldn't want to be called Marcellus, it seemed like a nice name, but she decided to keep the question to herself. Instead her ears would prick forward when the tone in his voice changed. A sense of tension began to form in the air and she felt her muscles stiffen. She listened as he mentioned moving elsewhere and at first she was confused. Having been around Nox almost all the time now she'd totally forgotten about her companion's scent. So at first she couldn't discern what he was talking about. It wasn't until he said 'big cats' that a grin began forming on her muzzle. It only widened as he explained how vicious they were. He trailed closer to her from the sounds of it and she chuckled. "You don't need to worry about this snow leopard." She finally revealed. "She's my traveling companion. She helps make sure I don't run into things or fall in any holes." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

When the leopard scent's source had been confirmed, he retreated back a couple steps to remain a respectful distance away from her since he'd had to get closer to detect it. He lifted his ears and listened to her explanation with increasing interest. So many questions arose from those three simple statements. He couldn't help but feel a bit silly for proposing the idea of running away from her seeing eye cat. Though, it did confirm his initial inquiry as to whether or not she was blind.

"I see--" 'Oh dear, really Brutus?" he thought to himself, sighing inwardly as he realized that the words he had chosen might not have been the most appropriate.

"I understand," he said apologetically.

"She is your traveling companion, then? That is.. a mild relief." With his well articulation, he continued- a sort of clicking of his teeth with each thoughtfully spoken word, "That is very interesting, did you train her to help you or did she simply offer?" He had little intellectual experience with other species, he had no idea what to think. Did leopards even talk? Was it a trade? Armai protects, the leopard guides...?

"Well, the bruise to your chin might speak dissatisfactorily of her performance as a traveling guide, but considering there are no other injuries that I can see: well, she must be doing a good job the majority of the time. Do you two travel often?" And if so, where had they come from? Brutus was growing curioser and curioser as their little interaction continued, eager to learn of a good place to start his exploration and quest to find his dear friend, Cesar. Though, he tried his best not to ramble on like he was often capable of.

After she'd told him about Nox she heard him retreat back a few steps. Had hadn't been overly bothered by the intrusion of space, but had he? It was a question she didn't ask out loud. She wished she could have seen the reaction on his face, but she could only assume it was surprise. The first comment out of his mouth caused her to laugh. "I see." She was sure he hadn't meant it to sound like that, but it was amusing nonetheless. He then turned around and fixed his last statement by saying he understood. She chuckled again. She certainly wasn't offended. She'd nod when he repeated what she said in a question. She supposed Nox was a rather odd choice of a companion, but she was good at helping her when it boiled down to it. He seemed very intrigued by her friend though which she wasn't used to. Anyone else in the pack had accepted Nox's presence rather easily. No one had bothered asking her questions and if they had any concerns they kept it to themselves. "Honestly I found her while she was sleeping. I tripped over her and at first she was pretty pissed at me until she realized I was blind. She's the one who offered to travel with me. She's not overly fond over her own species and we get along pretty well." She explained. She chuckled when he mentioned the bruise on her chin. Had Nox been here she probably would have helped her avoid the more icy patches a bit better, but it wasn't like she'd fallen into a crevice and been left to die. She couldn't complain about Nox's performance as a whole. "We used to live in a pack together. I typically wouldn't leave often, but I'm a healer so we'd go out to find herbs together. She'd help me carry them back to my den. Right now we only split up cause she wanted to go explore a bit and she insisted this area is pretty flat and open." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

As she relaxed on her haunches and answered all his questions, he listened with full attention. Part of him envied her for being able to sit and relax while he was forced to remain standing, finding the ice too chilling to sit on given his more.. sensitive areas.

She seemed so light, even when he'd slipped and needed to apologize she only smiled in return and kept her charming disposition. He chuckled on the topic of Nox, the cat already seeming like a kind animal.. although, it wasn't much of a surprise to him that someone had offered to help her. So far, Armai seemed sweet and oddly adorable, he found himself quite interested by her presence alone.

"Oh, 'used to'? What happened to your pack?" Another question, but he couldn't help himself. Her blindness was no secret, though the integrity she seemed to hold by braving the life of a loner with a cat despite her disability intrigued him. He soon shook his head, lowering it some as he started to realize just how much he'd pried already.

"Forgive me for my many inquiries, I am simply curious. I suppose it is to be expected, it's been literal years since I've had the opportunity to even do so, I suppose. I do not mean to be so intrusive. I am not interrupting any plans, I hope."

To be honest her butt was kind of cold, but she didn't really want to remain standing. The conversation was a nice distraction though and her ears would flick as he chuckled. Did he find Nox funny? Once again she wished she could see his face or read minds. Telepathy actually sounded like the more fun option, but then again there were some wolves heads that she didn't want to delve in to. Her mind would roam to Ren and Nixie and her nose wrinkled. Yeah no, no telepathy. "A woman came and challenged our Alpha. Needless to say, he lost that fight. I patched him up and haven't seen him since." She highly doubted Riv would be raising Myriad back up. It seemed like he'd fixed things with Zephyra. She had smelled their scents together once more and after that she hadn't smelled them around. It wasn't like she could follow Riv around forever anyways. He had a life to live and she had her own. If Xephyris was successful in creating his own pack then she wouldn't have to worry so much. Brutus would then apologize for asking so many questions. Armai shook her head and smiled at him. "Your questions don't bother me. I tend to get a lot of them so I don't mind. You're not interrupting me though. I have a few days before I need to return down south." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

His ears would flicker somewhat as the wind picked up again, wisping through the longer strands of his fur, especially around his chest. His head briefly turned to look behind him with a narrowed gaze that protected his eyes from the oncoming gales, admiring once again all of the ice pillars that he'd walked through. For a moment, it disheartened him to think that Armai could never witness the spectacles that he so often found awe and admiration for. Not just these pillars, but the many wonders around the world.. such as the Marble Wash that he and Cesar had discovered together.

He listened to her words as he did this, turning his head back to her as she spoke of an alpha that lost his position, that was unfortunate but an event he knew not all too uncommon in the world of Kings and Queens. But, what did she just mention that she was a healer?

Then as she explained that his questions were quite alright and smiled, it worked it's contagious magic on the brute and brought a faint smile to his own lips as well. He had gentle facial features already, despite the strong jaw to underline it all, the dull browns and downy fur simply kept him in natural pleasantries; though, it seemed Armai was quite the same.

"Good, at least I am not presently keeping you from any duties, though I am sorry to hear about your pack. I can't imagine the stress that comes with leadership." He thought for a moment of her mentioning the south, the warmer climate honestly seemed so enticing at the moment. "What waits for you in the south?" Perhaps family?

The wind picked up again and she had to suppress a shiver as it seeped past her thin silky fur. She certainly hadn't been built for the more icy temperatures despite having been born in the north. It was a shame really. She was sure if she could see she'd be amazed by how beautiful everything was. Instead she found appreciation in the smells and the feel of the place around her. She'd have to get Nox to explain how everything looked one day if her companion was up for the task. She had a million and one questions running through her mind. Ears would flick as she spoke again and she realized he apologized a lot. She simply shrugged her shoulders at the response. Leadership, from what she had viewed, was a tricky thing. Someone could just come along and ruin it for you in one go, though inside the pack they'd already been working on tearing itself apart long before Peregrine had come along. It seemed internal drama was more devastating than anything else. "I think it turned out good for him in the end. He has a wife he needs to focus on, so who knows, maybe he'll be happier without a pack to lead." She'd know Riv and Zephyra were at odds before the pack fell, but considering she'd smelled their scents together heading away from their old territory... well she could only hope that they'd mended their relationship. She could do nothing but wish them the best and perhaps catch up to them later down the road to see how they were doing. She didn't think much more on it though and instead would focus on Brutus' question. "One of the pack members approached me after the battle and asked me if I was interested in joining a pack he intended to form if he got enough followers. I agreed so I've been waiting to see if he'll call for everyone soon, assuming he actually does it." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He wasn't sure why he was as interested in her affairs as he was, but something about the traveling to the south to witness the birth of a pack enticed him. He would flick an ear in the wind as he thought on her words, "Should be interesting if he comes through, all things happen for a reason, after all. Your previous alpha gains the ability to attend to more personal matters, and two other alphas are possible to rise in the wake of that."

He turned his attention to the world behind him once again before he began to think inwardly about what it was she had been seeking in the north, or if she was like him and wandered aimlessly just for the sake of exploration. "Were you heading to the point by chance, Armai? You can hear and smell the ocean quite well during this time, high tide just rolled in. I could lead you, if you like?"

Brutus up a valid point. It would be interesting to see if Xephyris followed through with his plans. He'd sounded serious about it and he'd seemed determined, but would he actually be able to? She now realized that all her plans were riding on it. What was she to do if he didn't? What if he didn't find enough followers, or something happened to him, or if he just decided he didn't like the idea anymore. The thought irritated her. There were too many possibilities that could play out. "I hope he goes through with it. I have a feeling he had the potential to make a great leader." The conversation took an unexpected turn and her ears would perk up at the thought of going to the sound. Originally she avoided places with water, but the idea of going to one with him sounded like fun. She doubted he'd let her fall off of or run into anything so she nodded her head. The idea of exploring more was a good one and she trusted him enough to her him lead her around for a bit. "I haven't been yet, but I'd love to go." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He shifted his weight on his paws as they stood in the snow, his footsteps making light crunching noises as they moved aside icy terrain in their wake. He'd already begun turning around, her words of hope echoing in his ears as his lips held a gentle expression of empathetic hope as well. It would be good for her to find a pack that was promising, and he hoped the alpha did not let her down.

There were conflicting thoughts arising within the brute. One one end of the scale, he wanted to keep himself free to wander and search for Cesar, but on the other he wanted to follow her to the south and see to it that she got the support she hoped for from the alpha-to-be. Perhaps he could search for Cesar on the way? He'd need to go to the Wash first, that was the last place he'd seen Cesar and he wanted to start his search there.. but she had a few days, didn't she? Maybe she'd be interested in joining him, but.. maybe she'd find it awkward that he felt like sticking together so early.

For now, the thought was swallowed. He instead looked around to the icy pillars he'd been admiring before she arrived and he flicked an ear back to her direction, keeping his tall limbs in slow stride to make sure they kept at the same pace.

"I am truly pleased that you decided to come, all around you there are tall stacks of ice, reaching toward the sky like the teeth of some giant creature crying to the close clouds above. Most of them are much taller than you or I, it truly is remarkable."

It was bittersweet, he wished she could experience the same image he was able to see- but, there was a certain sense of poetic satisfaction that came with describing their surroundings to her. He smiled and continued their walk, the crashing waves of the ocean already echoing in the air much louder than they had been previously. He could smell salt on frosty gales that blew past them, softly for now.

"It's just up here, as I'm sure you can hear. I'll go up first, feel free to follow me.. I will let you know when to stop."

He made sure that his pace remained slow and steady as they climbed the rising slope to the edge of the point, though this time rather than watching the sea with his eyes he listened with his ears, as she must. As they came to the edge he'd signal, nudging her very gently, "Here," and listen.

The sound was so open, so clear and unobstructed. As he closed his eyes, he imagined the waves and what it must be like to live among them like the sea creatures do, to hear this sound every day they came to feed on the shore or to lay their eggs. He let his thoughts wander as he stood there, though his eyes only remained closed briefly as he reopened them to ensure that Armai was safe where she stood.

Brutus seemed keen on the idea of traveling so she took off after him. To her surprise he kept his pace slow so she could keep up so she traveled to his left side slightly behind him. He was easy to keep up with and she kept her ears tuned in on his paw steps to see how it sounded when he placed them down. If she heard less crunching of snow it meant there were more icy patches and she really wanted to avoid those again. Surprisingly enough it was easy going and she had no problems like she had before. A companion certainly made all the difference, but she was sure he would have physically told her if anything was in her path. She focused less on her footing when he spoke. She hadn't really expected a verbal explanation of what was surrounding them, but she was pleased by it. Nox didn't often explain the terrain unless she asked her to, but the cat didn't have the eloquent way of describing things like Brutus did. Sh tried to imagine teeth of a giant animal and how teeth felt against the skin. She couldn't actually picture colors, her world being all black, but she could imagine how they felt. Icy, cold, harsh and unforgiving. The thought made her grin. This place sounded beautiful to look at it an abnormal sort of way. "I'm glad I came. No one has ever explained my surroundings to me before." She said with a soft smile. It was a nice difference. She could hear the echoes of the waves crashing against something. It's scent was strong in the air and she raised her head to get a full breath of the fresh ocean air. She wasn't sure where he was taking her but she could only assume it was the ocean. Her suspicions were confirmed when he mentioned that it was just ahead. She nodded as he said he'd go first so she trailed up the slope after him. He stopped on an edge and she stopped next to him as he nudged her. Though she couldn't see anyways, she closed her eyes as he said listen. Raising her head again to catch the cool breeze on her face she took in the open sounds of the crashing waves and the tiny splashes they made elsewhere. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, enjoying the feel of having some company to enjoy this with. He seemed keen on the sounds of the ocean more than the sights (considering he'd said listen and wasn't explaining things anymore) so she was content to do what she did best - listen. "Do you see any animals?" She asked curiously, disrupting the silence after a long moment. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He'd furrow his 'brows just slightly as he watched her, explaining that no one had ever told her what things around her appeared like. No one had ever cared to? How could that be, he barely knew her and yet he was eager to share the experience of such awe inspiring natural occurrences like the ones here at Cathedral Point. He decided not to comment on it, but instead enjoyed the sound of the waves.

When she'd asked about animals, he shifted his attention back to her and thought for a moment. At the time, the world around them was quiet. It was just the sea, the point, and the two of them standing on top of it all beneath a northern, summer sky. Honestly, though.. if no one had ever explained to her, she had no idea what the possibilities were out here on the northern coast and that made his chest tighten just slightly. An idea came to his mind, one that some might possibly see as deceitful.. but a little white lie for the sake of happiness and experiences? Well, what harm could it do?

"Yes," he spoke confidently, his natural eloquence continuing so that he hoped his words would be heard as true. "Below us, there are several rocky structures that usually keep the tide from entering the shallow waters in the alcoves on either side of us." This part was true, and easily left his tongue, "But currently, it is high tide, and now is the time when the waves can reach over the rock walls and fill the coves, which creates a gateway for breeding salmon." It was sad, really, that there were none.. because honestly the alcoves would make perfect breeding grounds.

He continued, "The eagles know this, so standing on the higher boulders below us are two massive birds, waiting for the tide to roll out so they can pluck any salmon too slow to leave before high tide ends. These birds are huge, almost as tall as you and I, just waiting quietly and patiently for the reflective scales of trapped salmon to signal that it is time to feed." He smiled gently, looking back to her as he imagined the thought of this picture himself. It would be a shame to admit the truth, to tell her that there was nothing.. she deserved beauty, so that was the tale he told to her. One of beauty.

Armai would pull her silver form into a setting position, using her tail to place under herself as a cushion between the ice and her rear.She kept an ear trained on Brutus as she waited for an answer and she could only assume that he was looking around to see what the landscape had in store for them. By the time she'd gotten good and settled in to sit for a little while he'd spoken and her head turned towards her companion. To her glee it seemed like there were animals around them. Now Armai considered herself a rather good judge of character. She often focused on other's personalities because she had no other way of judging them. She wasn't allowed to judge a book by its cover because it was a cover she couldn't actually see. For her Brutus hadn't come across as a liar and she wasn't always the greatest at picking up changes in someone's voice when they were lying. So as Brutus started explaining everything to her in the eloquent an poetic voice that he'd used the last time to explain the ice pillars, she thought nothing of it and eagerly believed him. If he said it then surely they were really there. Instead she focused on trying to picture the rocks Brutus talked about. She tried to imagine what salmon looked like in a breeding ground. The waves were a little easier to picture. She could see them as hazardous things with no real direction as they crashed into anything and formed around whatever solid structure they came into contact with. She imagined that the depths were icy cold now despite it being summer and the thought made her shiver. She had to admit, she wasn't fond of swimming. The eagles were the most intriguing part of the story he wove. She'd never actually been around one up close. To think that they hung out here waiting for salmon made her happy. This land had a lot more hidden from her than she'd originally thought. It wasn't just all ice and snow and slipping around hoping not to run into something or bust her ass. There was beauty in it and she was more than grateful that he was sharing it with her. "I'll have to follow you around more often." She beamed delightedly at him. "Who knows what all I've missed in my travels. I could have walked past something amazing and never knew it." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

It wasn't often that Brutus' told a lie, taking honesty and the truth behind things very seriously.. but there was something about story telling in this case that just.. pleased him, and not for any ill reasons. He was simply happy to know that the story had brought joy to Armai's face, her smile lighting up her silvery visage in a way that warmed his heart. She was aglow with happiness, and that was exactly what he had hoped for his tale to inspire.

As she mentioned following him, he grinned whole-heartedly. He'd been thinking of a way to ask her if she'd mind him tagging along on her journey back to the south and he couldn't help but think that this might be the perfect opening for such a request. "Well, Armai.. you know, I've never been to the south. I could walk with you, if you like.. perhaps we'll both encounter something new, and between the three of us," he had not forgotten about the snow leopard's scent that she carried, "I am sure we won't miss a thing."

She couldn't see it, but the charm of his smile certainly leaked into his words as he proposed this idea. He'd hoped she wouldn't refuse, though he made sure to keep his mind open and understanding if she did. After all, she'd just spoke of an aspiring male alpha- chances were that she'd already been claimed, but he couldn't be certain of that so he tried his best to stay open to any and all possibilities!

Her mind was still focused on trying to picture the eagle and the salmon down below them that she'd stopped paying attention to trying to pick up on Brutus' emotions and actions. It wasn't until he offered to tag along with her to the south that she turned her head back to him. He wanted to come with her to the south? Most of her was delighted by the idea. The prospect of such wonderful company, and his pretty words, was amazing to her. They could go down to see Xeph and along the way he could describe all the things they walked past (if he wanted to) and she'd get to "see" everything in a new light. Of course if he had business here she didn't want to take him away from it either. A small part of her worried he was only doing it because he felt guilty. Of course he'd showed no signs of it in his voice, but it was a nagging paranoia for her. What if wolves were only around her because they felt sorry for her? Their sympathies were appreciated of course, but if that were truly the case then she abhorred it. She didn't want company because she was helpless. She wanted company because she liked having others around and they liked being around her. "I'd honestly love it if you traveled with me." She paused then, "but only if you want to and don't have anything else to do. I don't want to be taking you away from anything important." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"