The options of this land were growing smaller. The black wolf had a feeling she was finally tracking things down. There was something famliar about this place. About the trees. The snow. Even the scent. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. Perhaps nothing more than one of her flights of fancy or 'daydreamings' as some of her former packmates had called her quasi-visions. After all, how could she possibly recognize a scent - even a family scent - after all this time? How many miles lay in between them? How many moons? A wolf could lead a full, adventure filled life in just three years and it had been almost twice that since she'd laid eyes on any of her old family. It might as well have been decades since she bid a tearful goodbye to her parents. Saying she wanted at least a couple season to herself nad her adventures. She hadn't meant for a summer to turn into a century. So much had happened just in that first season. To her. And, she learned through rumors, to her birth-pack. She'd learned of Glaciem's disbanding. (Though she couldn't help but doubt the tongues that spoke of her sire's defeat in a challenge) She learned of its move - of its turning into a smaller clan and fading away into distant horizons. Over the years she'd always kept an eye open and an ear pricked for any news of those who still held her heart. But only recently had she heard the trailing whispers; a rise of the old Ancora line. True it was an old bloodline - its roots went deep and its branches spread far enough to encompass half a forest all on its own... but the words could not be denied. Maybe there would be close family - or maybe only cousins of cousins with no clue who she was even by name. Either way, when she found them, Orica intended to offer herself and her services as a healer. Time had softened her towards thoughts of home and hearth. Towards her past. And having pups of her own made her able to grasp a mother's love. Ocena and Gargoyle were probably long gone.. passed on to a peaceful rest together, but who knew. After all, her line had a claim to longevity and surprises. Orica prepared as best she could for such a "surprise", as she came to where the scent markers seemed strongest and sat herself down in the snow. Heaven forbid she cross the border, but she had ever intention of planting herself on the pack's doorstep and staying there until she had someone to talk to. The black and white fae let out a howl - high and haunting and sing song in its way. The call of a loner to an Alpha. To Pack. She wasn't exactly alone in truth. Yona, her dear, loyal daughter would be along shortly. They'd traveled more or less together - but always with a freedom that let the two explore and take whatever time they wished. The life of wanders and nomads would take some time before ever it rubbed off. Still, better that there was a bit of a delay in case this northern pack proved unfriendly. Orica was not a fighter.  Never had been. But she had her own wars and battle fronts all the same. She'd held life and death in her paws, as so many of her kin and kind had. Perhaps a wise wolf would see that in her eyes despite her short statue and gentle demeanor.

Crouched among the grass, amber eyes stared intently at her target. She was on the hunt, tongue swiping out in a flash as she licked her lips. With the heat still upon them (though not as strongly as other parts of the continent), prey was scarce. So she took every opportunity she could to hunt down whatever prey she could find and would often leave it where alot of the pack members crossed, leaving the kills free for the taking. This time, she was attempting to hunt down a thin looking hare. It wasn't much to look at, but it was something right? Nostrils flared, she pulled herself forward as quietly as she could, paws lightly touching the ground. Luckily her paws were slightly padded with the longer fur that curled between her toes, so it helped when she was in sneak mode. So focused on her task, the alphess was now only about three feet away. She readied herself, preparing to take the final leap and catch her prey. That is...until a howl sounded. Flattening her ears, she looked back towards the borders for a quick second, and by the time she returned her gaze to the hare, it was already darting away. Startled from the call. "Dammit!" Huffing, she stood up with a frown. Well, she lost that one. She supposed she had to go see who it was that had made her lose the catch, and the voice wasn't recognizable...slightly irritated, she made her way to the borders, fluffy plume waving in the air. As she approached, she spotted a black and white female sitting at the borders, though she was oblivious to the fact on who it was. It had been so very long, subconsciously her mind knew, but as of now she did not. "Welcome, stranger. How can I be of service?" Her gaze had lost its look of irritation, instead being replaced by curiosity. Ivalice seemed to be a busy place, never really a dull moment upon its borders it seemed. "Speech"

back where i belong, i never felt so strong It wasn't long before a new scent came on the wind. A sound - paws of a hunter settling on snow rather than crunching through it - firm steps headed her way. Orica forced herself to remain calm, not wanting to appear antsy or nervous. Such misplaced energy tended to have a poor effect on predator species. Perhaps she needn't have worried. For as soon as she caught a glimpse of the figure she went still. At first little more than a grey gosimer shadow moving between the pines. Ears and legs emerged - and a tail held proud and high as an alpha's. The other wolf, female by the smell, had a mottled mix of grey and black fur - with tips of yellow like viens of gold ore shot through her pelt. It was impossible to mistake such markings. Strange and singiular, perhaps to many wolves, but oh so familiar to Orica. Avalon... Her sister had inherited much of the family stock. The massive size, the powerful, kneading shoulders, the long tail, the markings, even the gold eyes so like her half-wolf grandmother's. Avalon. A kingly name for a creature that walked the earth like a queen. Her yellow paws came nearer without hesitance, without fear, padding like the beat of a military parade. Orica suppressed a shiver at the first focus of that face on hers. Oh her sister had most certainly taken up the family's call to war and ruling. All those gold eyes had seen, all those gold paws had done, was an absolute mystery to Orica, but her eyes and heart hailed them as familiar. As family. As her own. Even if... Even if there was no recognition on the features of the other wolf. But really, what had she expected? Orica knew she was hardly descript as far as wolves went. She had none of her clan's fur colors and markings. Save perhaps the black strips that ran down her forelegs. Hardly noteworthy. She was cloaked in simple black and white. Her eyes, far from the golds and greens of her family, were a brilliant, saphhire-esq blue. Almost her mother's twin, where as the others of her litter harkened more to their father. What's more, she'd changed and greyed with maturity. With age. The white markings of her face had faded and blended, as happens. The snow of her belly had spread into her sides, her legs, her tail. She wouldn't call herself old, but she was no longer young. In her current state, there was little to remind anyone of the tiny, sapling-legged sprite that used to twirl through snowdrifts looking for half frozen bits of plant. As for her scent, that was of a hundred other lands and a hundred other wolves. Though after her recent wanderings alone, would probably just consist of earth and herbs. Little wonder that Avalon first greeted her as an unknown. It gave Orica a strange gift. For how often does one get to see their own blood under the guise of a stranger? How could she be of service? "F-forgive me..." she began at first, her voice failing her. She had to clear her throat, collecting herself quickly. "Pardon me for taking up your time, but I've come a long way in search of such a pack as this. I would like to offer my own service - as a healer - if it can be of any use to you and yours." She bowed her head slighlty. The spell seemed broken over her frozen body and her eyes glittered with all the emotion and excitement that she refused to squirm under a minute before. "Are you the alpha of these lands?" For if not, a loner wolf would want to speak to just such a person, and Orica was devilishly curious. Avalon walked like a leader, but her family, after all, had that trait. Possibly she was a captain of warriors or a second in command, maybe an experienced claw in battle who was trusted with guarding the borders. If Avalon was here, then who else? This was perhaps the most exciting thought. Could there be others of her siblings? Was one of them the alpha? So many questions she so desperately wanted to ask. Had she been her younger self she would've already leapt into Avalon's embrace - or rather, her snarling mouth - this was hardly a wolf to surprise or mess with. its time to make your house your home

Yona had been following her mom since she was curious about their family. A whole side she knew almost nothing about as the wolf stood beside her. She smiled as they did, she knew her mother wanted to join avalon her aunts pack. Which Yona made it clear she was going to try and find her own path. More here to meet family and of course make sure her mother was okay. When they arrived the mostly white female remained quiet. Watching the two carefully as she did bow her head to avalon. It crossed her mind that had her mother got the right person but it had to be.

"I'm yona, it's nice to meet you." Yona gave a soft smile towards avalon. Hoping something would click she could only imagine being separated from her own siblings that long enough for them to need a reminder of who they were. The reaction though yona was waiting for something exciting!

Her ears flicked as the woman before her apologized. What was she apologizing for? She had done nothing wrong. She watched her curiously as she seemed to almost fumble for words. After a moment, the dual toned woman managed to.collect herself, giving her reason for being upon the packs doorstep today. Avalon listened with intent, eyes lighting up for a moment. So, this woman wanted to join as a healer? It seemed the winds of fate were making up for a loss. After all, Vereux was the only healer that the pack had before...and he had recently passed away. Okami and Charm had wanted to take on the role, but they were inexperienced pups. So the pack was left without a healer, and had been for some time now. Her tail wagged, a smile growing on her face.

"I am indeed. My name is Avalon, chief of the northern clan known as Ivalice." Despite her worries and fears and doubts she had been having, she still held a sense of pride about what she'd been able to create and continue. One day, one of her kids would inherit the clan. And she knew that no matter what, they would continue where she'd left off. Just as she had continued what her family line had started. When that time came, however, well...she wasn't quite sure. Still, she would always hold pride for the legacy.

Amber gaze turned to another female who approached at the newcomers side. A dip of her head given in greeting as the young woman offered her name. "It is nice to meet you, Yona." Looking at the both of them, realizing then that both had similar scents and similar appearances. Though the older woman had more black while Yona's coat was more white dominant. She didn't know if she too planned on joining. "It seems we may be in luck. Our only healer recently passed away...and we've been left without one. We'd be more than happy to have your help."

Flicking an ear, she realized she hadn't gotten the name of the older woman. She still had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite place what it was...and yet somehow, the more she looked at the woman's eyes, she felt a sort of familiarity there...but why? "I'm...sorry, but it seems I haven't gotten your name yet. It must have slipped my mind with the excitement of a healer coming to us."

ooc: im so sorry for this being so late! november has been crazier than expected! I'll try to be better about this~ ~*~  Yona came along not long afterwards. A sight for sore eyes. Orica had done her share of exploring on her own - espically when around the borders of unknown packs. Call her protective. Call her silly. But packs could ignore one random little old she-wolf pottering about in the wilderness, maybe even let her go if caught, but two suddenly became a threat. Yona was bigger and younger and beautiful and Orica, well, she didn't like risking -other- people's lives. In fact, she would have preferred her daughter wait a little longer. She hadn't given a signal that all was safe. This giant she-alpha could have been an enemy. Ah, but her daughter was too smart for that, too observant. As she came crunching through the snow, Orica rubbed a shoulder against her affectionately. "My daughter," she put in when the other introduced herself. By way of explanation. Her eyes never left Avalon. Her very soul soaked up every word she spoke. Ivalice. A beautiful name. And she used such words as 'chief' and 'clan' - just as their birthpack had. Was Ivalice like Glaciem then? Orica's fur began to fluff, standing on end with the electicity of her excitement. She might have been a yearling again - in spirit, even if her body was now beyond seven years. They needed a healer. Orica dipped her head, in honor and acceptance. The fates seemed to have aligned somehow. She was meant to come home. To find a stable pack where she was loved and needed. And perhaps her growing excitement was all too showing, for Avalon was looking at her curiously, those gold eyes so powerful and keen. She apologized, unsure a moment as she asked for Orica's name. And the healer just smiled, eyes maybe a little moist. "Have I changed all that much, Avie? Don't you know your sister?" It was said teasingly, with all the warmth of her heart. She almost gave out a laugh as she said it, but it turned watery. She was ready now to be bowled over or to do some charging herself. Beyond thought of time and distance and chance, she was home.

Unfortunately, she hadn't caught on as quickly as she should have. Years had passed since she had last seen Orica, and the same had happened with the rest of her siblings. Galahad had been recognized fairly quickly, and Oracle a close second. Amber gaze watched the woman before her, their eyes seemingly never straying from one another. While she seemed...oblivious to who was standing right in front of her, she did feel something strange stirring within the deepest parts of her soul. It was as if there was an old spirit here that she knew...something that felt familiar yet foreign. Long ago she had given up on ever finding her family...and then it seemed that out of the wood work, Galahad and Oracle had come springing into her life. They were all older now...the last she had seen any of them was when they were all nothing more than kids. Maybe it was her memory failing her, or maybe it was just the fact that they'd all been a part for so long...she firmly believed it was the latter. She wasn't incredibly old just yet. Her memory still worked exceptionally well when it came to significant events in her life, after all. She didn't have to wait too long for a response from the healer, and the woman's words caused Avalon's world to still into silence. Avie... That nickname...she...she hadn't heard that since..."Don't you know your sister?" Her eyes widened, her breath stilled along with the world around her. Sister...? But...that was impossible...wasn't it? No. She had thought that before, and yet she had found Galahad and Oracle. She stared, speechless at the grown woman before her. No longer were they children, but both full grown adults heading into their senior years. Time had flown so quickly...and the pieces of her memory of their first summer began to fall into place. The woman before her had an uncanny resemblance to their dear mother, while Avalon herself followed more after their father. "O...Orica?" Her own eyes grew moist before they let loose any tears. But they weren't sad tears, no. Quite the opposite in fact. Her heart hammered against her chest, and it took a moment to collect herself as she processed the name that fell so easily from her tongue now. "Orica!" She said louder this time, a series of happy whining slipping past her lips as she burst forward. Avalon couldn't believe it! The fates had once again, brought to her someone that was near and dear to her heart! Her litter mate was here, she was home! She happily and greedily embraced her sister, tongue rapidly moving to cover her tiny sister in as many kisses as she possibly could. She was so happy, so excited and ecstatic beyond measure and words, that her tail wagged furiously, thus causing her entire body to wiggle back and forth. "Orica! I've missed you so much!" She didn't know what else to say. It was hard even getting words out past the lump of happiness in her throat. All she could do was whine and bark in excitement as she assaulted her sister with hugs and kisses. "Speech"