Félicien came to pause by the long river he’d come across. Frigid air rose from it, promising of chilly temperatures within the water. The older brute flicked his torn ear, a thoughtful look within his gaze. He was a bit hungry, though he wasn’t sure if he was of the mind to fish. He was willing to take his time, however, and learn what he could of these lands. Who knew? Perhaps he might even come across a new ally here. The thought caused a smirk to appear on the brute’s face, crinkling the scar upon his muzzle. Yeah right. He knew the chances of making a friend here were not that likely. Now if he wanted to make an enemy… well… that was about as likely as him getting wet from fishing, now wasn’t it?

Birds overhead caused Féli to lift his head, ears perking upward. Now they could make an interesting meal… if only he could catch them. Perhaps, the older man mused, he could try tracking them down to where they would rest. But who knew how long that would take with the current season? No, perhaps he’d better stick to fish… or continue on his way in hopes of finding some other morsel to nibble upon.

“It’s growing late… going to have to make a decision soon.” He didn’t really want to bed down by the water… but perhaps getting a meal out of the river would make that worth it. He carefully crossed towards the water, lowering his head first to drink. The whole while his body was alert, ears staining to catch the sound of anyone who might be trying to sneak up upon him.

Zephyr had been away from Félicien for.. how long had it been, now? Being on his own had not been all that strange to him, though the period of time he'd been on his own was a bit unusual. He didn't spend every waking moment with the man he considered his mentor, but going this long without seeing him was highly unusual. Not only had he not seen him, but.. he'd reunited with both Asha and Caelum, by some twisted stroke of fate. He cringed even now at the thought, knowing exactly how Félicien would react to the news.. or so he thought.

As soon as he caught his friend's trail he followed it, despite the unease he felt at whatever conversation might unfold. His scent trailed along a long stretch of river, winding gently through the landscape. It was a frigid day, and a gentle breeze caused his fur to stand on end as a shiver temporarily took hold of him. He'd never been a huge fan of the colder seasons, but the weather here was mild enough that it caused little real annoyance.

He caught sight of his friend from a far distance. Hardly even far enough to see him at all, but too far to catch any details. His pace increased, ears flicking as he drew closer to his friend, making no effort to silence his pawsteps. He knew Feli would hear him, regardless of whether he tried to disguise the sound of his approach or not. A slight grin tugged at his lips as he dipped his head in greeting as he got without earshot. "Hanging out with all your friends?" he quipped playfully, his grin widening as he closed the distance between them.

…Zephyr was right. Though Félicien was focused on making a decision he heard the approach of the other, betraying that just by the slightest turn of an ear. When he heard the other’s voice he couldn’t help but allow a slight smile to cross onto his face before he turned towards the other male. “Ahh you’ve caught me. Hope you’re not too jealous, Zephyr.” His words back with a bit playful, though seriousness soon returned to the man.

“Been a while, though. I hope that this land finds you well.” His silvery-gray eyes shifted towards the other male, head cocking slightly to the side. “I was hoping to run into you here, though I hadn’t necessarily expected it to be so soon.” Félicien let out a soft chuckle. “Seems the world works in mysterious ways. Tell me, friend, what have you been up to as of late?”

Amusement danced in his eyes as he drew closer to his friend. It was nice to see him again - it had been long enough that he actually found himself missing the other man a bit. He was grateful to see he was well, and he found his tail waving gently behind him.  "Only a bit," he joked back at him with an audible snort, half-laughing.  "But it's okay. I mostly feel pity, not envy." His tone was clearly jestful, and he grinned wider as he shoved Felicien's shoulder lightly with his snout.

He paused for a moment after Felicien spoke. "It.. has," he started carefully, eyeing him and wondering how much success his mentor had been having here, in all regards. Mostly in business, if he was being honest.  "Things have been somewhat quiet." He shifted his weight from one side of his body to the other, musing over what he ought to share.  "Though," Zephyr started, clearing his throat,  "I have ran into some.. characters from my past, you could say." He watched his friend, wondering how he might react.

Zephyr’s own town was light, jestful as he answered him. Félicien always felt a bit lighter around the younger male, like he could lower his guard, if just a bit. The light in his silvery-gray eyes danced as he watched Zeph, noticing how the male shifted, how his words suddenly became more careful after his own questions. Félicien flicked both ears forward curiously, watching the man politely until he gave some info that made the old mercenary wonder.

“Characters from your past, hmm?” Féli closed his eyes, giving a soft sigh. “I take it there is more you’re reluctant to tell me about these meetings?” He opened his eyes again, flicking one ear back. There was definitely more to be said, though how much his friend was willing to share on his own was to be seen.

Zephyr appreciated his companion's company. It was easy to relax in his presence, and he wore a small grin that came effortlessly, spread across his features. Slowly he reclined at his friend's side, tail batting lightly against the earth. He wished he could delay telling Félicien the news, but he had never hid much from the man and he knew it would come up eventually. His mentor had always seemed to have a way of knowing when something was on his mind. He cleared his throat before tilting his head to the side, watching him keenly.

"Mmm," he murmured thoughtfully, ears flicking as he turned his head. His gaze found his reflection, rippling in the river's unstable current, hardly recognizable at all.   "I ran into Asha recently. Then Caelum. Guess she's still alive." His voice was somber, and only mildly disinterested. Their initial meeting had been.. quite difficult, to say the least. It seemed like she wanted to see him again, but how could he be certain? He shifted his weight on his front paws. Maybe she was gone for good this time. He fell silent, unsure what else to share since he hadn't quite decided how he felt about any of it.

The man listened as his companion relayed the news. Asha… that wasn’t too bad, though hearing that he’d also run into Caelum had Félicien bristling. “Caelum?” He asked, a slight edge of cool anger ever so lightly coating his words. The woman held much of the blame for Zephyr’s pain… the loss of his children. Féli flicked his ears back, silvery-gray gaze slowly closing as he took a deep breath in and then exhaled.

“You guess she’s still alive… so you didn’t put an end to her yourself?” Félicien decided to look upon Zephyr then, trying to read his expression. There was still more to this yet, more than what the man knew. He furrowed his brow and was silent for a moment before he looked back towards the river, flipping his ears forward once more.

“Did you change your mind about what you want to do regarding her, Zeph?” The man asked, his voice becoming level once more. “If you need another paw to take care of her you know you only need to ask.” He was talking business now, his voice holding a serious note now. “Though it’s up to you what you wish to do with her…”

It wasn't much of a surprise that Félicien grew quickly agitated at the mention of Caelum. Briefly he closed his eyes, falling into private though for a moment before bringing himself to speak again. "Yep," Zephyr replied simply, though he knew his friend wasn't waiting for an answer. His own tail would flick in irritation. He'd have to be cautious how much he said about his mentor; his reunion with Caelum had gone differently than he'd expected. Maybe he'd spent so much time forcing her from his mind that he never expected to encounter her again, and it had taken him by surprise.

A slight frown tugged at his lips at the other man's words. "I.. didn't," he answered, a slight touch of hesitation in his voice. No matter what they'd discussed in the past, disposing of her hadn't ever truly crossed his mind, and even now the thought made his chest clench uncomfortably. "I think I can handle her on my own," he finally answered, though he wasn't quite sure what he meant. "Thanks for the offer though." It was difficult to hide the angst he felt, though his expression tightened as he eyed the river as well.

Félicien figured as much, especially when he noticed the touch of hesitation in Zephyr’s voice. But the older gentleman didn’t pry further, knowing that the decision to make on Caelum was for Zeph alone. He’d respect his friend’s wishes, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with them. Still, his answer was enough to satisfy Féli for now, and the brute gave a slow nod. “So long as you are sure of that, Zephyr, then I don’t think there is anything to worry about. You’ll make the decision that is right for you I’m sure.” The brute stretched a bit.

“Don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit tired. I was going to find somewhere to rest for the night. Would you care to join me?” The dark furred brute rose, swishing his tail thoughtfully back and forth. Right now there was not too much point in getting more riled up. If Zephyr changed his mind and wanted him to help with Caelum he’d let him know… and if not, well… It was up to Félicien to carry on about his own way.

Disposing of Caelum had been something Felicien had touched on more than once. The idea had never settled perfectly well with him, but he also hadn't anticipated running into her again. Now that he had, the mere thought made his stomach twist painfully. Though their reunion hadn't been the most pleasant, it was impossible to picture doing anything to actually hurt her - and he wasn't sure if never seeing her again was a good solution either. Briefly his eyes closed, feeling the pressure growing in his head.

He was grateful that his friend didn't press the issue. It was a conversation he wasn't ready to have, and likely one that wouldn't go well, either. He mimicked Felicien's movements, stretching his forelimbs in a slow motion in front of him. Resting did sound like a good plan, though, and Zephyr nodded stoically. "Rest sounds necessary," he sighed, realizing just then how tired he was. It'd been awhile since he'd rested at Felicien's side and he found himself grateful for the companionship again. "Let's go, then."

- exit -