Ara was beyond grateful that spring had come.  Winter had been a trying season for her - while she was an optimistic wolf, after being without her wife for so long she had begun to lose hope. How long had it been, anyway? She hadn't seen her at all through the winter before this one, she remembered that, as the cooler seasons were always the hardest for her. It had been more than a year, she knew at least. Perhaps even closer to two. She'd held onto hope for so long. Novel loved her, and she loved her just as fiercely. Maybe something had happened to her on the way to Ahlon. But there wasn't much she could do about it. Somehow, she'd never even learned where Ahlon was; perhaps even Novel hadn't fully known how to get there. What she did know was that she had been without her for a painfully long time. At least with spring's arrival she could keep herself distracted enough to not fall apart entirely. Dormant plants seemed to come to life as the earth thawed, as the sun's rays grew warmer and the world overall more hospitable. The air was full of scents today as she made her way through the grove of young redwood trees, tail hanging limply between her hind legs. Her attention was, for now, on the scents that surrounded her. One in particular caught her scent - yarrow. It was a common enough flower, but one she hadn't collected for awhile, and could prove to be useful. Her nostrils flared as she wove between the trees, searching for a cluster of the flowers. As she moved, she was hit with a sudden wave of sadness, something she hadn't anticipated in the slightest. Her chest felt heavy and she found against the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. No, she told herself firmly. I will not cry. Ara trudged on, trying to distract herself as she searched through the underbrush here and there to find where the yarrow might be located.

*Navigation - Redbud Nook

There was a certain air of sadness lingering around the spotted man, his steps slow as he meandered through the young forest. He was trying not to stay in one place for too long, after not seeing Phantom for this long he knew that something was amiss. He hoped that the German Shepherd was okay, but with the number of wolves that could be after them he tried not to get his hopes up. It was the sad reality of life, something that he was trying his best to take in stride. But he wanted to make it harder for anyone who was looking for him, meaning he needed to move constantly. It had been hard on his asthma, all this walking around, but he was a bit excited to be able to see more of these odd lands. Today his lungs seemed to be listening, so far. He wouldn't let it get to his head, often times they liked to do their own thing. Deciding to not push himself with the added bonus of his sour mood, he allowed himself to just walk around the trunks of the trees. Wrapping around one, he itched his left flank against it with the tiniest hint of a smile. It wasn't often that he was alone like this, so it was nice that he was able to find enjoyment in the little things. Back home it was hard for him to be able to take a break and just walk through the forest, to look at the things that were around him. Now that it was spring, there were more greens and yellows in the world again, a freshness in the air that could only be the first hints of summer. There was a different taste to the lands here, as he sampled the air on his tongue he could taste it. It was hard to explain, there were no words he could think of that would describe it. Smacking his lips together, he mulled it over while he made he way through the land. It didn't take too long before the scent of another wolf crossed his path, making him lift his nose from where he had stopped to sniff at a burrow. Tilting his head to the side, he dropped down towards the earth slightly as he inspected the area around him. He had every right to be wary, he had no idea who could be after him. Peeking around the base of the nearest tree, he saw a brown and tan woman moving through the woods, seemingly searching for something. His heart started to pound in his chest, fear gripping at belly. He had no idea who his brother would send, but he knew that he wouldn't stop at anything until he was dead. Swallowing hard, he inspected the stranger for a moment before he took a few steps backwards. He had to get out of here. Just as he was about to turn and flee, her face turned enough that he saw her features. He froze, narrowing his yellow eyes slightly to hone in on her face. She seemed... sad. More so than him himself, and almost as if she was lonely. He knew that it could all be a trap, it was easy enough to wear an emotion on your face but not feel it in your heart; just as you could hide something from your eyes but not from your soul. Rising up, he thought for a moment more before stepping out from around the tree. He was now in full view of the stranger, taking in her smaller stature and more delicate nature. Eniko didn't judge her ability to fight on her looks, though. There were many times when his slighter sisters were able to overpower him in a fight, although he was at a disadvantageous with his disability. Not wanting to seem rude, the fawn-coloured man cleared his throat to grab her attention. He didn't wish to startle her, but he was still on high alert. His ears were fully pointed towards her, his eyes wide. His face was a mask of indifference, there was hardly anything the stoic man showed on his features. With his head raised and his tails low between his hocks, he waited to see if she would turn towards him, or just move on. He wouldn't force an interaction, but quickly tired to think of something to say if she turned around. "SPEAK"

Art by Shelby

Ara was all too familiar with wondering, with hoping and dreaming of what might come tomorrow. There was no turning back time, and though she had some regret she knew that dwelling on it did little good. Moving forward was the only thing that made things easier. Never easy persay, just more bearable. A heavy sigh fell from her lips as she moved, wishing she could leave her thoughts behind for more than a few moments at a time these days. Her posture revealed more of her mood than she realized. Her tail hung limply between her hind legs, and her shoulders hunched forward, head low to the ground. Each step was somber, slow and lazy. Though she caught whiff of multiple scents that might be of interest.. the redwood trees had quite a unique scent, and she swore she smelled freshly budding lavender somewhere nearby. But even more indistinguishable was the scent of a stranger, hitting her rather suddenly. Only vaguely curious, Ara's head lifted slightly, nostrils flaring as she searched for the source of it so it wouldn't catch her by surprise. She was still surprised when he finally entered her vision, somewhere to the side of her, only partially in the direction she'd been heading. Her pace came to an abrupt halt as she slowly turned to face him, a brief look of confusion crossing her features. He looked nearly as surprise as she did, though she felt very much like she was the one that had been caught by surprise. "Oh!" Ara would exclaim, her voice soft, as she assessed the stranger. "Hello there." It took a long moment for her to force a smile - it felt far more difficult than she had anticipated.

The stranger did turn around, her bright blue eyes set in her oliver toned fur. She was quite pretty looking, marks under her eyes making them stand out even more. She seemed just as shocked as he was, and he was thankful that he had been right in assuming that she was a gentle soul. The smile that came to her face was all too familiar to him -- and very much fake. Shaking his head back and forth, he stepped away from the tree and took a few more steps towards her. Not wanting to come to into her bubble, he searched her face with his golden eyes. "Please miss, you don’t need to make yourself appear happy in front of a stranger. You have nothing to prove to me," he said softly, his stoic face canting towards one side as he took a seat. Calmly he settled within it, his half a tail curled around his rump. She was a bit smaller than he was, but not by an aweful lot. Her scent betrayed her as a pack wolf, but it was not one that he had picked up on anyone else that he had met. Well, not that Eniko had met very many wolves in this strange land. Dipping his head slightly towards the woman, he picked up his front leg in a half bow. He was nothing if not formal, something so ingrained in him that it was impossible to stop it. "My name is Eniko, and I may be but a stranger but my ears were designed to listen, if you wish to unload your troubled heart." It was a bit crass of him, but it was the gentlemanly thing to do, was it not? In the way she had been holding herself, it was not hard to see that there was some sort of burden on her shoulders. Part of his training to be king had included speaking with the common wolf and hearing their problem, offering them advice where he could. Mostly he would listen, only speaking his mind if he thought that it would help them. His father had told him that it was on the backs of the working wolves that the kingdom stood, and they should be treated with as much respect as they could muster. But was it still that way under his tyrant brothers paw? Pushing away his thoughts of home, he calmly sat there as he awaited the woman’s answer. It was probably strange, for a perfect stranger to offer themselves that way. He didn’t mind though, he had been feeling terribly lonely since Phantom had gone missing. So used to the dogs constant companionship, he craved even the simplest of conversations. "SPEAK"

Art by Shelby

Ara hadn't realized that her mood was so easy to discern. Truthfully, she had a rather.. unassuming presence and never called for much attention, so it seemed rare she was noticed at all unless she meant to be. She shook her head, feeling heat rise to her face, and glad at least he could not notice her bashfulness. It seemed rude to not feign a positive attitude around strangers, especially ones she had just barely met -- they didn't need to be burdened with her troubles, not at all. Slowly she shook her head, a bit dismissively, at the notion. "Oh, I'm fine," she told him gently, her tail flicking lightly behind her. She watched as he settled down, bowing slightly to her. She wasn't used to such formality, and was slightly taken aback. Ara dipped her own muzzle in a slight nod of respect to him. "It's a pleasure, Eniko," she started, the smile she wore now far more genuine. "My name's Ara." She didn't remember when she'd stopped using her wife's surname, but it had fallen from her introductions over time -- it was probably a good thing she didn't realize, due to how guilty it would've made her feel. Though she appreciated his kind words, she wasn't used to sharing much of anything with anyone, let alone someone she'd just met a moment ago. "I.. appreciate the thought, but I wouldn't want to burden you. I'm fine, really." The corners of her lips twitched up in another faint smile. 'What brings you to these parts, anyway, Eniko?" The way he spoke was oddly proper, and she couldn't help the nagging feeling that he wasn't from these lands, at least not originally.

She hastily dismissed his offer, and Eniko just dipped his head again. Of course he wouldn't push anything on this stranger, but honestly he was lonely. He missed the ease that him and Phantom had been able to communicate in, and without him here he felt so alone. Back home he was constantly surrounded by family, guards, and him. His dearest Phantom... The spotted man shoved the thought away violently, this was not the time to dwell on these facts. He smiled softly at the woman as he settled, taking a few deep breaths into his aching lungs. Ignoring the pain, he glanced around at the forest as she asked why he was here. Well, that was a good question, and it could be taken in a more broad spectrum as well. She could mean here in this very area, or just here in every sense of the word. Overthinking was another quality that he seemed to hold on to. "It's a pleasure miss Ara. As for what I'm doing here, I'm just a simple wanderer." His words were on the more... casual side of being formal. If that was even a thing. He couldn't just unload his life story on this stranger, plus it wasn't really the most safe thing to do. Thumping his half-tail on the ground, his head fell to one side slightly. "And what of you? You smell of a pack, but these are unclaimed lands." Well of course she knew she was in a pack, stupid. Eniko would hit his head with his paw if he could right now. Really he wasn't the best with casual conversations, he was too choppy and awkward sometimes. Letting out a small chuckle, he shook his head. "Sorry, I've clearly been on my own for too long. I'm a bit out of practice at the art of conversation." He said apologetically. "SPEAK"

Art by Shelby

Though she wasn't at all offended by his ability to discern her mood, and she certainly appreciated his offer of listening, she was grateful too when he didn't insist on it. Her woes were exactly something she was comfortable sharing with anyone, especially a stranger. Truthfully she felt guilty for feeling so down anyway and tried not to reflect too long on her own misfortunes, which were relatively minor compared to what some wolves might be going through. Her smile was more genuine now, relaxing now that she was no longer surprised by his presence. "A wanderer, you say?" Ara asked, more a rhetorical question than anything, her tail waving gently. She had thought occasionally that the life of a wanderer might be ideal for her. She had always been fairly introverted, independent by nature and she had always loved seeing what the world had to offer. But she clung to familiar things too, to the hope that someday her wife would return home to her and that things would go back to what they had once been. "You must see some interesting things on your travels, Eniko." There was a faint hint of envy in her voice, longing for a life she knew she would never live, but was happy to daydream about. Some of her best memories had been in the time she'd spent traveling with Novel, exploring whatever lands they had wanted to. "I am from a pack nearby, called Fiori," she explained with a slight dip of her muzzle. "I frequent this redwood forest, though. I've always liked it here." She loved being surrounded by vegetation and trees, no matter the type, but this young forest had always appealed to her. Not finding him awkward at all, she shook her head at his words, dismissing his apology entirely. "It's no problem," Ara replied with a kind smile. "I haven't spoken to many wolves lately, myself."

The fawn coloured man couldn't help but smile even more when the female seemed to settle down more, the smile on her own features grew. It was always a pleasure to see someone become more into their own, his half of a tail wiggling behind him. He nodded his head a few times as she twisted the question back, glancing around them for a moment. He wished that he wasn't, desperately longing for a home again. This had been the longest time that he had been away from anyone in his family, and the constant routine that he had was something he craved once more. "At times, miss Ara. But to be honest, I am jealous of those who have a home. While it's wonderful to see this land... I miss being surrounded by those that care for me." It wasn't hard to miss the pang of homesickness in his vocals, his gaze flitting back to her features. He missed his sisters, and most of all he longed for Phantom's company. They had been at each others side since they were puppies, but now he was gone. And it was all his fault. If he hadn't been born with this damn sickness he would have been able to better fight off his brother, but instead he had been forced to focus on learning everything else. Sure, he had been taught how to defend himself, but it was more in the art of dispatching an opponent quickly before his lungs got the best of him. When he asked about a pack, she went on to explain that it was nearby and called Fiori. Oh, Italian? Interesting. He didn't hear the drawl of it in her tone, but it could have been a leader or two ago that named the pack. His ears stood tall as he listened to her, speaking about how she often came to this place. He stood, taking a few steps to look at the trees that surrounded them. It was a lovely place, the scent of herbs covering mostly everything else with the sharp call of birds over head. "It's peaceful, I see why you come here often." Eniko said softly, a hint of wonderment in his usually stony voice. Peeking back at her when she too admitted to not talking much, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Spinning to face her again, he dipped his head ever so slightly. "We have a bit in common, miss Ara. Tell me, do you long for companionship as well?" He wasn't meaning to offend her, but to be off on her own a lot while in a pack... well there must be something that she was searching for. She could just not be in the best of moods to be a part of a group of wolves, but there was something else there. Her sadness from before and her wandering paws, well it reminded him a lot of himself and where he was right now in his life. "SPEAK"

Art by Shelby

Her own lips quirked upward in a gentle smile, appreciating his kindness. She'd been deep in her thoughts when he had first encountered her, and slowly Eniko had eased her out of her somber mood. Slowly, definitely, but surely. His words rung true, and she nodded slowly; she would give up anything, literally anything, to be surrounded by family again. What she wouldn't give for more time with Novel and their sweet sons.  The woman nodded in agreement to what he'd said.  "I understand what you mean," Ara admitted, her tail waving gently behind her.  "As much as I long to see more of the world, I too enjoy being around those familiar to me." And ensuring her wife would always have a home, if she ever returned to her. If, not when. It no longer felt like something inevitable, but a distance possibility, something that crushed her but that she was beginning to accept. She released a soft sigh as she reclined to her haunches where she stood. He acknowledge what she'd said about this place being peaceful, and nodded her head again.  "I think so too," she smiled at his appreciation of the place, letting her gaze drift away from him and to their surroundings. His question, though, took her slightly by surprise.  "I.. do miss someone quite a bit," Ara admitted after a moment, not stopping to marvel at the fact that he had gotten her to talk without her intending to.  "My mate has been missing for quite some time. It does wear down on me at times." That was putting it lightly, but her somber tone said more than her words ever could.