Ankaios found himself straying farther and farther than he originally planned. He had no intention of wandering so far from Talis' broders, but each new horizon seemed to taunt him with something valuable. Either it was a rare plant, a knowledgeable passerby, or simply something worth exploring. Whatever the exact cause was, he had wound up back in Boreas once again. He swore to himself that he would return at dawn tomorrow, no questions asked. For now... Well. One more night never killed anyone, right? (It absolutely has.) He sought horsetail, having not acquired any of it thus far. It could be used to biding wounds and whatnot, and perhaps you could call him obsessive but he was uncomfortable at the thought of having anything less than a fully stocked cache of herbs at his disposal. Ankaios pressed on among the ferns, looking for pools or streams that might host the plant somewhere on their banks. He wished for the umpteenth time that he could devise something to help him carry whatever he might find, but so far he could rely on only his teeth. He let out a withering sigh, contenting himself with hauling the sticky plant all the way back to Talis. "Talk" "You" Think

Artemis had taken down a dall sheep all by her lonesome the day before, and she was quite proud of herself. Well, in truth she had chased the frightened creature over the edge of a steep ravine and, having lost it's footing, it had perished from the impact of it's fall. One way or another the pack would have a fair bit of meat to sustain it for at least a few days, and she decided she was fit for a reward. This reward was, of course, scouting other lands in search of more things to hunt. If there was one downside to pack life, it was that the terrain of their territory got a bit repetitive. Whatever else she might be, Artemis was an Aeris and Aeris wolves could not resist the call to wander. She had done her best so far to adhere to Crew's borders and ensure she devoted her energy within the pack, but she could hold out no longer. She did not range too far, staying close enough that she could return in a day if she was hard pressed and gave herself little rest. It was all the justification she needed. The last thing she expected to find in the course of her helpless wandering was another Aeris. She caught sight of the nebulous man long before he even caught wind of her. Artemis froze, molten mercury eyes narrowing to slits. Who the hell was this? He was smaller than her by a good few inches, though clearly a bit older. She did not know him, but the starry pattern of his coat was unmistakeable. She had never seen a wolf unrelated to her which could match their inherited intensity and hue. Bright markings swirled upon his legs, adorned a pair of golden eyes, and his build gave her every inkling that he was some kin to her. She cleared her throat and stepped forward into a small clearing, making herself quite known. "Talk" "You" Think

Ankaios looked up at the sound of another, a sound which did not necessarily denote pleasantries. The female he found was larger than him, clearly quite wary and... Gods be good. He coat was a marvel, unlike anything he had seen since leaving his homeland. His hackles rose at once, assuming that she had been sent to find him, persecute him for leaving the tribe he had been born to. They were strict about all adhering to the whims of the gods, and his abandonment could be construed as treason. His lips peeled back for a moment, heart racing, wondering what he ought to do. Ankaios was no fighter, that much was certain. This woman was younger than him, and looked to be in her prime. Her frame showed muscle, as if hard used and regularly subjected to physical labor, very unlike his own wraith-like frame. During this inspection, last but certainly not least, he got a good look at her face. The shape of her skull, the set of her eyes, he saw in her something incredibly familiar. Too familiar, even. Slowly his hackles lowered, though his suspicion would not fade. She had not attacked him thus far, and he thought her a poor assassin for this, if it had been her original intent. By this point, he suspected not. “I don't know you,” he said, stating the obvious. “What is your name?” His tone was clipped, lacking the courtesy which was almost always present. To say he was on edge would be quite the understatement. He wanted answers, not to make friends. Who was this woman and how did she arrive here? He would not relax until he knew. "Talk" "You" Think

Artemis saw hostility flare in the fiery man as he realized she was there, and Art matched him in turn. Her lips peeled back as well, bracing for impact should he choose to lunge at her. Mithras had told her small bits of why he, Mother and Aunt Caia had left. Their relatives were cruel, he'd claimed, and had imposed a regimen of worship that had nearly gotten her blasphemous father killed. So what was one of them doing here? He asked her name and she scoffed. Perhaps it would have been wiser to conceal that information, but conflict only served to embolden her, as was her way. “Artemis Aeris, daughter of Mithras. And no fool, either. I can only assume you know the name,” she hissed out. If it came to battle she had every confidence she would crush the man. Of course... It had not come to battle yet. His reaction was beginning to seem more defensive than outright aggressive, and the adrenaline in her veins was not so easily maintained as curiosity began to take it's place. Who the hell was this guy, anyways? “It's only fair that you give your name in return, so I can decide what to do with you,” she tagged on, trying to maintain whatever bit of intimidation she might have had on her side in the first place. Hey, she was bigger, right? That should be more than enough. "Talk" "You" Think

Ankaios could see a tumult of thoughts roiling behind the blue woman's eyes. He was partially surprised that she had answered him in the first place, but not half so surprised as what the answer told him. “Aeris,” she said. His own surname. “Daughter of Mithras,” she added on. His eyes grew impossibly wide. Mithras... His cousin. He'd thought the entirety of the family had been killed for their sacrilege, or at least he had been led to believe as much. It was part of what had forced Ankaios into exile as well, unable to rest easy with the knowledge that several members of the Aeris family had been... exterminated. Apparently they didn't do a very good job, he thought to himself, even his inner monologue weak with awe. He jaw worked wordlessly, unable to form a coherent response. She asked for his name, acid plainly present in the undercurrent of her words. He tried to speak and found himself unable, so he coughed and tried again. “I thought Mithras was dead,” he said, voice hoarse and little more than a whisper. “I haven't seen him since he... well, I suppose escaped from home. I'm his cousin, on his father's side. Ankaios Aeris,” he informed her, wary to see what she might now do with that information. It seemed too improbable, he was having a hard time believing it. He would need more information from the girl before he could be utterly convinced that she was not part of some elaborate scheme. In fact, a hit squad seemed right up the alley of the crazy bastards of his homeland. Their homeland, he supposed. "Talk" "You" Think

Her father's name seemed to trigger something in the stranger. Artemis felt her body begin to relax of it's own accord as she waited for a verbal response to follow his physical one. It didn't seem to anger him, but rather... stun him. He thought Mithras was dead, and a cold chill ran down her spine. She had no idea what had happened to her father, or her mother at that rate. Was... Was he dead, then? No, it seemed it had been a time since the male had seen him, and that had not been since- She gasped. Aeris. This man was not simply from her homeland, he was a member of her family. A cousin to her father, an uncle in her eyes. Ankaios. It was her turn for her jaw to drop, and Artemis found herself struggling for words. It made more sense, given the similarities in the features and bone structure, despite him being a fair bit smaller than she. Artemis took a few hesitant steps forward. “M-Mithras and Caia fled together. My mother, Faria, followed them not long after.” Her voice was weak and rasping, mystified by the revelation. She had no urge to approach the man any closer, certainly not to show him any affection, as she was still more than a bit suspicious of him and his motives. She struggled to regain her composure, and the hard edge her words had held before. “Frankly, Father told me a fair few stories about the others of his homeland. Just because you're related to me doesn't mean I shouldn't cut you down where you stand,” she said, blunt and stubborn as a stone. It could all be an act, after all. She was not eager to turn her back on the man, uncle or otherwise. "Talk" "You" Think

If the girl was opened by the shock of his revelation, she quickly receded back behind her mask of mistrust. Ankaios could hardly fault her for it. If it weren't for that brief moment of unguarded surprise, and her rattling off a volley of familiar names, all presumed dead, he himself would probably still consider her an assassin in waiting. Mithras and Faria, he thought with an inward chuckle. Not surprising in the least. He, his hellion sister and the small blue girl had been inseparable in their youth. And now that she mentioned it, the girl before him was Faria's spitting image. If with a bit of Mithras' bulk. “I understand your reluctance to trust me,” he began quietly. “I do. But if you've been told what our homeland was like, I'm sure it won't be hard to imagine that I felt the need to leave as well?” It was the truth. Seeing an entire branch of your family wiped out could do that to a wolf. Perhaps it had been a selfish urge, one borne of self-preservation than a sense of familial justice, but it was in the past now. His home was here now, and he wanted nothing to do with those heathens. “I'd be willing to prove it to you. Did your father ever tell you about the time he and Caia attempted to drag an albino bear back to show their parents, still living?” He of course had only heard of their exploits after the fact, sitting outside the healer's den as they were being patched up. He also knew it was one of his cousin's favorite stories to tell and he would be incredibly surprised if his daughter hadn't been told as well. Gods knew he'd heard it often enough. "Talk" "You" Think

Ankaios spoke well, his tone smooth and calming. Artemis noticed it for what it was and respected him for it, but remained on edge. Yes, she could indeed imagine that he would feel the need to flee after a branch of the Aeris family was targeted and supposedly murdered for impious actions, but that wasn't enough to prove he was telling the truth, or why he'd come here. He couldn't sway her with that alone. Of course, the man seemed to sense that in her and he carried on. "Did your father ever tell you about the time he and Caia attempted to drag an albino bear back to show their parents, still living?" Her ears perked. Well, of course she'd heard the story. Mithras and her aunt Caia had stumbled upon an albino bear. It was only a juvenile, but then again so were they at the time. They were almost matched in size, and between the two of them they could match the bears strength. Confident their family wouldn't believe them unless they showed them, (he claimed that they may or may not have had a reputation for white lies,) the two began to herd the bear back. They'd ended up irritating it enough that it chased them all the way back to the den. Their parents had believed them alright, after running the bear off and practically finishing the jobs themselves. She snorted. "Of course. I'm sure word of my father's misadventures got around to everyone. He had a way of making things happen," she said, laughing again. As a young girl, she had envied her father's charisma. Even today she found herself a bit too prickly to emulate him entirely. "Look, suppose I believe you. What are you doing here?" Her voice remained hard, but the curiosity was plain. She wanted to know more. "Talk" "You" Think

Ankaios watched as Artemis' eyes drifted to a far away place. He too was familiar with the story, and familiar with the dramatic, theatrical way Mithras told it. It was daydream fodder for pups, and Kai was certain this girl had been as weak to it as any. Still, when her silver eyes focused they were yet again hard. He sighed, as quietly as possible, frustrated with the stubborn girl. Yes, she was definitely an Aeris, this one. She wanted something better than that, and for the millionth time in his life he cursed his homeland and the wolves who lived there, who had passed their hatred down even to pups who had never set paw there before. He tried again, persistent in gaining her trust. He had questions, dammit! "When I came here I took up healing. Now I'm a member of a pack in the south called Talis. Travel there yourself and ask, if you don't believe me." Ankaios felt a swell of pride that he had not been expected. He hadn't been in the pack long, but he never would have guessed how well pack life suited him. He had expected the spend the rest of his days wandering alone, but running into Dragon the way he had... Well. Some movements were simply moving, and standing beneath the stars on that unearthly plain had spoken to him somehow. "What about you?" he asked quietly. "Is your family still in the area? I'd love to see Mithras again," he said honestly. Sure, his cousin was obnoxious sometimes, but he was generally a good guy, and Kai was curious to know what he'd been getting up to. "Talk" "You" Think