ooc: set before the pack meeting ! Their new home was spread out beneath Galileo like a map. The young pup had headed off to explore the mountainous regions above the valley that they had settled in. It was the mountains that drew Galileo the most. He liked the fact that when he climbed up to the frozen expanses of their peaks, he could see everything and the cold air reminded him of his home. Even if it made his ears pop and he had to breathe a little bit more than normal, he loved it. It made him feel like he was on top of the world - which, he supposed, he was. But it made him feel confident, which was a rarer thing in this more timid wolf. But in that moment, he was tilting his head back, and a howl escaped the youngster. It still was more of a squeak than anything else, but there was heart in it; Galileo felt proud in that moment, like one day, he would be a Chief too, guiding his family with love. It was his truest dream. Other than taking Glaciem back. But those two were rather the same thing, entwined in the same thought. The little male wagged his tail slightly as he let the squeak/howl fade into silence and settled down carefully. Now he would wait, surveying his 'kingdom' with pride in his gaze. "speech!"

Tiberious had wandered far astray that day, but couldn't seem to find it in himself to care. This landscape was a joy to explore, not too cold but not too hot, a bit muggy but with crags and cliffs to climb and explore. He was thoroughly enjoying himself as he worked his way upward. the strain on his muscles made him feel strong and old, even if he knew he would be sore tomorrow. One day I'll be strong enough to run all teh way up to the top of this mountain without even getting winded, wait and see, he thought to himself with a grin. He wanted to be able to run from sun up to sun down, to feel his muscles mush and pull, eager to take him wherever he wanted to go. The farther up he got, however, the harder it became to breath. The air grew a bit thinner and he slowed his pace to something more manageable. He paused to survey the world around him. Rolling hills and valleys and all sorts of things splayed out beneath him. They all seemed so small, and he seemed so big! He knew the forests he could see teemed with deer and foxes and badgers and prey of all sorts but he couldn't see any with his naked eye. He wished impulsively that he was a hawk, so that he could see even the smallest creature from so far away. He was broken from his train of thought by a wavering, young sounding howl. It didn't seem too far away from him, unless the stone had carried the sound in an odd way. Curious, Tiberious went to investigate with his tail up and a smile on his face. Perhaps he knew the young wolf, and if not he was always excited to make a new friend. He let the rocks clatter beneath his paws to announce his arrival as he moved in, trying to find the call's source. Speech, Thoughts.

The sound of paws against stone interrupted Galileo's reverie. There was a clatter, a scattering of stones against the rocky earth, and Galileo blinked, turning his head to focus on a familiar figure as it approached. The white furred figure was only slightly smaller than Galileo, and the familiar triangles marking his form were a sight that Galileo recognized. Tiberious. They had never been the closest as pups, but Galileo had never minded the presence of the other, and in a pack as small as Glaciem (well, Tortuga now), they had played together and known each other when they were young. "Tiberious!" Galileo greeted the other with a wag of his tail. It had been a while since they had spoken, but Galileo didn't mind that. The quiet male had never been one to actively seek out others. And as time had passed, he had grown still quieter, becoming less inclined to look for the company of others. It wasn't as much that they were intimidating, not anymore, no. It was more that Galileo was just as content on his own as he was around others. Still, he wasn't going to complain about a little bit of company right then. With that in mind, Galileo flicked his hears and let his blue gaze wander out across the territory that was spread out beneath them. "Pretty, huh?" The youngster observed thoughtfully, tail wagging absently against the earth. One day, this would all be his, right? Little did he know that soon his family would be on the move once more. For the moment, he was blissfully oblivious to such things. "speech!"

Tiberious was greeted by the familiar visage of his cousin. He smiled and wagged a bit as he approached, more calmly now that he knew he wouldn't surprise anyone. He pulled himself up onto the ledge where Galileo sat and sat beside him. "Hello, Galileo." He scanned the view below him, even more spectacular from this height and angle. "Yeah, it's amazing. Too bad there's hardly any food up here or I might never go back down," he mused, joking. Surely he would miss the wind rustling in the trees, creeks and streams, things like that. Still, it was hard not to feel powerful and endowed when looking down on the land like he was now. Tiberious turned to the darker colored wolf and considered him. Galileo was slightly larger than him despite being close to the same age, and darker in color. Tiberious' eyes scanned him, evaluating. "Do you come here often, Cousin? It's quite the trek." Worth it, he figured, but still. He went back to observing the view, watching as puffy white clouds scuttled across the sky, roiling and swaying with winds he couldn't feel. Tiberious smiled, thinking that if he felt so empowered being this high up, how would it feel to be among the clouds, soaring around the sky, shrinking and swelling at a whim? Winds tugged at his pelt and he smiled, thinking that he really ought to thank his cousin for showing him this spot. Speech, Thoughts.

Galileo twitched his tail in acknowledgement of Tiberious' words, letting his blue gaze wander back out across the view that sprawled out beneath them. He could get used to living in a place like this. "Food's overrated," Galileo responded with a teasing tone to his words, ears pricking in Tiberiou's direction as stretched lazily, his gaze never leaving the territory beneath them. Tortuga. It would take time to get used to that. Twitching his ears when Tiberious spoke, Galileo shook his head slightly. "This is the first time." The pup responded with a slightly nod, "You?" Had Tiberious ever been here before? It seemed like the kind of place that a wolf could get some peace in. That was something that Galileo was starting to need. Peace to sort through his thoughts and to find that equilibrium that let him shove all of his fear aside and be brave. But that was getting easier now, wasn't it? He could hold conversations with others, and maybe some day he would be able to properly protect his family. Nothing like Eos would ever happen to them again. Turning thoughtfully towards his cousin, Galileo tilted his head slightly, "What do you think of Tortuga?" What did his cousin think of this strange new land? Did he like it? Did he, like Galileo, miss their old home? "speech!"