It was an interesting thing, life and death. Just as quickly as you enter it, it can be ripped away, sucking you into the nothing of death. But no matter how far you traveled, memories always followed. The young woman had traveled north, desperate to leave behind the painful memories of her family. Who would have known that family could bring so much pain. She had fled as soon as she parted ways with her family in the hot springs. It appeared as though she was the only who cared for dead mother. A forced breath slide of inky lips. By some miracle she had managed to gain weight back in the last month, returning her to her normal lean agile frame with delicate curves covered by a lush midnight pelt. Emerald pools were still empty, haunted by shadows only she could see. The nightmares hadn't left her, they were just as vivid as ever. The shadow stopped moving when black sand entered her downcast vision. Orbs drifting up she took note of the beach. It was a sight she had never seen before. Rock formations shot up out of the ground, waves crashed on dark sand. It didn't matter where she stood so long as she was alone. The only time she found comfort in someone else's presence was when Rune had found her in the cave, after that she only found more heartache when surrounded by those she cared about. Sashaying forward down the beach she allowed her haunches to drop, pelt mingling with the same colored sand. The warmth of the fading sun kissed her skin for a few more minutes, warming her against the cooler northern temperatures even in the dead of summer. The salty breeze ruffled her pelt, slowly washing away the smells of her past home. She would find another, find purpose again. Wouldn't she? She wasn't sure. She was aware of a pack that lived around here, but she knew nothing of them. Her mother had only told her of the packs that were important to Tortuga. Her mother. Her poor mother. So loved in life, yet hated in death. It was a funny thing. She was now alone with her brothers and father. Perhaps a new pack, a new family was what she needed. Perhaps it would fix this mess, start to let wounds heal. Ringed tail curled around her lithe frame, masked eyes searching the waters for nothing, she was merely a statue seated upon the beach. It would only be a matter of time before she was forced to move on, nothing ever just fell into ones lap offering just what you wanted. A ghost of smirk tugged at her features. If only. Speech,

Exploring seemed to be something that he had taken a liking to. It was pretty interesting being able to explore all the lands that made up the north. Plus, last time he had gone out of exploring, he had run into a leopard, prince Vask Ivanov. He had never seen a leopard before and the prince had been pretty nice about him not knowing about his species, explaining their origins and even be-friending the young Knight. Perhaps he would run into another unknown species (to him at least) and maybe make some new acquaintances. Or perhaps it would be like the time before, when he had run into the young silver woman Silana, who didn't want to talk. There were so many possibilities when it came down to exploring and it was exciting to be able to go out to unknown lands, not knowing who or what he would run into. But that didn't mean he was going out without a care. He was still a warrior and he though he appeared relaxed, his guard was always up. Just because he hadn't run into any hostile rogues didn't mean that he wouldn't today. It was better to be safe than sorry.


Most of the lands surrounding Glaciem were similar in terrain, most of them covered in snow or ice, all with the similar chilly breeze. But this particular region was completely different to all the other ones he'd explore. This one was a beach, with dark obsidian sand. It had the customary bite to it that was common in the North, but it was practically devoid of ice or snow. That was certainly different. The grey-blue titan moved slowly across the dark beach, icy gaze scanning the shore, spotting an obsidian figure not to far down the beach, curled up amongst the sand. It would've almost blended in had it not been for its ringed tail. Taurig began moving towards the figure, dark nostrils testing the salty atmosphere. Among the salt he could detect the distinctive smell of wolf, and a female at that. There was no smell would that would peg her to a pack, so he was safe to assume that she was a rogue. But what was he doing out here all alone? As he got closer, he could see that she wasn't much younger than him, if not the same age. With slow movements the gargantuan brought himself to stand at a respectable distance, simply observing her. Was she approachable? He figured he would wait and see.


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Her thoughts rambled on and on, quickly becoming a jumbled mess. There would be no sorting them out anytime soon. With one last glance at the sea, the woman pushed herself to her paws, stilts unfolding from beneath her. Turning to leave, emerald gaze swept across the obsidian land scape, it was such a peculiar look for a beach. It seemed out of place. Pivoting, her exit was stopped by another wolf. Surprise light up her eyes, she had heard him approach. The dark brute had stopped a respectable distance from her, awaiting to see how she would react to him. "Uh, hi." It took her a moment to recover her composure, collecting her thoughts enough to form words, but they didn't come out quite as planned. The first thing that was noticed was his immense size. He towered over, easily doubled her weight. He was a warrior no doubt, build for strength, to protect. Audits slowly stood at attention atop her crown, meeting his vibrant gaze. Icy eyes stood out against his dark pelt that was accented by lighter and darker tones. He had to be around the same age as her, if not a little older. Ringed tail swayed at her feet, kissing her hocks with each gentle breeze. The wind blew his scent far from her, leaving her clueless as to whether or not he belonged to a pack or a rogue. He was the first wolf she had run into in her travels. She couldn't complain, he was certainly good looking. But she couldn't bring herself to focus on that, inner demons had consumed to much of her. She forced a gentle smile, trying to appear open and friendly. It would be rude to chase someone who could possibly be of help to her. She did still have manners after all. Remaining standing, she thought about introducing herself, perhaps start a conversation, but she didn't feel like starting a conversation, she didn't feel like doing anything. "I'm Maia." Her name rolled of her tongue with gentle ease, yet without her consent. Speech,

As he stood watching her, he began to get the impression that maybe she wanted to be alone. It would be rather awkward if he came across her and she was looking to be alone. But he didn't come to bother her, he was just curious as to who she was. If she expressed the wish to be alone, he would have no problem respecting that and promptly setting off on his way. But she had to notice him first. He watched as she rose, pivoting in his direction, about to head off before realizing that she wasn't alone. Her eyes lit up with surprise at his appearance, though he was sure she had heard him approach. He hadn't been trying to mask his approach. Uh hi. I'm Maia. Came her weak attempt at conversation, her lips curling into a gentle smile, appearing friendly and open towards him. It was a relief to see that she wasn't threatened by his presence and welcomed him easily enough. Hello Miss Maia, pleasure to meet you. My name is Taurig. His own smile curled his inky jowls, massive crown dipping in a respectful bow to the young woman, icy gaze meeting her emerald one. Were you just on your way out? I do hope I haven't interrupted anything. Concern laced his words.



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Hello Miss Maia. She couldn't help the bark of laughter than slipped from her dark muzzle. She was not accustomed to such polite words. She grew up with brothers, polite was not part of their vocabulary. "Are you always so polite Taurig?" Amusement laced her tones as his named rolled of her tongue. Slowly it all faded away, leaving her once more void of expression. The dip of his skull and politeness of his tones was foreign to her. Never before had she been treated so differently. It left her uncertain on how to react to him. The concern that blanketed his words shook her from her thoughts. "Oh no, you haven't interrupted anything." A slight shake of her head confirmed it, despite what her inner demons were yelling at her. No, she would ignore them, locking them in cage tucked carefully away. She needed this. To socialize, to meet new wolves. Especially if she had any hopes of finding a new home. "What brings you out here?" Having gathered herself, she allowed her usual collected self to leak through, keeping her tones cool and easy. She had always been the best talker out of her siblings, who were more like their father in their silent, stoic ways. Taking slow steps forward, she moved a little closer, moving at an angle to his right, seating herself so the last few rays of light stayed out of her face. The temperatures easily dropped with the disappearing sun, the ocean breeze not helping. Unlike her brothers, her pelt was more like her mothers, not quite adapted to cooler temperatures, and the ocean breeze didn't help. Oddly ringed plume once more curled around her, laying across her paws, blocking some of the chill. Speech,

Are you always so polite Taurig? Her words were accompanied by a bark of laughter. Taurig was slightly taken aback, but made sure that it wasn't obvious in his expression. Clearly by her question, she wasn't used to be around mannered wolves. Not that he really minded, it was just a bit odd to be questioned for his ways. Indeed I am ma'am. His own hint of amusement laced his words, a quiet chuckle rumbling in his chest at her surprise. She was the first one to question his mannerisms. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but like his politeness was to her, her questioning of his manners was odd to him. But he wasn't one to dwell. A moment later it was already forgotten as she spoke up, dissuading his notion that he had interrupted something, a shake of her head accompany her words. Well that was good.


What brings you out here? She wasn't doing too bad in making conversation. The Knight watched her as she stood, coming a bit closer to him, seating herself slightly to his right, her interestingly ringed tail curling around her haunches in an attempt to guard herself from the quickly dropping temperature. It had no effect on the young man, having been accustomed to the never ending cold in the north. Just exploring really. I hail from Glaciem and in my spare time I like to wander around the areas close to my home, get to know them better. What about yourself? He threw the question back at her, wondering if she would actually plunge into the conversation or provide him with a vague answer.



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Amusement laced his own words as he confirmed her question. He didn't appear to be surprised by her question, but she could make the assumption that he was, if he was always polite, it was unlikely that he was questioned about it. But he didn't let it show that it fazed him, merely joining in on amusement. She could feel the chill setting in, yet the brute remained unfazed by it, clearly accustomed to the colder temperatures of the north. She had gotten quite used to living around a volcano, where it was easy to find a warm patch of earth to chase away the chill of winter. At least it wasn't yet winter here, that would be awful. She had some time to adjust if she chose to stay, she was still uncertain. "Glaciem?" A slight tilt of her crown was given, perhaps that was the name of the pack that resided in this region. It came as no surprise when the question was thrown back at her. Taking a moment, she thought about how she would answer him. "Mostly, a new beginning. A new place to call home." It was the truth. She didn't reveal all the gory details as to why, just simply answering his question. There was no in-depth complicated reason for her traveling this far north, it was fairly simple. "And perhaps a little exploring." A smirk tugged at one side of her darkened muzzle. Speech,

His thoughts were whirling as he waited for her answer. She was a pretty little thing, dipped in ebony with a interestingly colored tail and eyes of vibrant emerald. His father would think she would make a great addition to the Brood, but she was only a yearling; much too young to be part of a brood. And yet his father didn't care about age, only looks and usefulness. Sometimes he wished Isardis wouldn't bring women in to use them, but instead to give them sanctuary. Did he even tell them why he was allowing them to stay in Glaciem? If they didn't he would be sure to let Maia know, in case she decided to join.


Glaciem? Mostly, a new beginning. A new place to call home. And perhaps a little exploring. She tilted her head at the word Glaciem, as if curious about where his home was. Have you heard of Glaciem? It's not too far from here, only a few hours travel. He motioned back in the direction he came with his muzzle, allowing his gaze to stray to the paw prints he'd left behind before turning back to face the young woman, noting the slight smirk that curled her ebon lips. So you're looking for a new home? Have any packs in this land caught your attention? He secretly hoped that she wouldn't show interest in curiosity. He had just met her and he was already taking a liking to her, enough to wish her better luck anywhere else that wasn't Glaciem.


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She had been correct. Glaciem was nearby, just a few hours. Her gaze turned to follow the brutes, spotting his tracks back towards his home. "I've heard of Glaciem, but I know nothing about it." She knew very little of any pack in the area, aside from her own. Perhaps he would enlighten her a bit? Tell her of his home. She nodded as his next question teased her ears. "Yes, but nothing to seems to suite me. It's been a halfhearted search, learning a bit here and there." The ghost of a sad smile crosses her dark features briefly. Would anything ever suite her? She could only hope that Glaciem could offer something. Tortuga and Valhalla were out of the question, leaving only a few packs to choose from. Traveling north had been her first choice. "What is Glaciem like?" It was an attempt at a distraction, more for herself than for the man that stood before her. It couldn't be too bad, considering the mannerism that he had. Surely the rest of the pack was similar? It painted a picture for her, one that she liked, and could see herself joining. Offering her full attention, she prepared to absorb everything she could about this pack. Speech,

I've heard of Glaciem, but I know nothing about it. She'd heard of Glaciem, but didn't know anything about it. What exactly had she heard about Glaciem? Good things? Bad things? He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that she didn't know anything or disappointed because the lack of knowledge always led to curiosity. Yes, but nothing to seems to suite me. It's been a halfhearted search, learning a bit here and there. What is Glaciem like? Of course she would want to know what Glaciem was like. It was to be expected.


A quiet sigh slipped past inky lips as he let his gaze travel towards the dark waters. Glaciem...has a lot of females. Varying in ages. Myself, my father and two other brutes are the only males in the pack. You could say we're a relatively peaceful pack...unless my father sets his sights on a woman that he really wants and she doesn't come willingly, then we're not so peaceful I guess you could say. He shrugged, turning back to face the young woman. He didn't really know how else to explain his pack. It wasn't the best one around, but it wasn't the worst one either. It just depended on your point of view on it.



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He wasted no time in giving her details about his home, but the more he spoke, the more confused she became. Lots of females? Did he mean forcefully claiming woman? That didn't sound very peaceful to her. Her became carefully wary as she eyed the brute sitting before her. Did he partake in these claiming? He certainly gave the wrong impression if he did, but then again, maybe he used that to his advantage. Only four males within a pack? It seemed odd to her, shouldn't there be more? "You hoard women.." She wasn't sure if it was statement or a question. Her face went blank, carefully shielding her emotions behind a mask as her posture shifted. She refused to all herself to be claimed. There was no way in hell that would happen! The woman looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to confirm her words. Only four men. Surely that couldn't mean anything good. She had taken a liking to this man, she didn't want her impression of him to be spoiled and turn out to be wrong, so very wrong. Ringed plume uncurled itself from around her, the cold wind ignored, if it came to fight or flight, she would flee. She was lighter, built to be faster than his massive build. For the moment she forced herself to remain rooted the ground, hoping he would correct her. Speech,

It wasn't until the words had slipped past his ebony jaws that he realized how bad his explanation must have sounded to the young woman. They weren't a bad pack honestly, his father just had a very interesting mindset as far as how he wanted to live his life and what kind of wolves he wanted to surround himself with. You hoard women... The way Maia said it made it sound like they were horrible creatures who enslaved women against their own will, which was totally not how things words. I know it sounds bad, but it really isn't. All the woman back home are very well taken care of and treated with the utmost respect. None are forced to come, as far as I know they all come willingly. My father is rather...convincing with his rare looks and women just want to be around him. I of course never take part any of that. I'm just a warrior, placed to take care of the women and guard them. It's really not a bad place. He wasn't sure if his explanation would convince her or not, but it was worth a try.


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