It was no surprise at all that Kiela had returned to the north. The last few seasons had been exploring lands farther south of here, but now that winter was arriving rapidly it was time to track down the reindeer herd in the north and begin to familiarize herself with it. She had grown up alongside the herds in her homeland and she knew how they moved and where they tended to go, so finding one of the herds was not a difficult feat. This particular herd was a sizable one, nearly as big as the herd she'd grown up alongside, no doubt profiting from the prolific summer and fall that Boreas had been gifted with. They were healthy, with a few she noticed here and there that might become stragglers as the group continued their trek north. Perhaps if she was lucky she might find a few other wolves to take one down with, but only when the time was right, and only if she found wolves who understood the kill wouldn't be one taken lightly. The reindeer were sacred to her and she wouldn't tolerate disrespect.

But tonight was not a night for hunting, nor feasting, but instead observation. It was the perfect night for it, too - the sky was clear, with the stars shining in a brilliant cascade overhead. The trees that towered around her, gnarled and reaching high toward the sky, didn't full block out the moon's light. Kiela had navigated to a less dense area of the woods, on a slightly higher elevation than the reindeer, offering her a good vantage point of them. They were paused, no doubt taking one of their many daily rests, and Kiela would stop and rest with them. So far they hadn't noticed her presence, or if they had, they were unperturbed by it. It wasn't as if a lone wolf could do any real damage to them, even if she wanted to. Getting up and moving in a few circles to stretch her limbs from getting too stiff, she finally moved to lean back against of one of these trees, briefly casting her glance upward. A smaller wolf might have some lucky climbing these branches but she didn't dare chance it, even with the view it would no doubt offer her.

starlight, starbright

It had taken time, but Eirnan had successfully navigated the group out of the completely treacherous terrain that had come with the Lake to the north west. She was quite thankful for that, but now her sights were set elsewhere. Her sights were set on getting them south where things would be warmer and hopefully a little easier for the winter weather. There were two things that mattered to her in this world: family and survival. She had one but she was perpetually clawing for the other, desperate to take it into her grasp. She was scouting ahead of her love and his brother, getting a lay of the land in the forest up ahead as she finally found herself out of the woods… just, not in the literal sense.

She was tracking the stars in the sky, moving opposite the north star that shone so brightly in the night to make her way farther south. It truly was a beautiful night, and she felt blessed to be able to venture during it. She knew soon she would need to be returning to Quinn and Caedmon, but for now she could simply enjoy the nature of her surroundings. She was minding her own business and continuing on her way when a scent in the air caught her attention, curiously moving towards it. It was the smell of another wolf. Admittedly, she had encountered no one despite her travelling companions in quite some time and felt apprehensive but excited at the idea of meeting someone new.

She just wasn’t expecting to encounter a wolf who could easily tower over her. She stood easily a foot taller than Eirnan, but she was confident and never one to back away from someone just for their size. The woman in front of her would even tower over Caedmon. “A beautiful night, is it not?” She made her presence known with the soft words and a friendly smile. She tried to make it a habit to greet everyone with kindness unless they proved to not return it. She preferred to leave the fighting to Caedmon rather than herself. He was more capable anyway. “My parents showed me these stars, gave them names.” She mused as a way to try and initiate a conversation. She was starved for social interaction.

"Eirnan"

The constant fight for survival was something Kiela was painfully familiar with. She'd never really known a life of leisure; even the briefest moments spent doing nothing in particular were few and far between, and even when she appeared idle she was very rarely doing nothing at all. Even now she wasn't just sitting here, but instead she was studying the herd in the far distance, getting to know the reindeer as best as she could from this distance in the dim night. A few stood, pacing restlessly near the edge of the group while the majority had settled down, seemingly at ease enough to rest for now. She knew they would not rest here for long, and part of her hoped she might get a few minutes of sleep in as well, though she didn't want to stray much father from the herd than she was now.

It was a beautiful night for anything though and Kiela wouldn't mind missing a bit of sleep to enjoy the splendor of it. Even with the trees stretching on seemingly endlessly above, she could see the hints of stars sparkling between their gnarled branches. The night sky was crisp and clear, without hint of the sort of clouds that suggested precipitation in the near future. This suggested a good forecast for the herd to make some good distance in the coming days and Kiela was prepared to follow them.

The presence of a stranger didn't go unnoticed, even if it took a moment for Kiela to break her concentration. The reindeer had not noticed her from this distance and she knew conversation alone wouldn't alert them to her presence. It would take time to build trust with the herd and teach them that her presence was not something to be feared. Tilting her head as she slowly turned around to encounter a significantly smaller woman, not far off from her own age judging by first appearances, Kiela nodded in answer to her question. "Yes, a perfect night," she responded quietly. Her voice was laden with a thick accent and her voice slightly hoarse from lack of use. She cleared her throat to continue speaking

Kiela wasn't really one for showing her emotions outwardly, but the stranger's words earned a smile - small, barely present at all, but a smile nonetheless. "Mine did, too. The stars, they tell a story much bigger than.. we," Kiela mused, her slightly disjointed grasp of this continent's native tongue showing as she began to speak. Though she was somewhat self-conscious of her speaking abilities she was learning that she had to speak to get any better at communication. It was the first time anyone she'd met here had seemed so interested in such things and Kiela had to admit her interest was piqued. "They are so beautiful here. Even more where there are no trees." She didn't know what to call the area south of here, which was more wide open. Casting her glance upwards for a moment, she finally it directed it back toward Eirnan. "I am Kiela, my apologies. Introductions are not my strength."

starlight, starbright

It had been grueling, leaving her homeland, but it had been necessary. She had done what needed to be done and it was as simple as that. The same went for when she left Quinn’s homeland with him and his brother. She was a firm believer that everyone had to find their own path in the world, and she had found that through the honor and duty she had in protecting her family. She loved Quinn, and she knew he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but she was there so he didn’t have to. She could help him carry that weight and it was okay. They were equal in all things.

She smiled up at the stars, each one with their own meaning and interpretations, and the map that she never lost so long as there was not a cloud in sight. They could be hard to see at times, be it weather or terrain, but they were always there for those smart enough to find and follow them. She found a peace in that. She found solace knowing she could always find her way back from where she had come. Even being a stranger in a strange land did not seem to affect them.

The woman seemed to have noticed her, a soft smile as she responded quietly. She had an interesting accent, one that Eirnan had never heard before and it had left her curious as to her origins. Eir was always a student, never quite knowing enough… it would get her into trouble one day, she was certain of it, but for now it just allowed her to learn more about the world. “I haven’t seen a night this clear in some time, I’ll admit.” She kept her voice soft, because that seemed to be the right approach to take in the moment.

She caught the faintest hint of a smile and returned it, listening as she claimed to have heard them too. “My mother always told me they were a map, ancestors and history guiding us through the world. As long as you could see them, you’d never be lost.” Those words had rang true. It had started when she was little, gazing up at the stars and tracking different constellations that she was moving opposite of to know to follow them back home. It had saved her hide more than once. “I am Eirnan… nor are they mine. No worries.” She mostly let Quinn do the speaking, but he was not here right now so it was all on her.

"Eirnan"

Things had not been simple for her after leaving her homeland, either. This world was entirely unlike the one she was used to, though the northern landscape was comforting in its similarities to where she'd been born. Here was where she had chosen to make her life and she'd have to get accustomed to it, even if it took Kiela her entire life. As a whole though this continent was still quite foreign to her, with wolves who were strangers to her in both language and culture. It was refreshing to come across even one who shared a single thing in common, even if it was something as minute as showing appreciation for the stars and the stories that they could tell. Kiela was pleased with her unexpected company tonight. Wolves were never a constant like the stars were - they came and went, lived and died without any rhyme or reason, but the stars remained. Though they moved positions in the sky, but they were always there if you looked hard enough, the same no matter where you went.

"I love these nights," Kiela sighed a bit wistfully as she tilted her nose higher to the sky. There was something particularly enchanting about seeing such a view, even in bits and pieces between the foliage overhead. "The only thing that I enjoy more is.. northern lights. So beautiful. You have seen?" The most beautiful night she'd ever seen had been one like this, the skies crisp and clear with a brilliant cascade of color dancing across the sky. Watching the colors dance over the landscape was something she was sure she'd never forget.

She nodded solemnly at Eirnan's words. "Yes, mine taught me the same." Her mother had been more spiritual than her father though both had been strong influences on her - her father had been the strong and silent type, while her mother had been more maternal and caring than Kiela ever expected to be. "They are a map, and a.. record of history too," she breathed quietly. More could be learned from the stars than from other wolves, sometimes, Kiela felt. She moved slightly to see the most important star, at least when it came to navigation, the northern star. "You know that one? Boahjenástir?" It always led back home, the Jarvela knew - and even in these new lands the same seemed to ring true.

starlight, starbright

She found herself puzzled by the things she had already encountered since reaching this land, and she truthfully did not know what to make with most of it. The weather seemed harsher than what she was used to, something she had never thought would cross her mind moving south. There had been an entire lake frozen over thick, as if it were a glacier rather than a body of water. It had puzzled her entirely. She found herself gazing back up at the stars in that moment, finding all of the familiar constellations. She found the northern star, her light to guide her home. She found the different constellations that depending on the seasons had different direction to them, some not appearing at all.

She smiled softly at Kiela’s words. “I do too.” She confessed her truth. She loved being able to look at the clouds. Navigation by stars was her favorite way to travel, but she did not do it often because she was not a nocturnal being. It always left her feeling groggy and irritated the next day. She spoke of the northern lights and Eirnan was eagerly nodding. “They shone across my homeland. They’re simply stunning, as if a force had put them there so we could admire their beauty.” She agreed eagerly, yearning for that sight once more. Perhaps one day she and her companions could move back up north and experience them once more.

Perhaps those lights would travel, and whatever forces existed that controlled the fates and the universe would bless her with the sight from this new land that she now wandered. She could only hope for such a thing.

She nodded almost approvingly to learn the other woman had learned the same. She pointed to the northern star, though she called it something foreign off the tongue. “Aye, though Boahjenástir is not what my family had called it.” She added. “My parents called it πολικός αστέρι.” It was her guiding light, even now with travelling south. With the star visible, she could always find her way. “And those ones, the νότιοςσ ταυρός.” She stated, motioning with her maw towards the southern cross, the constellation Crux, that could guide her as well.

"Eirnan"

Kiela was fortunately used to this sort of weather. The upcoming winter seemed like it was coming faster than she'd anticipate, but she'd adapt and survive it the best that she could. Her family's nomadic lifestyle had taught her most of what she needed to know about surviving, and the rest was a matter of life experience. She truly believed she'd fare worse if she belonged to a pack. She'd grow idle and soft, and even if her body didn't she was sure her mind would. She was not meant to stay in one place for long and imaging herself ever being interested in that lifestyle was impossible. Kiela didn't need a singular home to feel stable and secure though; things like this, sitting and watching the familiar stars in the night sky, was enough of a constant for her.

She found herself grinning very slightly again at Eirnan saying she knew of them. "I do not know why they are there, but... there are so many things like that," she admitted thoughtfully. Some things seemed to exist for the sheer matter of enjoyment, but it was hard for someone as young and inexperienced as Kiela to know for sure what the purpose of everything in life was. It was simply up to her to live in harmony with it and be the best she could for herself. "But either way, I would not mind seeing them again." She didn't know quite how to voice how such a sight made her feel, at least not in this tongue. They made her feel small and inconsequential in a way that was more freeing than anything; she'd never had dreams of making a huge impact on the world anyway. Benefiting a single herd would be enough for her.

She listened to Eirnan's explanation of what her family called the same star, though didn't begin to try to pronounce the word she'd said for worry of butchering it. "My parents, they always told me it would lead me home, no matter where I went." The same was true here too, she was sure, if she navigated herself off this continent.. but she was beginning to grow used to Boreas and didn't feel any pull to go back home. She'd heard there were family who lived here too and she was interested in meeting eventually, too. "You.. live here? Or near?" Perhaps she had something to teach about these woods she'd found herself in?