It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ It had been a long while since she had been on her own, or at least it felt like that. She had been so young, too young, that was one thing she knew for sure. She was abandoned with no survival skills taught to her. Her mother had let her know everyday how much she hated her and what a mistake she had been. And to some extent, it was relieving when she was finally left free. She didn't have to worry about being talked down to anymore, instead she could fix herself physically while fending for herself. It was much easier to fix that than any inner turmoil or trying to change someone whose mind was unbendable. The girl had set out to find her father now that she was old enough and strong enough. Though it wasn't really her life's purpose. She would have liked to meet him but she had nothing to go by. She wouldn't put her heart into something that she didn't really find as practical. Maybe she thought somewhere deep down that she would know when she saw him, if she ever did, but she knew she was kidding herself. Maybe in both aspects. She ventured through the bottom of the canyon, she sought to head north into Boreas to at least start her life. She had felt lonely almost her entire life and it was the only reason she missed her mother. Having no one was painful to her heart, not even a friend. What she didn't know while she was down in the canyon, following the steady stream of water upstream, was the creature stalking her from behind. She stopped for a moment, feeling the unsteadiness of the air and an unfamiliar click of claws behind her. A saber cat, something she had never been faced with before, it was somewhere out of her sights, perhaps in the caves and tunnels of the cliff side. It pounced out from the caves and towards her, she quickly avoided it, facing it ready to take it on. Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

It seemed like Auster was crawling with these damn saber cats. Nearly since the moment they moved into the castle they had been fighting them off, picking them off one by one as they continued to threaten the members of his pack whenever they were on patrols or out hunting and foraging. He had cleared out the Wildberry Grove, killing one there pretty recently, after hearing how his son had run into one with Lilith and then again when he was fighting off one to defend his friend. He was slowly working his way further down into Auster in his search of more, determined to finally finish them off so he wouldn't have to worry about the young wolves in the pack like his children doing patrols just to end up attacked by one of these monstrous cats.

He made his way to the canyon for the first time since they hunted the mammoth here, getting a good look at the area for the first time. The steam that ran through it offered a soft, tricking sound of water and that seemed to be the only sound save for the soft click of his claws on the stone - that was until the distinctive sound of a yowling roar echoed down along the canyon, making the fur on the back of his neck stand on end. The sound of scuffling and an obvious fight got him running, running hard down the canyon till his silver gaze landed on a younger woman, pale gray and brown in coloring, facing off with one of those saber cats that he had been hunting. At least in that moment he didn't have the attention to notice her markings, his only concern going to making sure she was safe. Stranger or not, he wasn't going to just let his woman be attacked by one of those things.

He charged forward from behind her, snarling as he slammed his shoulder into the saber cat's side, hitting it hard and knocking it back away from the other wolf, causing it to stumble off of its paws. He backed up a bit, finding himself side by side with the stranger, though he didn't look down at her, keeping his gaze focused on the cat as it staggered back to its paws. "Are you okay?" he asked, slightly breathless from the hard run to get down here.

Ulric Adravendi

It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ Before the two opponents could start their own brawl, another wolf jumped in and caught her off guard. She had met other wolves on her travels, some that had helped her like this man was. And it wasn't true that when she saw her father she would know. She was just as distracted as he was in keeping her focus towards the saber cat, though honestly she wouldn't have even recognized him as her father. They may have bore some resemblance, but she was much more relatable to his parents than himself. He'd ask her if she was okay which she after all hadn't been hit by the saber yet. But she had been in multiple predator battles throughout her short life, so she would feel confidence in this especially with the man helping her. She wouldn't reject the help, it was welcome. Though she couldn't help herself as he asked, "Yeah, never better." The cat seemed to be a little more threatened as the two of them stalked around it, prepared for an attack or a defense. But it wasn't ready to back down yet. It ended up lashing out towards the male, probably because he was bigger in size. But Serenity would move forward as it did, slamming into it's side with her chest with an aggressive force. It immediately crashed down onto it's side, which Serenity had leapt forward to pin it down at it's hind end. She may not have known the male beside her, but given the fact he was willing to thrust himself into danger's way for a stranger, she figured he would have been able to move along with their attack. It didn't seem to be his first time fighting off a predator. Word Count: 1030/1500 Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

A little smirk twitched at his lips at the woman's sass with her mildly sarcastic answer to his question, but that at least gave him what he needed to know. She wasn't injured and she clearly wasn't afraid of a fight so they could fend this feline off easily. The two of them watched the saber cat closely for a long moment until it finally got up the courage to lunge toward him, swiping with a large paw with its sharp claws reaching for him. He jumped back out of the way, those claws only barely catching his shoulder and leaving some scratches in their wake before the woman charged forward to throw herself into the cat's side knocking it to the ground.

While she pinned it down from its hip he jumped forward to press his paws into it as well, making sure to stand at its back so it couldn't sink those huge sabers into him in its mad flail to get free. With one paw pressed hard into its neck right behind its jaw and another on its shoulder there was little it could to do get away as Ulric reached forward to bite deep into its throat, leaving no mercy for the saber cat as he killed it quickly. He bit though its throat and did a quick twist of his head to crack its neck, making it fall still almost immediately. He wasn't going to let it live, but that didn't mean he was just going to let it suffer either.

He sighed as he released the creature and stepped back, swiping the blood away from his lips with his tongue. "Sorry about that. These cats have been terrorizing the pack so-" That was when he looked up at the woman at really saw her for the first time, the coloring and markings and the similarities that were simply uncanny stealing his words away. The dark, chocolate mask over her face, the distinctive spots and speckles that had long been in the Adravendi family, but the most damning thing of all - the markings that wrapped around her legs and spoke volumes about where her lineage might come from. He hadn't seen those markings since his father was killed, but they were too distinctive to be a coincidence.

Ulric blinked and refocused his gaze on her lavender eyes, his mind struggling to put pieces together and think of a possibility for how this could even come to be. She was certainly older than his children, probably two if he had to guess, but two years ago... "Um... I'm... I'm so sorry, I don't mean to stare, I just..." Gods, he was making a fool of himself over something that might actually just be a trick of genetics and coincidence. He gave his head a shake before giving her an apologetic glance. "I'm Ulric Adravendi. Who might you be?"

WC: 483
Total: 1513

Ulric Adravendi

It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ The brute may have been pretty brutal for the kill of the saber cat, but Serenity thought little of it. Maybe she was at least impressed by how quickly he took care of it. She wasn't necessarily religious about animals suffering or not in her kills, but it was easier for her if they went quickly instead of flailing around or struggling or trying to kill her. With all that, the blood of the creature even on the man's lips hadn't bothered her. And she would continue on with conversation normally. Well, semi-normally. The brute seemed to stumble on his words which made her gently tilt her head with a raised brow. She let off a chuckle as he apologized for staring, or getting lost in her. "Ain't so bad looking yourself, buddy." She meant no true flirtatious nature in her tone, hopefully that was evident. Or hopefully not, she could always explain herself. Her paws adjusted at the saber cat's legs to lay it down on it's side properly. She expected to take it for herself though she wouldn't have minded sharing for the help. She didn't really prefer meat of a carnivore but food was food, and it was for her to survive. With her eyes off the male, Ulric as he stated, she wouldn't be impolite, "I'm Serenity." Her paw placed itself down on the beast's shoulder, suggesting her next comment, "Don't suppose you want to split it?" Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

Serenity. She seemed so entirely unfazed, unlike himself, so that told him that she most certainly didn't recognize his name or family name for that matter. Maybe he really was just imagining things. He watched as she arranged the saber cat that laid dead between them, still glancing at the banded, dotted markings wrapped around each of her legs. she had even more of the markings than Ganta had, wrapping all up and down her legs in a more subtle color than her father's had been as well. He almost could have believed that this was his sister instead of a daughter, but he knew for a fact that he and Philomena had been Roza and Ganta's only children. She was far too young for her to be Ganta's from another woman before he was killed and even if she had been her other coloring and markings were all Adravendi...

He refocused on her face again when she questioned him on if he wanted to split the kill and he was quick to shake his head. "No, please, take whatever you want from it. My pack and I have killed so many of these that I don't know if we could make use of yet another saber cat pelt if we tried." He didn't really consider that she'd be eating it, not just using it for materials and supplies, but his mind was still far too occupied to think much farther than that. "Um... I'm sorry, you just look so oddly familiar. Who... Who are your parents?" A distant cousin perhaps? Someone from one of Ganta's siblings that just somehow happened to cross with the right partner to look just like his family's markings? His mind was jumping through hoops trying to make pieces fall into place in a way that made sense.

Ulric Adravendi

It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ He didn't want any of it? More for her then. "Oh, well, thanks." She guessed he was being generous. Having a pack or whatever, it must have been nice. She had never really considered joining a pack herself. She thought it would be more offered to her than she wanted to join one. She didn't like to ask for things, she was a lot more independent than she would have liked to be. She did take note of the saber cats being in the area, especially since she had never seen creatures like this before. And they didn't seem like naturally sized cats. When he spoke again, she looked at him with a squint almost offended by his question. Of course, she wasn't catching to why he was so interested in who she was and where she came from. "Uh, I'm not really comfortable talking about that?" Maybe if things were simple, if her mother had died or Serenity had left on her own accord she wouldn't be so reluctant to talk to him. Though it wasn't necessarily a conversation she wanted to have with a stranger to begin with. Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

Ulric's ears flicked when she told him she wasn't comfortable talking about her parents and he gave her another apologetic smile, nodding with understanding. "Of course, my apologies. That was very forward of me." He glanced away, trying desperately to redirect his thoughts and convince himself that there was no way she could be his, but... If she was around two years old then... Looking back to her for a moment, he looked at her pale, purple eyes, blinking as a memory suddenly coming back to him, one he hadn't thought about in a long, long time. He didn't want to push her for more information, but would he ever forgive himself if he didn't find out for sure?

"Is... Is your mother's name Bella?" he questioned softly, barely able to get the words past his lips. If she told him no he'd just apologize yet and get and go on his way, but if she said yes... Gods, how was he going to explain this to Eska? That night had been so, so long ago - way before even Azariah came into his life. It felt like a whole lifetime ago, back when he had been a very different man. It felt like the world stopped as he waited for an answer, trying to decide if this young woman was just a coincidental stranger or a daughter he never got to know.

Ulric Adravendi

It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ Her head rose as she showed a small smirk while he apologized. If only there was a reason why he was so interested in her lineage. How could she be so blind? He wasn't all that different in appearance to her. He had the spots, the brown, maybe finding her father wasn't really all that important to her after all. Though, when he mentioned her mother's name, her stance changed entirely. She looked confused, her eyes squinted again while her head lowered, sorting through some thoughts but it didn't hit her immediately. "Yes..." It took less than a moment for it to click, but when it did, she took a deep breath, "You are my father." Her mother hadn't given her any description for him, who knew if there was even one man she could pin point on. But now that she had considered it, she was looking the man up and down, knowing for certain as each moment passed. She actually took a step back to the realization, though she didn't blame him for anything that had happened to her. Given the fact that her mother was so reluctant to give any information at all. Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

Once he saw her reaction he didn’t need an answer. That hesitation and realization were answer enough. But still, he waited till she confirmed the fact, giving him a hesitant yes before putting the pieces together herself. He was her father. To say he was floored was an understatement. He stared at her in shock, mouth agape as he searched for words - any words - but they all failed him. Of all the possibilities he had ever considered for his life this was never one that had even crossed his mind.

“I… I’m so sorry,” he finally managed to say after a few long moments of silence. Guilt settled in on his shoulders, a realization that this girl had grown up without her father because he had never considered the possibility that one night together could have had. “If I had known… I would have been there if I had known…” There were plenty of times when he felt that he had been a poor excuse of a father, but this was perhaps his lowest moment. He still remembered that night with Bella, a sudden and spontaneous fling, and never in the last two years had he wondered what had come of her or ever paused to consider if he had gotten her pregnant.

And how he was standing face to face with the consequences of those actions. “I lead a pack near by,” he told her after a moment, feeling completely at a loss for what he should do. “I’d understand if you don’t want anything to do with me, but if you do then you’re welcome to join me there.” He gave her an invitation without a second thought. She was his child, his flesh and blood. He didn’t get the chance to know her as a child, but he would take the chance to get to know her as an adult if she would allow him. He thought of Eska and more guilt twisted at his gut as he wondered if the gorgeous, intelligent woman would be so forgiving a second time.

“You have siblings there… half siblings, I guess,” he added, wondering to himself if that would be a selling point or a deterrent. “They just turned a year old this season. Their mother disappeared several seasons ago now…” And where was Bella? He have expected the similarly lavender eyed woman to appear behind her, but she didn’t. Was there more? Did she have littermates? He had far more questions than answers, but he left room for her to speak, feeling like he was rambling now that he got himself talking.

Ulric Adravendi

It's A Beautiful Lie It's A Perfect Denial ___________________________________________________________ At first Serenity seemed put off by him. She found herself at the same loss of words as he spoke. Maybe she thought this moment would be different, or she wouldn't have been so dumb and blind. Her fluffy attitude just moments ago had completely disintegrated in this moment. The change in her posture and face from the beginning of their encounter was completely different. She wouldn't respond to his offer yet, still her mind turning or just blanking on what else to say. But he would go on about how she had half siblings, it wasn't really a selling point for her. She didn't really care all that much about having siblings or this big idea of a family. Or maybe she did? She wasn't sure exactly how she was feeling inside, she just somehow knew that yeah, she did want to join him and his pack. After he had said so much, she didn't leave silence long before she spoke, she forced a smile as she may have been happy or eager to join him, but it didn't entirely appear that way while she was still experiencing the new emotions that she had dreamed would be different. "I do, I uh, don't blame you." She tried to explain, but it felt hard to express her emotions and history, "I do want to join you." At least she could muster understandable words. "I don't really want to talk about it right now..." Her words were slow while she still maintained that lower stance and almost confused glare, "But I've been alone since I've been six months old." Walk "Talk" ___________________________________________________________ Such A Beautiful Lie To Believe In So Beautiful, It Makes Me

They were both overwhelmed, that much was completely obvious. He struggled to speak, she struggled to respond. It was a huge realization for them both so he was patient as she tried to find the words. He was a little relieved when she admitted that she didn't blame him for what happened and for the fact that he hadn't been in her life, even though he almost felt like her ridicule would have been justified. He was even more relieved when she said that she wanted to join him to go to The Hallows. He knew that if she had refused he only would have continued to worry about her and wonder if she was okay wherever she was in the world. Her existence was a shock that he wasn't sure he fully grasped just yet, but that didn't change the fact that she was his daughter and he would worry about her the same way he worried about any of his other children.

When she told him that she had been alone since she was six months old disbelief and shock crossed his face as his blood began to boil. Bella had just... left her alone? That young? He tried to calm himself, reminding himself that there were plenty of reasons why she might have been alone for that long that wouldn't have been Bella's fault at all. Maybe they were separated by something and Serenity had gotten lost, maybe something had happened to Bella and Serenity was alone because Bella passed away. There was a whole slew of reasons, but his mind immediately jumped to the assumption that Bella had abandoned her daughter. Their daughter. Aranea all but murdered their children. Azariah had disappeared into the night with Everlyse, abandoning their family. And now this... He felt like he was constantly picking up the pieces that others left behind for him, clutching them close and trying to fix the cracks that they caused.

"You won't be alone any more," he assured her, pushing his own disappointment and anger to the back of his mind so that he could focus on this girl that deserved all of the love he had never gotten to give her. "Come on, lets get you back to the castle... I'll get you a good meal and show you around. Maybe you can tell me more once you've settled in." If she never wanted to tell him what happened then that would be fine with him, he wasn't going to push her for it. As long as he knew she was safe and had a home then he could be content. He started leading her back the way he came, glancing at the markings on her legs one more time before he focused on the path ahead of them.

Ulric Adravendi