Zephyr had been invited to accompany Briar and Artorias up north to visit his grandfather's pack, and the young avian was more then happy to come along for the extended adventure. They had travelled further north as he'd ever been in his life, a prospect that was first exciting, and then bitterly miserable. Wasn't winter supposed to be over? Why was it still so damn cold? Zephyr spent the first day huddled in the Col and refusing to leave, allowing the mountain cavern to engulf him in what meager warmth it could offer and obsessively moving from torch to torch as they were refilled.

On the second day he'd decided to stretch his wings and get some sunshine, setting off in mid afternoon when the sun was highest in the sky to see at least a portion of the lands he'd planned to. One good thing about the northern territories were the mountain winds, as strong as they were cold, bolstering his flight and helping him to make it to the peaks. Still only intermediate at best in ways of flight, Zephyr more often then not required a cliff of some sort to jump off of - and the col made for an exceptional cliff.

Leaping off from the col north, the argentavis spread his wings wide and began a steep decent down into the adjacent gorge. The sheer difference in elevation here was greater then anything he'd ever flown, and by the time he'd been able to see the herbs and grasses that littered the bottom of the gorge, he was moving so quickly he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop. His oversized form was aimed directly at the cliff wall and showed no sign of stopping - a terrifying realization - until, suddenly, Zephyr entered a peculiar tunnel of wind. It caught him beneath the wing and threw him to the side, offering him enough of a boost that he could angle his trajectory upwards and in the process, slow himself enough for a safe landing.

No sooner did his talons tentatively touch the ground did the giant bird collapse onto his rump, chest heaving with exhaustion. That was scary as hell, but tons of fun! Tipping his beak up to stare out from the gorge toward the col where he'd jumped, Zephyr began to plan his next go - entirely unaware that he'd landed within the territory of another pack.

"Zephyr"

For Beauregard, the day had started out the same as most in Menagerie. He welcomed the routine of checking on Tanelan and slipping into a morning patrol. It wasn’t something that Wren had asked him to do, but the Mage felt the need to do it anyway. It made him feel useful, happy that he could be doing something that could protect his pack. A pack that he had been there for since the beginning. He was proud to be in Menagerie, and be a member under Wren and Mercury. In his mind he had made the right choice; this was his home now and he’d do anything to defend it. Ears were perked forward as he made his way through the paths of the Gorge, at least until Trill came flying toward him in a pack. He blinked with surprise, tilting his head to the side as she was trying to say something. “What’s got you so riled, friend? It’s not Tan, is it?” He had come to know of at least two others that lived in, and kind of were, Tanelan. One of which was considered dangerous, the other not, so hopefully Mika hadn’t popped out? But no, Trill was shaking her head wildly. “No Beau! A bird! A really big bird!” Beauregard didn’t know what she was on about. A hawk? An eagle maybe? Still, as Trill took off to lead him to what she had seen Beau followed after her quietly. It was probably just big to her, that was all. Who bird could potentially be a threat to a wolf? Except, when Beauregard stepped beyond the safety of the trees into a more open area his jaw dropped and he froze. Okay, yeah, Trill was right… That was a big bird. A really, really big bird… It towered over his own height and the boy had always thought he was on the taller side of things. His tail lowered between his legs instinctively; he was a fighter but there was no way he’d last in a fight against that thing alone if it turned out dangerous. Wren’s words about their borders came to mind and Beauregard tried to steel his courage as he approached the bird. He didn’t know what it was, or if it even spoke the common tongue, but it didn’t hurt to try, right? “E-Excuse me…” He cleared his throat. “You’re on the pack territory of Menagerie. Are you friend or foe?” Trill had winged back to stay near him, her small, beady eyes uncertain of the larger avian. "Speech," 'Thought.'

Zephyr took the time to rest and survey the territory in which he'd landed. Visible in the distance in a ring that made up the top of the gorge was a forest, filled with trees that he couldn't quite name. Their tall peaks peered over the stone walls that enclosed him, and in various places the woods seemed to even be climbing down the cliff face. It gave the territory quite a unique appeal, almost like he was sitting in the middle of a bowl made of trees.

Turning his head to see what other interesting features the land might hold, Zephyr was startled to see an approaching wolf crossing through the gorge toward him. He got to his talons, brushing off his feathers with his wings as the canine neared. "Hello!" He offered in reply, giving a short and polite bow of greeting. Zeph could see that the wolf was intimidated by him - something that was not unusual in the slightest - and he aimed to relieve that tension in any way he could. Giving the wolf a smile, he introduced himself. "I'm Zephyrus, I live in Auster! My family came to the Armada for a visit. Is this your gorge? I'm very sorry, I can't smell like wolves can, scent borders still don't make much sense to me."

"Zephyr"

Sybil had felt like she was floating on air these past few days. Her first assignment, and one to determine pack relations no less! An excited and anxious hurricane roared within her, but she'd let no one see it. She doubted her capabilities to hide it however, so she did what she always did when dealing with complicated emotions, go for a walk. The gorge always whistled, but it never seemed to sing the same tune. It could be grating at times, uplifting, a gentle calming hum. She never got bored of it, never sick of the sound. Maybe she just wasn't the overly sensitive type, or maybe, if she was being sentimental, she already thought of the gorge as home. If so, it was subconscious, since Sybil had a terrible habit of keeping everything and everyone at arms length. Except Wren apparently, but she had already classified their friendship as a disaster in the making, and the dominoes had already begun to fall. To retract herself was futile, she would see this to its end. Freezing wind whipped at her fur at her place between the towering walls, even with her coat she found she preferred being above. She was considering following a path upwards when she caught sight of a massive silhouette descending, disappearing into the treeline. She was close enough to know that it was no ordinary eagle. Fear shot through her. If this avian was a big as she first assumed, then it would be able to hunt things much larger than rabbits. She ran towards where it landed, seeking to either confirm or deny her fears before reporting back. She was not the first on the scene however, fellow apprentice beauregard already facing the creature. Her heart jumped to her throat. Even though he was training to become a fighter, he'd have little chance against the beast, and neither would she. If things turned south, would he be able escape? would they both? He appeared to talk to the bird, nervousness clear in his voice. It would be a hopeless endeavour she thought, if the bird chose to take him as it's prey. But to her surprise, the bird talked back. She could hear his words clearer now from her place, and she was so baffled by this turn of events that she stood in shock. This bird is called Zephyrus. He lives in Auster. His family is visiting the Armada. Gathering herself and her thoughts as much she could, she cleared her throat. "Hello Beauregard, Zephyrus." She greeted both with as natural a smile she could manage. "Yes, this gorge is ours, but we are always open to visitors." She wondered if she should retract the last statement, lest the bird start depleting their supply of food or their supply of wolves."Family? are there more of you?" ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

He really, really hoped that he hadn’t come across as rude. The last thing he needed was to tick something of that size off, especially when the bird looked big and strong enough to grab him and take off. How far it could get he didn’t know but Beauregard knew he didn’t want to find the answer out the hard way. It would seem, however, that the avian was well-natured, politely bowing as he greeted them. He had introduced himself as Zephyrus and he claimed to live in Auster. The important bit of information that he noticed was that his family had come to the Armada for a visit though. These seemed enough to calm him, his ears perking forward. Was Zeph an ally? He had been so caught in his thoughts and anxiety that he hadn’t noticed Sybil, the other Mage of Menagerie, approach. He smiled, feeling a bit calmer with the presence of a packmate as well. “Sybil is right. This may be our pack’s land, but visitors are welcome here, if they mean well.” His gaze shifted back to the avian, his body language calmer now. “...And you said that you guys are visiting the Armada? You guys are allies of them too?” This was the bit of information that he was curious about now. Trill had landed on his back, though unlike her wolf counterpart who was relaxing she still eyed the larger bird warily. "Speech," 'Thought.'

A second wolf approached, her arrival managing to worry the young raptor. Zephyrus took a few slow steps backwards, hugging his wings in tight to his side. The rock wall was not far behind him and while it was a sheer elevation, rocks and boulders as large as he was jutted outwards from the cliff side in patterns that looked almost climbable. Them, combined with the pine trees that littered the bowl, might allow him to scale the rock ridge if he found he needed an escape route. His talon squished through the lush moss and grasses as he backpeddled, eventually hitting a cluster of stone on which he could hop up to, for a feeling of added security. He could see the fear they carried - he could even understand it, having been raised by wolves himself and learning much on territory and the importance of keeping it safe - but a cornered wolf was a dangerous one, and Zeph had no interest in getting on the wrong side of those teeth.

The female questioned him on his statement and he cleared his throat, forcing his words to come across clearer and without the nervousness he was beginning to feel. "Yes, my family. Artorias and Briar Carpathius, Aegis and Queen of the Hallows." It felt wrong to name-drop and worse yet to title-drop, but Zephyr believed wholeheartedly in the reputation of his family keeping him safe. Bringing his wings forward, he brushed their tips together in discomfort and contemplation, wondering if they would accept him as a friendly visitor, as they said their pack allowed.

To the male Zephyrus nodded, perhaps a bit too vigorously to be casual... but he was eager to be understood. "Yes, allies! The Armada is the birthplace of my mother, Briar. Their alpha is my grandfather. I'm here at their invitation." Catching himself, the bird began to stutter. "Well, not.. not here, I mean here as in the north. They didn't tell me I could come here to the gorge.." Glancing around, he grasped desperately at straws. It was only spring and so most of the herbs had yet to bloom - what else was there to compliment in this dreaded winter wasteland that was the northern world? "I, uh, I like.. that it's warmer down here? It's very nice."

"Zephyr"

Beau corroborated her points, though his delivery was noticably more relaxed. Wasn't she supposed to be the diplomat? And here she was, staring down this newcomer, without manners or poise. To be fair, one doesn't speak to a bird of prey twice their size too often. Still alert, she took notice of his backpedalling, the way he tensed. It was faint, but it confused her. What was this beast planning? Was he afraid? His answer shocked her more so. This bird was of the Hallows? And part of the royal family no less! It was beyond peculiar, but the continent had a habit of pushing the boundaries of her beliefs whenever it was given the chance. Her hesitation was visible, baffled by Zephyrus yet again. More thoughts came to her, all crackling with energy. She was taking a trip to the Hallows soon, to establish a relationship between the two packs. If the argentavis was a member, what else would she have to expect? Next you'd tell her they lived in a castle for god's sake. As the bird began to stutter, her posture began to straighten with her new understanding. She rose from the nervous crouch, revealing her throat, relaxing her shoulders. She was nothing to be afraid of, after all. She was no fighter. "Adopted, I'd imagine?" She jested, hoping a little joke might put them all more at ease. "A friend of a friend is also a friend, yes? You are welcome here. We are also allies of the Armada." While they had no official dealings with The Hallows yet, most knew from the meeting that would change soon, so Sybil felt comfortable enough to be a bit friendlier to this visitor. ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

So his family was the King and Queen of the Hallows? Beauregard’s tail began to wag behind him as Zephyr explained. Poor guy, he sounded as though he was getting nervous. But there was no need to be afraid, least of all of them. Sybil echoed his thoughts, even joking a little to try and help put the large bird of prey at ease. She was right though, the friend of a friend was also a friend. “Sybil is right! If your pack is allied to the Armada and we are too, then it must be fine that you’re here~ No worries at all!” He spoke casually before lowering his rear to the earth. “Maybe you came to the Gorge by accident but you’re safe here.” It was funny how mere moments ago he had been wary of the bird, but now he seemed completely fine. He was all smiles now, tail continuing to thump the ground now as he continued to speak. “The weather here isn’t bad at all. I like it at least. It must be nicer with it being warmer for you too, huh? Trill hates flying in the cold.” The bluejay huffed as Beau brought her into it. “We don’t have fur like you ground dwellers. So it can be harder for me to stay warm in colder climates!” The bird flew from Beauregard’s back and moved closer to the other avian to peer up at him. “Pardon me if this is rude, but what exactly… are you? I’ve never seen an avian your size.” "Speech," 'Thought.'

The nervous energy was beginning to wane and with it, Zephyr's desire to escape. They seemed to take well to his name dropping (and he filed that away as an appropriate method of defense in the future) and declared that a friend of a friend must be their friend as well. Nodding vigorously, Zephyr did his best to definitively agree. "I am adopted, yes." He gave back, missing the joke for the most part and simply accepting that it was a question that needed to be asked. In truth it saddened him a bit, to know that every wolf who looked at him would know he didn't belong in his found family. Ruffling his feathers slightly, he calmed himself and focused upon relaxing himself visibly for their benefit. "Thank you for allowing me safe passage." The avian quipped formally in reply, understanding fully that not every wolf allowed a trespasser to cross the borders they owned and had marked.

As the conversation turned to the weather, he was unpleasantly reminded of the lingering chill in the air. Even at the base of the gorge where it was warmer, this place was nothing compared to the warmth of Auster. "It is quite uncomfortable. I didn't know it would be so cold here, I want to explore but it's hard." Pulling his wings tight to his body, he held onto whatever warmth he could get and shivered. A smaller bird came up from one of the wolves, addressing him directly and bringing Zephyr to blink. Well, he supposed even northern bred animals couldn't determine for him to what family of birds he belonged. "I'm a sort of raptor, and not a chicken." He stated, pulling from the only facts he knew for sure. "And mom says I'm the best bird, but I don't think that helps in deciding what type." Pausing, he realized with a start that it was another bird who had posed the question. "Uhm, no offense. I think she's a bit biased, you know, probably hasn't met you, either. I'm sure you're a fine bird."

"Zephyr"

Beauregard assisted in the reassurance of the bird, relaxing into the conversation, as she did also. With each passing moment she saw Zephyrus as less of a threat, and more of the young awkward prince he was at heart. He appeared to miss the joke, which brought a pang of pity from Sybil. Still, he was a polite raptor, she'd give him that. Beau, or rather his bird, and Zephyr shared an apparently negative view of the cold, drawing a smirk from the pale girl. "Seems not all of us are lucky enough to have been built for such fine weather." There was a joke in her delivery, exaggerated and oozing with self importance. Yes, a stubborn part of her was proud of her insulating coat, especially now she was living in the north. She didn't want to alienate the ones less tolerant of cold, but aside from her satirical tone she believed every last bit of what she said. She certainly suffered in warmth, but that was a small, irrelevant detail. The blue jay twittered at the prince, the difference in size between the two almost comical. Her brows furrowed in a brief consideration of what his classification might be. She had no clue of course, she was far from a biologist. "I've heard that canines used to grow to colossal sizes, very long ago. Maybe you are similar?" She proposed, careful in articulating her speculations. "Where I come from, you wouldn't have gotten wolves much bigger than me. Here that doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps there is something about this continent that causes such anomalies?" It would also explain the peculiar colours that she had witnessed on some of the residents, Ricin being the most prominent example of this. ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Zephyrus admitted to being adopted, seeming to calm down and relax. Beauregard gave a small nod, speaking up once more. “Nothing wrong with that! Trill’s been like a sister to me. We’ve been together since we were both really small. As far as I’m concerned family doesn’t have to just be who you’re born to, you know? Friends can become family too!” And it only felt natural they give an ally of an ally safe passage. Besides, Zeph didn’t seem like he wanted to do them any harm at all. Trill was even trying to help the other avian feel at ease too, sharing a dislike of the cold. Beau couldn’t help but grin at Sybil’s remark on the weather though. He personally didn’t mind the cold at all, though he did feel a bit bad for the jay since she was far smaller and not as easily warmed as a wolf. Trill bobbed her head in agreement as Zephyrus agreed with them. “It is indeed! These silly wolves need to think of us a bit more!” Not that she could fault Beau. He was happy here and that made her happy. It seemed a bit sad he didn’t know what species he was from, but definitely not a chicken. There was a twinkle in Trill’s eyes as he mentioned his mom said he was the best bird, amusement, and she let out a chuckle. “I’m a good bird at best, definitely not the best bird. Who knows? Your mom may be on the right path. I know I’m Beau’s favorite though, right Beau?” The ashen cream yearling gave a firm nod. “For sure! Trill is a very good bird!” His attention turned to Sybil as she spoke up again. “That would make sense. Some type of super bird species!” He glanced back to Zephyrus. “I’ve heard tales of all sorts of different abnormalities. It wouldn’t seem all that far-fetched an idea. I think Sybil is on the right track! So we might not know your exact species, but you’re a good bird, best bird to your folks, and you seem to be a good bird to us.” He gave a firm nod. “I think that’s all that really matters at a base. What you become beyond that will be up to you.” He was cheating even more easily now, almost as if he’d known Zephyrus for much longer than a few moments. “Maybe you can become the alpha of your pack one day! If you wanna that is.” His smile became sheepish, realizing he might have gotten a little overzealous at the end there. He certainly didn’t want Zeph to feel like he had to be anything he didn’t want to. "Talk, 'Think.'