Odette's paws were becoming more enraptured with the lands that surrounded Valhalla. At least, that was how it seemed to the young one. She was only six months old, but the girl had travelled more than either sibling and she hadn't been accompanied by either parent. It was weird, being on her own as she walked across the now familiar terrain that stretched from her seaside home to the Western regions of Alacritis. The assumptions she had made when she was younger about her parents being there twenty-four/seven were fading from her mind once they had been proved wrong. So, she carried on. The familiar scent of Valhallan territory reached her nose and she felt a joy rise in her chest. There was something about the place that made her keep coming back, but she wasn't sure what it was. Odette felt a fuzzy feeling in her brain about the packlands, but she didn't dwell on the thoughts for long. Instead, she began to think of the rumors she had heard across the winds, carried from meetings that were made in secret around the world. A war was approaching, being between the peaceful Valhalla and the Ice King's kingdom. War was something she didn't know about, but fighting...that was something that peaked her interest. As she thought of how the wolves would fight, she began to set herself up. Body lowered to the ground, legs bent and head looking side to side. She took a few steps forward and then sprinted towards a large rock she claimed as hers. Odette leaped and immediately landed, paws clawing themselves around the top of it. Her laughter, which was rare to hear these days, rang from her body, shaking her core. She was gleeful at the victory, happy to have been able to take something with force. Her bi-colored orbs looked around, wondering if maybe someone had seen her. Talk like this

Surreal

Surreal loped along the dark water of the river that ran through Emerald Valley, silver figure lean and tough from the constant training and endurance work she, Alsander, and Sarak had been doing. Though? With the word of Azalea, Sarak had withdrawn. As yet, Surreal was still too young to fully understand matters of the heart. Or at least matters like Sarak and Azalea. All she knew was that Sarak looked as though someone had torn his throat out and he hadn?t even seen the blow coming for him. War. It was her first, and she was so young? She would fight, however. She was to be the next Beta, after her Uncle stepped down and settled the mantle of responsibility upon her shoulders. However, he was down with a cough, and she had seen the worry in her mother?s eyes. Her mother and uncle were getting old. Despite Cormalin?s strength and fit body, he wasn?t immortal. He could become sick, as any wolf could. And he had. Blue and gold gaze swept the Valley as Surreal slowed to a walk, pleased to find that she was barely panting, despite coming all the way here from Valhalla in a lope. It wasn?t all hat far, but she remembered her first trip here. Laughter caught her attention, and dark silver ears perked, eyes searching for the source. There, on a boulder, was a pup. Marked in tan, dark grey, and black, the young wolf seemed to be playing queen of the rock by herself, unless a second participant was hiding around the other side, out of sight. Surreal approached, tail falling into a friendly wag as she gave a bark of greeting to the female. ?Hello, there.? Her mother?s British and Scots mix in accents had nearly drowned out the Russian inflections her father had imbued in her early months. There was a faintest tinge of the Russian tones, but nothing more.

After searching for another wolf in the vicinity, Odette had gone back to looking around at her claimed rock. It was big enough for two small pups to rest on, but as she was bigger now, she pretty much took it over. Her paws, resembling Gargoyle's that day, stretched out their toes and she grinned with self-delight. She watched them flex and then curl back, wondering if her mitts would help stabilize her bod weight more either way. As her mind wandered, a voice brought it back to her current position. Her head sharply rose, intense gaze landing on a female that resembled a light thunderstorm cloud. Ears perked and then twitched in different directions, making sure she was the only one present. Odette didn't enjoy more than one wolf approaching her at the same time, especially strangers that didn't know her habits. The greeting reached her gray ears and she looked her over before replying. "Hello." She said, uncertainty ringing in her tones. She sniffed the air and caught the scent of the approaching female. Valhallan. "You smell like Valhalla." Odette's observation was spot on, even if she wasn't a hundred percent sure about it. Talk like this

Surreal

The pup was watching her own toes, it seemed, until Surreal?s friendly greeting brought her attention from them and to Surreal herself. Surreal knew the feeling of a wandering mind. Every little thing capturing the attention, usually in mid-sentence. She had been most terribly plagued by that affliction. But she was grown out of it now, with all the serious events in Valhalla. The pup greeted her, and seemed to listen for other approaches beforehand. The uncertain note in her greeting caught Surreal?s attention, as well as the sniffing the girl gave before announcing Surreal?s scent. Surreal?s head lifted a fraction, proud of her Valhallan origin. ?Mhm. I am Valhallan. One of the Gamma?s, though, my uncle is the Beta, and he?s training me to take his place. I?m Surreal.? The pup?s scent whisked over her nose, and her own ears pressed forward in interest. This one smelled a lot like? ?Are you related to an Orica and Cross?? Her tail stepped up a beat in the wagging. She hadn?t seen either of the aforementioned two wolves lately. Orica, since that day at the edge of Valhalla. And Cross since the Serpent Plains, but she?d had to run home before they could talk. The large yearling had just taken down a boar, alone. He was impressive. Surreal hoped this girl could tell her about them.

Her eyes widened at the words that flowed from the stranger's lips. She spoke of the ranks within Valhalla - which left Odette bewildered - and she was going to ask just what exactly those ranks meant when the names of her family members met her ears. Orica....Cross... Those names meant something to Odette, even if she hadn't met the later yet. Either way, the reaction intended that they were dear to her. Odette's ears automatically flattened and she lowered her head, eyes facing the rock that was beneath her paws. She wasn't looking at it, but merely looking past it as she answered Surreal's question. "Orica is my sister..." she said, voice soft but carried as Surreal got a bit closer to her perch. "She is my older sibling, but I haven't seen her in months..." A hint of sadness clung to her words and she slowly raised her head to regain the gaze she had shared with Surreal. "Cross is my cousin, but I have yet to meet him. I have heard a lot about how strong and silent he is, but only from my mama and papa..." The mere mention of Gargoyle and Ocena tugged at her heartstrings. She swallowed the heartache and cleared her throat as she introduced herself in return. "I am Odette, daughter to Gargoyle and Ocena. I don't have a rank, and even if I did, I wouldn't understand the meaning behind it." Her ignorance was obvious, but she didn't mind letting the female see it. "It's nice to meet you, Surreal..." Talk like this