Onyx had returned from her trip around Auster back to settle in with her family and soon Bronze would be heading on his own way. And she tried to tell herself that was okay because that's what she had been doing after all. But really, it wasn't okay. She could be happy with her siblings finding their way in the world, but she would turn around and find nothing for herself. As strong and as proud as she may be she was finding a sense of failure in her life. The rest of her family could understand, and they were raised to overcome anything or lose everything trying. So secluding herself was the best option. She just didn't want it to be that way. She was sure too that her parents wanted her to thrive somewhere, or at least feel happy to feel like her life could mean something. It was becoming harder to live with as the days went by.

She had gone out from her den in the pines not really in search of anything but deep down there was. A scratch at a hope that she'd come across just what she needed. It was down at the lower slopes of the sound that edged more on the eastern lands that she was in her more aimless wandering, head held a bit low, lost in her own thoughts. She wouldn't even know of the snow leopard that was stalking her until it jumping out in attack. Silly on her part, she was usually quick to catch up on these things. But these days she was finding it harder to focus. She was equipped with her skull and armor while it was the only things she truly owned other than a few pelts back at home and she also never really knew when she would find the opportunity to jump into a spar with someone. This she supposed was no different but this snow leopard was out for blood clearly. She acted quickly, turning on her paws as it leapt forward, the drastic directional change in her body making it miss completely but of course it wasn't ready to give up just yet. It threw out a few swats at her and rather than use her now more familiar antlers like anyone else may have, she snapped forward and bit down on the cat's paw right from midair before twisting her head to throw it on the ground and under her. She honestly wasn't much of the killing type, like she didn't really enjoy killing things but she was at her wits end and this was the best opportunity to get some of her frustrations out.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.

Manea shook out her coat as she stepped out of the small cave she and Kavik had used as their den the night before. It was extremely rare that she didn't come home at night—in fact she couldn't remember a time she didn't unless she was on a trip of some kind—but with the current state of things it hadn't been difficult for her current paramour to convince her to have an evening away. She woke up earlier than he did, as always, and left him to continue sleeping as she walked out into the Sound. It seemed like the day was going to be a quiet and uneventful one until she happened to notice the stealthy form of a snow leopard moving along the mountain ridges. Living on the mountainous island as she did she had gotten used to watching for the spotted felines and it had almost become habit at this point.

She watched the cat as she went, not overly concerned about its presence, but keeping an eye on it just in case. That was perhaps the only reason why she noticed it beginning to creep toward the seemingly unsuspecting blue-hued, antlered woman. She saw this happening in the distance so she wasn't quite close enough to warn her before the leopard leapt into action, but she started moving toward the stranger just in case she might need help. She watched as the woman handled herself well, quickly recovering from the ambush to get the snow leopard down on the ground. She smirked slightly and her steps slowed, keeping back since it seemed that her help wasn't needed after all. She didn't interrupt just yet, just moving a bit closer out of curiosity around the strikingly blue girl.

"Manea Mendacium"

Onyx would be obviously unaware of her audience, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference really. She didn't necessarily like to be the center of attention, but she supposed she would have liked to have been praised by her skill. If it was a show for the woman after all that was. Otherwise someone stalking her and just watching was weird, she wouldn't have any notion to think that was going on though.

With the cat now under her, it thrashed around trying to get free but not necessarily trying to flee just yet. Onyx still had a hold over the snow leopard's paw with her jaw, her own paw placed down right in the center of the cat. She pushed the cat's leg forward and back behind it while her other paw held the leopard down at it's neck. It yowled out in pain as she seemingly was going to dislocate it's shoulder from the body until it swiped up it's free paw that scratched on and under her cheek and a portion of her throat in an effort to get her off. It's hind legs in sync also found the space between the two of them and started thrashing up under her with deadly claws and at that point she was at her end. She was brutal in the way she pulled the cat back up by it's paw, flipping it over onto it's stomach with just a little amount of struggle while she handled it but once she had that full control over top of it the rest came easy. Her jaws came down over it's short snout and she ended it quickly with a harsh flick to break it's neck. It was killed near instantly or if it wasn't, there was nothing it could do now. With a little huff in her breath from the fight, she backed off with a face of annoyance, looking down at the bloodied creature that she then realized was her own blood from the cat's sharp claws. She cursed at herself quietly, or more so at the dead creature in front of her. Because she'd have to take care of the wounds herself, not that she hadn't ever done so before.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.

Manea continued to move toward the woman who had downed the attacking snow leopard, curious and interested in the blue-hued stranger as she displayed her obvious skill in fighting. There was no obvious pack scent intermingled with her own so at least at first glance it seemed like this girl was a loner. By that definition she was free to be recruited. Whether or not she would be interested in such a thing was unknown to her, but she would never know if she didn't ask. She kept just out of the younger woman's range of sight as she approached while she went about finishing off the leopard after it landed a slicing blow across the girl's face and neck, Manea of course being sure to keep a comfortable distance so she wouldn't encroach on the woman's personal space as she backed off of her now dead opponent with an obviously irritated expression.

The Elysium Matriarch started to shift her path to come more into view, kicking a bit of rock as she went to allert the stranger of her presence. "Well done," she complimented with a bit of a smile. She glanced over the shallow, but still noticeably bleeding cuts she had received from the snow leopard. "Those cats can certainly cause a lot of trouble. You handled yourself well though." As she came to stop in front of the other wolf, still leaving a few feet between them, she gave a nod of her head in greeting. "I'm Manea, the Matriarch of Elysium. Would you care for some help cleaning up your wounds?" She certainly wasn't a healer by any means, but she knew plenty about basic wound care to at least patch herself up well enough to get to a proper healer. She would be glad to do as much for this woman if she so desired.

"Manea Mendacium"

Onyx's gaze turned to the woman as she made her presence known, but she wasn't quick to be defensive or anything like that. She'd be able to handle herself if the woman did end up attacking her for any reason, but she wasn't so quick to think so.  

Onyx was very clearly not the most interactive type. She looked at the woman with a somehow gentle glare, and it was only after she was greeted with a few words that she backed herself down a little bit from the fight just prior. She had been so secluded from everyone else that wasn't her family, save for the couple times she met Cina in Auster. Compliments weren't easy to come by, or at least a kind word to her capability of what she felt she excelled in. She was willing to give the woman a chance in the meeting at least.

"Thanks." Was really all she could respond with, but maybe the woman could catch the slight glimmer of pride that came across her face as she changed her posture and setting from the fight with the snow leopard. "Onyx." Formalities weren't so much of her strong suit, but maybe that's because she was typically lacking in friendliness. "I'm able to keep it clean on my own but I guess if you wanted to share some kindness out of your heart I won't refuse." It was a little bit of her joking nature, but she was being serious. If the woman had more to offer her, she wasn't going to deny the help.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.

Manea gave a small nod as Onyx introduced herself simply, replying, "A pleasure to meet you, Onyx." She certainly hadn't planned on making this little escape to the Sound into a reason to recruit a new member, but when the opportunity presented itself how could she refuse? As Onyx replied that she could keep the wounds clean herself, but wouldn't refuse the help, Manea gave her a small smile and gestured for her to follow. "Well, I'm happy to help since I'm here. Lets get you cleaned up then." She lead Onyx over to one of the many small waterfalls that dropped from the cliffs above, finding a fairly sizable clump of moss and washing it clean in the stream that ran from the waterfall down to the inlet below. With the moss clean and damp she turned to Onyx and settled on her haunches in front of the other woman to start carefully dapping and cleaning away the blood that had dripped down through the lighter blue and white fur on her throat and chest.

"Tell me, Onyx," she began while she worked, keeping her gaze mostly on the cuts while she inspected them rather than on Onyx's face. "Do you have any purpose to put your skills toward? A band or pack perhaps?" Even though she didn't sense any sort of group tied to the younger woman's scent she decided it would be better to ask than assume. It was entirely possible she was already spoken for by some other group and simply hadn't been around them for a bit of time so it seemed wise to double check. "If not... Is that something you would be interested in?"

"Manea Mendacium"

Onyx would cautiously and also freely follow the purple woman over to the crashing falls of the sound. She'd rest as she did, a little uncomfortable with the woman reaching forward to clean her wounds with the moss, but she'd easily overcome the feelings. She grit her teeth as the contact was made more because of the sting than the touch itself. Her eyes glanced to Manea once she started talking again, but gazed back out as the grasses and water of the summer sound while she considered how to respond for the moment.

"No, I've lived in the north with just my family for almost all of my life. It seems we are all getting old enough to make our own paths now." Bronze leading a life towards the Armada, and she put it on herself to start her life on her own. That's what she believed her parents wanted at least, not that didn't love her or didn't want her around. "I haven't found what I'm looking for yet." There was that glimmer of a memory not so far away of her and Cina, but she tried to push it as far back in her head as she could. He after all didn't give her that reason to come back so it was true that she hadn't found what she was looking for. She was stuck living just the life of survival and she didn't believe that's all she wanted.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.

Her guess that Onyx was at least mostly on her own was confirmed as she explained how she had lived in the north with her family for the entirety of her lift thus far. She wondered for a moment if that would prevent her possible recruit from wanting to leave her family, but as Onyx went on to say how her family seemed to be making their own paths and that she hadn't found what she was looking for yet it gave Manea a bit of hope that she could be convinced. "A feeling I'm familiar with," she replied with a soft chuckle. "I think we all hope that the paths our family members take will all converge to a common goal that we're able to find what we're looking for in that together, but it certainly doesn't always work out that way." When Onyx's fur and the cuts themselves were clean she set the moss down, getting up for just a moment to retrieve a few pieces of a horsetail plant she had seen growing near by before returning to her place in front of Onyx.

As she cut open the piece of spindly plant with her sharp, feline claw and began carefully applying the gooey material to her cuts to seal their edges together, she turned the topic toward her whole intention for approaching her to begin with. "I lead a pack just north east of here called Elysium. I built the pack because I also couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere else. I wanted somewhere I could live my life with my family how I pleased without judgement or persecution from anyone else and where anyone who wanted to join could do the same. The only things I ask of my members is that they respect one another and keep our home safe. Other than that your life is up to you." She finished painting on the last bit of horsetail onto Onyx's lacerations and gently pressing the edges of the exposed skin together before she examined her work briefly and then brought her gaze up to Onyx's. "I am always in need of experienced fighters for my ranks. If our philosophy and way of life interests you then I'd be happy to welcome you into Elysium."

"Manea Mendacium"

Onyx did listen intently to everything the woman told her, if even she didn't seem so tuned in during the process of cleaning and bonding her wound. As she spoke about her pack in the rise and meaning of housing those like her, she really couldn't agree more. "A familiar feeling indeed." She gave a gentle smile in return to her mirrored comment. The woman had built the pack over family, but that wasn't all she was in search of. Onyx was born with different morals than most were or so she supposed. Living and thriving in the north is what gave her and her family strength, it made them beat the odds so to say. It was what she was taught since she was born and she was built to believe she had to show her strength or die trying. On the outside there wasn't a weak bone in her body. It was deep in her soul where she could hide those more subtle feelings away.

Manea would go to offer her a place inside of her pack, and again it was another moment Onyx had to think. It had been so long since she had been part of a pack. It wasn't that she wouldn't know how to function, or share, or work. Those were all things she had done inside of her home even when she grew older and moved into her own den. But with her family's philosophies being apart of a pack wasn't necessarily a way of strength. It wasn't against what they wanted by any means, but they were much more attuned to live on their own. "Is this something I can turn back on if we are on good terms?" It was a genuine question and maybe just showing that bit of fear or uncertainty that she wasn't sure if things would work out for her. She had to wonder what it would be like, and maybe if she at least got that taste here in a place she felt like she could be welcomed, maybe she could try it again elsewhere.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.

She didn't rush Onyx for a decision and let her take as long as she needed to consider the offer. It was a substantial decision considering the very short amount of time they had known each other so Manea left the floor open for her to accept or deny or ask any questions that might have come to mind. The one question Onyx did ask was a prudent one and Manea easily nodded in agreement. "Of course. The door to and from Elysium is always open. If my pack ends up not being the right fit for you then you are free to go at any time, all you would need to do is tell me you are leaving. The point of my pack is to create a home and a place of enjoyment. If my members are miserable I would prefer them to go find something that they enjoy." She was certain not all alphas had the same mentality. After all, that sort of policy meant that numbers could always fluctuate, valuable and skilled wolves could leave when they pleased. Still, she couldn't bring herself to force someone to stay—except perhaps on rare occasions, but those were vastly different situations than when she was recruiting someone like she was recruiting Onyx.

Manea got to her paws and gestured in the direction of the pack. "I should be getting back. If you would like to join and want to accompany me back to my home you're certainly more than welcome. Or if you have things you still need to consider or anyone you need to talk to first then I hope to see you at my border one day." She waited for a moment, looking to Onyx curiously to see what her choice would be. She was hopeful, but realistic. She didn't expect every wolf she invited to simply drop everything and immediately come to Elysium. If Onyx had any loose ends she needed to tie up first or if she wanted to take some time to think then Manea wasn't going to penalize her for that.

"Manea Mendacium"

She was thoughtful in nature, and that showed through everything else. It was easy to listen to what Manea had to say, and she was quite convincing. She wasn't very fond of Incendium's former leader, and that's what had made her feel so bad for Cina. But Manea was giving her a better perspective in the pack life. She wasn't sure if that meant she would actually like it but at least the woman here was willing to give her that chance and another for her to leave if necessary. If nothing else in the back of her mind she felt like she liked the structure of a pack, so it gave her something to do and maybe something to strive for. She couldn't speak for that right in this moment but the thought was there.

"I don't have many belongings but I do want to inform my family." Something the purple woman may have understood well. Onyx wouldn't outright say "hey yeah, I'll join your pack" but it was the best way she knew how to say so. Maybe it was a bit of a wall she put up over herself, maybe Manea could sense that little bit of holding back due to the way she was raised. And honestly, really really deep down she was a little afraid of what would come after. It was a big unknown to her, and she may have been a little worried to let this woman down in the long run. But she supposed she at least had the physical qualities she was looking for. That would be enough.

"Onyx"

Mature! For foul language. Can be prone to violence.