These plains had once been home to the grand pack of Valhalla. Now? They were empty. What had driven such a pack to move? Surely it had been something grand indeed. The sound of loud footsteps was audible, since silence was pointless to the hellish dame. A steady downpour from the roiling grey sky above drenched her pelt with frigid water, but the gladatrix did not mind, the weather stopped for no one, so all one could do was go with it. No one ever died from a little rain, so what was the harm? Mismatched orbs took in the fading bloodstains in the dirt, seeing them as a clue to what drove Valhalla away from the Vericona Plains. Battle. Why did everyone insist on settling everything with violence? A huff of exasperation shuddered through the dark furred dame's flanks, but she kept on moving. Her smooth trot carried her fast enough to get her to the next place once this one lost it's mystery without expending much energy, and yet was slow enough for her to take in every little detail without rush. Cranium was held high, so she could see all she possibly could. So far all she could see was grass, a few shrubs, and a tree here and there. Not much, but it was quite beautiful. "normal. talk. think. you."

She had not intended to join the pack here at Valhalla, though she could sense that she had long passed thw faded scent markers and had heard well enough about the fall of the great pack. She was actually here because she had picked up a familiar male scent that she had to follow. She wasn't sure where she had smelled it before, but it was a scent which had embedded itself into her memory.
Melody' s hazel orbs evaluated the scenery in front of her with a frown. Perhaps his blood had been spilled here with the warriors of Valhalla? But she did not sense that it was true. Making the decision that the scent was only in her mind, she pushed her way into the tall grasses of the vericona plains and lifted her silver head.
Were those footsteps she heard in the distance? Maybe she wasn't imagining it! Her tail wagged softly behind her, unsure of how she was to react to him if he was here. She hadn't seen him in nearly three years. It would be.....oh well. Might as well just see him and hope it goes well!
She pushed her muscles into action, taking off towards the other wolf at high speeds and then skidding to a halt infront of a two-toned female, her muscles relaxing and countenance falling in disappointment.
"Oh...I apologize I didn't realize you were..I thought you were someone I knew." Her hazels softened at the female, realizing how impolite she was being.
"My name is Melody, what's yours if I may ask?"

She could see a strange wolf in the distance, who quickly came racing towards her at an all out sprint. Powerful cords of muscle tensed in preparation for an attack, but as recognition flooded the woman's hazel orbs, she skidded to a stop just in front of the hellish looking dame. The russet and obsidian femme halted calmly, keeping her dual pigmented optics on the woman's face. Mumbled apologies left the she wolf's dark lips, but the dark lady didn't mind. Soon after came an introduction, it appeared the wolfess' name was Melody. A soft smile curved the gladatrix's black lips, thick ebony banner wagging a few times at her hocks. "I'm Udosa. What brings you here?" She asked happily, as if there wasn't rain pelting down. She was glad to be meeting someone else, it had been so long since she talked to another female, and even longer since she met a female in Alacritis. "Speech"

Hazel eyes met bi colored green and blue optics with a smile. Udosa. What a beautiful and unique name, just like the woman who sported it. Her tail waved softly behind her as she looked at the dame. She seemed like a real sweatheart.
"I was following a familiar scent that I recall from my childhood, but I'm beginning to think my mind is just leading me down useless paths." Her face was a mask of frustration. She was certain she had smelled him. But wasnt he long dead?
Soft pawpads dug into the moist earth, her dampening silver and auburn fur becoming drenched as they stood and talked. It was nearly impossible to even catch a scent off of the dame because the rain was veiling her senses. With a curious glance around the terra, Melody opened her maw once more to question the dame.
"Are you of Valhalla? Have you met an older silver man, amber eyes, traveling through here by the name of Flamesong?" Her eyes evaluated the expressions on the woman's face, hoping to see the slightest sign of recognition.

The woman was quite quick to answer her question, surprisingly honest with her answer. The last time she had come across a scent from her past, she had found her mate, Jasper. A soft nod of acknowledgement dipped and raised the hellish femme's cranium. An inquiry from her conversation companion met her dark audits, and the woman shook her head in response. "No I have not my dear, should I look out for him in the future?" She asked, tilting her cranium to the side and receiving an earful of water. Shaking her cranium to rid her canals of the frigid aqua, the woman lifted a russet front paw to scratch at her ear, unimpressed by the invasion by the pelting rain. Giving her head one last shake, mismatched gaze would return to the lass before her.






"Speech"

A twinkle of amusement flashed across her features as Udosa struggled with the rain. They had only just met and she was already growing fond of the strangely colored fae and her antics. She could remember days when she and her young siblings would play in the rain and be told by their father that they would catch their death. She had been so fascinated with the raindrops then, each one leaving a different pattern on the dry earth below.
She remembered the stern but loving amber eyes of her father, looking down with amusement and pride at her when she acted so foolishly. Melody allowed her eyes to refocus on the dame standing in front of her, her face changing to a blank and emotionless slate. Flamesong had left them. And he was gone now, likely dead. No reason to get her hopes up.
"Thank you kindly, Udosa, but I'm afraid it won't be necessary. He is probably long gone from here, I was simply entertaining the idea." She swiftly rose from her sitting position and shook her pelt away from the femme. They might as well take advantage of the rain and do something fun while they were in the plains. It certainly would get her mind off of the scent that lingeres in her senses. Melody nodded to herself and glanced quickly at Udosa, a twinkle in her eye.
Melody gave the girl a devilish grin and stooped to her forepaws in a playful position, an unlikely image to see while thunder rolled dangerously ahead.
"Lets play a game! We'll race to the tree at the next bark of thunder, and whoever is back to this spot first wins! They win...uh..." She had no idea what she was doing, or what she meant to reward a winner with but she felt entirely ridiculous. It was times like these that Melody felt she was lacking, times to just let go and see where the wind would take her. She continued looking at the dame and hoped that she would know how to finish her sentence, and that she would take part in her game.

Despite the pouring rain, this woman wanted to play. A broad smile crept over the features of the hell hound, tail starting to whip back and forth in anticipation for a game. She mimicked the pose of the other fae, if even for a moment, before bouncing onto her feet once more, her body near wiggling with excitement. She listened eagerly to the rules, and nodded. When Melody faltered on the prize, the strangely marked woman easily slipped in with one. "Whoever loses has to catch lunch!" She yipped excitedly, lowering her immense frame to the ground in preparation for the next thunderclap to pound her eardrums. Tail would wag a few times in anticipation, and she watched her companion ready herself. Sudden as expected came the rippling roar of thunder, and the gladatrix' long claws tore into the dirt as she pushed herself from the starting point, powerful muscles rippling as she sprinted all out. The tree came closer and closer, and Udosa began to pivot her large body in preparation to turn around it's thin trunk. Shoulder would scrape against the bark as she cut close to it, but she could hardly feel it, nor did she care. Clods of dirt were raised behind her as she followed her own scent back to the starting point. She was not aware of her companions whereabouts, she was far too focussed on the task at hand. When her front paws touched down, a few paces from the starting point, a puddle sent her sliding forwards onto her belly, and rocketing over the place where they had began. When she finally stopped sliding, her russet chest was soaked in mud, and her thick ruff was icky with the muck. Laughter bubbled up from the dames chest, not having a care in the world as to how she looked. She rolled onto her back and laughed hard, her flanks shaking and heaving with mirth, bushy obsidian banner wagging a mile a minute. "That was fun! Let's go slide down some hills in the rain!" She barked, leaping to her feet happily and bounding a few paces. Looking over her broad shoulder, the she wolf fixed her mismatched gaze on the wolf she was playing with. "Ya comin'?" She asked cheerily, wagging her tail a few times more. She was having fun, and wanted to have more before the rain let up. "normal. talk. think. you."

Melody giggled with mirth as the two toned femme easily beat her in the pouring rain. She had not yet reached the finish line when she saw Udosa careen through the mud. She slammed her own paws hard against the nud in anticipation and found herself tumbling head over heels past the finish line.
The grown silver and auburn dame yelped in excitement and landed on her chin, righting herself with a hearty laugh and a desire for more adrenaline. She aimed her golden eyes at the girl and smiled deviously, bolting after her new friend and racing for the hills.
"I bet you can't beat me there Udosa!"
Another clap of thunder sounded through the night and urged Melody to race even faster. She hadnever had fun like this! She had nearly missed her entire childhood taking care of herself, and it felt so good to let out her pent up energy. Nothing could stop her now, not even if she saw a ghost.