With the Summer heat making her rather drowsy and being in heat making her rather anxious, it truly was an awful time for Emer to attempting travelling. She?d pressed on though and now had at last managed to leave the Southern parts of Alacritia behind her, finding herself in the Eastern lands instead. She?d parted from the coast now as well; having traced the rivers through the lands until eventually she had hit the Momentum Rapids. It was here she recalled, that she had met Valerius, though she hadn?t seen the male again since and had no idea where she might find him. Birch on the other hand, with his little group was probably somewhere close by. She wasn?t searching for him though, still the girl had little idea what she wished to do with herself and instead was simply in the East doing what it seemed she did best as of late; wandering. She had nowhere to go and no one to see, although Birch had offered and had seemed pleasant enough, Emer still couldn?t bring herself to make any sort of decision for herself. Physically she may have known where she was now, but mentally she was still feeling rather lost. The heat was getting to her again and she found herself feeling rather uncomfortable. Walking closer to the edge of the water she carefully lowered her head, and took a drink. The little woman certainly thought that a paddle or swim was out of the question nor did she fancy one being enforced on her by losing her balance and falling in. She needed a drink though, shade would be wonderful about now but a rest would simply have to do. Things would begin to cool down once more from this point of the day, though it would take its time. Though she couldn?t help but feel she should have followed trees rather than the river.

With two new litters of pups currently in Ludicael Novella hadn?t really set herself much time for exploring anymore. The urge to wander had been sated upon finding Seracia and learning that Myth had joined the pack. Admittedly a part of her was still wishing to return at some point, to actually see her sister though she was also somewhat intrigued by the knowledge that her estranged cousin was also living there. She of course knew very little about Iorwerth, even less than most of the family who didn?t actually possess much knowledge about the man in the first place. Of course it was down to Satu to see him again first if she wished to do so, and now was hardly the time for her to be travelling such distances. All the same she had awoken that day with the urge to get out for a little bit. She adored spending time with her family, her new nieces and nephews were all wonderful but she was itching for a bit of a wander today, to really stretch her legs for a further distance than the journey from her den, to Songs or Symphony?s and back again. Of course there was hunting involved in those walks as well, but it simply wasn?t the same. And so as afternoon hit she found herself regretting that decision as she hit the Monument Rapids. She should have chosen another river, a swim would have been nice though she wanted a relaxing one and something told her diving into the rapids wouldn?t be a particularly tranquil venture. Approaching the water, Novella dipped her head down for a drink, though moving a little too swiftly her nose dipped under the fast flowing water and she quickly lifted it free once more as she sneezed a couple of times. About to try again, though with more care this time she suddenly caught sight of another wolf a little further ahead with the same idea. She remained in her own spot, not willing to approach the wolf just yet, though she called a greeting all the same. ?Hello?

?Hello?Emer sharply retracted her head from the water?s edge at the sound of another?s voice. The call certainly didn?t sound threatening, and was at least a feminine voice though those facts still wouldn?t keep her calm just yet, her body tensing suddenly as her golden eyes flicked towards the stranger. Once more she found herself wishing for that shelter, for somewhere she could actually hide, just in case. ?Hello? The word fell from her lips in a far quieter and softer tone. She was uncertain about the stranger and it probably showed. She didn?t mean to be quite so wary all of the time, though she was alone and to flee was her only defence in most situations. Surely it was with rather good reason that she felt so nervous meeting new people for the first time? No further words left her lips, she had little else to contribute for now and her gaze simply remained fixed upon the stranger, eyes watching for any sign of movement, any sign of a possible threat. The heat had at least been forgotten about for now, though Emer wished that for once she could be left in peace or at least run into someone vaguely familiar that she wouldn?t need to worry about quite so much.

Novella had learnt not to be quite so na?ve about the world, she knew that there were wolves out there that weren?t quite as friendly as others but she would at least take some time to assess a situation before being struck by fear. Personally she had never found herself really affected by these darker aligned wolves, though the girl had a sensible enough head on her shoulder?s that she?d observed from watching other encounters and would certainly try and avoid getting herself into any sort of trouble. She of course knew nothing about Emer, calling to her could be a rather foolish move, even if she was larger than the Autumnal coloured wolf. All the same she had been willing to give her a chance, at the very least not suddenly get caught of guard by her approach. As the other jumped and looked towards her though, Novella got the impression that the other female meant her no harm. She seemed rather timid and nervous, a feeling that Novella certainly didn?t wish to be the cause of. Head slowly lowered once more though in a gentle manner as opposed to an aggressive one, her tail giving a soft wag. ?Sorry if I scared you. I didn?t mean to.? She apologised, her words spoken genuinely. ?I?m Novella Destruction, who are you??

Emer was completely certain she was older wolf here; the other seemed rather young in nature and she supposed innocent enough. All the same however, the wary female couldn?t let her guard down just yet, she?d found herself growing more nervous the longer that she was a loner though nothing had actually happened yet to give her any reason for feeling so concerned around others. She?d been incredibly fortunate in her endeavors to only meet friendlier wolves and yet it was doing nothing to calm her down. ?Sorry if I scared you. I didn?t mean to. I?m Novella Destruction, who are you?? The other female gave an introduction and an apology as well. The distance remained between them now, though they were close enough that Emer could still pick up upon the other?s body language easily. There were still no signs of hostility, Novella certainly seemed rather kindly and yet Emer only relaxed a little from that observation. A little more time with the other girl, and perhaps she would calm some more. ?Emer Lasair.? Came the rather simple reply. She had no further words that she wished to say to the other, but then Emer was quiet at the best of times, let alone when she was trying to assess these situations.

Novella certainly never meant to bring any harm towards another; she was a rather friendly and very sociable creature by nature. Of course this was often in regard to her family, they came first after all though new friends were always rather welcomed. It was a little disheartening for her then when Emer didn?t seem to relax much at all, only giving her name in response to her words. Truth be told, the Destruction girl wasn?t overly sure what to do now, did she just ignore this apparently timid wolf or did she try coax Emer out of her shell a little more? After all, her brother Anthem was another who didn?t always get on well with strangers, he was a rather special case of course, but to her he was completely normal really. Even with his slightly more unique qualities however, others could certainly have similarities to her brother, she would simply have to be patient like she was with him. With the distance between them and the winds not overly helpful to either wolf it was difficult to read the scents of each other. Novella could certainly recognise the potent smell of a female in season, she?d never paid it too much attention prior to this year though after experiencing it for herself, she had nothing but sympathy for other females. She of course wasn?t going to comment upon that however, and chose a completely different topic. ?Are you part of a pack Emer? I?m in Ludicael.? She offered her own pack into the conversation as well, answering the question to provide some additional information about herself even if Emer didn?t have the confidence to ask.

For a moment there was silence and a part of Emer hoped that this would mark the end of the conversation. Novella may not have caused her any harm at all, perhaps no intentions to do so had even crossed the other girl?s mind but all the same she would have preferred a little bit of peace. It seemed that Emer needed to find somewhere to go and hide for a little while, though where she wasn?t entirely sure. There had to be somewhere a little more isolated were she wouldn?t be quite so troubled by others as she found a way to calm herself down and of course for her season to be over. She was to be mistaken though, Novella apparently wished for more of a conversation as the other voiced another question. ?Are you part of a pack Emer? I?m in Ludicael.? Birch had asked her a similar thing recently, though had offered more information about his own current pack conditions; as she recalled he would be forming one with his mate. Novella was already a part of one, but was she trying to recruit as well? Emer couldn?t be sure without further information but she wasn?t about to give in and join all the same. ?No. I?m a rogue.? She may not have been entirely happy with that fact, though for now at least that was the way that things would remain.

The last rogues that Novella had met had been a little more talkative than Emer, she?d found a friend in Gwyndolyn after the pair had accompanied each other on a little walk heading towards the ocean for Gwyndolyn to see it for the first time. Conversation with them had certainly been quite easy, but this was proving a little challenging for even Novella. Perhaps she was simply better off making her way back home. She didn?t want to be away for too long after all and she?d much rather spend her time bonding with other pack members than attempt to talk to an uncooperative stranger. Emer reminded her a little of her conversation with Iorwerth actually. That hadn?t been particularly easy either, though his curt replies had been a little colder and he seemed to have far more confidence than this timid girl. All the same though she was at a bit of a loss with what to actually say to her. She could try speaking to her, but there wasn?t really any topic springing to mind. She knew nothing about Emer, and the other girl wasn?t exactly offering any ideas for what to talk about. With Iorwerth at least she?d had the topic of Myth. She supposed the only thing to do was continue with the current topic, perhaps Emer would begin to speak a little more at some point in the conversation. ?Do you think you?ll always be a rogue?? She questioned, mismatched eyes continuing to watch Emer though she still made no effort to close the distance, she?d leave that to Emer if the other wished to do so. ?I was a rogue for a bit. I didn?t like it as much though, had to join another pack.? Once more she offered some more information about herself as well, in hopes it?d help Emer feel a little more comfortable, learning a bit more about the stranger before her.

Typically to be honest Emer may have put a little more effort into trying to calm and actually hold a conversation but she was hot, fed up and of course nervous. Overall she didn?t feel particularly sociable. Novella continued to speak all the same though, and Emer was far too polite to ask her to be quiet and leave her alone. And so, she found herself with no real choice but to listen. ?Do you think you?ll always be a rogue. I was a rogue for a bit. I didn?t like it as much though, had to join another pack.? She?d once been part of a pack, and had been very happy with that life. Not for the first time she wondered why she had refused to listen to her family and had left them in the first place. She could cope alone, but it wasn?t a happy life and really she was coping less and less as time went on, what little confidence she?d had fading as it sunk in more and more that she wouldn?t be returning home to her family. ?I used to be part of a pack, my family are all still there and I do miss them now.? Emer began, offering a little more information this time. ?I?m not sure if I?ll join another pack though. It is a little? daunting.? The soft spoken girl chose her words carefully, she didn?t want to spill her life story to Novella but she?d at least speak a little more. The other girl after all was still being rather nice.

To Novella?s surprise and pleasure it seemed that Emer was calming a little more now, at last she was speaking a little more. ?I used to be part of a pack, my family are all still there and I do miss them now. I?m not sure if I?ll join another pack though. It is a little? daunting.? The words were a little sad really, she figured Emer must be feeling rather lonely, she?d had family still close by when she was a rogue and they had of course been there to help her make her decision when joining a pack; it had been a no-brainer really for her. ?Some of my family are still in my birth pack. I?m quite lucky though as most of them are here in Alacritia now. It made it easy to decide which pack to go to, one of my sisters is actually the alpha of Ludicael now.? She could only imagine how tough the decision would have been without her family here as well. It?d been hard enough to give in and admit she wouldn?t be heading back to Ahlon any time soon, but to do that alone would indeed be a very daunting task. She wouldn?t push Emer to join Ludicael, but she could at least tell her a little of what she knew about the pack. ?It?s a good pack even without family though.? Novella responded. ?Not all of the members are Destructions, and they all seem to like it there. Lots of kind wolves, and I?m an apprentice so I get to learn all sorts of different things from the other wolves in the pack. I?m sure they?d teach you no matter what rank you had.? Some of the extra knowledge had certainly helped to boost her own confidence when it?d been a little shattered after the Ludicael challenge. She wouldn?t voice it, but perhaps learning new things would help Emer too. ?I?m not trying to push you to join of course. It?s up to you, but maybe just speaking to some of the people living in the packs might help things seem a little less daunting.? She added with a smile.

Emer speaking a little more had apparently fueled Novella into suddenly becoming even more of a little chatterbox. The autumnal coloured wolf sat silently, listening to the white female?s words as she spoke of her own experiences and then offered up a little information about Ludicael. Novella probably had a very valid point really when it came to the speaking to other pack members, but that was also where the problem lay, she was too scared to do so and what if all weren?t quite as nice as Novella here, and Arella who she had met nearly a year ago upon her arrival in Alacritia. Perhaps that would be the next step then. Valhalla she believed the pack had been called, hopefully she could recall roughly where it was and see if she could find the young girl once more. A slightly familiar face would be far easier to speak to than one she didn?t know at all. ?You do make a rather good point Novella.? Emer?s own face even had a small smile; the younger girl had apparently succeeded in calming her down more now. ?Any suggestions on other packs to speak to?? She seemed nice enough, any other packs that perhaps Ludicael were allied with or Novella knew about might be worth trying.

Slowly but surely it seemed that the tension was leaving Emer as their little conversation continued to progress. It was certainly a joyful thought and Novella was pleased with the achievement, though fortunately managed to contain herself and hide that joy. It?d probably seem very foolish of her to suddenly point out the obvious and gleefully state that Emer was talking to her now. ?You do make a rather good point Novella. Any suggestions on other packs to speak to?? Having chosen Ludicael right off the bat, Novella hadn?t considered or learnt much at all about the other packs in Alacritia. As time had gone on though she had begun to meet other wolves and hear things about the other packs, though she wasn?t about to go spreading any rumours. For all she knew Emer may have even already heard them anyway. She?d speak the truth instead, the facts that she knew from her own experiences. ?The alpha of Valhalla visited us recently. She helped my sister with the birth of her pups so obviously we think rather highly of her right now!? Novella answered with another smile. ?Another of my sisters, Myth, joined Seracia. I don?t know much about the pack itself, though if she is there then I?m sure they must be rather nice as well.?

It was a good sign and somewhat interesting that the first pack Novella had mentioned was Valhalla. The idea to head to the West once more was now becoming a little more certain in her mind and for the first time in a long while she actually had a plan of sorts. Birch had of course been rather helpful in his own way, and now Novella was as well. Perhaps she should have given others a chance and spoken to them more before this. Seracia was in the South if she recalled correctly, though she wasn?t sure she felt like heading that way again just yet. She?d explore the other areas of the land once more before venturing that way, it made more sense than turning around and heading the way she had just travelled after all. ?Thank you. You?ve been quite helpful.? There was another small smile upon the girl?s features, though she was still far from joining a pack, she at least had a better plan in motion now than simply wandering and for the first time in a while it seemed a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. ?Perhaps I?ll come and see you again soon. I do feel I need to get out of the sun again now, and maybe I should start my journey sooner before I talk myself out of it. Goodbye Novella? She would wait for the other to speak and say goodbye before leaving, though she would soon start her movements again continuing her travels with a destination in mind; to the west.

?Thank you. You?ve been quite helpful. Perhaps I?ll come and see you again soon. I do feel I need to get out of the sun again now, and maybe I should start my journey sooner before I talk myself out of it.? Novella found herself feeling quite proud at Emer?s words. She had clearly achieved a good deed of sorts and it made leaving the lands for a walk seem more worthwhile really. It was a rather good feeling that washed over her and the soft smile remained on her features as her tail wagged slightly. ?You?re welcome. I?m glad to hear that.? She stated cheerily. ?I should probably head back home myself. Good luck with your travels Emer, hopefully I?ll see you again. Bye!? As the other wolf would turn to walk away, Novella would move in the opposite direction, heading back towards the lands that belonged to Ludicael.