CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think It was strange just how quickly Callisto found herself alone. It had started with her mother, who she had always supposed had returned to Ludicael to find the woman that she thought so highly of. Then her brother, who she suspected had talked himself into a fight he could not retreat from. Circe and her father had stayed around the longest, but illness had dragged her father away and then her sister seemed to have gotten lost after they had left Tortuga together. Alone did not feel like the correct kind of state for her to be in. Her whole life it had felt like she had striven for her own quiet space, isolation from others, and a place where she could have room for herself and herself alone. Now that she had it she hardly knew what to do with herself. What was the point of gathering plants if there was no one to keep it secret from? What was the point of slinking around if there was no one to bother her when she was out in the open? Without someone to hold her in one place and no ties anywhere, the grey and black youth had taken to wandering, drifting further from the north and the place she had once called home - twice - in search of something different. The north was such a cold and callous land that the draw of the plants and herbs of its neighboring territories attracted her attention, and having once lived in the east she trekked back to semi-familiar landscapes that covered that area. There was no land that she found immediately identifiable - she saw no point in going back to Ludicael simply because she was lonely - so she let her nose lead her, following scents of plants and learning where they could be found. Rather than stumble upon a plant scent this time of afternoon, sunlight streaming through the trees in accented by intervals of long shadows, Callisto found herself suddenly stopped by the scent of a wolf. Her grey paws were still as her keen nose continued to scent the air, her brow wrinkling ever so slightly. A pack? She waited for the typical rise of rebellion and urge to flee that usually arrived with such realizations, but surprisingly it was scarce. Odd. Was this another product of being alone, of having no one that she could complain about to herself? Maybe she would have to change that. Though a part of her was sorely tempted to cross the border and walk just inside of it - to really give the pack means to come and address her behavior - she instead took to walking alongside it, peeking within the boundary considering nothing of worthwhile use would be growing upon such stones and inhospitable terrain. Silvery blue eyes were blank but intent, her expressionless face turned toward the territory as she paced needlessly beside it, tempting and daring those wolves who called this place home to find her and tell her to leave. Image by Maka.

Vaughan was slowly getting used to the blazing heat of the day; no longer moaning or avoiding it; he acted a lot like a vampire, preferring the night times and resting during the day. Oh, and how he wished he could do that. If i wasnt for finding Ebony once again, perhaps that is exactly what he would be doing... nothing. But after meeting with Raisa The ebony man had gotten a respectable rank as high lord, and for the time being he felt like he had a purpose. Accepting new members, alert the queen for any problems, sort out ranks and sort out alliances. It kept him busy through out the days, and he was beginning to enjoy it quite a lot. He would stroll along the invisible border line like he did most days, and instead of seeing a fully matured wolf or another trespassing, his gaze would fall upon a youth, innocent they where, and they where the ones to carry on after the elders steps.

Vaughan would keep his head high and his posture strong, but had no intention of flaunting his power. The ebony and ash girl seemed healthy; and full of potential, perhaps Vaughan could train her up himself to become a high lady or a master of the thing she specializes in. A smile would press gently against his face, welcoming her to the lands of Ebony. " What brings you over to this empire, little one? are you alone in this heat." He would take a moment to wonder before proceeding. " Im vaughan, High lord of Ebony."

image by Luisiana

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think The young girl was so attentive with her gaze set toward the interior of the territory that she caught sight of the wolf pacing well before his path seemed to direct itself toward her own. Well, a definite plus to this place then. At least the residents here were proactive and assuring their borders were strong and protected, though she hardly considered herself to be of any threat. Not even with her precious herbs was she skilled enough to be lethal. That, however, was a fact she was still hoping to remedy. She was still unsure what she sought here at the border to this unknown pack but she was curious despite herself. It seemed the loneliness of traveling alone had made her more desperate than she was even willing to admit to herself. Callisto slowed and then stopped as the male wolf - a strange creature of darkness splashed with white - reformed his expression into the semblance of a smile, posture authoritative with a friendly air. Obviously he intended to intercept her, likely before she became bold enough to cross directly into his land, and so she waited for him, allowed him to approach her as she stood silently and stoicly by. His greeting was casual and curious, not so much the kind if address that she would have expected from a border patrol but one she would have expected by happening upon a stranger alone. Oh. He was reacting to the wayward child image that she projected. And perhaps, a little, beneath her disinterest, she was touched by his unnecessary concern. She had no answer to his first question and so she focused upon the second, answering with a simple, "Yes." She was alone, in more ways than one. No pack. No family. No friends. She felt entirely out of place for it, driven here on the cusp of some claimed territory just to force an interaction on herself, one that she felt both awkward and reluctant about continuing. What was she doing here? Maybe this was too bold a move. The smiling wolf offered his name, as well as his title, and Callisto could not stop herself from answering in discreetly mocking tones. "Callisto. Of nowhere." She had never thought herself attached to the titles and authority that her parents used to possess, but now she missed it. At least with it she had felt like a part of something, with a particular place that she fit in. Being stranded with nowhere to go was much worse. Second thoughts had sprung up, but through them she considered what she had just been told. High Lord. That sounded important. Ebony? Nowhere in her recollection of the few times that she had been around her father when he was considering politics had she heard of such a pack. Was it new? Created after the time when her father fell sick and isolated himself from everyone? The blank, bored look about her face became slightly more animated as her brow furrowed around puzzled blue eyes, asking still in her naturally disinterested tone, "What's Ebony?" Image by Maka.

It was oh so deliberate that she excused the information about her parents where abouts. Vaughan was not one to bury any deeper into ones history that they had no desire to share, so with that in mind he'd brush the thought of his shoulders. Though, every other question was answered with little to go of, with a simple no or yes, or an 'oh' if he was lucky. He'd chuckle slightly, he always had a soft spot for the youths, often wishing them to achieve more within his home then any other. Often wolves underestimate the talents they may have, and vaughan had every intention to prove there worth. " Well, Callisto of know where, Ebony is quite fitting if you ask me, it must be a better home then... know where?" He'd pause slightly, wondering if she was merely wondering or thinking of another possibility. " Ebony is a new kingdom, Ruled by one of my close friends, and the wolves here range from good to nuetral allignments, We have a range of warriors and healers. Our numbers are great and where starting to become a very secure empire." "Talk" "You" Think VAUGHAN of EBONY

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Despite her less than amiable nature, the white splashed wolf appeared well enough amused with her company. Either he had noticed something peculiar about her that had triggered his fancy or he had patience enough even to spare her way. Secretly she hoped it was the latter. Callisto was not at all inclined to be the butt of anyone's joke, spoken aloud or otherwise, and a part of her, however buried beneath cynicism it was, hoped that this pack might yet appeal to her. Not that she was ready to throw herself into the workings of a new leader - as she had thus far avoided doing by being born to a leading pair - but at least within a pack she would not be alone. That was presently the hardest part about her predicament. She was not used to it, this sort of forced isolation, and it was only with the loss of her family that she realized how much se had taken them for granted. And she hoped this Vaughan was an indication of how she might be welcomed here overall. He spoke of Ebony being a better home than the one she currently lacked, and though a part of her was inclined to agree the stoic girl said nothing, only stared while considering how much truth actually rang in the statement. Pack lands did tend to be overall better. More fertile, more plentiful. It was exactly why they were made into packs. Being the stubborn thing that she was, however, she let him assume she thought otherwise, challenging his praise with her silence. Everyone was entitled to their opinion, after all, including the voicing of it. It was not until he continued, delving deeper into the true details of the pack, that he struck upon something that piqued her interest, and Callisto became somewhat more visibly alert at its mention. Healers. That meant there were wolves here knowledgeable about plants, herbs, and their uses. It should not have been so surprising, but in her near year of life less emphasis had been placed upon that branch of training and so she had set about learning what she could mostly on her own, accepting guidance the few times she had happened upon it. But if she joined a pack already containing a few learned healers... "Your healers. Do they teach too?" she questioned, tone suddenly quizzing and more curious. Still no smile adorned her dark, grey-marked features, but a new interest had been kindled in her silvery-blue gaze, narrowed now as she waited to learn more. Image by Maka.

She seemed rather difficult to judge, unable to detect her interest or if she was putting on a bold front. Which made him wonder; was her parents the same and she developed the same personality? He would stand there only wondering for a moment, before spotting a small, yet visible spark of interest. Healers? Was she taking a liking towards herbs to potentially help or maybe harm someone. Interesting, and he would go further; wondering if she wanted to learn even more. " We currently have 2 healer in Ebony, both are trying to prove themselves to become the master. If you like, i can get one to mentor you." Would she accept and grow as a member, or leave as a loner. As of right now, the choice was all hers. If Vaughan had a say; he'd love to see her around and prove herself against the rest.

OOC: Gah, sorry this is so short!

image by Luisiana

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Two healers. That was more than she could ever remember being around, at least according to her recollection. She had never really been one to socialize in either of the three packs she had been part of, and none of her family had had much to do with the craft either. Her siblings had been about their own business and her parents had been caught up in the politics that kept their homes stable up until the point they each disappeared, one after the other. All knowledge that she had been able to hoard had been done on her own, through the meetings of individuals outside of her packs and unknown to her, drawn to them by their knowledge and her keen nose for finding useful herbs. Here was an opportunity to further what she knew, to train under someone who she would not only meet with once and then never see again. This was much more than she had expected. For the first time during their conversation, Callisto was finally giving thought to the real possibility of joining this pack named Ebony. She cared nothing for the pack's dynamics, for the overall alignment that it might have possessed. The fact she would be learning the trade that she had long ago set upon for herself was more than enough to solidify her decision. She said nothing right away though she was already convinced, merely watched the wolf with a quizzical, analyzing stare as she made the final deliberations and what the change would mean for her. No longer would her time be her own, as it had been during her travels and within the previous packs ruled by her parents. She would need to submit to a new leader, actively do things to progress the future of the pack. She would have to put the good of everyone before herself. It irked her, to put it simply. She was naturally a disagreeable, selfish thing, but how could she possibly turn away this opportunity? What was a little pretending to play nice when it meant she got to learn more of what she wished? "How soon can I begin training?" she asked, hoping he understood that her question meant she accepted the offer he had extended toward her. She would join Ebony, and she would learn everything she could from their present healers about the healing craft so long as it suited her to do so. Image by Maka.

he knew from this moment on that she did in fact seek shelter within his home, and he couldnt help but feel successful upon getting the girl to join. He would step to the side to give her free access to roam the lands. Hoping she feels comfortable and finds out about all the herbs. " I think Maximous would be a sensible idea, he shall be your mentor for the time being, if he slacks call upon me." he would glace towards the ebony cloaked girl, wondering if she found his deal fair. " Your training shall begin tomorrow. If he does good he'll be rewarded Master, and you shall be the next in line. Afterall, you'll soon be an expert." He does hope she'll like it here. " Call upon him tomorrow, or perhaps you'd like me to speak to him first. Either way, welcome to ebony." "Talk" "You" Think VAUGHAN of EBONY

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think As if inviting her within to the heart of the territory, Vaughan stepped aside and turned, no longer standing between her and his precious home called Ebony. Though the door had been opened to her, Callisto did not move just yet but instead peered beyond where Vaughan had been standing before resetting her gaze back upon him. Well. That was simple and quick. Just like that, she had gone from being a lone wanderer with nothing to being a lackey in someone's pack, but on the bright side at least she was doing something that she wanted to do. She was not merely a pawn in an army, as she had been warned in Tortuga. Here there were options that she liked. Tomorrow. It seemed awfully soon - she still needed to find herself a place that she thought suited her to make her den - but the fact training was offered so quickly and readily was reassuring. She eyed him for a moment more, ensuring that he had nothing else to say to her, before she moved. Without a word, she lowered her gaze and padded slowly past him, directly through the invisible door he had opened for her when he had stepped aside. Through there, she entered Ebony as one of their own and eagerly began setting about searching for where she might try forming a den first. -Exit Callisto- Image by Maka.