The large brute had finally grown tired of walking. He'd been walking all his life. Exploring these lands had been something of a passion for him, but that fire was gone. Adventures held no lust for him anymore. Hyperion's warm golden eyes had looked upon every corner of Alacritia. What he wanted now was to settle down. But in his heart he still held a strong distaste for packs and their unjust leaders. How could an old wolf settle down with no permanent home to sleep in? He pushed his troubled mind aside for a moment and sniffed at the sweet-smelling breeze. Hyperion had woven a path between these trees for the last hour, taking in the dying smell of ripe apples. Summer was coming to a close, but the scent still floated on the air. He sighed heavily, feeling the burden of a long life on his chest. What could he do now? All this wandering had brought him nothing, had it? Knowledge, perhaps. Many stories to tell. But with no one to love, who could he tell them to? In that moment, he desired nothing more than to have a litter of pups at his feet. Small paws to follow him, small eyes to gaze in wonder at him. But even before that, he desired a soul to share everything with. If only Aurora were alive again, just for this one day. If only... but he knew those thoughts were dangerous. Those thoughts would only bring him sadness. So he continued to brush his way through the orchard, admiring the changing colors of the leaves. Loneliness is my companion, he decided. I've grown so used to it by now. Walk. "Talk."Think.

Of course she would be in heat almost as soon as she left Glaciem, the world hadn?t spit on her enough yet. The one place in the world she already had protection during this rather stressful time and she in her haste had neglected to think through leaving? This time last year had been one of excitement, knowing that Isardis would come for her, all she had ever wanted at that time. Now she was tired, scared and horny all at the same time, it was such a lovely combination. If there was any saving grace it was that it was warmer farther south, a blessing even in her thick coat. She was still half starved, and her pelt still matted but she was starting to feel better. The sweet scent of the orchard making her stomach clench, but she almost felt at peace for the first time in a long time. The cloying scent masked most anything else and so she was unaware she wasn?t alone in the orchard. It was only when she was practically on top of him did she even realize he was there. ?Sorry.? She muttered back peddling. Automatically tipping her head to the side to hide her scarring, lifting amber eyes briefly. It was the older male she had met earlier and for a moment she felt light headed. A male, in her state, even one this old, it did not leave a taste in her mouth and she swayed some, her knees growing weak. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

The sweet scents grew heavy, settling the old male into an easy trance. He relaxed near a warm apple tree, seeming to taste the ripe juices in the air. There was a bit of old fruit on the grass near his paw, and he leaned forward slowly to prod at it with his nose. He fastened his teeth lightly into the fruit, avoiding the browning spots as the bittersweet taste spread across his tongue. As he pulled away from the small treat, he felt a smile on his lips. Then something interrupted his daze. More accurately, someone interrupted it. He felt a pair of feet stumble into his hip as another wolf walked by. It was a slightly battered female with an earthy pelt and a familiar scent. She muttered an apology as she backed away, tucking her head down and away as if she were hiding something. Yes, this was definitely a female Hyperion had met before. The pretty woman from Glaciem - her name was Narsha. He could never have forgotten. After all, he had reacted so strangely then, unable to speak for once in his life. But now the blanketing aroma of rotting fruit seemed to intoxicate him, and words came pretty easily. "Don't apologize, miss, please." Even as he blinked and struggled to return to reality, the male managed to bow deeply to the younger woman. She looked as strangely captivating today as she had the first time they'd met, only this time there was something else about her that distracted him. That dreaded, inviting scent, all too familiar. His aged body had learned to fight it by now, though. This was only a product of his years and of his gentlemanly nature. So, luckily, it was the smell of Narsha's heat that snapped him out of his trance. His dark feet shuffled away a bit, giving the girl her space. "If my memory serves, we have met before. You are Miss Narsha?" He gave a small, gentle smile to the female, keeping his golden gaze on her politely. What had brought her here, alone, when she was in heat? Did she wish to be protected in any way? Walk. "Talk."Think.

He spoke and she nearly jumped, she was just so on edge, his musky scent tugging at her baser instincts while the cloying smell of the orchard seemed to make her dizzy. It was not a good combination and it put her on edge. She watched him with her one good eye lifted up, head tilted oddly at an angle so she could see all of him, she didn?t want to be caught off guard. Yes, there was no denying it was the same male from before, even his current speech reminiscent of their first meeting. How strange that even now she was able to find a charming male? But no, she stopped those thoughts in their tracks. The last man that had worked his charms on her had impregnated her and every other woman in his brood and then left them to fend for themselves. He had not been a father to his kids and had not cared one bit when his woman fell ill? or had a life changing accident. The male, she remembered was named Hyperion, took a few steps back and she breathed a bit easier, lifting her head just a slight bit. He spoke again, asking for the confirmation of her name. She cleared her throat, speaking in a croaking tone. ?Ah- yes. We have met before then?? She broke off somewhat awkwardly, shifting her weight from paw to paw and making sure her bad eye was hidden from sight. She was unsure what to say, almost scared to speak. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

The smell was becoming more difficult to ignore, especially with how shy this female was being. He longed to reach out and comfort her, but such proximity would surely make things more difficult for the old brute no matter how good he was at ignoring the smell of heat. He kept his instincts in check, as always, and smiled at the younger wolf. "Yes, miss. I knew I had seen you before. Your face is not one I would soon forget." Could it be that the aged male had actually had trouble speaking to Narsha before? Now his words were smoother than honey and just as sweet. This was very odd for him, very odd indeed. But just like before, Hyperion chalked it off to the intoxicating smells in this orchard. They were desensitizing him somehow, that was all. He moved away from the tree a bit, hoping that some distance from the soft apples would make his head clear up a bit. He shook his head lightly around, releasing the strange fog, and returned his attention to the earthen girl. "May I ask what brought you here today, Miss Narsha? This orchard is a bit outside of your pack boundaries, is it not?" She, of course, still smelled a bit like Glaciem. He knew she called that terrible group her family, because she had been there the day he had escorted Esperanza home. In fact, it had been quite a while since he had traveled near that place. He decided it couldn't hurt to ask... "How is Esperanza doing? Have you seen her recently? I trust she is well, she told me she felt at home there..." And now his voice began to trail away. What if the pretty black girl had been hurt somehow? That recent earthquake had done its damage to the land, even Hyperion was feeling aches in his bones as a result... Was Esperanza hurt? Should he go and check on her? The thoughts whirled around in his head as he stared at the female and the way she tucked her head away from prying eyes. He glanced away for a moment to give her room to breathe. Why did she look so frightened of him? Oh, she's in heat. Of course she's nervous around brutes at this time. Hyperion bit his lip as he tried to think of something to say or something to do. Walk. "Talk."Think.

Was that a compliment, or an insult? Either way Narsha instinctively ducked her head even more, removing her scarring totally from sight, though she now only had him partially in her view. She could feel her face flooding with heat, both out of indignation and a slight but obvious shyness. Oh good that now of all times she was turning into a meek little yearling! Reining herself in she would dart her gaze upwards as the male moved, away from her? ?I?m uh? actually?? She faltered, being one of Isardis? woman might have been a hell of its own but at least most wolves knew well enough to leave them alone or bring the wrath of the silver god down upon them? It was a shield she could almost use now, vulnerable as she felt. Still the male seemed to be doing near everything in his power to make her feel more at ease? ?I?m? No longer a part of Glaciem.? It was near a whisper. He would pose her yet another question and she felt embarrassment at not knowing the answer. The only time she had ever so much as met the woman had been the first time she had met him and then she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that anyone else had ceased to exists for some time. ?I?m not sure? sorry.? She avoided his gaze, glancing behind herself for a moment as if assuring herself that she wasn?t about to see the wraith of her former alpha descending upon her. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

The young lady seemed quite relieved when Hyperion moved away from her. She was probably grateful for the extra space, but it also reassured her that he had no plans of taking advantage of her. How could he even consider such a horrible thing? The large brute simply gave the woman a gentle smile and tried to organize the thoughts in his head. It was hard to do as they buzzed around the intoxicating scents and general feelings of confusion. His tongue felt tied even when he wasn't speaking. Luckily, Narsha took this opportunity to release her soft voice into the air. Each word hung heavily, as if dangling there by a precarious thread. Her speech faltered at first, as if she was afraid of what she had to say. The one eye he could see began to dart about nervously. Hyperion contemplated stepping away further. Was it his presence that was making her uncomfortable? Then, at last, her sentence was completed. Narsha was no longer a member of Glaciem. The aged male was dumbfounded. "What? How did that happen? They just let you go?" From what he had glimpsed of the pack, they were controlling and cruel. How would the bloodthirsty king let one of his prize females leave? Surely there had to be a catch. The man cocked his head slightly and tried to clear his head once more. That's when he noticed her ducking her head. Her neck must have ached from doing that so often, and besides, it didn't seem like the natural way to submit. In his daze, he let the words loose. "Are you alright, my lady? You don't need to cower... or are you in pain?" Forgetting his earlier decision to stay a safe distance away, Hyperion moved closer to inspect the hidden part of her face. Now he would just have to see her reaction. Walk. "Talk."Think.

At the very least he seemed to realize how uncomfortable she was. He questioned her announcement and Narsha did her best not to flinch or show much she wished she had kept her mouth shut. ?Uh? not exactly?? How could she explain it? ?The king was? indisposed for a bit and in the meantime his queen allowed those of us who needed out to leave.? And after the accident, and he own son leaving Narsha had never needed out more. True she had left behind her other son and the guilt gnawed at her whenever she thought of that but she had done this for herself. Panic flowed through her as Hyperion took a step towards her, and without thinking she tossed her head back as she took a quick retreating step. Just as quickly she tucked it down again, feeling the strain in her neck, but it was too late, the damage was done. Narsha knew what he would have seen, dead puckered flesh all too visible as there was no fur to cover it, surrounding a lifeless eye, unmoving in its socket. ?I- I?m okay.? But she wasn?t going to convince anyone, the shaking in her voice all too obvious. She wanted to run and hide, to cry, to collapse right then and there but she stood where she was her useless left eye once more hidden from view. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

The old male couldn't deny that Narsha reacted the way he suspected she would. But before she could retreat, Hyperion caught a glimpse of what she had been hiding all along. Her left eye was dead, leaving behind a ring of scarred flesh. He winced as she snapped her head around and stumbled back another step. Perhaps he had invaded her space, but now he felt the need to help her grow ever stronger. Any thoughts of her enticing scent were pushed away, and he stepped closer yet, insisting that she trust him. "Please, my lady. Let me see. I promise I won't hurt you." He would try to lean his head around once more, amber eyes seeking to examine the damaged area. Had she been hurt by another? Hyperion felt a protective sort of anger rise up in his heart. He had dealt with enough wolves in his life that sought to violate and injure helpless females. He was done with that. If the Glaciem alpha was responsible for this, the old brute would see that he got his own share of injuries. Still, he was glad that the queen had granted her leave. As long as Narsha was safe now. "You're safe now," he said with a smile, echoing his thoughts. "But will you tell me what happened to that eye of yours? Did another wolf bring harm to you this way?" Of course his tone was tender and quiet, soft words caressing the air. But underneath he felt a churning feeling of uncertainty and anger. He would avenge this maiden, whatever the cost. Not only for her, but for his deceased mate Aurora. He would do for Narsha what he had been unable to do for her. He would defend the woman he cared about. Walk. "Talk."Think.

He pushing his away past her point of comfort and she was quickly running out of room to run. His intention might have been good but as continued to close the gap faster than she could create it she began to panic. The world was spinning, the pungent scent of fruit and his musky male smell blurring into a dizzying horrible stench. His words stung her and she flinched suddenly and violently away. With as much force as she could muster she struggled to lift he head, to look him in the eye. The tears she had been struggling to keep at bay broke free. ?The Volcano exploded?? She sobbed, her words slurring together in only semi-coherent sentences. ?I couldn?t see anything, lost Kyung, went to get him, hurt so badly!? Everything she had been keeping inside, all the pain, the wrenching in her heart at the knowledge that she had lost her sons all of it was spilling out. Narsha curled upon herself, haunches touching the ground and she bent over, shaking with the raw emotions. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!