They crossed in through the north, his daughter and himself. He found himself here, at a tall structure of rock. He would look upon it, dark eyes curious. The Wall... He had heard other loners talk about it before he had left. He right ear would give a thoughtful flick, sitting as he gazed at the thing as if looking upon it might help him think of what to do next. Right now his daughter was settled in a cave with odd markings upon the walls. It seemed safe enough there while the male scouted ahead and looked for a potential area to settle in. He was not yet sure if they would join a pack or remain loners. It would likely be easier for them to find his son, Gavroche, if they bore no duties to a pack but... At the same time the aging wolf didn?t care for the thought of remaining a loner. When spring came he was going to be five years old. It was time for a change. Body would rise, the calico form of the brute moving onward. His medium build was strong, muscles gaining a bit more pronounced through his journeys and trials over the two seasons he was gone. He had caught wind of two packs here... One being Glaciem. The thought of those wolves would make Allen?s stomach churn. He knew not their current state... Only that he could not rest easy with them yet. One of their members had been the one to kill his sister... And forgiveness was not easy to come by. He would give a sigh. The other pack however... He wondered if it was Tortuga... Or what became of it after Taurig gave it up. He would decide to near the borders of the forest they inhabited, just to see what he could notice. The calico male would breath in as he approached the trees, taking in scents. The pack seemed rather small... And from what he noticed when passing by Glaciem their own kingdom seemed smaller. Maybe Isardis? members were tired of his shit as well. It would serve the bastard right. Allen would pause, ears twitching. He thought he heard someone approaching... But was it his imagination? Guard would come up, the start of a nervous growl building in his chest. He might not have crossed their borders... But there was no telling what this pack was like. They could very well attack him just for being nearby. "Speech", 'Thought'

Qanik's feet measured a slow beat as she meandered through the territory, only patrolling because she had nothing else to do to keep her mind off things. Head and tail drooped, ears flattened to the sides, as she trudged through the snow. It had been a year since her family pack had been destroyed, a year since she had begun the journey to the red wood forest. She was low, she knew it, but she could seem to do nothing to help herself. Every step felt heavy with self-loathing, with depression, with... loneliness. She might very well be the last one of her family alive, most slaughtered a year ago by a would-be empire, the rest maybe starved or killed in the months since the pack dissolved. Because of her. Her family line would die with her. A sudden scent attracted her scant attention, and she forced herself to change course, to investigate. She shortly came within sight of the border, and a rogue male there, seemingly ill at ease. He was on the proper side of the border, though, so when Qanik made her approach she made it with no aggression at all. Slowing to a stop before the multicolored male, she studied him quietly for a moment. "You stand at the edge of Tortuga territory, stranger," she finally said softly. "I am Qanik. Is there something I can help you with?" She made no mention of her rank, selfishly wanting to set aside the responsibility for the moment and be just Qanik, as she had been a year ago. Speech,

A woman would approach. A woman with a coat of white, and blue eyes. To some she may not have been the most beautiful fae, but Allen was not one to wish for the so called ?ideal? look of a femme. He saw her of beauty, though something about her definitely seemed low spirited. Had things not been going well for her in the pack perhaps? He would wonder for a moment if, perhaps, this was indeed Glaciem, and her misery was caused by the damned Ice King. But no... She would approach and give a different pack name. One that Allen actually knew all too well. Dark forest green eyes would blink with surprise. ?This is where Tortuga had been moved to?? The question was asked more to himself truthfully, surprised to learn of it. The calico male would take a small moment before shaking his head, dipping his head respectfully to the other in front of him. ?Please forgive me, Miss Qanik, for my rudeness. I?m Allen Walker. I was a member of Tortuga before the alpha, Taurig, handed it over to the Ice King, Isardis. I was not aware of where it had been moved to, knowing only that Glaciem lay here in the north. I was simply observing and trying to see if maybe I might be able to find something out about the pack that lived here.? Though Qanik had come along faster than he had anticipated any pack wolf doing so. The calico rouge would shift, seeming just a bit more comfortable with the knowledge he had obtained about the pack thus far. ?How is Tortuga run these days...? Does Isardis rule this pack as well...?? It was clear by his tone when mentioning the albino male that he did not have a good standing with him. He was curious too about this femme. She was closer in age to him, which was, well, odd... Or rather the fact that she didn?t seem to hold the strong scent of a male on her coat. Most their age already had a litter, perhaps even two or more depending on the gender of the wolf in question. Maybe she had lost her mate? Was that why she seemed down when she first approached? "Speech", 'Thought'

Qanik listened quietly as the stranger spoke of having known Tortuga, but the events he spoke of had taken place before Deteste had accepted her into the pack and the names were unfamiliar to her. She shook her head. "I do not know this Isardis you speak of. If he ruled here he was gone when I came to this forest a year ago." Constantly it seemed she was reminded about how little she knew still of this land, how off balance and alone she still felt here. She knew so little of her own adopted pack's history even, as lost as a child in this place. "Tortuga is a neutral pack," she continued, her voice weary and a little numb. "We are not aggressive, but we will defend ourselves from attack. We strive to be well-rounded in all we do." It was clear that her mind was elsewhere, however, and she soon trailed off. Her gaze slipped back to the stranger and she studied him as though seeing him for the first time. "And what of you, Allen Walker? Where does your path take you since you last encountered Tortuga?" Speech,

Allen would feel a hint of satisfaction at the fact that Qanik did not know of Isardis. Perhaps the ice king had relinquished whatever hold he had on Tortuga, for whatever reason he actually stole it from the former king he did not know. But he had been gone roughly a year. A year! It was almost hard to believe it had been that long. Perhaps his time with Hajime, and then alone, had been far longer than he thought. But at least now he had his children to turn to. A pair of kindhearted wolves, both of them. Allen would give a nod as Qanik explained a bit about the pack, explaining how they were neutral and not aggressive. ?Good to know.? He was thinking, though his thoughts were more-so kept hidden within his mind and heart. Though when her gaze slipped back to him, asking what he had been doing since his encounter with Tortuga, the male lowered his gaze some. ?Wandering much of the time. I was with my nephew at first... Living on Dove Island. We had found out about the death of my sister, killed by a Glaciem wolf. It was shortly after that it seems that we were separated. For about half a year I stayed here and looked for him... I left in the early days of summer, leaving Alacritia for a time, when I ran into children I was unaware I had. I was overjoyed at this, however.? He would smile, gaze lifting back to Qanik?s own. ?They are a pair of good wolves. Both adults now and showing kind hearts and great strength. My daughter and I were separated from my son, however he knew we were heading this way, so I have no doubt we?ll be meeting again. As for now I?m not too sure where we are heading. We are likely to wander a while before choosing a place to call home.? Allen would tilt his head to the side some, feeling a bit of desire come over him for company... Someone closer to his own age. ?If you are not too busy at the moment Qanik, perhaps you might wish to take a walk with me? I?d appreciate the company.? He would flash her a gentle smile. Perhaps she would as well. "Speech", 'Thought'

The stranger would answer her peaceably despite the personal nature of her question, and Qanik was gratified. Had she been thinking she would never have been so rude as to ask such, not of a wolf who hadn't even been trespassing, just passing close to the border. She listened as he spoke of wandering, of his sister being killed by Glaciem, and she felt her pelt prickle with discomfort. From his words she began to realize that the Isardis the wolf seemed to hate so much was associated with Glaciem - Tortuga's ally, and apparently the pack that had killed his sister. She kept her troubled thoughts to herself, letting him continue with his story without interruption. He went on to speak of finding children he didn't know he had, and Qanik's heart clenched painfully. That was something she would never have, no possibilities for her. The monumental importance of the day crashed down on her once again, and she could not help the way her ears drooped at the thought. Did he have any idea how lucky he was? To have family, to have children? To not be the last of his bloodline, too old and too broken to find and keep a mate, too badly put together to attract one. "Congratulations on finding your children," she told him, her low voice betraying none of the turmoil choking her. "They are a blessing and a joy, I am sure. A pleasant surprise to find in your travels." He invited her to walk with him, and Qanik cast a distracted glance along the border. She would not be leaving it undefended - she was not the only one patrolling. But still she was reluctant to leave, as though the weight of her depression was crushing her down and only the momentum of the routine of patrol was keeping her breathing. With some effort heavy white paws carried her over the border to Allen Walker's side, and she even managed a smile in return, though it was a weary, forced expression. "I fear I am not good company, but if you want me to I will walk with you." Speech,

Allen would give a nod to the comment of finding his children. They were indeed a blessing, a wonderful surprise. Though there had been sorrow in the news they brought with them. ?They are indeed. I just wish that I could have found them under better circumstances... And without so much bad news weighing them down. But family will hold family together.? He would give a small nod. He felt a bit bad that he did not mourn their mother as he felt he perhaps should have. Keno was a strong woman, smart... But she was not one who he loved. It was indeed a complex thing. Allen was relieved however that she agreed to walk with him, and the male would flash her a gentle smile, shaking his head. ?Your words simply show me that you need the company even more than I, miss Qanik. It is nothing to be too concerned about... Your state will get better through time, as fate has a way of healing things, even hearts that are lost and seem, to themselves, forgotten.? He would pad on, making sure that it was a pace that the other wolf could find comfortable. Ears perked up as walked on, tail swishing lightly behind him. He spoke gently again, directing his gaze to the fae beside him. ?This world is so full of things good and bad... Even the hardest roads can one day be lead to beautiful things. Whether that beauty is ours to look on for a day or a lifetime is up to fate, however.? He would glance to her, smiling gently once again. ?I?m not sure if you?re aware, miss Qanik, but you are one instance of these rare beauties. A coat, devoid of marking, pure as the fresh fallen snow of winter... And eyes that differ from those who normally bear such a coat, with darker pools like the night sky rather than that of day, or bearing the rosy or red color of an albino.? He was simply speaking his truth, his mind, upon her. She was a unique woman in his eyes. Dark eyes would rest on her a moment longer before flicking ahead again. ?Would you mind sharing more about yourself, Qanik? If it?s not much trouble?? "Speech", 'Thought'