One fine afternoon, when the winds were bitterly cold and snow continued to fall, Odette was found in the canopies of the trees. She was craving breakfast and the prey she wanted were resting peacefully above her head. After jumping from branch to branch, she finally reached the top and found the break in the cloaked branches she needed. With a soft rumble of her stomach and perfect balancing of her paws, she leaped up and pinned down a delicious bird whose sleep she disrupted. A joyous giggle left her mouth as she landed on the same branch, its thickness preventing her weight to break it in half. With ease, she lowered the bird to the corner of the branch before going up and getting another one. She was successful with the second bird and in no time, she was making her way down the branches as if they were a spiral staircase. Once her feet hit the ground, she was off, racing towards Taurig's den. With fresh meat in her mouth, she knew that he would be surprised. She had been the one to seek answers; it was the least she could do since she was taking up his time. Tan paws brought her to the small clearing in front of his den. She saw a massive form of snow outside his home, but didn't think anything of it as she stepped beside it to look inside. Nothing but darkness met her gaze and with a furrowed brow, she looked around to see if he was nearby. Odette lowered her catches beside the large snow pile and softly called out, "Taurig?" as she raised her head to look to her left. She took a few steps away from her breakfast and repeated her call. "Taurig? Where are you?" Speech

Curiosity had been gnawing at the man's thoughts since that first meeting with Odette. His adopted sister chrysanthe had adopted the youth when she had been a mere six months old. Had Taurig known Chrysanthe when she had taken in Odette? He didn't think so. That time had probably been when the titan had been busy dealing with the ice king and the pack he had had at the time. It made him sad to think that he had missed out on helping his sister raise a young Odette, but he was glad that he had been able to find her all this time later. He hadn't seen Chrysanthe in such a long time. He hoped bonding with her adopted daughter would perhaps help him find the russet faced woman once again so they could catch up. Surely much had happened in her life since the last time he'd seen her. 

Sleeping outside of his den had started to become a habit for the man, though he slept a little closer to it now that he was beginning to settle into Glaciem. Funny to think that his new queen took on the title for her pack that had been through the wringer since its establishment all that time ago. Snow had fallen the night before, blanketing the cobalt beast in a powdery blanket thick enough to completely obscure him from view. His hiding spot was obvious, but only to those looking for him, but it seemed to have duped the young queen as she came searching for him that morning, calling to him and asking where he was. He would stir from his sleep, massive body pushing against the layer of snow on top of him, shaking violently as he broke free, turning towards the sound of Odette's voice. Right here Odette. He would call to her, tasting blood in the air. Immediately his guard would go up, frame tensing. Had something happened? 

The abrupt change in the atmosphere around her made her sharply turn. She saw the snow form rise and it cascaded around Taurig's large blue body as he moved. She watched with widened eyes and took a few steps back before hearing his voice and recognizing the vocals. Her ears had flattened, but they slowly rose when she got over the mere shock. The surprise turned to a bubbly excitement and Odette yipped at his smiling face. "What a great ninja move! I'll have to learn how to do that!"

Her tail had been wagging until he went from smiling to alert. His frame tensed and she furrowed her eyebrows before realizing that the smell of blood was evident around them. Quickly, she looked down to the prey she had left beside his paws and barked at him. "Taurig!" She said, tones urgent as she continued to explain. "I brought breakfast! Nothing to get upset over..." Her eyebrows relaxed, but one rose by itself as she slowly finished with, "unnnless you don't like birds?" She blinked, wondering if that was the reason.



"Speech"

What a great ninja move! I'll have to learn how to do that! The young queen's excitement would take Taurig by surprise. He had met many kings and queens in his time in Alacritis but none possessed the liveliness that the young Odette did. It was a bit strange if he was being honest. Most leaders he'd encountered were very serious in their dealings with other pack members. Even if they were of a friendly disposition, they never outright put their much more playful side out on display like Odette did. At the same though, it was a bit refreshing not having to be serious all the time, especially with his alpha. He liked Odette and her happy-go-lucky attitude made him like her that much more.

His expression would soften at her words, finding it rather amusing that she thought his unintentional hiding in the snow had been some cool move. His focus would shift as her tone suddenly came urgent, explaining that she brought breakfast for the both of them, something that wasn't any cause for alarm. Unless of course he didn't like birds, which of course brought forth a chuckle from the man. No no, of course i like bird, I just thought something had happened. I appreciate the breakfast though. What brings you to visit the old blind man this morning? He would let his haunches fall to the snowy ground, milky gaze directed towards where he imagined Odette's face to be, tattered ears perked and to attention as he waited to see what his new queen would say. 

His list of facial changes -- from confused to focused, then to amused -- all made Odette smile. He was indeed a real wolf, not like the fake ones who lived throughout Ala. She had yet to meet such personalities and she hoped that she wouldn't be cursed with such possibilities. Instead, she focused on the positive vibes that were being sent her way and enjoyed the time she was spending with the man in front of her. He began to tell her that he enjoyed bird and appreciated her bringing it to him. Her tail rose over her hips, curling and making a lovely symbol as she moved around him. She continued to grin as he asked why she had come to see him. "Well..." she began before lowering her head to grab the bird she had chosen for her breakfast. After moving it between her paws, she lowered herself to the ground to begin talking again. "I wanted to talk to you about my mother, Chrysanthe...How well did you know her?" "Speech"

He couldn't see what her reaction was to him thanking her for the impromptu breakfast, but he could sense that it was a good one. Or at least he hoped so. The sound of movement would reach the man's ears followed by the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground, bringing about the assumption that she had taken to lying instead of sitting. He would wait a few moments until she started speaking again, her voice coming at him from a lower angle. Forelimbs would lower the behemoth towards the cold ground in order to stay level with his young queen, not wanting to seem disrespectful. He would leave his bird untouched for the time being, wanting to keep his full focus on Odette while they chatted. 

Well I believe, if memory serves, I met our adopted mother Erani first before realizing that Chrysanthe was the queen to the pack that the Glaciem I belonged to at the time, was warring with. Chrysanthe and I never really spent any time together outside of pack business. Once I left the Glaciem that was ruled by my sire, I forged my own pack and sough her out in order to forge an alliance between our packs. At one point Valhalla went up against Glaciem. I came to Valhalla's aid with my own warriors and we fought alongside Chrysanthe and her warriors. I can't remember if our side was victorious but everyone fought fearlessly. I haven't seen her since then. A somber expression would take over his dark features. How was his adopted sister faring? Was she even in Alacritis anymore? He could only wonder. 

She began to softly tear into her bird as she listened to Taurig speak. With wide eyes like a child, she listened with rapt attention as she chewed her first bite of breakfast. Taurig talked about becoming Erani's adopted son after he was forced out of the old Glaciem and then helping Valhalla with the war. After that, it was a blur. To her, it made sense, so she didn't push for a detailed summary about those days. The story came to an end and she swallowed her second bite of breakfast before speaking. "I was only six months old when all of that happened." She bit into her bird's chest again, this time causing a snap of ribs to crackle in the air and more blood to seep from the carcass. Her teeth wrapped around the tender meat and she yanked the meat from the bone mercilessly before chewing away. After licking her lips, she continued. "After the war, Mother moved us to the island and we stayed there for a few months. Then Grandma Erani took back the Valhalla name and we moved back to the Plains under her rule." She softly sighed and watched Taurig's face as she took a minute to breathe. "Mother seemed more relaxed once Grandma Erani took over the reins. I don't blame her, only because the war had been turmoil and just messed with the flow of things for her afterward. I wish that Valhalla had remained intact, but..." She gave another sigh and licked her lips again. "Even the greatest of kingdoms have their days..." "Speech"

As he spoke, he would listen to the chewing of Odette as she dug into her breakfast, the smell of blood becoming more poignant in the air. Unsatisfied intestines would begin to rumble quietly, reminding the titan that he hadn't eaten. The birds smelled delicious but Taurig withheld from touching his own morsel, of which he had yet to even bring over to himself. He could wait until it was a more appropriate time to dig into the morsel his queen had brought him. Only after the beast had finished his piece, explaining as much as he could remember, did the young woman decide it was her turn to fill how her relation came to be with the russet faced woman. 

I was only six months old when all of that happened. After the war Mother moved us to the island and we stayed there a few months. Then grandma Erani took back the Valhalla name and we moved back to the plains under her rule. He would let her words process as she paused, realizing that Valhalla had taken the same escape route as he had when he'd had a pack under his rule. How interesting that they had never crossed paths on the islands. Perhaps the islands were much more isolated than he had previously thought. Mother seemed more relaxed once Grandma Erani took over the reins. I don't blame her, only because the war had been turmoil and just messed with the flow of things for her afterward. I wish that Valhalla remained in tact but...Even the greatest kingdoms have their days. Taurig would nod quietly to her last words knowing that all too well. Everything eventually comes to an end...as always, to give way to the new...I know Chrys would be proud to see how far you've come along since then Odette. It wasn't meant to be a complete compliment but more of an affectionate observation. He knew his sister would be proud, after all she'd raised a fine young woman who the titan would be glad to serve under any day. 

She thumped her tail in the surrounding snow at the same time her teeth crunched down on the small clavicle of the right wing. As she chomped down, blood rose around her gums before being pulled down by gravity. The taste stained her white chewers as she found the meat and pulled it from the bone. So many things happened in just one bite of breakfast meat -- who knew?! Odette's ears perked when Taurig said that Chrys would be proud to see her progress in life thus far. She couldn't help but smile a blood red grin as he spoke of her adopted mother with such assurance. Immediately, she swallowed her food and said, "Thank you, Taurig...That really does mean a lot." Her tail thumped again, making snow rise and fall into whirlwind dances around the two wolves. "I wish she could be here...her and my biological parents." Red and blue eyes watched the blind man's face with a saddened gaze. "They were rulers of Glaciem a long time ago...before my Aunt Eos took it from my papa." Speech