A little bit of time had passed, and she found herself having anxiety being away from Cypress. She has spoken to a pack, she had spent some time exploring land and even went to a healers convention. What Cypress was doing she wasn't sure, but she wanted him here by her side now. She paced back and forth of the cabin room that she had claimed as her own. Part of the reason she liked this place was the privacy it held. Small spaces and some big, also there were plenty of snow rabbits that ran in here to hide. They liked to hide in the ice and snow outside as well. Arian stopped herself, Cypress should be home soon she reminded herself. Getting too far agitated surely was not good for her own self-esteem. The wolf entered the den covered in strange material, she first assumed it to be pelts but it was something different. Beige in color, and warm when she curled into it, it sat in the far corner. As she curled up and her blue crystal eyes glowed in the dim light watching the entrance carefully for Cypress. "Talk" "You" Think

So the North was their home now. It was colder here, and the young man had found it a little harder to adjust to the lands than he had to the lands of Fiori. Still, he didn't regret it. There was privacy here, which he could see as a potential reason for Arian to like the lands as well. There was prey aplenty if you took the time to look or fish, and the young man found himself adjusting to it just fine. He would step onto the board that lead the way to the deck, finding some parts of the ship to be warm enough if you snuggled under the strange long things. He would look over his shoulder, giving a sigh, before scenting for his beloved.

He would follow her scent to the cabin that she had chosen and he would come within. He would sniff the air curiously again as his tail began to wag some, bicolored eyes falling on her as he came into the den. "Hello my love." Cy would say, coming up to her side and curling up beside her. "You've been quite the busy bee haven't you? How have you been fairing?" He would ask gently, licking her muzzle lovingly.

When Cypress did come, she felt herself drop a little, in a good way from being hyped up before. The lick on her muzzle, she did not move for one moment. Though her insides screamed for her to get away she wanted to be near Cypress at the same time. Her tail curled around him for a moment, as he came to rest beside her. Sudden her breath felt like it had left her, she panted and sighed suddenly to rest her head on the back of the man's neck. "Well I'm still alive." that was a huge accomplishment for her. Arian would try to steady her heartbeat, but his heat would calm her down all on its down. "Wolves who didn't show up to the meeting I have a feeling they won't be staying. We have to work on recruiting wolves. Mira and Kreft are capable, but we might be over powered with sassy wolves if we aren't careful." she chuckled a little bit. She was a bit upset not to see Ixionn though, it seemed like he was a ghost just like her uncle. One day he was here, the next he vanished into thin air until he finally was brought down by Isardis and she watched his final breath. It was shocking that memory. "Talk" "You" Think

Cypress knew well enough how hard it was for her still to trust love, to, in a sense, trust him. But he would not rush her, as he promised. He promised to love and respect her. She was a part of him now, and he a part of her. The young silver and gray man would give a small nod as she spoke. Yes, she was alive. They were all alive and together, here in this ship. The pack was small, few, but together. He would lower his ears a little as she spoke and gave a nod as she continued, keeping in mind his own thoughts of the two that she mentioned.

"Yes, we certainly will. But I have faith that Sonticus will grow. We're new, but not helpless. Kreft and Mira are strong willed... they'll be good aids. I just need to adjust to them. I'm not used to wolves with so much... sass as you put it." He would chuckle softly. "..and it is better to weed at those who are not going to stay now, rather than figure it out later, my love." Cypress would close his eyes, giving a soft sigh.

"We'll just need to focus on building trust in one another." Those words were secretly more for him than her, however. "...and moving towards a future. We'll be a name known. We'll be a strong family. I won't watch this pack crumble around us." He'd open his eyes and look at her, a gentle smile on his maw.

"Are you getting enough to eat, my beloved? I could go back at and catch you something if you're feeling peckish."

Arian knew when she had decided to make Sonticus, that her life was changing. She had come to realize she would have stayed in that dark hole if she hadn't made the decision herself to get better. It took self will, you couldn't help someone who didn't want it after all. One of her disorders seemed to be in the past, but her mental state was still more fragile than it ever have been. She got too cocky, she was terrified of the demon inside of her. She wondered what Cypress would do if he realized that just like Kreft or Mirabelle she could just as easily be orientated to kill anything that came into her path if she had the chance. Arian stood up, pushing her body into Cypress so that he'd tip over and she could settle her paws on either side of him. Pressing her nose to his as she looked at him in the eyes two of different colors. "I'm fine, relearning to take care of myself isn't very hard." she smiled at him. "I want to know how you are doing Cypress. Indeed working with such wolves is hard, but these are the types of wolves I grew up with. I spent some time with my uncle before he died, I was taught by my cousins to fight and they were rather.... gruesome fighters. I may have a handicapped but I'm sure I can learn how to fight again with it." Arian got off of Cypress as she crawled over to her stockpile of herbs. Currently there was only poppy seeds and mint in their presence. "What was your family like Cypress?" The girl grabbed a mint leaf, starting to chew in herself. It was to calm her nerves, most hated the taste but she rather enjoyed the bitterness of it. The mint would make her stomach relax and her body as well. It didn't work that way for everyone, but she had known in the past for some wolves to take it. The poppy seeds were for sleep, or pain. She rarely touched them, she didn't really need them after all. "Talk" "You" Think

Cypress would tip over, giving a gentle chuckle as he settled down. He would look into her own eyes, a smile upon his lips. “I’m glad that you’re doing better.” He’d say gentle. But then the question was turned around on him, and Cy wasn’t quite sure how to answer. He’d feel his heart clench somewhat, the teachings of his father and the things he learned on his own clashing with what he wanted to tell her. A frown would cross onto his face, and frustration would cause his brow to furrow some.

“It is hard... But I feel that I am slowly learning to adjust to these different sorts of wolves. The... Darker sort. They are different from the wolves that I have known. It is... A little strange to me.” The young man would close his eyes. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I belong here beside you... Though I know it is my place. I wouldn’t leave you even if the whole world was against us... Yet...” He shook his head.

“Don’t concern yourself, Arian. I’ll get used to their mannerisms in time.” He would open his eyes again, his eyes taking an almost far off look to them.

“My mother... She was an alphess. She gave birth to my sister and I here in Alacritia, and we ended up traveling to where she formed her pack. She was a strong willed woman, kind, brave. My sister was just like her, really. Perhaps even moreso on the brave part of things. She was also a bit reckless. My father... He was the one I was most like. A true knight, though a fun loving goofball too. He never took things too seriously... Unlike me.” Cypress would frown.

“I guess that was the one lesson I could never take away from him... My brother and sister were both like him as well, fun loving, kind-hearted beings. I... I left the pack to them after mother and father passed. I came out here looking for Laria. I’m not sure if she ever went back to be honest... But... I knew that wasn’t the path I wanted.” He would shift some, feeling an ache in his heart.

“Ahh sorry... I guess I’m getting a bit emotional thinking about them...” He’d say in a quiet tone, setting his head on his paws.

She did think they knew little to nothing about each other, that was how most relationships did start. She remembered Hajime speaking about Elsa, they barely knew each other. Fear centered in her heart a little about the thought of childbirth and death. How she had met her fate and the children themselves had been broken, how had she been broken in the thought of this. She would move again, giving him space as he spoke about his family and his past. Her crystal blue eyes would be in tune with his story. Maybe shining a little at him as her tail curled around her hind quarters. Arian had to smile at him, she would step forward into him and let her warmth radiate off of her to him. "Heartache is normal in our lives, it's a unnerving fact of life. " she licked him on the cheek. "My father was killed in front of me when I was four months old. By a black male named Oddity. My mother was a cripple and unable to take care of me any longer after my siblings apparently starved to death she dragged me to the kingdom of Seracia where my mother Epiphron adopted me. I was a princess for some time, even after my adopted family scattered and left I stayed. Things fell apart when Seracia fell though, I followed my uncle around, and then the ice king Isardis killed him in a death match. I left to join my aunt's pack even after my mother had a fight with her. I learned that my adopted father, betrayed my mother and had pups with another woman despite them being married. Soon after Azalea vanished, my aunt or cousin I can't remember. After that I ran into my adopted uncle Neo. In which I asked him to maim me, he crippled my leg and gave me this scar on my face. After that, Quelt Rivers of Abaven offered his previous pack to me. Where I foolishly fell in love with a dark woman, she took my crown and broke my heart. Slave traders kidnapped me and I ran into Vereux Armada. After so much time there, I ended up in Fiori back with my mother." she hoped he would listen to a short summary of her story. Arian smiled at him and rubbed her head underneath his chin. "Talk" "You" Think

Heartache was normal in all lives, but that didn’t make it easy to deal with or right. He would lift his gaze to meet her own as a tale of her own past began to leave her lips. Her father was murdered, her mother unable to care for her or her siblings. Somehow the mother managed to drag her to a pack by the name of Seracia where she was adopted by Epiphoron. This came as news to the young man who believed that Pip had been the girl’s biological mother all along.

There was an uncle as well, a man who was murdered by the ice king. It was a male that he had never heard of, though by his title he had to assume he had some sort of high standings within this land. There was a betrayal by her adopted father, another pack gone to and fell through by family. It was such a sad tale, even the fact that she had asked to be crippled by her uncle.

There was tale of a dark woman, one who broke her heart and took away the pack that had been given to her. Then to top it all for a time she was made a slave for a time before she managed to make it back to Fiori with her mother. Cypress was honestly in shock. So much history for such a young woman. So much heartache and pain... He would rise, wrapping his head around her as he felt something within stir.

Gods above he was going to protect this woman. He loved her, cherished her... And her tale showed just how lucky he was to have her here with him. “I’m so sorry... You’ve been through so much.” Cy would whisper to her. “But I swear to you... I’m not going to let anything like that happen to you again. Never, ever again.” He would close his eyes, letting out a soft sigh.

"Perhaps it would be better to have a subject change, hmm? Something to lift the mood." He would draw back from her, smiling. "How about you tell me a little bit about these plants you keep around here?" He wanted to know more about Arian too... about her mind. What she thought, how she felt. But goodness, even he had his flaws. Smooth conversation transition was one of them.

Indeed there was much heartache behind the woman that was, Arian. Even destruction had thought so before the old woman seemed to fall from underneath Arian's paws. There was so much more she wanted to share with Cypress, her pain, her happiness. It all pertained to him even as she was only just getting a new grip on herself. His comfort was her own, and for a moment she had a newfound respect for him and herself. As she listened to him her body instantly would perk up. Her tail wagging bath and forth and a grin across her face as if she were a pup. Herbs, she loved them, she breathed them, they were her life. She looked over at the mint leaves and smiled. "These are mint leaves, normally they are used for stomach aches. But they also help to calm down my anxiety so I usually keep them handy." she said pointing towards the leaves. "The plant itself it in a bundle, you want to be careful though the leaves are bitter and a bit acquired in taste." then there were the others the simple poppy seeds. After all, her personal supply was here. There were other various herbs around the ship just in case of emergency. "Then these little things are poppy seeds. Many wolves like to get intoxicated off of them but, they essentially make you relaxed and relieve pain. After some time they make you fall asleep." She looked at Cypress. Hoping her small lesson meant something if anything at all. "Talk" "You" Think

Cypress honestly hadn't expected such a thorough explanation. He had expected more along the lines of "oh these taste good and help your stomach, or help you sleep." Arian went further than that, however, and the silver and gray male found himself chuckling softly. He was amazed. He would rise, gently nosing her cheek. "Gods above Arian, you are a brilliant woman." He meant those words, gently and tenderly spoken. "I bet you could name just about any herb I asked you about on a walk with such expertise, couldn't you? Here I was thinking healing was a much more simple affair... but I see that is not the case."

He would let his gaze meet her own. "But I do hope you'll need to use these herbs little as possible. I... I want to be your herbs, in a sense. I want to be there to make you feel better... to feel strong. I know you already are, I can see it in how you carry yourself... the respect the wolves of our pack give you." He would shake his head, though there was a warm smile on his face. "Sometimes I wonder how it is I fit in this place... my nature is so much different compared to the others... but then I remember I came to be with you... and it all becomes clear again."

Cy would feel his cheeks warm a bit, and he would tilt his head to the side. "Might you want to go for a walk with me? I know it's a bit late but... I don't believe I'm quite ready to settle down yet."

Arian felt a deep warmth inside of her when talking about herbs. Ever since she was a pup she had trained, and trained hard to get where she was now. She knew different mixes, and even had helped with births before. Cypress' compliments would bring a dazzle to her eye, her tail wagging back and forth. Something about her smiling just made her feel better as her eyes closed and she tilted her head to the side. Perhaps she could, practice never hurt though. You could never know everything there was always something to learn from someone else. Even if it wasn't herbs or fighting, everything. "I knew what I wanted to be before I was even a year old, I had already healed broken limbs and even helped with my younger siblings births when they were born." Arian would walk closer to Cypress and lean her head underneath his chin despite him being shorter it was easy for the way she used to carry herself. Arian would back away a little, and listen to him fully. She had seen how they interacted with each other, it was a little true Cypress felt like he didn't belong with Kreft or Mirabelle. Her tail would twitch a little, did he not want to be here? She would not force him, after all she didn't want him to be here for her. She was beginning to understand, to truly love someone, you had to have faith in your own self first. She opened her mouth for a moment and shut it again, letting out a small breath. "Come on.... I can tell you something more." she gestured with her head for Cypress to follow her. As she exited their den and went up to the deck. Where starting her walk off of the ship and around the edges. Her crystal eyes watching Cypress as they did. Despite her limp leg, she moved very fluidly. "I can't say much for your uncomfortable feeling since I am neutral. I've always gotten along with either or sides of the spectrum." she looked forward again. "But I've learned through the walk of life, just because we disagree or don't have the same views doesn't mean we can't get along with each other. I see things, most other wolves do not see about themselves. And perhaps I have my gods to thank." she would rest into Cypress for a moment and look at him, in the eyes if she was given the change to. "You are a quiet gentleman, more on the light side of things. Worrying about me more than yourself, but I want you to worry about your own feelings as well. I care about you I want to be there for you." she licked his cheek. "You have a bit of a jealous temper, because you're protective of me but I understand that." Hopefully she was not offending him. "Even Kreft and Mirabelle have their good sides. No one is truly good nor truly evil. I follow the path of my goddess Itsume, my religion dictates to stay true to yourself and live a full life no matter the decisions you make." There was something else though. "Maybe you should spend more time with others. Ixionn, my brother Hakku, even our new member Xephyris. They seem more like those you'd get along with. Hakku is a sweetheart, and Ixionn is a troubled lad he's my cousin who lost his father at a young age. But, as a man with prince in his blood, he means well. Xephyris I am unsure of right now, but he definitely isn't as dark as Kreft or Mirabelle may be." she sighed a little. "My point is, I and the gods cannot make you feel as you belong, but don't force yourself if you don't want to. I want you to enjoy You and that's what this pack is about." Hopefully she hadn't spoken to much. So she would stop, and listen to him. "Talk" "You" Think

Arian would speak with him, once more sharing her feeling and her knowledge as they walked together. Wolves didn’t have to have the same views, or always agree, to get along. It was true enough. Some wolves did not see the flaws in themselves, or certain aspects, that others could pick up on. But this did not make them bad beings at all. He would listen as his mate spoke of him, what she had seen in him. A wolf who was a gentleman, who was of a light alignment. It was true he worried for her more than himself. He would give a soft sigh, shaking his head.

“I will worry enough about myself to keep myself from being unhappy my love, I assure you.” The mention of his jealous temper caught him offguard, but he could see it now. He would let his gaze wander, mind in thought about Kreft and Mirabelle. It wasn’t so much that he judged them for being darker... He would frown some.

“I know that they mean well, in their own way. That none of them are truly evil but... I just worry. It sometimes seems in my eyes they don’t respect you as much as they should... Or perhaps I am being too paranoid and seeing things that are not there. I don’t know.” Cy would look back at her gently, giving a smile.

“But I know this. I want you to be happy...because seeing you as such brings me joy. I think you’re right... About spending more time with the others. Mira and I have already had a meeting on our own but... We didn’t see eye to eye. Nothing bad came of it but... There is definitely going to be some work to be done before I can feel truly comfortable with them.” He would reach over and nuzzle her cheek.

“...but know this. As long as I’m still here, and not speaking of wanting to leave directly, then I feel I belong enough. This is change... Something to get used to. That’s all...” He would turn towards her now, his tail waving back and forth in the air as his grin widened.

“...I’m feeling better now~ Enough to pounce on you!” He would playfully leap at her, mindful of her bad leg, and nip for an ear, giving a playful growl.

If it was one thing Arian knew how to do, it was also listen. She kept her eyes on Cypress every now and then, nodding her head and keeping a smile. There was no lie that she enjoyed his company. It made her at ease and she did feel herself actually relaxing with him. At first it was hard, but she really did think she loved him. Her only fear was straying, her habits in the past hadn't been so clean. Especially in her slave days when she hadn't cared much for her body. It was a surprise how she hadn't ended up pregnant with any of the male's children. She constantly was thanking the gods for that. What would cypress thought of her then, and what of now. What would happen to her if her patience was tested. Arian blinked at Cypress a little, in the middle of her bad thoughts as usual it was interrupted by play. She was jumped at, making her giggle a little as she rolled over onto her back. "Oh nooo, you've got me." she said in a clearly fake voice. As she pressed her two front paws into his chest. Lifting her head up she would give him a lick on his cheek. Blue eyes shining into his two different colored ones. Right here, and right at this moment she would be content with her life. It was a rare occurrence. "Talk"

Cypress would chuckle, his tail wagging back and forth as he pinned his beloved to the ground. It was a moment of carefree play, a moment where they could forget what was trapping them in their minds and focus instead on each other. Cy would feel his heart soften as she licked him upon his cheek. He would lean in, gently nuzzling her neck before giving her an affectionate lick in return. This moment was bliss. He was reminded in being with Arian just why he stayed, and just why he needed to keep pressing on.

“Yes, so it seems.” He would whisper. He would move his head closer to her neck, giving a playful nip before moving off of her. He would feel his heart beating faster, and he would drop into a playbow. His gaze was light, his heart beating strongly in his chest. He would gently paw at her, encouraging her to rise and play with him once more. “Come my love, let us dance and play this night away!”

Even with her leg, she felt like a pup again. Giggling a little as she shot up and went to chase after Cypress. Arian would let a playful growl escape her throat, as she bounded up to his side. Pressing up against him, the heat that came off of them would be welcome in the cold night that was settling upon them. She only had so much energy for certain things, but this she felt like she could do forever. As she nipped as his left side she would be content with this. In her life how could she ever feel any different with her beloved as she had come to know. Arian would come to stand in front of him, narrowing her crystal blue eyes at Cypress. "You're mine Cypress, no one else's." her lips would delicately say as she stood there softly looking at him. "Talk"