Back before he had really begun to settle into Fiori he used to make frequent trips to the range. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to visit his first home, but it had reached the point of a compulsion after a while. He never really told anyone he was going, especially not his mother. He felt like it was a sore spot that he didn't want to cross even though that assumption was probably all in his head. Leo hadn't made the trip in quite a while though, especially when all of all of his alpha duties that he had now to keep him busy. Today though he had a rare moment of boredom and for some reason the place crossed his mind. That's what had pulled him out this way. However, as he reached a smaller section of the Rio Grande that he could swim across to the range that laid on the other side he paused and sniffed the air. His brows pulled together and he double checked what he caught and his heart sank. A pack had claimed it. A heavy sigh passed his lips and for a moment he just stared across the river at the place that he had known as home in his youngest days. He had absolutely no ties to that place now, but it was still saddening to know that for the foreseeable future he would be closed off from it. Leo turned away from the river and glanced around the area. He suddenly felt like this whole trip was a waste of time and he wondered what he might do now to make it worth it. "Talk" "You" Think

She knew that it would be foolish to leave the pack now, so soon after finally stepping up and making herself be a more active pack member. But it was all so much, and she couldn't help be haunted by the thoughts that never left her mind. They were like dark trails that followed her no matter where she went. Sighing, she shook her head and let out a sharp yowl, rising to her feet and stalked out of the Range. She just needed to get out, to be distracted and do anything else but be here. Not in the Range, not where she had been born. Mercy had yet to run into her parents, and she wasn't looking to either. But being there was just too hard right now. Tail lashing out behind her like an angered cat she made her way to the river, running at full tilt when it came into view. Not even caring to look around her she jumped into the cold water, letting the chill soak her to the bone and melt away all the anger she was feeling. Growling and snapping at the water she bit down on the liquid, letting it run through her sharp teeth.

It was then that the pale and very, very wet girl looked up and saw the form of another standing on the edge of the river. Purple eyes softened slightly at the sight of him, roaming over his orange and white coat. Sudden embarrassment coloured her cheeks and made her ears pull back slightly, large frame rising out of the water until she was standing, current still lapping at her legs. "Would you believe me if I said I was fishing?" she asked casually, a smirk on her muzzle. Not bothering to shake out her coat, she shivered slightly as the chilly Spring breeze cut across her damp fur. Waiting for the male to respond, not foolish enough to think that he didn't see at least part of her meltdown. Ears still pulled back slightly she appeared to be a bit ashamed, but there was more of a dangerous gleam in her eyes. There were plenty of ways that this encounter could go.

"Speech"

Just as he was about to stalk away from the shore of the river the sound of pounding paws and a sudden loud splash startled him. He jumped a little and spun back around with wide, blue eyes. What he saw was plenty to break his train of thought and make him look at the woman quizzically. He watched her attack the water with one brow raised, too curious and startled by it all to walk away, until she finally noticed his presence. She seemed just as startled to see him standing there and saw the blush spread across her cheeks through her pale fur. Her explanation was almost as ridiculous as the action itself. He couldn't help himself, he busted out in a snort of laughter as he shook his head. "I have a very hard time believing that's true, but if it is, I think your form might be a tad bit off." He hoped she wouldn't think he was too awfully rude for laughing, but he couldn't help it! Seeing her attack water was one of the most unexpected, ridiculous things he had ever seen. He chuckled softly at the memory, knowing that it was going to be one of those things he told his family about when he went home. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it was just so funny." "Talk" "You" Think

The mans reaction shocked her, ears laying flat against her skull as he began to laugh at her. A scowl replaced her sheepish look, as she glared at him from her spot in the river. Huffing, she took a step closer to him as he spoke, stating that her reasoning was foolish. Mercy eyed him, looked the smaller man up and down and let off a soft haruf. Sure it must have been silly to watch, her attacking the innocent waves. But it was better than her trying to bite into his flesh, yes? A sparkle lit up her narrowed gaze, a sudden grin taking over everything else. Without further warning the dame sprung from the water and attempted to launch her damp frame onto the brute. Her hopes where to strike his chest with her own, hopefully toppling over on his back so she could belly flop her wet form onto him. Even if she didn't manage to stand over him, her dripping wet body was sure to assault the man with a spray of water. Giggling, she looked down at him with her elongated tail raised, apology long gone. "Who is laughing now, buddy?" she questioned softly, trying to push her wet face onto his own.

Quite proud of her retort, Mercy backed away from the stranger and shook off her pelt, still not far enough away to save him from getting even more wet. Tossing a wink at him, finding her anger gone, she began to lap at her chest hair until it lay flat once more. "I am Mercy Destruction, your personal bath house." she teased, a bit of her natural flirtation coming out. It wasn't often that she tacked on her last name, but she was starting to find the irony in it all. Who cared of her parents sucked anyways? Besides, this dude smelled like another pack, she needed to be careful. Goodness knows that Valentine would have her head on a buffalo horn if he knew that she went and started a fight. But this brute seemed to be rather good natured, he had said that he was sorry for laughing. However, Mercy was far from sorry for (hopefully) getting him soaked. The tip of her salmon tongue poked out sr him, a weight seeming to lift off her shoulders. It had been quite some time since she could remember having this much fun...

It was easy to see by her expression that she wasn't too pleased with his finding amusement in her silly actions. However, he definitely didn't expect what she did next. She leaped out of the water at him and his eyes went wide as he tried to scramble backwards from her, but it was no use. She landed right on him and he tumbled backward onto his back. The breath whooshed out of his lungs as he hit the ground with a "Oof!" He groaned with irritation as she covered him in river water, the liquid dripping off of her and getting smeared all over his face from her own. She climbed off of him and shook off, making the water rain on him yet again. He scowled and rolled onto his paws to shake off the dirt and water that had ended up on his fur. He looked back to the pale woman that had attacked him, glaring at her while smirking at her words. He breifly took note of her last name, but he knew that the Destructions were numerous and were spread all over Alacritis. "And I am Leo Adravendi-Mathis, the man that will never laugh at a woman in a river ever again." He chuckled and shook out his fur one more time before settling back on his haunches. "But really, why in the world were you attacking a river, Mercy? What did it ever do to you?" "Talk" "You" Think

She was happy that she got the damned brute all wet for laughing at her, it really wasn't that funny. Okay... Maybe it was in someone else's eyes, but not hers! She had been angry, very angry. It had always been a strong emotion for her, and it generally lingered the longest. It wasn't her fault. Plus, water had seemed a nice medium. Getting up and watching him shake the dirt and water off of himself, she poked out the tip of her salmon tongue at it. Maybe it was childish to tackle him but whatever, clearly he had learned his lesson now.

He introduced himself as well, tacking on that he would never again laugh at girls in rivers. Mercy couldn't help but chuckle at that, curling her elongated pale tail around her paws. "Well, good. You should never laugh at a damsel in distress," she teased coyly, noticing once again that the brute was actually quite the looker. With some manners, at least. When he asked why she was attacking the water her ears quivered atop her head, purple gaze cast elsewhere. "Just ah... working out frustration I guess. Seemed better then biting into someone's flesh, don't you think?" Mercy asked, her voice taking on an edgier tone. But when she looked at Leo she flashed him a grin, showing off her teeth. She was a fighter through and through, which wasn't hard to tell from the v shape scar that marked her back. There were plenty of other scars on this dame as well, but most her pale fur covered up.

Sniffing the air, she picked up on the scent of another pack coming from Leo, one that she didn't quite know. Head tilted to the side as she let herself take in his form once more. "So where do you come from anyways? You don't smell like any pack I know." It also wasn't like Mercy went out of her way to memorize all the scents of the packs, that would take leaving Imperium for a little while to track them all down. She knew the ones that had been close to her, Abaven, the stench that Rhythm carried around on her form. The girl snorted at the very thought of the stupid pack full of weaklings, their alpha couldn't even protect Rhythm, from what she had heard. She did wish that he had had the balls to do it though, would have saved her a world of headaches... Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she put her focus back on the shorter man before her. It was also nice to be tall for once, with Imperium being full of freaking giants.

"Speech"

He scoffed a little and gave a nod of agreement when she mentioned that attacking the water was better than attacking someone else. He supposed that if she had to sink her teeth into something it was better to do it to something that wouldn't be left bleeding afterward. He was concerned for a brief moment from the tone of her voice that he had upset her again, but her grin put those fears to rest. She was a fiery woman, that was for sure, but he kind of liked her spirit... even if it did get him all wet. Mercy asked about where he was from and he wondered for a moment how his mother had managed to keep Fiori under the radar for so long. It seemed to be rare that he ran into anyone who knew of them by more than just rumors. He guessed he should be grateful for the secrecy since it kept his pack out of trouble. Although, to be fair, he didn't really know too many of the other packs very well either. "My pack is Fiori, it's just east of here. I'm the alpha there." He still felt awkward tagging on his title when he introduced his pack. He wasn't sure why besides maybe not liking to draw that kind of attention to himself. "What about you? I'm assuming you're from the pack on the other side of the river?" he asked, quickly shifting the subject back to the taller woman. "Talk" "You" Think

Mercy's head tilted to the side as he named his pack, something that she was not familiar with. Never before had she heard of this Fiori, but she didn't often learn about other packs that weren't a big deal. But when he said that he was an alpha there she couldn't help but let out a smooth chuckle. There was something about her that made her run into alpha's, it would seem. "Well big alpha man, what is your little pack all about, hmm?" she asked, dipping in a mock bow to the man. Oh yes, she was a very cheeky girl. But while she was here, there was no harm in gathering a little information on the packs around here, expand her knowledge of the land. She had been rather content with keeping all her attention on her own pack, but it never hurt to learn about the others around here. When he asked where she was from her grin grew wider, her tail raising slightly in her pride for her pack. "Behind you is Imperium, lead by Valentine. And yes, that is my pack." She was more than happy to brag about her home, it really was her pride and joy. She may not have the highest rank, but that didn't matter to her. In her mind, there was no pack that was better than her own.

The fact that he had been standing here looking over at the other side of the river made her pause. Did he used to live in a place that they claimed? She knew what that was like, but in her case she wished that it hadn't been claimed. Head tilted further, purple eyes studying the slightly shorter male. "Do you know a land that we have claimed? There have been a lot who have stopped at our borders because of the lands that we call home." She mused, remembering picking up the scents of many strangers who came to the borders and then left. And that family that Valentine had claimed, they had came from the same land that she was born in. And... her mother's scent. She may have turned back, but her scent lingered. Nostrils flared slightly at her inner frustration, but she tried to keep her attention on the orange beast before her.

"Speech"

Her sass was very much noticed, but he didn't take offense to it. Being cheeky wasn't always a bad thing, but he would still narrow his eyes and give her a sly grin at her slight bow. "We're a communal pack that tends to lean toward being neutral. Nothing too crazy. Just so long as our members contribute to the pack we offer a home and look out for eachother." He knew his pack wasn't huge and it wasn't really anything to fear, but he was proud of it none of the less. It was his home and it gave him a place to gather with all of his family. That was enough for him, at least for now. She introduced her pack and it was quite obvious the pride she held in it. He smiled a little at that. It was good to hold pride in something, especially if it was something that you had worked hard for. At her question he glanced from her curious gaze to the land just on the other side of the river. "Yeah, I was born in The Range. Back in the day when it still belonged to my parent's pack." He gave a little shrug and turned his bright blue gaze back toward her. "That was a long time ago though and in all honesty I didn't truly live there for very long, but it's still my first home so I still have a little bit of a soft spot for it." "Talk" "You" Think

It would seem that her sass didn't bother this one, which was new to her. Mercy was used to driving others crazy with her anger, flirting, and cheeky behavior. But hey, a girl had to have fun every now and then, right? Even though his eyes narrowed, she saw that grin on his maw. There was no fooling her, and she chuckled as she rose up from her mock bow. But when he started to talk about his pack, her ears quivered to pick up his words with actual interest. She had never been part of a pack besides Imperium, so it was kinda cool to hear about the other packs out there. It only made herself feel like she had made the best choice though, she wouldn't do well anywhere else but the pack she called home. Much to soft, it sounded to her mind. Communal sounded like it could get messy fast, what if the pack divided on a major choice that needed to be made? Her head tilted, a thought crossing her mind suddenly. It sounded like a place where healers would thrive, something that she was on the look out for. Information. "This might sound like an odd question, but do you have a healer there who specializes in pups and pregnant wolves?" Her voice had dropped into a far more serious tone, tail flickering behind her. If they did, perhaps she could finally get the answers that she so craved.

Their conversation soon took a turn, his blue gaze looking back at the lands that Valentine had claimed. Oh, he had been born there as well? Mercy blinked slowly, head tilting to the side even more. "I was born in the Range as well, although I hold much less of a fondness for it." Mercy said, a small grumble in her voice. She wasn't close with her parents, in fact she didn't give two shits about them. But it had belonged to his family's pack? Wait a second... "What pack was it?" She asked, eyes growing wide. She had been part of a pack there in her early days, before it dissolved and vanished into thin air. He talked about it being a soft spot for him, but she was no longer paying attention. Searching her memory, she tried to pull out one that had him in it. It seemed like ages ago, like he had said. He didn't seem like he was that much older than her though, it was possible that she could have been there.

"Speech"

His head tipped curiously at Mercy's question. He wasn't quite sure where that had come from, but he didn't really question it either. For a topic like that he got the feeling that the reason behind it was probably fairly personal and he didn't feel like getting splashed with water again for asking. "I'm honestly not sure. We do have several healers and my sister is our lead healer. One of them might know something about it. I've never asked them what they specialize in before. Perhaps I should now that you've made me think of it." He wished he had a more firm answer for her, but perhaps just knowing that Fiori had a fair share of healers would help to give her some options. He grew even more curious when she mentioned that she had been born in the Range as well. "The pack was called Seracia I believe when my parents had it. I think the pack remained for a while under a different ruler once they gave it up, but I'm sure how long the name stayed. I can't remember who it was that took over Seracia now... It feels like it was so long ago." It was hard for him to remember sometimes that he was only three years old. How come he have possibly done so much in so little time? And to think he had the rest of his life still stretched out in front of him. He peered at the pale woman across from him curiously, wondering if the name of his former home might ring a bell. "Talk" "You" Think

She knew that it was a completely out of the blue, but she had a few burning questions that she really needed to get answered. There was no one else that seemed to be able to help her with this, and... she just really needed to know. Mercy's ears pulled forward hopefully as he began to speak, but they fell backwards when he said that he wasn't sure. Shuffling on her paws slightly, she scuffed at the dirt around her feet. "Oh... well do you think it would be okay if I came and asked your sister something? Its not super important but its just... its something that no one has been able to answer for me." The pale girl was pleased that Leo didn't ask her what it was that she needed to figure out. It was really personal, and she wasn't too keen on sharing what it was. It was the reason for her attacking the river though, which made her grin slightly. This was quite the interesting meeting, she had to admit it. But she still had a small glimmer of hope that this man's sister would be able to help her out.

Their conversation took a turn to packs, and her head tilted to the side. She had never heard of the pack, it had been under a different name when she was a part of it. She couldn't quite remember the name of it, she had been really young by the time that they were left without a pack, and before she knew it she was being taken to Imperium. "Mm, that pack was gone by the time I was born. I can't remember what the name was, I was really little when the pack disbanded and then I left to join Imperium. And it can't be that long ago, you're not that much older than me." she teased, tossing a wink in his direction. At most he was a year and a bit older than her, although it was hard to tell. Age was a lot harder to tell around this part, it wasn't like either of them still looked like puppies. She was all female, with the curve of her hips and the flow of her bodice. And he was all male, with his thick muscles and strong set frame. Realizing that she was admiring him again, Mercy shook her head to scatter the thoughts.

"Speech"

Leo easily nodded to confirm that she could in fact speak with Amalia. He had no problem interacting with other packs and he was sure that his sister would be happy to answer whatever question it was that Mercy had. "Of course. You can come by Fiori whenever you'd like. I hope she'll be able to answer your question for you or at least point you in the right direction to find an answer." He was grateful to have members in his pack that were so dedicated to learning like Amalia was in moments like this. Fiori might not be the largest or the strongest pack, but he was proud of each of his members. He was only mildly disappointed to hear that she hadn't heard of Seracia. Even though they were probably fairly close in age she hadn't been there in the time that he had been. It was a small world, but apparently not nearly as small as it seemed at times. He chuckled at her comment about their ages. "Well of course. It's not like I'm a grandfather. Although three years feels like a really long time at this point." He smirked a little as he thought back on everything he had done in such a short amount of time. "If you think of what the pack was called when you were there you should let me know. I'm always curious about the history of things." "Talk" "You" Think