Walk | Talk | Think Miksa was lost. Not in the literal sense. He knew exactly where he was: in the East, sitting on the beach of the Fontamo Bay, alone with nothing but the sounds of the seabirds and the rush of the waves to keep him company. No, it was not his location that confused him and left him floundering as he tried to make sense of the unknown. It was the events that had transpired to get him here, to make him suddenly alone without a safe direction in which to turn. He had been so sure Threar's troubles were over after they had lost the raid, and had looked forward to recovering from it in order for the pack as a whole to make themselves stronger. But it had only been the practice round, and the real test they had failed. Threar was gone. Novella and Frith had left with their children, going somewhere that Miksa did not know. As much as he appreciated everything they had done for him, he did not feel right tagging along to the family home they were leaving to, and so stayed behind. Losing everything put in him a bad funk, and for a while he did not travel very far from his den except to hunt something quickly in the forest beside the Falls. By the time he had accepted everything enough to show himself again, he had no idea where the rest of the pack had disappeared to. He felt lonely, depressed. He missed the pack wolves, their quiet presence all around him, but he missed the feeling of belonging most of all. He had never really been the adventurous type, nor was he ever good at deciding things for himself. Everything that had happened to him thus far had been offered to him by chance or fate. He had been saved once before by staying in one place, having someone come along and give him a new purpose. It seemed silly to think it would happen again, especially because it was so improbable at the time, but indecision, fear, and loneliness prevented him from getting up and setting out to find his destiny. Where did he even begin?

Surreal Adravendi

She had forged her way east once more. Not yet to see Bass, but to visit the old Threar lands, now vacant and desolate, no longer the home it had once smelled like from beyond the borders. Novella and Frith’s scents were faded, stale; they had been gone since the Challenge, by her guess. But there were still some fresh scents that she remembered being part of the border; packs wolves now homeless. All because someone saw their pack as an easy mark. Out of habit, she howled at the old border, before crossing into the Bay. She had never been within the lands Threar had held under their rule. She had only visited the pack’s location once, to meet with Frith about her plans and her hopes for at least a peace treaty. A fresh scent caught her nose, one of those that had been part of Threar, and on a whim, she followed the young male’s scent until she found him, sitting alone upon the shore of the sea. She paused, watching the pale fellow for a moment before approaching, stopping a short distance away; close enough to make conversation, far enough away to show respect. Settling her haunches into the sand, she gazed out to the water, watching the gulls and terns wheeling and skimming the water for their meals. She would let him speak first should he wish. Otherwise, shje was content to be silent company for a short while. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That quiet sense of belonging, the quiet sense of not just being an individual, but also being of a pack. It was... addicting, the feeling, a completing feeling and one Lillianna cherished. It was one that would cause her to step over the old boundaries of Threar, a feeling of sadness encompassing her. This was a pack, a pack that was no more, a family broken apart. It was... profound. Members of the family left, for parts she was not aware of, but also pups went to Abaven. When she stepped over the borders, wandering, smelling the fading scents of Threar... it was nigh heartbreaking.

What she was not expecting was a fresh scent. She sucked in a quiet breath, freezing as her eyes searched. It did not take long to spot the male, just sitting... alone. She would approach him quietly, noting that as she did so another approached as well. She hesitated, lingering back as the woman took a seat. Should she leave? Should she go?

"Speech" "Language"

Walk | Talk | Think The quietness of the bay was interrupted by a sudden howl, and, confused, Miksa lifted his ears as he turned his head toward the sound. A visitor? This wolf did realize there was no pack here anymore, right? Threar was gone. The scent along the border was old and fading, and he nor anyone else that he knew had been making any attempts at holding it there for longer, a doomed endeavor if there ever was one. It struck him as odd, and he could not comprehend the reasoning behind it, but at any rate it meant company. Someone was here, someone who wanted their presence known. Maybe someone who had business. For a second, the young white wolf contemplated getting up to intercept the visitor at the border. That would have been proper pack protocol, assuming the caller had decided to wait there at the fading border for someone to properly welcome them inside the claimed territory. But it was no longer claimed. Anyone and everyone had free roam of it, though admittedly Miksa had seen few if any at all. The whole situation reminded him strongly of when his last pack, Glaciem, had faded into nothingness, leaving him behind with no knowledge of what had happened. At least this time he had been left with an explanation, but it did not make the situation any less difficult to endure. In the end, he decided to stay put. The visitor would learn soon enough on their own that no one was there, that Threar had dispersed and the pack was no more. He did not need to be the deliverer of that particular message, not again. Though he wanted to be left alone there on the bay, he kept peeking toward the direction the sound had come from, half anticipating someone to step out into view. It was unlikely - who would stay once they realized the pack was gone? - but stranger things had happened. To his surprise, a wolf did end up materializing there along the shoreline, a tall, grey woman who studied him for a moment and then ventured closer. With a gentle disbelieving frown, Miksa watched her as she approached him and then stopped at a respectable distance, but she said nothing. He waited a moment, just to see if she would greet him, but when nothing was said he begrudgingly realized he would need to break the ice. Unaware yet that someone else stood watching them at a distance, he addressed the grey wolf quietly, sadly informative as he lowered his head, "Threar isn't here anymore. If that's what you're looking for."

Surreal Adravendi

It took him a moment or two, but at last the male did speak, and Surreal dipped her head gently in somber acknowledgement. “I am aware. I heard the Challenge, but shame upon me; I didn’t go to support Novella and Frith.” Her gentle, uniquely accented voice was solemn, as her eyes turned away from the sea to study the male. How many times had she felt what lay upon his face? Twice, her pack had been challenged for, and lost. The first time, her mother had rebuilt Valhalla no sooner had it been lost to Artemis. And then Viridiana, on some vendetta only she could have reasoned out, had challenged for Valhalla, no sooner than she had given them a cure for the plague. She knew what he was feeling. That sense of loss. And she knew the anger in her own heart that came from a pack yet again waltzing into her home and taking it, with no thought about those who resided upon it. Sin would regret his choice to Challenge for Threar, and his choice to take the Plains. All in good time. He’d stepped on some powerful toes. Abaven was a larger pack, and Bass had seemed mad enough to take them all down single pawed. “I am Surreal Adravendi. I live in the western region with my family. The bastard who challenged for Threar claimed my home, Vericona Plains. He will get what he is owed, and then some. I promise you that.” The wind shifted enough that the scent of another caught her nose, and she shifted slightly, facing toward the other. And Abaven female. Young. Glancing at the male, she raised a brow point slightly, offering him the choice of whether this wolf would be welcomed or not. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She'd stand quietly, observing the quiet chatter. She had not yet made a decision; they had not noticed her yet, and they ought to at least give her a firm yes or no first. Why? For then it would be out of her paws; she would not have to worry about it. Yet, her presence would go unnoticed by the Threar - former Threar - male. The yearling messenger would shift in place, freezing as her eyes caught on the grey female who had come; she had noticed Lillianna, unlike the other yearling. This one would make no movement, no sound, instead glancing at the other. Lillianna's head would tip to the side, her gaze also drawn to Miksa as she awaited an answer.

"Speech" "Language"

Walk | Talk | Think The grey woman surprised him by referring to both Novella and Frith by name. She knows them? It should not have been so surprising - even before the challenge, he had still been fairly new and knew nothing of the ties that his alphas kept with their neighbors. All of that had been beyond his scope of understand, outside the reach of things he felt qualified to know, and so he had never made any attempts to find out. But it still felt strange to find connections to people he did not know, though not so strange as the unexpected guilt her remark of supporting them during the challenge elicited. Dropping his head guiltily, Miksa averted his gaze. He should have been there too. He kept his eyes averted though he listened attentively as the wolf identified herself as Surreal Adravendi, and added what connection she posed with him and his displaced, disbanded pack. That statement, unexpected as it was, caused his bright yellow eyes to rise and view her a little cautiously, trying to judge the truth behind her words as well as the likelihood of what she promised. He had not been there to see the fight and so had no idea what a challenge the victor posed, but even then he was not sure if seeing that wolf fall would satisfy him. Threar was still gone, and nothing was likely going to bring that back. A little slower to notice, Miksa caught the scent of another wolf after Surreal had, and realizing she had already found the individual he turned and followed her gaze with his own. He could see the wolf now, young and a little hesitant while she watched them, as if unsure whether to come closer. The boy glanced back at Surreal and, catching the questioning sort of glace she shot his way, felt suddenly nervous. He was supposed to decide what to do? His weight shifted from one foreleg to the other as he considered his options for a moment and decided to do just as he had done a second ago with Surreal. "If you're looking for Threar, it's gone." he called out to the silent, hesitant wolf. How many more times would he be forced to say that to someone? It made him feel worse with each telling.

Surreal Adravendi

The ex Threarian had little to say in response to Surreal’s words, and she didn’t force him to speak up. The way his head drooped in guilt made her wonder if anyone had gone to support the Authors at the challenge. The nerves she saw in his eyes and movements when she gave him a choice as to whether the Abaven female would be welcomed or not brought a faint glimmer of amusement to her eyes, but she gave an encouraging nod. Make a choice, lad. He did, calling to the other with the same missive as he had to Surreal. It didn’t take an eagle to see how much it hurt him to say those words. She didn’t blame him one bit. A high pitched cry from the sky signalled Battlesong’s presence, and the Ferruginous Hawk stooped, dropping from the heavens to land lightly on the sand beside the wolves. Her large eyes regarded the pale male momentarily before her beak clicked in acknowledgement. Surreal nodded lightly at the bird, before turning to look at Miksa. “I will be raising a pack in the west, whether Hellstrom is cleared soon or not. I imagine Abaven intends to siege Hellstrom for Threar’s fall. Though I imagine this young lady can tell us more of that if she can?” Surreal tipped her head to the brown female before continuing gently. “ I will be offering a home to any of Threar who wish to work as a family and a team. If you work hard, you will be welcomed. The choice is up to you, of course. If you decide you want to, my family and a few friends are camped in Avian Estuary.” She used the word camped, a clear note that it was a temporary arrangement. She was considering moving north to the Valley and the Willows. Falk knew those lands better and would have less difficulty in traversing them. There was no pressure in her words; merely an offer of a home and extended family. It was up to him, now. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think