As usual Faite had that itch to go exploring again. She was a social creature with the need to find new faces and the thirst for knowledge. Not that she expected to find any enlightenment on this journey of hers but the thought of making at least one new friend while she was away was exciting. While past attempts at finding new wolves to bring home had failed, she was more than hopeful that this time would result in a success. They weren't hurting for new members but she wanted to see the pack prosper and grow. Maybe she could even find someone interested in taking up the rank of hunter. She knew Varda needed all the help she could get. Faite had set out the day before, not forgetting to let Regulus know which direction she was headed, and then spent most of that day taking her time. She had no set destination in mind and she was in no hurry to get there. She had ample enough time to explore and get the lay of the land as she traveled. It allowed her to stop and smell the roses (so to speak) and with spring finally upon them it was a wonderful sight. Flowers were already starting to sprout in areas and she was sure it wouldn't be long now before the healers would be able to scout and gather more herbs. She'd miss the snow but there was always something exciting about spring that put her in a good mood. The girl finally paused when she reached a rather odd looking place. It was a plateau like any other but it was the half hidden objects that made it stand out. She hadn't realized it at first that there were strange things half buried until she'd stepped on something sharp. Pausing to look at her foot her dual colored gaze rested upon the fragment that stuck out of her paw like a thorn. Blood trickled from the wound but she paid it no mind. It stung a bit but it was nothing that wouldn't heal quickly on its own. No what bothered her was that she had no idea what it was. It was metal and sharp but past that she'd never seen anything like it. She picked it with her teeth away from her paw pad and spat in on the ground before continuing. Upon further inspection there were all sorts of "treasures" to be found ranging from strange metal "sticks" (guns) half rotted and decayed and pins and bobbles that she couldn't put a name to. Had she been with a much older wolf they probably could have told her they were human objects, but she wasn't privy to this knowledge so they remained a mystery to her. Instead she could only sit and gawk at them with immense curiosity as she tried to figure out what they were and why they existed in the first place only to be abandoned here. Walk, "Talk" Think

The northernmost lands, as well as winter seemed a distant memory now, though in reality it had not been all that long ago. He was merely pleased to have completely left behind the desolate landscape that he had spent so many days wandering aimlessly through. Adrian had grown accustomed to his life of solitude, but when almost every day he was greeted by a vast expanse of nothingness, with only a few exceptions, it could prove to be quite lonely and.. depressing. Although it had made him stronger too, both mentally and physically. He was realizing that now.

None of that mattered now, however. Prey was plentiful, free for the taking, spring plants and flowers were quite literally everywhere, and the best part was.. the fields seemed to go on forever. There was not one mountain in sight. Only small hills, which he could easily traverse. He'd not been so content in quite a good amount of time.

With every one of the important needs met for the moment with the exception of shelter, the sandy wolf was free to explore the land at his choosing. As usual, he had no particular direction, but his paws still somehow managed to carry him to a place that was incredibly out of the ordinary from what he'd seen so far. It had started out the same, just a small hill leading up to another expanse of land, but when he'd discovered the.. object, he had then begun to notice all of the other things around.

Small things, mostly, that one could potentially miss. Golden eyes stared down at the thing before him. The object was long and thin, seeming to be made out of wood, albeit incredibly smooth, unlike anything he'd ever seen before except when it was very old. It was also made of some other element that was not quite like anything he had ever seen before. Everything here was.. unnatural. What could this thing be? What purpose did it, or had it served?

A number of questions ran through Adrian's mind. Unfortunately he realized, he would probably never get them answered, unless he looked for them himself. And even then, most of his answers would probably only be his best guess. Wandering a little further, he discovered something even more intriguing that lie contained within a slight dip in the land.

This object (wrecked tank) was large, and seemed to be made of a similar material to what the other half of the smaller object was. It was obviously old and disfigured, appearing kind of like a cave with a gaping hole in the side of it, and it seemed to beckon him forth. Adrian approached it, completely forgetting about caution, only pausing once he was close enough to rest his paw upon it's surface. Again, smooth and cold to the touch. But not like rock, this had a different feel to it.

Realizing he could go in further, he did just that, climbing into the rather small, confined space. His eyes eagerly studied every detail within the interior of the thing, even if he still had no idea as to what he was looking at. Perhaps it could function as a shelter, though. He was out of the sun, and it might also keep him dry from rain. He would just need to find a way to make the surface a bit more comfortable to lie on.

The longer she sat there the more she realized she wasn't going to learn anything. No amount of studying the strange objects was going to tell her what they were. Losing interest in them rather quickly, she soon rose to her paws and padding farther along the plateau. Even without the strange bits of metal littering the ground, there were still many things to focus on. It was a rather nice day out after all and any territory was worth exploring. This one happened to be one of the more interesting ones, even with the lack of natural land marks and things to do. Faite's interest soon switched from the landscape to something odd in the distance. It jutted out just enough for her to be able to see it over the hill. Curiosity consumed her as she padded towards it. She knew she wouldn't figure out what it was either but it was certainly worth the trip. She'd have a fun story to tell her youngest siblings and her mother when she returned home. She wondered briefly if Regulus had made a trip here yet. If not she certainly was going to try and convince him to come here. Maybe he had a better idea of what had been here before them. She finally reached the hill and was surprised to see a large structure. It was a bit bent and very much broken looking. She moved closer to investigate but was surprised when another scent hit her nose. She paused for a moment and her nostrils quivered in surprise. She hadn't been expecting company out here. They were loner lands so she shouldn't have been too shocked. Maybe they were as interested in this thing as she was? She maneuvered around the side of it towards the more open and broken part of the thing and peered inside. There she came across the sight of the other wolf. Bi-colored gaze rested on the sandy wolf as she looked him over. He was slightly taller than her and his lighter colored pelt was fun to look at as the browns shifted from sand to cream with black flecks mixed in. She didn't focus on his appearance for too long and instead offered a friendly smile. "Hi!" She greeted him with her usual sunny care-free nature. She'd never had much caution with strangers after all. "You wouldn't happen to know what this thing is, would you?" She ask. She had no qualms about quickly initiating conversation. Of course if he didn't want to she'd just continue along her travels and leave him be. There were bound to be more things to explore around here before she decided to head home. Walk, "Talk" Think

The wolf searched through his mind for any bit of information he might have that would allow him to piece together the puzzle before him. It was intriguing, but vexing at the same time. He doubted he would ever be able to figure this out on his own, at least not as much as he would like. Surely there had to be someone with knowledge of what this was. He thought back to all of the time he had spent as a young pup, listening to stories from older wolves because he'd been too small to join his siblings in other activities. How Adrian wished he could recall them, now.

Peering through the rest of the structure he was in, he continued to discover many more interesting artifacts. Everything here had once served it's own purpose he knew, but it was too complex for him to ever be able to figure out. That didn't mean he wouldn't try, though. On the one plus side so far, the more he looked through it, the more convinced he became that it could serve as shelter. Perhaps he would linger here for a while if other resources proved abundant. He had nothing better to do but study what was around him.

Hi. You wouldn't happen to know what this thing is, would you? Adrian shook his head, contemplating just how he could answer that question. "No. But whatever it is.. isn't natural." That was about all he had to offer in response to the mysterious feminine voice at this moment. But then he realized something. Mysterious feminine voice?

Turning around quickly, he spotted the stranger peering curiously in at him. When had she gotten here? He hadn't even heard her approach. His interest in everything else lost for the moment, golden eyes studied the stranger before him. The first thing he noticed was the difference in eye color, and that was perhaps because of the way the sharp colors seemed to stand out. One was blue, while the other was a golden color.

Her fur was interesting to look at as well, from the way it seemed to shift from silvery along her chest and legs, to darker brown and even black on her back, face, and paws. Realizing he should probably say something else at this point, Adrian took a breath, head tipping to the side. "I'm sorry. I was so deep in my thoughts.. I didn't even notice your approach."He figured that if there had been any malicious intent on the part of this stranger, she would've revealed it by now. After all, she'd caught him completely off guard.  

Besides, she seemed genuine enough. He didn't get any bad vibes from her. "Hi." He added, almost as an afterthought.

The male seemed a bit absent minded as he answered and Faite grinned a little bit to herself. She managed to stifle it as he turned around to stare at her, but hints of the smile still remained. She was glad he'd answered her question, even if it wasn't an answer she was hoping for, but she felt a little bad for sneaking up on him. To her, he seemed a little bit shell shocked now. He said nothing for a good moment and Faite allowed herself to remain quiet just in case he decided to say something first. She was energetic and over-friendly at times, but not rude. "I'm sorry. I was so deep in my thoughts.. I didn't even notice your approach." He said after studying her for a few moment. She didn't mind the staring in the slightest, but she was glad he'd said something. Any longer and it might have gotten awkward. She smiled softly at his words. So she had crept up on him. Oops! Ears flicked forward as he finished his statement with a simple hi. "I'm Faite. It's nice to meet you." Faite felt comfortable enough with his presence to move in a little closer so the girl stuck her snout into the opening to get a good look around while he answered. She didn't come all the way in to respect the male's privacy, but she was testing the waters as much as she could get away with. Even if he didn't know anything about this place, other than the fact dear old mother nature didn't make it, it didn't mean she didn't want to try and check it out a bit before she had to return home. Walk, "Talk" Think

So it would seem someone else had been as intrigued by all of these.. abstract, almost mythical were the only word he could use to describe them, objects. That in itself did not surprise him, he could imagine almost anyone would have at least some interest. But the sudden appearance of this other had managed to succeed in catching him off guard. It was not the first or only time in recent history he could recall that happening. He would have to remind himself to be more careful, or the next time he might not be so fortunate.

He did wish he could have provided a more informative answer to her original inquiry, however. He was tempted to ask if she had any knowledge, but then surmised if she'd asked him.. she probably did not. In spite of this, Adrian was still curious. Though it might not pertain to what lie before him right now, she likely did still have useful information. He would never be one to pass up opportunity of gaining new knowledge. I'm Faite. It's nice to meet you. That actually seemed to fit.

"An unexpected pleasure." He spoke, offering a nod of acknowledgement as Faite made a motion to peer further inside of.. whatever this thing was. Ordinarily he might not have liked being in such a confined space with a stranger so near, but she was different, somehow. He moved back as far as possible to allow her to look more closely, if she so desired. Again, it seemed as if he should say something else, but what?

"What do you make of this?" He asked, deciding to see if he couldn't get a bit of her perspective, perhaps uncover an intent, or a motive on her part. "Because I was wondering if it would be a good place to.. shelter for a while. It seems safe." He had no where else to go, and was not yet aware if Faite had somewhere else to be, with a home and family, or if she too was completely alone in this world.

"An unexpected pleasure." He answered and a soft wave of her tail and a warm smile was easily given. Strangers were always welcome in her presence so long as they were nice and so far he didn't have a bad impression of this man. He didn't return his name though and Faite decided she wouldn't press. She understood that sometimes wolves didn't like sharing names and she accepted whatever reasons he had for it. Even if it was that he just forgot to. The tan coated male moved back some more allowing her to invade his space to get a closer look. She hesitated for a moment before she lightly hopped into the tank to get a better inspection of the thing. The metal felt strange beneath her paws and almost smooth in areas that rust hadn't settled in. She was still sad he didn't know what it was either, but all in all she was pleased with her finds. She'd certainly have a story to go home and tell everyone. Her head rose as she looked back towards her current company as he asked her a question. She'd glance around their current location and she studied it for a moment. It seemed study beneath her paws and it had a good area where a wolf could sleep without getting wet. If this was where he wanted to hole up it wasn't a bad spot. "Well if you're looking to sleep here it'd be a nice spot if you brought in something soft to lie on. It'll protect you from most weather it seems and shelter you from the heat and cold." She'd pause for a moment as an idea formed in her head. "If you're looking for a permanent home though I could bring you back to Celestial, my pack, if you wanted? You could meet my brother, Regulus. he leads the pack and you could talk with him to see if you'd like it there or not." It was an offer, one he could decline if he wanted, but he seemed like a nice guy. She had no doubt he'd fit in if he wanted to. Walk, "Talk" Think

The amount of hesitance displayed on her part before she decided to move forth to further investigate this structure seemed appropriate. But the fact that she did not refuse to approach outright, also showed that she seemed to trust him as well, which was good. Adrian did not think he looked very threatening. There were certainly an abundance of others in this world that could easily take that award. But he was aware that looks could be deceiving, so he would keep his eyes on Faite. He had always been one that enjoyed studying the actions of others, he was one who liked to delve into their thought processes. Not merely to find out what someone thought, but the why's, the reasons behind certain beliefs as well.

He would admit that he was young, and if not that, certainly not old, and perhaps still quite naive. Each encounter he had only furthered his level of understanding, everyone had something to offer. In Faite's case, it seemed to be quite a bit.

She offered her opinion on sheltering in the structure. Adrian found himself mostly agreeing, with exception to one detail. The surface he stood on was already quite cool. He could imagine that in the winter seasons, it would only be worse, even if he managed to gather enough materials to make a suitable cushion between himself and the floor. Though he doubted he would linger here for so long. He never managed to reside in one place for more than a few weeks. And now, after discovering this? There was no telling what else might be awaiting him.

An opinion was not the only thing Faite had to offer, however. Further intriguing the tan wolf, a curious statement was made on her part, which did not make complete sense. How could she be so quick to offer him a chance to return to her pack, when she did not even know his name? Were they nearby? Should he potentially be worried about an ambush? Adrian allowed his gaze to study the lady for a time.

While he would have been immensely reluctant to speak of his pack, where he in her position, Adrian decided this was at least somewhat in line with Faite's general behavior so far. She did not seem like the type to peddle in small talk, which he liked. Her initial approach and inquiry had been straightforward, a clear indicative of what might be a more professional manner. If she was offering this chance, it might also incite that she held a position of higher power within her group, especially if it was lead by her brother. Adrian took note of the details, the pack name, Celestial, as well as that of her brother Regulus.

If she had wanted to hide, lie to, or otherwise mislead him, she probably would not have offered these convincing little details. Adrian exhaled slowly, realizing he had been silently contemplating her words for too long. It was an unfortunate habit of his, and would, in extreme circumstances, cause some to believe he was socially inept. That thought had not always been entirely unfounded.

"I would be willing to.. meet, and converse with your brother." He spoke, sitting himself back in a more comfortable position. He had merely been pondering her intentions, now it was actually time to consider the question. "But before.. I decide to accompany you, I would like to know as much as you are willing to tell me about this pack." Surely she could understand his caution. After all, if there was anything she could tell him right now that would rule out this offer entirely, it would probably be best to hear it now, so an entire trip would not be wasted. Would he be willing to join with a pack again?

That would all depend on what he was told. Packs had their benefits, undoubtedly, and simply considering these was enough to at very least make him consider the option. Even without knowing anything he was admittedly tempted. After all, it was not as if he had anything better to occupy his time.

He had not offered his name before because it had ashamedly slipped his mind. But now it seemed, it could potentially work to his benefit. As a sign of trust now, he could offer it. "It slipped my mind before. My name is.. Adrian."  

Faite watched him curiously with her bright two-toned gaze. She knew she was being rather forward with her approach. His thoughts on the matter were correct of course. She barely knew him, didn't even know his name, and yet Faite felt no shame in the offer. They weren't in dire need of wolves to fill Celestial but the girl was always willing to try and bring wolves home if they wanted it. She was always rather blunt and to the point and when it came down to it she didn't get any ill vibes from this male. If she had she wouldn't have put herself in such close quarters with him. Regardless she watched him in silence and waited for his response. She was patient and had no problem waiting for him to think it through. She could tell he was debating his offer and thinking it through with a fair amount of seriousness. She'd let him mull it over in the silence. She didn't want him making a half-assed decision that he'd regret later on. Joining a pack was a big deal. It meant more responsibilities but it also had good rewards too. The promise of friendship and food seemed to be alluring and Celestial was a good pack for a family unit. granted most of the members were actually her family, but she viewed everyone the same regardless. It didn't matter if you were of blood relation or not - in the end they all meant a lot to her. In the mean time Faite finally decided to plant her rump to the cool metal to await his answer. He didn't keep her waiting for too much longer and ears perked forward with interest as he finally spoke. She was ecstatic to hear that he would meet with her brother, but she did her best to keep it under wraps. There was a but in there though and she listened with a fair amount of intrigue as he requested to hear about the pack first. She nodded for a moment as she tried to figure out a good way to summarize it. It made sense that he'd want to know what he'd be joining and she didn't want him to waste a trip if he didn't like what the pack stood for. Before she could get started though he finally introduced himself and she grinned. "Well it's nice to meet you Adrian." She greeted him properly now, glad to finally know his name. "Celestial is a family based pack. We value our strong bonds with each other. Everyone is family and we all work together to make sure that the pack thrives as a unit. My mother aimed to make it a pack full of healers and warriors, though right now most that we have are healers. Our rules are simple, mostly basic really, like no trespassing, show up to meetings, pull your own weight, get along, but there really haven't been many problems. If you're looking to learn where you fit in the world it's a good place - or so I think at least." She'd pause for a moment, hoping that her description had been good. She was sure Regulus could have explained it better, but it was the best she could do at the time. "What do you excel at Adrian?" Walk, "Talk" Think

Now that he had given a response, he was graced with a few more moments to consider his options. The basic benefits offered by a pack would include companionship, more plentiful resources, and a home to return to every night. While the first two were important, the third was what truly tempted him. While he liked to think about things, study them, it was not very often Adrian would turn his own thoughts back around on himself, especially in this manner. What do I want?

Usually his focus was on the world around him, as well as those around it. But for the first time in a while, he allowed himself to ponder this question. All he wanted was to find somewhere to belong, with a purpose, that would allow him to help others. Perhaps joining a group would afford him that very opportunity. There was no doubt in his mind that he would fully commit himself to his work in a pack, whatever that might be.

So when Faite began to explain the basic values of what Celestial stood for, he found himself pleased. Her smile was contagious as well, and he found himself mirroring it to a lesser degree. From the sound of it, she was quite proud of her pack. It had apparently been founded by her mother, which offered him another little detail and bit of history that he could store away for future reference. The rules were simple, and all seemed like things he could agree with. He did not suppose he would have any problems getting along with anyone, unless some took issue with his relative silence.

"Your pack sounds quite honorable. I think I would like to meet them." What could it hurt? Everything sounded more than exceptional, and Adrian had no where else to go anyway. He owed it to Faite, and to himself to at very least follow this through.

What do you excel at? This once more required a pause, a moment of thought. Faite was probably trying to get an idea of what role he could play. She had said the pack was full of mostly healers, with a few warriors. But surely they would have hunters, too? Not that it mattered. He would not say he excelled in any of those three categories. Hunting would probably be where he was most skilled but even then, his only concern had always been himself. He had only learned enough to survive. That was one thing he regretted. He'd never had much opportunity to train as a group, with his family, before he had left them behind all of those months ago.

He would need to relearn how to work as a team, no matter what role he might be given. That might be difficult, but he was certainly willing to try. That was, if Regulus decided to accept him. He realized he was getting ahead of himself, here. What was he most skilled at? Well, there was one thing, and that was what he had been doing his entire way here, and for many months before it, so he had certainly had a lot of practice.

"Physically, running. Not so much speed but, distance. For whatever that is worth." That would again possibly bring him around to the role of a hunter, or perhaps a scout if her pack had them. His strength certainly did not lie in combat. He would not be fearful of defending himself should a situation ever arise but, he was no where near competent enough to carry the safety of an entire pack on his shoulders.

Faite noted the soft smile he protruded and more than anything she felt happy that he was warming up to her company. She'd noticed that she had quite the contagious personality and more often than not it was hard not to be joyful in her presence. Her light antics and bubbly mood were often enough to make others comfortable in her presence. She was especially good around children, but it always had it's downsides. Unfortunately she gave too many wolves the benefit of the doubt at first and, while it hadn't bit her in the ass yet, it was certainly going to one day. "Your pack sounds quite honorable. I think I would like to meet them." Her grin would broaden now and her tail swished against the metal of the structure at his response. She had no doubt that Regulus would like Adrian and she could only hope that Adrian would like Regulus and the rest of her pack. So far no one had had any problems with each other and this male didn't seem to be the type to bother anyone. More than anything he seemed rather quiet, maybe a little awkward, and easy to get along with. If her assumptions were right he'd fit in perfectly. He seemed to be thinking of something and she allowed him the silence he needed as he pondered her question. Instead, while she waited, she pondered the quickest way to get home. They weren't too awfully far from Celestial and the trip wouldn't take too long. On the bright side, with two wolves, they would also be able to hunt together while they made their way home and she'd have someone to talk to. "Physically, running. Not so much speed but, distance. For whatever that is worth." She'd nod softly as he answered her and she mused over what rank he could have if Regulus accepted him into their home. Baine was their only Emissary right now and she could see Adrian doing it if he wanted. If not they always needed hunters too, but ultimately it'd be up to him what he wanted to pursue within the pack. "Well we're lacking in Emissaries too, if you like running. My sister is the only one right now. Ultimately the choice is up to you what rank you pursue, but you'll have time to choose." She'd pause for a moment before standing up and moving towards the entrance of the tank. "Shall we go and I'll explain more on the way?" ooc: So this can be Faite's exit post if you'd like? I figured you could post yours and then I can start a new thread at Celestial's borders so they can talk to Regulus. If not we can continue this thread if you'd like! Walk, "Talk" Think

What other skills did he have, that he excelled at, aside from that? He did not suppose there would be anything. Unless being overly thoughtful about things counted as something he excelled at, because there was that, too. Already he was starting to wonder if this was a wise choice. If by chance it did work out, he did get along with this Regulus character and was offered a chance to start a new life, he would have a lot to learn. However, Adrian looked forward to it. Daresay, he was hopeful. For the first time in a long time.

Faite too, seemed pleased, which made him wonder just how badly lacking in numbers her pack was if she had to resort to asking someone she barely knew about it. Or perhaps she'd just wanted to offer him a chance at a better life, rather than leaving him behind. Either way he was grateful for this, but even more-so if it was the second.

She informed him that they were lacking in Emissaries too. If that was what he thought it was, it would seem like the best role. But she was right, there was plenty of time to decide. There was another word he picked out of there, sister. Faite had said everyone was like family, but to her, it seemed as if they truly were, blood related. First her brother, then mother, then sister? He could not help but feel a bit skeptical now, as he wondered if he might be seen as an outsider if this was largely a family pack? She had said it was founded by her mother, which could imply that being the case.

Shall we go and I'll explain more on the way?

There was no hesitation, nor any delay behind his response this time. He nodded, standing to his paws, which were already antsy with anticipation. "Yes. And.. um, thank you." Adrian supposed it didn't matter whether or not he was one of the few not related by blood. This offer was quite possibly a once in a lifetime thing. There was no way he could pass it up without seeing more first.



~~~This seems like as good of a spot as any to end it and jump to a new thread. I don't really mind either way. If you do, for any reason feel like there's something you want to reply to I am alright with that as well.