Since Myriad had fallen, Xephyris had taken to wandering again. He didn't particularly enjoy wandering around aimlessly, but at least it kept him fit. And he hoped he'd find something worthwhile, since there was nothing left in the territory he'd come to call home. He hadn't thought he'd be displaced so soon again - he had truly believed Myriad would live on for some time to come. But alas, there was no point dwelling on it all, since no amount of that would bring the pack back together. Heavy paws carried the silver-coated man through a flowery field, colors bursting around him. It wasn't exactly his favourite place, a little too brightly colored and cheery for him, especially considering his current brooding mood. That didn't matter though. He didn't know where else he should be, anyways. The early morning, summer sun was shining down on him, still low in the sky. It wasn't too hot yet, but it was certainly all too pleasant for him. Until he came to a startling halt with his one of his forepaws dangling off the edge of deathly tall, straight dropping cliff. Normally he wasn't one to startle, but he couldn't help the jump in his chest, and the way his stomach clenched. He took a deep breath as he stepped several steps back from the cliff, realizing he'd been too consumed with his thoughts, and had nearly died as a result. He blinked his eyes, trying to gain control of his thoughts and feelings. "Talk" "You" Think

Boredom. It was the only thing on her mind for a while. There was nothing to do, except hunt down the little shit that had stolen her kill last winter. And the little shits mom, too. When something or someone crossed her, she never forgot about it so easily. And the fact that those two had such distinct markings, well...she wouldn't forget them. The woman was taking the day to just relax from her wanderings, the summer heat had been too much as of late. So instead, she'd been on these cliffs for the better part of a week, and today she was just enjoying the day as she rolled around in the flower patch. Nobody had come up this way, so that meant nobody would be stealing her prey up here. And if they did, she'd just push them off the cliff. As she rolled on her back, the smell of crushed flowers and grass masked the scent of the male. But by the time she noticed him, he was at the edge of the cliff. She quickly rolled onto her stomach, ears erect as she watched him. Was he trying to commit suicide?! Silver gaze watched as the silver male stopped in the nick of time. What on earth? Was he blind or something? "If you jump, I'll have to find somewhere else to go because the image of your broken body isn't exactly what I want to see every morning!" She called out, though she didn't get up from her position on the ground. "Speech"

His nerves already a little shot, he felt his heart do a little jump once more, his hackles raising slightly as he turned to look at someone calling out to him. His cold silver eyes landed upon the red-marked, white-coated lady with silver eyes, and he just observed her for a moment, allowing her words to register in his mind. Did she really think he was going to jump? He wondered if she'd seen it before as he regarded her quietly. Well, he certainly had no intention of ending himself, and his near-miss would be a good reminder to stay alert at all times. Especially now that he was on his own. There was no one looking out for him here, and he needed to return to his roots; the embodiment of a hard character, survival at the core of his existence. There was no room for moping and sappiness, which had gotten him into this predicament in the first place. If he wasn't so busy brooding over recent events, he would have never missed the rather obvious and sudden end of solid ground in front of him. Moving away from the cliff edge, he approached the strange woman, his thick, luxuriant tail raising above his back, tossing gently back and forth. "I assure you, you needn't worry about waking to a body, not mine anyways," he replied coolly, eyeing the woman, "A simple slip of judgement." Since she was laying down for the moment, he seated himself a few feet away from her. He had nowhere to be, so he supposed it wouldn't hurt to spend a few moments getting acquainted with a stranger. "Talk" "You" Think

He would come closer, which in her opinion was a smarter idea then walking off the cliff's edge. He explained that she wouldn't be seeing his dead body at the bottom, a slip of judgment. "A slip of judgment huh? Seems to me there's more to it then that." She chuckled, and even when he stopped not too far from her, she remained where she was among the flowers. Silver eyes would find his, and it was an interesting sight. She'd yet to come across someone with the same eye color as her, though she supposed she shouldn't be too surprised, right? More then likely there were tons of others with silver eyes, but it still intrigued her. Yawning, she straightened herself out so she was laying on her belly, forelegs straight out as she looked him over. "So, what's your story pretty boy? Judging by your...near attempt at seeing if you can fly, I'd say you're here for a reason." Oooor...he could be blind. Right? She'd come across some that were blind, but they didn't look like it. She narrowed her eyes at him, the woman leaning forward some as she stared at his eyes. If he wasn't blind, then he could think her weird all he wanted. She didn't care. "Speech"

It seemed she was an observant one, as his response to her only made her question him again, and it was as if she saw right through him. Was he really that transparent right now? As he sat down near her, he realized that she was looking at him with a little more interest than he'd expect from a stranger. Her silver eyes were fixed directly on his as she waited for him to elaborate on his current predicament, and so he stared back at her. Sighing, he supposed there was nothing to lie about. Not that his brain would come up with any stories at the moment, anyways. At least he could have a slight chuckle at her words. "What's your story, pretty boy?" He didn't mind the attention, even if she was just teasing him. "My pack's Alpha was defeated in a challenge, so I have nowhere to go right now," he said with a shrug, not wanting to appear overly upset about it, "I'm not much of a traveler, I suppose, so it's a little difficult for me to adjust to... freedom." It may seem a strange notion for some, but Xephyris enjoyed having a place to call home, somewhere to keep him chained and grounded. Wandering aimlessly was really not his thing. He hadn't decided what he was going to do yet - would he join another pack? It seemed like a logical idea... but every time he chose a place to call home, it was ripped away from him all too soon. There were other packs that seemed to stay strong forever. Were they just that much stronger? "Anyways, my name's Xephyris," he offered, tail flicking to wrap around his paws, "And what is the name of the fiery little flower girl before me?" He chuckled lowly. Oh, how lame he felt right now, but it didn't really matter. She was a pretty lady, and if she hadn't left his presence yet, perhaps she'd stick around a while, if anything just to distract him from his homelessness. And if she didn't want to stay, at least he hadn't known her long enough to miss her. "Talk" "You" Think

She listened with mild interest to his short story. So, he was a former pack wolf eh? Interesting. "That's a shame. I'd give you my condolences, but I won't. Honestly, if an alpha was that easily torn down then they weren't strong enough to follow in my opinion." She eyed him, gauging him for some sort of reaction to see if her words had prickled his fur. Would he get mad because she gave her honest opinion? That reason alone was why she was still a rogue. She'd yet to come across someone she felt was strong enough to follow. Someone whose bite was stronger then their bark. Maybe someday she'd find the one, but until then, she supposed she would keep wandering until she either found someone worthy enough to follow or if she was forced. "It's not so bad being a rogue, y'know. I've been one for a long time. Mostly because, well...as I sort of mentioned before, I've yet to find anyone strong enough to follow." She pulled herself up to a sitting position, silver eyes gazing at him with interest. He was a handsome male, she had to admit. But was he smart? She'd come across plenty of handsome males, but the majority were as dumb as dirt and that was a complete turn off. Ears perked forward when he gave his name, and in turn he'd ask for hers. She chuckled, head tilting slightly to the side as a mischievous twinkle set in her eye. "Wouldn't you like to know." She teased. She waited a moment, a smile curling her lips. "But since you're so convincing, I'll tell you. My name is Kasai, I'm not much of the formal type so excuse my manners. If I offend you, let me know. But I won't care either way." She winked at him, giving him a playful grin. Talk like this

He perked toward the fiery-coated, silver-eyed woman as she offered her opinion toward him. That his former Alpha must not have been strong enough to be worthy of following if he'd been defeated in a challenge. It irked him, and he felt his lip twitch, his smirk dropping away - he didn't like hearing Riv being spoken about like that, but it wasn't like this woman knew who she was talking about. But it wasn't just that... it had been his own choice to follow the young man, and he felt his decision was being judged. Not that it all really mattered; Xephyris was confident in his ability to defend his beliefs if he needed to. "There are strengths other than physical power to be admired," he rumbled, eyeing her somewhat seriously, although he certainly understood the power that came with the ability to physically dominate others, "However, I understand the many benefits of physical strength and fighting prowess." He fell silent as she spoke again, trying to convince him that being a rogue wasn't so bad. He sighed. He would never agree with such a notion. However, it seemed she had remained a rogue mostly because she hadn't found anyone strong enough to follow; her words were quickly followed with a hungry stare, her silver eyes eating up his frame. He couldn't help but to let a grin split his maw. She wasn't shy about hinting at her inward thoughts. He wondered if she was testing him in a way, prodding him to say something that might impress her. Well, the idea of leading a pack himself had been rolled around in his mind, and with recent events, it seemed quite a viable option. Perhaps he could convince this stranger that he'd be worthy enough to follow. Very well, he'd take on that challenge. Power and admiration was something he craved, so if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone, a place he'd stayed for much too long, then so be it. The grin on his maw curved further upward as she tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eye, and he narrowed his eyes in amusement as she teased. Tipping his muzzle up and canting his head to the side, he eyed her with a sidelong gaze until she finally gave her name. Kasai. She followed up quickly by telling him he ought to let her know if she came off offensively... but not like she'd care anyways. He chuckled some more, shaking his head slightly. She was an amusing girl, and he wouldn't mind getting to know her a little more. "So, Kasai, what do you do as a rogue?" he asked curiously, his eyes glancing over the flowery field around them as he stood and paced away from her, kicking his paws through the blooms. He wouldn't mind getting just a little further away from the deadly drop he'd nearly stepped over, and he glanced at the woman, wondering if she'd come for a little walk. "Talk" "You" Think

How amusing. It seemed she had touched a nerve, a brow rose as he grew serious, his words matching his new look. "Maybe I wasn't clear. There is more to being a strong alpha then just strength. I mean, I personally wouldn't follow someone who was all brawn and no brain. That's just stupid." She hummed for a second, a wistful look in her eye. "If I could find an alpha who was strong in mind and body, who could defend his turf and control whatever and whoever he wanted, you'd bet I'd jump all over that." She scoffed at the end. Doubtful that it would happen. She'd waited this long, who was to say it would or wouldn't happen? She looked at him again when that grin returned, her tail lightly brushing the ground behind her. His question brought another grin from her. Oh, this was too easy. He was feeding her things that were much too fun to answer, and she sensed that this would be a great opportunity at a friendship. Or maybe even something...better. When was the last time she had done anything satisfying? "Well, whatever I want. There's no rules to follow, although I wouldn't mind them if there were any. As long as it didn't restrict my freedom. Nobody wants to live like a chained dog, after all. I certainly don't." She stood up, front half stretching forward as her back curved, tail and rump in the air as eyed him. "Of course...if the right man came along...well, that's a different story." "Speech"

The grin didn't leave his face as he turned to look at her, listening as she tried to explain herself a little more clearly on what she'd meant by her earlier comment. So it seemed that she, too, saw value in different strengths, not just brute force. As she got to the end of her words, his grin lifted a little higher. So, if she could find someone both strong and smart, she'd be all over that. "Ah, so you do see the benefit in smarts versus pure muscle," he rumbled, his tail flicking in amusement, "Good thing I've got a little of both." He would leave his remark at that, for the moment. Although confident in his abilities, sometimes arrogantly so, he was not exactly one to boast. He never wanted to be like one of those wolves that had a big mouth, with nothing to back it up - although, if he were to ever brag about something, one could bet he'd back it up. Fear was not a word in his repertoire, and he had not a cowardly bone in his body. When she began to grin at his question of what she did as a rogue, he perked with interest. She was not a boring lady, so he was sure she had something in store to meet his question with. She stood and stretched as she spoke, eyeing him as her back arched and her tail curved high over her back. She made further hints about her interests, her silver eyes expressive. He took several steps in her direction again, his muscular shoulders rippling as enthusiasm began to overtake him, completely replacing his formerly sullen mood - sure, he'd lost his home, but that didn't mean that everything was over. "Well, I'll have you know, I might just be your man," he rumbled, standing close to her as his silver eyes roamed over her fiery red coat again, "I may not have a home right now... but that's going to change soon. It won't be long before I'm a man in power, with my own territory claimed." Luckily, he'd had some good input from friends before now, particularly the mottled gray gypsy, whose opinion had inspired him the most. But now, hearing that a stranger might consider joining a pack under just the right circumstances, he was feeling ready to take on that challenge more than ever. It would be a big role to fill, but he'd yearned for this kind of power for most of his life, and now was the best time to take his chance. "So, what do you say you give me a chance?" he coaxed her, taking another small step toward her as he closed in on her personal space, "If I don't meet your standards, you can dump me, no strings attached. But I don't think I'll fail to impress." He smirked, winking a silver, blue-flecked eye at her as his tail waved high. He liked her spunky attitude, and so far she was brutally honest and seemed fun-loving as well. Yet at the same time, although clearly independent, perhaps rather dominant in nature, it sounded like she'd be orderly under the right leadership, and he knew he could fulfill that. He didn't intend to tame her, but he could certainly guide her fiery spirit into something that would suit her well. "Talk" "You" Think