Peregrine regretted choosing to make the journey from her lands back to the plains where she'd met the red man, but she supposed she didn't have a choice anymore. It was put up or shut up, and if she wanted to kick this continent into motion then she'd have to work at it, dammit! Still, the heat was crushing and she didn't get very far very fast. By the time she'd arrived at the edge of the plains she was worn out, but excited too. It would be her first venture as an alpha to call on another pack, how weird was that? She tipped back her muzzle and let loose a quick howl to announce her presence. She was excited to me the red man again, having enjoyed her last encounter with him much more than she had initially expected. She was interested to see how their second impressions would go. His land was beautiful, in it's own way. She preferred stark cliff faces and pines, gushing water and rolling hills and groves of oak and maple. It was simply how she'd been born, and the area she tended to seek out. The Rio was a place of rapids and collapsed river beds, and the forest which it supported was lush and cool, even this far into the season. Well, at least it felt that way compared to the unobstructed heat here. Really how did that do it? She continued to muse, lost in her own thoughts while she waited for Regulus to appear. "Talk" "You" Think "Tsiry"

-::-

Things were both slightly improving, and looking grim. His mother wasn’t getting any better. If anything, she was getting worse. However, there were a few brighter lights. They had seen a small influx of new members; Jorrvaskr, for one. Activity was seeing the slightest increase. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He’d had yet to check his Cousin Riv’s pack to see if he’d won the challenge. But he was about to find out the winner in three, two, one… A howl, short and sweet called out for him, and he recognized it as the same voice that had called the challenge. Well, that was his answer, wasn’t it? So he sighed and turned to respond, lengthening his stride to a floating, ground covering trot, head and tail held at his usual casual angle. It wasn’t long before his fathomless sapphire eyes fell upon a familiar female form on the border. Peregrine, wasn’t it? Well, he could certainly call her gutsy. Though ambitious hadn’t been an impression he’d gotten from the female. More sassy, witty, and dancing on the edge of the line between rude and polite. She’d actually been quite fun to deal with, and the smile that came to his features was genuine. It was unfortunate that she’d chosen to challenge for his cousin’s pack, but he had little doubt that Rivaxorus would bounce back stronger than ever. He was an Adravendi, even if it weren’t by blood. “Peregrine. How are you today?” She still bore her marks of battle from the fight, and he figured it must have been a nasty scrap for the pack. His haunches lowered easily to the ground, though he sat straight and tall, tail flicking to cover his paws as he surveyed the smaller wolf, head cocked. “Congratulations on your victory.” He’d have to check on Riv and his family; hadn’t he gotten married recently? Did that mean pups? And exciting thought for a wolf who adored children.

Solveiga was slowly recovering from the death of her mother, but it was hard, especially since she still hadn't seen any sign of her brother. He had been there. He had been there for their mother in her final days, and she couldn't help feeling a little bitter about that. But even worse was the fact that he still hadn't gone looking for his sister to tell her the news. She'd had to find out on her own, and grieve on her own. Well, mostly on her own. Regulus had been there for her, and for that she was deeply grateful. It warmed her heart to know that she had someone to depend on now that her family was all but gone. Solveiga knew that she probably had every right to spend a few days mourning alone in her den, but instead she buried herself even more thoroughly in her study of healing. It was still the prime season for herbs, after all, and going herb hunting always provided her with a welcome distraction. In fact, that was exactly what she was doing today, nosing her way through the plains when suddenly a call went up at the border. Regulus went trotting by a moment later, and the sand colored woman ducked shyly under the tall grasses and watched him pass. She would have simply gone back to her herb hunting, but something seemed different. It was the call. The voice seemed oddly familiar, and as much as she tried to push it away the curiosity nagged and soon she was trotting in the direction Regulus had gone. Moments later she reached the border, seeing Regulus already sitting and talking to the one who had called for him. She didn't want to interrupt, she just wanted to see... She got close enough to see around the crimson man and immediately her eyes widened. Was that Peregrine? Her tail swayed involuntarily as she approached the two, letting out a gentle yip so she wouldn't startle the alpha by sneaking up behind him like this. "Peregrine? Is that you?" she asked with a bit of a smile. Honestly, it was probably one of her first smiles since her mother had died, and it was nice. She looked up at Regulus, her eyes a bit brighter than they had been these past few days. "We met once, in a cave," she added with a giggle.