He hadn't expected Myriad to fall so soon. He was sure it was going to last, despite Riv's young age; he had believed in the young man, and even in Zephyra, although he had been at odds with her for some time. But now everything had fallen apart, and their pack disbanded. However, upon returning to familiar lands, it was obvious that Riv's challenger had not come to claim the lands - she must have chosen different territory. Well, that was good, he supposed. Tired of being displaced, Xephyris had plans of his own, and he was determined to build up a home that would not fall. He might actually find some of wolves remaining from the fallen Myriad. Perhaps... perhaps he could convince them to join him. That was, if they hadn't turned around and joined Peregrine. There were some faded scents, but others, although solitary, were still fresh. The most unique scent he caught was a mixed one - of herbs, a foreign specie and a wolf. He knew it was Armai and her feline companion. She must still be here in her healer's den. Surely she didn't want to leave behind her things, after all the effort she put into gathering them. Following the scent, his paws carried him through cool streams, the willow tendrils brushing over his ears and back, until her found where her tracks led to. There it was, her den, the very one he'd brought Jaelle to in the rainy season. "Armai?" he called out, his voice low, "It's me, Xephyris." Then he paused, ears perking forward as he awaited a reply. He was certain she was in there, but he would wait patiently, hoping to hear her voice, hoping she was okay after Myriad's fall. "Talk" "You" Think

To be honest the girl didn't quite know what to do with herself. She was thankful that she was given something to do - treating Riv's wounds kept her from thinking too much. It wasn't until she'd reapplied his dressings and given him something for the pain that the silence would come back and she was left to her own mind. They were dark and forlorn thoughts and once again the silver healer was left wondering what she was to do with herself. With Rivaxorus and Myriad she'd had a home, a talent she could pursue, and even friends who she considered family. Everything had crumbled lately and she could no longer see what was in store for herself. So she sulked in her den with only Nox for company. The cat rarely left her side and didn't say much lately which wasn't too odd for her feline companion. Nox wasn't a cat of many words, but even the fire had left her tongue lately and she'd left Armai to brood in silence. There wasn't much the leopard could say so rather than make it worse her tongue would remain dormant. Armai was content with this factor and didn't try to strike up a conversation. Occasionally her mind would wander to her old pack mates. She had no doubt Jackson would be around somewhere. Her mind would flit to Zephyra and she wondered how the woman was doing and what would become of her and Riv? Would they work out or was that marriage doomed from the start just as Myriad seemed to have been? What of Ren, Nixie, and Kaitlyn? She hadn't smelled hide nor tail of Ren and she was thankful for that. She was just about ready to tear into his hide just as she'd been ready to tear into Nixie's. She hadn't expected them to stay, but even two out of the three siblings finally seemed to have gotten the point at the end of the fighting when Riv had lost. They were out of a home as well. What of Lourdes, Xephyris, and the others? Had they all fled too? Were she and Rivaxorus the only two left? It didn't seem so. She heard paws trudging through the shallow waters of the willows long before the wolf came to her den. She'd raise her head from where she lay in her den and ears would prick forward. It would be Xephyris' scent that greeted her and before long his voice carried though her den. She thought to the brief fight where he'd cheered her on and she smiled at the thought. She rather liked the man. He had honor and was loyal. She wasn't surprised to see that he was still lingering about, but what brought him here? "You can come in." She'd say with a brief pause. "What brings you here?" Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He didn't have to wait long as Armai's voice carried out into the open promptly, almost as though she had expected him. It amazed him how her other senses compensated for her lack of vision. She must have heard him coming before he'd found the entrance to her den. When she invited him in, he paused for just a moment, then slunk into the den, his tail brushing behind his hocks. He'd forgotten how roomy this den was - even with Armai and her feline companion, there was still plenty of room for Xephyris to make himself comfortable. He cast around his silver eyes, taking in the dim surroundings as he familiarized himself with the den. He hadn't been inside in quite some time. He turned to face Armai when her voice reached his ears, asking him what brought him here. He blinked, feeling a little unprepared for the question. Did he have to admit with words, rather than actions, that he cared about his ex-pack mates? He preferred to keep quiet on such issues, but since she had asked... he couldn't just stay quiet and gruff. "I needed to come back and check on you, well, everyone really," he said honestly, seating himself a few feet away from Armai as he briefly eyed her spotted companion - he still wasn't sure how he felt about the feline, even though the healer fully trusted Nox, "I wanted to make sure there were no enemies prowling around." And that could be any number of strangers - Riv's challenger had had many supporters, and any one of them could have wished them ill. In the meantime, Enigma and his brother were on the prowl, which put Xeph on edge more than anything. He didn't fear them himself, but he knew they would take advantage of wolves that couldn't defend themselves. "I haven't seen Riv yet; is he alright?" he'd asked, his tone edged with a certain urgency. Surely he would have returned to familiar lands with the wolves who had accompanied him after the challenge. His ears twitched backward momentarily - he should have been there for the young man as well. But Soleil's appeal had lured him away, and he'd left convincing himself that everything would be fine, and the wolves that had gone to Riv would take care of him. He should have been there, nonetheless. Breathing deeply, he forced that regret to the back of his mind, waiting to hear Armai's response. "Talk" "You" Think

She listened as he stalked inside the den. Ears would flick in his direction to keep tabs on his location. She hated the idea of pointing the wrong direction when talking to someone so she aimed to keep her pride intact for today. She seemed to make himself comfortable and it felt like the silence dragged on forever. In reality he hadn't taken that long to reply to her. She was amazed by the loyalty and devotion he still showed to everyone. Even despite them not being a pack anymore she was glad she wasn't the only one who was concerned with the well being of Riv and the others. She knew he wouldn't be off with the woman who had defeated Riv, but she honestly hadn't expected him to stay either. "Nox would tell me if anyone with ill intent still lingered." She'd say with a smile. An ear would flick to her companion and Nox let out a soft rumble in response. Her companion was quiet most times, preferring not to speak, and worked better as her eyes anyways. They had a silent understanding of each other. Truth be told she had worried that any of the woman's followers would come back. She'd told them to vacate their lands, but considering she hadn't claimed them she had no hold or power over these lands. She could come back and try and force them but she'd just come back like a weed. She was more worried about any predators that would soon come back once the scent of a pack disappeared. She had faith in herself to be able to hold off or escape from a wolf, but anything bigger and she'd be screwed. She couldn't bring herself to abandon Riv either and he was in a sorry state. He wouldn't be able to do much with his wounds bothering him or reopening so she'd instructed him to rest. If he couldn't protect himself right now it was left to the wolves left. "He doesn't seem so well, Xeph. His wounds pain him and I'm sure his pride hurts him the most. He seems so depressed." She'd murmur. She worried for Riv and there was only so much she could do to make him feel better. "Between the issues he's been having with Zephyra and her family and then losing his pack ... well I can't say he's handling it very well." Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He noticed the way that she faced him with eerie accuracy, but he supposed it made sense - she'd had her entire life to practice this, to make due with the senses she had. As she made a comment about Nox, he turned to the snow leopard as it let out a low rumble, as though to agree with Armai's statement. He chuckled lowly, nodding to the feline - he was glad that the blind healer had such a companion. What a useful relationship to have with a different species. He'd never seen the purpose or the value in befriending foreign animals before, but interest sparked in him as he quickly examined Nox before looking back to Armai. Perhaps he would benefit from a companion such as that. But where would he find one? And of what species? Pushing that thought to the back of his mind for later, he perked attentively to his ex-pack mate. A low hum sounded in his throat as she spoke of Riv. He was definitely having a hard time, and he had lost a lot. Certainly a wolf of his age did not have the coping mechanisms to deal with the stress appropriately. Even a more mature wolf would struggle with such loss. The man's wife was likely to sever the bond, his pack had been disbanded by force, and he'd been humiliated in front of a large crowd. Xephyris grimaced at the thought. He would definitely need to check in on Riv, make sure he was alright, as much as he could be. He needed to make a recovery and get back on his paws. "I'll have to go see him," he murmured, a light sigh escaping him, "Perhaps I can... I don't know. I'll just talk to him, make sure he eats and keeps up his strength." He'd have to improvise when the time came, because he didn't know just how bad Riv's emotional state was. He'd try to talk some sense to the man, but there might be nothing right now to convince the ex-Alpha that things would be okay. Tail flipping from one side to the other, he tilted his head as he regarded Armai. "So, what about you?" he began to ask, "When Riv is well again... what will you do?" He wondered where she would go, if she didn't decide to stay here. Did she have family anywhere? Had she been in touch with anyone else? If he could get a good idea of what her plans were, if anything, perhaps he could convince her to join him, as long as all the loose ends around here were tied up. He wasn't sure who else would follow him, but he would have to seek out every potential candidate individually to assess their interest. For now, he waited to hear what Armai would say, ears flicking with interest. "Talk" "You" Think

She would nod softly as Xeph mentioned going to check on Riv. She could only imagine that seeing some old faces might help lift up his dampened mood. Even if it was only by a little bit she believed it would be good for the ex-alpha to see that his old pack mates still cared for him and wanted him to be happy and healthy. If Xephyris was able to help out with him eating that was a plus. She and Nox barely scraped by on their own and more often than not, if Nox couldn't catch anything, she resulted to eating plants. She couldn't care for herself and keep Riv fed too. Her nose didn't have the same accuracy when it came to avoid running into trees so chasing prey was really a no-go for her. "I'm sure it'd be great if you did. He needs to see we still care about him and I'm sure he's lonely." She was surprised when he asked about her. She hadn't thought past anything other than treating Riv until he was better. She supposed she could always go try to find her brother, but past that she didn't have any good ideas. She hadn't seen Calder in forever and she had no desire to find the rest of her family. In their eyes she was a mistake and a disappointment and she didn't care of Lel or her older siblings at all. She really had no idea what she was going to do with herself other than survive. "I haven't really thought about it to be honest. What about you?" Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

Xephyris nodded to her words, realizing that it would mean a lot to Riv to have his former pack mates show their loyalty, even after the pack had been disbanded. It would surely lift his spirits to know that many of his followers were there him, not just lending themselves haphazardly to a cause as a means for passing the time. It solidified his resolve to go see the injured man after this. As the topic changed to Armai's future, Xephyris perked with greater interest. So, it seemed that Armai was unsure of her future, that was, after she had finished her duties and Riv's wounds had healed. She wouldn't be busy with that for very much longer; despite the severity of the young man's wounds, they would heal like any others, and he'd soon be able to care for himself again. "Well, if you're not sure, then I have an offer for you," he said, watching her and glancing to Nox briefly before keeping his eyes on the healer, "I'm going to create a pack of my own, and I'd like you to join me. I'm going to ask a few of the others from Myriad as well, and I'll be looking for other strong wolves to join. You're a great healer, and I'd love to have you on my side - it'll be safe, and everyone under me will be well cared for." What would she think of that? He supposed she might need to think about it for a bit, but he hoped that she would decide to join him eventually. She was both talented and spunky, and he liked that about her. So, watching her curiously, he waited to hear what she would say. "Talk" "You" Think

Armai had to admit she was now a bit worried of what she was going to do once Riv was all healed. She couldn't stick with the male for the rest of her life. He had his own life to live and if he patched things up with Zephyra that would just be more than awkward for her. She doubted Riv was going to re-create the pack, she couldn't blame him, and with Calder who knows where she was probably going to be on her own for a while. Some of the others in the pack had already scattered to the wind so Xephyris had brought up a really valid question. What was she going to do? Ears pricked up when he mentioned he had an offer for her. She'd flick an ear towards Nox and the cat was now peering curiously at Xephyris to see what he had to say. Armai was a bit surprised when he said he was going to create his own pack. Riv had mentioned promoting him to Beta before the challenge, but she hadn't exactly gotten to be there to see how he did with leadership. He seemed to be a knowledgeable male though and she found herself shifting on her paws when he mentioned she was a great healer. She smiled softly and nodded as she thought it over for a minute. A new pack would be good, right? She could picture him taking to leadership quite well and it'd give her a new home. "Yeah I think I'd like that Xeph." She'd flick an ear to Nox as the cat spoke in her rumbling tone. "If it's what you want Armai I don't mind." She replied and Armai grinned in her direction. She knew Nox wasn't fond of groups of wolves, but she was glad the cat didn't mind sticking around. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

Xephyris watched the female as she shifted somewhat uncomfortably. He hadn't meant to put any pressure on her, although he was indeed eager to hear her reply. When she finally spoke, he grinned, feeling a small victory. So, she like the sound of a new pack; he was glad to hear that, and he would be glad to have her along. He tilted his head toward the snow leopard, his tail brushing against the den floor as the big cat also agreed. "Great!" he said, rising to all four paws, "I'll be working hard for the next season to find all the right followers, and to claim a territory. I'll be checking in soon. For now, I better go see Riv. Is there anything you need before I go?" He was sure Armai had all the help she needed with Nox, but he wasn't in such a hurry that he couldn't lend her a paw with something if she needed it. Riv wouldn't be leaving his den anytime soon, so it wasn't like he needed to rush just yet. "Talk" "You" Think

Xephyris seemed quite excited by her willingness to join if his tail was anything to judge by. She smiled softly at him as he spoke and she nodded. It was a nice thought to know he'd be checking in. She'd eagerly await to see how many more would be interested. Would Riv be? Riv's family maybe, any from their old pack? She supposed she'd have to see. In the mean time He mentioned going to go see Riv which pleased her. Hopefully Riv would enjoy the visit. "No I don't need anything, but thank you." She kept an ear out to see if he was leaving. She didn't have much planned for the day, but herb collecting was always a good way to start. Walk, "Talk" Think "Nox"

He couldn't help but beam in return as she smiled, although he knew she couldn't see his expression. Surely, she must have figured out ways of feeling the vibes that others gave off. Feeling pleased, realizing he must have made a good enough impression to have her agree, he wondered if any of the other wolves he knew would be interested. He hoped so. If he could provide them all a home after having it ripped away from them, he would feel accomplished. When she said she didn't need anything, he replied, "Very well, I'll be on my way for now, then. Take care, Armai. And Nox." He turned and nodded to the snow leopard. He wasn't used to interacting with other species, but he wasn't going to be rude. He then turned, and padded toward the den's entrance, slipping through the opening and taking off through the willows, his paws splashing through the clear streams as he set to work seeking out Riv's scent. And in the meantime, he'd be keeping an eye out for prey, so he could bring something to help the young man keep up his strength. -end thread- "Talk" "You" Think