Making his rounds by the northern territories of Ardent, Xephyris found himself at this peculiar lake. It was a place he had visited before, though he only remembered it when he spotted the strange ice structures jutting from the lake's surface. It was definitely unique, and once you'd seen it, there was no forgetting it. And as he recalled its most unique feature of all, he was glad that the sun was setting. The gray-coated male made his way down to the frozen surface of the lake, testing it with his paw - with the unrelenting sun and heat of this summer, he wasn't sure if the water would remain completely frozen. However, this far north, it seemed that the cold resisted summer's scorching grasp. As he pressed his weight onto the edge of the ice, a fantastic blue glow spread from the site of his paw step - it looked like the galaxy was at his toes. Normally he wasn't too interested in his surroundings unless they provided him with some sort of benefit, but he'd internally admit that this place was awe-inspiring simply for its cosmetic appeal. As he slowly made his way onto the ice, each step glowing strangely, the setting sun's rays filtered over the icy pillars. Xephyris weaved his way through the arches, taking this time to simply breathe the refreshing air and amuse himself before he found somewhere to settle for the night. He didn't expect to see anyone here in the frozen cold when there were nicer places to be found to enjoy a summer's evening, but he still kept alert for the approach of anyone unanticipated. "Talk" "You" Think

Kreft’s wanderings about his old stomping grounds had brought him to a frozen lake with ice pillars and arches. His eyes wandered to look at them in wonder, he had never been to this area before even though he had lived in the north for a good period of time. The only things that he had seen before that matched this in beauty was a crystallized area under the big wreck in the north that was the meeting place of his old pack as well as the lines of gold in a chasm full of marble where he had liked to do his thinking. As he looked out to the ice he almost seemed to recognize a wolf that was walking atop of it. He didn’t remember the name of the wolf but he had sworn that he had seen that face before. He would look at the other wolf in thought, who were they? "talk" "you"think

Continuing his wanderings, glancing down at his paws occasionally to observe the bio luminescent glow of the strange lake and the microscopic creatures dwelling within it, it did take him a few moments to notice the stranger in the dusky atmosphere. However, he knew he had spotted someone, their form just visible on the edge of the lake, looking out his way. Perhaps the wolf had noticed him as well. Curious about anyone he might come across for the time being, he set his course for the lone wolf, his claws etching the ice for a grip on the slippery surface. As he approached the man, some of the features became familiar, and it dawned on him that he knew this wolf from somewhere. Silver, blue-flecked eyes narrowed. But from where did he know this man? Keeping the question floating close at the front of his mind, he dipped his head in greeting when he was within 20 ft. of the wolf. "Good evening," he rumbled, halting in place with his paws still on the lake's surface, the peculiar blue glow lighting up beneath him, "This lake is something else, isn't it?" As he began with pointless small talk, his eyes were searching over the man's face, noticing the lavender eyes and rusty brown coat. Who was this guy? Why did he seem so familiar? Xeph wondered if the man before him was thinking the same thing, or if it was just in his head. "The name's Xephyris," he offered, wondering if that would do anything to boost the other wolf's memory, if there was anything to be remembered, "And you are?" He wanted a name, curiosity irritating him now. "Talk" "You" Think

The wolf that he had spotted atop the lake of ice had started walking towards him, as they came closer their details became more clearer. They were a simple gray wolf with silvery blue eyes, it was uncommon in these lands to see a wolf of those colors. Outside of these lands it would have been considered normal to have a pelt like that, it seemed that there was a lot of wolves in these lands with strange pelts including himself. The male that had approached him began to speak, at first he merely commented on the time of day and the appearance of the ice lake. He eventually would say his name, Xephyris. Kreft couldn’t say if he had or hadn’t heard that name before, but it certainly didn’t ring any major bells or alarms so he assumed that was a good thing. The male would then ask for his own name, tentatively and cautiously he would begin to say “Kreft…who are you, how do I know you?” The second part he would say almost as if he was inspecting the other wolf to see if there was anything else that he could recognize about the wolf. "talk" "you"think

As he approached the rusty-coated male, it became clear to Xephyris that the brute was examining him quite closely, his eyes scanning for something. His own eyes would scan as well, waiting for the male to offer his own name in return. Then it came to him - "Kreft." Xephyris would recognize this name; although he was not as keen on remembering faces, names he could rarely forget, and thus it was easy to put that name to a face. He had shared a pack with this man, for however short a time. It was enough to remember the brute by. After all, Kreft had been the highest ranking fighter of Sonticus at the time, under Arian's rule. A slight smirk began to reach his face, tail swishing just once as memories flooded over him. He could remember moments of tension with Kreft, and Xephyris had certainly felt a great deal of competition, as he'd always aimed to be a high-ranking fighter himself. Nevertheless, that wouldn't cause him to feel hostile now. Years had passed since that time. Instead of hostility, Xeph merely chuckled in a low tone. "Now I can recall," he began with slight amusement in his tone, "You were a fighter in Arian's pack, and I wanted your rank. We lived in Sonticus together." It amused him greatly that this was the case. He hadn't expected to see anyone familiar here at this strange lake, the ice glowing under paw with each step. Perhaps with the plans Xephyris had in mind, it would be best to snag whatever willing and able-bodied warriors he could, so he would see where this interaction led him, and perhaps reach out with an invitation to the home he intended to establish. "Talk" "You" Think

The other man named Xephyris seemed to remember where they had known each other from, they had lived in the same pack during what felt like ages ago. Kreft did remember that he had held the position of a higher ranking fighter within Sonticus, but he had no clue back then that anybody envied his position after all why would anybody want to be the head fighter it was very taxing to try and deal with that many wolves at one time. “So that’s where I remember you from, Sonticus. Seems a bit peculiar why you had wanted my position. It’s not a very welcome one for those such as I.” "talk" "you"think

A low, amused chuckle slipped from Xephyris as the man looked a little perplexed, stating that the position he'd held had not actually been very welcome to him. So, he hadn't quite enjoyed the responsbility, it seemed. "I'm quite the opposite," he said in reply when the man had finished speaking, "I'm drawn to that sort of power... holding rank above others. I crave responsibility and the control that comes with it." A sort of wicked grin spread upon his maw. Well, perhaps he should tell Kreft about his plans, after all, it would fall in line with what they were talking about, in a way. "Actually, I've been working to create a pack of my own," he told the other brute, glancing to lilac eyes for a moment, "After all, that will give me the highest form of power and responsibility. If you're ever in need of a home or a purpose, I can offer that to you - unless you have other plans in life." He lifted a brow slightly, his tail swishing back and forth thoughtfully. He needed all the followers he could get, and it would be nice to have other males around the break up the following of females he'd acquired. "Talk" "You" Think