The boy crouched below the grass level as he watched the small rabbit moved in it. He had been in Valhalla for only a few days and he was trying to get used to the lay of the land. Natsu, after exploring for some time, has decided to try and catch something. He was only used to the fish up in the north in the cold waters. He wasn't very crafty when it came to rabbits in the high grass. He licked his chops feeling the chill down his spine as the rabbit made an advance and he hopped forward. Muscles moving at his shoulders as the small male tried to catch the rabbit. Tripping on strands of grass as he whined a little bit. Trying to gain his speed on the running rabbit he pulled himself forward and latched his teeth on the animal finally being able to snap it's neck quickly. Panting he rolled off into a place where the grass was lower. Relaxing and watching his scrawny rabbit.

"I guess I should work on my footing." He laughed to himself. Natsu thought for a moment, here in Valhalla did they catch prey for themselves or share it. He wasn't entirely sure as he tilted his head. "I just wanted to test out hunting, but I'm not hungry. Ohhhh." Natsu whined and placed his paws on his nose. He knew how his mom would get when they wasted food when he and his brother were younger. Considering the beliefs that his family had. He also felt it very disrespectful since it was winter and food was scarce as it was. He sat there staring at it with his paws on his nose for what seemed like forever. Until he scented someone, "Hello?" he called.

Waiting. It was all Epiphron Adravendi seemed to do these days. Minutes turned into hours, which slowly, painstakingly, faded into days. Her wedding was growing startling near, and she wondered how the event would go. She had become accustomed to acting as Valhalla's Alpha, but was slowly retreating and letting Chrysanthe take the reigns. What an incredible leader her sister would grow to be. With time, and practice. And what about herself? Soon she would find herself with a whole new slew of duties, of responsibilities and privileges alike. In an instant, she would grow suddenly above most of the wolves of Seracia. She could only hope they would accept her as one of them, and not rebel against her, or try to overthrow her. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if either of these things were possible, or even if she should expect them. So far, she had only met Maverick, Gerhardt, and Valkis -- and Maverick's brother had not exactly made a good impression on the woman. Slowly she wandered, mind bustling with activity. The thoughts came quickly, though dissipated nearly as soon as they arrived. As the wedding date drew nearer, she grew more confused and distraught, so unlike her usual self. So often she retreated, wandering through the areas of Valhalla's lands that were less traveled. Little did Epiphron know, but she was experiencing her heat for the first time -- making her crave Maverick even more, and grow irritated at the short span of time that separated them from one another. The scent of blood lingered in the air as the ivory-pelted woman wandered across the plains. Not a lot, but it was enough to draw her attention. Epiphron's pace increased, wanting to make sure it wasn't an injured or otherwise unwell member. Before long, Valhalla's newest member, Natsu, came into view. Her pace slowed to a casual walk as she slid forward, greeting him with a gentle dip of her muzzle towards her paws. "Good afternoon, Natsu," she said kindly, tail flicking behind her, clearly pleased to see him again. Epiphron glanced down, gazing at the rabbit at his paws. "Hopefully I have not interrupted your lunch."

The male looked up finally and removed his paws from his face. Yet again, he was dazzled by the girls fur color. He didn't see much of white where he lived, his mom had told him his grandmother had been a pure white color despite her pelt. Which was why Natsu's pelt was so light. While his brothers had the darker color from their dad. Though something seemed unsettled about her. It brought a sudden frown to his jaws, but then he got an idea, picking up the rabbit and getting up to his paws he set it in front of her. The male smiled widely showing his canines as he wagged his tail back and forth. "You look like you need the lunch more than I do." He laughed a little in a cheery tone. He wasn't so sure about other wolves, but problems were better dealt with when you shared it with another.

"Is something bothering you miss?" Natsu asked and tilted his head. He was worried, one because this was his alphess, two because she had been so kind to him when she accepted him. She was already a friend and family member in his eyes. After all, he blindly tended to follow his heart. He was kind, but, if anyone ever saw him mad, that would be another story. Natsu wasn't all cuddly when he was mad, but he wasn't easily angered unless you were hurting his friends. "You don't have to tell me but, I figured it'd be nice to have someone to talk to if you need it." He smiled before sitting himself down.

Natsu seemed taken aback by her sudden appearance, but not at all disturbed by it. Simply surprised. She kept a respectable distance, not sure whether he wanted her company or not -- he was silent for a long moment, and she was half-tempted to turn and leave him -- but she stood again. Her hormones were truly beginning to make her feel off; but she didn't know it, and simply accepted that she was feeling anxious about the marriage. About going to live in Seracia, and leaving her family behind. "Hopefully you're not implying anything," she said with a laugh, as though Natsu had been implying she was too thin. She was a slender woman, but not at all starved. But she was surprisingly hungry at the sight of the carcass, and she welcomed the kind gesture gladly, bowing her muzzle in thanks. Though she would accept the gift gladly, she would not eat it all. Even if she was hungry, she wouldn't feel right taking all of his kill. "Thank you, Natsu." He then questioned her, asking what was bothering her. Was it really so obvious? She shook her head, feeling suddenly quite flustered. Not at all as composed as she'd been when she had first met Natsu. "Oh, you don't want to hear my problems," Epiphron said with a gentle smile. And yet he insisted. She lowered herself to the ground then, belly to the earth, briefly eying the fresh rabbit. "I suppose I have a lot on my mind lately. I am to be married in a few weeks, to the Prince of Seracia, in exchange for an alliance between our two packs." That certainly was a good place to begin, was it not?

To the Prince of Seracia, Natsu's ears perked at the new information. So that was what was bothering her. The boy was a bit oblivious to the whole pheromones thing, since he wasn't very bright in that aspect. After all he just didn't feel that way about a lot of females in the first place so he had never noticed it. Little he knew this was his second encounter first hand with a female in heat, since he had seen his mom go through it when she was changing her emotions all over the place. His blue eyes flickered when he thought about his heritage. And their connection with kingdoms. Since he had passed by the kingdom's territory on the way to Valhalla, and he had already heard plenty about it. Natsu gave a kind smile to her. "Seems like I picked the most convenient time to find Valhalla didn't I." He joked with a flick of his tail. Well he would do his best to make her feel at ease. Sometimes all you needed was to talk to someone. Natsu looked at the afternoon winter sky then back at the alphess.

"So you're worried about leaving your family, or about the guy your going with? " Natsu asked a bit softer. "From what I've heard Seracia is a kingdom right, are you also worried about how they live?" Natsu suddenly realized he felt like he was being pushy. He took a small bite of the rabbit to calm his nerves. Looking innocently at her, before giving out a small sigh. "But if it's for an alliance that means you'll still be able to see your friends and family from here doesn't it. I mean it may be far away when it feels like it, with all your duties. But you have to remember we hunt, live, and breath under the same sky." He noted. Just reciting the things and morals he had developed after leaving home with his brother.

"A good time indeed," she responded with a smile. "Actually, I'd prefer you joined now, rather than earlier." Valhalla had not exactly been stable. But now? Things were looking bright for the pack. An alliance between two of the largest packs that Epiphron knew of, which she would ensure was steady and unbreakable. "Actually, our wedding will be held in our lands, in the coming weeks." Tail wagged behind her, signifying her obvious pleasure at coming event. "Everyone is invited, and I hope you will choose to show your face as well." Her own eyes wandered for a moment, sweeping over the vast snow drifts that surrounded them. Eventually her blue gaze settled on Natsu. "I'm not worried, persay," she began, leaning forward to snag a bite of the rabbit. Was it strange to be sharing a meal so freely with someone she barely knew? She wasn't sure, but they were pack mates; so it didn't seem terribly abnormal. Quietly she chewed a piece of the flesh, gulping it down. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was. "I've just never known anything but Valhalla. I am thrilled about being with Maverick officially, but I know little about their lifestyle." She shrugged a bit, briefly watching her paws, which had been stained ever so faintly with crimson blood from the rabbit. "Seracia is a Kingdom, but truthfully, I don't know what that entails." She really did not know much about the pack. Her sister probably knew more, having met Maverick. Her own meetings with the Seracian Prince had never been too focused on specifics of Seracia's lifestyle, since it had never been something they'd had any reason to go into depths about. "I'll be able to come to Valhalla as I wish, but it's a good day's journey. And I will be the Princess of Seracia -- perhaps even the Queen some day. But what my duties will be, and what my life will be like, will be a surprise, I suppose." It felt nice to have someone to talk to, someone who hadn't known her for her entire life, and yet he still cared enough to listen.

Natsu thought for a few moment, sorry for the silence a little but he was thinking. Oddly enough he had never thought what he would have done if he had been in his grandmothers position. Let alone his mothers at the time their kingdom was still alive. He wondered what it was like to have their entire family wiped out in one night. It just went to show that wolves were not as strong as they thought, not when it was someone you trusted doing it. The story of his heritage's destruction was nothing short of a horrific slaughter of maybe fourty such wolves who gave their lives to serve the king and queen as well as the families they entailed. In all truth, Kingdoms made him unsettled, he constantly had nightmares that he would have to become king and rebuild the kingdom since his mother told him that could be possible one day as their blood was still pure for the prince of that bloodline. Since his mom was the daughter of two siblings. Yet, he was happy wagging his tail a bit when he knew from the tone of the alphess' voice that she was in love with this man. That was a great thing. This wasn't his problem so his thoughts were pushed out as he tried to shove his unsettled feeling down his throat.

"My mom taught me and brother to live like kingdom wolves for some time. If it weren't for my brother having the habit of running off into rogue groups. It's a lot different from Pack life, but each kingdom is different. I'm sure Maverick will be happy to help you adjust whenever you need it." His blue eyes flickered. He still wasn't hungry, but he was happy he had been able to give the kill to someone else. "I'll certainly be at the wedding, why wouldn't I, you're my friend and I wouldn't miss it for the world." Though he was still unsettled about those stories he had heard and embedded in the back of his mind. Could he really be considered a lost prince like his mother labelled he and his brother. No he was now a pack mate of Valhalla, and would find his own way, but his heritage affected his brother even more so. Because his brother had an odd following factor that was why Natsu was slightly afraid since his sibling went off to join Tortuga. "I wish I was brave enough to handle family affairs like this." He whispered a little bit looking at the grass.

The silence was not at all unwelcome. Instead, it was comforting, and Epiphron gnawed gently on the rabbit carcass. Perhaps another wolf would've asked more about Natsu's history, but she'd never been a wolf like that -- she was more of a talker. And it seemed Natsu was a great listener. Perhaps it was a flaw, but she'd learned to live with the few deficits she knew she had. But often her arrogance was easily overlooked, for at the core Epiphron was truly a good wolf, and the kindness in her voice was often genuine. Especially as she spoke to Seimei, a male that she already was fond of. "He already gave me a tour," she said, her own tail wagging behind her reclined form. Seracia seemed a rather pleasant place to live. She knew it would take quite a bit of adjusting to, but with Maverick it wouldn't prove to be terribly difficult; and if happened to feel homesick, she could come and go to Valhalla as she pleased. She would certainly want to visit her sister often, as well as Erani and her children, who were growing up rather quickly... as well as the rest of her family. He said he would be at the wedding; she grinned, pleased. "Though I don't know you well, Natsu, I'm pleased you call me a friend," she stated, eying him with a smile. "Though it is a shame I'll be leaving so soon, since we've just met. Luckily I can guarantee I'll visit regularly," she wondered how frequent that would be. Weekly? Perhaps that was a bit too often. It was a good day's journey to Seracia; that was almost two days, round-trip. Quite a chunk of time. "It's hard not to be brave with a father like Cairo," she said simply -- almost sheepishly -- as though she didn't feel quite as brave as he seemed to think she was. And truthfully, she would never feel quite as strong as her father always seemed to be. Her unwavering father, the one she had always looked up to.

Natsu giggled a little bit, that was mainly how he dealt with his troubles. He laughed at them and made them go away, unless something happened to make him mad, that, that was a whole other story on its own. He was glad that he had been able to spend this time with Epiphron before she left, though it was sad that she was leaving, it was on a happy note that she would be with the one she loved. Natsu had already made a friend a pup and he hoped to meet many more, like the one other he had met at the borders. And even so he hoped to see if he had family here as well. Upon hearing his idols name his bones tingled with the excitements of the stories he had been told at a young age and carried with him to this day. The stories of sadness, of bravery, and family, most of all the loyalty in a wolves eyes when they were going to fight for another. What fueled Natsu's strength was his friends. "Must be nice to have him as a father. While my families great our stories aren't as magnificent as his, ours are very full of sadness." Natsu smiled looking towards the sky, he did not wish to bother her with his stories of the old kingdom. It was the least he could do after all. He enjoyed listening rather than talking about himself. "I'll be ready to listen to any stories you create in Seracia." Natsu grinned, oh how he wished to tell her a magnificent story. Perhaps she would enjoy one if she didn't mind. As Natsu thought for a moment. On the other hand, he kept silent with a small smile on his face. It was better then nothing to have dreams to look forward too wasn't it. His black tipped tail flicked as he watched her chew on the bones. He listened to the information given to him and stored it in his brain. He was good at remembering every word spoken to him, rather than speaking of such matters. When he gave advice and made others smile it brought joy to his heart. Speech,

Epiphron liked this Natsu this far. He was genuine, and quite the gentleman. It was a vaguely strange thought that she would never go through heartbreak, through the painstaking process of finding a suitable mate -- no, Maverick had appeared with ease, and though the struggle had been difficult for both of them, they had won in the end. Comparatively, she knew she had found love rather easily, and so young, too. She listened to him, wondering. What was his own story like? His family? He spoke of sadness; her story, too, had its moments. The death of her mother, which she remembered only vaguely. "May I ask, Natsu... what kind of sadness?" Despite his admission, he seemed optimistic. It was a trait she possessed herself, never quite feeling the pains of depression. Even when things were at their worst, she was strong. It was a trait Cairo had instilled in her, and one that had flourished brilliantly. She settled her muzzle down on her paws, tail swishing serenely behind her.

Natsu looked at the girl for a moment, did she honestly want to listen. In a sense of things Natsu had felt bad for his mother, but had never wanted to carry on the kingdom name. His mother had this strange idol thing with her sons that he and Dragneel would rebuild it. That was one reason he left, the pain his mother had felt didn't need to be felt again. The same with his grandmother. "My heritage ranks back to a kingdom, my grandmother was forced to mate with her brother while she was in love with another female. Resulting in the birth of my mother and her two siblings. After they were born though they were cast out and raised by loners. From what my mother was told from her adopted parents the entire kingdom was slaughtered in an entire night, because of a males jealousy out of my grandmother. Leaving my grandmother and her half sister the only remaining heirs to the throne, then my grandmother died before the volcano exploded and my great aunt was here in Valhalla as far as I know. My mother had always wanted to rebuild the kingdom somehow, because she felt bad for my grandmother and all the pain. That one male who had slaughtered the kingdom killed my moms two siblings as well. I love my mom but, she was forcing a duty on me and my brother in which just couldn't be fulfilled. I wanted to follow my own path so I came here where my great aunt used to reside. I did run into my cousin whose her daughter. Not sure when she'll get here, but apparently she was born here and well, I'm talking too much." Natsu mused as he gave a sigh and scratched an itch he had behind his ear with his back leg. "It really just got me thinking about how horrible it must have been for my grandmother and her sister to wake up and find everyone their friends and family gone. I'm not sure what my mom felt about it really." Natsu's blue eyes glinted with that thought. How cruel it must have been, and if he had lived in that time, what would have happened to him? Speech,

Never was she the best listener, but for once she as intrigued by this man and his story. She had asked him what he was talking about, what kind of sadness he meant, and he gladly obliged, beginning to speak. It was nothing like her own short history -- no, not at all, and she hardly felt she could relate to the man in that aspect. But she listened nonetheless, curiosity brimming in her sapphire gaze. "I understand where the sadness comes from then, Natsu," she said with a nod, shifting slightly in her reclined position. "But you know, your future doesn't have to be the same as theirs." That much was obvious, but she felt inclined to say it nonetheless. "Here in Valhalla, your future will be bright, I can assure you that much, Natsu."

Natsu looked at the girl, no one had ever told him his future would be bright. Well, he knew himself it'd be bright. He wouldn't lose to sadness or any kind of fate that was thrown into his face. A grin pulled on his face, she had her own story already, the queen who would marry the king obviously. Natsu wanted to be the brave warrior everyone would look to for help. His tail wagged back and forth as he looked at the sky. "I know that my future will be bright. I'll be the wolf that cheers everyone up when they have trouble, and help and protect them. The pups will have a safe home for their lives to grow and to create their own story. I want my name to be in stories years from now. Natsu Tokoto, famous just for being himself." Natsu gladly boasted puffing his chest out like a pup would when talking about being a great ruler. Natsu didn't need a big position, but he would do all he could to protect those he cared for. He turned to Epiphron and nodded his head. "If you're ever too busy, I'll visit you myself, since Seracia are our friends I don't see why they would mind. I'm keen on protecting everyone I can and if they are our allies we should converse when we can." He flicked his ears. Speech,

This man was no pessimist. She liked that, and for a moment she found herself afflicted with a vague sadness as she realized that she would be leaving her new-found friend soon. Her own tail waved behind him as she watched him look towards the sky, the optimistic shining in his very eyes. Both of their futures would be unbelievably bright, and as he spoke -- explaining what he wished for himself, to be a protector and a father and a friend -- she knew he would indeed achieve greatness, even if for his simple loyalty to Valhalla. "We will both be known someday, Natsu," she assured him with a sly grin, leaning over to bump her shoulder against his. That was one thing she was sure of, and longed for -- to be known all throughout the lands, her name respected and said with great humility. Never did she want to be spoken of fearfully or forlornly. "You are more than welcome to visit me there, and I would be happy to have you," she said with a smile. "But even if you do not make it, I will be here often." In her heart, she was a family woman, and that would never leave her even as she started a new family in Seracia. Her Valhallan family, her blood, would always be in her thoughts. "I suppose I should be going now, though, Natsu -- but thank you for keeping me company. I do hope you will visit soon." She gave him a charming smile, lowering her head as though bowing, before turning and going. - exit Epiphron -