Something about sleeping beneath the canopy of the grapevines reminded Elias' of the jungle canopies he'd often camp beneath back in his homelands. It was a quiet afternoon and the rains had just ended, leaving everything in a humid blanket with moisture clinging to every leaf and blade of grass that it could. It was a nostalgic feeling for the jungle wolf, and even after the sun had climbed high into the summer sky, the beast remained nested in the shadow of the vines.

His eyes were closed and, in the case of Elias, that was never a good thing; an awake Elias with closed eyes? It meant he was lost in the depths of his tormented mind, either doing his best to deflect heinous acts foreseen in his mind's eye or to survive through the replays of events in his past. Neither was good for the frailty of his mind, but there he was- suffering and trembling alone in the shadows all soaked from the rain. He'd found joy in hunting so far, and that was alright.. though he still missed her, his mate, and he was torn between finding others to help him forget and remaining true to her. It left him in a very dark gray area, where he was neither loyal to his distractions but rather committed to keeping them as.. just distractions.

He was dreaming, plotting, of a world intermixed with sated cravings of both acceptance and mayhem. A world where he could give in to both inhabitants of his body, the one that wanted to help and be a part of some greater meaning- and the one that wanted to spin chaos as a form of therapy to quiet his dark thoughts. Could he keep his friends? Faite, Aki, or even Reina? Aki came to the foreground when thinking of those three, an almost dreamlike replica standing solid in his daydream complete with rippling muscles and intense wisdom in the gleam of his eyes. Elias suddenly opened his eyes, interrupting the image as he contemplated whether or not Aki would mind his occasional outburst.

"Of course he would, Elias. Don't be stupid," he said to himself, muttering beneath his breath as his 'brow dots furrowed together. Just because they shared a hunt together did not make this man someone he could trust with knowing both sides of him. Only Eliana understood, and even she had not ever seen his wrath for herself. No one could see, but.. oh how he dreamed of someone to force to keep near him again, like he'd done with Katar once he'd finally tracked her down. He whined almost audibly, why did she have to run from him? If she had stayed with him, he never would have had to kill her. She was in heat and vulnerable, she needed his protection and she was out putting herself at risk, he couldn't allow that!

He pulled together closer, curling his tall frame into a ball as best as the savage could while laying at the base of a tree. The canopy was alive with the sound of insects and frogs celebrating after the rain, though even it's loud and insistent ringing became a white noise background for the brooding fiend. He needed to find another.. before that craving took his control from him and found one for itself- his own sister was at risk, and he was not ignorant enough of the capabilities of his dark side to do nothing about it.

The good thing about Elias was that he was easy to track down. Some times it took her a bit longer, but she would surely find him. She'd had enough of satiating her own curiosity of the land. She certainly hadn't meant to leave her sibling as long as she'd done. This new land was strange, foreign, and not as homely as the jungle had been where they used to live. There was no option of going back since Elias had killed Katar. She refused to leave his side - he needed her and she needed him a lot more than she let on half the time. She'd take being with him, keeping him sane, than baby sitting any day of the week. Being with him made her feel whole and she couldn't stand the gaping emptiness she had without him. The sad part about tracking him down was that it seemed he'd done a lot of traveling since she'd slipped off to explore. She hadn't exactly enjoyed the hunt they'd shared between two other wolves, but at least she'd been close to him then. In hindsight she should have followed him around anyways, but it was too late to go back on that decision now. Instead she was trekking halfway across the continent and then some to catch up to him. She was determined. She'd find him and then it'd take the force of a god to remove her from his side again. As she'd traveled south she'd noticed the climate change. The south had been warmer than the north, but winter still swept across the lands and that included snow. As she traveled to this completely new land the snow practically was non existent. It seemed like she'd stepped into a completely different season altogether and that winter had never happened here at all. Where prey was struggling to even eat, here everything was more lively. Animals were plump and well-fed. Plants grew in abundance and overall it was clear this area hadn't suffered. She was near him now. His scent was much thicker now and it was clear he'd stopped here for a little while. There was no underbrush to halt her progress and the grapevines overhead were thick and didn't leave very much sunlight to filter through. She didn't mind the darkness though and instead headed towards where his scent was the thickest. It didn't take her long to find him, wrapped up in a ball, at the base of a large tree. She recognized that look and she frowned slightly. Yes, she'd been gone from him for far too long. She approached rather silently, but let her paws make enough noise to let him know that she was approaching if he hadn't noticed already.

His breathing paused when he heard the first signs of someone near him. As usual, his first question was whether or not it was something his mind had made up or if it was really there. There was a frightening feeling that came with looking at the things his mind teased him with. His ears remained tall peaks of his crown on either side as he paid close attention, whatever it was had stopped moving. Ruby gaze would squint as he waited, his ears paying so close of attention that the sound of the frogs' praise for the rain was getting overbearing. Finally, he heard the steps again and they seemed a bit louder this time- almost purposely so. Such a polite gesture had his mind racing as to who it could be, but Eliana stuck out in his mind.

There was a hopeful look on his face, replacing his usual look of indifference; his crimson eyes remained wide and alert just like his expression as he lifted his head and craned his neck to look for her. When he spotted her, it was almost terrifying to even himself how fast his mood could change. Warmth blossomed across his flesh, starting on the left side of his skull and shooting down his spine; it hit his long limbs with a spark that got him to his feet and sent him bounding over to her, galloping and leaping like a really oversized pup. All worry and doubts had disappeared, it'd been far too long since he'd last seen Eliana and he was utterly ecstatic to be with her once again.

"Lia," he spoke in a low rumble as he slowed himself, having the distance between them in just seconds. It didn't take long for the agile wonder to regain his composure, his limbs straightening out to hold him up tall while his neck outstretched level with his spine as he reached for her with his muzzle. His nose quickly sought it's way into her cheek fur, and from there he pressed down her neck to embrace his sister in a loving nuzzle. He'd missed her, and she would undoubtedly be able to tell that by the hard beat of his heart in his chest while he pressed it against her own and curled the thick of his neck over her shoulder blades and nape.

He gave a long sigh before pulling away, though he couldn't remain there forever. Immediately, his thoughts wanted to catch up with her and check on her well-being. "It's good to see you, I am sorry for leaving so abruptly. I've been restless, I guess you could say. I can't imagine the work it took to find me," he smirked. "How are you? Have you come across any trouble at all, have you ate?"

Her nose wrinkled as her ears took in all the sounds that surrounded her. The amphibians singing their garbled cries as well as other animals that hung around the grapevines. Once you took it all into account it was all rather deafening. She tried to tune it all out since none of it was what she wanted to hear. She was keeping her ears trained for Elias and for any signs of what mood he was in. If she'd interrupted one of his more deranged states of minds - well she didn't fear him, but she certainly knew better than to catch him off guard either. She was cautious, not stupid. She needn't have worried though. Instantly he was on his feet and bounding to her and her face erupted in a toothy smile that portrayed her own happiness to see him. His galloping like and over sized child was heartening and her own mood lifted instantly. Now matter how far she had to travel to track him down, in the end she was always happy to do so. It was worth it to be able to brighten his day as well as her own and she'd missed him far more than words could ever express. She supposed it was a good thing she talked with body language. "Lia," Just saying her name by itself was enough to get her tail waving. She could be herself around him and all reservations about keeping her feelings under lock and key melted away. She leaned into his heartfelt nuzzle and returned one with a cold wet nose to his cheek. In the next moment he was embracing her and she leaned into his chiseled chest as she wrapped her own head around his neck in a tight embrace. She breathed in his familiar scent and a soft sigh visibly went through her chest as all her muscles relaxed. And before she knew it he was stepping away again. The warmth was gone, but she knew they couldn't stand there all day. Crimson eyes sought his own as she searched them for what he was feeling, but his words did it all for her. Her eyes were forgiving - she had been rather restless herself, probably less than him, but all the same she wouldn't hold it against him. So long as they didn't make a habit of her having to travel across continents to find him she'd be happy. She rolled her eyes at the question if she'd eaten or not before flashing him a grin and shaking her head. Of course she hadn't eaten, not since yesterday at least, but at least she'd made the effort this time and hadn't gone a week without food. The trip down had been relatively calm and he'd only have to look at her to see that she was fine. No angry cougars or enraged bears had been involved whatsoever. She couldn't help but glance him over to see if he'd obtained any new scars, but after a quick inspection she didn't see anything either. Overall he seemed to be okay on the outside. She gave him a questioning look - how was he feeling?