Spring was finally starting to sneak into the north but winter wasn't ready to relent. Ashiel paused and gazed at the darkening clouds above him that seemed to swell and drip with what was sure to be another fierce snow storm. Tendrils of the low hanging clouds kissed the mountain tops and veiled others completely. As a chill wind picked up Ashiel started his descent back toward sea level. He had no desire to be caught up on some foreign mountain top when this storm blew in. Cleverly navigating from rocky surface to stony terrain he paused on a patch of brown lichen that had finally been permitted to see the light of day only to likely be buried again in a few minutes. "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... Wandering through the mountains while a dark and cloudy sky glared down at her ominously was far from Echo's idea of a good time. Trying to find her way out of this frozen hellhole was probably out of the question with the sky looking like that anyways so she hoped to at least find somewhere to hole up for a while. Cropped ears slicked back and face contorted into a scowl that could probably kill anyone she looked at instantly if she tried hard enough, Echo looked almost as miserable and irritated as she felt. It was slow going on the narrow path she found herself marching along. She almost failed to notice the stranger up ahead. His pelt seemed to blend easily with the grey of the rocks around him. By the time Echo did notice him she was pretty close, stopping in her tracks and eyeing the stranger wearily as she shivered and cursed herself for having such bad luck and ending up in some awful land plagued with snow. Giving him a suspicious look and a quick once over, she tried to determine if the much larger wolf was enough of an immediate threat for her to turn tail now or if she ought to stick around and see what the wolves of this awful land were like. Settling on taking her chances for once, she offered a curt greeting, "Havin' fun in this little winter wonderland?" No one could ever accuse her of being overly polite. Or a good conversationalist. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Taking a breath of cool air he pinned his ears to his head as a rush of freezing air met his frame. Goodness it was cold enough to strip the fur right off him! The wind died as soon as it had stirred up, like winter was giving one last sigh before a southern breeze started pushing it north. But it did not leave without a parting gift and Ashiel looked up as it began to snow. He was so caught up in what he was doing that he almost didn't hear the pawsteps heading toward him. When he looked he noticed a small, ebony-pelted woman striding forward. She noticed him and offered a greeting. Ashiel returned the greeting with a dip of his head and a small grin. "Well, I wouldn't say having fun. Me? I'm looking to get back to sea-level before a blizzard blows in. It would just be my luck to get stranded here. What about you, miss? Don't tell me you're going to brave this pass?" "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... She looked him over a moment as she waited for his reply and appreciated how stupid tall the guy was! If there were more like this Echo was gunna start feelin' bitter real quick. It was bad enough being barely average back home... Although, that wasn't home anymore so who the hell cared anyways? Huffing, and settling quickly into a somewhat bad mood, she watched the man as he spoke. Cracking a wry grin, she replied, "Smart boy, then! It'd be a terrible thing to go n' get stranded." She snorted at the idea of staying here and freezing her tail off. "Oh, I think not. See this fur? I was made to live in the desert where everyone else feels like they'll melt. I intend to return to such a climate." There was a pasue as she thought about what that meant and finally added in a more defeated tone, "Of course, I haven't a clue which way I'll need to be heading to do that." Standing there somewhat awkwardly, she let her cropped ears fall to the side, gaze falling to her paws. Honestly she wished she could go home, but she didn't have a home anymore so she just felt lost and a lot more nervous than usual. Eventually she remembered introductions were a thing and asked, "What's your name, stranger?" Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

The stranger had an interesting way of speaking and a lovely set of golden eyes that he couldn't help but notice take in his height. It was a strange matter of perspective to say the least. Ashiel was a respectable height amongst his family members but certainly not the tallest, however, next to this woman he absolutely towered. The woman stated that she had no intention of going up higher and that she was actually made for the desert. His ears pricked forward with interest. His coat was thick and made for such weather despite his lack of interest in staying but he could definitely say that between the two extremes he'd take the cold over the heat. "The desert? Are you from western Boreas? I've heard tales of the territories there but I have not explored any myself. If you want you're welcome to join me. I'm heading south myself." The wind picked up suddenly, whirling snow flurries around them. Ashiel was not sure what made him do it but he gauged the way the wind was coming then promptly got between the wind and the stranger, hoping his bulk might offer some help against the wind. "My name is Ashiel Abraxas, what is yours?" "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... So far the giant brute hadn't given her reason to become overly weary, and the longer he showed no signs of being threatening the more she was inclined to relax. Shaking her dark head in response to the question the girl answered, "No, I am not from this land, and this is the first I hear of that name. I guess that means it's safe to assume I am far from my place of origin, then... But, if these western lands are warmer then I would like to go there." The little desert wolf eyed this new, larger companion with an air of caution, hesitating over her reply to this offer. It was his movement that shattered the last of her resolve and made it that much easier for the distrustful Echo to offer this small degree of trust. No one who had intentions of harming her would do such a thing as this, standing between her and the worst of the snow flurry that beat down on their coats, right? Not in her experience. "My name is Echo," she called, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the wind until it ceased at last, then adding in her normal tone, "Echo... Sandhound." the way she spoke made it sound like she either struggled to recall the surname or just wasn't used to using it. Honestly both were good reasonings for her uncertain tone as she spoke, the name 'Sandhound' falling awkwardly from her lips with a sort of weight to it. "I'd like to travel with you, thankya for the offer, Ashiel." Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

The woman corrected him, stating that she was not from Boreas at all but from some foreign and distant land. Ashiel had to admit that intrigued him. He had no desire really to travel beyond Auster or Boreas, both lands already seeming so great and vast but he had to admit every so often his mind spiked with curiosity about the lands of his ancestors and those that even his mother did not know about. He nodded. "Yes, much of the territory is desert though there are some rich lands that can support a pack. I'm afraid I don't know much in the way of specifics. I haven't explored that area much myself." She introduced herself as Echo Sandhound. He was amused by her last name. It was a peasant name to be sure, relating no doubt to the land in which her family originated. "Nice to meet you Echo." Ashiel began to head back down the pass, moving a bit slower to make up for his longer stride. "Echo, I'm curious, what was this land like that you're originally from?" "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... She listened to his description of the lands with unconcealed interest, ears perked and standing at attention as she fixed him with those bright gold eyes. What he described sure sounded a lot better than the vast, seemingly endless stretches of sand from which she hailed. To be honest, she couldn't say she'd ever been in a land that could even hope to be described as rich. This would be interesting! "Sounds like the place to be, then! I can warm up, and you can explore, and all will be well." she smiled faintly, slowly growing more comfortable with this new companion. "Likewise! You're one of the first wolves I've met here, you know." She trotted after him, working to make her spindly, but shorter, legs keep up with him. It didn't take too much effort but only because he held himself in check. For a moment she stopped walking and she could almost feel her heartbeat quicken as she asked about the land she came from. Recovering quickly, she quickened her pace to catch back up, her voice cracking ever so slightly as she replied, "Oh! Well, that would be a bit of a tale. It's, not exactly a nice place to put it lightly. You see while I'm far more comfortable in the heat because I'll neither freeze nor roast, the living conditions in the specific lands I was residing in were unfavorable. Very little prey, if any at all it sometimes seemed. And ruled by a strict cast system of sorts. The ones who could take large prey down were the ones with large numbers, but for the most part only higher class wolves could manage that. If you did catch prey, you had to decide if you had enough on hand that you could afford to sell it, some wolves did that and got a lot of good stuff in return." she shrugged, it was a broken and poor explanation of the place, but got the gist across so she was satisfied. "As for me, when I was there, well... I was a thief. I pilfered and stole every day until the day I got caught." Echo was surprised how easy it was to recount that when it felt to painful to remember. She'd been caught because she'd been betrayed. And she'd never forgive the one who turned on her. "That's how I got the title of 'Sandhound', you see. There, the rules that have been set are strictly enforced. Stealing is punishable by the compulsory cropping of one's ears," she let her eyes flick upwards towards her odd looking ears, which were made to stand out more by the piercings she'd acquired after they were cropped, "And banishment from the lands while being known by the title of Sandhound. As they assume you'll spend the remainder of your days alone in the sand until you die because no one will help you." If she'd hated her home before, she despised it now. Not all of it, but certainly the way that things were. She'd go back for her family but... After they disappeared, she had to believe they weren't even there anymore anyways. Sighing softly, she looked at Ashiel and asked, "What's it like here?" Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel had to admit there were benefits to setting up a pack in a desert-like area. If they settled in one of the richer lands the surrounding barren lands would prove a decent buffer from attack. Though there were always cons to everything. While the winters would be more bearable the summer's were likely harsher. He cocked his head to the side, surprised that he was one of the first wolves she'd run into. At his question she stopped walking for a moment and then continued. Ashiel gave her a questioning glance but didn't say anything. He supposed he should've considered the fact that she was probably here for a reason and that reason probably had a lot to do with where she came from. Still, she didn't seem to bothered by sharing and he listened with interest to her tale. He was vaguely familiar with caste systems but only because to some degree the Risen Empire had one but that was a different matter. Mortals simply wouldn't be allowed the top ranks that the descendants fo the fallen god would occupy. Her ears flicked forward and Ashiel gazed at them for a moment with a frown. He'd not heard of such a punishment but it didn't surprise him. To be honest he really didn't know what to say. "I see, it seems like you've been through much Echo. I see no reason you need to use the name 'Sandhound' here if you do not like it. That is one nice thing about starting over. I assume that is what you are here to do? Still plan on thieving?" He grinned mischievously at her as they continued their journey. Echo asked him what it was like here and he thought for a moment. "That is a difficult question to answer. Impossible really. The lands of Boreas and Auster are vast and inhabited by wolves of all walks of life. I have only just begun to explore them but from what I can tell they are rich with opportunity. Any sort of environment you can imagine seems to be housed here. I am sure you can find a place to fit." "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... She could only grunt at his assessment. Maybe she had been through some shit, but, where she came from things were just rough and you dealt with it cause no one was gunna baby you through life. She shook her head firmly before answering him, expression determined, "No, I have every intention of retaining it. But instead of a title I've decided to transform it into a surname. That way, I will not run from the past, but I also will not allow myself to be shamed." In Echo's eyes, it was an effective way of owning her shit, taking the cards she was dealt in stride and not allowing others to dictate how she had to feel of act. The dark woman didn't like being told to feel a certain way about the things she'd done, so twisting this title and wearing it with pride rather than shame seemed a fitting way to give the rules of her homeland a big middle finger. Her visage lightened considerably as he asked if she planned on stealing more and Echo gave him a mischievous smirk, "I suppose I won't need to if it is easier to live here. Of course, if someone were to leave something valuable unprotected, they can't complain if it ends up misplaced, or mysteriously disappears, right?" The wayshe spoke would serve to confirm that she wasn't really joking. If she saw something she thought she could get her paws on, it was fair game. Life was cruel, and the little desert wolf was more than capable of playing by the same merciless rules to get ahead. She was a survivor. "What about you? Think you're stealthy enough to get away with stealing, supposing you wanted to, of course?" "Sounds like a sweet deal already, then! Where I came from it was just desert and scrubland, shore to shore. No one ever sought to go there, there were no foreign visitors." She shook her head, hoping that the process might dislodge her memories so she could leave that place behind, along with the wolves she was trying to forget. If only it were that easy. "Now I think some travel is in order. So long as it's to anywhere and everywhere that doesn't have snow. I'm not made for this crap. This is the first I've seen of it and I hope it's the last." She wondered if she was the only one in these lands who had not seen snow for the first few years of her life. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel mulled her words over and nodded as she explained why she chose to keep the title and make it into her surname. He would never be able to fully understand her reasoning but he'd been born under much different circumstances where respect, blood and family ties were of incredible importance and marks of shame could be worse than death. Ashiel chuckled as Echo commented on valuables ending up misplaced. He'd have to watch himself but he traveled light and had nothing of value on him though he prayed she would never try to rob the Abraxas. The consequences would likely be far worse than cropped ears and a demoralizing name. Her question made his brow knit as he thought. "I can be reasonably stealthy when I need to but it's not my best skill. I'm built to fight and I don't really have a desire to steal… well in the sense of being sneaky and quiet. If I want something I'll just take it. I've been trained hard as a warrior and as a descendent of the Fallen god there are few who could stand against me." The Abraxas were often blunt when it came to their desires and Ashiel was no different. If he wanted something he'd give the owner a chance to relinquish it without a fight and if it came down to a fight then that's what had to happen. The continued their way down until at last they were at the base of the mountain that housed the pass. Ashiel grinned, remembering his own first experiences with snow but he'd been a puppy then. "Well Echo, it's been a pleasure talking with you and I wish you luck on your journey. Perhaps one day our paths will cross again." "Talk" "You" Think

They call me the freak of the fall You feel like a badboy? Well I'm King Kong... Since he seemed like he wasn't totally horrible, Echo figured maybe she might consider holding back if he ever had something easily stolen. That was a pretty generous move by Echo's standards. Not stealing from someone was on par with giving a gift when you were a starving thief. Nodding as he responded to her question, Echo took in the answer, analyzing his words carefully. He was lucky to be so large and capable. If Echo was big and tall she'd just walk up to people and grab their shit and scare the hell outta them withough batting an eye. Shrugging, she giggled, "I mean, I have met someone once who was better off than me and stole once in a while just for a challenge. I can see though how someone taller and larger like you would have more trouble being sneaky though." Even Echo wasn't as good as Solana when it came to being small and hard to notice when it counted. Urg, that name... Ignoring the confusing bit about a god, she ventured, "Even if you're not stealing, stealth is as good a trait as any to train and hone. A good fighter ought to be well rounded and capable of all types of tactics, right?" The guards in that burning desert hell sure trained every aspect of themselves. They were a formidible enemy, she'd give them that. Yeesh, the more she thought of it though the more bitter she became over the whole topic. She hadn't even realized they were nearing the end of this trail until they were almost on flat, non mountainous ground. Thank the heavens, the stars, the snow that let her escape it's evil clutches at long last! She was free! Discreetly, she kicked the snow a bit as she took a step with a hind leg, as though to show it she was done with it's shit. Stupid white fluffy crap. It looked so nice until it almost froze you to death. "I've rather enjoyed our conversation. If you ever need someone stealthier than you, come find me," she laughed. With a wave of her dark tail, Echo turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder and fixing him with a playful look, "If they do, don't carry anything too shiny. Have fun with your own travels." Who'd have thought she could be halfway polite? Turning and loping off in a southwestern direction, Echo surged towards the warmth she could almost feel, excited to see a familiar climate again. -exit Echo- Walk. "Speak!" "Think."