They had traveled far throughout the winter, keeping mostly to the warmer parts of the lands but Enigma was doubting that he would find who he was looking for there. If he recalled, that particular family usually lived in the North, didn't they? At least, that's where he had seen them last. Back when he and his own family had temporarily joined Arian's pack on the ship. The easiest way to get to the ship was through the wall that separated half of the North from the rest of the world. He didn't particularly feel like going around the mountains, not while he had the pups with him. By the time they had reached the Wall, however, Spring had arrived. They had traveled most of the past season with him as he tried to find the man that Paradox had mentioned. And even if he couldn't find him, he needed to at least find their Grandmother. The kids weren't safe with him, not while Paradox was still around. He knew she'd be able to easily track him down, and didn't doubt that she would once she found out what he'd done. Now, however, he decided they would stop to rest. He wouldn't drag them any further today, so he stopped in front of the gaping hole that led to the rest of the North lands. "We're stopping to rest here today. We've traveled far enough." He turned to look at them, to gauge their condition or at least to see if they would protest. He didn't think they would, but kids often did the unexpected. "Listen to me talk," 'and know my thoughts.'

The girl was tired, no more than that she was exhausted. She was starting to have second thoughts about this adventure her uncle was dragging her and her brother on but at this point she was well and truly lost; she couldn't have found her way back to the place they had lived with their mother if she tried. Mercifully it seemed they were done walking for today and the girl immediately moved towards the nearest side of the wall to flop gracelessly onto her haunches, using the strange unknowable structure to shield herself from the wind. That was another thing! It was so cold up here! Why had her uncle brought them here? "Uncle 'nigma what's the point of all this walking?" she asked, turning her head to pout at her uncle as Farai moved beside her. The leopard had been mostly quiet through the journey, sometimes choosing to linger further and further away from the group. But whenever her uncle had gone off to hunt for them the cub would reel back in, watching silently, as if afraid if she took her eyes of them the pups would disappear. Now though the cat was curling her warm body around the girl, she seemed more than content to lay in the snow. There was something else tugging at her mind too. The biggest of her brothers was gone, she hadn't seen him in at least a season and now that the girl was certain she'd never find her way back she was certain her brother was also lost forever... she hadn't ever felt particularly close to her brothers but the idea of never seeing him again filled her with a sort of uncomfortable feeling she didn't have the words for yet. "The Princess Decrees!" ~ "The Princess Considers! ~ "Farai Speaks"

He was so tired! Tired didn't even begin to scratch the surface to how he actually felt, but he was sure his sister felt the same. The two pups had never traveled this far before, and he wasn't even sure what sort of adventure this was anymore. Their uncle didn't talk about their mom, he just avoided the question whenever the black and white boy tried to ask if she was gonna eventually come along or if they were going back. But they kept going further and further away, not that he really missed her. On top of that, it was pretty cold here...he had never seen so much snow, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. His head lifted a bit when his uncle said they were going to rest here today, wherever "here" was. He gazed up at the wall, studying it as he wondered what put it there. Much like he wondered about what sort of creatures made the things in the range...they just looked too unnatural to be, well...natural. He flopped down beside the wall and next to his sister and her friend. He turned to look at his new friend, a young lynx cub that he had found the day before. He was young, pretty close to his age give or take a week or two. He didn't really have a name, just like the young wolf didn't have a name. But the boy never thought too much about it considering that he never asked if he did have one. His uncle always called his sister a princess, and he a prince. So the thought of being nameless never occurred to him. But their brother had a name, at least. He always heard momma call him a 'worm' or something, and when she did address him and his sister, it was with words with meanings that he was too young to understand. He was glad they had stopped, and his exhaustion was evident when he flopped on his side and sighed. His companion came and laid on him, curling up against his stomach for warmth. He heard his sister ask uncle Enigma about this adventure, and he turned his gaze to see what he had to say. "Are we ever gonna go back to momma?" He wasn't even sure why he asked that...perhaps deep down he had hope that she cared. But of course, he was too young to understand. "Speech"

He watched as the two pups and their companions settle by the wall. He knew they were exhausted, and he felt bad for having to push them so much so far. But it had to be done. He stood there before the opening of the wall, gaze seemingly searching the other side. He still wasn't sure how he was going to find who he was looking for...but he had to keep trying. The pups needed a safe and stable place, and if that Ancora woman was still around, he knew they'd be safe with her. "Uncle 'nigma what's the point of all this walking?" He turned to look at the pair, yellow gaze watching them as he took a deep breath. Before he could answer, however, his nephew asked a question too. "Are we ever gonna go back to momma?" He winced slightly, gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. "How the hell do I tell them that..." He closed his eyes and shook his head a bit. Then wondered to himself how the hell he had come to care so goddamn much? He had been so good at not showing much emotion, he had been somewhat detached and incredibly reserved...but then after his father was killed, then having to take care of his blind younger brother... At least, that's when he assumed everything had changed for him. "I'm taking you to a safe place...with someone who will keep you safe...you'll never go hungry or have to worry about food, and you'll have lots of friends." He turned to look at them, offering a smile. That was the best explanation for an excuse he could come up with right now. "You'll understand when you're a little older." "Listen to me talk," 'and know my thoughts.'

They were heading south today. He needed answers, so come hell or high water was going to try and find her. No matter what he did, Iskra wouldn't leave his mind, and he just needed to at least know if she was alright. His pace was quicker in the North considering he knew it so well, but he knew once they got past the wall, it'd be harder for him to navigate...at least until they got to Auster. Assuming they ended up searching that far if they didn't find her before then. Hollow green eyes stared dead ahead, both companions bounding along on either side of him. Tattered right ear moved with the breeze while the other stood erect as he listened to the world around him. There was a mild wind blowing in from behind him, keeping most scents away from his nose. It annoyed him, especially since he was so dependant on his nose as well as his ears. As the trio approached the wall, he could vaguely hear voices, but he wasn't entirely sure. As they got closer to the opening, however, he felt Shiva's touch on his shoulder which was the signal to slow down. "I smell wolves up ahead." She commented, but to Dragon's surprise, she didn't particularly seem worried. Normally, both of his companions were more aggressive or on edge when there was more than one wolf around. But as he slowed, he scented the air himself. Indeed, Shiva was right...but the scents were different. "Pups...and...an adult...but there's also a couple other smells I can't quite place..." Dragon was even more intrigued. What was a lone wolf with pups doing by the wall? It wasn't the most sheltered place in the North... Curious, they decided to proceed with caution. Soon enough, the smells got stronger and he was able to pick out individual scents. He caught the very end of a conversation and wondered if they were alright. Approaching slowly, they came to a stop several feet just shy of the wall where the opening was. "This isn't the most sheltered place for pups, are you all alright?" He hadn't been around pups much save for Esarosa's...but if they needed help, he'd try to help them if he could. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

Drake and his own cat friend settled close to her, and the girl narrowed her eyes at her brother. She was certain he'd only let his cat follow him because he wanted to copy her and Farai and some part of her was irked by the idea he was just copying her. She didn't disguise her snort when he asked about going back to mama; why her brother seemed so attached to the idea of her she couldn't understand, he'd asked about her before they left and in truth the girl hadn't spent much time the entire journey thinking of her mother. Uncle Enigma said he was taking them to someone..? Did that mean he was going to leave them too? The girl whined at that idea. "You're coming with us right Uncle 'Nigma?" She asked, unlike her mother she actually liked her uncle, he had always been nicer to her and her siblings. Though nearly as soon as the words left her mouth Farai was jumping to her paws, a low sort of throaty sound coming from the leopard. Wyvern had learnt that noise meant that Farai was anxious about something. "Someone approaches." the leopard muttered into the girl's ear. The pup turned to look in the direction her companion was staring. From upon the horizon three figures approached them and the pup was surprised to find that two of them were big cats, much bigger than Farai was and between them was an earthen wolf. The strange wolf spoke and the girl glanced at Farai, the question seemed aimed at her uncle but she was curious as to her companion's reaction to the strangers. Farai for her part had backed up slightly, her rump pushed into the wall and her ears pulled flat, her jaw was parted and her lips were twitching as if uncertain if she wanted to bare her fangs all the way or not, though she otherwise hardly moved, only the agitated twitching of her tail told anyone from a distance that the leopard cub was alive. "The Princess Decrees!" ~ "The Princess Considers! ~ "Farai Speaks"

He huffed when he noticed his sisters irritation towards him. What was he supposed to do? Their brother wasn't here, and internally he wanted to be close to her. To cling to the remnants of what he had left. He wasn't entirely sure what family meant yet considering the way their mother acted towards them, so he didn't know what was normal and what wasn't. He just knew that he didn't want to feel like he was alone. Blue gaze drifted to their uncle as he answered their questions, confusion beginning to form all over the boys face. What did he mean by safe? Weren't they already safe? He sat up and inched forward until he was practically sitting by his sister's side, head tilted to the side. What did he mean by that? Was he leaving them? A worried look crossed his features as he looked at his sister while she asked him if he was gonna stay with them. He had questions of his own, but then her companion's sudden reaction to something distracted him. Likewise, his companion puffed up and hid behind them. Sure all four of them were close to their first year, but they were all very much inexperienced when it came to confronting strangers. The black and white boy didn't know what to do in this sort of situation. He observed the earthen male and the two cats that were with him. They looked sort of similar to his sister's friend, but they were much bigger and their scents slightly different. He remained silent, on edge even, as he waited to see what his uncle would do. "Speech"

Okay, so maybe he was getting soft. The thought crossed his mind as he looked at his niece and nephew. What happened to the days where he didn't give a shit about anyone but his own family? Granted, these two were his family, but even when his father had more pups he didn't give a rats ass about them. That is...until his father had to fight in a war. The pups had nowhere else to go, nobody else to really care for them. Or at least, his younger blind sibling didn't. And now it was sort of like history repeating itself, but in a different way. Here he was caring about kids just like he had cared about Obscuro. At this point, he couldn't even say it left a bad taste in his mouth. Perhaps it was age that changed him...or perhaps it was all that time alone that changed him. Whatever the case was, he hated it but also didn't mind it. He was so damn confused... "You're coming with us right Uncle 'Nigma?" His niece's question roused him from his thoughts, and he lifted his head to gaze at the two pairs of eyes that were watching him. Before he could open his mouth to reply, however, a stranger approached. Not just any stranger, but someone who appeared blind by the way his face looked, which probably explained the two companions at his side. Honestly, the whole companion thing didn't shock him in the slightest. His father had a lynx before, so he wasn't surprised when he came across felines like this. He was on guard though, evident by the way he stood protectively in front of the two young wolves. "We're fine. Who the hell are you and what makes you think we're not?!" He growled, fur slightly bristled. Ah, there it was. His infamous sharp tongue and rude words. It seemed his temper and rudeness had settled quite a lot the less time he spent with Forsaken and Paradox, but he knew it was still in there somewhere when he needed it. And in this case, it was to potentially protect his precious charges from danger. "Listen to me talk," 'and know my thoughts.'

Ears folded back at the sound of the stranger's tone. Had he startled them or something? His voice and scent he didn't recognize, so he knew it was someone he hadn't met before. Something was a bit off with the male's scent, however...and having never met a castrated male, he couldn't quite place it. He felt tension come off his companions in waves all of a sudden, almost as if they were about to prepare for a fight. But Dragon remained calm and collected, sightless gaze remained unmoving in the stranger's direction. He didn't aim to fight, not when there was no need. Obviously, there was no need in this case unless the stranger attacked. But if there were pups, then he doubted the male would risk it. Especially against two powerful and very capable Jaguars. "I'm not going to harm anyone. I was only checking to see if you were all alright. The northern regions can be harsh on young wolves without proper shelter." He turned his head slightly in the direction of pup scents, nostrils flaring to get a better perception of them. His companions were right, there were two pups and two...well...they had feline scents, though what kind of felines they were he didn't know. Returning his attention to the male, he kept his posture relaxed. "To answer your question, I am Dragon Ancora. Who are you and what brings you North with a group of young?" He had to ask. For all he knew, these kids could have been kidnapped or something...this man could be dangerous. Or maybe even related to the Abraxas. Sure he was relaxed, but since he couldn't see and with the tenseness in the air surrounding him, it was incredibly hard for him to read the situation. "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva