Exploring close to home was good, but exploring far from home was way better. Things got a lot more interesting the more she made her way into unfamiliar territory. For instance; this island. She'd seen some off the coast closer to Abaven, but she had a sneaking suspicion they were similar to the main land so she'd yet to investigate. This one though, it caught her interest and it didn't let it go. She had to go take a look. Prancing her way around the beaches the minute she pulled herself onto shore, Caelestis discovered the many different colors of sand that made themselves known. It was also somehow even warmer here than back at home. Grinning, she stared out at the waves that lapped at the shore, then back to the island with hopeful eyes.

After a bit, she decided that there was definitely treasure here, and she was totally going to discover it. Striking off inland, she set to climbing some black rocks towards the sparse treeline. This already felt like an all day sort of adventure. Maybe even more than one day.

Asharya walked with a spring in her step, tail plumed and held aloft over her back as she went. It was a bright banner, one that bespoke exactly how excited she was to be back in her homeland. Well, nearly back anyways. She was a lot closer now than she had been for a few seasons anyways and that was enough to make her smile. She was excited to see her family again, and to tell them of her travels. Especially Ashi, her brother and obviously favorite of the Abraxas clan. Alright, if she was being honest she was pretty much just excited to see him and her mother, but she hoped the others were doing well too. Returning to the continent had been a challenge in of itself, but the struggle of it made the fiery fae feel all the stronger. Someone had obviously gone and pissed off the ocean, which seemed to be wreaking all manner of havoc, but she was only just beginning to understand the extent of it. It was ultimately the desire to understand more yet that drove her a bit off course. The islands which lay off of Boreas' eastern coast seemed smaller than she remembered as she passed them by. Her long, purposeful stride slowed to a meander and at last to a stop. A grin curled its way onto her face, and half a heartbeat later she had propelled herself into the surf. Powerful legs churned through the surf easily at the start, but she was panting and feeling a bit noodley by the time she reached the far shore. The trees were sparser here than on the mainland, and the sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter somehow, but that was no reason not to like the place. After taking a moment to regain her composure, Asharya stood with a shake and set off towards the inland. She clambered over a scattering of stones, climbing higher up in the hopes of getting a better vantage point. There had to be something here worth the swim. She'd stay until she found one, anyways. As it turned out, she wouldn't have long to wait. Asharya turned to her left, and found nothing of interest. Lame. But upon turning to her right, Asha saw first a flash of brown fur amongst the rocks, only a short distance farther down the shoreline. Exhilaration trilled through her, hoping it might be a deer or something equally tasty. Disappointment crashed down a moment later when she realized it was only a wolf. But wait, that was good too! The exhilaration returned. It was a bit tricky to guess much given the distance between them but the stranger seemed a bit lanky, if not all that much smaller. Either young or sickly, but either way pestering them seemed like a fantastic way to entertain herself for the afternoon. "Hey!" Asha called out, fearless and eager. It didn't occur to her that this other wolf might be hostile or even just opposed to company. Asha wanted to meet her, so meet her she would. She might not loathe mortals the way most of her family did, but that didn't mean she ever paid them much attention. Unless of course she happened to be struck by inspiration, such as now. A wide grin split her lips, and the glimmer in her eyes promised mischief. She jumped down from the stones and set off down the shoreline in the young wolf's direction. "And to think I was worried there wouldn't be anything out here worth the swim over. I'm Asha! Whatcha doin', anyways?" Once she was a bit closer it became clear the stranger was definitely younger than she was, but that didn't mean Asha considered her to be just a dumb kid. Her own mother had made certain she and her brother grew up quickly, so as far as she was concerned if this kid could make it out here all on her own she was strong enough to find trouble all on her own. Essentially all grown up, right? And if not, well, Asharya was hardly opposed to steering the youth of these lands in questionable directions. Being a bad influence was one of her greatest joys in life, after all. No use in letting a perfectly good opportunity pass her by! "Talk" "You" Think

Pausing, Cael was debating the best way to get around some rocks that were a bit too steep to find any good footholds on. She'd have to move sideways to the left a bit. The right was also too sheer for her liking. Carefully picking her way along, the girl moved steadily along her chosen route in pursuit of the top of these obstacles. Once her paws slipped as she tried to climb up a little too fast over a stone that was too smooth, but her tail flagged out for balance and her legs swiftly scrabbled for traction, catching herself before she could entirely lose her balance and roll back down.

A voice cut through her concentration, a cheery holler that drew her eyes to- woah, now this was different! She'd met someone colorful before, but this girl's pelt was on like, a whole other level. A bright smile swept onto her features immediately and Caelestis laughed, "Hah, glad I'm worth somethin'! I'm exploring, of course. I take it you came here looking for adventure too?" Cael shifted her paws, trying to find a slightly more stable way to stand. It'd be awkward if she went rolling down the hill now.

Asharya was used to the look she got whenever someone took in her coat for the first time. In fact, the young shewolf puffed up, proud of the way she looked. She was the daughter of deities and spirits, who wouldn't hold their head high? She did her best not to exude too much arrogance, or at least no more than would be considered normal for her. "Hah, glad I'm good for somethin'!" Asha grinned. She liked this other female's deprecating humor. It resonated with her. "At first glance, anyways," She shot back with a wink and a smile, even if the stranger would have a difficult time seeing it from where she stood. The duller shewolf proudly proclaimed that she was exploring, and Asha could respect that. After all, wasn't it the same impulse that had brought her to these shores? Fair enough. "Honestly, I just swam here because I could. Wasn't really sure what would happen once I got here, but seems like it's going fine so far." Of course, the young Abraxas woman was used to things changing on a whim. "I'm Asharya, by the way, but Asha is less of a mouthful. Your explorations turn up anything worthwhile so far?" Her paws itched to find something extraordinary. Buried treasure would be ideal, but Asha supposed she would take strange creatures or ruins of some ancient civilization if treasure was not available. And who knows? Maybe this adventurous mortal would prove herself worthwhile in the meantime. Asha began to pad farther down the beach, realizing that the other shewolf was trying to analyze her safest route down from her own perch. The fiery fae grinned... well, wolfishly. If the stranger wanted to accompany on her adventures she wouldn't turn her away, but watching her fall face first into the sand would be just as good. With a win-win situation like this, how could she not be gravitated towards this weird mortal female? She was a sucker for spunk. "Talk" "You" Think

Hmm... So far Cael was enjoying this girl's personality. It was easily apparent that there was more fire to her than just her pelt, and that was something Caelestis could support. The smile playing at her lips only grew when the girl who went on to introduce herself as Asharya admitted to arriving there simply on a whim. Another thing that Cael found totally relatable. "As long as everyone important comes out the other side alive, I'd say most impulse adventures are usually worth it."

"I'm Caelestis, you can call me Cael I guess," she said as she watch the girl move back towards the beach. For a moment she hesitated, glancing back up towards the sparse trees and greenery. On the one hand, new places to see... On the other, a new wolf to see places with. Hmm... Eventually her interest leaned towards the celestial flame-pelted woman and she oh-so-carefully tip toed her way down to the sand, leaping the last few feet and landing neatly. "Nothing worth mentioning, but I haven't been here that long," she mused before trotting after the girl.

Coming up beside the girl, Cael asked, "You ever found any cool treasure before?"

This mortal really was something. She made her way down and closer too, much to Asha's delight. Today ought to be interesting, then, she thought with a quiet laugh. The earth-and-ivory she-wolf introduced herself as Cael, and up close Asharya noted at last just how tall she really was. Her mismatched eyes reminded her of her cousin, who was also about their age. When the girl remarked that she would consider any venture a success as long as the important people survived, Asha tipped her head back with a laugh. Quickly regaining her breath, she replied, "Ha! Well, all the best stories involve a bit of risk, don't they? Otherwise you've got nothin' to talk about after that but the scenery." Seeing that Cael meant to join her, Asha kept walking along the shore for a few paces longer. She shook her coat once once again, perhaps putting a bit of extra vigor into it in the hopes of splashing the younger wolf. Never hurt to test someone's tolerance for bullshit before actually engaging in some bullshit. In fact... She smirked. "Well, Caelsnail, I'll tell you what. If we're about to embark on a treasure hunt, we've got a lot of ground to cover, right? Can't be arguing over dumb shit, we won't get anything done. I say," Asha paused then, and jerked her head towards a driftwood log cast ashore in the recent storms, maybe a hundred yards farther along the coast. "Race you for it? Winner calls the shots and, of course, bragging rights. Whaddya say?" She spread her paws out and braced them in the sand. If it was her brother, she absolutely would have darted off in a heartbeat, no questions asked. But other than the fact Asha figured she really could beat the slightly shorter wolf, the bragging rights would be sweeter without hedging bets in her favor. She raised one brow, mouth hooking upwards in an eager grin. "Talk" "You" Think

"what's an adventure but a story in the making? Gotta make 'em worth hearing." This girl seemed like someone Cael could really enjoy hanging out with. It was a new and exciting prospect to find someone who might enjoy adventuring and having fun as much as she did.

Of course, the less than flattering new nickname wasn't especially thrilling. Her ears may have briefly fell flat and she might even have briefly winced after hearing it. That was pretty dumb, cause now she was absolutely going to hear it again. Great, good job Cael, ye stupid idiot... Glancing towards the log, a smile crept up her face and her eyes narrowed a bit as determination sang through her. "Alright, deal." No hesitation. A race was exactly the sort of thing she could never pass up. Especially since she spent just about every morning of her life going on lengthy runs.

"Readysetgo!" she shouted over her shoulder as she struck off, kicking up a cloud of sand behind her and moving into a sprint before the words were even all the way out of her mouth. Her ears fell back and her heart beat faster as she settled into a dead run. She wasn't used to running on sand, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from winning.

Asharya might as well have seen it coming. In fact, she did see it coming. Cael readily agreed to her offer, and was already gone halfway through her unceremonious, "Readysetgo!" Luckily Asha was used to such antics from her brother, (alright, usually it was her pulling the shenanigans,) but either way she was braced and ready. As soon as she saw Cael's muscles bunch and strain, fight to push her forward, Asharya was racing off as well. The sand was soft beneath her paws, and it gave way beneath her weight. Asharya knew this race would take more out of her than if they'd chosen to endure it on firmer terrain. Well, too late for that thinking now. With what little purchase she had, she pushed on. Her claws dug into the unforgiving terrain, and Asha knew she was tiring quicker than she might have elsewhere. I ought to run a mile on the sand every now and then, she thought to herself between panting breaths. Can't imagine what I'd be like running like I meant it back on terra firma. She didn't dare look sideways at Caelestis, worried she might lose her footing if she did. Asha would have to content herself with knowing she was either ahead or neck-in-neck. Given that the pounding sounds of a second set of paws thundered in her ears, she knew it was likely the latter. Spirits, this mortal was a quick bugger, wasn't she? Asha found herself laughing as she raced, heart and lungs straining as she forced herself to exert every last ounce of effort and energy she had. At least if she ended up having to take orders from a mortal wolf, it would be one that had proved themselves. That was good enough, if her worst case scenario was realized, right? Didn't mean she wasn't giving it her all. Still, that log remained impossibly far in the distance, and not for the first time Asha found herself questioning her own sanity. Well! She'd gotten herself into this situation, and she would find her way out, somehow or another. Method A was running herself ragged, and that was what she planned to do. "Talk" "You" Think

Running was second nature. It was easy, reliable, a source of consistency that she retained wherever she went. It felt comfortable to stretch into that sprint, and thrilling to see the brightly colored woman at her side keeping pace. Their paws beat the sand steadily, bringing the pair closer and closer to the finish line and still Asha wasn't losing ground. Her breathing seemed a bit more ragged than Cael's, but her speed was admirable all the same.

Even as she put on a final bust of speed towards the finish, this galactic fire and white ash was still right on her and Caelestis let her ears fall flat as she rocketed towards the finish line and passed... A nose behind the other girl. "Damn," she huffed as she skidded to a halt, sand flying in every direction. Turning towards Asharya, Cael grinned and declared, "You win, this time."

Asharya's lungs burned as her body strained, fighting to press on ahead. Her mother didn't raise no loser, but damn this mortal girl could run. Asha couldn't help but accept that she would grudgingly respect her regardless of the race's outcome. Also, it was a good reminder to herself to not be so cocky in the future. To not bite off more than she could chew, so to speak. Of course, that wasn't to say this was more than she could handle. Asha pointedly refused to think of what the outcome might have been had the two females been of a similar height and stride. As it was, with the driftwood log bearing down upon them, Asha knew Caelestis was neck-in-neck beside her. Her ears were filled with the roaring sounds of blood and panting breaths. Finally, she bunched her legs beneath herself and propelled, soaring over the fallen log. Landing with a thud and a scattering of sand, she was relieved and only somewhat surprised that she had in fact beaten the other shewolf. Panting, all the while trying to keep her cool, Asha replied, "Well fought! God, what did they feed you as pups? You're quicker than I'd have figured." Composing herself, Asharya drew herself up to her full height, and winked. "I'll take a rematch anytime. For now though, I say we head inland and search for any sort of structures or hidey holes that catch our eye. Anything that might work as a starting point. Savvy?" She wasn't really sure if she was asking permission, per se, seeing as she had won the right of leadership fair and square. But she also wasn't going to be a dick just for the sake of being a dick. No, she'd wait until Caelestis had earned the privilege of her bad behavior. So far the mortal female had been painfully tolerable. Admirably so, even. This afternoon was turning into something wholly unexpected, but something utterly engaging all the same. Asha turned inland, scrabbling over the barrier stones which separated the beach from the lush vegetation inside. Cael didn't strike her as a sore loser, but whether or not she stuck to the bargain and kept up her end of the deal remained to be seen. "Talk" "You" Think

Cael grinned and stretched out her hind legs in the most disgustingly nonchalant manner possible. "You did pretty good too. I might've beat ya' if my runs were on sand instead of dirt," she sighed with a shrug. Did she wanna win? Hell yes she did. But would that stop her from having a good time despite her loss? No way. Maybe if she had a reason to dislike the other girl she'd find losing this race for leadership and bragging rights a bit more frustrating, but as it was, Cael could deal.

Nodding, Cael was already sauntering further down the beach diagonally towards the inland, dancing paw to paw as a sudden rush of excitement filled her at the prospect of going on this new adventure with the newly dubbed supreme leader of this very important treasure hunting mission. "Sounds good to me, Captain Asha," she replied. "You never told me if you have any fascinating treasure hunting tales to share. Feel free to embellish if they aren't up to snuff."

Asharya fought to catch her breath. She forced herself to regain composure, taking one last deep breath before carefully regulating her breathing. The mortal really was fast. Cael returned the compliment, tagging on, "I might've beat ya' if my runs were on sand instead of dirt." Asha turned and met that with a knowing grin, one ear flicked back. "Rematch it is, then. Name the time and place, sweetheart!" With that, the fire-hued fae flounced on ahead. Shit, she should probably start training. Not that she'd admit it aloud, or even in her countenance. Asharya leaped back towards the stone outcrop separating the beach's edge from the island within. Her powerful shoulders, (though noodley from their race,) heaved to thrust her up the boulders and slabs. She paused and turned to see if Caelestis meant to follow. The earthen shewolf asked. Was that snark in her tone? Asha couldn't be sure, but she sensed snark. She laughed out, "Depends on what you count as treasure, honestly. I, for one, prefer to treasure the experience more than whatever it is I might haul away." Asha turned with a flick of her tail and plunged into the island's interior. The flora here was different than what she'd been used to, at least in most cases. She was no expert on plants, but much of it seemed a world apart from the continent she had left not so long ago. A host of new smells met her, and she wasn't really sure where to go. Then again, as Captain Asha, she supposed she might as well trust her gut. She paused only long enough to wait and ensure the mortal wolf really was at her heels before taking off due north. "I say we head for the uplands. Nothing worth our time's bound to be left on the sea edge. Worst case scenario we find a vantage point to plan from." It was a solid enough plan, as far as she was concerned. Pure gold considering the fact that the whimsical fireball hardly planned a damn thing at all. Here's to hoping she's down for a bit of improvising, Asha thought with a toothy grin as she carried along. "Talk" "You" Think

Oof. Caelestis had the sudden, overwhelming feeling that she'd met her match here and it was honestly so weird to meet someone who apparently had a lot of similarities with herself. For now she kept her lips sealed and followed after the fiery young woman before her with renewed interest.

Asha's reply to her question was hardly satisfactory. Lifting a brow and giving her a good long sideward stare, Cael tried to determine if she actually believed a single word. Yeah, exploring was more or less the most fun activity she could think of, but treasure was hard to find and who the hell wouldn't want to take home something rare and shiny? "I call bullshit." No fuckin way. "You just can't carry much, huh?"

When the newly designated Captain Asha slowed, Cael tipped an ear her way and nodded along as a plan was made. It was simple, but hey, a plan was better than no plan. "Sounds good," she chirped with a toothy smile, picking up a speedy trot as soon as Asha'd finished explaining. Making her way inland until she reached the start of the much thicker brush, at which point Cael checked Asharya's position before leaping unceremoniously into the foliage and bouncing down the nearest passable 'trail' in search of... well, anything really.

Asha couldn't help but laugh at Cael's raised brow. It was painfully obvious that the younger girl had expected something a bit more impressive out of her but that wasn't exactly Asharya's problem, now was it? Hell, if she stuck around long enough she would get used to disappointment. Clearly not the shy sort, Caelestis proclaimed,"I call bullshit." Asha's laugh turned from a chuckle to a full blown fit. Honestly she wasn't sure why it was so funny. Maybe it had just been a while since she had met anyone blunt enough to match her own straightforward way of speaking. It was refreshing, and damn funny too. "Listen Cael-snail, you've got to be at least a level three friend to unlock the tragic backstory. We'll get there when we get there." To be perfectly honest, she was just blowing the other shewolf off. Asha really didn't have much to show for her adventurous life so far, taking trophies had never really crossed her mind. Caelestis easily agreed to her plan, which was another surprise, and so they set out. Asha struck a course that took them ever upward, looking out all the while for a vantage point worth navigating towards. Of course, this gave her time to throw together a suitably ridiculous story. She wondered absently how far se could stretch before Cael caught onto the shenanigans. The other wolf seemed pretty sharp, so it would have to be good. The landscape passed them by, beautiful and strange as all new places seemed to her. She called over her shoulder, "What about you?" Actually wait, how much time had passed? That probably sounded random. Every now and then Asha had to remind herself that other wolves actually weren't privy to her inner monologue. She explained, "You talk a big game for someone not to have any stories of their own. Pass the time, whatcha got?" This ought to be good, right? Cael had already proved herself good for a laugh, so Asha had a few expectations for how this might go. Up ahead the trees seemed to clear, and she swiveled towards what she hoped might be a cliff's edge. "Talk" "You" Think