Heaving pants racked Deity’s lithe form. She cursed, squinting up at the relentless sun. Though her coat blended well with the red hues of the rock below her paws, Deity would not consider herself a creature of the desert. The heat was a far cry from that of the temperate lands she had recently traveled from. It was autumn, though it hardly felt like it, marking the start to Deity’s third year. She’d never settled— the auburn-furred she-wolf had been a nomad all her life. She didn’t quite remember her earliest year and a half, but in the last couple seasons Deity had traveled from Eastern Boreas to here— the West. She’d met a couple memorable characters: Dutch, the strange Viking tinkerer, and a younger wolf named Muse. Aside from that, her travel along the Rio Grande through the desert had been somewhat lonesome. No matter. She was here now, in a sculpted stone... mountain, if you could call it that. All around her, blood-red rock formations towered, balancing precariously upon each other, as if a Celestial had placed them there. The heat was relentless, but Deity (perhaps illogically) feared the formations would topple if she crouched in their shade. With a huff, the goddess shook herself as if she could rid herself of the burning sensation alighting upon her fur. She wanted to find some water, or a worry-free place to rest. Some companionship could be nice as well, though she wouldn’t be so naive as to think anyone else was around. ”Speech”

Despite the fact that winter was just around the corner, the western lands of Boreas were still hot. Unbearably so, at least at middday, though she knew the darkness of night would bring some welcome relief to these lands. Caelia had been born in the west, though, so the heat was nothing new to her.. though sometimes she did wonder, especially after wandering closer to the center of the continent, just why Aurielle chose to remain in these lands. Either way, it wasn't her choice - and it wasn't like they weren't surviving well enough where they were. But today she'd taken to wandering, moving gracefully over the rocks that had been clearly shaped by the wind over many years. With each dip the land took, another hill seemed to form, and as far as she could see there were multicolored pillars of rocks, some climbing toward the sky while others stretched out in other formations, though all were smooth and seemed capable of standing the test of time. At least - she hoped they would, especially when she found one odd structure that seemed to be stacked high like a set of stairs. Without hesitating the slender female leapt onto it, taking it a few feet at a time, climbing slowly toward the top to afford herself a better view. It was beautiful, even in all its desolateness, and she twisted her head around as she scanned the horizon for any sign of life. She hadn't expected anyone to be so close, though, but from beneath her she heard something - a shifting that couldn't be blamed by the wind, since there was hardly even the slightest breeze today. Panting softly, she navigated down the opposite way she'd came, landing on the solid earth with a loud grunt, and quickly wheeling around to face the stranger. Though she was older than her, Caelia wasn't intimidated, and her gaze was curious as she sought to get a better look at her. "Bit hot to be out for a stroll, isn't it?" Caelia commented idly, despite the fact that she was very much out and about too.

Deity nearly leaped out of her skin when a pale blur fell from the sky and landed before her. She took a few hurried steps back, startled. Her hackles were raised and her legs stiff— she was posed to defend. As she glared at the predator, she realized it was just a wolf. A young, slender female stood before her. Her stature was anything but threatening. Deity, chuffing in mild amusement at her reaction, straightened up and shook herself. ”Sorry about that. You caused me quite the start,” She said. Then, she comprehended the woman’s previous question. ”It certainly is. I was just hoping to find some shade before heading out East,” she responded, squinting in the brightness as she met the woman’s eyes. ” What are you doing all the way out here? In no-man’s-land?” She asked, tilting her head inquisitively. She didn’t think any wolves actually lived out here. It was far too hot for anyone to live here, or so she’d thought. Maybe the stranger was simply exploring Boreas or something. Maybe she’d gotten lost. The latter didn’t quite sit with Deity; she seemed far too comfortable clambering over the rocks to just be passing through. ”Speech”

Caelia hadn't even been sure what she'd face - the sound beneath her had been mostly indiscernible - but she was pleased to find it was another wolf, rather than any sort of predator. Not that these barren lands boasted much in the way of predators. She returned the reaction with a soft laugh of her own, though hardly any smile touched her lips; instead she was eyeing her curiously. Her scent was unfamiliar, and Caelia was deeply curious about her. "It's no problem. I can't say I expected to see anyone else out this way, either," she admitted with a casual shrug of her shoulders, though her posture returned to its former state soon after. Apparently this stranger was just passing through. Not a surprise. The west didn't seem to be a place most wolves lived. Valhalla had been lucky to claim a chunk of fertile land in a place that was otherwise quite barren - it really wasn't much of a surprise that other packs were hard to come by out here. "I'm a permanent resident, not just passing through. I don't live far from here. The name's Caelia Adravendi," she introduced herself with a dip of her muzzle, her words betraying an air of importance to her introduction.