D O V E W H I T E

Dove padded through the desert, shifting sands beneath making his journey arduous and the unforgiving sun above making it treacherous. He'd traveled far from the mangrove forest, to escape what had happened with Sirius. The forest, the home he'd attempted to create for himself had been tainted by his actions a week prior, well-meaning as they might have been. He'd taken the time to analyze it all and come to a verdict. He was still wary of the man, and while the methods did nothing to aid in the near-crippling anxiety that had plagued Dove since, he understood that what Sirius had done had not been with the same intentions of his siblings and father.

In the midday sun, its rays sinking fevered claws into his pelt, a shudder rode his spine, at odds with the desert climate around him.

Dove glanced about, taking in his surroundings. An outcropping of tall, towering boulders off to his left, and more sand and desert to his right. Deciding he could use a break in the minuscule shade they offered, Dove veered left, keeping his toes clamped together in an effort to keep the sand from sifting between his paws so that he might not sink as much with each step.

It was moments before he reached it and he continued around the right half, hoping to find more shade offered on the other side. It was with some surprise, then, that he found on the other side an oasis, tropical tree standing tall and providing hefty shade to the pool of clear water below. Dove paused in the shade, sitting on the hard ground that emerged from beneath desert sand as he rested.

He walks. "He speaks." He thinks.

Aurielle Adravendi

She usually preferred venturing out during the night, and had done so. However, she and her companions had come upon a boon in the form of a small group of bison. Why they’d ventured into the actual desertlands of the west, she had little notion, but the best she could guess was that this group of three was led by an aging matriarch that had perhaps grown senile in her dotage. She’d spent much of the night watching them from under the large hide cloak she’d brought along in case she did end up traveling on the desert during the day. The hide hid her glowing coat from view, though she hadn’t been able to keep a full range of sight on the animals—Loshir filled in on watching in those cases. It seemed the small herd wouldn’t leave, and so the Spirit was considering her options as morning rose and turned to midday with the trio not leaving the oasis. She’d remembered to douse her fur with peppermint oil to drown the scent that came with her season this time, and was standing with the intention of heading home to gather the hunters and return when a dark form appeared over the ridge and entered the oasis. He was another wolf, and she paused to study him before turning to pad to the water, intending to drink before she took off on a hot journey. Ayodele hung back, folding the hide while Loshir slunk after Aurielle, eyes casting the stranger a hard look, as ever protective of his charge. Aurielle, however, offered a cordial greeting to the man, gentle-toned as she stepped into the pool and bent to drink. “Good day, stranger.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

D O V E W H I T E

The sun beamed down as Dove gazed at the sky, making an effort to keep one of the far off leaves between his eyes and the beacon of the sky. Shufflling sounded nearby, and Dove turned to catch the sound, an ear already flicking towards it.

He squinted his eyes, the scent of peppermint coiling around his nose as the woman drank from the pool on nigh. The sight of her coat might as well have been a flare in the desert, and for a moment, Dove mistook her as illusion because her bright bearings. But illusions bore no scent and rarely spoke as this one did, so he supposed she existed on the corporeal plan with the rest of the mortals. He returned her greeting with a murmured, "Hello," noting the other creatures with her and keeping his distance. One creature was another small feline that he lacked the knowledge to identify and the other was a creature he'd never seen before but likely couldn't begin to guess at the name of it. Even considering the near-meltdown he'd had only a week prior, he still would have kept his distance, as one that shied away from contact on a normal basis, no matter the case. So he stayed beneath the tree at his back, the shade there protecting him from the sun even if it didn't alleviate the pounding, heavy heat.

Dove glanced again at the woman, squinting his eyes again, and with none of usual tact asked, "Are all wolves in this land graced by the gods' own touch?" Thus far, he'd encountered two wolves with large, tusk-like teeth (and one of those wolves had had wings, as well) and a wolf with the very colors that shimmered on the horizon adorning his fur. There was either something in water or something in the air, and nothing short of the goddess of creation herself descending from the heavens and telling him, would convince Dove otherwise.

He walks. "He speaks." He thinks.

Aurielle Adravendi

An easy smile greeted the man’s wary response, and, noting his caution, she made no movement to approach him, instead choosing to wade into the water until she was in up to the neck. It would be a lot more comfortable traversing the sand if she were soaked through so the wind could cool her. She supposed she was lucky to have been born so light in color, rather than the black of this man or her brother—although the stranger that kept to the shade of the tree didn’t shimmer blue like her twin had. Was Aramis even still alive out there? Some small piece of her clung to the hope that the next time she ever saw her brother, he would have a story like Baine’s—that he’d gone abroad, and found love and a family there. Did she have nieces and nephews out there somewhere? The stranger’s question brought her back to the present and her head cocked slightly in thought. “I suppose that depends on what you believe. There are wolves out here that believe themselves to be born of gods. I’ve heard that others might believe that they are gods. My close family believes in some gods, Primarily the moon goddess Luneil and her mother Galei... (This is her writer picking a belief and sticking to it, guys)” She paused for further thought before she shrugged lightly, sending ripples through the pool of water. “My own appearance, save for my long canines and maybe the mane and tail, are passed down through my father’s maternal lineage. There were a lot of wolves with shimmering coats, and many with colors you might only see on a flower or in the sky. I’ve no idea where the glowing or this marking on my eye came from though… It just… developed recently. I’m still adjusting.” She gave him a rueful smile as she added, “I’m Aurielle Adravendi, Spirit – or alphess – of Valhalla. It’s a pack here in the west, but a ways to the southwest. This is Aelloshir, and that is Ayodele. They’re my companions and close friends.” Loshir remarked quietly, “And her guardian…” giving her the look that surely many royal guards must have worn worlds and eras over when their Queenly charges had ventured far from safety without a full retinue. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

D O V E W H I T E

Dove nodded at her words, turning away to give her privacy as she delved into the clear, cerulean waters of the pool adjacent. He looked to the companions she'd spoke of, being sure his eyes didn't fall on her radiant form again. He canted his head to side as she had as his eyes studied the two smaller animals. The wind seemed to be scarce at the moment, so he caught a diminutive scent from either one of the other, but not enough to identify which was male or female. He turned again to the land before him and the sea of sand within it, considering her words. "If some were to be truly born of the gods," he decided, one midnight wolf with a pelt more similar to his own than Dove wanted to admit, "it would indeed make sense why some are as cruel as the totems on high."

He moved back the few inches that would allow his back to rest completely on the tree and brought his shoulders down, forcing them to relax with a steady, even sigh. The posture that he'd been taught at a young age was more of a burden than anything else right then, even the stifling heat that hooked into his fur with imaginary claws and refused to let him be. He considered the landscape with a shrewd, pinched gaze, his lips pressed tightly together as he contemplated his next words.

"And your companions? he decided, redirecting the attention from himself and the malaise that plagued him. "I've met another wolf with two creatures beholden to him, just as yours are."

He walks. "He speaks." He thinks.

Aurielle Adravendi

His words echoed her own thoughts, but only partially. Thus far, save for Eligos, the majority of what she’d heard of the Abraxas family had been that of cruelty and conquest. The dark, gold marked male was perhaps a chance for that family to survive before the “mortals” grouped together and wiped the Abraxas wolves out, proving just how mortal they truly were. “It feels as though, if one were truly a descendant of a deity, or even a fallen deity themselves… that they would have a responsibility to the world. To guide and guard it. So far, nearly all I have heard about those with such beliefs is using their supposed power for their own gain or the gain of their family name. I’ve met only one wolf from that particular family who could possibly right the wrongs his predecessors had wrought. He’s cold and calculated, but he doesn’t seem to desire overtaking the so-called mortals of the world.” Her introduction didn’t get one in return, but it had been an open-ended invitation, and she didn’t press him for a returned nicety. His query received a triple-set of puzzled looked from woman, mountain lion, and lemur. Ayodele chirped a little laugh and pranced over to the pool, playfully splashing the Spirit as she said, “Neither myself or big grumpus here were forced. Nor are we beholden to her. I like her. He likes her—hells he’s an over-protective guardian and acts like a jealous big brother half the time.” The cat snorted and reached to swat – gently – at the much smaller lemur, claws visibly sheathed. “You’re lucky you don’t look like lunch, ring-tail. Suffice to say, wolf, that we’re family, regardless of our differing species. I watched this moonchild grow up from a young pup, watched her lead a pack from the age of a yearling... I chose to be her guardian from the moment we met. My sister chose to guard her twin. My parents chose to guard their father.” A shoulder-blade rolled as the usually quiet cougar lifted his head a little with a proud eye on the now silent Spirit and continued, low voice gruff. “She is a wolf whom I would gladly choose to guard again were I to do it over again. She cares for her people, never falls to hubris, and she believes that if someone wants a life beyond Valhalla, then they should pursue it. They need only tell her so she knows they weren’t killed out there. She would fight a hundred bears to save a stranger.” Aurielle had sunk to her chin in the water under the praise Aelloshir dolled out in her name. It was heartening to know he was proud of her, but a bit alarming to be put in the spotlight, particularly when she didn’t feel she’d accomplished as much as she should have by now. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

D O V E W H I T E

Dove didn't know if Sirius considered himself a god, and while the man most certainly considered him the calculating menace he'd proven himself to be, Dove wasn't certain if cold were accurate. Sirius had not seemed cold when he'd challenged him. He hadn't seemed cold in the midst of battle. He had not seemed cold in the chaos following. He'd seemed . . . fervent, the star-speckled man decided. Shaken and vehement, certainly. Dove, realizing he had yet to respond to the woman's words, but sensing comprehension on the far off, proverbial horizon, stayed within his thoughts for a few moments more before he turned his dome to the woman, gaze zeroing in on her companions as they spoke.

His eyes narrowed in surprise and his ears swiveled back, not pinned but apprehension clear. "They spoke," he said in surprise. His eyes swiveled between the two of them for a moment before he shook himself. "My apologies; that was uncouth of me," he said, realizing that their words likely shouldn't have been so unexpected. Wolves spoke; how unlikely had he really believed it to be that other creatures could as well?

The woman was small, smaller than Dove and small enough to make him dubious of the feline's words, but he said nothing. He hadn't seen any himself, but there could be magic about in this land; or the woman could just be well-versed in the art of battle. Dove's ear rearranged themselves to be pricked forward. "I suppose a leader like that should at least have my name in return," he sighed, recalling his manners. So lost in his thoughts he'd been, he'd allowed himself to forget them. "I am Dove," he greeted them, sitting up straighter and nodding to each in turn. "My apologies," he said again, sitting up straighter, and continuing. "My entry into this land was hardly as peaceful as I would have licked, and it seems I forgot myself."

He walks. "He speaks." He thinks.

Aurielle Adravendi

Aurielle’s eyes sparkled with gentle amusement at Dove’s surprise at the speech of her two friends, shaking her head without rancor at his quick apology. “It’s quite alright. It seems as though not all animals have the same ability of speech as we or others do. Even some wolves don’t seem to have the same… ability.” She’d certainly be surprised if one of the three bison spoke up, and it would certainly put that animal, and perhaps the whole three bison, off the menu. It seemed the dark man had decided that she was at least safe enough to offer his name and manners to, and as he introduced himself, she dipped her muzzle in a graceful nod, the easy smile on her features, her embarrassment at Loshir’s speech as to her virtuous nature having faded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dove.” However, concern furrowed her brow-points as her dual-blue gaze took him in more closely from her spot in the pool. The brightness of the desert and the color of his coat, mixed with the shade made it difficult to pick anything out immediately, thus she asked gently, “Are you in need of any healing?” She paused thoughtfully as her eyes dropped to his paws, considering the hot sands in the desert that surrounded the oasis. “Aloe vera for your paw pads, perhaps?” There was a clear sigh in her eyes that he didn’t have to accept her help, though she was willing to point him to some good plants to soothe overwarm feet. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Dove nodded at the woman's acceptance of his apology. "A pleasure to meet you as well," he said in kind and canted his head at the worry in her next words. He looked down at his paws, noting rather belatedly, that they were in fact somewhat hot. Not hot enough to scorch through the callouses they bore, but hot enough that it should have been noticed by now. He ignored the thoughts that brought to mind and asked the woman instead, "Aloe vera? Is this is an herb?" It wasn't one that he was familiar with. Whether because he hadn't been taught, because of his particular past, or maybe some combination of both, he was more familiar with herbs that aided in sleep and pain relief. He didn't say that, though, opting to await her response. This would be a good opportunity to learn, he decided. He'd taken to caring for his mother and while he'd learned some things, he knew there were gaps in the impromptu lessons the Queen's healer had given him. He was unsure if it'd been overlooked or if the woman had been ordered to keep him ignorant, and he was equally unsure that he wanted to know the answer to that question. "Speech"

Aurielle Adravendi

She smiled gently and, as he inquired about the Aloe Vera she finally exited the pool with a last dip up to her ears, padding slowly through the oasis until she spotted some of the useful herb and plucked it carefully, before she came to the man and set it on the ground between them, though she kept a healthy, respectful distance between him. Haunches lowering to the ground she nodded at the plant. “The gel inside these is a wonderful balm for burns and wounds. When used with boiling water, the steam is useful for clearing congestion.” It was a simplified explanation, but she felt it would be adequate. She had no issue with delving deeper into the subject, though she hoped to get moving soon. “Do you have an interest in healing?” It was an honest query, one that carried a light of interest in her eyes. Far from recruiting him, though the pack could always use new members, she was curious to know if there was someone out there whom Paladin might be interested in speaking with that wasn’t a Nomad. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Interest gleamed in his eyes as Aurielle offered an example of the aloe vera she'd mentioned and placed it equidistant between them. Dove moved forwardly, slowly, before stopping to study it. The leaf, if it could be called that was green and thicker than any he'd ever seen with small, harmless thorns along its edges. He stuck a paw out, digging into the soft skin of it with a nail. It opened easily for him, and the gel the other wolf had mentioned came into view. "Ah," Dove said, nodding to himself, before answering Aurielle's question. "I do have some interest in it," he said vaguely. "Although, what little knowledge I have of it is mostly of sleep aids and pain remedies." It was tempting to bite into the supple flesh of the aloe vera, but after bringing his paw to his snout and flicking his tongue against a nail, he grimaced and decided against that notion. "It must only be topical as no one would dare eat that willingly." He noted that there were stalks of it, growing in loose bushes, all around. He'd also seem quite a few on his way here. Perhaps he'd come back once he had a system of storage in place for herbs and study. "Speech"

Aurielle Adravendi

She watched contentedly as Dove examined the aloe leaf and took in her explanation of its more common uses. As he divulged a little of his own experience. Even a little knowledge was good knowledge. She nodded thoughtfully at the words, then chuckled softly as he tentatively tasted it. “That would be the aloe bitters. The gel is edible and more palatable once rinsed of the bitter fluid, although the bitters have their uses as well. I’d imagine one would have a harder time convincing a pup than an adult, though…” There was a wistfulness she could never quite shake mixed with the amusement as she spoke. She straightened, shaking away the brief flutter of melancholy with a brisk sigh. “It was pleasant to meet you Dove. If ever you desire a spot to rest in your journeys, Valhalla is in Vericona Plains and Druid’s Moor, to the east of here in the west. Call for me if you feel like it. I should probably get back to my pack. Those bison over there might become dinner if they don’t leave by the time I bring the hunters back with me…” She rose gracefully, smiling gently at the man as she asked, “Will you be alright?” [OOC, We can sneak another round in so he gets the healing points before she heads out ^^] Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think