The woman had been traveling for what seemed like weeks now, her paws were sore and she was tired. She was sure that by now that she was far from home, which in her mind was a good thing. Her life back home had been mundane, a simple huntress with nothing else but to simply feed others. She supposed that she had been useful, but clearly she hadn’t been that important. She had not been chased down or anything, there was no bounty on her head. Therefore, she finally had the freedom to do as she wished with her life.

Though she had to admit, living on her own wasn’t all that easy either. She was on a constant hunt for food, and she had to find a new place to sleep about every other night. She was still adjusting, but she was sure with time it would get easier, wouldn’t it?

A chill ran down her spine, a winter breeze hitting her body as she found some willow trees. For now, this place seemed like a rather safe place to rest. The branches kept her somewhat hidden from plain sight, and as far as she could see there were small sources of water around as well...


"Speech"

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The Warlord slipped easily into the terratory of the weeping woods. The land near as familiar to him as his own. He often kept tracked of how many wolves passed the terratories near his own. Kept note of predators in the area, and availability of food. He knew well the dangers of a starving wild cat.

His bear companion kept close to his side, she had started to learn some of his tongue, and he a little of hers. Enough that the gestures and grunts she made brought a wry laugh from the titans form, and he shook his head at her. "I'm not calling you Weeper" the matter of her name was yet to be settled. What she called herself in her own tongue was long and he had stumbled across it enough times that she decided to take on another in his tongue. They had yet to decide between what between them.

He caught the deep tones of Marshals form, and glanced upwards to see the vulture gliding lazily on a chilling breeze. His most trusted scout, taking in the landscape ahead of them. Despite his birds eyes, the Warlord found the wolf first, catching her scent on that very breeze that stirred through the trees. Close, strong, and unfamiliar. He stalked forward, moving through the familiar giants of this forest world until he found her. Pale form, unusual eyes. "Winter Greetings." He voiced outloud, stopping a polite pace from her, the stirring of naked branches above him adding a whisper to his words. His Bear fell still behind him, easing herself slowly up to two paws, as together, they eyed the stranger.

Shika was tired and weary, but she was still alert. She always had to be aware of her surroundings now that she lived on her own, so she could tell that somebody was approaching. Her gaze shifted and she could see a rather large wolf in front of her. A few animals seemed to accompany him, and she made not of his large fangs too. She had to admit she was a bit intimidated, but he simply greeted her.

She decided that there was no reason to run, at least not yet. “Hello,” she said, as she examined him further. She was quiet for a moment, she wasn’t necessarily shy but she had simply never seen a fellow like him. It was… Hard for her to really find the words she wanted to say.

“I must say, the wolves where I’m from look nothing like you,” she admitted. It wasn’t to be rude, but she just felt some sort of uncertainty because of it. What was this land? Was every wolf as tall as him? Did they have bears following them and saber teeth? If so, she was definitely out of place, and she wasn’t sure how exactly she’d get along with such individuals. “I’m Shika,” she introduced herself, trying to remain as polite as possible. He was still intimidating but she wasn’t going to let that get the best of her for now. She simply needed to remain calm and respectful, and she just had to keep her wits about.



"Speech"

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He smiled at her words. It was not the first time he had heard them. Many had been intimidated by the size and prowess of Deathbelles protector. As for the wolf before him, there was a simple elegance to this woman. At a glance, she seemed plain, clad in white and small in stature. On a second look, he found the orange trim of her tail, the lithe strength behind the coiled legs of her form. A huntress or a scout perhaps. Someone well accustomed to closing long distances. Thirdly, he would notice her eyes, and the depth of them. They reminded him of Poem, his one-time apprentice. Her eyes had been blue, with an underline of purple beneath her orbs. This wolf boosted one green, and one duel. Orange and yellow.

"Shika, well met. I'm Sirius Fatalis, Warlord of the Ashen Armada." His introduction was a long one. He had gained many names over the course of his life. It had been a long time since he was simply 'Sirius' another life time, it sometimes seemed.

"If not from Boreas, where do you hail?" He asked, her words easily giving her away as a foreigner. He was hardly the only giant in these lands.

The brute would introduce himself as Sirius Fatalis, and he added that he was a Warlord of the Ashen Armada. This was all quite a bit of information for Shika. She had never met a warlord before, let alone had she never been around an Armada before. Surely it had to have been militaristic or something, and she wondered what kind of life that was like. Surely that meant that he had been in plenty of battles before.

He asked then where she came from, and she assumed that this place was called Boreas. Her tail twitched slightly though when she thought of her home. “Someplace far away,” she simply said, and she gave him a simple shrug. Her pack had little meaning to her now, “It’s not all that important to me now, and my pack wasn’t all that amazing anyway,” she explained. It surely wasn’t an Armada, but nobody would have to worry about them coming here or anything. So far it didn’t seem like they had sent a search party for her anyways.

“So this place is called Boreas then?” she inquired, maybe if he was a Warlord he had some other important information on her surroundings. “I am… A foreigner I suppose, do you have any tips for me?” she added. Hopefully, she wasn’t asking too much from him, but she did need to learn more if she wanted to survive and eventually know her way around.

"Speech"

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Most newcomers seemed to hold little interest in speaking of their past. Whether they were running from something, or simply looking for something new, the past held no wonders for the wolves he met that were newly entered into this world. He was a little surprised at the level of discard in her words for her old home. He hoped he was making something with the Armada that left his wolves proud to be a part of it.

“Boreas is what we call the mainland, there are small islands dotted about the shorelines, and then a land mass smaller than this one to the South that we call Auster. There are currently eight packs in this world, with none in Auster. My advice would be not to tread on any borders you don’t wish to join” The Warlord remarked with a mild smile. He himself had taken over responsibility for trespassers in the past. One of which still stood in a slave rank in his roster.


"Speech!"

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The Warlord would explain to her that the mainland was definitely called Boreas, and then there was a smaller land to the south that was called Asuter. He informed her that there were eight packs within Boreas, but currently none in Auster. She had not been expecting such a number, and it was a bit overwhelming. Her own pack had seemed quite far from other’s, there was no rivalry or war. This place just seemed… Very populated. Yet, she was determined to make a new life out of this area.

He advised her not to tread on any borders she didn’t wish to join, and he offered a small smile. She would nod her head in understanding, “I will definitely make sure to be careful,” she told him. The last thing she wanted to do was to trespass on someone else’s land, she wasn’t entirely sure how other wolves could do such a thing. She didn’t want to make anybody upset, and she wasn’t really looking for trouble. “Where is your border?” she inquired, from what she could smell this didn’t seem to be anyone’s home. “Was I perhaps too close?” she asked him, maybe she had already made a mistake and she hadn’t realized it yet...

"Speech"

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She took his advice to heart, and even ventured an enquiry that ensured she had not already made such a transgression. He shook his head at her, nodding towards the West. “My pack lies in the Tall Grass Plains, and Sea’s Plains, both of which connect to these woods.” he explained, pointing with his nose in the general direction of both sections of his territory.

“Your close, but a polite distance, easily” he promised her. The woods were close enough that he often kept an eye on them, to know what was going on around his pack. He did not consider wolves that decided to tread here as intruders. If she had been too close, she would already know it. He had already claimed a wolf that had accidentally crossed his borders.



"Speech!"

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The brute assured her that she had not trespassed, luckily. He informed her that his territory was within two Plains, which connect to the woods that they had found themselves in now. She was simply close, but she hadn’t technically done anything wrong. That was quite a relief for her, and she would make sure not to go that way for now.

She nodded, “That’s good to know, I promise I won’t be crossing your borders,” she told him. Though the fact that he was a Warlord was intriguing, she wasn’t sure that kind of lifestyle was really ideal for her. So if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t think she’d be joining his ranks or anything. Though still, she was very curious as well. “What’s it like being a Warlord and all?” she inquired, hoping she wasn’t being too nosey. “I’m not much of a fighter, but I’ve only really heard tales of wolves like you,” she added.

"Speech"

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The pale girl looked curious, and uncertain. He deduced that she still had a lot left to learn about the lands around them. He had given her a quick rundown, but the future from there onwards would depend on her actions. He couldn’t help but wonder if she might join a pack, or remain a loner. Life was easier for those that joined the pack life. Wolves weren’t meant to be alone.

He chuckled softly at her question. “Let me let you in on a little secret - the bigger a reputation, the less fights you get into. I am first and foremost a guard - of my Empress, and of my pack. I put on a warrior's name, and posture, and in return, nobody bothers me and mine. It has been a long time since I have tru;y had to fight for them.” of course, that didn’t mean he was rusty. His reputation was well-earned.


"Speech!"

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