The journey had been a long one, finding leads and chasing dead ends. Catching just a hint of her passing, and having it lead him here. So far from home, where the very world seemed alien and different from the lands he had come from. Was there anything here like the Kingdom he had left behind?

His one and only edict was to bring home the heir, whatever the cost. He had not let himself dwell too heavily on his instructions. He had been raised to obey war-captain father, and to obey the crown. The Heir was the authority of the crown in this distant land, and his friend to boot. Could he truly drag her home against her will? He wasn’t keen to find out.

His worries didn’t lessen his search, concern for her safety drove him onwards. Hungry and footsore, the soldier found himself amongst the tall branches of the mangroves as the sun began to set. Weary, he found the driest patch of land nestled against the trunk of a tall tree, and settled down the night. His only company was the plague of his thoughts.

"Speech"

The galaxy colored princess was content in spending her days alone and exploring the new lands in which she called home. This place was expansive and although she had considered joining a pack to settle into the life of typical wolves, she wondered what all could be out there for her. She wanted to explore and see the land before settling down somewhere without knowing what she was missing. Maybe there was a better place that where she would settle and that certainly wasn't something she was comfortable thinking.

She'd been residing in eastern territories for some time now, particularly the damp mangrove that she would have never been allowed to visit had she been back home. This place was far too dirty for a princess, but that was all the more reason she was enjoying it now. It was an unfavorable place to be, especially now with the cooler winds making the damp air even cooler. Frost clung to the swampy grasses, though only enough to melt as soon as it was touched. It still wasn't terribly cold, but definitely colder than she was used to.

It had been months now since she first settled in this new land and so picking up a scent she recognized caught her by surprise. She hadn't met many besides a matching purple boy and this certainly wasn't his scent, or any of the other scents she'd picked up on while traveling this area. This was more than familiar, honestly. This scent was ingrained into her brain like family, and he was probably the closest thing she had to family anymore.

Although the skip in her heartbeats excited her, it also worried her. She knew he likely would've been seen down to search for her and ultimately bring her back to the throne and altar. Stopping in pawsteps, she weighed her options. Meteor had been her best friend since they were pups, did that mean anything to him now? Or would he simply collect her and return her like he was told to do?

A hard swallow settled her decision and she hesitantly moved forward to investigate the scent and see where he was hiding. She wondered how he found her all the way out here anyway, or if it was simply by chance they ended up in the same place. Once she found his relaxing form underneath one of the many trees, she paused with a great distance between them, in case she needed to flee.

"M...Meteor?" She called out quietly, unsure if it was him by sight but certain by scent.

His eyes slid closed, almost against his will. He still needed to walk the perimeter of the spot he had chosen to bed. Astra would be set on watch for the first half of the night, and Meteor would wake for the second. He was not comfortable sleeping without eyes in this strange part of the world. Right at this moment, it seemed almost like more effort than he could bear. He had been walking from sunup to sunset, and a few minutes of shut-eye could only improve his life...

What he had not expected, was for his ward to appear, dropped on his lap like a star falling from the sky. At the sound of a voice, his eyes shot open, and he leapt to his feet. Fur bristling, teeth bared, and then common sense caught up with him. He blinked, startled, and his maw parted in surprise. “Nebs? Nebs? Is that really you?” he looked out into the fading light, and found her star-marked coat with ease. She was lit like a starry galaxy, and by the gods, was she a sight for sore eyes.

"Speech"

Although she had clearly started him, Nebula visibly jumped when Meteor snarled at her. Every bone in her body wanted to run, fearing the worst that he was going to chase her down and return her to the kingdom to be married to that snake. Weren't they friends? Didn't he know how much she hated living there, forced into rules she didn't understand or believe in, and made to marry a man that was no good for her, let alone the kingdom? She was about to make a run for it after her moment frozen in fear, but his features changed and he spoke gentler than his reaction before would have suggested.

She relaxed, but only just a bit, and allowed herself to breathe again. "It is.... really me." She swallowed a hard lump she'd developed, though the tone of her voice suggested uncertainty and a bit of fear. She wanted to run forward and embrace her best friend, but she knew why he was here and even though she wanted to, she couldn't trust that he wouldn't do exactly as he was told to.
"Speech"

He could see immediately that he had frightened her. His closest friend throughout all of his childhood, before adult life and responsibilities had muddied the waters between them. When he was young enough to see her only as ‘friend’ and not his future leader, heir to the throne. He felt the immediate flood of regret, wishing she had not seen him snarl.

He didn’t try to approach her, she stood at the end of his camp like a fledgling. Wings spread, and flight but one quick movement away. After all his searching, he had found her, and there was no trust in the soft starlight blues of her eyes. That was her right, after all, he was here to bring her home. He wanted her home. He missed the sight of her in the familiar pastures of their homeland. “I’m glad. You had me worried there, Nebs.” she wasn’t a warrior, and the world out here could be harsh and short lived. He forced himself slowly back down into a seated position.

"Speech"