He could tell by the lengthening of the days and the shortening of the nights that spring was finally upon them but each morning that he woke up, expecting the air to be warmer, felt bitterly cold. This morning was no exception, the bitter cold acutally waking him up from his sleep. His oceanic blue eyes flickered open and a shiver ran down his spine before he lifted his paws and looked towards the mouth of his den. He could tell just by the smell, it was snowing and snowing hard, the air so cold that his breath fogged even inside his den. He looked worriedly at Enzi who was huddling up in her perch that he had brought in his den for her. He was glad he did as he was sure it would be much too cold for her outside now. Was this elongated winter normal for this land? A deep frown pulled at his tan lips as he noticed the snow nearly covering the entrance of his den. He did not want to step outside for he knew the air would be even harsher out there than it was in here but he could not be lazy and allow the snow to trap them.

With an annoyed flash of his fang the Vaekhal male got to his paws and used his shoulder to push through the accumulating snow and scrambled his way outside of his den. Drachen hissed a breath as the cold tore at his flesh through his thick pelt and he had to fight the urge to crawl back into his den. He glanced up at the sky, thick grey clouds rolled threateningly above him with the promise of even more snow. "Well... best get to it." With s displeased wrinkled snout, Drachen began moving the snow away from the mouth of his den and piled the snow up in a way that would hopefully keep the snow from building up as bad. Soon his paws started to go numb and ice balls began to form in between his pads and he had to stop with his wintery excavation to chew out the ice from his paws.

Aurielle Adravendi

Spring had sprung, but it seemed Winter had caught it in its claws and slapped it back to the ground like a vindictive tiger. Her children’s birthday had been engulfed not by the subtle nuances of spring, but by a howling blizzard that put the one she’d led a raid in to shame. She was pretty certain the tents would have been ripped from their moorings in the healer’s camp had she chosen that blizzard to fight in. Today was relatively peaceful, though snow was falling thickly around the Spirit as she padded along the wall, wondering if they’d be walking level with the top of the wall on snow if this weather kept up. On the one paw, that might make building the wall higher easier, though on the other, the snow might not pack that well. Her breath fogged the air in a long sigh as she scanned the ever-falling veils of snow, glowing tail swaying as she paused, paw lifting. If this kept up and messed with the prey, they might have to raid in earnest at some point, but she’d need intelligence on packs. Her course turned, patrol finished anyway, and she loped, bounding through the snow to where she knew Drachen had settled in. She arrived to find the entrance to his den blocked. She paused, ears perking. She could hear some digging from inside, and soon bent to begin shoveling from her side, peeking over the top of the hole she eventually cleared out, head cocked, and eyes faintly amused. “Some weather, eh?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Drachen allowed himself no rest after he finally removed the last bit of annoying ice that had hardened between his paw pads and returned to his work, a scowl on his face when he realized the snow had built up more than he had originally thought. He was lucky that he had built his den larger than what was really needed for him alone but now that extra space provided a place to pile the snow he moved. Moments later his dark ears perked as he caught the sound of claws scratching and snow moving on the other side, causing his scowl to shift into one of puzzlement. Was someone really coming to his aid? He expected to be left to his own since he was the newest subject of the pack, at least that was how his birth pack worked. Finally with their combined efforts the dull light on the other side filled the inside of his den, outlining the face of Aurielle. Drachen's face flashed in surprise but he quickly recovered and chuckled at her remark before returning with one of his own. "Just another lovely spring day."

He shoved out a bit more snow out of the way before the opening was big enough for his body to fit through. He waited a moment for the Spirit to allow him to leave his den and out into the open. Once he was out, he dipped his dark face in a short bow in greeting before meeting her gaze. "Thank you for you help." his hushed tones rumbled genuinely. She certainly saved him some work with the amount she had moved from the outside. His oceanic blue eyes flicked towards the den, his ears flicking forwards as he checked on Enzi but the bird was tucked safely in his den, probably still sleeping. Drachen returned his attention to the Spirit, realizing that she must have come out of her way to come by his den, which was located somewhat away from everyone else. "Is there anything I can help you with, Spirit?" he rumbled respectfully, having an idea that she might be here to talk to him about his debt now that it was spring.

Aurielle Adravendi

Soon enough, Drachen was revealed, and she caught the brief flash of surprise before he answered her remark with a quip of his own. She snorted in brief mirth and joined him in digging out more of the den opening and stepping back as he took stock. “Of course. This weather is so unseasonable…” She gazed around at the white-blanketed world around them with a shake of her head. She tilted her head as he inquired after her smiling lightly. “I wouldn’t say no to some company while I work on building the foundation of a tower on the top of the hillock there.” She nodded her muzzle toward the hillock rising distantly out of the plains. It was the only heavily wooded place in the plains, nearly at the heart of the land, and the only notable hill. It was no mountain, but it was stony, craggy, and good climbing. She’d been working on the spot at the top, preparing the area for a foundation. She was doing her best to work from memory of the Castle she and Red had visited on their vacation turned honeymoon. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Drachen's deep blue eyes followed Aurielle's motion towards the center of Valhalla territory to the hill and the foundation of a tower being build upon it. She desired some company while she worked on it and Drachen almost huffed in shock that she only asked for his company. His Father would have buried his fangs into the hide of a subject that was standing around while he worked. Well, it would have been his own fangs at his Father's orders, while the King stood back and watched. The Vaekhal male quickly shook off his memories and focused back on the Spirit. "I can offer both company and a set of paws to help you build." Drachen replied with a light smile, though his eyes gleamed in such a way that it was obvious he would not allow himself to stand idly by while she worked.

His long dark legs then carried his forward, pausing to wait for Aurielle to walk with him and then continued towards the hill. His deep blue eyes studied the parts of the foundation that was already there and tried to imagine what the tower would look like when it was completed. If it was to be anything like the ruins that he had come across when he first arrived here then it would be a remarkable site to behold. Drachen scanned the plains around them then returned his gaze back to the hill. It would be a perfect place for a guard or a sentry to keep watch over the lands and not much could get past a watchful guard. "This will be remarkable once it is finished. I have never seen such a thing when I was in my homeland." he rumbled, glancing at the Spirit for a moment, curious about what other things the woman planned of building.

Aurielle Adravendi

His extended additional offer only enhanced the smile on her features, and she nodded in acceptance, glancing down into his den, glancing up at him as she added, “Is Enzi alright or still sleeping?” She wouldn’t blame the hawk for sleeping in—it was a cold day, snowy when it should have been thawed, and if she, herself didn’t have all the duties and projects of an alpha to attend to, she would probably have been tucked into bed against Red, probably half buried under whichever children, though yearlings, had decided to cozy up in the alcove with them. Ardyn was fast growing too big to pack into their alcove with both of them, but she cherished even the cramped conditions. She led the way, and after a few minutes of brisk travel they passed into the trees, winding through the woods on a meandering path well-worn by years of paws and now even more by Taliesyn’s hooves, which had done a good job of keeping the snow down to a manageable slush an inch thick over the dirt. In time, she turned onto a wide, cleared trail and began to lead the way up. From a far distance, the hillock could appear small, yet, once closer, the hillock proved to be at least four-hundred feet tall, maybe a bit taller, maybe less. The pathway that led up was tactical, with several spots that still needed fixed in such a way that scaling them was simpler. But, in time, the summit was before them, and the large circle of foundation. Aurielle grinned, head cocking as she asked, “What was your homeland like?” She studied the foundation, herself, tongue ticking against her teeth in thought. It was roughly twenty feet in diameter, and she wondered how tall the pack could build it. Hopefully tall enough. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aurielle was quick to ask him about his companion and the woman's inquiry to his hawk's health was a welcomed one and made the brute's tan lips dance in a warm smile. "She is indeed well, annoyed with the lack of spring but well. She said she was off to hunt and do a quick patrol around the border." Drachen replied, his oceanic blue eyes gleaming happily. Are your companions well? How are they fairing the extended cold?" the black and tan male continued, remembering the large feline that fought the bear with him and Ardyn and also the little lemur he had met when Aurielle found him washed up on the beach. He did not know much about lemurs or large cats but he could only assume that they were just as sick of this never ending winter like the rest of them.

It wasn't long before they came to the hill in question, Drachen's blue gaze flicking up towards the top and at part of the stone structure he could see. He followed behind the Spirit as she led the way towards the top and he carefully observed the pathway they walked on, looking for any weaknesses or potential areas where enemies could exploit and filed them away to mention on a later date. Then after some time of climbing, the pair finally reached the top of the hill and foundation of the tower laid bare before him. The male walked in a small circle as he studied the foundation and how the stones were placed in the most sturdy of manner. Curious, Drachen neared the stone wall and placed a paw on top and gave a small push of his dark paw, then nodded in satisfaction when it refused to budge. The dual colored male then turned his attention to Aurielle as she also made her round checking the progress of the foundation.

Her next question was not a surprise to him as he knew it was bound to be asked some time but it did not stop the slight hardening of his deep blue gaze and the subtle raise of his fur along his back before his pelt smoothed once more. "Certainly not like this....." He replied with a soft huff. Quickly he continued on when he realized that answer could have come off as rude. "It was an Empire of kill or be killed. My father, Kublai, was the ruler of the Vaekhal Empire, tyrant really... I am his bastard born son but at the first year of my life, he was kind enough, stern, but treated me well as at that time I was his only son." His blue eyes drifted from his company as he spoke, remembering the easier times of his life. But a season after I reached a year, the King and Queen had a litter and only one survived, a son. Then as he had a legitimate son to the throne, I was no longer really his son but another one of his subjects, only the training he had worked so hard to instill in me could not be so easily cast side. Not long after that, he used me more as a set of dirty fangs in the night to punish those who had upset him in some way."

Drachen met the Spirit's gaze fully then, laying bare of what and who he truly was. His claws and fangs were stained with the blood of many wolves, some innocent of the crimes his father charged them of but powerless to resist his orders. Would this alpha and her pack really want someone like him to stay under their roof and live within their borders? After a moment of silence his tan lips parted and he spoke once more "Washing up on that beach was a blessing that I am forever grateful for." his hushed tones rumbled truthfully as his eyes searched her's for any sort of disgust or anger that his past may had sparked. He hoped with everything in his being that she would still accept him but he was not naive enough to expect it.

Aurielle Adravendi

She listened; eyes intense as Drachen spoke of his past. She could see he expected disgust, most likely, but the only disgust she felt was toward the male who’d sired him. “Illegitimate or not… you were his son… he should have honored that, even when a legitimate heir was born.” Her head tilted as she regarded him, a smile ghosting over her features as he spoke again. “Quite often, Boreas and Auster are lands of new beginnings, new lives, new chances. What happened across the water shaped who you are, forged your skills, but here, you decide what facets shine brightest.” She studied him, then cast her eye thoughtfully over the foundation. Hopefully, she could find a way to shape and cut the stones for an easier, tighter stonework that might keep out the weather as surely as any cave. A trip to Amron’s Castle might have been wonderful, but Lyr had flown that way not long ago and had reported a pack taking up residence there. Pity. There was the place Drachen had mentioned, and she planned to go visit it to see what she could learn about the stonework there. “Ideally, I’d like this to be two or more floors tall. Not only a watch post, but a place for other activities. The openings will have to be tall enough for Taliesyn, of course…” She chuckled at the thought of the stallion squeezing his way through a doorway. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

He stood tall and tense, his eyes watching the woman in front of him intently as he waited for her judgement... for the sign of disgust and aggression that he expected to come after such a story of his past. But after seconds that left like an eternity, a silent pause of his breath, he was not met with anger towards him but towards his so called father. His nostrils flared as he released the breath he had unconsciously been holding and his deep blue eyes blinked in brief surprise. The Spirit continued on and just like that she eased the tension from his body and the worries he had about the effect of his past would have on this place. She insisted that Boreas was a place that he could choose who he wanted to be and having such freedom was something that was so new and foreign to him but he liked the feeling. A ghost of a smile of his own slowly danced on his tan lips and his gaze broke with her's when she looked away and he took another moment to observe the foundation that was being built.

Aurielle spoke of how she wanted the tower to be a few floors tall and large enough for the stallion to comfortably pass through as she wanted the tower to be used for other activities. His mind traveled back to the ruins he had found in his early days on Boreas and his tan brows curled slightly together as his mind began to work. Several moments passed as he walked the stone circle, his eyes flicking from the stone wall to the center and then to the sky as he tried to imagine the finished product. "There will probably have to be a center pillar to support the weight of the floors if you plan of using stone for the floor... At the ruins I found, it seemed to be in all the tall structures." he rumbled thoughtfully. "I also noticed what seemed to be a mixture of dried thick mud.... or clay... that was between the stones... I imagine that it was to keep the weather out but also help keep the stones together." Drachen finished, his dark paws coming to a stop as he turned and face Aurielle once more. Maybe she had already thought of this but he figured it wouldn't hurt to suggest, sometimes a new perspective on a situation was just the thing needed to make things work.

Aurielle Adravendi

She saw the moment he understood that she held nothing of what he might have done in his past against him. He’d been done wrong by his sire. Had her own father sired a child that wasn’t technically legitimate, she would likely not have been the alpha of Valhalla. He would have honored his paternity. Then again, Regulus wasn’t one who would have slept around, being of the old-fashioned sort that had shared his bed only with Solveiga, and only after they’d become mates. Granted, she was as much of an old-fashioned type as he was. Amos had begun to capture her heart, but he’d vanished, and then Red had come along. Of course, it had taken the sabered, gold-brindled russet man actually laying it out in front of her to realize that the feelings were mutual. Her lips twitched wryly at the memory as she watched Drachen examine the structure, making note of what caught his attention. She listened with interest as his own assessment, eyes tracing the air, imagining the pillar, and adding to it with her own thoughts. “And perhaps timbers for the floors… I recall seeing something quite similar at the Castle Red and I explored in Auster. It was almost completely intact from what I recall. Hell, if Valhalla didn’t have such strong ties to these lands I might have decided to move the whole pack there.” She chuckled softly, then added, “That substance was mortar, I think. We’ve tried several mixes on the wall over the past couple of years or so. Some held up better than others. It’s best to do when the weather’s warm enough for things to set. With this icy chill, it’ll freeze and just crumble instead… I really hope summer is an improvement.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think