Pale feet carried her into the steaming pools of water with a pleased sigh. She walked further into the hot spring pool until she was able to settle down onto her stomach and have the warm water come up to her neck. Her paws were worn nearly raw from travel and her legs and muscles ached from the constant, rigorous training she had been doing to get her body back to the form it had once been in. There was progress being made, distance being put between herself and her past, but it was a long, grueling process. She wasn't often one to stop and rest, but when she happened across these hot springs she decided it was as good a reason to force herself to pause. If nothing else her coat was sorely in need of a bath with the pale, dappled tones being coated in grime from the miles she had crossed and her legs splattered with mud from the unseasonal thaw.

She found a rock that jutted out from the surface of the water and scooted toward it so that she could rest her head on it to fully relax. She wouldn't close her eyes and her ears were still very much alert to listen for anyone approaching, but her body at least was loose and enjoying the warmth seeping into her bones. She let a slow sigh out through her nose, her mind working and thinking in the momentary downtime. She needed a plan. She had scented a few different packs as she worked her way through the lands near by, but it was impossible to tell how one stacked up against another. It tempted her to simply walk up to their borders and start questioning them about their pack and their ways, but how was she to know if they were the sort to attack on sight or if they would try to take her captive? There was no distinguishing marks from their borders to warn her one way or another. At least the outright violent, bloodthirsty pack near her family's had the decency to hang heads from the trees near their territory as a warning.

Her toes worked and flexed against the bottom of the pool as she began to work through her thoughts, slowly rolling her shoulders with a grimace as she tried to stretch out a knot in her muscles. At least it was summer and the weather was making a turn for the better so if she didn't join up with one of the packs she wouldn't be in that bad of a spot. The lands around here seemed plentiful enough with prey. But did she want that? Without the structure and tasks to keep her focused what was she training for? She frowned with a huff. No, she needed to find a new home. Getting back to her family was a lost cause at this point so she just needed to keep trudging forward and see where she landed.

Acantha Elpis Stavros

Anxiety ran rampant through Aslatiel. Yes, she'd planned to get pregnant and produce the next line of Fatalis wolves, but she hadn't planned to do it immediately. Who even was the father of the children blooming inside of her? There was a one in three chance that the pups would come out purple. That in itself was enough to make Asla vomit. It wasn't that she didn't want Indigo's children. Gods... if she could have his pups without repercussions and the possibility of deformities... his pups would be the only beings to ever grace her womb. Since that wasn't the case, she had to hope that either Naiche or Mojito was the father. Having needed some time away, Asla went to the hot springs. Though the world was thawing, the ground was still pretty cold. The small woman could use some warmth. Some deep warmth. On her paws, at least. She'd heard somewhere that such intense heat was bad for expectant mothers and she was now in that boat. So, there would be nothing more than wading for the cream and grey fae. As she neared the springs, she noted the form of another wolf taking advantage of the heat. Asla considered turning and leaving, but her paws really wanted to be warm. Stepping out into one of the more shallow pools, Asla released a pleasure filled sigh. Warmth at last. "Speech"

The sound of someone approaching made her ear swivel toward the noise and she lifted her head, glancing toward the stranger. The smaller woman immediately waded into one of the nearby pools, clearly enjoying the warmth though she didn’t submerge herself the way she had. It made her curious, though the tan, gray and green marked wolf hadn’t acknowledged her and Acantha was perfectly fine with leaving it that way so perhaps she’d never know why. She settled her head back on the rock, though she kept an ear trained on the other woman out of caution.

Her mind went back to pondering her situation, wondering what her next steps would be. She wished there was some easy guide to explain each pack to her and tell her which ones she should be interested in. It was one thing to be born into a certain pack and role. Her life had been laid out for her and she had excelled at everything that had been thrown at her... Until it was all snatched away.

She let a slow sigh pass through her nose and made another curious glance toward the other woman. It was hard to tell if she had a pack scent on her or not with the strong scent of the hot springs in her nose. She was a small thing, but she could see the toned muscle of a fighter so she was certain she could hold her own. Considering she was close by and this was the first time Acantha had allowed herself to be within talking distance of a stranger, she decided to take advantage. Lifting her head again, she shifted to look at the violet-eyed wolf, remaining submerged in the water with just her head, neck, and the very top of her back exposed. “Excuse me,” she called, pulling her attention, “Do you know anything about the packs around here? Any opinions on which are worth joining?”

Acantha Elpis Stavros

As she absorbed the warmth, a voice from across the springs pulled purple eyes open once more. Asla turned her head, looking at the monochromatic woman. She asked about packs and if any were worthy of joining. Funny how the world worked, right? A soft, amused chuckle ghosted past Aslatiel's liver colored nares and she gave a light shrug. "There's only one pack worth joining and it so happens to be mine." Stepping from the water, Aslatiel moved closer to the large fae. The woman dwarfed her, but it was no matter. She'd grown up in the midst of giants. Asla seated herself at the edge of the pool, curling her striped tail around one shapely hip. "I am Aslatiel Fatalis. Reaper of the Armada. My father, Sirius, is the warlord." She motioned in the direction of Armada lands with a point of her muzzle. "We're a pack of warriors, but we also have healers, hunters, crafters. We work hard and we play hard." Asla noted the vibrant blue of the fae's eyes. She really was an attractive woman. She continued to appreciate the lady as she spoke."We're looking to fill our ranks with hard working wolves that want to become part of a cohesive unit. Devoted wolves. Trustworthy wolves." Perhaps she was coming on a little strong, but the waterlogged fae had brought it up. With so many of the Armada dropping off of the face of the earth, they needed to bolster their ranks. "Speech"

Acantha raised a curious brow when the cream-hued woman spoke of how the only pack worth joining was her own. It was a bold claim, but it certainly got the former princess' attention. Her aqua eyes followed the woman's movements as she left the pool she had been soaking her paws in so that she could come to the edge of hers, sitting neatly as she began to introduce herself and her pack. The Armada. With titles such as Reaper and Warlord she had no doubt that they intended themselves to be the pack of warriors she claimed them to be. Acantha briefly looked off in the direction that Aslatiel pointed out, noting that it was likely the pack she had scented shortly before coming here. They certainly weren't that far away from it anyway.

Her attention soon returned to the Reaper, blue-hued eyes finding the rich purple of hers. It was difficult not to get caught up in the fair features of the lady in front of her, though the talk of the need for devoted and dedicated wolves was certainly interesting enough. It reminded her so strongly of the speech her father had given her before instructing her to take over as the head of the guard. Retrain them, make them a cohesive group. Reign in the stragglers, fill in the gaps. It felt as if her purpose was finding a new use in what Aslatiel was describing - assuming that all of these bold words from the forward fae rang true.

The Stavros woman smirked as she chuckled softly, saying, "You make one hell of a sales pitch, Aslatiel Fatalis." She pulled herself up to sit on her haunches, water running off of her in streams, her white and gray speckled pelt clinging to every dip and curve of her toned body. "I'm Acantha Stavros. A pleasure." She looked over the smaller woman again with a curiosity. There was a lot of confidence and fire in such a small wolf, something she appreciated tremendously. She didn't often have the time or patience for anything less. "I'm not a hard sell. I need a purpose and if you can make use of my skills - which it seems like you can - then you have my interest. Living without a job to do doesn't suit me and I've only ever known being a warrior so that suits me just fine."

Acantha Elpis Stavros

Once she was finished speaking, the woman moved forward. Asla noted the sleek, toned form and boldly looked her over. If anything, Asla was far from shy. She appreciated the female form as much as the male form. The chuckle that came from the fae brought a smirk to the cream colored lady's scarred maw. She then gave her name which Asla accepted with a nod. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Acantha." As the fae continued to speak, listing just what she was looking for in life, Asla thought more and more that she would be a good fit for the Armada. "We fight hard for ours in the Armada. If you want a home where your efforts will mean something, I'd be glad to take you back with me and offer you a place. We'll need to speak to my father first, but he admires strength and determination just as much as I do." Sirius did indeed appreciate the strong, but he also appreciated the weak. Asla... not so much on that front. Everyone needed to be able to carry their own weight and contribute. If you couldn't... then you were useless. "When you're finished with your soak, we should return. It's not terribly far." A thought rose within the young Reaper's mind. "I'm actually looking for a personal guard, if you think you're up for the job." Having just learned that she was pregnant, Aslatiel would have to be more careful. No intense fighting for now and then no fighting at all as she progressed. She needed someone that would be at her side to aid as necessary. She could see Acantha taking that place, but only if she wished for it. "Speech"

Acantha was already enjoying the thought of this Armada that Aslatiel described. Fighting for her own was all she had ever really known, though in more recent memory she had mostly been forced to fight for herself. It would be good to get back to what she was good at, what she was born for. To have a purpose for her fighting and training, something to guard and protect, was all she really wanted out of her life. As if reading her mind, Aslatiel mentioned how they should get going when she was ready and then went on to offer her the position of her personal guard.

Surprise colored Acantha's expression, a grin pulling across her lips. A pack to join, a purpose to be had, and a noted place beside Aslatiel? Fate was being particularly kind to her today. It was about time it start repaying her for all of the torment she had been put through she supposed. She chuckled softly as she finished rising to her paws, lowering her head in a small bow to the lovely woman who would now be her charge. "Say no more, Aslatiel. I'd be honored." As she lifted her head she added with a protective gleam in her aqua eyes, "No one will get to you that you don't want there. I assure you." She grinned again and then went to walk out of the pool she had been soaking in, pausing at the edge beside Aslatiel to gently tap her nose on the top of the Reaper's head as if to say she was hers now.

"Shall we go then?" she asked with a grin, letting the rest of the water drip away from her body. It didn't slip past her that Aslatiel's eyes were even more lovely up close and she gave the smaller woman an interested glance before focusing on the trail ahead of them, walking toward the pack she had scented out earlier in the day. Her new pack - as long as her father agreed.

Acantha Elpis Stavros