He’d ventured eastward, mainly because Aurielle was giving him that look that suggested he’d been working too hard in her mind and needed to take a quick trip to see the world some more. Even though he was Sentinel, she seemed adamant that he should enjoy his life and not be a workaholic. So, he found himself standing at the top of these falls, watching a sunset. It should have been one of soft air, sweet with summer and flowers. But even here the strange chill, though loosening, was still present. He didn’t dip his toes in the water, simply settled on his belly, hanging his paws over the edge of the cliff, and watched the sky shift colors as the sun slowly sank into the ocean he could just glimpse on the horizon if he squinted. He was clad in his armor and cloak, as per usual—if he was outside Valhallan lands, especially this far away from home, he preferred being prepared in case some predator or stranger chose to attack him. He pondered that maybe he’d check out the hot springs, but already his mind was turning toward home as Chrys drifted down to perch on a rock nearby, head swiveling to watch the land around them. Enito was somewhere nearby, looking for plants that might have made it through the harsh seasons; Cai caught the occasional scuff or grumble from the monkey, somewhere around the corner out of sight. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Silent Adravendi was not too far from where the man relaxed, though she did not know he was there right away. She had fallen asleep beneath a bush that was sheltered from the public eye, keeping her dark frame hidden from view. When she awoke, the day had progressed just a little and the sun was working its way across the sky. Silent slowly opened her eyes, waking up from a sleep that had been just right for her young frame. She found herself lying on her back. causing her to roll onto her stomach before moving around the bush to properly stand. The young girl shook her fur out from all over and she yawned, revealing a couple of rows of little teeth that hadn't begun to grow. Her jaws silently chomped down and she looked around, sleep leaving her gaze as she began to figure out what the day held.

Her nose revealed the male's presence first; the scent of his large frame reached her and she turned her head in the direction of the source. She padded along on light paws, curiosity tagging alongside her like an invisible friend. When she reached the top of the falls, she saw him and his frame was contrasted against the sun that shone behind him. Bright eyes wandered along his chosen armor and she caught a stronger scent that was mixed with his original cologne. It was thick, heavy, and smelled like more than one wolf. What could that mean? Not wanting to appear rude and just staring from afar, Silent cleared her throat and waited until he acknowledged her presence before saying, "Hi!"

He heard the scuff of small paws well before the young throat cleared, though Crystal had already turned to pin the pup with an owlish stare, marking the pup’s location for Cairo. Cai smiled faintly, shifting to lounge with his hind legs to the side, a better position to twist his front end and look at the child, bi-chocolate-dipped tail tapping the ground in friendly greeting as he returned the greeting in kind. “H’lo. Nice sunset, eh?” His tossed his head slightly back over his shoulder toward the horizon now behind his head, forepaws crossing with a brief scrape of bear claws over the stone as he studied the pup. Another one without parents? Her scent was devoid of recent adults that he could catch, though there was a something to the scent itself that nudged at him. He introduced himself with his usual genuine good nature, smiling and dipping his muzzle in a nod. “I’m Cairo Adravendi, Sentinel of Valhalla. What’s your name?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

When Silent first appeared and saw the older male, she did not notice the other animal within his personal space. After a second or two to collect herself, she looked over and saw the impressive owl. The barn owl was watching her, as if anticipating her next move before Silent could. Silent was unaware of what it all meant, but she smiled warmly at the bird before ears perked and caught the male's baritone. 'H'lo. Nice sunset, eh?' He turned to look back at the setting sun and her gaze followed, black and silver paws carrying her forward so she could get a better view. "Yes sir," she replied, attention focused on it for a few seconds in order to appreciate it. "It's my favorite part of the day." Sunrises were beautiful and showed the beginning of a new day, but the sun setting was always proof that the day was done and a new one was on the way.

The brown male's attention then moved from the sunset to Silent, his assessment not lost in his bright eyes. This did not bother Silent in the least; his look was warm and curious, yet his questions were politely withheld until an appropriate time arose. He proceeded with an introduction, something Silent had wondered about. 'I am Cairo Adravendi, Sentinel of Valhalla...' When his last name left his lips and danced upon the warm air, Silent's eyes slowly widened in surprise. Another Adravendi? Was it true that there was such a thing? She froze, body becoming slightly stiff as she began to ponder if he was a long lost relative...or someone who just shared the name. It took her a few seconds to realize that he had asked who she was, causing her to visibly stir from her shock.

The realization that she was possibly speaking to a newfound, long lost family member was almost too much for her little body to take. She calmed herself down enough to speak in an awed whisper, "I am a pup of...any and everywhere," she said, following with, "Silent. Silent...Adravendi." She said her last name as if she were carrying a glass bird, afraid it would break if she held it too tight. Silent waited with hidden anticipation, curiosity tightening her mind's attention as she tried to figure out how this man would respond. She had not met another Adravendi since her parents had disappeared and it was quite something to experience this late in the day.

The girl seemed bright, as well as respectful, and Chrystal nodded to the pup in response to the smile, settling her wings as the two wolves spoke. Cai listened with a flashing grin as the girl – roughly six months or so, if his guess at her age was right – agreed at his remark about the sunset. There was more to that answer, he thought, but he didn’t pry, still puzzling over the lack of adult scents mingling with hers. His introduction struck a chord with the child, and he knew, when she answered, that she wasn’t just tacking the surname onto her own in hopes of finding a safe place. There was too much trepidation in her eyes, too much hope and recognition. And no Adravendi he knew, not even his own brother Artur in all his cold aloofness, would have left a child this young to wander alone. He tucked the sadness away—just because she was alone didn’t mean whoever it was that had sired or borne her was actually dead. It could, though, mean that they were in danger. He twisted and nosed open the flap on one of his pouches, dipping his muzzle in and tugging a packet free, setting it on the ground between them and using a claw of one bracer to break the beeswax seal, releasing an aroma of dried meat as he opened the packet further. It was one of several packets of jerky strips he carried, bison in this case. “Care to share dinner, Silent? It goes well with conversation and storytelling.” Enito came around the other corner, walking on three legs, the fourth carrying a bundle of sticks and stones. The mandrill eyed the pup before setting up the foundation of a small campfire, reaching over and plucking the flint and striker from one of Cai’s other pouches. A moment after he plucked a packet from the pouch, opening it to pull fluffy wads of tinder and setting it up. The monkey struck the stone and flint chunk together with a brisk crack and sparks flew; another strike and a healthy spark struck the tinder and smoldered, quickly nurtured and fed with twigs and gradually larger sticks as the infant flame grew into a healthy fire. The monkey moved to sit nearby as Cairo grinned at the child, adding to his offer, “Fires also make for good storytelling atmospheres, too.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

The atmosphere had slightly changed, only just, when Silent had revealed her surname. The older male showed interest, but the silence that had attempted to try and take over had been shooed away by his companions. In no time flat, another animal appeared, carrying tools that were foreign to the young girl. She watched with interest lighting her eyes as the monkey began to work, creating a fire from mere sticks and flint. The combined scents of the newly made fire and the dried meat hitting the air caused Silent's stomach to grumble. When was the last time she had a meal? It was probably the night before, but she could not distinctly remember at that moment.

When the older male offered her some food and a good storytelling atmosphere to boot, Silent was drawn in. She took a few more steps towards him, silent pads causing her to be pulled towards Cairo's personal orbit. Silent's green eyes rose to meet the man's warm face and she shyly smiled back. "Do they really?" she asked in awe, still surprised by the possibility that she was talking to a long lost cousin. Her smaller, black frame rested upon young haunches and she waited with polite eagerness for Cairo to offer a piece of what he had produced from one of the numerous pockets. She had never seen such a contraption before. "What do you call that?" she nodded towards his satchel. "I have never seen one before."

Like any child, curiosity drew the girl nearer, and he flashed a grin at the questions as he set the package of dried meat strips within easy reach. “They do, both for happy stories, and sad stories, but especially for scary stories.” Then, nodding to his armor, he worked each buckle undone and slid the armor from his frame, setting it between them as he explained, “This is armor. It protects me in fights, and hunts. And the four large pouches carry things like first aid supplies, travel food, and odds and bobs I find or gather along the way. Sometimes I might find plants or herbs that might be useful that I can take home for our healers to examine and identify. Or if I catch a small prey animal but don’t have time to skin it, I can tuck it in one of the pouches.” He showed the girl how each segment of the armor attached to each other, adding as he invited her to press a paw on the panels, “Humans from long ago left material called metal behind when they vanished. This armor has it between two layers of bison hide, for extra protection against my opponents’ teeth if they get a bite on my back.” He nodded to Enito, finishing, “The stitching was done with help from Enito there, and some of the other primates that became companions to some of our pack’s members. Their fingers are much more nimble than us wolves’ toes.” Mentally, he added, With the exception of Ardyn and Aoife’s. Regarding the girl, head cocked, he studied her again, wondering whose daughter she was, and where they were. But he didn’t ask. Not yet. That could be information that a stranger had no business asking, even one blood related. “Do you know any good stories?” Children, he found, had boundless imaginations, and he always found it enjoyable to hear about their fantasy worlds, or imaginary friends. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

When Cairo extended the invitation to eat, Silent did not hesitate to comply. One black paw with silver painted amongst the ebony reached forward, pulling the nearest piece of bison meat away from the pile to sit in front of her. Silent did not want to miss a moment of anything as she ate. She raised the meat to her mouth and began to chew, tearing apart the piece when it was too much for her smaller mouth. As she enjoyed the rich taste of the meat, she watched with focused attention on what Cairo did next. He was answering her questions and she was eager to learn.

The dark-furred male began to explain what he had on before she made her surprise appearance, showing her each piece of armor after he had it all removed. By this time, her chosen piece of meat was being thoughtfully chewed as her stomach sang for more sustenance and her brain absorbed Cairo's facts. She raised one paw, reaching out to touch the metal that he so willingly offered. He explained the finer workings of it, including the bison fur that came as an extra bit of protection for his back. "That way, no one can get you by surprise?" Silent loved to learn and the fact that he was encouraging it gave her a warm feeling.

He spoke of stitching and how most of the pack he lived in did not have nimble toes such as the monkey that was present. She looked at the finer stitches along the hide and she looked over at Cairo's primate companion. "That looks really nice," she said, giving him a warm smile before turning her attention back to Cairo. She had caught onto him mentioning he was in a pack with members and the thought of being surrounded by the same people every day caused her to miss her parents. For one hidden moment, Silent became homesick. It was a fleeting moment, but it still came to greet her, just the same.

Instead of talking about it, though, she ignored the feeling as Cairo asked her if she knew any good stories. By that time, she had reached out for another piece of meat. The action was frozen for a second or two before she rolled the question over in her mind. "I-I think so?" she softly said, pulling the meat towards her and taking a bite. After chewing for a few more seconds, she swallowed and added, "Would you like to hear it? It's not very long, though."