The desert was a far cry from Glaciem, which inhabited the icy expanses of the North. It still wasn't home to Irin, despite how long she had lived there. It might be, with time, and she liked the wolves well enough, she supposed, but she was intimidated by them. It was easier to deal in her imagination and dreams than to pretend that she was comfortable around the wolves of Glaciem, who were all so confident and happy and such things. And so Irin had wandered a little (a lot) and had found herself here, in these mysterious and very hot lands. She wasn't sure she entirely approved of them. Almost as soon as Irin had approached the dry expanses of western Alacritia, she had found herself missing the coolness of Glaciem's lands. Even in summer, they never approached the soaring heat that this place posessed with a vengeance. Irin didn't like it one bit, but this was the kind of place that Irin could find her newest prey; wolves that breathed fire. She could pretend that they existed in a place like this, where fire would probably be cooler than the dry air that Irin breathed. She was already pretty much miserable. Maybe it was time to head back. And yet, Irin didn't want to give up. No, her prey had to be close by. And so Irin soldiered on, padding along through a basin that had probably once contained water, so long ago that only the earth remembered it. Things would be so much easier if she could talk to the earth. It could surely point her in the direction of the things she sought, and tell her stories of the many interesting wolves that had walked across the earth's surface. Oh, that would be lovely! "speech"

Aeil wasn't sure if she had been this far out before. True that she was a Rogue before she joined Seracia, but the places she had visited had varied and didn't stick out in her mind for too long. Sure, the memories were priceless and she would remember the wolves she met, but the settings sometimes left her mind. Now, as she braved the rough terrain that was filled with sand and reminders of a river that was no longer there, she wondered what significant purpose this place would hold for her in the future. The heat was something that Aeil wasn't used to. Being born in a climate where the snow and cold winds were normal, everyday weather settings for her, Aeil's thick coat and paws were only pieces of proof that her body would rather be in a Northern setting. Once she had joined Seracia, however, she had learned to adapt to the land and its mid-temperatures. Now, as the summer was at its peak, she had a secret distaste in her mind at the idea of how ridiculously sweltering the day had become. Surely, there was a good enough reason to be out here! She was trying to distract her mind from the murky thoughts of the summer heat when her nose picked up on a familiar scent. All ideas of how horrible the sun felt on her thick pelt were cleared from her busy brain and she honed in on the new distraction. Closing her eyes, Aeil deeply sniffed the air, inhaling the scent and trying to remember a face with it. She recalled a bit of colorful flowers, tropical trees, and a lovely sunset that was shared with a white female with a short attention span...Irin! Eagerly, Aeil's light blue eyes looked around the vast desert, hoping to see a speck of white that stood out against the bland scenery. It wasn't until she looked to the farthest side of her left eye's point of view that she was able to see what she was looking for. Moving in her direction, unknowingly, was a white female. With a cautious step and mind, Aeil began to wander in that direction, hoping that it was the female she had grown to like after the first meeting. A brisk wind blew past Aeil and she knew that with it, her scent would dance along its flowing, invisible waves. "speeeeech"

,

You used to say I wont know a wind until it crossed me, like I wont know real love 'til I've loved and I've lost it The dainty figure found her light gaze settling on a dark shadow against the desert sand, and Irin grinned widely. It seemed she had found what she sought; the mysterious wolves of the desert who exhaled fire. She set off in the direction of that wolf, white tail waving happily in the air behind her as she padded along with a singleminded focus on her goal; the dark wolf that stood on the horizon. She seemed to realize that something was off only when the wind stirred, carrying the scent towards Irin. She would have thought that the scent would be smokey and strong, but it was instead, light and feminine and distinctly familiar. Aeil, her mind supplied the name, along with memories of their previous run-in. The other female was a friendly enough creature, and despite the disappointment that flickered in her thoughts because this was definitely not the creature that Irin had sought, she was still excited to see a friendly face. Aeil had never seemed to want anything from her either, which didn't mean much considering that they had only met once, but it was enough that Irin made her approach with a wave of her tail, calling out the other female's name as she drew closer, "Aeil!" Irin chirped the word out, tail wagging eagerly in the air as she bounded towards the black female, "Hello!" She greeted the other as she drew closer, slowing to a stop as she approached the black she-wolf. Now, Irin waited, head tilted slightly and her tail wagging eagerly, to see how the other would react to her approach. Would she be irritated or angry? Would smoke dance from her nostrils, proving that she was a wolf that Irin had sought out? That much, Irin doubted. Surely she would have noticed if Aeil breathed fire during their first meeting. But it was a possibility, right? And if there was one thing Irin was good for, it was seeing all the possibilities. Even if they were so remote that they seemed all but impossible, like wolves breathing fire. "speech"

The white form that was racing across the flat land was immediately familiar to the gray female. It took a minute for her eyes to get used to the heat from the land and the light from the sun, but she knew who it was by the scent that flew on the coming breezes. Her heart rate increased at the realization of who it was and she also increased her walking pace to get closer. A warm greeting from the white female made Aeil grin and she gave a bark of greeting for her response. Once Aeil was within a better hearing distance, she gaily yelled, "Irin!" The female's name rolled from the dark fae's tongue, rising into the air and reaching her ears without a problem. Happiness at realizing that she had a familiar face in these unfamiliar parts of Alacritis was indeed evident in the way she padded towards her counterpart. Aeil gave a nuzzle in greeting to Irin's cheek and she whimpered lightly. "I have missed you, my friend!" She padded beside Irin in the direction she had come, waiting to see if she would walk alongside her. "Please, don't hesitate to tell me everything that has happened with you since we last met." "speeeeech"