Asteria didn't know what she expected when she'd set off in the direction of the lands her mother had spoken of. It was called Boreas. It was to the east of the lands where she'd been raised. You'll know when you see it... you'll understand. The way that Selene had spoken of it all, her daughter didn't really understand why. One night close to the end she'd told the story of a pack called Fiori, and a home that could have been. A love that could have been. The story weighed heavily on Astoria's mind, and it was the reason that she'd set out in this direction at all. Maybe... maybe they'd still be here? That was silly. It didn't matter, though. She was a romantic at heart. Maybe that pack still stood. Maybe that could be her home. Homesick for a place that she'd never been, and homesick for a place that didn't exist. The starry-eyed girl didn't know that yet, though. There was no way for her to know that it didn't exist anymore. It was evening when she arrived, the sun fading over the horizon. It cast the most gorgeous light on the gulley, and she couldn't help but take a long, deep breath in. It fills her lungs and makes her feel... makes her feel. Selene said she'd know it when she saw it, and she hadn't been wrong. This must be Boreas. The Fern Gulley was beautiful as it spread out before her, the summer night heavy with the anticipation of a new adventure. Something wonderful. Something beautiful was to come. "Talk" "You" Think

Today marked the first day of Fir's biggest and most important adventure yet.  The fae had left home with one very important goal in mind and nothing could stand in her way from it coming to fruition.  Nothing.  She was going to find herself a platypus.  But not just any platypus, no.  One like she'd never seen before in her whole life.  The perfect platypus.  She'd train the strange specimen to be her familiar and help with her 'magical practice'.  She would also train it to clean up the den.  Fir hated cleaning.  Nothing had ever been more important than this mission in the history of ever, and it was likely that nothing would ever be as important ever again. The swamp wolf started by travelling west, because west sounded like best and best could most certainly describe the platypus she was about to find.  It only took a couple of days for the yearling to stumble upon the most beautiful field of flowers she'd ever seen.  It was packed to the brim with useful herbs and flaura that she could use in her practice, something that she'd be absolutely geeked about if it were any other day.  Wonderful, sure, whatever, but platypi did not live in meadows.   Fir was vaguely aware of the other wolf that had already inhabited this location before she'd arrived, though for a good moment she did nothing to acknowledge the inky woman.  Too disappointed.  It was only when she remembered that she was trying to be less rude that the girl did speak.  "Hey.." she murmured, giving the woman an awkward nod.

Adventures, adventures. Asteria knew all about adventures. Adventure was all she knew, and all that kept her going. She needed to adventure, after all. This was something new and something beautiful, something wonderful. She'd take in the Fern Gulley for all it was, and then she'd roll on. That was what she did. The meadow spread out before her in all directions, and she took a few tentative steps within it. Asteria tipped her face to the evening breeze. Right, there was so much promise here. No telling what was to come... things were okay. That was part of the fun. A child... a green child. A green child with antlers. She enters Asteria's field of view, but she doesn't speak. That's okay, she understands not wanting to talk to strangers. Maybe the child has the right idea about things. Asteria doesn't stop taking in the Gulley for all that is has to offer. The swim had been long... maybe she spends the night here? It seemed safe enough, though there was activity in the distance. Still, she could maybe find quiet out here. Being alone was dangerous, but it's all she's ever known. The voice that reaches her is quiet. Hey, is all. "Hello," her voice is quiet in turn. There was no reason to shout, right? Still, there's a kind-enoughness to Asteria. Though nearly entirely certain about it, she had to make sure. Yes, she had to... she had to make sure. "Do you know if this is Boreas?" Making conversation wasn't her strong suit, but that was okay. Asteria is mild enough that it doesn't typically matter, after all. "Asteria"

The brief greeting had seemed to suffice and since pleasantries had been exchanged Fir immediately started calculating what the next move would be in her head.  She could keep going west because west was best, but there was also north and south.  North had no right in the word, as in 'No platypi'?  Maybe, or could it be more along the lines of 'No, yeah, there are platypi up here.'?  South had the word 'so' in it, as in 'Soooo many to pick from'?  Ugh.  Her head was starting to hurt. The fae had gotten so deep in her thoughts so fast that she almost didn't realize that the stranger had asked her a question.  "Huh?  Boreas? Er, yes?"  Fir questioned, tilting her head.  Of course they were on Boreas, what kind of question was that?  "Lorwan, onaoch shaykane wan 'orewore fan me mewan."  She grumbled to herself.

*** Fennish Translation:  Great, this one has injury to the head.

Pleasantries. Pleasantries were such an odd concept for Asteria. Yes, they'd speak with each other and then... would they go on their way? Did they have more to say? The life of a traveler was a strange one, though it's one that she doesn't mind much. Never putting down your roots, never getting close to anyone, just... rolling. Rolling on. The passing interaction with the child is one that she won't put much weight on, but the star soaked creature will simply... be. Gods, how she could only be. It's the only thing she's ever been much good at. She knows how to take up space. She knows how to exist. That's good enough. The child confirms it-- yes, this is Boreas. "I've made it, then." The words come with a sigh of relief. Her swim hadn't been for nothing. She'd made to to Boreas, and she was right in knowing that this place felt right. Selene had always said she'd know it when she arrived. Maybe that was true. There was something strangely fated about this place. Strangely, wildly, weirdly fated. Asteria couldn't put her hands on why, but did it matter? Did all of the whys of this place matter? No. All she knew was that this place had a strange magic, a strange gravity to it. Fated gravity that had pulled her in. It's brought her here, to this world of plants that stretched far out to the horizon, and the things that lay beyond. What was on the other side of the Fern Gulley? Maybe she'd have to find out, and sooner rather than later. But it's so nice here... ah, well. Wait, the child had said something more. Asteria's gaze flickers from the Gulley where it spread out before her to the girl once more. "Sorry, I didn't catch that," maybe she'd repeat herself if it was important. Did Asteria still have water in her ears? That must be the case. It doesn't even strike her that the yearling was speaking a different language entirely. "Talk"

Fir glanced nervously at the stranger while she stood there in what appeared to be contemplation.  The yearling had a horrible habit of saying things out loud instead of keeping not so friendly thoughts to herself.  Lucky for her it usually happened in fennish, and not a lot of wolves spoke fennish. "Oh.. Yeah.. Sorry.."  she shifted awkwardly.  "I asked if you've seen any platypi around.. and then I asked where you were from.." it was a lie, of course, but what the woman didn't know probably wouldn't hurt her.  If she came from somewhere familiar to Fir, the yearling would take her back and give her family and friends a stern talking to about letting wolves with amnesia run around all willy-nilly.  If not, well, she'd figure out something else to do with the weird foreigner.

That was true, Asteria didn't speak fennish. She didn't really know anyone who spoke much other than common, actually. That was okay though. Maybe she'd need to learn if she was going to stay here? It hadn't occurred to Asteria that the wolves who lived here spoke something else. Everything out here was a learning curve, and that was okay. She'd be okay, she had to be. Goodness, she had to be. Beside her, the yearling offered a translation. Had she seen any platypi? Asteria considered for a moment before shaking her head. "No platypi no... aren't they dangerous? Being venomous and all." Right, wouldn't it be dangerous for the girl beside her to go looking for them? Asteria figured as much. Then again, maybe she was trying to avoid the beasts as well. That was a possibility. What did she even want with a platypus? They were awfully strange creatures, really. At the question of where she was from, Asteria paused for a moment. It was hard to say when she'd never had so much as a home. Still, there was the last place she'd been... was that... was that it? Maybe. Maybe that counted as much as anything could count. "Far to the south west of here, across the sea." Did it have a name? Not that she was aware of, at least. "I've only just arrived." Asteria explained, her coat still holding some of the salty dampness of the sea. Yes, good enough she figured. Good enough. "Talk" "You" Think

Fir sat in silence for a moment mulling over what the stranger had just told her.  Platypi were venomous?  Well, that certainly was something to consider.  The yearling had already made her mind up, it was a platypus that would make her feel whole and a platypus alone, but she'd definitely need to go about capturing, handling, training, and all that fun stuff a little differently than originally planned.  Huh.  It was a good thing these two ran in to each other or Fir could have gotten herself pretty hurt.

"Woah, across the sea?"  Well now she felt bad for just assuming that the woman had some sort of head injury.  "Why?" the girl tilted her head.  Had the woman's home really been so bad that she had to swim far, far away to find somewhere new to live, or did she just get bored?

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fennish Translation:  N/A

I’m going down singing unholy hymns.

Well, Asteria could respect that the yearling had made her mind up. That, and the star-soaked woman wasn't her mother, so she could have at it if she wanted. Hell, Asteria wasn't anyone's mother... something that she could be blue about later. A later time, a different place. No, it would be later, when she was all on her own that she'd lament about still being on her own after all this time. Even Selene had given the world a child. No, don't think of it. Not now. As Asteria peered out over Fern Gulley, she needed to remember why she'd come at all. She couldn't lose sight of her purpose or her future. Was that a bit of awe in the girl's tone? Maybe it was confusion, actually, now that she thought of it. Not that Asteria blamed her. No, really, it would make sense. "Across the sea, where the trees stretch far into the sky, so far that you can't even tell where they end and the clouds begin." A bit of melancholy seeped into the edges of her tone. Asteria had been born there, sure, but was that even her home? Did she even have a home? Really, the woman could suppose that she didn't. In truth, she never had. "My mother spoke of Boreas often, and a pack called Fiori. She's gone now, and I'd like to find them and meet them." Right. She really was feeling pretty far away. "I'm Asteria." She introduced herself to the girl, only now remembering that she probably should. Oops. For how far away the woman is, sometimes she's forgetful. That was okay. "Talk"

"Woooaaahhhh" Fir exclaimed, so enamored with the thought of trees that touched the sky that she hadn't even noticed that the stranger had said it in tones that would indicated unhappiness.  She hadn't been to too many places around Boreas, but the fae was pretty positive that they didn't have any trees that even came close to that tall.  

"Fiori.. Never heard of it, where's it at?" The yearling hadn't heard of many packs, as a matter of fact.  She herself wasn't part of one, but from what she knew about them they sure sounded pretty similar to what she and the other swamp wolves had going on.  Must be full of pretty amazing people if the stranger was willing to give up her cool trees for them.

"Oh, Fir."  Whoops.  Names were important.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fennish Translation:  N/A

I’m going down singing unholy hymns.