Reality was finally starting to set in. While she still felt a twinge of guilt for rising to power during a time of terror, Celeste was ready to take what was hers. With her small crew in tow, the petite wolf was proud of herself as she crested a rather tall dune. Spread out around her were miles of sand and cacti. Not typically the ideal place to call home, but they would make it work. Tucked away behind the red mountains that separated the west from the east, she found a large oasis with wide-leafed palms and sparse grass spots. They would start their new lives here. Tilting her ivory chin to the sky, the horned woman let out a call. Welcoming her followers and any loners who wished to seek a home. Open to even other packs coming to say hello, she smiled. This was hers. Disbelief rocked her as she felt the sweat of the warm afternoon sun prickle along her spine. Making her way down the dune's slope toward the oasis, she approached the edge of the pool where she had set aside an area for others to rest in the shade with beds made from palm fronds and bushels of grass. It would take time for her and the others to accrue enough of a food supply before they could host any real parties. Taking a seat by the pool's shore, she paced back and forth. Hopeful and waiting for even one wolf to show up, Celeste kept her gaze on the distance. ooc. aw post for anyone to come celebrate the beginning of ethyria with celeste!

Zoey was amazed at all the environments she'd encountered on Boreas. She'd conquered lush valleys, tall-treed forests, frosted arctic lakes and tundra, and finally, a desert. Practically the entire world, right on one continent. The goggled yearling realized her accessory came in handy in the sandy terrain - not only protecting her eyes from the harsh rays of the daytime sun, but also to keep grains of sand from hurting her eyes. She'd followed Celeste from the massacre up north, having shed her tears and left her darkness behind. She was determined not to let it bother her so much. Not anymore. Though the nightmares would persist, and the prickle of sadness still crept up her spine, Zoey was rejuvenated rather than sluggish as she loped energetically after the horned woman she'd befriended. Upon hearing the woman's clear call, ringing out into the golden expanse and infinite cerulean sky, the russet girl approached her new leader with a more eager spring in her step. Her expression merged into one of awe as she spotted the palm tree oasis, and the sparkling lake in the center. A lake, thriving in the middle of a barren desert? Certainly was was worthy of studying and researching. Not to mention the species of animals and plants here were hardy, built for the sand and lack of water. She was eager to prove herself to Celeste, the woman she felt saved her yet again from a life of loneliness and misery.

"Wow, Miss Celeste!" She said, her voice that of a childlike squeak as she drank in the sight with wide eyes. Even a genuine smile lifted her lips, thn parted in an expression of pure excitement. Turning to the splotched woman, she added with a wag of her tail, "This place is amazing!"



Speech

He knew the direction they were travelling and for a moment he faltered in his steps. He hadn’t been home in a loooong time, and if they happened to pass by the plains or the moor and find them gone… then what? But their steps stopped short of the place of his birth and that would remain a question to be asked another day.

The dunes were hot and shifting but at least they had a water source. Perhaps he had leapt in a little too quickly with the way the hot sun beat down on his dark coat, but the tusked man wasn’t one to think much before agreeing to do anything, so he would see this through. Arvid nudged his leg aside to use the taller wolf as a source of shade and the boy grinned, yeah, shade was what they needed and there was some down there by the water. He wondered if the banks of the oasis would be muddy enough to wallow in?

When Celeste called, he gave a short howl of his own before making his way to the waters edge. Arvid didn’t wait before barrelling into the water, splashing Arne in the process. Well, it was enough to take the edge off.

"speech".

running around like a clown on purpose

A new pack was rising, and it was about time Pandora returned to the life of a pack. The wilds were all good and well, and the traveling priestess had found and seen many things, but as she was getting older and on in years, it was best that she settled down now. She didn't know who the new leader of this pack was, nor did she really care. As long as it wasn't a klein, at least. They had failed the family name over and over, and she was disgusted to find that Ashen still remained, albeit quiet and kept to themselves. Perhaps whoever was left in charge there had brought the name to shambles. Shame. The Klein name meant little these days, and she decided she'd rather not associate with anyone that claimed to be a Klein if they weren't up to par with her father's ideals and the way she had grown up. Call her old-fashioned or whatever, but she clung stubbornly to the old ways.

She approached the small group, bi-colored eyes taking in the few forms that were here before she looked to the one she assumed had made the call. "Hope I'm not too late. Pandora, a priestess looking to settle."

A quick border patrol revealed nothing to worry about, so with this job done Kuroki made his way to the middle, where wolves were starting to amass. He waved his tail high in a friendly greeting, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth it'd take him some time to get used to the climate but he'd manage, probably. As long as they had food, water and some shade to rest he knew they'd make it. It seemed as though Cel had managed to gather some unfamiliar faces, the more the merrier he thought. Moving his way to the shore of the oasis, he took a moment to dip his paws in. Let his body cool down as he glanced up to watch the leaves of the palm trees hang loose and still. Not a single waft of breeze to be seen. "Better to be late than early, if you ask me."

The wolves she was familiar with began to gather and Celeste gave them each a smile. Turning her attention first to Zoey, she nodded with a light laugh. "I am sure there will be plenty here for you to explore and discover," or so she hoped. Celeste wasn't the best at nature things, but compared to other areas of the continent they lived on, the desert was probably the most unresearched. As she would open her mouth to speak again, the call of Arne and his companion caught her attention just in time to see the pig barrel into the cool waters. A louder laugh left her lips as she shook her head. "I see Arvid is enjoying himself," she chirped toward Arne before her nose twitched at the scent of a newcomer. Swiveling to spot the chimera female, Celeste waited apprehensively until the greeting filled the air. Her nerves instantly settled and a smile returned to her ivory lips as she closed the space between her and Pandora. "Welcome to Ethyria, Pandora! As all the others will have a chance to, if you're wishing to stay, you are welcomed with open paws and are free to voice if there's a particular rank you'd prefer," Celeste's voice is sweet and pleased as she wags her tail excitedly behind her. From the corner of her eye, she spies Kuroki arrive and settle into the shallows of the oasis. She would have time to show her appreciation for his hard work later.

Zoey grinned as the woman laughed lightly at her words about the beautiful oasis, still unexplored and so rich in new treasures and items she could find. I am sure there will be plenty here for you to explore and discover, she told her, and that part had never been more true. The desert had to be one of the least explored parts of Boreas - to most, it appeared inhospitable and downright dangerous to wander into without knowing where there were spurces of water and prey. However, if one knew where to look - like Celeste had - one could find the most wondrous array of things to find, craft, explore, and the possibilities were as infinite as the grains of sand between her white-tipped toes. The light never left her goggled eyes as she watched more pack members approach - among them, a tusked wolf with a pig companion, a striking chimera wolf, and a splotched horned wolf that went to dip his paws into the oasis’ fresh water. Everyone was having a good time.

When Cel mentioned that the woman - Pandora, her name was - could request a rank like any of the other members, Zoey took a moment to scan the horizon to think. She chewed her lip momentarily as she tossed some ranks around in her head - which one would work best for her interests? It didn’t take very long for her to reach a conclusion. Cel would soon find that Zoey was a very on-the-go wolf, never taking very long to think or muddle over something. She was always ready to go, even if it seemed a tad impulsive. Which, to be far, she sort of was.

”I think I’d like to be an Intellectual, Miss Celeste!” Zoey chirped towards the smaller she-wolf at last, her fluffy tail swaying behind her. ”Judging by my interests to study the desert, I think it would suit me perfectly.”

Speech