This land was… peculiar. There were stones, tall stones that seemed to have both crumbled under the tests of time and yet remained whole for the most part. Bellamy was curious about them. They seemed to be some sort of ruins… She came close to one of the stones and set her paw down upon it. For the most part, the stone was smooth, not giving way beneath her paw, though here and there along the massive bit of stone were cracked and chips that had been caused by weather and who knew what else. Bellamy had never been to this land before, but she was curious about what sort of creatures could have brought these stones in. They seemed too “perfect” to have been placed here naturally after all. Green gaze narrowed thoughtfully as she looked around, tail swishing back and forth. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Although she had ultimately chosen the Firefly Lake to expand her pack into instead of the Stone Steppe, she still liked to visit her neighboring lands from time to time to keep an eye on any developments or changes in the area. It felt wise to know what was going on beyond her borders rather than only what was inside them. She didn't fear the world outside of her own pack, but she liked to be prepared for any eventuality. That brought her out to the steppe, her periodic stroll through the ancient and mysterious ruins finding her there at the same time as another woman, the white marked fae seemingly inspecting the stones with one paw pressed to the rock. "Curious, aren't they?" she mentioned as she walked up beside her, keeping a comfortable distance from the stranger as she turned her aqua gaze up toward the ruins as well. They were familiar to her now with how often she had visited them, but they were still here without a explanation and that made them endlessly curious to her.

"Manea Mendacium"

A voice broke Bellamy out of her musings. She turned her attention to see a woman with a coat that looked as though she had been plucked from the very galaxies themselves. Bellamy had seen odd-colored wolves before, sure, but for the most part, to her memory, they had been of brighter colors. The woman kept a comfortable distance as she walked up beside her, seeming to look at the ruins as well. “Very curious, actually. I’ve never seen anything like them, nor have I heard of such things in the stories of Foi.” Bellamy drew in the woman’s scent, curious. “You’re of a pack. I assume that it’s close by? If it’s not too intruding to ask.” She had been blunt and to the point but it wasn’t really Bellamy’s style to tiptoe around something she was curious about. "Speech" 'Thought.'

Manea gave the woman a curious glance when she mentioned how she hadn't heard of anything like these stones in the stories of something called Foi. One of her interests was learning about the beliefs and ways of life of others so having such a casual mention of something of that sort did catch her attention. She wasn't all that surprised that she hadn't seen anything like these before—neither had she until she came to this area looking for a place to found her pack. The curiosity eventually turned from the ruins to her though as the question came up about the pack scent that throughly permeated her scent. She nodded to confirm the finding, turning more toward her new acquaintance with a slight smile. It is indeed. Just that direction in fact," she replied with a nod of her head toward the stretch of land in the distance that was dotted by the occasional boulder. "I'm Manea, by the way... I'm the Matriarch of Elysium. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Manea Mendacium"

The dark-furred woman listened to Manea speak. It turned out this other femme wasn't just a part of a pack but it's matriarch. Bellamy arched a brow at the pack's name; Elysium. It was not one that she knew of from her time in Menagerie and she didn't recall Kotori mentioning it. "Manea, the Matriarch of Elysium." Bells let that information process within her mind.

"It is a pleasure." Bellamy rumbled. "I am Bellamy of Foi. A loner for now, though I am on the hunt for suitable lands to make my own pack." The pregnant femme chuckle. "With our newest litter on the way and our last alpha disappearing completely I figured it was high time I took initiative and found us a place." Her gaze traveled back to the stone.

"I do not expect to be a popular alpha, if I'm being honest." She frowned. "But regardless of how hard it may be… I won't give up. I want my children to see what hard work and dedication can get them." She sighed. "...and for them to never live under the law of a tyrant." Her gaze seemed distant and, for a moment, her words became soft.

"Are you a mother, Manea?" Bellamy shifted her gaze back to the purple woman. "What values would you pass down to your children?"

Manea raised an interested brow as Bellamy introduced herself and explained how she was on the lookout for a place to form her own pack. It felt like there was a lot of rise and fall when it came to packs these days. The fall of Abaven with Vanta taking its place, the disappearance and fall of the pack that Bellamy had apparently been a part of until recently, and now this woman's attempt at claiming a home o her own as well... It was becoming a bit difficult to keep up with who held power and where these days. She didn't mind, however. She certainly understood the natural cycle of these things and if there were better suited, more capable wolves out there ready to take the lead then why not let them? Is that not what she had done herself? "I do understand that feeling," she said in response with a soft chuckle. "That's not too far off from why I began my pack as well."

As Bellamy went on, saying how she did not expect herself to be a popular alpha, it made Manea look at her curiously. She wondered to herself why the white-marked woman would think in such a way, but she herself had never set out to be popular either. She had worked to create a few close alliances and bonds with certain packs, but other than that she had never gone into this with fame or popularity in mind. She had only wanted a safe place to raise her family and it seemed Bellamy was in the same sort of mind set. It seemed perhaps that there was more in Bellamy's history that motivated her in order to make sure she was never under the cruel rule of another, but that seemed like too deep of a conversation for Manea to dig into on their first meeting.

When the topic turned to whether or not she was a mother and the values that she passed onto her children, Manea smiled a bit and nodded. "I am. I've been blessed with two litters so far... Two daughters and a son." When she spoke of her children there was a distinct fondness to her voice, the way her expression relaxed as she talked about them showing how much joy they brought her. "My hope is that I have passed on my dedication to our family and a drive to build things now to make the future for our family an even brighter one. For many years my family was fractured and nomadic and there was nothing that we could call our own or anywhere that I felt we could live freely and safely however we wanted. That's why I started Elysium—to have somewhere I was proud to raise my family and pass onto them to continue on when my time here is done."

She looked at Bellamy thoughtfully for a moment before she added, "I hope your vision becomes a reality and I wish you and your children well. When your pack comes to be I'd enjoy talking with you again." She smiled a little as she made sure to say "when" instead of "if" in regards to the formation of her new acquaintance's pack, a subtle assurance that she didn't doubt the woman's aspirations and her drive to see them through. "If you find yourself in need of anything, send word to me. I have friends in various parts of Boreas and Auster so even if you settle somewhere far from Elysium I should be able to lend a paw."

"Manea Mendacium"

Manea seemed to understand where Bells was coming from with her intentions of forming Ethne, even saying that wasn’t a far cry from why she had made her own pack. Their topic was able to shift though. The purple woman was also a mother, one blessed with two litters thus far. There was a fondness in her voice as she brought up her two litters. Bells listened quietly, giving an understanding nod of her own. “I can definitely understand such goals.” She told the other woman. She wanted a home for her family, somewhere they could be proud of, and something that she could one day pass down to them. “I know that it will. Failure, can not, and will not be an option.” Bellamy looked back to Manea, dipping her head gratefully at the woman’s offer of aid. “I appreciate it, Manea. As I’ve aged I’ve learned that sometimes a paw up is needed.” She drew a breath and looked at the landscape around them. “Were I a younger wolf I might have been far more hesitant to trust anyone… It was through a good and understanding alpha that I’ve learned that not all are so bad… and even those others may consider dark may not be what others see.” She let out a soft sigh. “I spent my childhood as a slave to one of the cruelest families I had ever known. They killed my parents, and my sister, before my eyes. My fear saved me then… but it is not something I am proud of.” Bellamy shook her head. “The night I escaped I took the life of their empress. Then, years later when her heir had her wolves capture me to bring me to their land for public execution, I killed her as well.” She let a slight smile cross her maw. “Despite the majority of those wolves being my enemy, the original Empress’ grandson is now my mate. A sign of how one part of a whole can be different.” Bellamy looked back to Manea now. “I am not afraid of bleeding for what my people and I need, nor am I the sort to forget kindness.” Bellamy’s gaze softened. “My mate is an excellent healer, and my firstborn is learning to heal under him. I would be happy to have them meet with any of your healers to exchange knowledge and bring some herbs from wherever we settle as well.” Bellamy offered. “But further details can be discussed at a later time, once Ethne has risen.” She could feel the little ones within her moving. “It may take me a little while, but I will come to see you at your pack’s borders. Early next season at the latest. This litter feels much bigger than my first and I don’t doubt that this time they will have siblings to play with… which means more wiggly pups to keep an eye on.” Her gaze softened and she flicked her gaze back to Manea. “I should probably get going. I’ve got a lot of ground to cover before the pups are born. I look forward to our next meeting, Manea. May Elysium continue to thrive under your rule.” With a dip of her head the femme turned away but not before making a mental note to visit Elysium at her earliest convenience. -Exit Bellamy- "Speech" 'Thought.'