Vanta's time away from home had stirred a whirlwind of emotions within her. It was daunting and isolating, but somehow also sparked a flame of curiosity and excitement. Boreas had so much to see (literally, now that she could) and so much to teach. Apart from the protective embrace of the Armada and her family, Vanta was awarded precious space to grow. Her heart ached for her littermates, yet she was sure they were understanding of the significance of her mission. The passing of her mother - coupled with the return of her daylight vision - had led to more questions than answers.

As she tread her solitary path, the unique landscape provided a welcome distraction. Spring water, warm to the touch, burst forth from an opalescent formation, creating half-moon pools scattered across the land. It reminded her almost of the heated pools beneath the caverns of home... though with a much nicer view.

Around her, large trees stood guard, framing the pools with a sense of seclusion. It was a picturesque, private retreat. Once upon a time, the Armada had owned the territory adjacent to this. As she dipped a cautious toe into the pool's still surface, Vanta reflected on how Armada life might have been with a wonder like this untapped and unused in their backyard.

"Vanta"

Kratos knew that wolves fell into two categories. Bleeding heart, and indifference. He liked to believe he was a good judge of reading his mark. He and Strai watched the woman as she strolled so casually into their range. While Strai thought the glossy brush of crystals through her coat might be worth something, Kratos was more practical. He had seen a glimmer of her blade, and that was the prize had his eyes on.

He left Strai to set up in the shadows, before making his way closer to their mark. She was a pretty thing, if a bit too tall for his taste. He liked to be in a position to dominate, and that was easier said than done when your lady was almost 10” taller than you. But that was another wolf’s future problem. Today, he only needed to win her attention for a few moments.

“Excuse me, Miss? Hi” He said, flashing her a warm smile as he approached, limping subtly as he did so. Best not to make it too obvious. “I’m so sorry to bother you. But I was wondering if you could help me with something?”


"Speech"

A soft voice broke the stillness and Vanta's toe recoiled from the water in surprise. She directed onto him her sharp crystalline gaze, sweeping the stranger's frame with a look that was as critical as it was lazy. Being raised in a pack of war had well equipped the yearling to identify at a glance the marks of such a lifestyle, and as soon as Vanta's appraisal had noted a lack of those features, she allowed herself to return the boy's smile.

It may have seemed as if the girl was suspicious or anti-social, but the opposite was true. Vanta preferred to see the good in others wherever possible, but no longer was she innocent enough to believe that every wolf she encountered had good intentions. Her father's teachings on self-preservation, reinforced by her encounter with the rogue Pyralis, had given the yearling a solid foundation in caution.

She curved her body toward him, awarding the male her attention as she turned away from the springs. He presented with a limp and was asking for help - Vanta wasn't a healer by any stretch, but she would not turn away a wounded wolf. Especially one who was desperate enough to seek help from a yearling. "It's not a bother. What sort of help do you need?" Vanta was cautious but intrigued, curious to see where this interaction would lead. Encounters out in the open world had been rare thus far in her journey and were potentially valuable too, depending on the intentions of the wolf she met.

"Vanta"

As the full effect of her eyes turned to him, he blinked in surprise. He had seen from a distance that there was something strange about them, but he hadn’t realised they were sheened with crystals, how did she see? Despite the strangeness to them, they clearly did see. He felt her appraisal and kept his posture relaxed. He well knew body language, and kept his welcoming and friendly. He was just a guy, and she was just a girl. What a coincidence!

He waited until she had completed her appraisal, and shifted her own body. Her subtle movements saying he had her full attention. “I’ve gotten an awful thorn into the pad of my back leg, and it’s just been too awkward to pull out myself. It’s been bothering me all morning. I thought I’d be doomed to wait until it came out on its own until I saw you.” His muzzle curled upwards at one corner in a charming smile.

“Do you think you could help a wolf out?” He asked, gesturing towards his back paw. The thorn was real, and he had almost kicked Strai in the teeth when his cousin had lodged it in there. “I’d really owe you one.”


"Speech"

As the conversation tentatively began, Vanta began to relax further. Aside from the injured paw on which he limped, the boy appeared to be just as natural a fixture this evening as the fireflies. His rich blue coat was akin to the mysterious depth of night that extended into the forest, his golden specks and stripes mirroring the final streams of sunlight breaking through the overhead foliage. His eyes were like clear springs; the mist that swept over and replaced the surrounding air. Vanta found herself lost in his unique gaze just a moment longer then was considered polite, a blush reaching her tan cheeks as she caught and corrected herself.

"Alright, yes, I can manage that." She chuckled at her own absurdity, taking solace in the fact that the boy's needs were as straightforward as the removal of a thorn. With only a hint of awkward uncertainty, Vanta moved toward him and beyond, narrowly avoiding physical contact as she navigated the intricate pattern of hot springs and stones that enveloped them. "Do you want me to count? Or..."

"Vanta"

Krae did so love a pretty mark. He watched as color subtly flooded through her cheeks. He was quite happy to hold her gaze. It gave him a moment to really see her strange multiangle glint of her crystalline eyes. He had never seen anything like it before in his life. It also helped to disarm his mark, at least, that was what he was telling himself. That was why he held her gaze for so long.

“Oh, uhh, whatever you think is best” He said as she approached him. He awkwardly raised his back leg, trying to get a good look at it. Damn, Strai had really lodged that in there deep. He knew that was the point, but still. That ruffian had taken far too much joy in it. He winced, and it was only mostly feigned. “You know, it’s really stuck in there. Do you think the hot spring water would help soften it?” He asked, as if the thought had only just occurred to him. “Yeah, I think that would hurt less, if that’s alright?” He said, looking up at her with silver, questioning eyes. He grabbed a claw to a bracelet around his forepaw. A prop, placed there so she would also consider removing her valuables, and so it wouldn’t seem as if she was the only one stung. “I better take this off. My dad would kill me if I let it rust” He said, gently taking the bracelet off. Treating it as if it was important to him. Sentimental, right? And placing it on a flat stone far enough away from the hotspring to avoid any splashes, but close enough so not to make her wonder why he was placing it there.


"Speech"

Caught in the wave of the boy's silver-eyed charm, Vanta felt a pleasant unease wash over her. His eyes held a certain allure that she found hard to resist, even as she tore her gaze away. Why did she feel so strangely drawn to him? A part of her screamed caution, but the rest of her gave the warning deliberately little consideration.

"Ah, yes, that's a good idea," She gave back, nodding as he suggested the warm water of the hot spring might aid in dislodging the embedded thorn. His wince, though subtle, had not gone unnoticed. She felt a pang of sympathy for his discomfort and while she hadn't intended to join a stranger in a hot spring anytime soon, it could make the extraction less painful.

Krae's careful removal of his bracelet caught her attention. His casual mention of its importance was a small thing, but in the vulnerability of his situation, felt significant. Like trust. Her gaze lowered to her own cuffs, a precious memento from her mother and father. Her paw grazed over each embedded gem and landed upon the well-worn strip of cheetah fur, an affectionate caress borne out of sentimentality. While her combat bracers were made to get wet with sweat, blood, or whatever else they might encounter, the leather of the cuffs would surely swell and disfigure within the water's warmth. Vanta hesitated, torn between the desire to safeguard her cherished possession and the need to reciprocate the openness of the male before her.

"I guess I should do the same," She conceded, removing her cuffs with a quiet sigh. She carefully placed it next to Krae's bracelet, mirroring his cautious distance from the water's edge.

With a gentle smile and a surge of newfound courage, she glanced back at the stranger. "Shall we?" Stepping lightly into the steamy embrace of the hot springs, she prepared to help him with the thorn.

"Vanta"

He watched without looking as she took note of her own cuff. Come on… come on. he thought quietly to himself. The entire con depended on her taking them off. Neither he nor Strai wanted to take on the Dire in a straight fight. That wasn’t his style, and the scrappy youngling in his care was far too small to try. Not that he wouldn’t if given half a chance.

He gave his bracelet a fond pat, and then pretended to only just notice her eyeing up her own. “Did your dad give you them as well?” He asked, motioning towards her cuffs. “My dad insisted on this big coming of age ceremony with these. They’ve been in the family three generations” He said proudly. The lie flowing off his tongue without a single stumble. The subtle hint of fond awe and mild embarrassment of over the top parents infused in his words. She seemed to be a loner, young to be out on her own. Just like himself, and Strai. Those cuffs probably meant something to her. Given by dead parents was his top guess, and that’s the play he was giving.

As she moved to place her own cuffed thank goodness next to his own, he gave her space. Taking the steps towards the hot springs so she’d feel at ease to put them down. It wasn’t him she had to worry about.

She joined him on the edge and he gave her an easy grin. “Of course… oh, that’s warm” he said as he placed a paw into the water. It wasn’t unpleasantly so, but more than he had expected. He gingerly eased his back paw into the water, wincing when the thorn touched the surface. “How long do you think I should soak it for?” He asked, glancing over at her as if her advice meant something to him. He padded out a little further into the hot spring. Dragging his back leg around as if he was just trying to ensure it got a full soaking. And not that he was taking them further away from her cuffs.


"Speech"