As the sun began its descent below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the rugged landscape of Ashen, Talyssa stood at the edge of her pack's territory. Her thick fur was aglow with the fading light, accentuating every strand and curve. Nearby, a bonfire crackled and danced, illuminating her surroundings with a warm orange hue. She had spent the past few days exploring every nook and cranny of their territory, taking note of every feature and observing the diverse wildlife. However, tonight was different.

With a determined gleam in her eyes, Talyssa lifted her head and let out a long, melodic howl, calling out to any wolves nearby who were interested in learning. She had promised to share her knowledge and skills, and now it was time to deliver. As the echoes of her howl faded into the evening air, Talyssa settled onto her haunches- making herself comfortable in the warmth of the fire, waiting patiently for any of Ashen interested wolves to gather. She thought she would start out with her own personal introduction and a history of her pack.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Arachne had been wandering through the outskirts of Ashen's territory, her senses attuned to the sights and sounds of the wilderness. The sound of an unfamiliar howl echoed through the forest, drawing her attention like a beacon in the night. Intrigued by the melodic tone and the promise of learning something new, Arachne quickened her pace, her silver and grey fur blending seamlessly with the shadows of the trees.

As she approached the source of the howl, Arachne's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Talyssa, the stranger who had summoned her. With cautious curiosity, she padded closer to the bonfire, taking in the scene before her. Talyssa's thick fur shimmered in the firelight, casting a mesmerizing glow over the surrounding landscape. There was an air of confidence and determination about her that piqued Arachne's interest.

"Hello," Arachne greeted, her voice soft yet filled with curiosity. "My name is Arachne." She introduced herself, her tone full of genuine eagerness. After offering a friendly grin, Arachne made herself comfortable by taking her own seat near the fire.

"Arachne Klein"

A strange howl pierced the air, unfamiliar yet enticing to Barghest's youthful ears. Eager to investigate, she wasted no time in donning her new claw fittings, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes as she hurried off towards the source of the commotion.

Upon arrival, she found her sister Arachne already engaged in what appeared to be a lesson of sorts. Positioned quite comfortably was a stranger, her fur a mesmerizing blend of pale and gold hues, patiently awaiting their attention. Without hesitation, Barghest sidled up next to her sister, her stance mirroring her smaller sister’s in silent solidarity.

Having arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Arachne's greeting to the stranger, Barghest's gaze narrowed as she acknowledged the woman seated across the crackling fire. "Barghest. Klein." She introduced herself curtly, tail flicking as she seated herself.

""

What the hell? There was a strange howl echoing throughout the ravine, calling to whoever cared enough to listen, the tone reading, come learn from me. Was this another trespasser like the red guy? Or maybe someone who was allowed to be here? Well, now Nimue was too curious to ignore it. Rising to her paws, she raced across the ravine, navigating the underbrush with ease, given her lithe frame. Oh? Barg was here, along with another girl. And their caller? A woman adorned in earthen colors, with a nice little smile on her face. Looking towards Barg first, she assesses the look on her face, noting she looks equally as curious. There was a fire blazing, creating warmth and low lighting that illuminated the small clearing. Hmpf. Nimue would slink forward, staring up at the woman with a hardened gaze. “Who are you?” Blunt and rude, that was her style- she didn’t care for pleasantries. ”Speech”

It wasn't that he wanted to learn, but the sweet vocals of an unnamed female called out to him and Quill was too much of a man to resist it. Curiosity ate at him and he wondered if the owner of said voice was as attractive as she sounded. The clouded brute wouldn't be disappointed.

Drawing near to those already congregated, Quill's mismatched eyes were all for the earthen-hued fae sitting at their center. She was beautiful. Breathtaking even. A low growl of pleasure rumbled through the man's chest as he made his way forward. The growl turned to one of warning as he came up beside Nimue. "Manners," he spoke close to the small fae's ear before he reached out and took one of Talyssa's delicate paws in his own. Suave and gentlemanly (yeah right) Quill lifted the paw to his lips, maintaining eye contact with the blonde and white woman. "We musn't be rude to our guest." With a debonair wink, Quill placed Talyssa's paw back on the ground, then went to take up a seat beside Arachne. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Speech"

Talyssa's pale blue eyes flickered with a gentle light as she took in the wolves who had gathered around the crackling bonfire. Three girls, and a man that seemed to be a little older than her. Very quickly she decided that she was going to tailor it for the children, and hopefully, he didn’t get too bored with the exaggerations. As the third girl blatantly asked who she was, a flicker of amusement crossed her features. Just as she was about to start, she watched as the man came up and whispered something in her ear- likely a correction. She allowed her own attention to fall, so she didn’t add to the embarassment of the situation for the outspoken girl- that is if she had any.

It caught her off guard as he took a sudden grip of her paw, though she did not resist it. And as she made eye contact with the mismatched gaze of the alabaster gentleman … she recognized him in that instant. She vaguely remembered him coming to her rescue seasons ago in the face of a bear attack. It was hard for her to swallow the surprise, and didn’t know what to say. So instead, she offered him a friendly smile and an appreciative nod before clearing her throat to speak.  “Hello everyone! My name is Talyssa Carpathius, and your father- I presume, judging by the looks of some of you,” her pale blue glaze lingering on the two noticeably younger girls. She offered a playful wink before continuing. “Has asked me to teach a few lessons while I stay here as a guest. But before we get into any of that, I just wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and where I come from.” She paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. “Do any of you know who the Hallows are?”

Talyssa made a sweeping glance among the few that had gathered, looking for any signs of recognition. Though, she didn’t wait for any confirmation before moving on. “It’s a pack just south of here, across the land bridge and into the continent of Auster. The Hallows is actually one of Ashen’s allies, if you didn’t already know that.” She explained, uncertain how common knowledge political matters were among Ashen’s younger members.

“Anyways, my mother and father are Briar and Artorias Carpathius- they are what you would probably call the King and Queen of the Hallows.” That was the point of this after all. To draw the parallel. Connect the dots. To introduce to them who she was and where she came from. But before she could provide more details on her birth pack, she felt it necessary to validate her relationship to it. To explain to them why she was an authority on this type of lesson.  

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Arachne offered Quill a tight lipped grin as he settled in near her. Honestly, she didn't know much about her brother, but wasn't bothered by him either. No, her main focus was their guest- Arachne listened intently as Talyssa introduced herself and began to share her story. She couldn't help but be intrigued by the mention of the Hallows, a pack she had heard of but knew little about. The idea of political alliances wasn’t totally foreign to her, but she admittedly didn’t know much about it. Arachne sat quietly, absorbing Talyssa's words with rapt attention. She listened intently, her keen eyes fixed on the fae as she spoke of her lineage and her ties to the Hallows. Arachne's mind raced with questions, eager to delve deeper into Talyssa's past and the world beyond Ashen's borders. Though out of respect, she kept her questions to herself for now.

"Arachne Klein"

Barghest's aqua orbs narrowed slightly as the woman began to speak,introducing herself and the purpose of this lesson.

The mottled girl couldn't help but feel a pang of skepticism. The mention of her father's involvement only served to deepen her suspicions, prompting a subtle exchange of glances with her sister Arachne. But she had been raised with better manners than the feral Nimue. She kept her cool composure, eyes like ice as she regarded Talyssa.

Her mind raced as she absorbed the easily digestible information, piecing together the puzzle of Talyssa's origins and her apparent connection to the pack. And despite her reservations, Barghest remained attentive, her curiosity piqued by the mention of alliances and politics. It was a world she had only glimpsed from afar, a realm of power and influence that was beyond the boundaries of her own experiences thus far.

""

He had seated himself next to Arachne simply because it placed him directly in Talyssa's line of sight. Quill didn't even notice the smile that his sister gave him. All of his attention was upon the woman before him. As she spoke, he listened, absorbing her words for a bit until his mind muddled them. He was excited for the lesson to be over so he might take the opportunity to show her around Ashen lands. He might show her a few other things as well. It had been a long time coming.

Talyssa's story about where she came from had sparked recognition in Quill. He remembered a time that seemed like ages ago, where he had protected a young fae against a ravenous bear. This was definitely the same girl. Though... she was no longer a girl. Talyssa had bloomed into a lovely young woman. The brute nodded here and there as she spoke, but his mind was million miles away.

"Speech"

Quill showed up shortly after her, growling in her ear and telling her to mind her manners. Tsk. Her head twisted around to look at him, glaring daggers into his skin. Who the hell did he think he was? Her tail started writhing back and forth, ears pinning back as she considered lunging at him- but his attention turned to the stranger, and he grabbed her paw and freaking kissed it. GROSS. A chill of disgust ran through her body, making her outwardly shake and her snout scrunch up. The stranger ate it up too, getting all hot and bothered by it. Yuck. Introducing herself as Talyssa Carpathius, stating she was here to teach some lessons as a guest. She’d continue on, telling them about herself, and Nimue stayed quiet, not particularly interested but present nonetheless. “Nope, don’t know it.” She said, shrugging her shoulders when Taly asked if they knew who the Hallows were. And of course, that wouldn't stop the woman from explaining it. An ally of Ashen in Auster? Huh. And her mom and dad were the king and queen. She’d store that information away for later. “Yeah, and?” She’d say, wondering where this conversation was going. Was she here to flaunt being a princess or something? ”Speech”

Talyssa's gaze shifted to meet the eyes of each wolf gathered around the fire, a sense of genuine happiness shining in her pale blue orbs that they all seemed generally receptive. Clearing her throat again, she continued. “They lead Hallows as a neutrally aligned pack that tends to lean more toward benevolence. Which just means that they want to help those who need help, and do what they can to help maintain the peace.” Talyssa explained, ensuring that her explanation made sense. “The Hallows inhabits a ruined castle named Hearthstone, and prides themselves upon being scholars, artisans, and swordsmen among other things.” It’s how they ended up with such a diverse group of individuals. Likely the reason why she was here right now, teaching the children of another pack about her family.

Now wasn’t the time for retrospection, but she simply couldn’t help the nostalgic grin that tugged at her lips. As she spoke to the group, she could certainly feel the pride well in her heart as she described her background. “And they are always eager to help like-minded individuals develop their interests and hone their crafts.” She assured, hoping that if any of these girls found themselves in Auster at any point in their lives, and were seeking to develop their skillsets, they would stop by and utilize the Hallows and their resources.

Blinking away her homesick thoughts, she looked around once more. “Do any of you have questions for me or where I come from?” She asked lightly. Offering an encouraging grin to any of those who chose to check in with her.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Arachne remained seated, her silver and grey fur catching the flickering light of the fire as she listened attentively to Talyssa's words. The mention of the Hallows intrigued her, sparking a flicker of curiosity about the pack and its way of life. As Talyssa spoke of Hearthstone, the ruined castle that served as the Hallows' home, Arachne couldn't help but envision the grandeur of such a place, now fallen into disrepair yet still holding a sense of history and pride. The idea of a pack that valued knowledge, artistry, and swordsmanship resonated with Arachne.  As Talyssa finished speaking, Arachne took a moment to process the information, mulling over the details in her mind.

Finally, she raised her head to meet Talyssa's gaze, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Talyssa," she said, her voice calm and respectful as she expressed her appreciation. "It's nice to meet you."

"Arachne Klein"

Nimue really was a nasty little cur. Was she born on a fucking dung heap? Had Talyssa not been around, he very well may have taught the girl a lesson. Since they were already in the middle of a lesson, he just stared daggers at her. What in the hell had his father been thinking?

Talyssa finished informing them all about The Hallows and asked if they had questions. Quill gave his blocky skull a shake. He knew all about The Hallows. The man wouldn't admit it, but he had asked quite a few questions about the pack after his first encounter with the very woman that sat before him. Funny how things worked out.

"Speech"

Despite her initial skepticism, Barghest couldn't help but acknowledge the sincerity in Talyssa's words, a subtle shift in her perception taking root as she listened intently. Hearthstone. A ruined castle of scholars who wield knowledge like swords– along with actual swords. A smile tugged at Barghest's lips as she imagined a place like that. She couldn’t. She wanted to see it for herself.

As Talyssa extended an invitation for questions, Barghest found herself jumping at the bit to ask a few. Her neutral voice came with a rather blunt inquiry. "What about challenges?" Barghest's voice was clipped yet earnest, her gaze meeting Talyssa's with a mixture of cold intrigue. "In a place like that, where knowledge and skill are put above all else, what are the expectations placed on you? To be here teaching us? Why did you leave?"

""

Talyssa continued on, giving more information about the Hallows and how they were led. Neutrally aligned, wanting to help those in need, wanting to maintain peace. Booooooring. Why were so many of these wolves hellbent on making the world a better place? Hadn’t they seen the evils of the world? There was no changing those types of things; good and evil would always exist, because without one, you can’t have the other. Try to be a hero all you want, but it’s futile really. Nimue had learned that the hard way in her young life. Which was why she was so vicious; kill or be killed.

Then, she talked about where the pack is, and how they live in a castle. A castle!? Truthfully, Nimue was shocked to hear that. How the hell did they live in a castle? Was this a fairy tale? Hmfp. Now she was starting to get irritated again.
Barghest started asking about challenges, and Nimue was interested in that too. Turning to Talyssa, she wonders what the woman might say in response to the question. What challenges could a fairytale pack living in a castle have?