Ember had experienced winter in Boreas for brief periods of time before, but the stark contrast of the cold and snow to the heat and sun of Auster's summer never failed to remind her of just how much she loved living on the southern continent. Trudging her way through the freshly fallen snow north towards the base of the Fenrir's Maw mountain range, the Carpathian princess pulled her wool cloak tighter around her to brace herself against the cold winds. Brrrr, it was cold up here! Already she was looking forward to getting to Hemlock and into somewhere dry and warm to thaw out for a bit. Part of her wondered if her father had sent her up here on this diplomatic venture as a means of punishing her for all the head butting they'd been doing the past season. Didn't seem very fair to her, but she didn't have much of a choice now either, did she? Well, might as well make the most of the situation; at least she'd be able to make some new friends and get to hang out with Erik more regularly.

Approaching the base of the high mountains, Ember found the new scent borders marked right where Heiðinn's had once been. It had been a year since she'd last been to the former viking pack, but for the most part it was still exactly as she remembered it—just under new management. Stopping at the border, Ember lifted her muzzle and gave a gentle, almost lyrical call for the new alpha of the new pack. She'd seen Delphi at the raid last season and she'd seemed capable. Maybe she'd be a new friend waiting to be made. With her call made, Ember waited patiently, clutching the satchel of gifts slung across her chest while she awaited the alpha's arrival. Artorias had made sure to send a raven ahead letting Delphi know she'd be coming to help foster the friendship between their packs and to help Hemlock hit the ground running in the wake of Heiðinn.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

After the alpha meeting, Delphi had not expected such a quick return of aid from Artorias. She had mentioned their ranks were lacking in skill. Not to make Hemlock appear weak, but to be honest. They were in no shape to be taking on any enemy at this point. It worried the new leader endlessly. Most of their members were getting on in years and the newer pups were too young for any expectations. Let alone, Delphi wasn’t sure Vidarr’s pups would even stick around. Did this mean she was due for her own?

Shaking the idea from her mind at the sound of a lyrical howl, her interest is perked. Quickly draping the wolverine cloak over her shoulders to keep her fur dry and warm, Delphi wastes no time approaching the border. Who stands there is familiar, but also not at the same time.

“Greetings,” Delphi speaks over the howl of the wind, her tail wagging a few times. The girl’s scent was clear - she was definitely from the Hallows. “Are you one of Artorias’?” She questions, a smile growing along her lips as she turns to motion the girl over the border and toward the guest caves that litter the tree line along the base of the mountain. “I’m sure he’s given you information, but I’m Delphi, Curator of Hemlock, previously Heidinn,” her smile doesn’t falter as she enters the cave and begins to build a small fire.

“So, what brings you here?” Delphi asks, moving sticks about into a good sized pile.

Ember wasn’t kept waiting for long before the new alpha of Hemlock appeared to greet her. The Carpathian princess was in awe of Delphi. It was so easy to forget that anyone could be a leader when their heart and mind were set for it, especially in a world of older, massive dire wolf alphas. Delphi was the exact opposite—young, spunky, petite, yet still so formidable and powerful. She’d watched her fight in the raid, and although Heiðinn had gotten a thorough thrashing, it wasn’t for lack of effort on their fighters’ part. Ember greeted Delphi with a friendly smile and bright eyes, eager to do her part and help build Hemlock up and get the pack on the Hallows’ side.

"Hello! Philadelphia, right?" Ember nodded her head when Delphi asked if she was one of Artorias’ children. "Yep! I’m Ember Carpathius. My dad sent me to lend a paw with Hemlock’s growth." At the Curator’s behest, Ember crossed over the border with her bag slung over her back, tail giving a gentle wag while eager eyes drank in the new yet somewhat familiar surroundings of the mountains. It had been a year since she’d been here last, back when Vidarr had greeted her and her father for their first visit. Delphi confirmed her name and rank, both of which Ember repeated in her head a few times to commit to memory. "He did, but it’s always nice to put a face to the name. It’s a pleasure getting to know you, Delphi!"

Ember followed Delphi into one of the nearby dens at the base of the mountain, Ember's eyes occasionally glancing up at the towering peaks, wondering where amongst the high cliffs and crags Erik might be hiding. Stepping into the cave, she is immediately appreciative of the shelter. The cave has been made into a cozy little den, plenty big enough for herself. While Delphi began to prepare a fire for them, Em set her bag down against the wall and moved to join the young alpha. Delphi asked what her purpose was here, a question Em had anticipated. "Well, my father is very keen on building a close relationship between our packs. He and Víðarr were building rapport before Víðarr abdicated. He knows the challenges a young pack faces and he's sent me to help the pack transition as smoothly as possible. As for me, I'm an adept fighter and can help train any of your wolves in combat, or just in anything in general. I'm kind of a jack of all trades, so you can put me to use however you like. I'm at your service until my father calls me back." Which if she was lucky, wouldn't be any time too soon.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

"Philadelphia is what my mother called me," Delphi replies with a laugh as she wondered why her mother had thought of such an atrocious name for such a girl as herself. As she moves about to stoke the fire and keep it going, her ears perk at the words Ember speaks. Stepping back to regard the girl for a moment, Delphi's head tilts, curious but not off put by the gesture. No, rather, it lifts a layer of stress from her shoulders. With extra help, she would be able to do other duties she had been neglecting. But would this mean she would be forced to bend her knee to Artorias?

The hesitation is obvious for a moment before Delphi gives her coat a good shake and sits back onto her haunches. "A jack of all trades, hm?" Delphi questions, eyes moving to look at the flames that flicker up toward the cave's ceiling. "Vidarr has been diligent on informing me of his motions before abdicating," she starts, her words thoughtful as she lets her body relax for a moment. "I'm unsure how much Artorias tells you," a single raise of the brow, unsure how much she should divulge, but if the girl was here to help... The more information, the better, right?

"Your father is a gracious man for lending you to my pack. In truth, we need it. Since Vidarr's wife's sickness, the pack has slowly been slipping away. If not for my attempt at trying to turn things around, I'm afraid we might not be even a pack at all," another sigh, sad this time as she looks up from the fire toward Ember. "Is there a reason you're named Ember?" Delphi asks suddenly, eyes piercing as her mind lingers on how much of a coincidence this all seemed to be.

Ember laughed along with Delphi as the alphess lamented her name, though Ember couldn't help but appreciate its uniqueness. Still, if Delphi preferred to be Delphi, then that's what she would be called. While she speaks her intentions, Em can't help but notice the way Delphi seemed to visibly relax to have the additional help. There was some apprehension, but she chalked it up to the wolves of Hemlock and formerly Heiðinn being a proud bunch. Asking for help was never an easy thing to do, but it was sometimes the necessary thing. Still, Ember logs it away mentally.

Delphi mused on her declaration that she could function as a jack of all trades, ruminating to herself while Ember sat and tried to decipher the expressions on the smaller fae's face. She confirmed that Víðarr had read her into everything the viking king had been up to before he ceded the throne to her, and then she asked a question that made Ember pause to consider. How much did her father tell her? "I'd like to think he tells me everything I need to know, but sometimes I wonder if that's true." The whole ordeal with the Syndicate had left a bit of a sour taste in her mouth when it came to her sire's leadership decisions as of late. But surely he wouldn't send her off into a mission with bad intel, right? "Regardless, I'm here to help in any way I can."

Something Ember said must have resonated with Delphi, because the next thing Em knew, she was getting a full briefing of Hemlock's state. It was a candid look into the reality Delphi faced. Em's brows knitted together while she mulled over the situation. Delphi had been holding Hemlock together as best she could, but she couldn't do it forever in its current state. They needed to bolster their ranks, get their wolves' skills up to par. All things Ember could do. "I'll help you keep Hemlock together and strong," she vowed, still lost in thought. The Carpathian girl's musings were interrupted when Delphi asked about her name. It was a question nobody had ever asked her before!

"Oh! Well, I don't really know for sure, but fire is a very important symbol to my family. It symbolizes strength, warmth, light to keep the darkness at bay. It's why my family's sigil is fire." Ember gestured to the brooch that held her cloak around her—the golden flame sigil of the Carpathian family. "We keep a fire burning in our Great Hearth all year round as a beacon of hope and light to those who need sanctuary. I guess my name comes from the same place too." In truth, Ember had never asked her parents about the origins of her name. Maybe she'd have to do that when she saw them next... "What about you, Delphi? Is there a special meaning behind your name?"

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Delphi regards Ember inquisitively. Her eyes locking on the fire symbol that clasps her cloak together. The overarching theme makes sense. After the meeting at Hearthstone, Delphi had a good grasp on The Hallows, their reason, their mission. Naming her Ember just seemed more than fitting. Nodding, Delphi is quiet for a moment. She’s taking Ember’s arrival as a sign from the gods. Help. A savior.

Relief washes over her as she finally smiles. “Me? Nothing as important as yours,” Delphi laughs, her eyes closing for a moment. “My mother and grandfather are from a land called Nihon. There they have a dish called sushi. While my mother was pregnant, she was always craving it so my father thought it funny that we be named after the different sushi dishes. Secretly, my full name is Philadelphia, but I much prefer Delphi,” her tone is warm with a hint of sadness. Her mother’s death would always be a sore spot in her heart.

Quickly switching gears, she assess the girl, wondering how Ember would go about switching things up.

Delphi listened with quiet interest, leaving Ember to wonder what the other girl made of her name's history. Em hadn't ever put a tremendous amount of stock into her name, sometimes finding it fitting for her family and the Hallows, other times wondering if her sire had simply started running out of names when they had eleven kids and just looked into the fireplace a little too long when it got to be her turn. After some time, Delphi smiles, and Ember can relax a little more. She didn't know how to get a read on the young alpha just yet, but she hoped she'd get to know Delphi better the more time they spent working together to improve the relations between their packs. She was determined to make a good showing for the Hallows and help elevate Hemlock.

Ember listens intently with bright eyes as Delphi begins to explain the meaning behind her name with an airy laugh. She can hear the reverence in her voice as she speaks of the homeland of her mother and grandfather, of the dish that her mother craved during her pregnancy and how that had led to the litter's names. A smile slowly spreads across Em's lips as the story goes on. "Well, I'll stick to Delphi then. Although Philadelphia is lovely too," she replied. With a little bit of familiarity established between them—and more to grow over time, she was sure—Ember shifted her focus to the business at hand. "What can you tell me about the state of Hemlock as it is? What sort of challenges are you facing, what are some places that need attention?" If Delphi had a focus or goal she wanted to work on, it might give Em some direction to begin with.

Of course, the young Carpathian had ideas of her own too. "One of the things we do in the Hallows is regular drills and training to help keep our members' skills sharp and expand our knowledge. Do you think your wolves would be keen to receive some lessons from me? I can teach the warriors different fighting techniques, I can show the healers and homemakers methods or drying and storing herbs and food and new recipes for meals. Or if it's a bigger matter of just uniting the pack, we can think up some events to bring everyone together." Em left the air open for Delphi to speak, wondering where the Curator would find the greatest need for her.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"