Revenant had spent his time following his departure from Obscura roaming the countrysides of southern Boreas and the forests of northern Auster, enjoying the balmy summer days along the coast until the season began to shift into the cooler, more temperate climate of autumn. Then his path diverted him south, pursuing the nicer days of Austral spring while Boreas slid seamlessly into its fall. The forests clung onto the aroma of fresh rainfall from the wet winter, the scent of dew and loamy soil giving the aspen woods a rich, earthy smell. Giant paws trudged over the soft grass and damp earth as the Klein brute wandered leisurely through the forest. Solitary, he'd been alone since he'd left Obscura, his brother and sisters going their own ways. He was headed nowhere in particular, following impulse and whim wherever it may lead and today it led back to his homelands—to the places he had lived growing up as a small pup. Nostalgia was a hell of a drug...

Songbirds sang overhead in the warm spring afternoon while golden rays of late sunlight filtered down through the dense canopy of leaves. The light sparkled over the silvery parts of Revenant's fur while he moved like a shadow through the trees, graceful and surprisingly quiet for his size. He was making his way eastward, headed for the coast. He didn't know what had compelled him to make the trip back down to the old Fenmyrian lands. Perhaps something inside him was yearning for what had once been. Perhaps he just wanted to remember what things had been like. His parents, his siblings... all scattered or gone. Whatever it was, it was leading his paws now, every step, every shift of muscle beneath fur, bringing him one step closer to the island.

"Revenant Klein"

Talyssa had been lingering in the surrounding territories for a while now, unable to bring herself to return home just yet. The thought of possibly running into those who were close to her- close enough who knew to ask questions, didn’t exactly appeal to her. When she built up the courage, she would collect some of her things to go travelling once again. But for now … it was easier to just wander.

And so, that’s what she did, trailing her way beneath the quivering golden leaves alongside the bubbling creek that wound its way through the neighboring aspen forest. She paused to watch a beaver hard at work on the dam, felling a young sapling with its sharp teeth. The creature paid her no mind, only focused on its task. She couldn’t help but envy that single-minded sense of purpose. Her own heart felt torn in two directions - between the call of adventure, and the roots that tied her to the Hallows. Tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked them away, determined not to let them fall.

Wandering onward, she crossed the grassy floodplain, her ivory and tan coat shining in the golden afternoon light. Wildflowers bloomed amidst the lush grass, their delicate petals dancing in the gentle breeze. She breathed in their sweet fragrance, letting it soothe her. But even as her heart ached, a tiny flame of excitement kindled inside at the thought of way lay on the other side. What lay before her.

Lost in thought, Talyssa almost didn't notice the familiar figure moving through the trees ahead. But as she drew closer, recognition dawned. She didn’t remember his name, but remembered him from his attendance to a lesson she had taught on Fossil Ridge a while back. She hesitated, unsure if she should call out to him.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

It didn't strike Revenant immediately that he wasn't alone in that moment. A silly notion, to think one would be alone in a lively forest inhabited by many living things that called the aspen trees their home. But to be inhabited by another wolf he was familiar with, well, that would be unexpected. Revenant continued his leisurely stroll through the golden afternoon woods, listening to a woodpecker somewhere nearby feverishly drilling into a tree. It was a melancholic thought to consider how gifted many of these creatures were, to exist with simple focuses and goals in their lives. Build a home, feed, find a mate, reproduce, and repeat. Never aspiring for more, never pushing beyond their primal existence. But not them... For better or for worse, the wolves were cursed to endure memory and ambition. Revenant would always remember what was, and always yearn for what came next. Perhaps the woodpeckers had it right...

Amidst his mental musings was when that sensation came over him. That feeling of being watched; of someone's eyes on you that you couldn't quite explain. Large paws slowed their pace, coming to a stop in a clearing. Rev peered about the woods, brow furrowing as he scanned the trees. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He lifted his paw to continue on—and then a soft rustle, the brush of spring grass under a foot. Revenant turned his head and spied her. Just behind him a short distance away was a young fae staring right at him. But this was no stranger. He recognized her. The young woman who had taught the lesson on history and time at the Fossil Ridge. The fae his brother had been pining after. Fuck, did he ever get her name though? Quill certainly hadn't said it.

Recognition flashed in the dire brute's violet and aqua eyes as a lopsided smile made itself casually at home on his muzzle. "I didn't realize I was being hunted," he remarked, playful banter while he turned to face the golden and cream fae more directly. "I remember you. You taught that lesson about time and history a couple seasons back, right?" Rev's eyes moved from her to scan the trees briefly, looking for any signs of his brother. He couldn't pick up Quill's scent nearby. Had his brother gone his own way again? That would've been an interesting development...

"Sorry, I didn't get your name last time. I'm Revenant." A pause while Rev gave a bow of his head in greeting to the lady before mismatched eyes lifted to meet the steel blue of her bright gaze. "Forgive me if I came across as rude for not introducing myself last time. My brother made it clear he wasn't keen on me speaking to you, Miss..." Revenant trailed off, allowing her to introduce herself if she wished. He suspected she'd have questions once he brought up Quill wanting him to stay away if he had been reading their relationship right the last time he'd seen them.

"Revenant Klein"

Talyssa's steel blue eyes widened slightly in surprise as the silvery brute turned to face her, addressing her directly. She hadn't expected him to initiate conversation, let alone remember her from that lesson so long ago. His playful remark about being hunted brought a hint of a smile to her muzzle despite herself. "Talyssa," she provided, dipping her head in polite greeting. "And no need to apologize. It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Revenant." The name felt strange on her tongue, unfamiliar yet intriguing.

At the mention of his brother, Talyssa felt a twinge in her chest, her smile fading. Quill... She hadn't seen or spoken to him since their parting of ways in the God's Garden. The memory still stung, raw and fresh. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her expression neutral. Talyssa held Revenant's mismatched gaze, the violet and aqua hues so similar to Quill's and yet uniquely his own. She hesitated a moment, unsure if she should ask the burning question in the back of his mind. "Your brother... Have you spoken to him recently?" She kept her tone carefully nonchalant, but there was no hiding the wistful undertone

Her eyes drifted past Revenant, scanning the trees as if half-expecting something to materialize from the shadows. But of course, he was nowhere to be seen. Just the two of them, alone in this golden forest that suddenly felt too quiet, too still. Talyssa looked back to Revenant, studying his expression for any clues, any insight as to what was going through his mind. They had the same strong jaw, the same noble brow. But where Quill was stoic and pensive, Revenant seemed open and easygoing … the same charming glint to his eye.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

The golden fae seems surprised that he acknowledged her, but that surprise is quick to shift into a little smile and Revenant is immediately glad he attempted his silly shot at humor. He liked when girls smiled; it had a way of brightening up their features, and Talyssa was no exception with the way her steel blue eyes brightened as she gave her name. Revenant's lopsided smile grew a touch upon his muzzle as he repeated her name, testing out the syllables on his tongue, "Talyssa. That's a lovely name. The pleasure is mutual." Revenant dipped his head to his newest acquaintance, but when he lifted his gaze he noticed her expression shift ever so subtly. Anyone else might not have caught the slip of her smile or the way that brightness dimmed ever so slightly in her eyes. But Revenant did. He'd grown very good at reading others in his lifetime. A consequence of having to grow up too quick and look after himself.

Revenant held Talyssa's gaze, peering deep into those pools of sparkling grayed blue while she studied his blended eyes in return. He tilted his head and blinked a few times, trying to discern what had shifted the atmosphere in her, about to ask the unspoken question aloud when she beat him to the punch when she asked after his brother. The question perplexed the argent and obsidian brute. Talyssa was hinting at something with her question but the reason remained murky. "No, I haven't. Conversation was never really his strong suit," he replied, his expression neutral but his tone curious. Rev began to wonder if that's perhaps why he no longer saw his brother looming possessively over Talyssa like she was his new favorite toy, or why she didn't smell of him. Something had happened...

"I assume he's still alive, even if he's not here right now?" Another slight hint of humor in his question, but there was a bit or a darker truth behind it. Chimera Klein's children weren't exactly known for their longevity. He truly didn't suspect his brother had up and died. The bastard was too stubborn to just keel over. Bringing his hind end around to seat himself amongst the soft spring grasses of the forest floor, Revenant cocked his head to one side curiously, his eyes never wandering from Talyssa's face that seemed to glow in the golden sunlight as if she were made of it herself. Wondering if she'd give him some more clues to what mysteries lay within her mind that he might uncover. Her wistful tone suggested something unpleasant had transpired, but he could only begin to guess at what that was. She was an enigma to him right now. A delightful enigma he wouldn't mind taking time to get to know and understand.

"Revenant Klein"