Though she had been born a Summer baby, the season certainly wasn't Emer's favourite, that title was actually reserved for Autumn. Like many, she found the heat of the Summer sun to be a little too warm for her liking and it didn't help that the South wasn't exactly the best place for coping with such heat. For once lingering in the Northern areas of the land probably would have been her best bet and yet recently her aimless wandering had recently brought her instead to the Southern areas and she hadn't found herself up to much travelling, simply seeking any shade or areas that she could possibly cool down a little. She had found just the place it seemed, the Algoma Prairie seemed full of far more life than some of the other areas in the South. Although many animals had also sought shelter to keep cool and relax for the afternoon, Emer would still go as far to say that it was even more lively than herself at the moment. Of course in contrast to that comment her sluggish pace soon quickened slightly at the sight and sound of the water, eager to reach the creek. Steps continued, carrying her into the water and the cooling feeling on her pads was certainly rather refreshing. She took a quick glance around the area, golden gaze checking that she was alone before lowering her head to the water for a drink. A hunt would perhaps be useful at some point, though for now she was still feeling a little too lethargic to use such effort, she would wait until evening. She wasn't entirely sure what she would actually do up until then, though for now she remained within the shallow water.

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

The south, Birch had decided, was way to hot for his liking in this summer heat. It clung to his fur, heating up his fur of browns and white. A soft sigh would escape the male. He was glad that he wasn't planning on staying here in the South, merely taking a quick poke around before he made his way back home to Fontamo Bay. The thought of home made him smile, his heart surging with a deep happiness. It felt wonderful to be able to go home to somewhere he cared about... to his wonderful mate and sister, as well as his new friend Ellis. He wanted to meet all of the other wolves who would be within their pack as well, and meet the fabled Ebony alphess Raisa. All of that would surely happen in good time.

The scent of a stranger would intrude his nose and Birch would find himself wandering off towards it, ears perked with curiosity. He could smell that this female was in heat, though that wasn't the reason for his approach. No, Birch had other things on his mind. A warm, almost naive smile would cross his face as he practically bounced up to her, full of his usual energy, with his head held hi. The water certainly looked tempting, though the male wasn't going to be rude and act like he didn't see her just so he could get a drink first.

"Greetings madam. Do you hail from here in the South?" He would ask, light purple eyes searching for her own gaze.




"Speech"

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Though Emer of course had no plans for anyone to interrupt as fate would have it, the girl would soon find that she was no longer alone. The water around her rippled slightly as she tensed up, golden eyes watching warily as the stranger began to approach her. She found herself wishing the creek was wider and harder to cross, that she could safely be positioned on one side while this male could have the other. Indeed her heat was beginning and it certainly wasn't helping her to be any calmer when meeting new wolves, new males in particular. He bounded up in a rather cheery almost pup-like manner really certainly not threatening in his movements though there was no way Emer would allow herself to relax just yet. She backed up slightly as he reached the creek, though it certainly wasn't wide enough to offer her any additional protection from this shift of position. "Greetings madam. Do you hail from here in the South?" Only polite words would leave his lips for now, it wasn't particularly shocking, she knew nothing about him after all. It was a slight comfort, but still the girl would remain wary, not prepared to let what little defences she had down just yet. "Hello." Her own greeting, although not really rude certainly sounded a little more curt in comparison to the stranger's manners. "No, I don't." Her only home had been quite far from Alacritia and now she simply found herself wandering aimlessly, unsure whether she could ever call any part of it home.

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

The female he approached well, wary of him it would seem. He supposed that it would make sense and all, with her heat coming on. But from Birch she would have nothing at all to fear, even if it took her a little bit of time to realize this fact. From what he could pick up on the female she didn't seem to hold a pack scent, though that didn't necessarily mean that she didn't have somewhere she called home. He would smile gently as she answered, lowering his furry rump to the ground. If anything he hoped that the action would comfort her some more. He certainly couldn't do anything to her while he was sitting, right?

"I see... perhaps I make a judgement on you too quick, but is it too bold to assume that you might not have a home? Or are you simply not the type to run in a pack?" The words that continued to leave Birch's mouth were calm and warm. The male still followed his old habits, of working to better the lives of others if he could some way. He was definitely more naive and pup like at a glance, though he could get serious if the situation called for it. But now was not one of those times, and he continued to watch the femme with a kind look in his eyes.




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Still there was no sign of danger presenting itself anytime soon, the stranger even taking a seat at the edge of the creek. It was both a positive and negative sign, though it certainly seemed that he meant no harm, it also looked as though he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. Company was of course welcomed from time to time, Emer couldn't deny that she got lonely wandering the lands alone though she certainly preferred the isolation when she was in heat. "I see... perhaps I make a judgement on you too quick, but is it too bold to assume that you might not have a home? Or are you simply not the type to run in a pack?" The polite words continued, enquiring about her home. She couldn't help but wonder if he was attempting to recruit for a pack, certainly not sure why her living conditions were really of his concern otherwise. Truth be told she didn't enjoy being a loner, though she couldn't and wouldn't simply join the first pack she came across, if she was wary of one single stranger she was terrified of an entire pack of them. "I am a rogue, I simply travel the lands." She didn't offer the information as to whether she planned on that changing any time soon. It was nice that she now had a fairly good idea of how to get around Alacritia and the exploring had certainly been very interesting after her previously sheltered life but truth be told she still had no idea where to go from here. It didn't seem likely that she'd be heading home any time soon nor that she'd find a new one all that swiftly.

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

She certainly didn't give him a lot to work with, now did she? She would clarify that she was a rouge, and Birch would give a small nod. He understood that she didn't have any reason to trust him, especially considering they just met. Besides, her current state was probably making her all the more wary of strangers too. But Birch wouldn't take it to heart, however, and he would continue speaking to the femme, his words never once changing in their tone.

"Traveling is certainly a wonderful thing for one's soul. You never know who you might meet, or what you might learn. Though I do it less now a days I find myself sometimes wandering the lands of Alacritia... it is much bigger than I thought, though I believe I am slowly getting the hang of it." Birch would chuckle softly. Heck it was only by accident, when he first arrived, that he had found his sister and then later his mate.

"Should you ever choose to settle down in a pack there are certainly a lot to choose from here." Birch would continue to gently smile. "There is a larger pack here in the South I've noticed, and ones of equal size in the East and West. There is also, from what I have heard, a great empire in the North as well." He continued to speak, sharing the information with her, though he assumed she might already know of these more well grounded packs.

"Though should you like smaller numbers, or just need some assistance at some point, there is also my mate's pack, or rather what will be our pack." Whether a member or an alliance, or even just having someone take a thought of joining, Birch supposed that all was good. "We're a small group occupying Fontamo Bay at the moment. All of us are friendly, so if you ever find yourself in a bind you are welcome to visit." Birch would then shift the attention away from pack talk, so the female knew he wasn't pressuring her into joining anything, merely passing along information. "Have you learned anything interesting in your wanderings around Alacritia, miss?" It was then that he would chuckle. "Ahh, how rude of me. I'm Birch Netonya by the way. If I may, could I have the honor of knowing your name?"




"Speech"

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Emer was hardly the most easily trusting of wolves at the best of time, this was certainly nothing personal and it was rather fortunate that Birch realised that and continued to remain rather patient with her. A talkative fellow perhaps, he had plenty to say even with the lack of her input. The conversation wasn't terribly one sided though, only briefly touching upon his own discoveries and life, most definitely sharing rather than boasting in any format. It did seem that the man was, as Emer had guessed, looking for members to join a pack, though not so forceful in his explaining he had also spoken of other packs that he had heard of. She was quite the recluse in her travels, though she had managed to hear a little about some of the existing packs in Alacritia and of course a little of the drama as well. To be honest though she hadn't dared to tread too close to any of the packs and a large amount of information about them remained completely unknown. "I shall bear that in mind. Thank you." She responded simply, her manners certainly recalled despite the fact she was still feeling a little nervous. Perhaps she would consider learning a little more about this impending pack or some of the others she had heard of, even if his words were true she still wasn't so sure about jumping into such a decision so swiftly. "Not anything particularly interesting I'm afraid." It was mainly learning how to navigate, how to cope with life alone, certainly not the most interesting of topics really. "My name is Emer Lasair."

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

Though she did not trust his presence, as that was still clear, the femme kept her manners, and didn't completely bash away his words. The male would flick the end of his tail back and forth, almost as if he was a cat. Lately the male had a surplus of energy that would show in his movements, even in just something like this. His beloved mate would be bearing pups later in the season... and finally he would become a father. The pack was on its way and all was truly falling into place, though he had become a lot more edgy when it came to protecting ?owyn and making sure she was taken care of.

Birch would give a small nod as she said nothing of particular interest came up. A little disappointing, but it wasn't the end of the world after all. The female would introduce herself and he would make sure to note her name in his mind. "Emer, it is a nice name." The male would close his light purple eyes, feeling the wind brush over his fur. "Wandering has its own type of beauty to it... don't you think? Even if you are not always with others, you have no weight to worry about, and freedom to do as you choose."




"Speech"

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Emer was perhaps quite the opposite of Birch in some ways then. With no plans at all in her life she was alone and balancing on the edges of chaos, at least it felt that way now with how hard she had to attempt to dodge others and keep to herself. It was a rather awful way for a wolf to live and certainly not a lifestyle that she would recommend to another. If you really had the urge to explore, then at least persuade someone else to come with you, though seeing as her urge had been more to prove her independence she wasn't sure what advice she would give to herself if she had the chance to step back in time. "Emer, it is a nice name." She'd never really given her name all that much thought before, though she had once been asked about it's origin and received a similar compliment by a man named Valerius. He had certainly been rather pleasant to meet, and Emer had been rather less stressed then, meaning she had probably been better company for others as well. "Thank you." "Wandering has its own type of beauty to it... don't you think? Even if you are not always with others, you have no weight to worry about, and freedom to do as you choose." Spoken in those words it was rather easy to imagine why she'd made the foolish choice to leave her family, it certainly didn't sound like that bad of a life at all. They had perhaps once been some of her thoughts, mind lingering upon the possibility of freedom and although she wasn't trapped in anyway, Emer found she didn't exactly feel free these days. Lost was the word she would use, and she no idea what she should choose to do. Not wishing to dive into such deep and personal matters though, Emer simply smiled lightly and gave a soft nod of her head. "Lovely choice of words." She responded, for indeed they were, it was her own experiences that had put a dampener on this lifestyle, even if they hadn't really been bad at all.

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

What was it, truly, that drove a wolf to seek the freedom of the outside world? Even if their lives were not bad, even if life was almost perfect and peaceful, some wolves still sought to leave the safety of their old homes, their family, and take their chances with the world. Sure there was freedom, the will to do for yourself with nothing to limit you, but sometimes one had to wonder if it was truly worth the cost. As a loner you were alone, vulnerable, especially to wolves with darker, cruel hearts. But in the end it was the choice of each wolf to make such a decision, and to see if it would work for them or not.

Birch would give a nod at Emer?s own words, light purple eyes traveling skyward. ?I suppose you could say I speak both from personal experience and not.? He had spent his fair share of time as a loner, and a bit of time as a pack wolf. Personally Birch much more preferred the company and safety that a pack provided, though he did enjoy the freedom of being able to wander as he pleased too. In the end it would simply be finding a balance between the two, so that he could live the perfect life with his beloved and future children.

His gaze would trail back to Emer, and a gentle smile would grace his features once more. ?I thank you kindly for granting me company, miss Emer. I appreciate the chance to talk to someone new.? He would pause before speaking again. ?As I said before, if you ever need help with anything you are welcome to come ask my pack, and, if you would prefer to be alone now, I can take my leave if you wish.?




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Emer would ask herself that same question. Aside from her family being a little overprotective of the smallest and only female amongst them her life had been rather perfect. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her home and her intentions had always been to find her way back to them. Whilst it seemed she'd developed a better sense of direction during her travels, there was no way she could recall the path she had taken to get here in the first place and unless they came looking for her, Emer highly doubted that she would see any of her family again. ?I suppose you could say I speak both from personal experience and not.? Birch would explain, in which case it appeared his own experiences had probably been rather nice as a loner, not filled with this aimless wandering not sure what she would or should do next. She had been given a few options including Birch's, but she couldn't decide. The trust wasn't there and she feared making the wrong decision. ?I thank you kindly for granting me company, miss Emer. I appreciate the chance to talk to someone new. As I said before, if you ever need help with anything you are welcome to come ask my pack, and, if you would prefer to be alone now, I can take my leave if you wish.? He seemed nice enough, even now, though Emer found herself reminded of her meeting with Celeste and it seemed that not for the first time she would mimic the young girl's response in a question like this. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." Perhaps one day she'd find her way back to Birch and his family, but for now she was still too nervous to say she'd definitely see him again. "Don't take it personally, but yes please, I'd rather be alone." Perhaps it was better to find some company whilst she was in heat, but Emer much preferred the idea of keeping to herself.

What Is Life For, If Not For Joy?

So his offer was there, though his time with the brown female would be drawing to a close. She didn?t appear to be annoyed with him or anything of the sort, though the male could almost sense her simple desire to be left alone. It was something that did not necessarily need to be spoken and Birch was going to respect that. He would gently smile again as she spoke, shaking his head as he readied himself to leave.

"I assure you that I won?t. This is goodbye then. May life keep you well, whether our paths cross again or not.? It was a simple farewell really, and with that Birch would turn, heading off on his way as his mind turned to other things.

-Exit Birch-




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Because Tomorrow You Might Not Have The Chance