The silvery fea realized with a start that this was the closest she had been to her old pack's territory in ages. She stopped in her tracks, looking out toward where she knew that if she kept walking straight she would soon run into the Seracia territory. She had gone off on her own, unable to shake the craving for adventure that she had gotten as a kid, and she had even ventured out of Alacritis for a while. She had enjoyed her adventures and hadn't really even intended on coming back to this part of Alacritis, but here she was. But, it wasn't like she was at Seracia's doorstep. In fact, she knew from her distant past memories that it was still a good distance away, but just the realization that she could easily get back to what she had considered home as a pup made her pause. Was she ready for that? Was she ready to see how her family would react to her return? With a sigh she would turn to one of the many pieces of fruit on the ground around one, batting at one softly with a charcoal gray paw. She was older now, almost a full season past being a year old, but she really hadn't grown all that much. It hadn't taken a lot to get to her full height of twenty-seven inches, but she liked to think she had grown into her body well. She wasn't quite so scrawny now, beginning to fill out and carry herself with a bit more grace. Her vibrant green gaze followed the piece of fruit as she batted it back and forth between her forepaws. She was lost in thought, the action nothing but a mindless motion at this point. Speech Thought Others

Squall

Much time had passed since Squall had gone anywhere...or spoken to anyone. Ever since the falling out with Loccian, he had grown distant from everyone and everything. Reverting back to his introverted self and avoiding those who tried to get near him or even talk to him. He would turn them away as soon as they had approached, sharp words of annoyance and sarcasm always heavy upon his tongue. He didn't care to get close to anyone, he didn't want to get hurt for a third time. The male had chosen to take a walk away from the territory, perhaps to somewhere he had not yet been to clear his mind and think about what he wanted to do. Was his place really in Seracia? His mind always seemed to be tortured there, Loccian was ill, having given up her position as Alphess to another he barely knew. Though he didn't particularly care, at least...that's what he told himself, anyway. Black paws carried him across the ground, the male lost in thought he wasn't even very aware of where he was going. All he cared about was that it was away from Seracian grounds, to a place where he could hopefully find answers. He wasn't sure how far he had walked, or where exactly he was. But when his eyes gazed up he could see trees as far as the eye could see. Leaves and petals fell to the ground, the mingled scents of fruits thick and sweet in the air. Icy blue gaze swept the scenery, this was certainly different then anything he had seen before. His paws would move him forward again, head turning this way and that as he took in what he saw. He had never seen so many fruit bearing trees in one place before, but it was something he didn't mind. The tri-colored male moved further into the trees, unknowing to what he would soon walk into. As his gaze fell back towards the ground, he could see just a few yards away, a lone figure. Ears perked forward, and he debated moving forward or turning a different way. Though there was something familiar about the femme that would keep him going. Upon approach, he would stop several feet away, watching her absentmindedly batting at the piece of fruit between her paws. "Having fun?"

It took her a moment to catch the newcomer's scent through the heavy smell of the fruit around her, but she did none of the less. She smelled him coming and heard paw steps stop near her just moments before he spoke, but she didn't immediately lift her gaze. She scoffed at his question, replying, "As much fun as a wolf can have with a rotting piece of fruit, I guess." With a sigh she kicked the fruit she had been hitting off several feet away from her before finally turning to look and see who it was that was standing there. Her vibrant gaze settled on the tri-toned wolf across from her, his unique patterns triggering something deep, deep in her memories. She did smell Seracia on him, so she figured she must have met him at some point when she was in the pack, but that had been quite some time ago so she wasn't all that sure. There were very few wolves that she had spoken to in Seracia long enough to know them, but she must have at least had a decent conversation with this wolf to recognize him. Her brows pulled together as she tried to remember why she knew him. "Um... Do I know you? You look really familiar..." Speech Thought Others

"As much fun as a wolf can have with a rotting piece of fruit, I guess." A raised brow was shown. Nothing less, nothing more as he continued to watch her. It was soon after speaking that his gaze would follow the fruit as it rolled away from her, before returning to watch her again. Her own green gaze locking with his as she studied him. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that he had known her before. Seen her and possibly even spoken to her once upon a time. His suspicion was cleared, however, when she voiced her own question. He pondered for a moment, remembering back to another season, a warm day had been dulled with boredom. The male had been sitting on the roof of an old tractor, where he had met a young curious girl. Recognition prickled his mind and fur, and he would keep his gaze steady upon her. "Well, maybe because you were a shrimp who couldn't get up the tractor steps." He replied, though it wasn't kind, it held a slight sense of humor. He looked her over a moment, "Well, seems like you still are a little shrimp aren't you?" Talk like this

Without a blink the male would say plenty to remind her of where she knew him from. The memory came rushing back, although a bit blurry. She had been very young then. She was still young now of course, but nearly as young, or as unknowing as she was back then. She smirked at the memory, remembering climbing on top of that tractor with his help and feeling like queen of the mountain. But, of course, he had to ruin the moment and moment on her height. She had stopped growing long ago, hitting her maximum height of twenty-seven inches and simply stopping at that. Her size had been a sore spot for her for most of her life and still wasn't something she was happy about. But, while she had been out on her own, she had adapted to it. All the same, her ear twitched with irritation and her eyes narrowed slightly in a glare. She scoffed softly, her tail flicking behind her and a smirk touching her muzzle. "Shrimp or not, I could still take you." Speech Thought Others

A smirk lifted, noticing the irritation on her. If she couldn't handle a little comment here and there, then she was hanging with the wrong guy. She should have remembered the first time, he wasn't a happy dude then either. Much less now with all that had been going on, but he wouldn't dwell on it anymore. He would preserve what he could, and cast aside what had hurt him. Reluctantly, but he would try his best. He raised a brow at her comment, a blank look on his face as he sized her up...not that there was much to size up to begin with. She was pretty small, but it suited her. "Is that so? I'll believe it when I see it, princess. You shouldn't let people get to you, it'll only get in your way. Take it from me, I've dealt with people who have put me down and said negative things all my life. But eventually you turn your back on the pessimists and you learn not to give a damn." You also learn to stop hoping...with less hope, comes less pain. His eyes darkened slightly with that simple thought. For it was something he believed in his entire life. The tri-colored brute would move away, sitting underneath a fruit tree that produced a few red apples that gathered on the ground at the base of the trunk. He took one for himself, the other he swept with one paw and watched it roll towards the girl. "What did you say your name was?" Talk like this

His little life lesson wouldn't lessen her irritation at his size comment, but she knew he probably spoke from real experience and tried to remember that. Her temper was like her small stature, it was something she had been dealing with all her life. It had gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion, but she couldn't stop it. Words liked to just pop out of her mouth without letting her really process them. She watched him move over to one of the many fruit trees and moved forward toward him, stopping a couple of feet from him once more. Her gaze would follow the apple that he rolled toward her before she lifted her forepaw and stopped it much like a soccer player would stop a ball. "Jendai," she replied as she settled down on her haunches, her striking gaze shifting to settle on him once more. "And you're... Squall, right?" She wasn't sure why she remembered his name, but he had made a pretty big impression on her younger self so maybe that was why. Absently, she rolled the apple around under her forepaw. "Do you know how my parents are doing? Bronze and Silent?" she asked, trying to act like the thought didn't bother her. She remembered her parents being a lot older than the other pup's parents and had no idea what to expect as an answer. Would he even know? It would be just her luck to run into a Seracian who didn't know what had happened with her parents so she wouldn't be surprised. Speech Thought Others

Icy gaze remained fixated on the yearling. Jendai. Yes, he remembered now. She was quite the character then, and he wondered how much had changed now. He hadn't really mingled with any of the pack, he was secluded. Not because he didn't think he couldn't make friends, but by choice. He had met very few of his packmates, though it was for the briefest of interactions and he had never really said much. He was a stranger in his own home, though he couldn't quite call it a home... He would nod at her remembrance of him. "Yes, that's right. Surprised you remember, I feel kinda bad for not remembering yours. Though it's a little hard to do so when I don't expect someone to stick around." Truthfully, the only name he had really cared to remember was Loccian's...though it was hard to forget her. He had fallen for her, and crashed. Hard. And now he had to start all over again, not only in forgetting, but in mending what he once was. She would then follow to ask him a question. And he was ashamed, somewhat, to not know the answer. He recalled her telling him about her parents when he had asked the first time, though he hadn't bothered to meet them at all. He remained a stranger to those in Seracia..."I'm sorry, but I don't know that answer. I haven't seen much of anyone, honestly. Though Seracia's fate is..uncertain, at the moment." Speech Thoughts Others

Jendai couldn't say she wasn't a little bit disappointed by the fact that Squall had no news to share, but she also couldn't say she was surprised. If she remembered correctly he didn't know anything the last time she had asked him about her father so she didn't know why she thought now would be any different. She did wonder what he meant when he said Seracia was uncertain at the moment, but she wouldn't question it. There was probably some form of drama involving the pack and the only thing she cared about was how it affected her family, which he obviously knew nothing about. "It's alright," she replied with a sigh, poking the apple between her paws absentmindedly. "I'll just have to go find them myself eventually... If they're even still there. At least they're a bit more predictable than my siblings. Who knows where they could be." She stood, batting the apple away from her once again, watching it roll away before turning her gaze toward him once again. Her tail flicked as she hesitated, unsure of what to say next. It was really unfortunate for him she thought, finding her when she was feeling lonely and lost. If he had found her a few days before, or yesterday even, she would have been fine, but right now as she thought of her family and how long she had been away from them she felt beyond lost. Her ears flicked with frustration, her gaze drifting off and her claws scraping the dirt under her paws. Jendai had always struggled with her temper, and the whole situation wasn't making it any easier. "Will you spar with me?" she asked suddenly, her eyes darting back to him. "I'm just so... frustrated, I need to do something." Speech Thought Others

A frown would develop upon his face, disappointed somehow, by disappointing her. He was not sure why, he should be used to others being disappointed in him by now. Normally he would simply brush it off his shoulder, but the fact that it was about family...concerned him. Although he didn't have anyone to call family in the first place, having been orphaned at a very early age, the only family he had was Ellone. But she had been stolen away during a siege, and he had not seen her since. The girl would speak more, saying that she'd go looking for them on her own. A brief flash would cross his eyes, and he would speak up soon after. "I'll help you in your search. It's the least I can do." It was not an offer she could refuse. For no matter whether she wanted him to or not, he would help her. He felt somewhat obligated, but that was not something he would tell her. He watched the fruit roll away from her, noting how she must be feeling. He had been in her position once upon a time, and it seemed as if more wolves he came across were going through similar things he had once gone through. It was not just frustrating, but damaging in more ways then one could imagine. His tail would subconsciously sweep around to his left side, gaze wandering towards the ground. Unable to meet the eyes that held so much frustration. He had seen something else there, a glimpse of loneliness mixed with sadness. Ears would slant slightly against his crown. "Will you spar with me?" His head would lift, blue gaze staring at her steadily. A spar? "I'm just so... frustrated, I need to do something." Almost instantly, a slight smirk would lift one side of his lips. And then he would rise to his paws, pelt shaking free of petals and dust. "You and I both. I'd be honored to spar with you, we can be partners in crime. But don't cry if you get hurt." He would end with a slight tease, a spark of humor in his eyes. It had been a long time since he had sparred with anyone, or even have some sort of connection with someone who was going through things he had gone through. Speech Thoughts Others

A pleased smirk came to Jendai's muzzle when Squall began to rise to his paws and agreed to her request to spar. She scoffed as she rose to her paws as well, answering, "It'll take a lot more than that to make me cry." She felt that rush of adrenaline she always got when she was fighting as she was setting her defenses. Lime eyes narrowed and ears pinned back against her head as her paws spaced under her evenly for a stable base. Her willowy muscles tensed in preparation to move and her knees bent slightly while her head tucked down over her throat and her shoulders rolled forward. Finally, her hackles raised and her tail went out behind her, laying even with her spine for balance. Jendai knew she had him beat in height and weight, but what she lacked in those categories she hoped to make up for with speed and lightness on her paws. She sprung forward, using the bend in her knees to give her an extra boost of speed. Her claws also dug into the dirt for more traction as she moved. She stayed light on her paws, moving with a slight bounce in her step as she aimed her attack for the spot on his side just behind his right foreleg. She wanted to give a firm, but shallow, bite there just to cause him some discomfort and a little bleeding. Anything to slow him down and hinder his movements. While she was still in close quarters with him she would dip her head down once more, aiming another light bite at the back of his right foreleg, right under his knee. She would then quickly taking a step back from him, hopefully bouncing out of his range to avoid his attack. ROUND: 1 of 2? DEFENSES: Eyes narrowed, ears pinned back, paws evenly spaced, claws dug in, muscles tensed, knees bent, shoulders rolled forward, tail even with spine for balance, head tucked over throat, hackles raised ATTACK: Shallow bite to his side just behind his right foreleg and to the back of his right foreleg right under his knee and then bouncing back out of the way INJURIES: None, first round Speech Thought Others

Squall

He watched as she too rose to her paws after him. All the while he had set his defenses. Ears laid back, tail aligned with his spine, body lowered slightly, knees bent, scruff bunched, shoulders rolled forward to protect the sides of his neck, toes spread for balance, chin tucked, head lowered over his throat, eyes narrowed, hackles rose and teeth would show from beneath his lips...and he was ready. Planting his toes in the ground to brace against any oncoming charge. A smirk peeked through his canines at her retaliation comment, touche young one. She had guts. She would charge towards him, seemingly aiming for his right side and he would allow her to close the distance between them. However, he would pivot as she aimed for his foreleg, his hips swinging out and away from her and his head now over her back, their position now the shape of a "T" when he moved. He felt teeth nip his right lower shoulder, instead of her intended target, and leaving shallow cuts about an inch or two deep, and they bled only slightly. He could feel the heat and sting of the cuts, but they would not hinder him. Due to his movement, her second attack would miss his hind leg, instead clipping lower abdomen though only leaving a shallow cut about three or so centimeters. He would now aim to barrel his chest to her side, attempting to topple her over or hinder her movement. She was smaller, but he too was quick on his feet as well. More experienced at that. Head would lower, teeth aiming to bite upon her middle back but not too hard, just enough to cause her to skitter away if anything. All the while his right paw would snake forward, an effort to hopefully trip her hind feet to unbalance her. Fight Stats Round: 1/2 Defenses: First paragraph Attacks: Attempting to knock her over with his chest. Aiming to lightly bite the middle of her back. Right forepaw reaching forward to try and trip her. Injuries: Shallow cuts/bites to lower right shoulder and lower right abdomen side. Out Of Character Notes: sorry for the crappy post, i'm tired and lack sleep + depression v.v