He was starting to fear that this was hopeless. A season he had searched with no results - his mother and siblings might as well have vanished into the wind for all the luck he was having finding them. And it frustrated Castiel - he knew his mother would have never abandoned Valhalla; she had loved it, he remembered that much, and they would not have left their home as he had. But they were as good as gone, as far as Castiel could tell, and he was afraid now more than ever that he was entirely alone. His father was dead and the rest of his family missing.

The white male slid back onto his haunches, breath escaping his lungs in a heavy sigh. This was exhausting, but he could not comprehend giving up. He had to find them; he had to tell them. His mother deserved to know that much at least. But he had no leads; Valhalla had been overtaken by a stranger and its members disbanded. His mother and sisters were surely long gone, he had to admit. They would not have stayed in that foreign place. Erani's loyalties had been to the Valhalla of his past, not this strange, foreign thing that now stood under its banner.

Fighting the urge to sigh again (it would accomplish nothing, after all), Castiel let his bulky form flop towards the earth, golden eyes closing for a long moment. This was hopeless, wasn't it?

"Speech"

Amia Tulip

She had no idea what was going on. She had stayed behind during the challenge, still weak from the plague. She had been so scared, had seen things she wished her eyes never saw, or rather her brain conjured up. She had been silent as she recovered, not finding the energy to move out of the den, not willing to move. Her mind kept turning back to what she had seen and it made her sick every time. Not even Imena could get her to move or speak. She had felt guilty, the dark woman caring for her and she not even giving in a budge. But that day they left, Imena and Cael, for the challenge, they never came back. She had worried when a strange voice called out. It was no one she knew of from Valhalla. It was the only thing that got her up. She packed what herbs she could carry in a large leaf and went to investigate. Erani had lost, Valhalla as she knew it disbanded and scattered. She fled away from the place she had grown comfortable calling home. She was so confused, so lost. What did she do now? She feared being alone, to close her eyes to sleep. Those images would come back if she did. It had been about two weeks if she remembered correctly since she left what used to be Valhalla. She just wanted to find her adoptive mother and she was going worried she might never see the dark woman again. She had stored her herbs in a little nook at the base of a tree while she went to hunt. Her stomach rumbling angrily at her, she hadn't done much hunting lately. Silently she padded, eyes keen and alert. Her training from Cormalin coming into play naturally. He had taught her the art of walking silently like she was the fog coasting over the land, being part of the land, disturbing it. Movement to her left made her pause as she saw a white figure. Was that Cael or Erani? She gave a little hop before padding over, tail raised in greeting and excitement. But she would pull up short in alarm as she realized this was not either one of them. Paws back pedaled quickly, leaning back on her haunches and eyes wide."Oh..my..my apologizes sir" She said softly.

Castiel

Another wolf made an appearance as Castiel sat, a pretty brown thing with strange markings on her forehead. The white male gave her a cursory glance over, ears pricked in her direction as she made an approach. It was only when she recoiled, falling back on her haunches, that Castiel paid much attention to her, an expression of worry crossing his features. Was she alright? The hasty apologies on her part were met by a dismissive flick of Castiel's ear, the white beast snorted softly. "There's no need to apologize, miss. You did no harm to me." Castiel assured the other with a nod of his head, gazing solemnly at the brown wolfess before him. He was startled by her appearance - this godforsaken place didn't exactly seem to be a hot spot for other wolves - but not so startled that she would need to apologize. He felt, instead, like he ought to apologize, but Casiel did not understand why. Instead of apologizing, however, Castiel offered the girl a friendly smile, ears twitching towards her as he cured his tail lazily around his paws. If she would stay, he was contemplating carrying a conversation. He wanted to hear a comforting voice more than he dared admit - and since his mother wasn't around, just about anyone would do. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

As she leaned back on her haunches she could not help but stare at him. He seemed strong, confident yet there was a fore bonding sense she could trust and rely on him. A feeling she somehow knew him. Maybe it was the fact his fur was pure white like Erani and Cael. But there seemed to be something more deeper than that. She couldn't explain it nor understand. Her jaws were left parted after she spoke her apology, as she puzzled over why he seemed familiar. She would shake her head slightly as he dismissed her apology, a blush raising to her face as she realized she had been staring at him. She recollected herself, sitting down with her tail wrapping around her paws, head lowered as gaze would flicker from her paws to his golden hued eyes. He was handsome in a pure and simple way."Im sorry..it's just you look like someone I know. I lost them..after I lost my pack." She would say softly. She shifted, unsure what to say next. Eyes would wonder around them before her head snapped back to him."Oh! Where are my manners?! I'm Amia, Amia Tulip of the Nomads." She added with a small bow of her head, a shy grin on her face. Walk "Talk" Think

Castiel

When the stranger spoke of him looking familiar, Castiel could not deny the way that his heart leapt in his chest. Did she know of the fate of his family? And yet, Castiel knew it was unlikely. It would be too much of a coincidence that this stranger would know of the fate of his mother and siblings when he had been able to find no signs of their existence. "I am sorry to hear that you have lost your pack recently, miss Amia Tulip . . . of the Nomads." As he spoke her full title, recognition lit his golden eyes. Nomads. He remembered the tales his mother had spun of them, of the noble wolves that travelled far and wide to heal injured wolves and learn of new diseases. If she was a Nomad... Then she might know Erani... "My name is Castiel, son of Erani and Nova. You may have heard of my mother if you are a Nomad... Do you have any recent news of her whereabouts?" The excitement in his voice was moderated, but it was there. He was delighted by this turn of events - and by meeting a nomad. This Amia seemed a delicate soul, the kind of wolf that he would lay himself on the line to protect - not that he wouldn't do that for just about anyone. But there was something different about her, even Castiel had to admit that. And the pack that she had lost... Well, it had to be his childhood home, Valhalla. His mother's scent had been all over that border, and now it was gone, vanishing into the smoke, along with Surreal's scent. Would he ever find his family again? Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think