"Brrrrr!" was the first word that escaped Eria's mouth. The said word caused her breath to become a puff of air that rose in front of her eyes. Those ocean blue eyes twinkled merrily as she watched it evaporate and disappear. After that small show of self-amusement, she continued on her way. Which way this was, she wasn't sure; it just felt right.

Eria's paws had left plush, green grass and autumn-kissed trees a couple of hours ago. She liked the feel of soft grass beneath her feet, but what she touched now was even better. When her paws had first stepped onto the chilly snow of the Northern lands, she had sighed in content. The temperature had dropped and she had felt blessed with the thick fur that cloaked her body. A permanent smile had appeared on her face as she continued on her journey to colder climates.

This newfound happiness for the Northern settings didn't stop her from being cautious. With every step she took, her ears, eyes, and nose had been on the alert. She knew that when a lone wolf was by herself in the open of a land unknown to her, nothing was impossible. However, the crunch of the snow beneath her paws or the cold winds that stroked her cheeks didn't keep her from being on the prowl for danger. So, she continued to enjoy herself and the settings that she found herself in.

"I wonder if I will find anyone out here," she voiced out loud. The chances of finding someone in this type of atmosphere seemed slim, but she reminded herself that there were many different kinds of wolves who could handle different places. The hope in her chest increased and she kept a watchful eye out all the same. This ocean blue eye then caught the sight of a ship. It had obviously been there since before her time, as it was frozen in place like a statue. Her curiosity for the inside of the vessel peaked, but she figured she would return in the future to see it. For now, she was keen on meeting someone, anyone, who could help her find other wolves like her.

I met an old man, dying on a train, No more destination, No more pain He said, "One thing before I graduate:" ~*~ "You know..." came a voice "You just might." The tones were calm and quiet, just smooth enough to be feminine, but low enough to show considerable age. In only a matter of weeks, Crusade would be ten. Most wolves in the wild never reached that age, and with her lifestyle she certainly never thought she would. But there was still that quarter of dog blood that ran in her viens, no doubt that was to credit for the longeitivy. Crusade was old, but she had become a mother just that summer and she intended to keep living for at least another year, maybe two. She was too busy to die. That said, she was long past her fighting days. She preferred to spend her days in the big pack cave with her packmates and family, but ever so often she did wander a bit. A lifetime of traveling couldn't be suddenly ignored. So it was that the old girl found herself adrift in the sea of snow, reclining in the curve of a snow bank as comfortably as though it were white velvet. The paw steps of another, younger wolf had reached her ears, but as she didn't bother with shifting around to look. She let the stranger wolf up along side her and into her line of sight. It was a young fae, she'd guess her age to be two or three, and though of medium size, there was a good strong build beneath that dark coat of hers. Crusade greeted her with a pleasant smirkish smile and a benign light in her remaining, right eye. "Good day, stranger." There was a subtle rumble, almost like a chuckle in her voice. "Don't often see another lovely female astroll in this wilderness." A bit of loving stress was put on the word 'another'. "Are you lost, or just, enjoying the view?" ~*~ "Never let your Fear decide your Fate"

Eria's sandy white-tipped ears perked when she heard another voice. To think that she had been alone in this beautiful, snowy wilderness. This new land was already filled with surprises that made the young fae genuinely smile. Her eyes searched for the source of the gentle tones and when she found her, Eria's heart hammered lightly. The first word that came to Eria's mind was beautiful. From how the older female looked, she seemed the kind of woman that Eria could simply approach and not worry about harm. As a matter of fact, this is what caused the young one to openly speak. She slowly approached Crusade, her paws making light crunching noises whenever they pressed into the snow.
With her head slightly lowered to the ground, she sniffed the air and nodded to her. "Good day to you too, ma'am," she politely replied, that smile still gracing her dark features. When she finally stopped walking, the light of the struggling sunlight shined across her pelt. Hues of deep blue and black mixed together like the night sky was evident as the wind made waves through her thick fur. Her ocean blue eyes stood out against her facial features and they twinkled as she excitedly replied again. "I guess a little bit of both. At first, I was travelling and enjoying the view of this beautiful landscape...but then," her ears slightly went back and she reclined to her haunches, "I started yearning for others that enjoyed this setting, others...whom understood why this part of the world is so amazing."
Her thick-haired tail with the sandy white tip swept across the snow behind her, making it fly like sparkling bits of white confetti. The confetti fell across her form, making her look slightly older, but she smiled at the touch of the snow. Playfully, she shook her head to remove it and said, "You mentioned there were other females who have been past here...does that mean there is a chance a pack lives around here?" The hunger in her eyes was shamelessly evident as she asked the older lady her burning question. Suddenly, Eria remembered her manners. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to be rude. My name is Eria..and I guess from what you can tell, I am foreign to these lands."

I met an old man, dying on a train, No more destination, No more pain He said, "One thing before I graduate:" ~*~ It was always a pleasure to meet a young creature with manners. Perhaps it was her age, but she'd noticed how all things in her life seemed to remind her of others. This fae here, in voice and manner, served to remind Crusade of her adopted daughters, sweet, candy-eyed darlings, with all the energy of firecrackers when it came to dashing across the snow and mountains. One of them had just recently made her a grandmother - a proud grandmother, if a bit surprised. Creator Above, now she really sounded old. But the point was a good one, for otherwise, the fae's coloring might've reminded the old she-wolf of a very different creature she'd known. Damn the very memory of that demon. She'd never be able to see a black wolf of blue colored eyes without, at least for a moment, thinking back on Xy. Ghosts of the past and all that. It was vetrans like her who had the most of them. Ah well, Crusade contented herself with a brief remembrance of what it had felt like beheading the bastard. Good times. And all the while her chuckle showed in her eyes as much as her voice. Crusade was much more than just the old, fluff-fured she-wolf she appeared, but she didn't need to remind herself nor anyone else about this. She was content to appear mild-mannered in the face of a stranger. After all, when it came to spirit, she was just as much a lover as she was a fighter. To the fae's words she listened, still relaxing half on her side in the snow bank, enjoying this she-wolf's way of speaking. 'Young' Crusade had first thought her, but this girl with the cobalt fur certainly certainly spoke with enough development and walked with enough confidence. What had Crusade been like when she was three? Not too different? Well, a little more devil-may-care and duel-happy, perhaps. "-but then...I started yearning for others that enjoyed this setting, others...whom understood why this part of the world is so amazing." That set Crusade thinking. Her lids flicked almost dreamily over her eyes, or rather, one empty pink socket, and one gold-green orb. "You know..." she said in hushed tones, "I think it's the fact that the land is a mirror." Her bushy tail flicked slightly. "It reflects all that it means to be a wolf. It can be oh so beautiful and welcoming, and yet at the same time - death to those who do not watch where they step. Blizzards here sweep in out of no where, and can bury a soul in a matter of hours, and yet that same snow is so terribly pure and lovely. Heaven and Hell, all under one sky." Crusade quieted then and made room for the stranger's question about packs. Ah, she there was no denying that look in her eyes. She sought a home. But before the timber cross could answer, the other fae was moving on to introduce herself. "Eria-," twas a nice name. "- It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Crusade. I've been a travler and few lands are foreign to me, but my soul has set it's roots, and I choose to live out my last days here in the North. I am a part of the Glaciem pack which lives amid the timber line and tundra to the northwest of here." There was far too much haze and snow on this day, but at clear times, the range of moutnains could just been seen as tiny grey ridges way away in the white distance. ~*~ "Never let your Fear decide your Fate"

Eria took note of everything Crusade said to her. The words that came from the female's mouth made Eria's soul stir. She had never thought of a place like the North to be both a Heaven and Hell. As she pondered Crusade's words, she realized how little she knew about the world she had entered. A look of fear appeared in her ocean blue eyes and she looked at Crusade as she spoke. "It sounds as if no matter what happens, the challenges you face here are well worth the fight." Her fear wavered and vanished from her eyes, where determination and faith filled them instead. "To choose a place to call home, one must take the good with the bad..." This Eria knew, for when she was travelling on her own, she took the negative and positives of being a rogue wolf. "That would be something I wouldn't have trouble doing," she concluded, nodding to confirm her belief to Crusade. The young female's eyes burned with a gentle fire and she intently perked her ears when Crusade told her name. "Crusade..that is unique indeed. I have never met another who had your name."
Her dark blue and black haunches reclined to the cold, snowy ground. If she had been another wolf, the chill would have probably made her jump. In Eria's case, she did the exact opposite. Her young self sat on her haunches...and then she started to move around to get adjusted. She welcomed the beautiful snow with a sweep of her tail and she buried her front paws in until she was rooted. Oh, how Eria wanted to frolick and roll in the snow! She wanted to be completely covered and pretend she was hiding from some unknown enemy...or a really bad lovestruck boy. However, now was not the time.
She continued to listen to Crusade and excitement rang through her heart as it raced with the familiar hope. "I am sure if I wanted to know about foreign lands, I would definitely come to you and ask...if you wouldn't mind, Miss Crusade." Eria smiled and she waited the right length of time before saying, "Glaciem? I have never heard of it before...What is it like there?"

I met an old man, dying on a train, No more destination, No more pain He said, "One thing before I graduate:" ~*~ "-the good with the bad.-" Yes that was a fine way to describe it; not just the land, but life in general. Eria seemed to be a wolf who could understand all this. Taking the good with the bad, well that was never easy, especially when done over a decade. Life and it's twists were out there to change you, you could either become better or worse, it depended on your character. For Crusade, she liked to think, she'd become better, or at least to think that she hadn't lost her best points. Despite a twice broken heart, she could still love her mate, despite the loss of good friends, she could still attach herself, and despite all the hell she'd seen, she still believed that it paid to follow your principles and put faith in your family. That was why she was still standing. Er - figuratively anyway, this snowbank was far too cozy and right now she preferred to remain laying down. Eria seemed to agree, for soon the cobalt she-wolf was settling down into a seat beside her. To her complement on Crusade's name, she was returned a soft grunt of humor. "My parents seemed to have some sort of foresight in that reguard." she watched Eria seemed to enjoy the snow. "My mother, Clash, was quite the snowbaby herself. My sire first met her when she was making snow angles on the border of his northern homeland." Ah but Glaciem, Crusade was asked with utmost grace to speak of it. Oh she would never tire of describing her grand home. She only wished she could find words endowed with greater meaning. "Glaciem... is a pack which takes all the Northern dangers in stride, we have survived deaths of dear pack members, an abduction of our leader, a pair of migrations, and, what we all thought was the end of the world." The volcano. Creator Above, would she ever think back on that day without a shudder? She'd only just lost her eye and begun to recover from her death match with Xy that terrible natural disaster. "The wolf known as Gargoyle leads it now, and though he is a giant, I can only ever think of him as my baby brother." The fae sighed contentedly. "The word 'Glaciem' is forever interlocked with the 'family' in my mind. After all, it was myself, with a few of my family members who started the pack many years ago." ~*~ "Never let your Fear decide your Fate"

She became eerily quiet as she listened to Crusade speak. Her brain absorbed the information like a sponge and she relished in the ideas that popped into her head. Eria's heart continued to hammer slightly as she thought of the wolves that lived together as one unit, a family, that stayed together through the tough years. Whatever they had thrown at them, the pack was strong and endured it all. A sigh of awe escaped Eria's dark lips and she said, "Wooow..." softly. "Your pack has been through so much, Miss Crusade...That is what family means, to be there no matter what..." Her ears slightly folded as she lowered her chin to her chest. Eyes looking down at the swirling snow, she thought about how she couldn't have helped own pack, her parents...she had been so close and yet, there had been nothing she could have done. The ache for her parents squeezed her heart and she let loose a small whimper, wrapping her tail around her paws.She closed her eyes and wiped them with her front paws, one at a time so she wouldn't lose balance. "I'm sorry," she said as she moved her fresh tears from her eyes, "it's just...family has a root meaning to me and..well, there was nothing I could do to save them..." Eria realized that Crusade didn't know what she was talking about, so she opened her eyes and looked to the beautiful elder. "My childhood pack was slaughtered by rogue wolves that were like shadows...silent and their presence was horrifying. My parents hid me from them and were the last wolves to die in the slaughter...I don't know why they came, but I had no choice but to leave after that night..." Eria had never told anyone of her past; telling Crusade made a weight rise from her chest. That feeling of being able to let someone else know a bit about herself was something she had never experienced.Eria regained her composure and said, "You and your brother must be very proud of how Glaciem has turned out. It sounds like it is a pack that truly lives up to its name...How many other wolves like myself have found it awe inspiring, I wonder..."

I met an old man, dying on a train, No more destination, No more pain He said, "One thing before I graduate:" ~*~ Eria?s reactions to Crusade?s story was surprising. Even powerful. Crusade shifted her head so her good eye could better see the girl. She was upset. Something Crusade had said, or something the words had triggered had unsettled the young thing. Crusade didn?t ask. She remained laying, though a little more stiffly now, and watched Eria wipe her eyes. The girl would talk when she was ready. Sure enough, after a quick apology? out came the story. One always hears about the vetrans that have gone cold and grim. How stuff like this never phases them anymore, because they?ve learned how to detach themselves. Well turns out it doesn?t work like that for everyone. Crusade had seen some pretty bad things in her time and heard about plenty of others, but it still irked her. Her neck fur still rose, her blood still started boiling, her claws still started itching. But it was pointless. Just one of the many instincts left over from her warrior years. She was too old to be fighting anymore. These weren?t her fighting days, these were her days of sunset-watching and baby sitting and telling stories to her kids and grandkids. But she?d lost her best friend around a month ago. Tradegies had a fresh route to her heart, however strong that sucker might be. When Eria unfolded her tale of rogues and family and slaughter. Crusade?s ears flattened back against her skull. By universal law, the first thing to say in all these situations was ?I?m sorry?, but Crusade had always hated having to say those words. Often, there was nothing better to say, but then, Crusade had been around the bush for quite some time. "It's always the best that go first," she said quietly. "And it never gets easier. Best thing you can do? Enjoy whatever time you're given with whoever seems the most worth it." Crusade gave a weary shake of her head ?Which is what I've tried to do. Oh we number around two dozen now. I don?t keep track of every acceptance, I?m not the Chief anymore, but yes, I?m still quite proud of what it?s become, and what it?s remained through all these times. There?s a lot of good wolves there,? her green-gold eye flickered curiously up to Eria?s blues. ?And we?re always happy to welcome another.? ~*~ "Never let your Fear decide your Fate"

The young fae nodded and agreed wholeheartedly with Crusade. "You are definitely right about that...I know that life shouldn't be about holding grudges, even if the pain is unbearable and you want to do something about it." She sighed softly, letting the brisk exhale create a miniature puff of smoke. Eria watched it quickly evaporate and her tail curled around her hind paws in a snug hold. "I think it will be something I will live with the rest of my days. I miss them everyday and I wonder what they would think of me as I grow in the future...But, I know they are watching over me, and for that, I am grateful." It wasn't usual for Eria to open up so quickly, but she felt that Crusade would be the right person to tell anything..except for details she wanted to keep private, of course.
'There's a lot of good wolves here...and we're always happy to welcome another.'

Those soft words hit Eria's ears like an ocean wave above her head and she let them sink in until she realized the elder was speaking about her. Slowly, Eria's gaze met Crusade's and the open 'Thank You' was evident in her ocean blue orbs. Excitement raced through her blood as she slowly asked, "Do you...do you really mean it? Oh, Miss Crusade...that would be wonderful!" Her tail uncurled itself and lightly smacked the snow, causing it to rise and fall like confetti once again. She wanted to dance and leap in the snow like a pup finding out she was the first to eat at a big meal. She had come looking for a potential place to call home....and Crusade was saying it was definitely possible. Oh, joyous day!

I met an old man, dying on a train, No more destination, No more pain He said, "One thing before I graduate:" ~*~ "I do indeed mean it," Crusade assured her. In fact, she came to her paws, as though adding emphasis to those words. Any formality it might've inspired however, was a bit marred by her next move of shaking the snow from her coat like a wet dog. The old fae poofed a bit before straightening up. "If your paws are still itching to wander, Eria, then I'll take you now to meet the Alpha and get things settled." Crusade grinned and gave a sweeping wag of her tail. "I think you'll like Glaciem quite alot." --EXIT-- (ooc: sorry it's a bit short, my exit posts usually seem to be, but we can move right on to starting a thread in Glaciem :D ) ~*~ "Never let your Fear decide your Fate"

Eria copied Crusade and lightly rose from her haunches. There seemed to be a spring in her step as she took a few of them to the side to avoid some of the oncoming snow. Her smile was wide and she giggled at the snow that did get on her fur. She swept her tail side to side and eagerly took another couple of steps forward. "Yes ma'am, let's go see the Alpha!" Her voice was excited and nervous at the same time. At this point, she was comfortable enough around Crusade to show her true feelings in front of her.
"My paws will follow yours to Glaciem, Miss Crusade," she honestly said. "I think I will like it there, too...I want to."
-FADE Eria-