OOC: set between the Arc/Imp festival and the Imp/Lyd siege.

The festival with Arcanum had marked what was really the first time she'd left Imperium's borders for any real length of time since she'd had the pups. It had been good to get out into less familiar surroundings even if she had needed to put up with the Arcanum branch of Valentine's family sneering arrogantly down their noses at her and her kids. And the Arcanum branch of her own family as well... sigh. She'd left the pups to sleep off the exhaustion of the day and set out for a run as the sun set to burn some of the excess energy from the excitement. She considered stopping at Valen's den - it had seemed like something was on his mind as they'd made the trek back to Imperium's borders and she nearly stopped to see if he'd want to talk about whatever it was, but ultimately she decided against it. Though they'd parted ways after their argument much less furiously than they'd joined into it, she was wary of pushing him. She'd come dangerously close to revealing too much of herself, too much of what she buried beneath layers of trickiness and good cheer, last time she'd argued with him and she rather doubted he'd quite forgiven him for kidnapping his little plaything. If he was ready to talk to her again he could seek her out instead of the other way around. So instead she'd steered around his den and set off through the border at a ground-eating lope, very nearly a breaking into a sprint just from the pure joy of running. She relished in the pull and stretch of muscles too little used of late, in the faint burning of her lungs and the slight tug of the wind on her fur. She didn't go far; the pull of her family waiting for her back in Imperium was too strong. She slowed and eventually came to a stop in a tangled, wild-growing orchard. The trees were in full fruit, and her arrival startled a herd of deer into leaping away through the overgrown trees. She grinned and considered giving chase just for fun, but with her stillness crept in a certain contemplative moodiness, and her grin faded. Dropping her haunches, she sat alone beneath the protective branches of a plum tree, watching as the moon slowly rose over the dark, quiet orchard. ""

The thin galactic she wolf found herself exploring once more, with her and her two companions all plitting up to go in different directions she was a bit more cautious on this trip than she might have been had she known where Mithras and Caia were at that exact moment. Despite being with out her body guards Faria felt comfortable with her own abilities and found no fear as she walked along. Her dark paws eventually brought her to the edge of an overgrown forest, bright blue eyes would take in the elegant trees and their budding fruits. Distracted by the scenery she almost missed the herd of deer that was bounding right for her, though as their foot falls grabbed her attention the flighty creatures would veer off and head off towards her right. She thought about chasing them, but spending the extra energy on a hunt she wasn't going to succeed in sounded less than fun. So lazily the girl would peek into the trees, her brilliant form reflecting the moonlight beautifully as she walked. Not that she fully understood her uniqueness in this world yet, she still figured herself as completely average. She had been back where she'd come from. Faria would do her best to keep memories of those days from her mind, the thought that Mithras and Caia's family did not have to die was very much on her mind. Though she didn't wish for the day of their deaths to replay through her mind it would as she walked alone through the darkened forest. So deep in her thoughts it took her a moment to realize she wasn't so alone. Catching the scent of another she wolf the celestial she wolf found herself curious. This was a welcomed distraction from her thoughts. Curiously she would search for the other, finding her dark form more difficult to make out, but she would in time see the white marked woman. "Hello?" She'd question, if they did not wish company then the girl would just as easily turn on her heels and head another direction. She would draw to near, enough to easily speak but not enough that she might be encroaching on more personal space. ""

Her quiet preoccupation with the rising moon was interrupted by a soft voice. Turning her head in the darkness, her ears pricked toward the voice, and she peered at the approaching stranger. And a stranger it was - she didn't recognize the scent, nor did she have a pack scent to identify her though the scent was clearly female. "Hello," she returned with simple curiosity. Then the moonlight hit them enough to illuminate the stranger, and Cascade's eyebrows just about hit her ears. Whoa! Well now! Novaro had been... unusual, and Dione.... quite odd... and their kids ran that same gamut but this! "Holy crap you're gorgeous!" she blurted out, and then laughed. Valentine would never believe this - assuming they were even talking like they used to. She was quick to push away thoughts of that particular thorny issue before her moodiness could return. Seriously though, the girl looked like someone had painted the night sky across her fur, colors and all. Move over, Salad Greens, this was a whole new rodeo here. "Want to sit with me? There's a good view of the sky." she invited. She wasn't about to risk scaring off this tidbit before she could figure out if she really was colored like that, or if Cascade were just high. ""

Deep blue ears would perk forward at the curious hello that followed her greeting, her expression brightening as she took a few steps closer, falling into the moonlight more fully. The reaction she received was unexpected, but surprising welcome. Faria was a pretty down to earth creature but as the words reached her ears she almost purred. She found herself joining in with the laugh that followed, "Thank you!" she found herself answering gratefully, Faria most certainly appreciated compliments like that. The young she wolf half didn't know what to do with herself though, ever since she'd come here they'd increased tremendously. She almost appreciated the invitation more than the compliment, but either way would eagerly accept the offer. "Sounds marvelous," her words slipped easily from dark lips as she moved even closer to this stranger. "I'm Faria," her accented voice would offer as her frame came to rest beside the darker woman. "Do you live here?" Hopefully she'd get a name too, but she was always curious about other wolves homes. ""

The girl joined her, and a faint smile hovered on Cascade's muzzle as her gaze continued to nibble at the star-dusted form beside her. "Cascade Saxe," she offered her name easily in return, flashing a crooked grin. "I don't live here, but my pack's territory butts up against this orchard for a ways. What about you, starshine? With that voice and coat I'd bet you aren't from around here either, so where do you hail from?" She cocked her head to the side, curiosity compelling her to ask, "Are there more wolves like you there or are you a rarity back home too?" Well, she could not have asked for a better distraction even if a three headed bear had ridden in on a moose yodeling show tunes... ""

Faria found already that she was pleased with her company, the smile offered her was welcome along with the name. Though as Cascade spoke Faria was much less interested in the sky and much more engrossed in this possible new friend. The galactic babe was always ready to make another friend, especially one as smiley as this dark fea. She'd learn that the woman lived nearby in a pack, Faria realized now she'd kind of smelled it from here but hadn't put two and two together. The question would be turned back towards her and Faria had no problems answering both questions. She was getting used to being the center of attention. "I come from far away, yeah. Had to cross an ocean and almost drowned, but hey water under the bridge." She'd giggle at her own humor, ya know cause she'd almost drowned.. water under the bridge.. She'd move on though, "I"m rather average from where I come from. You should see Mithras and Caia, my traveling companions. They're much prettier than I am, plus they're giants." They really were too, only Glacier so far had been able to boast as impressive as her best friends. ""

Faria's joke brought an answering laugh from Cascade. She'd swum to Alacratia? From where? And all the wolves there were like this one? "I don't think you could ever qualify as just average," she retorted with a grin. "I don't know if you've noticed but the wolves here on Alacratia don't exactly adhere to the same genetics your homeland apparently boasts. I don't know a single wolf as gorgeous as you are." Well, any female wolves this gorgeous anyway. Valentine certainly was just as striking in his darker, less colorful way, and Angelus and Seraphim were going to be just as handsome as their father someday, but Faria's coloration and strange markings were undeniably beautiful. "So what do you think of our lands so far? Worth almost drowning to get here?" ""

She'd earn a laugh from Cascade, the sound making her smile grow a bit more wider as the she wolf told her exactly what she thought about her appearance. Faria just beamed happily at the words, soaking in the compliments. It made her all tickley inside to know that she was the most beautiful wolf that Cascade had ever seen, though Faria enjoyed the compliments she wasn't one to get a big head. Ria was absolutely gorgeous here, and she wanted everyone on the whole continent to see her, to compliment her, was that to much? She'd receive another question though, what did she think and was it worth the trip? Cas had no idea how worth it the journey had been. "So worth every moment." The girl would start, wondering if this wolf would appreciate a complete story. "I really like it here, everyone compliments my coat and there's no religious crazies chasing after me and my companions." There if that didn't satisfy her the woman would ask for more details. ""