The day was running its course and the sun was past the sky's midpoint. Although there were clouds here and there, they didn't stop the sun from proving a point. As she stopped to take a breath, she took the time to soak in the rays that touched her fur and skin. That quivering feeling of being in an unknown land still touched her mind, but she allowed herself to relax for a few short seconds. When a lonely cloud moved near the sun, it blocked its rays and her warmth. The thunderstorm gray fae shook all over, letting the warmth spread down to her sandy white-dipped toes. "I guess it's time to get moving," she said out loud.
Aeil didn't mean to leave this land she had accidentally discovered. For her, the exploration of it all seemed overwhelming, but she intended on seeing what she could. After traveling half a mile that-a-way (whichever way it was), she found herself standing on a raised part of the earth. Slowly, Aeil looked down to her right and her breath was taken away. She was so high up from the water, it caught her offguard.
Slowly, she looked up and saw the vast ocean stretch far beyond her field of vision. Her blue eyes widened and her heart raced. The view was indeed lovely, too. What came with the view was a feeling of warmth...the sun had come back out to play, basking her in its rays one more time. She shook all over, barked happily, and raced in a circle before rolling to the ground and stretching lazily across the grass. With her guard completely down, she didn't think about the world, or the possibility of someone walking in on her. For that moment, she was just being.

Curiosity had brought him out that morning, and it was curiosity that kept him out. Some part of him - the responsible part, he presumed - was nagging at him to return to Seracia where he belonged, but the adventurous part was begging him not to. Surely they could survive without their King for a few more hours, it wasn't as if he couldn't get back to them quickly if he needed to. In fact, Gerhardt was only a measly few miles away, and could easily pivot and return to his beloved home. With that matter settled, the King tried to force his mind to calm and stop worrying - though he knew that was a lost cause before he even started. His mind was constantly whirring and worrying, there was no use trying to make it behave any differently. A sigh fluttered from his lips, floating away as quickly as it had come. It wasn't a particularly meaningful expulsion of air, it just occurred because well, it wanted to.

He had made it to Seracia's old land a while ago, and had found it to be back to it's normal state. There was the chance that he could move them all back to the delta where they belonged, but it wasn't likely the pack would take to another move so quickly. Ghost had her young children who didn't need to be ripped from the only home they knew, not to mention the range offered a far wider array of prey and plants for the healers to sort through. He knew the range was a far better home, and only wished he had chosen it first so that he could have avoided the flooding of the delta that had forced them to move. But, everyone made mistakes, even the King.

He'd found himself wandering farther than he intended to, to a second delta - the larger one. It's waters flowed quietly on this autumn day, tantalizing him to fish as he always used to. Fishing wasn't as fun in the range, as the lake supplied only catfish, perch, and the like. There were no flashy colored fish, or the bronze ones he'd grown so fond of. The salt in the air was a welcoming scent - one that he'd forgotten he missed. Gerhardt inhaled deeply, selfishly as the ocean waves crashed in the distance. The sun beamed down on his back, warming him despite the chill in the air. A chorus of barks brought him back to reality, and his head would swing to note a female clearly enjoying herself. He watched her run in a circle and flop into the grass rather playfully. Apparently she didn't know he was there. Gerhardt chuckled lightly, trotting in her general direction. "Hello there, miss." He would offer as a warm greeting. There was the off chance she wished to be alone - and he would of course oblige her if that is what she wanted - but there was also the chance she would enjoy some company. Tail wavered behind him like a banner as he slowed his pace a few yards away from her lying form.

"Speech"

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The warmth from her sun bath had fogged up her mind, swallowing her up and relaxing every muscle and bone in her body. One would think she was dead if they hadn't seen her breathing. The temptation to take a sun nap was creeping into her thoughts...until she heard the sound of another. At first, she thought it was the wind playing tricks on her and so she lazily rolled onto her other side. After Aeil stretched her legs in front of her and opened her eyes, reality hit her in the face like the slap of a glove. Her brilliant blue eyes saw a set of paws at first and slowly her gaze moved up. These paws were attached to legs, which were connected to a body and then...her breath caught quickly in her chest when she saw the face and amethyst eyes of another wolf!Aeil quickly rose from her current position on the ground. Caught offguard by the presence of another, she stepped back with clumsy paws and immediately rolled. Her hind paws had caught onto the end of her tail's lengthy fur, causing her to do a backflip of sorts. A soft yip escaped her lips and she found herself on her bottom, hind legs sprawled with her front paws keeping her balance between them. She shook her pretty head and looked at Gerhardt with a curious gaze. Bits of grass and autumn leaves that had found their way by wind currents were lodged in her fur, so she expected she looked quite a sight. The bright colors stood out against her stormy gray fur and she shyly pulled her hind legs together. Aeil's ears slowly reclined near her scalp and with her breath coming back, she said, "He-he-", she gulped down more air, chest quickly moving as she tried to regain her voice, "hello to you, sir." The surprise from her acrobatic performance made her eyes shine, but not with a flame that could split your soul. The flame was dancing and showed laughter from her chest as she thought about how she probably looked. "I look...a right mess, don't I?" "speeeeech"

He would watch her lying there, hoping he wasn't disturbing her rest by announcing his presence. The King had only meant not to frighten her, though judging by her sudden jolt upward and summersault, he noted that he had failed at his intention. A smirk snaked across his lips as he watched her settle herself, legs splayed and eyes wide. She was a pretty thing, stormy grey coat with intense blue eyes, and her shock at seeing him only added to her appeal. But the King wasn't here for a lady. He wagged his tail gently to show he meant no harm, allowing ears to fold slightly. She greeted him, seeming to have caught her breath after her momentary shock. Good, she was recovering. Gerhardt dipped his head gently, reclining back onto his haunches and curling his tail elegantly around his hips. Amethyst eyes would gaze gently upon her with no hint of ill-will. "I'm sorry I frightened you," came compassionate lyrics. He had not meant to give her such a shock.

He joined in her brief laughter before she commented on her appearance. "You look no worse than I." The King had his fair share of leaves and debris clinging desperately to his coat, and he hadn't taken the time to remove a bit of it. Though he wasn't splayed out after an acrobatic feat, he still felt that she looked better than he - mostly because she was indeed female. "I'm Gerhardt Mathias." He would leave off his title and home for now, as the King had long since learned that formal announcements were often lost on rogues and the like. "Did I wake you?" Gerhardt certainly hoped that he had not, but if he had - it had been worth it.

"Speech"

Image by Ruelle.

Her ears, which were slightly pinned back, slowly rose when his gentle tones reached them. "Oh, y-you don't have to apologize for that. I suppose I was at fault as well...relaxing in a land I don't know and letting my guards down to relish the sunlight..." Aeil sighed softly as she felt the sun hit that area of the hill again. She closed her eyes and felt that familiar fog return. However, she pulled herself back to the present and rose to all fours. With a gentle and brisk shake, she tried to make the leaves and grass fly from her dark gray coat. When she was successful, Aeil stopped shaking and opened her eyes. Their color had changed from a dark sapphire to a lighter shade. It couldn't be seen at first, but if you watched carefully the next time, you could tell when it happened. As she stopped shaking herself, her fur fell back into place and she said, "Nice to meet you, Gerhardt Mathias. I am Aeil...a short version of my full name, which is, well.." she smiled and her eyes twinkled as she took a couple of steps forward, "something not many know." As she reclined to her own haunches, she thought about how their positions were similar at that moment. The tip of her long-haired tail waved lazily next to her and she kept her gentle gaze on the King (unknown to her). When he asked if he woke her, she shyly looked down and blushed (her face turned a lighter shade of gray). "I will admit," she started to say, "that I was slowly succumbing to the warmth I felt. But-" Aeil looked up, "I don't think I will miss that nap very much." Aeil was secretly hoping that she wasn't talking too much and boring the stranger in front of her. But, as she looked at Gerhardt and took in the finer details of his face and fur, she decided that maybe she had said just enough to leave an impression. 'I hope it was a good one!', she instantly thought. Self-consciousness took over and she smiled with both her eyes and facial features. "If I talk too much, please let me know." "speeeeech"

It would be most remarkable to the King that he was indeed finding himself quite attracted to the woman before him. Her darkened coat and contrasting blue eyes were enough to put a smile on the King's face that he was certain would take a fair amount of effort to wipe away. Still, he was no teenager smitten or lovestruck, so he knew this would - and could - go no farther than a simple attraction. "There's nothing wrong with relaxing, only I'd be sure to watch carefully.. there are cruel wolves that stalk these lands as often as the kind ones do. You just happened to find a kind one - or at least.. I'd like to consider myself as such." He was sure not everyone would consider him kind - Ghost, for example - though he was sure most did. After all, the King fought for all things good and would die before evil took hold, didn't that define him as kind? He watched her shake, a glitter shimmering in his amethyst eyes. She came a bit nearer and his smile grew a bit wider. "The pleasure is all mine, Aeil." And indeed it was.

She was charming and eloquent, two things the King could readily appreciate. Already he felt more comfortable around her than he had before - though he had been fairly comfortable from the start. It was clear the woman was no threat, and if anything.. she was a friend waiting to be made. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be the best one to tell you that, I've been told I'm quite the talker myself." Indeed he was. Ever since he was a child he'd been a talkative wolf. But Gerhardt liked to think of himself as well balanced, as he equally loved to share stories and listen to them. He could just as easily listen as he could talk, and so his love for talking didn't bother him as much as it might bother another wolf. "Do you belong to a pack, Aeil?" He had to break the ice somehow.



"Speech"

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Aeil's blue eyes held a gentle warmth as Gerhardt spoke of the potential dangers in other wolves. She nodded slowly and said, "I will keep that in mind the next time I am out and about by myself...I probably should have thought about it this time, too." The dark gray fae shrugged her shoulders and grimaced for a second. "You learn from your past mistakes, so I will watch out the next time.." Her grimace had faded and her smile came back across her lips. "I'm just glad that you came around, rather than someone not so...friendly and approachable." Aeil meant every word to a tea; she was honest about everything she said..how could she not? She giggled at Gerhardt's confession and she felt a small ball of sunshine in her chest. "I have never met another wolf whom had talking troubles such as I." Aeil then backtracked and said, "I take that back. I only talk a lot when I am comfortable around someone. Other than that, I don't tend to say much for the first encounters I make. It's rare for me to be open the very first time." Her tail wrapped itself snugly around her hind legs as she felt the sun fade behind the clouds for the time being. Being able to let someone else know who she was as a person made her feel less isolated and more welcomed. She didn't take this for granted, but instead mentally leaped at the idea. 'Do you belong to a pack, Aeil?' Aeil's gaze still held Gerhardt's for a few seconds. She slowly shook her head and said, "No...I don't belong to one. I didn't even know there were packs around here until just recently." Her tail flared out and around to her other side. "I wouldn't mind joining one at some point, however..." Quickly, her mind moved its gears and she softly asked, "What about you, Gerhardt Mathias? Are you a part of a pack?" "speeeeech"

She seemed to take his advice. He hoped he wasn't coming off too fatherly or paternal - he'd only meant to warn her that danger could be lurking nearby. The King's face sobered as she grimaced slightly and continued speaking. He hoped he hadn't frightened her too much. However, the grimace faded from her face quickly and a smile fluttered onto his own. "I am glad I did as well. I should hate to see something bad happen to someone so kind." The King hated all forms of injustice, but it would be horrible to see anything bad happen to Aeil. She seemed so kind and genuine, a really special sort of wolf. A chuckle vibrated in his chest before slipping from slightly agape lips as once more their conversation shifted to that of a far lighter matter. "Neither have I, perhaps we should start a club." There was a certain twinkle in his eye that was rarely seen, and was beautiful and genuine at the same time. "I talk a lot to almost anyone, though if I get a bad vibe from a wolf I tend to close off a bit." He had had only a few bad vibes in his life, the most recent being Viridiana of Tortuga. He wasn't particularly trusting of the darker aligned pack, but had reluctantly forced himself to be as kind as possible to her.

Clouds blanketed the sky, shunning the sun from the area. The King was thankful for this, as the darker hues in his coat tended to draw the warmth to him rather than away from him. Already he could feel his body cooling and becoming less restless. She went on to answer his question about packs and the King tilted his head slightly with a smile. She wasn't sure there were packs around? How could there not be? An ear flickered idly as she mentioned she wouldn't mind joining one. Hm, perhaps this would be a beneficial meeting on top of a good one. "I am very much a part of one.." he trailed off slightly for emphasis. "I am its King." He would let the realization sink into her mind before he continued on.

"Speech"

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She could tell that he did care enough to worry about her safety. Even though they had just met, the good nature of his aura stood out in his words and the way he spoke. Aeil's small observation made her feel safer than before in his presence and she liked it. When he spoke and called her 'kind', her light blue eyes happily twinkled to his own observation. "The same goes for you, dear sir," she teasingly said. "I wouldn't appreciate the attempt of anyone rude and heartless who intended harm towards you." Honesty rang again in her gentle tones and she rose to stretch her hind legs. They had started to go to sleep and she didn't want another spill after standing up. His laugh and statement about the club made her laugh in return and she said, "Oh yes. That would be interesting indeed! I am sure it would be a success. We are two likeable wolves at that." Aeil's face was completely relaxed and happy, something she hadn't shown in..gosh, how long had it been? By herself, of course she showed it...but to others, it had been quite awhile. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed another's company. "Of course, when you do feel the bad vibes and auras, trust your gut above anything. If you meet one, those stand out more than their scent. Trust can be hard to come by, especially these days..." She rose from stretching her hind legs and was in the process of stretching her front ones when Gerhardt released the information he had reluctantly held back at their introductions. The four-year-old fae's ears perked and her body froze. She looked like a statue of a wolf about to pounce on someone. Her tail had been stretching out behind her, making her have a weird set of curves for her back and legs. Slowly, from where she had been looking at the ground, Aeil's gaze moved up to meet his amethyst orbs. Her body followed tu suite and her front legs pushed her back up to standing. As her thick-haired tail relaxed, she remained quiet as she assessed Gerhardt. Royalty, she thought. Hmm. That's not a bad thing at all. So, in that silence, Aeil walked towards the King. Her strides were relaxed and her stance was the same. At a respectable distance between them, she stopped. Aeil kept her eyes on his and she said, "That doesn't change how I see you, Gerhardt." A smile appeared on her previous blank face and she reclined to her haunches again. "It helps add to your character, without a doubt...but you are still you. I will make the good guess that you rule with your heart rather than your head?" Her eyes twinkled again and changed color in front of his own. From the light blue, they changed to a gentle ocean blue, like her great-grandmother's. "I don't doubt you are a wonderful King to your pack." "speeeeech"

He didn't have to know someone for very long to want them to be safe and healthy. Gerhardt cared about everyone, it was part of his charm and part of his demise. That was the biggest flaw in Gerhardt Mathias, the fact that he often - and by often he meant all the time - felt too passionately about everything and everyone. It was his curse, but he supposed as curses went it wasn't a terrible one to have to bear. "I would not appreciate it either," came responding tones, both joking and serious equally. It wasn't often that someone attempted harm upon him, but a single event had happened recently. A threat had been offered, on the King's very life, given by his adopted son. If that wasn't harm he didn't know what was, but she didn't need to be burdened with such knowledge. Valkis had all but disappeared anyway.

"Instincts are nearly infallible, it's not often that a gut feeling would ever lead you wrong. I try to rely on those feelings whenever possible." A gut feeling had not led him wrong thus far, and so he would depend on those instincts until they led him in the wrong direction. He hoped that day would never come, but that was pretty normal. After all, who ever wanted to be misguided? He watched curiously as she stretched, and as she seemed to freeze the moment his news left his lips. He was curious then as to what had caused this sudden lack of motion. Was she disappointed in his status as King? Was she suddenly put off by the royalty that stood before her? Could a title damage how she saw him so suddenly? It seemed, though, just the opposite as the woman resumed motion and came nearer to the King. He chuckled as she asked the motivation behind his leadership. "I try to lead with an equal balance of the two, but quite often it's the heart that wins the battles." He would not note the change in eye color, though he very much was looking at her. Tail tapped the earth gently as she complimented him. "I do all I can do and leave the rest to fate." It wasn't a difficult formula, but it was one that many were not brave enough to attempt.

"Speech"

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The fact that he was a kind-hearted wolf made Aeil believe that he was a good ruler. Aside from the obvious factors of holding himself properly and having social skills, she figured his rightful place was as King of his pack. This was strange, since she had just met him and didn't know any details of who he was except from what she first observed. Aeil decided to let these detections remain in her mind unless she was proved wrong.She playfully tapped her tail against the ground, giving the earth beneath her random rhythmic beats that came from her mind. As she played an invisible music number, she continued to speak. "Leading with your heart can be one of the best ways to rule, I suppose. Although, sometimes the heart's emotions can come up and change how the mind thinks, but it really depends on the wolf." Aeil wasn't sure if she was correct, but she figured she would put in her own two cents. The only time she had seen the heart overrule the mind in regards to its feelings was when her mother and father had...well...it was something she didn't want to think about. "All three are important in the end...the heart, mind, and gut..." She felt as if she was running out of things to say, so she asked, "What is your pack like, Gerhardt?"ooc: uuuggghhh. Muse at work stinks. >.< "speeeeech"

OOC, I'm so sorry, Ger muse has been failing lately. I'll try to speed it up a bit!

Rather innocently, thoughts would lead him to his rulership skills and tactics. Here she was - an unbiased observer who blindly thought him to be a good leader. In all truth though, how would his subjects evaluate their King? Ghost certainly thought little of him at one time, but months had passed since their incident had happened and he hoped that in that amount of time she had regained a bit of loyalty to him. The King then thought of Octavian, who he'd blindly ignored - okay, not blindly, but ignored nonetheless - and who had committed suicide after losing Ghost to Segar. Then he thought of Valkis, his most obvious hater. The boy had gone missing lately, no doubt run off to some other home - or perhaps plotting to enact his plan of killing his own adoptive father. Gerhardt certainly hoped that it wasn't the latter. He didn't like the idea of going to battle with his son, even if it meant for the sake of his own life. He shook his head slightly - so slightly that it would hardly be noticeable unless she were looking awfully close at his movements. He needed to stop thinking like that, he couldn't dwell on his mistakes - only work to ensure that he didn't make too many more of them.

It would be then that she would interject with her own assessment of what he'd said about leading. He nodded in agreement, finding no need to further the dying line of speech. They'd said what needed to be said about that matter. He nodded again as she tapered off from that subject, and lapsed into a new one with a question. The King enjoyed questions. "Seracia is a kingdom based pack, built upon the pillars of honor and respect. We all strive to behave honorably and respect our fellow members. Each is allowed to live their lives freely as long as they do not divert from our basic guidelines." A smile gleamed on his lips as he spoke of his pack, finding pride welling up in his chest as he did so.

"Speech"

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Aeil listened with a respectful gaze as she watched Gerhardt speak of his pack once again. The details inside the description he told made her want to visit this place herself. It had her mentally picturing herself amongst the wolves, seeing how they treated each other and the rules that applied to their everyday lives. She could visualize the atmosphere that surrounded the pack, one that was peaceful and serene. The invisible lines of respect and levels of the wolves made her wonder, What would it be like to be there? She let a sigh escape her dark lips and after he spoke, she said, "It sounds like a place where many come to stay, Gerhardt. I am sure different types of wolves are a part of your kingdom."The dark and long-haired tail stopped its rhythmic beating and began to sweep around her toned form once again. Her smile reappeared, brightening her features and adding to the beauty that she didn't flaunt. Her actions showed a relaxed nature as she rose from her haunches, took a couple steps back, and then stretched again. She didn't want to appear like she was making a move for Gerhardt's personal bubble space. Aeil rose from stretching her front legs and said, "I am sure that your pack members feel lucky to have a King like you. From the way you have treated me since we have met, I can only hope that you are as forthcoming with them as well." Her eyes sparkled with a light twinkle. "I assume you have a lot of duties that come with the position, too...Being in charge can come at a price sometimes." She spoke like she knew of such things, and in truth, she sort of did. Her family background had rulers in the mix and her mother was one of those lucky wolves. The memory of her mother brought a bigger smile to her smooth face and as the cold wind blew around them, her thoughts of Dezui silently left her mind. "My mother...she was the second-in-command of our first pack. Even though she was their Beta, she felt the responsibilities pile high on her shoulders." Aeil's eyes twinkled again as she revealed, "She carried them proudly and turned out to do very well. It was as if she was made for the position." "speeeeech"

Pride oozed over each word he spoke about his pack. It was only right that a King should adore his home - and adore it he did. Tail danced around his paws idly as he watched her face for a reaction to his speech. It hadn't been particularly detailed, but the amount of passion he'd put into it would certainly warrant some sort of response. 'It sounds like a place where many come to stay, Gerhardt. I am sure different types of wolves are a part of your kingdom.' He smiled and nodded. "Indeed, everyone has a different past and a different plan for the future, but somehow it all coincides together peacefully." He watched her rise up and stretch, backing first to keep from invading his space. He appreciated her courtesy, though it wasn't necessary. As long as she didn't wrap herself around him he wouldn't mind closeness. He mirrored her action, though he didn't back away first as she had already brought enough distance between them.

"It is a steep price, but one I am happy to pay." She lapsed into speech of her mother who had been a beta and had a lot of responsibilities. A smile crossed his lips - he always did find interest in other kinds of leaderships. "I honestly believe some are predestined to lead, and others can be formed into leaders. I'm not sure which of those two categories I fall into." A puzzled look replaced the previous one as he pondered these things. Where did he fall on that spectrum? He shifted, replacing his haunches upon the earth and curling his tail neatly around his hips. "I wonder if you'd be interested in visiting Seracia? Of course I would love if you joined, but I won't try to force you into such a decision." Perhaps he was a bit ahead of himself, but he would truly love another friend in Seracia. The Kingdom could use a wolf like Aeil.

"Speech"

Image by Ruelle.

Aeil nodded in agreement, causing her dark gray fur to send a ripple effect down her body. It wasn't a movement that couldn't go unnoticed, yet it was such a small one that made a difference in how you saw her. The longer hairs on the end of her tail wrapped around themselves as the ripple came to them and stopped. She looked down to see it happen and immediately ran a front paw across them. Once they were straight enough for her taste, Aeil looked back up to Gerhardt's gentle gaze and spoke. "That is how it should be, I suppose. If you had the same kind of wolves for every pack, I don't think the atmospheres for them would be interesting enough to join. I'm not a huge fan of conflict and war, but it is nice to have personalities and interests that are different, yet coincide and make the packs stronger as units...as kingdoms...as families." Her heart's degree of warmth went up considerably as she spoke of the invisible web of different wolves. She enjoyed the facts of other wolves being different, but not being able to function properly without those differences. Her dark ears perked at the part of his conversation about the roles wolves may play in the future. "There is always the possibility that some are born for the position, 'tis true. Yet, there are others who are born with the expectance of their parents to be a great ruler or second-in-command...and they have a completely different idea for how they are supposed to live." She shrugged her majestic shoulders and wrapped her now fairly groomed tail around her hind paws. "I guess it depends on the wolf and how he -- or she -- feels about being in that area of their lives for a long time." Her eyes twinkled and she replied to his puzzlement with, "I am sure your destiny contains a bit of both, Gerhardt." Aeil couldn't help but smile. "The road that you are currently taking may have bumps and twists, but everyone's does now and then." When Gerhardt questioned if she would like to visit his kingdom, Aeil hesitated for a brief second. She hadn't entered any of the known packs' lands and she began to wonder how it would go. Pawing the ground nervously, she gulped and said, "That..that would be lovely, Gerhardt." Her body motions declined in the ways of indicating she was nervous and she began to think of the positive outcomes from the future visit. "I understand that you wouldn't be pressuring me. I'm just worried because I haven't visited any other packlands and...this will be my first time." She slipped a soft smile across her features and slowly, she rose from her haunches. Her tail fell behind her and between her legs as she said, "Perhaps, once I see what it is like there, I will have my decision made." "speeeeech"