They were traveling slowly, she and Novel - but she had no room for complaint. Many of the lands that lay south of them were claimed pack-lands and Ara had no interest in wandering close to them. She was happy to stay far from trouble and avoid most others at all costs. Even her run-in with Harekr, despite the fact that he had been all but harmless, was a bit nerve-wracking in retrospect. Sometimes she still went back to thinking about the man that had hurt Novel, and the thought that he might find her or their sons again again was deeply haunting. She knew wolves were not always as harmless as they seemed. She was simply lucky that one hadn't been. They had taken a rather long detour to the west, looping around a vast plain that was marked plainly as a pack's territory. Ara moved quietly through the hilly terrain that separated them from those lands, scouting ahead of Novel briefly to ensure they had a plan for the day. The sun had already begun to rise above the horizon, casting lovely pink and orange hues over the morning sky. It was a lovely sight, lingering over the horizon, and she felt certain they were growing closer to her parents and Steel with each day that passed. Only when the terrain changed drastically did she find herself moving away from her planned course. The hills seemed to drop off to a larger flat area, a sharp crack in the surface of the earth sprouting as if out of nowhere. It was curious - and a bit unnerving, too, as she'd never seen anything like it before. Her senses on high alert, she would approach the Deluge slowly, peering into the darkness hesitantly.

Travelling with Ara held both ups and down in her mental state, she'd been slowly getting used to the idea of being away from her wife while they weren't in the pack lands. At first it had been more than scary, and she'd almost found herself wandering off after Ara the first time they seperated slightly. Over the time they'd been walking though her confidence had grown. Maybe it was that the time that passed was finally helping her recover, maybe it was just getting older she didn't know.

She was in heat again though, and that thought had brought that budding confidence to a crawl. She wished she could have hi her scent, done something to help her not feel like such a beacon in rogue lands. She rolled in lavender whenever she could, but being away from Ara was even more nerve wracking now. Though she liked to scout ahead the black marked Destruction would have no part of being left. Ara went forward and Novel followed a bit of a ways back. She couldn't quite see her wife, but her scent was easy enough to follow and know she wasn't so far ahead of her.

Eventually though Novel would catch up with her other half as she came to a giant open wound in the surface of the Earth. She'd come to stand next to her mate, feeling the need of the comfort of her touch.

Aserlín traipsed across the flattened terra, her tongue lolling out as she panted. Dammit this was no way to conduct a search. She had no scent, no leads…. the woman sat down heavily. How on earth was she ever going to find her son? She was searching an entire continent for crying out loud the boy could be anywhere! A soft voice also whispered that he could be dead… Aser shook her head and got back to her paws. She knew her son was alive, knew it. He was probably alone and scared somewhere as she could not give up her search for him.

As Aser continued on her way she spied a pair of wolves ahead of her. Well she supposed she had to start somewhere but she felt her heart pounding harshly in her chest. She never did like the odds of two against one and the pair was only serving to remind her how alone she really was in this foreign land. Eyes tipped to the sky for a moment before she took a deep breath and called out. "Excuse me! Excuse me ladies! May I have a moment of your time, it's urgent."

"Speech"

Despite her quiet and sometimes detached nature, Ara was unused to the darkness. She reveled in the feel of summer's warmth and of the sound of birds and the smell of flowers and plants. The dank smell of the cavern was not appealing to her, though she felt curious all the same. The woman's nose would wrinkle as she tasted the air here, turning to eye Novel as she drew closer. When her wife settled near her side, she nuzzled the side of her neck tenderly before turning to the opening in the surface of the land. "Think it's worth investigating?" Ara would ask gently. Perhaps not because her parents might be here, or her siblings might be here, but just because it was something different.. something they'd never seen before. Her focus was broken by the audible sound of a stranger approaching. Wary, she would spin to face her, pressing instinctively against Novel at the somewhat hurried presence that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "What do you need?" she would ask a bit louder than usual, her brows furrowing as she eyed the stranger. She seemed to be a bit distressed, though not hurt or ill, and though her body was begging to flee she remained still and vigilant as she waited for her answer.

Novel felt very much similar to Ara about the dark underground, though she had no desire to take up residence here she couldn't shake the curiosity she felt about the place. The air was different, the life was different, and she got to experience it with Ara. She'd smile as her wife greeted her with a soft nuzzle, returning the affection before their attention would be focused on what came next. "Certainly." She'd answer easily. Though this trip had serious goals they would also enjoy the sights.

The sudden interruption was slightly odd, both women would turn to look in the direction of the intruder, and Novel would step back behind Ara as the she wolf drew more near. With a simple answer Ara would invite the stranger's need. What was so urgent that she and Ara were needed specifically? Mismatched ears perked forward curiously, not needing to add anything to what Ara had asked.

Aserlín would slow quickly as one of the women whipped around, her ears flicking back warily as she tensed uncertain if the duo would attack her. Aser was not fond of being outnumbered but it would not be the first time she'd had to defend herself against multiple opponents. Thankfully however the woman would not attack, instead asking what she needed. Aser would shake off the tone. She had more important matters to worry about and she needed answers. She turned her attention to the paler woman who seemed a bit more open to the prospect of conversation.

"I'm looking for my son Káti. He'd be a yearling now, an unusual pelt similar to mine with turquoise eyes. I don't suppose you've seen or heard of anyone with that name or description?" She knew it was a terrible long shot but at the moment she didn't really feel that she had much to lose by asking.

"Speech"

Novel seemed as interested in exploring the deluge as she was; though it was unknown to them, she caught no scent of wolves that had entered the depths recently and she was certain they would not find danger there. Their journey south was taking longer than she had anticipated, but the adventure was new for them both and she was content to enjoy the time she was able to spend alone with her wife. If anything, she felt their trip had only brought them closer together.. if that was at all possible. But the interruption startled her some, but she did not respond with hostility, only with mild alarm and firmness. It was rare to see Ara truly aggressive.. she probably had only been so when Lel had returned to try to talk their children from them. Still, she felt her body tighten and her stance grow stiff as she readied herself. She was a pacifist, through and through, but she would stop at nothing to protect her wife. The stranger seemed to relax as well, stating she was just looking for her son. The name was unfamiliar, and the description even more so. Ara would shake her head slowly, eyeing Novel but figuring she had the same reaction to her question. "I'm afraid he doesn't sound familiar to me," she would reply somberly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help to you."

Struck out again. Ara stated that she had not heard of either of Aser's sisters and it was back to the drawing board. Where on earth could those two have wandered off to? She dipped her head to the women. "Well, thank you I do appreciate your time and wish you both luck on your travels." Turning she headed off to the west to try her luck there. All she needed was some snippet, some hint. Káti was quiet and would likely lay low unless he were in trouble. Her sisters however were brawlers, both bold and stubborn and she was surprised she hadn't come across any of their handywork yet. She knew they'd gone to Alacritis so where on earth were they? Were they still on earth at all? The breeze swept through her fur and she let out yet another sigh. Spirits above she just needed a sign!

-exit-

"Speech"