Her shoulder still stung, though it was recovering smoothly and only caused a small irritation to her, meaning that she would be finding herself back in the game soon much to her pleasure. She was looking forward to improving her skills, after going easy on it for three weeks per the suggestion of those who knew more about her injury than she did. She kept a calm smile on her maw. She was where she could be found often, on the edges of the rapid, her paws dipping into the river as the cool water rushed around it. It gave her time to think, and thinking was all she needed.

"Speech"

Some time had passed since he had spent time with his oceanic friend, and things were now a little different. An adult he now was, entering a new stage of his life though she herself wasn't far behind. Had he really known her for this entire year - four seasons? It seemed untrue, though he remained glad that their friendship had lasted so long, and would hopefully continue in the future.

So he found her noticeable blue form sitting by the rapids, dipping her paws into the water. Chestnut limbs carried him over, where he greeted her before sitting back on his haunches. "Hey," he softly murmured, hoping not to disturb her thoughtful state. A year ago, he would have been frightened of the rapids and the dark history behind them though now he found himself calmed by the water, like as if his father's presence brought a soothing aura over him.

Things had been insane since the announcement of the siege, and even before that, because they were all growing up and trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do with the rest of their lives. They had all needed to figure out what it was that they wanted to do, and quickly Calypsei was finding it difficult to accept that her birthday was fast approaching, just half a season or so away, vague memories of the cold midwinter night that had lurked at every step she had taken. She had fond memories of those days, of course, before she had been taken because she had been a different wolf. That didn’t really matter though, because no one in Abaven had seen her before that time. They couldn’t remember her as she was like her siblings and parents could; they could only remember her for what she is. But what was she? These thoughts troubled her as a familiar voice caused an instinctual smile to form on her maw as she turned her head, the ocean pelted girl seeing Tinaro approaching her, his chestnut and alabaster form recognized instantly, just as his voice had been. “Hey Tinaro.” She greeted softly, not bothered by the intrusion but more of welcoming it. “Rabbit for your thoughts?” She asked as she kept her gaze on the other wolf, the man now it would seem, though her paws still kept that sweet connection to home: the water she had begun to think of as a part of herself, given her past and her pelt, it wasn't too far off.

"Speech"

Her inquiry brought a perplexed state over his mind. A rabbit for his thoughts? Did she mean that literally or was that another saying that he hadn't ever heard of? Although his mind had spiked with confusion, he wouldn't allow that to be shown to his friend. He totally knew what it meant, yeah, he could definitely answer her in a normal way. Think, Tinaro, think. What did she mean? Perhaps she just wanted him to elaborate his thoughts; no rabbit involved. That did disappoint him a bit, as he was looking forward to some sort of hunt. Oh well, maybe he could bring that up later.

"Well, I've been thinking about the siege lately..." he slowly dragged the words from his throat, like as if they clung to him, wishing to be unspoken. When he turned to look into her gaze, he remembered seeing her in battle, fighting down one of the enemies though the outcome of that fight he hadn't seen. "You did well, by the way," he commented with an encouraging smile, a dark cloud of depression falling over his thoughts momentarily. If only he had found an opponent that day; he just stood there looking for one. Was it because he was one of the last to arrive, as he had stuck to the back of the crowd unable to push through to the front? If only he could have been more confident, perhaps then he would have joined into a group fight. However, that wasn't the case, and here he was now, overwhelmed by guilt and disappointment in himself. Abaven was victorious, but was he as well?

The ocean girl listened intently though her eyes were focused more on her paws and the water surrounding them, he did have her full attention, taking note in everything that he said as it happened around her, a sense of understanding in her eyes as she gave a brief nod when he brought up the siege. She hadn’t been too comfortable sharing that topic with the class herself, still beating herself up Perhaps if she hadn’t taken such a big risk with that shoulder jam, she might have come out on top and won. She had gone through the fight in her head, each vivid detail, more than once and still she felt like there was something missing.  He commented, saying that she did well and that was when she shook her head. “I took a risk, it didn’t pay off and I lost, Tinaro.” She explained softly, guessing that his words, the meaning behind them, meant that he hadn’t seen her fight finish, perhaps not at all. She hadn’t seen him, but then again she had jumped straight into the first fight she found, and beyond that was her limping away to seek out the healers at Avian Estuary with little time to see what everyone else had done. She hadn’t seen many more Hellstrom wolves before they were defeated which had somewhat reaffirmed that they hadn’t truly needed Imperium, though the support was nice since she had noticed the stranger wolves jumping into the fray. “What about you?” She dared to ask, though part of her assumed he had done just fine, evidently not aware he hadn’t fought.

"Speech"

It was when she corrected him and explained that she had taken the wrong turn, and paid the price, that his heart fell. Fighting is a matter of skill and strength, yes, though there is a bit of chance involved as well. Like she had stated, she had taken a risk, one that ultimately decided the outcome of the battle. How is one to guess what their opponent is exactly thinking, or how strong or strategical they are? The male couldn't decide which he preferred: to fight and to lose or to not fight at all? Both carried a heavy burden, though he found it best to encourage his friend to persevere in fighting. "Don't let that get to you," he told her softly, shuffling closer so their shoulders could gently meet. "From your mistakes you can become a better fighter."

Then the inquiry was turned back at him. He had been expecting it, though dreading it nonetheless. He quietly inhaled and exhaled, clearing his mind from the frantic thoughts causing him to stress and worry. She'd understand, wouldn't she? They were friends, after all. Somehow, that wasn't enough to convince him. "I was at the back when we were making our way over. By the time I arrived, there was no-one left to fight," he croaked, vocals hoarse and dry. His head turned away from her gaze, hanging his crown in guilt and shame. "I should have been at the front. I should have at least joined into a group spar. But no." In that moment as he said that word, he dug his claws into the ground and clenched his teeth - a way to release a quick burst of anger. "I blew it."

Her friend’s words did little to comfort her on the matter, because it was something she had tried to convince herself of back when it actually happened and every moment since, she just couldn’t believe it to be fact. “I know.” She murmured though her heart wasn’t quite backing the words as she said them. Then he went on, saying there was no one left to fight and that he blew it; evidently he had been frustrated by it and she gave a soft frown. It was her turn to offer words of wisdom to help him get over the ridiculous feeling of guilt and anger. “Do not feel bad about that, Tinaro. I was at the front of the group and even I had to wait for a fight. There were far too many wolves on our side and barely any showed up for them. The Imperium wolves did what they were itching to do and pounced as soon as they arrived. You didn’t blow it, and I know you probably weren’t the only one who didn’t get to right.” She was stern in her voice yet trying to let her words be a comfort to him. He couldn’t beat himself up over that, no way.

"Speech"

She didn't appear thoroughly convinced by his encouragement, which he briefly frowned at. There was only so much he could to help; he couldn't force a positive attitude on her. Like her, he too wasn't entirely assured by her words when her turn came to motivate him away from depression. The consideration he admired, though he wasn't bouncing up and down with glee. His mind had been slightly eased off of the guilt as he recalled the many Imperium wolves aiding in the siege. There had to be others who didn't seize the opportunity to fight, which comforted him a bit. "I guess you're right," he softly admitted, vocals calmer yer stronger. At least she hadn't taunted him, not that he thought she would do that. "Let's move on from the past. I'm sure we have a bright future ahead of us."

The woman had to admit that it was strange, being so comfortable around people as she often found herself a bit edgy, even if she didn’t always show it. She supposed that having friends meant that yes, they didn’t need to worry about each other causing harm, only the wellbeing of the other person. She gave a soft nod as he told her she was right, saying they had to move on because they had a future, the whole lot of them. “You’re right.” She said as she slowly pulled her paw out of the water, giving it a swift lick before she rose to her feet, muscles still a bit sore and tense.

"Speech"

Taking her paw out from the water, she rose to her feet - his cue to suggest something. "How about we take a walk?" he inquired, now standing beside her. There was no better remedy for a sore mind than a walk; it calmed his thoughts yet occupied his paws. Originally he had been considering the possibility of training with the female - nothing large or intense, perhaps a rundown on defences or attacks. Though now it seemed he was in no state to fight - physically and mentally. Strangely enough, he was feeling a bit fatigued, the energy drained from his system. His mind was no better; he just needed to clear it, maybe socialise more with his friend, if she agreed to his proposition, that is.

Her friend had considered a walk as she rose to her paws, for which she gave a grateful nod. Walks did wonders for her, most of the time, and she hoped that this one would be no different as she began a steady pace away from the water. There had been a question on her mind that she hadn’t asked, one she hadn’t even really considered until Harmony brought it up when she called the yearlings together. “Do you think we’re, all of us, Abaven, a pack, a family?” It was the one major concern that had been brought up by the healer that had really caught her attention. Were they just a bunch of random wolves who happened to be in the same place at the same time? Was there a void between those who did not carry the Destruction name and those who did? She couldn’t really answer those questions, because she didn’t do enough poking around to answer questions like those.

"Speech"

She silently agreed to his suggestion, and so they began to their walk. Trotting alongside her, he originally planned to bring up an inquiry to bring the conversation back to life though she beat him to it with a more...intriguing query. It really stumped him - did he consider Abaven as a family? "Well, there's the Destruction family," Everyone knew about that family, and Tinaro himself was friends with a couple of those canines. They were everything he ever wanted in his own family. Siblings that got along, a high-ranking father, a huge and famous lineage, a special bondage and of course, no deaths. Secretly, he envied them. Just his luck to be an orphan and have his brothers ditch him for a rogue life. "They're a family. Like, they're the kind of family I wish I had." Maybe that wasn't what she was talking about, so he quickly added, "But overall, with the Destructions and everyone else...a family? I don't know. If that's what Abaven is supposed to be - a family - then I ain't feeling it." He wasn't feeling that sense of support and togetherness from the pack as a whole. Sure, he never really had a family himself, but even in those few months he shared with his mother and brothers he felt those warm feelings. His oceanic friend modelled those traits, and he was thankful for that. If it wasn't for a select few wolves who he had taken a liking to, he would have seriously considered following his brother into the loner territories - abandoning pack-life. "What about you?" Perhaps she thought differently, though he didn't expect her to.

The conversation had been revived with her question as Tinaro carefully explained his views on a family, and more importantly, if he thought Abaven was close enough to be a family. He had gotten the same vibes as Harmony, there was some kind of division and that made her frown just a little bit. Perhaps the healer had been right to call all of the yearlings together for that one trust experiment. The question was reflected back to her, and it caused a soft sigh. “I have nothing to go on, Tinaro. I’ve never had a family, and even when I did… we weren’t a family. We were the next soldiers.” She hated reflecting back on her time with her family and the time with her captors. “Abaven as a whole is the closest thing I have to family that I actual care about… they taught me what family is.” She explained very carefully though she feared that she might not be making much sense to him. She couldn’t even remember if she had told him of her past. Who had she told? It was all muddled in her head as she continued her venture forward.

"Speech"

Ah, that's right. That was what brought them together, made the two click together, creating a bondage between them. Their lack of a family and troubled past, though his was a bit milder. However they had grown up, they both ended up in Abaven and their paths had entwined. After she had spoken, he could understand her view and was starting to lean towards her opinion. Without Abaven, where would he be now? How would he have been able to deal with the loss of his loved ones as a loner, not around a bustling atmosphere of many souls? "Now that you mention it, I can relate to what you're saying. Abaven gave me the opportunity to preserve with my life, even after I thought there was nothing left to live for," he murmured, quickly sending a small and silent prayer to his parents. "I'm glad my parents chose to come to Abaven." Maybe that was why they came. Maybe they knew their days were numbered, so they decided raising their children into a pack would be ideal. Don't think like that, he told himself. Of course they would have wanted to see you grow. Dad never even got to see you! Shaking his fallen head, he softly added, "I wish my brothers could have seen that in Abaven - an opportunity, but no, they had to leave on their own accord,"

Calypsei listened with interest as Tinaro explained that he knew what she was saying; even found a way to relate to it, which made her happy, of course. She gave a soft nod, a small smile holding her face. “Originally, I wasn’t going to join Abaven. I was just wandering and I happened upon the borders, only about a season old or so. Bass found me, offered me a home since I was alone and my family had already cast me out.” She said, knowing that no mattered what she did with her life, she would end up thankful for what had been given to her that day. Abaven wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a hell of a lot better than anything she had been given before. “It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely home.” She said lightly, though there was a certain amount of vague depth behind her words. “What were your parents and your siblings like?” The curiosity had hit her, wondering what exactly his life was like before the Tinaro she had met.

"Speech"

Unlike her, it hadn't been his choice to join Abaven though there was no other pack he imagined growing up in. His parents might have stayed in Tortuga, or might have been accepted into Ludicael if the empire hadn't been so overpopulated. In fact, they could have given up but in the end, Abaven shone promise and here he was now.

He gave a small nod, agreeing with her comment on Abaven being not-so-perfect. Nothing was perfect or flawless, especially when it came down to Abaven's togetherness and unity between the Destructions and those not. Then she inquired about his family - had he not told her already? "Well, I never met my father. He, uh, drowned in the rapids when a storm swept over Abaven," he hesitated with this response, gesturing with his head to the water that they had sat beside not long ago. "But I bet he was a good guy or how else would Mum have liked him?" His vocals remained light and optimistic, a small smile creeping to his lips as he recalled the memories tucked away in the depths of his mind. "Then there was my mother, a caring woman by what I can remember." He didn't mention what brought her to her death. The scene was vivid in his mind, like it was engraved. A sickening disease, blood coughed from her throat, and three little pups huddled around her form - one that was trembling in tears - Tinaro. "Last, my brothers, Alvin and Mingan. I looked up to Alvin, we were like best buddies. I liked Mingan as well, but not as much as my other brother. They both left anyway." Yup, a great family.

A certain amount of pain etched into her eyes when Tinaro explained his father had drowned in the Rapids before he was born, before either of them were part of Abaven. “I’m sorry.” She murmured to him as they continued their walk. Her father had been an asshole, but she wouldn’t be who she was today if it weren’t for him so she did credit him that, and he had been great until she had been kidnapped. Then there was his mother, who seemed to have died or disappeared shortly after he was born based on the ‘what I can remember’ comment he had made. He spoke of his brothers briefly and how they had left him. It was all sad, and she supposed she should share a little bit since she had kept her past rather closed off. “My parents are alphas… if they’re still alive… haven’t seen much of them since shortly after I was born… same with my siblings. I saw my sister Caspia awhile back but she disappeared.” She didn’t really do any explaining with that as she looked at the ground, a certain tension rolling off her shoulders. “Of course it isn’t my mums fault, nor my siblings. I’ve got loads of siblings: Fen, Nile, and Aenon are my brothers. Caspia and Brooke are my sisters. It’s my dad Poseidon’s fault.” There was definitely a theme of water names in her family.

"Speech"

Her parents are, or had been, alphas. Sometimes he wondered what it would have been liked if his own mother or father had ruled Abaven, or if he was a part of a well-known lineage. He couldn't ever imagine himself being a Destruction, even if he ironically carried a nose stripe. Then again, Lastics were nobodies - it was just his father's family name, nothing special. Well, now that he thought about it, maybe he could turn into his name into something famous, like a legend. He didn't know how he'd do that, but he would. Definitely.

She also mentioned many siblings, including sisters. Three rambunctious boys were probably enough for his mother, but what would a sister have been like? Maybe two sisters, if his parents were around to bring in a younger litter into the world. Would she have been like Calypsei? Would she have left as well? "What's it like to have a sister?" he asked curiously, expecting it to be better than having two brothers who fought all the time.

It seemed like Tinaro was listening, hearing her words and paying attention when he asked his question. There was a flight frown to her maw… she’d never really thought about it and she really hadn’t been there long enough to get to know what that sibling relationship was like… then again there was Caecia. She had considered her friend family until her death via Anora. There was only one way she could truly answer that question, because she didn’t have ties any longer to her blood just as he didn’t. “I was gone before I could really find out what it was like to have a family.” There was a hint of anger etching in her voice, and a pinch of sadness as she looked towards her paws which carried on.

"Speech"

He was hoping for her to know what it had been like with a sister, though after her response he realised she had come to Abaven a season old so that didn't leave much time to remember anything. Imagine that - leaving home as a young pup into the great unknown, not knowing what a family was. The man couldn't ever see himself doing that, even now as an adult. Yes, the pack had its moments and wasn't always sunny, though it was where he would stay. "But you do now, don't you?" he softly asked, seeking her fallen, saddened blue gaze. "Abaven is your family. I'm a part of that family." Or, well, the closest to a family that she had.