*Navigation -- Avian Estuary

There was no doubt in his mind that there was something wrong. It had been weeks since Phantom had returned to him, leaving the prince to his own devices. The man knew that his guard wouldn't leave him without good reason, which was enough to drive fear straight into his heart. Something was very, very wrong. Staying in one place wasn't a good idea, so on a day that the sun shone above he left the south and headed west. He knew that it was a risk as it was generally a more dry climate, and having bad asthma attacks while he was alone was never a good thing. But he had to keep moving, even deserts had an oasis. That is what he was looking for, moving at a decent pace through the unfamiliar lands. He longed for a face that he knew, something to lift his spirits in this dark time. It had been quite awhile since Phantom had left his side, he hadn't realized just how complete the dog had made him feel. He missed him with a burning passion, using that the fuel on his steps even when his chest grew tight. Eniko didn't stop until the soft call of birds reached his ears. Twisting his head towards the patch of greenery, he made his way through the spongy ground and leaned up against one of the trees. Gulping in deep breaths, he pushed away the pain that threatened to take his breath away as he listened to the calls above him. He counted his heart beats, his spotted flanks slowly catching up with his pounding heart. He could do this, right? Could he truly be in these lands by himself? He sure hoped so, because at the moment he didn't have any other choice. "SPEAK"

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If someone asked her why she was out this way again she probably couldn't have given them a real answer. The estuary had been her hideaway when she ran toward home the first time and now she felt like this was where she could go and think for a while. Her last run in with Elias had shaken her a bit, but not in the fearful way she had been before. If she could have just believed that he was a purely insane, evil individual she probably could have just chalked the attack up to that and begun to move on. But to see him in a state other than that had just confused her more. Her conscious tugged at her, telling her she had to help him, but part of her didn't want to risk it. She waddled through the estuary slowly, not really in much of a rush to get anywhere. The bird chatter around her helped distract her from her own thoughts. Going this far from her new home probably wasn't the wisest thing since she was sure she was due any day now, but now she was here and there was nothing to be done about it. She was quite ready to stop feeling like a huge buffalo. Zuriel paused to lap up a drink of water and it was when she lifted her head again that she noticed the mildly familiar scent that was on the light breeze. Her ears perked at it and she hesitated until an image clicked in her head with the scent. Eniko! It was honestly a relief to know another kind soul was out here with her. She curiously moved forward to follow the scent, wondering what the spotted male was doing out here. She found him leaning against a tree and she gave him a soft bark of greeting as she got closer. It occurred to her that when she saw him last it had been before all of this had happened with Elias and she was most certainly not pregnant when she saw him back then. This would certainly be a change. "Hello again, Eniko," she said politely with a dip of her head and a small smile as she stopped in front of him. "Talk" "You" Think

Eniko knew that without Phantom, he would need tasks to keep himself busy. That way his mind wouldn't linger on the worst; that his best friend was dead. All because of him, because he had been born the way that he had. If he had been a healthy man, his brother might not have been so hungry to knock him off his path towards the throne. Then he could have fought him, proving that he was fit to lead their kingdom. But no, his lungs were too weak to show that he was good enough, he wasn't strong in that matter. His skills laid elsewhere, in language and history, in war tactics and leadership. He was a master of information, not so much of actual physical skills. He had thought that he would have made a fine leader after their father passed, but the chance had been ripped away from him. If he could tear out his own lungs and replace them, he would. That wasn't possible, unfortunately. He was stuck with the ones he got. The spotted prince decided that another bout of exploring would do him good, as long as his asthma played nice. Lifting his head, he was about to do just that before a soft woof sounded behind him. Silently cursing himself for not paying attention, he turned to see a familair face heading his way. Quickly he realized that it was Zuriel, and that she was not alone. His yellow eyes did not miss her swollen belly, the way that she walked with a slight waddle. It hadn't been that long ago that he had last seen her, had it? Blinking a few times, he said nothing for a moment as he gazed at her kind face. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be a grand mother, her sweet, gentle soul was made for child rearing. But what of the father? Granted they had met in a storm, but she hadn't smelled of anyone. Perhaps they were apart for some time? And who was he to judge anyways, it was her life and he had no paw inside her world. A tentative smile spread across his inky lips, his half tail wagging a few times behind him. "Ah, lady Zuriel," he said with a bow of his head. It was a breath of fresh air to see someone that he was familiar with, the fears and anxieties slowly streaming out of his system. "It's a pleasure to see you again. Have you been busy saving strangers on a cliff?" Eniko asked. While there should be some humor in his voice, given the words, they were still the stiff, practiced words that he was used to. Even though he had warmed up to the woman, it was still years and years of training that kept him so ridged and stoic. It always took a little but for his voice to warm up ever so slightly, like the last of the winter snows being melted away by their sun. "SPEAK"

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Zuriel chuckled softly when Eniko questioned her about rescuing more wolves off of cliffs. "No, you're my one and only cliff climbing adventure I'm afraid." She sort of hoped that she wouldn't have to go climbing on cliffs any more, but she knew herself too well and knew that if she ever came across someone in the same position she would still find a way to help them. Her helpful spirit was her blessing and her curse. The love for helping others was so deeply ingrained in her that it was impossible to ignore, but in a way that same helpfulness had gotten her in this situation she was currently in. As she settled back on her haunches she sighed softly and gave Eniko another smile. "I'm happy to see you're going well. Or at least as well as I can tell from here. Have you been doing okay?" She knew that she couldn't avoid talking about the fact that she was pregnant forever, but it was nice to think about something other than herself for as long as Eniko would indulge her curiosity. She also didn't really want to admit that he had been right about her being too trusting the last time they were together. While she wasn't super prideful, she wasn't looking forward to breaking that news. "Talk" "You" Think

The desire to ask her about her obvious pregnancy was burning in his gut, but his face showed nothing of this. It was pretty clear what had happened, and honestly it was none of his business what she had been doing in her spare time. Her scent had changed though, more so than the scent of the babies growing within her. It was the smell of a group, a pack as he had heard them referred to here. His head tilted slightly to his left, was that a question that was okay to ask? The last time they had met she had only smelled like herself, the barren scent of the earth on her fur. But now, it was quite clear that she had joined someone. The fact that she was here without a support wolf or a guard did bother him though, and he had to grit his teeth together to keep him from saying anything. It wasn't that pregnant wolves were useless, he had seen some common wolves beat her opponent with a swollen belly before, but it was the fact that she was an easier target that didn't sit well with him. He hadn't crossed the smell of the pack that was clinging to her now, so how far had she wandered by herself? His tail flicked behind him slightly, and he realized that her lips were moving. Blinking a few times, he focused in on her words, picking up the last of them. He hesitated, perhaps long enough to let her know that there were things going on with him. He wasn't about to burden the kind woman with his problems though, and he didn't want her to know anything just encase Kaa actually had sent over an informant. "Well enough, Lady Zuriel. But you have joined a pack since we last met. I hope they are kind to you there." He also hoped they were not stupid enough to leave her alone for very long. The wish to grill her about why she was by herself was clinging to the back of his tongue, but a hard swallow settled it. It really wasn't his place as an acquaintance to ask her, but her gentle soul could get her into a lot of trouble. He had warned her about it before, his protective nature kicking in the more and more she reminded him of his sister. Taking a seat, he swept his half a tail against his side as he waited for her answers. If she didn't bring up her swollen belly, he wouldn't either. He couldn't imagine all the questions she got from pack mates and strangers alike, it was probably nice for her to pretend to be normal for a little bit. He would be more than happy to assist her in that, and Eniko would see to it that she got back home safely. As able as she was, most likely, it wouldn't be right to just walk away from him. He was stubborn when it came to his customs, and this wasn't one he was going to dismiss any time soon. "SPEAK"

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Eniko always seemed to say just enough to make her curious. He didn't really seem to be the type to share much and while she didn't might that really it did make her all the more curious. He was quick to turn the attention and questions back on her, not offering up much information about what he had been up to since she saw him last. Ah well, she wasn't the type to pry. He was kind and polite so she certainly didn't want to chase off one of the few wolves she had met recently that she might be able to consider a friend eventually. Of course she wanted to build friendships with her new packmates and get to know her new nieces and nephews, but it was refreshing to have someone outside of the pack to talk to as well. She nodded to confirm the fact about her new pack when he asked about it. "They are very kind. Actually, my sister is the leader of the pack. She had been helping my brother with his pack a while back and when he returned from a journey she decided to create a pack for herself. She took me in after... Well, after I realized I was pregnant." That was a very brief and undescriptive way to put it. Her ears flicked a bit at the word, but she kept the soft smile on her features. She had spent the last several months feeling wounded and defeated, but she didn't want to show that to Eniko. "I'm lucky to have my sister. She's been a great help and support." Zuriel shifted a bit to sit more comfortably and curled her tail around her haunches as one of her pups shifted and kicked. "This isn't exactly what I expected to be doing, but we have to take the cards we're dealt, don't we?" She chuckled softly, her gaze drifting away for a moment. For a moment she was silent, her smile faltering. She bit her tongue to keep from blurting out a 'you were right'. He could say 'I told you so' and he would be completely justified in it. "Talk" "You" Think

His ears pulled forward when she mentioned that her sister was the leader, his golden eyes opening slightly wider. Ah, so a female leader and a family pack? There weren't many female rulers when he came from, it was usually the king who led the kingdom with the queen giving her input and advice when it came time for it. These lands were so different from his, it really felt like a whole new world to him at times. He nodded slowly when Zuriel brought up that she joined after she found out that she was expecting. He saw her switch moods, making his ears pulling to the side slightly. While her smile stayed on her face, he didn't miss her own ears moving towards her skull. So was it not a good thing, or simply unexpected? He didn't know how courtship happened here, but he did understand the needs that wolves possessed. It wasn't his place to ask how this came to be, but the fact that she appeared to be slightly distressed made him want to ask. Last time they had met he had warned her of her gentle soul, had it really gotten her into trouble. He shifted slightly, drawing in a quick breath through his nose to check her scent again. Once more he smelled the pack, but no one particular smell but her own stood out. So, was she doing this alone? Growing stiff, he tried not to show it on his face and took a deep breath. He was amazed at the level of protectiveness he felt over her, but he gathered that it was because he reminded him so much of his sister back at home. It made him feel home sick, but it mostly made him feel that he needed to keep her safe. Fighting with these emotions inside of him, he licked his lips and settled into his seat better. Eniko felt the growing desire to say something; at least to make sure that she was okay. The spotted man was thankful when she moved on, saying that her sister was a big help in all of this. It made him feel more at ease, his body relaxing again. He nodded gently with a small smile, he understood that much. With a flick of his half-tail he breathed out a sigh, knowing that she had given so much information up and he was still a steel trap. It was mostly out of necessity, he didn't want anyone to find her and question her about where he was. Shifting closer to her slightly, he lowered his head and dropped his voice to a soft whisper. "I feel like I have to be honest with you, lady Zuriel. I have been refraining from telling you a lot about myself because there are wolves from my kingdom who are after me. My brother wishes me dead, and I fear that telling you too much can land you in harms way. Please understand that this is why I am closed off, it's not only my nature from birth but I would hate to see you get caught in the cross hairs." His vocals were honest, maybe even a hint of desperation tossed in there. For his usual even tone, it was a lot. Eniko needed her to understand, begging her with his eyes that she realized just how much trust he was putting in her, and how serious this whole thing was. Kaahi would stop at nothing until he was dead, he doubted that distance would be much of an issue. To see this turned back on Zuriel and his family would be the worse wound he could ever receive, and he needed her to know before they got deeper into this friendship. She was too kind a wolf, too willing to assist others. Already knowing that, it could play a part in her demise on his count. The man wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her or those she cared about. Shifting his golden eyes away, he leaned back and held his breath. If she was afraid by this notion, then he would walk away from her and never seek her out again. But he was lonely, he didn't want to just end it all here and now. He was a respectful man though, and she had a lot on the line. It was all in her paws now. "SPEAK"

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Zuriel was still wrapped up in her own thoughts, but Eniko shifting closer caught her attention enough to stop the train of thoughts for a moment. Her ears pricked forward to catch his words as he lowered his voice to tell her something that was obviously important. She had grown so used to his reserved, even demeanor that seeing him more open was almost like seeing a new wolf. Her eyes grew a bit wide with surprise at his news and she blinked while she tried to process it. He might have expected her to shy away from this or be afraid, but her initial reaction was only concern and worry. "Come live in my sister's pack with me," she replied after a few moments, speaking without hesitation. "You can be safe there. I know Faite would have no problem with you joining." Her ears flicked uncertainly. She knew he wouldn't agree to it right away, but she didn't like the idea of him being out on his own while someone was trying to hunt him down. She felt like she had to have something else to convince him that it was worth it. She glanced down at her paws with her ears flicked back against her head. "I haven't been completely honest either... I was, um... I went to live in Faite's pack because I didn't know where else to go after I was raped." She sighed and her head turned away from him. "I didn't know how to tell you because you were completely right about me being too kind and too trusting..." Zuriel couldn't bear to bring her gaze up to meet his. She could only imagine the look on his face. "But I trust you and I'd love to have you there. I just feel like my sons need some kind of good male influence around them." "Talk" "You" Think

He kept his lips sealed and gave her time to process everything that he had told her. It wasn't much, only a glance into a side of him that no one here at been able to see yet. There was honestly so much more to say, a lot more than he could tell her about everything. But he couldn't. His past was effecting his future, something that he didn't think he could ever get off his shoulders. Eniko would give Zuriel all the time she needed to mull this over, she had children she had to think about now. That great big heart of hers was something he warned her about, but it wasn't just for strangers; it was towards him as well. There was so much danger he brought just meeting with her more than one time, and of course telling her things made it even worse. But he could feel a kinship growing between them, she was the only friend that he had in this world now that Phantom was gone. The deer-coloured man's ears flicked back to his skull, and he tried not to dwell on the thought for too much longer. He took a deep breath and held it, noticing her eyes growing wide as she took everything in. The first words that left Zuriel's mouth left him sputtering. It was his turn for his yellow gaze to open wide, his white tipped jaw opening slightly. Join his sisters pack? That would be the very last thing on his mind. He couldn't cower behind innocent lives and put them all in the face of danger, it wasn't how he was raised and it would never feel right to him. She had puppies coming, new lives that could be snatched away because he decided to be selfish. Before saying anything he let her go on, his shock fading away to his stoic mask as she explained how she had become pregnant. Despite his usual withdrawal attitude, a small growl vibrated in his throat at those words. He wanted to find whoever had done this to the poor innocent woman and tear his throat out. But no, he couldn't. That would be too much of a high profile, plus with his weak lungs it would be a suicide mission. Licking his lips, he swallowed hard. He would love to be able to help her out, and he was flattered that she would think that he would be a good influence. But... "It's too high of a risk, Lady Zuriel. I cannot put everyone's lives in danger because I wanted something for myself; even just to help you out. He will stop at nothing to have me killed, not even innocent lives of newborns. I... I couldn't do that. Not to you nor your family. I hope you can understand..." His words had a certain touch of sorrow in them. He was sad for what happened to her, that Zuriel was now forced to be a mother of children that could constantly remind her of what had happened. He was torn because he would love to have a family unit again, to not be alone anymore. But that is what he had to deal with. He had chosen to run away from his fate instead of just letting his brother take his life. Eniko had picked to flee, and knew that because of that choice he would constantly have to turn wolves away. But was it all worth it? He wasn't sure, not anymore. His ears were still flat against his brown head, a sigh pushing roughly out of his parted jaws. "As much as I would love to be there for you and your children... I just can't put that on you. It's too high of a risk to lose you to him, and everyone you care about. I picked this life when I ran away from home, stealing away into the night and stumbling on this land. I have been lucky enough to run into you more than once, but to be there every day..." Eniko broke off, his gaze flicking off of her gray form and onto a patch of grass beside them. "I can't. I'm so sorry." "SPEAK"

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Zuriel's ears flicked with disappointment when Eniko continued to deny her request to come live with her. She wanted to be frustrated that he wouldn't let her protect him and give him a home, but she stopped herself. If this wolf that was after him was really that dangerous then it was selfish of her to want him with her and her family. She was willing to take the chance, but who was she to put her children, Faite, or Faite's children in the path of danger. Yes, she wanted to keep him safe from this presence that was after him, but if she was being honest with herself she really wanted him to live in Lirim for her own peace of mind. She sighed and was quiet for a while while her gaze drifted off from him. Zuriel wished there was some magical solution to offer or wise words of advice to give. "It's a lonely life we lead, isn't it?" she asked without really looking for an answer and without looking back at him again. Her voice was quiet and musing as she spoke. "You can explain what happened, you can say how you're feeling. But no one will really understand, will they? The feeling of being hunted." Zuriel looked back to Eniko's face with a small frown. "Will you at least come check in with me from time to time? Just so I know you're okay?" "Talk" "You" Think