the day had long turned to nightshade with the only companions he had were the chirp of crickets. fireflies idly buzzed by his head as he made his way amongst the overgrown landscape. he had traveled a long time to get to this land, wherever it was and whoever lived here, and he wasn't about to go head back any time soon. it would seem a fresh start was required. the faces of the past faded from his memory quickly as he pushed them aside. no longer bound by the restrictions of family, friends... he was just alone. Benedict didn't mind though. he always got his best ideas when he was left to think, and his mind should be calm anyway. he had to make a plan of action soon.

though it was summer, the winter months would come soon. he needed to either improve himself or lean on the dependency of a pack. though who would even take him? he was fresh-faced and new to this realm. he didn't think he had anyone who'd back him up either if he wanted to join a pack. the natives had no reason to trust him. he was, after all, just as new to them as they were to him. sniffing idly at a low hanging branch ripe with fruit, he figured this was a good place to settle for the night. the prey had gone to ground to sleep, but he could pick up something to eat if he was really hungry. maybe a small game like nocturnal beasts; though he wasn't sure what was even native here.

Benedict slowly curled up on the ground below a tree, using its shelter to both protect and almost hide him from sight. his pale fur shone slightly in the moon's light, but he was obscured by shadows regardless. in the morning, he'd go further into this land. right now, he wanted to rest his paws from the travel he endured to get here. without a fuss, he'd begin to close his eyes and drift off.

Eris Pyre Darkness! Her mortal enemy. Although she was now familiar the orchard - it was, after all, where she'd found her siblings again - it still didn't help her navigate the undergrowth at night. All bets were off. She could smell the sickly sweet overripe fruit, especially the bits that had split open or been picked apart by herbivores, but that was it. It had been hot all day and turned to a turpid humidity now that the sun was down. The air told her nothing except fruit and rain will be coming soon. Eris grumbled to herself as she strode along, occasionally tripped over piles of desiccated fruit and fallen boughs. If only she could be an owl, or a weasel, or some other nocturnal creature. With their eyes, they could see through the darkest nights. Eris' vision was worsening by the month - even on a bright, sunny day, some shapes were difficult to make out and most objects had annoying halos. She stopped to chew on the pit of a fruit, trying to strategically plan her next move. If she couldn't cover ground quickly, she would have to take her time before she found a safe place to rest for the night. Eris put her nose to the ground so that she could feel out any fallen branches or fruit before she stripped over it. The small wolf proceeded like this right up until she pressed her nose up into the side of a stranger. All at once, she was overwhelmed with the scent of him. Among all of the rotten fruit, he had been undetectable until she was right on top of him. "Oh!" Eris exclaimed, falling back onto her butt. "So sorry! Didn't see or smell you there," she added, unable to stop a little giggle from slipping out. "Speech"|"Ademic"

well, he hadn't expected that.

Benedict felt the wet nose of another being press into his side, causing him to jump back out of instinct. though his jaws did not curl in a snarl, he swung his body toward the stranger with a confused look on his features. he had merely been laying here when it happened. did they... do it on purpose to gain his attention or...? no, it seemed so. the young woman would speak up, stumbling an apology. he'd turn properly to face her, noting her own features and storing it away. the first wolf he had met in this land. she had the honor of that title. "it's no trouble" his deep tone would chuckle. who was he to fault the eyes of another in this darkness?

he couldn't rightly see very well in this light either. his eyes briefly swept over his paws before rising again. "I suppose it's a compliment if you didn't smell me" Benedict added in with a small smile "it means I don't smell bad" another deep-throated chuckle escaped his lips. "are you okay, though?" she did seem to land awkwardly backward on her rear. did she catch a branch to the head or what? he didn't smell blood but you never knew what bruised. Benedict shot his blue eyes over the frame of the girl, finding nothing outwardly wrong with her. he let out a sigh of relief. good. "I'm Benedict, by the by." he'd add in, trying to make the introductions out of the way.

Eris Pyre "No, no, I'm fine," Eris reassured him, getting to her paws and shaking herself off. He seemed concerned, which was a refreshing change of pace. Being new in these lands, she spent much of her day with her guard up. The only times she'd been able to relax were with Oxide and her family - and most of the time she had spent with Oxide had been managing either her crisis or his, which wasn't very relaxing at all! What did a girl have to do for some cannabis around here? She blinked balefully, carefully sniffing in his direction. At night, the poor girl was as good as blind. He could be emaciated, obese, or horribly disfigured - she'd never knew. "Can't smell anything with all this fruit! So, yes, you're better off than the rotting orchard," she laughed. When he offered his name, Eris nodded. That would help her paint a picture in her head. Benedict... hm, it sounded strong! And big! Maybe. But everyone was bigger than her, except Sota. "I'm Eris Pyre of the Ademre," she said proudly, pricking her ears forward and puffing out her chest a bit. Her family would always be a point of pride, no matter the occasion. Although it had taken her some time to locate her family, now they could work together to bring glory to their people. "Are there a lot of stars out tonight?" She asked, tilting her head towards the sky. Tor, the moon goddess, surely was looking down on them. But what of the millions of winking stars? They were just one more thing Eris sorely missed from when her vision was clear. "Speech"|"Ademic"

"good" he'd reply at her confirmation. having seen no scratches or caught fur, he'd leave it at that. there was no reason to fuss over the yearling; he barely knew her. it occurred to him rather slowly that she was vision impaired. her eyes were a bit cloudy and the way she asked him questions made it seem she had limited sight. he'd pull a soft frown, disliking this poor girl's fate. was she utterly going to go blind, or could she see a bit? it was such a sad thing to think of that a girl this young couldn't see the world as she grew. "Eris" he'd give a nod to her name as she did his. "it's nice to meet you."

though he didn't know the lengthy meaning behind her name. it was a title, that much was certain, and he'd met others that had such names too. it wasn't his first proverbial rodeo with wolves that had long dubbings. Eris would look to the night sky, causing Benedict to stare as well. "yes" he'd reply softly, having followed some to get to this realm "it surprised me your stars were the same as the stars where I'm from." whether she was born here or not, he wasn't exactly sure. it seemed she was more comfortable than him though.

"what do they call this place, Eris?" he'd turn back to her, tilting his head slightly "I... just arrived here. I don't even know the name the natives have given this land."

Eris Pyre Oh, now this was really embarrassing. Though she had been here for a little while, she still didn't know what these lands were called. She had been so focused on tracking down her family that she had bypassed any and all locals, focusing in on only their scent. Although she wasn't surprised that she was woefully uninformed, she was still upset that she had been caught out. "Uh, it's funny, actually... I don't know," Eris confessed, awkwardly tapping the ground. She was signed the Ademic for embarrassment over and over again. "But that must be comforting," she added quickly, trying to segue. "To have the same sky over your head. " What a thought, when Eris couldn't see the sky at all. She knew some wolves had names for the stars in the sky - she wondered if they did wherever Benedict came from. "Do the stars have names where you're from?" She asked, tilting her head up to the sky. Although she couldn't see a thing, Eris could picture the pinpricks of light above. Was the sky the same everywhere? It wasn't often that she stopped to think of these things. She held the lore of people close, but even Tor and Fenris didn't have the answers to everything. There was always the confounding mortal influence. "Speech"|"Ademic"

so Eris didn't know either. he'd resist a disappointed frown; it couldn't be helped after all. there was no need to make her feel bad about it. "it's okay" Benedict replied to her, smiling reassuringly. it just meant he had to go on a personal adventure for that knowledge. or walk into a pack's border and ask for someone to let him know. though that was suicide; he could be attacked. he didn't even know if the packs around here were friendly. "I'll find out" he'd carry on gently, giving a nod "then let you know." though there was no guarantee he'd ever meet the girl again. he didn't smell pack on her, but he did smell lots of others.

she walked in a different direction. he was trying to avoid the natives here for as long as possible until he was sure he wanted to settle. ironic, since he had to ask them questions about this realm to really understand it. "I suppose it is" he replied, not knowing if it was good or bad himself to have the same stars over him. unless he wanted to groan about how he wanted to leave the past behind... which he wasn't going to. "I don't know the stars down here" he'd shake his head, admitting his small defeat "I only know the northern ones and how to follow them to the north" the south was beyond him. "there's one they call the Northern Star - Polaris."

Eris Pyre She laughed softly as he promised to let her know, bobbing her head in agreement. "That would be kind of you," Eris murmured, offering him an agreeable smile. The small wolf sent a silent prayer of thanks to Tor for protecting her so far on her foray into this strange land. While she hadn't stopped to dwell on it, she'd had been impossibly lucky so far. Everyone she'd met had been kind and accommodating, not at all like the savages she'd been warned dwell outside of the Island of Haert. "I haven't been much further North than this, but these lands seem large. So far I've encountered mud that will suck you right in, a raging seaside summer storm, and a gully filled with all sorts of useful plant life. It definitely has its dangers, but every place must," She said, recounting her brief escapades in Boreas. There could be no good without evil, in life and in the land. Tor and Fenris would have it no other way. "Polaris, though, that's a beautiful name. I wonder if the stars have names for us." "Speech"|"Ademic"

Benedict's only goal, for now, was survival. he didn't know what this realm had in store for him, only that it was new and to be treaded cautiously. he'd settle for meeting others and forming opinions on his own. hopefully untainted by the viewpoints of those same others. conflict comes with any place, but he only wished for peace and the ability to live his life. he needn't fight anyone over anything. he had no reason to. "do you know if there are packs here?" he'd ask, knowing that he had passed by a few places with quite a scent.

though his serious question quickly changed to amusement. "I should hope so" he'd add, chuckling into Eris's innocent wonder. how it must be to be that young again. "it must be boring for them to look down at us and not give names" he hoped whatever name the girl was given, it was a kind one. "but your descriptions... it makes me want to visit each place you did." he'd add in with a gentle smile. a new place was always exciting but he doubted he'd discover anything that someone else hadn't. a shame, but that's how it was when the world was centuries old.

Eris Pyre "Hmm... If I had a star name, I'd want it to be Pole-Eris!" She said confidently, with a wag of her tail. Her generally sweet disposition and curiosity often made her seem younger than she appeared, but she had her own share of vices as well. If only there was some cannabis around... but she couldn't find the distinctive scent in these lands. "Oh! No, no, you don't want to visit some of those places," Eris said quickly, shaking her head to illustrate her point. "The quicksand was incredibly dangerous. In fact, if I hadn't been discovered by someone else, I think it would swallowed me right up," she said solemnly. It was the first time that she had truly reflected on the event - since meeting Oxide, it felt like life had just sped up. There was less time to think, only time to do do do. "Oh, and packs, yes - " she began, forgetting to answer his first question. "There are plenty. I can smell them everywhere. My family is being hosted within a pack called Legion, although they are... not my ideal home. We hope to move on once we're all back together," Eris tried to fill him in, nodding to herself. She hadn't exactly spoken with Lament on what the next plans were, but she couldn't imagine that they involved staying in Legion territory longer than they had to. "Do you come from a pack?" She asked, peering just to the left of him, as she couldn't quite find him with her eyes in the night. The Ademre were much more than a pack - it was an entire way of life. The lethani was her guide and Tor was her protector. There was no pack that could provide the same comforts, but she knew why other wolves grouped together. To belong to a pack was to have security: food, protection, and community. Did Benedict miss his home the way that she longed for the Sword Tree? "Speech"|"Ademic"

"a good name" he'd chuckle, lifting his baby blue eyes to the sky above. he wondered if there was a star without a name that would benefit from Eris' title. he hoped so. there were surely still plenty of things without proper names. the man wondered if he could ever name something himself. leave a bit of himself behind when he was long gone. most wolves would associate that with building strong lines. various partners and children making up your name. he had no interest in such things. he only wanted to find people he got along with, nevermind thinking of continuing whatever was left of his lineage. "so. no quicksand, obviously. any good places you've been, Eris?"

the yearling gave him some information but it wasn't a lot. he didn't expect her to know much, considering she seemed to be with a family unit compared to his solo status. Legion was the name of a pack she was semi-part of, but when she posed the question of him having been in a pack... Benedict looked away. "used to" he'd reply honestly, his reluctance to speak of it quite clear in his deep tones. "m' parents were leaders. I was heir to their legacy. during my first year, there was a raid by a rival group of wolves" he'd withhold a sigh, shaking his head. "those that survived... they moved on. I was unfit to be a leader. nobody followed me and I didn't want to be followed."

his parents, of course, did not survive the raid. they had been murdered in cold blood. instead of seeking revenge, Benedict fled like a coward. "m' trying to find a place here. trying to, uh, stick around."

Eris Pyre "Oh, plenty of place!" Although there was a time when she might have had trouble imaging ever straying too far from the Sword Tree, Eris had grown to love travelling. The Ademre could fulfill their mission of righting the balance and spread the lethani this way - and wasn't that a truly Tor-blessed endeavor? She could think of nothing better. "The gully that I spoke of, although a bit buggy from the low water this time of year, has plenty of great small prey and some very rare herbs. I'm a bit of a fisher, myself, and it's quite easy to catch them there!" Eris nodded confidently. If she could angle and hardly see, he would have a much better time of it. The small female tried not to picture mountains and mountains of fish, but failed. Her rumbling stomach interrupted their conversation and she laughed awkwardly. Eris' ears folded as Benedict spoke of his former pack. "I'm... very sorry," she murmured, although the words didn't seem big enough to convey the sorrow she felt for him. Although her family wasn't dead, she'd spent more months than she'd care to recount thinking that they were. "I'm sure you'll find a place here that you like very much - you just have to look carefully." "Speech"|"Ademic"

he'd chuckle, not wishing to get eaten alive anytime soon. maybe he'd avoid that gully then. when she mentioned being a fisher, his ears piqued forward. "fishing, eh? m' a bit of a fisher m'self" it was his favorite food, actually. some wolves didn't seem to like the rich, raw flavors though. typically when he hunted solo, he brought down small game like rabbits. and if he hunted for or with others, they wanted 'normal' prey. "any good places to fish in particular side from the gully?" he asked, soaking up what the girl was saying to him. she did offer apologies for his past, causing the man to dip his head thankfully to her. "I hope so" he uttered softly, having no luck in other realms so far. he always seemed to pack up and leave before things could happen. he tended to stand apart from others by his own choice. though he was quite pleasant outwardly, Benedict was a bit of a stoic man. he listened over talked. he murmured instead of being outgoing. he tried to keep others happy and didn't think of himself. "is Legion treatin' you well?" he added in, recalling Eris had said it wasn't her 'ideal home'.

Eris had a difficult time answering his question, since she hadn't spent any time in Legion territory yet. "I've mostly steered clear from the pack lands," she admitted, shuffling her paws nervously. The pack smell had been overwhelming. Her acute sense of smell had been assaulted by the territory marking. Most of her time was spent at this very orchard and other southern lands. She would have to do more travelling until she felt as if she could answer his questions more appropriately.

"There is a sea, but the weather has been unpredictable lately... plenty of coastal storms, so maybe best to steer clear of the ocean for now," She pondered his question, trying to recall any other good sources of fishing. With her lack of knowledge of this land, Eris couldn't provide much more info. "But I would like to fish together some time! That would be plenty of fun."

"Speech"|"Ademic"

he uttered some sympathetic murmurs. "a pack can be overwhelmin' " Benedict went on to say, a soft understanding smile tracing his lips. "especially if there's lots of folks there. don't blame ye for keeping yer distance, Eris. m' the same way." he had traveled a long time to reach here, for too long, without many people at his side. he could handle one or two at a time but a large group was something he didn't like. "yes, I'd like that" he went on, absorbing what she said but ultimately deciding to just focus on her suggestion. so the sea was a bit stormy and there was an oddity to the weather? he'd make note of that. flexing his shoulders after sitting down for so long, he'd add in; "ye don't have anywhere t' be? travelin' at night s' dangerous." he showed concern for the sight impaired female. it was hard to walk at night without not being able to see where you were going.

Eris Pyre Although she loved being surrounded by others, pack life was just a little bit too claustrophobic. Eris found herself grateful that Benedict agreed - some wolves vehemently defended pack life, almost to the point of blind loyalty. While her faith in her family and the Ademre was unshakable, she knew well that error was not impossible. She was always questioning, always searching - the Oath of the Star had guided her some, but there was still much to discover about the world. Benedict's agreement to go fishing together caused a bright, sunny smile to cross her face. Another friend made! Tor was truly smiling upon her. "Ah, well, I just went for a little walkabout. My family is figuring some tthings out, I didn't want to be a bother," she murmured, casting a vague look over her shoulder. "If you were to join a pack, what sort of pack would you like to join?" Her question was twofold: maybe she could track him down later if he did find a pack like the one he might describe, and it would tell her more about his personality. Sometimes wolves were so easy to read, but with the darkness obscuring his body language even further than her bum visions usually might. "Speech"|"Ademic"

so her family may be nearby. he felt better about leaving her for the night then. his eyes were getting quite weary from keeping them open and soon he may unintentionally nod off. but Eris still talked to him, so Benedict was doing his best to keep awake. he could only guess what 'figuring things out' was. perhaps the girl was too young to be apart of such discussions. he could understand that; his folks always shoo'ed him away from things like that. "a fair pack" he said without hesitation "one that supports ev'ry member, high ranked o' not" the ginger-hued man already had an idea of what he wanted, but he wasn't sure if the land provided it. he'd rest his head on his front paws, staring up at Eris "with room t' grow n' help. somewhere m' useful n' needed." in essence, he wanted a good to neutral aligned pack. he couldn't fight - he refused to - so he suspected his talents lay outside of defending borders and violence. it was a pipe dream that'd come to reality eventually. "wit' lots of people to meet" he'd smile gently as he added it in.

Eris Pyre She smiled at his response - his ideal sounded like a lovely place. The Ademic warrior lifestyle was not for everyone, and Benedict didn't seem keen on fighting anyway. No matter. Eris hoped, for his sake, he would find exactly what he was looking for in these strange new lands. Secretly, she hoped she would too, although she wasn't quite sure yet what that meant. The lethani would guide her onward. Perhaps soon, Ballad and Lament would feel up to discussing the future of the few Ademre that had made their way to these lands. Surely there was a way for them to continue their traditions here, even if they were no longer beneath the Sword Tree. If they had no hope of returning, they must persevere with what fate had dealt them. These trials must be balanced by some good - that was the way of the world. Pondering on the future of her people gave her a sudden urge to return to their temporary home. "I sincerely hope you find what you're seeking," Eris told him earnestly. "I think it's time I start looking for a place of my own, for me and my people. Some day I'll catch you by the water - we can fish together and celebrate both of our successes." It was a happy thought. She gave him a quick smile and turned on her heels, headed back from where she had come. "Speech"|"Ademic"

the conversation was indeed coming to an end. with her words spoken, Benedict also wished that Eris found exactly what she was looking for. he rose his head upward, nodding to her words as she began to trail away. "good luck, Eris, and good bye" he said this clearly despite his accented tone. he'd remain here until it was day, then he'd travel further. looking for a place to call his own, probably. or just aimless travels. his baby blue eyes watched as the young girl made to go, keeping an eye on her until the shadows swallowed her up. "I look forward t' fishin' with ye." he smiled to himself, his words spoken mainly to himself as the girl vanished from sight. he'd lower his head back to his paws, allowing sleep to come to him. / EXIT & END