The tawny brute carefully stepped between the steaming pools - at least as carefully as his massive paws could. The rocks felt warm against his paw pads and he knew from experience that the water was even warmer. His journey around the eastern portion of Boreas had felt like a deep trip though memory lane. It seemed like every land he walked though had held some kind of memory and it was all incredibly bitter sweet. Even if his reason for coming back to Boreas hadn’t been his own choosing, he was beginning to believe that this was what he had wanted all along. It felt better to be here. It felt like maybe he was getting back to whatever path his life was supposed to take.

He had spent the better part of the morning scoping out the borders of the packs that now bordered where his former home had once stood. They both seemed to have very similar scents between them - as if their members crossed and mingled frequently. There was a lot he could tell about these packs from the safety of the unclaimed lands around them, but it didn’t tell him what kind of temperament they had. He wasn’t sure why he was so curious about them when his mother had made it very clear that she wasn’t comfortable living in the Mangroves for the time being, but he was. Maybe he was just more curious about how things had changed in his absence.

Ulric made his way toward the outer edge of the hot springs again, stopping before he reached the trees that surrounded them. He settled on his haunches at the edge of the outer most pool, letting his front paws dangle into the shallow water. The warmth felt good on his travel worn paw pads and for the time being he was happy to let the water soothe them while he tried to decide where he would head next.

Now that she had reached the age of adulthood Venom hadn’t kept herself within the pack’s territory. She wanted to go out, she wanted to see the world and learn more. She’d come to terms with her own criticisms of her mother’s rule, and she wouldn’t allow herself to repeat her mistakes. White gloved paws brought her eastward, past the Armada and towards the lands of Abaven.

The young princess was curious about the odd scent of the water, and brought her through the thick forest towards the spring. Hesitantly she rounded a large trunk and purple violet eyes fell on the abalone like bowls of hot water. It was a beautiful scene, the reflection of the vibrant autumn leaves on the water and the gentle warming of the sun. She almost missed the other presence waiting there.

She felt her hackles raise slightly as her sharp gaze shifted to the stranger. She wouldn’t have left the territory if she wasn’t sure of her ability to take care of herself. She flicked her tongue, the only evidence of her uncertainty as she stared at him.

He may have missed the other wolf entirely if he hadn’t been paying such close attention to the scents around him. He glanced over his shoulder till his silver gaze connected with the wolf that had caught his attention, spotting the young woman that lingered near the trees at the edge of the hot springs. He glanced at her curiously, mostly because she carried the scent of one of the packs that had been lingering in the back of his mind. Even though she was fairly tall, he had to guess that she was still quite young. An adult certainly, but not quite as old as his niece.

She seemed to be hesitating at the edge of the forest and he offered her a slight smile. ”There’s plenty of hot springs for the both of us,” he called over to her with a small nod of his head toward the water. ”Don’t mind me.” He shifted his gaze away from her then, instead looking back at his paws as he flexed his toes in the water. As much as he was curious about her pack, he certainly wasn’t going to bother her if she didn’t want to be bothered. He kept an ear turned toward her just to keep track of if she leaved or stayed, but his mind had already began to shift away toward his thoughts of where he wanted to go next. He’d need to go back to Auster soon to check in on his family, but for now he wanted to look though Boreas with fresh eyes for any sign of his nephews.

His eyes were suddenly upon her and the young princess would not balk at his gaze. He took her in, his features curious at most. He seemed to be a loner, but she wasn’t sure. Nor could she be certain that he was no threat to Ashen and its members. She kept herself on high alert but wore a classic Klein smirk. When he quickly returned his attentions to himself Venom made the first steps into the clearing. White gloved paws carrying her thin frame over the yellowing grass and closer to the hot water springs.

She sniffed carefully at an unassuming pool, one ear swiveled in his direction should he make any movement or sound while her pink purple eyes focused on the hot water. ”You seem comfortable here.” She observed as she lifted her head from the steaming water and returned her gaze to the stranger’s features. ”Do you know much about it?” She questioned further before returning her attention to the water and carefully dipping a few toes. ”I’m Venom Klein Abraxas.” She didn’t meet very many strangers, she was young to have been allowed outside the territory without escort. Now she felt like she could take care of herself.

He listened as he heard the sound of paws moving against the ground, the black and white young wolf coming into view at the corner of his eye. He was glad she had decided to stay if for no other reason than to have a bit of company. He still felt like he needed to reorient himself to living around other wolves again after spending the last couple of years with just his mother has frequent company. Luckily, it seemed like Boreas was still just as lively as he remembered so there had been plenty of wolves for him to meet. His silver gaze shifted in her direction when she spoke, questioning his knowledge of the hot springs. He nodded, replying, "I know a good bit. I grew up not too far from here so we visited this place pretty often." He paused for a second before thinking to add, "The water is great for soaking in, but be sure not to drink it. It can be poisonous if you consume too much." He liked to think that the smell of the water alone would give her that information, but he wanted to be sure.

His ear tipped toward her again when she offered him her name and he was careful to keep the surprise he felt away from his features. Abraxas was a name that had been burned into his memory and still brought up a conflicting bundle of emotions when he considered the new knowledge that she was somehow related to the wolf that had killed his father. She was clearly too young to personally have had anything to do with the whole affair, but it did make him wonder how many wolves in her pack also carried the same lineage and if perhaps any of them did have a more direct tie to the death match that had turned his family upside down. "I'm Ulric Adravendi," he replied, keeping his thoughts firmly to himself. It had been so long ago now and he honestly couldn't bring himself to hold any kind of a grudge or anger toward her or her family. If anything his blame sat more in the direction of his father, but those were all emotions that he couldn't process right now.

The stoic man let his gaze shift back toward the basins of water in front of them, feeling like it was easier to think about their surroundings than it was anything else in that moment. He nodded his head toward the center of the springs as he told her, "The main spring is in the middle and the water spills out into these pools. Some of them are deeper than others so you could soak just your feet or your whole body if you want." She had seemed curious about the springs so that seemed like a safe topic of conversation to pursue. He wasn't the best at holding a conversation as it was and now his thoughts had been spun off into a whole different direction.

She listened with perked ears as he told her a little about his history along with a bit of information about the place they were in. The water was good to soak in, and Venom could have guessed both that and the fact that it was poisonous. She didn’t say as much, but instead nodded softly in acknowledgement of the information. He also went on to return his name, which meant nothing to her anyway. Likely the Adravendi name had never even been uttered within the Empire.

”It’s nice to meet you.” She replied politely, knowing how important getting out into the world would be in her future. Venom didn’t have any desire to leave Ashen like her sister, but she certainly did not want to waste away within its walls either. Being allowed to roam Boreas on her own was one of the best parts of coming of age. ”Are you a loner? She asked suddenly as her purple pink eyes returned to his chocolate features curiously, her thirst for knowledge about the springs all but quenched. She did allow herself closer to the springs, doing as he suggested and finding a shallow pool to step her feet into.

There was no real reaction to his name other than a polite return in greeting so Ulric had to assume that either she was too young to have been a part of that conflict with his father or was maybe in a branch of the Abraxas family that hadn't been involved. He may never really know and if he was being honest he didn't really care. Maybe if he had used his Lore name he might have gotten a different response - or maybe not. Maybe that memory was only this important in the minds of the side that had lost everything. He brushed the thought off and refocused his attention on the springs in front of him just to have somewhere for his gaze to linger.

Her curiosity about their surroundings seemed to be dispelled since she suddenly turned her questioning toward him, making him the subject of her attention instead. When he lifted his eyes back to her he found her violet gaze lingering on him questioningly. "I am... for now," he replied with a small shrug of his shoulders. He had to admit that he missed the stability and structure that a pack provided so he did intend to find that again at some point, but he had to find a way to do it that would allow him to still care for his family. He wasn't sure if he could convince Philomena to move away from Auster yet so for now he was content with their current arrangement. "You live in one of the packs near here, don't you?" There was no real reason for him to phrase it in a question since the scent of a pack was clear on her fur, but it felt more conversational to say it in such a way instead of stating it as fact.

"Speech" Thought