What exactly it was that drew the slate man's paws this way Torin didn't know, he wandered the desert until he found himself on the path of the oasis, might as well take a break from the sea of sand and the heat. So it was he settled himself at the edge of the water, relishing in the shade of the few palms. His forepaws dangled in the water and the man sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and allowing himself to simply exist. It had been a long time since he'd allowed himself a moment of peace. Even if it was still tinged with the ever-constant ache of grief. He wasn't certain how he felt about that to be honest. "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

Image by Hagon

Now that her family was fully settled into Valhalla, she felt like it was high time that she go out and begin exploring the lands that went beyond Valhalla's borders. Even though her younger years had been spent in Boreas, it had still been quite some time since she had been here so things could have changed or evolved. Plus, even when she did live here, she didn't spend a whole lot of time in the western portions of the continent. She was still learning what resources were available to her as far as healing supplies went - what herbs grew where near her and all of that. She was sure that there wasn't much in the way of herbs closer to the desert, but that didn't keep her from being curious. She didn't plan on going out too far into the desert, but she had heard that there was an oasis not too far away and that had caught her interest. Sure enough, the promise of a beautiful oasis hadn't been a lie and she found it fairly easily. This would be a lovely place to visit with Ochre at some point if they ever wanted to get away from the pack for a short time. The idea made her smile as she padded over to the pool of water to get a quick drink of the refreshing water. Suddenly she realized that she wasn't alone and when she lifted her dual-tone gaze it landed on a gray-toned male that was resting on the opposite side of the pool from her. She gave him a nod and a soft smile, but she wasn't sure that he wanted to be bothered or to have any company so she wasn't sure if she should move closer or just leave him be. He seemed awfully familiar, but there had been so much time since the last time she had encountered anyone from when she was a pup that she honestly couldn't tell if it was someone she had encountered before. "Talk" "You" Think

Torin almost didn't notice the stranger as she approached, at least until she was on the opposite end of the oasis, then his dual-toned gaze locked onto her and for a moment he felt he was seeing a ghost. If he had to be honest the fact that his aunt had chosen to go with the man that had... well it was a bit of a sticking point for him. Her older children had at least been raised among family that truly cared for them but that she'd chosen to take his cousins to go be raised with their monster of a father had never really sat well with him. So it shook him a bit when he saw someone who summoned his aunt's visage so clearly. "Zuriel?" He asked softly, just loud enough he felt she could hear but his voice seemed to be fleeing him. But then he shook his head, noting the way she was looking at him. "Sorry you just... you look remarkably like someone I used to know." Of course she wasn't his aunt. She wasn't old enough for one, and she didn't quite fit the match though she did look strikingly familiar and he too was struggling to grasp for what reason that was. "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

Image by Hagon

Her ears perked when he spoke and her expression changed from friendly curiosity to confusion and considering when he called out to her with her mother's name. It made her look at him more closely and she was more and more certain that she had indeed met him at some point. It was driving her crazy that she couldn't place where she knew him from, even as he apologized for calling her by the wrong name and stating that she looked like someone he used to know. It made her heart ache to think of her mother even now after quite a bit of time had gone by since her passing and she wondered if that was a pain she'd ever actually get over. "No no, it's okay," she insisted as she made her way around the edge of the pool to approach him. As she got closer she was able to notice that their scents were similar - at least similar enough for her to connect the dots that they were related. "You weren't that far off," she explained as she settled onto her haunches near him. "Zuriel was my mother. I'm Daelos. I'm sorry, I just... I could swear that we've met before, but I just can't place your name. My younger years were a lifetime ago." She smiled as she tried to bring a bit of lightness and humor to her tone as she prepared herself to hear that they hadn't actually met and it had all just been a figment of her imagination. Even though it was a bit of an exaggeration to say that those days were an entirely different life from the one she was living now, it did feel that way sometimes. Leaving Boreas had completely changed her, but she was at least confident it had been for the better. "Talk" "You" Think

In his younger years Torin likely would have been embarrassed about his mixup but he'd come a long way from desperate attempts to behave as he'd once thought an alpha should. He'd mellowed out quite a bit, and honestly the grief also helped to numb him to other feelings... like shame. Still, as he watched the woman he noted the surprise on her face. Though he'd not jump to any conclusions. Then she spoke. Aha! It was starting to piece together in his mind. "You wouldn't happen to have once been a part of Lirim would you?" He asked tentatively, though he was almost certain of it. His aunt had brought her first litter with her when his mother had taken the pack after all. Though he hadn't spent much time with his cousins he was almost certain one of them had been a young woman named Dealos. "I'm Torin, Faite's son and current alpha of the pack she once helmed." "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

Image by Hagon

Once the question came up of whether she had once lived in Lirim, the pieces of her jumbled memories began to fall back into place. She still wouldn't have been able to place a name with a face, but as soon as he mentioned Lirim she began to remember her days as a pup there and her mother's family members that had been around back then. Once he reintroduced himself it all made sense. She was a bit upset with herself for not remembering him sooner, but she had to go easy on herself a bit. Those days were... what... five years ago now? So much had happened in that time and it had pushed her oldest memories to the furthest parts of her mind. "Oh! Of course!" she said as the realization and recognition finally dawned on her and she gave her cousin a wide smile, her tail brushing the ground behind her. "Torin, I'm so sorry! It's just been so long, I didn't recognize you." She didn't remember spending a ton of time with her cousins when they lived in Lirim, but she remembered them being there and she remembered Faite. It was funny how fate decided to cross her path with others in unexpected ways. "I can't believe how long it's been," she added with a soft chuckle and a small, sad smile as she settled down beside him. "How have you been? How's Lirim after all this time?" "Talk" "You" Think