He sat by the fire, gazing into the coals and flames in a sort of daze. Sentinel. I’m the Sentinel, now. It was a lot to wrap his head around. To have reached Sentinel by three, granted a season before he hit four years of age… it was a lot. Part of him was walking on clouds. Another part was stunned, wondering if he was dreaming. But the weight on his necklace was a reminder, the new stones and teeth lining the chain a mark that it had been real. Another large piece of him ached. Neither Nolan nor Lia were available to share his promotion high with. Nolan was dead, and Lia? Where was she? He could only hope that the stubborn seed in his heart meant she was alive out there, and fighting to get back to the Armada. Maybe she’d gone to find Pia. He blew out a sigh, trying to dispel the ache and the somber mood that had dropped on his shoulders, eyes clamping shut for a few seconds before he straightened his shoulders and rose, padding from the fire chamber and down the cave hall to the main chamber. As Sentinel, he had to choose several apprentices, and one that might do for taking his place someday. He had some ideas, but he was pretty sure Coran was set on being the Soul beside Ardyn. Still, if he didn’t quite make it that high, he’d be a good Sentinel or Lodestar. Rhaegara was new, and he supposed she’d make a good older apprentice in the War Circle. She was already apt enough to learn quickly, and eager to learn. His head cocked slightly in thought before he left the cave and padded down the ravine, trotting down a narrow deer path and out of the woods around the hill, heading out for his first patrol as a beta. He nearly tripped as he realized he was now in charge of assigning patrol teams. Gonna have to get that started… He gave a nervous laugh under his breath at the thought of carrying that much power, but he'd do it for Valhalla. As he reached the wall, he leapt atop, dropping to a slow walk, taking his time to observe and scan the area within and beyond the wall. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

After her rather distasteful encounter with the loner Laith, Rhaegara had returned to Valhalla territory and remained within it’s borders to study and grow. She had found the experience had left a bitter taste in her maw, and she had discussed at great length with her best friend just how much she had loathed the man. She let out a soft sigh, tracking down herbs. Admittedly, she had not received much healing training from her parents, but it had been a required skill in Valhalla. She had been learning the basics, and she figured now would be a good time to study different plants and figure out what was what.

At least, that had been her plan before she spotted Cairo atop the wall, scanning the area beyond and her head tilted to the side in her usual curiosity. Admittedly, his presence comforted her. She was certain it had to do with the fact that he was the first friendly face she had encountered upon her arrival of these strange lands… those she had met before had been odd. Askan had been bitter and pessimistic and Motif had nearly jumped out of her skin with something as simple as a conversation… perhaps it was also that she had already learned so much from him. He was wise, there was no question about that in her mind. He and Aurielle both would always hold her utmost respect.

She lingered at the base of the wall for a moment before she leapt atop it herself so she stood next to him. “Want some company?” She asked, always eager to pick his brain though she desperately hoped she was not annoying. She had always been the curious soul, and it seemed like every time one of her questions was answered, two more seemed to crop up. She looked beyond the wall as well, watching in the distance for anything out of the ordinary. This was familiar. At least there were some things that her homeland did that seemed to be normal: patrolling, for example. It set her at ease to settle into something so familiar.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He spotted Rhae from the corner of his eye, glancing to the woman with a smile until she spotted him. She seemed to hesitate at the bottom of the wall before she joined him, offering her company. The smile quirked into a grin as he said, “Of course. Your first official patrol as a Valhallan, eh?” With a tip of his head forward he led the way, asking, “So who all have you met so far other than your test?” A few feet later he paused, nose dipping to sniff, and nodded toward the scent, adding, “That’s Justice Ancora’s scent. She recently had three pups, our youngest members. Kaija, Arne, and Fidelias.” Aurielle would be calling the pack together soon, to apprise them of everything, including his promotion, and something else that was cooking. If he knew Justice at all, he knew she’d be loving that particular tidbit. His head was full of all the information and upcoming official plans Aurielle had stuffed into it over the morning. Valhalla wasn’t hurting for members, so he wouldn’t need to go on recruitment trips to the Field, not until they knew which of Justice’s pups were staying and which would be leaving to follow their own trail sometime in the future. Once he was sure she was done getting the scent he moved several strides ahead, adding his own mark to the various scents routinely applied by the pack. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She couldn’t fight the grin that came to her maw with his words, nor did she want to as she nodded. It was unlike her to lack words. “Yes, it is.” She was eager. It had been so long since she had felt a part of something bigger. It certainly wasn’t the same as it had been, but that was a good thing she had decided. The more she looked back, the more she realized how much pressure had been put on her. She’d been going through life carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders rather than making her own choices and deciding what she wanted… but now that had changed. All it took was some thinking about it. The question came and her smile turned shy. “Admittedly? Not many… I met little Arne not too long ago, but apart from those who were at the test, everyone seems to have evaded my company. Carlys is convinced I’m scaring them off with all my questions.” It had definitely been one of her failings since her arrival, and she could recognize that and often times her feathered companion had encouraged her to be more active in seeking others out.

She let her nose soak in the scent after he nodded toward it, committing it to memory as he explained whose scent they were. Arne’s mother. The pack was big, and all the scents muddled together when she did cross them in her mind. She hummed softly as she took it in, lacking words as for once she had few questions, following along the wall. She still felt like she should ask something left she be losing out. “What have you been up to since the festival?” They had not had much time to catch up at the test, so it seemed only fitting to ask what he had been up to since the festival.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He listened as she spoke of meeting Arne, chuckling lightly as she admitted she hadn’t met anyone else. “I doubt it. Sometimes you just have to chase them down and rope them into sparring or hunting, or crafting. Aslaug might like to do some crafting. Maybe seek her out.” While Aslaug was primarily a hunter, he was pretty sure she was also someone interested in the intellectual side of life. Scribework, Aurielle had said. Rhae turned a question over to him, and he cocked his head in thought as he padded along the wall, though his eyes scanning the area, never in one spot, instead watching from his peripheral. What had he done? “Training, of course. We had some good hunts. I went up to Emerald Valley to scout for good elk to hunt recently… I actually had just gotten home when Aurielle called you all together for your test. I’d say the craziest thing was exploring the swamp in the south. Corpsegoul, I think? Enito’s still furious about that. A plant ate my armor, we fought a giant, crazy looking frog, and a witch gifted Enito with … something. He’s pretty sure she was just cursing him… but I’m not really much of a superstitious type.” He shrugged as he paused to examine the wall, making note of the wall’s need for repair here. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She smiled softly and Carlys let out a soft chuff of amusement at his words. Crafting was an artform, one she was new to but one she was also looking forward to exploring. “I’ll keep it in mind and find her later.” She agreed with a grin to show her enthusiasm. She was looking forward to the idea of settling into the pack. She felt she had done so, but she also knew she had a long time left yet. There were so many wolves she had not even met yet, something to remedy.

He mulled over the question before answering. His tales sounded so wild, and her eyes widened though she kept her head on a swivel, watching the borders for any signs of trouble and keeping her nose open for any kind of foreign scent that might need to be investigated. Her eyes were not as sharp when it came to the wall and it’s need for repair because it was still such a foreign concept to her. “A plant ate your armor?” She asked again, shocked and in need of some kind of clarification. “Just when I think I understand this land…” She trailed off with a hint of amusement. She had never heard of a plant capable of doing such things. “That sounds both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.” She conceded the truth.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He smiled as she said she’d try and find Aslaug. His adoptive cousin could use some in-pack friends, since her -family had gone, and Nolan… well, Nolan was gone, too. Dead. Not gone. Dead. Don’t honey coat it for yourself, Cai. He knew the pangs would ease someday. His mother’s death had been a blow, but he’d bounced back. But maybe it was because Nolan had been so… young. And healthy. His mother had been elderly, and verging on it when she’d become pregnant with himself and his siblings. And she’d fallen ill after a bear hunt had injured her. Nolan was neither of those things. Accidents can happen to everyone. Look at yourself. You fell off a mountain and very truly could have died. Death makes no distinctions. Rhaegara’s shock brought a bark of laughter from the man. “If I hadn’t been wearing it at the time, they might have eaten me. But yeah, it sounds like a long, bizarre dream. Enito assures me it all happened.” His head cocked, eyes scanning beyond the wall to the plains, and the distant rocks, though a snow storm was rolling in. He was pretty sure the visibility would drop like a stone through water in no time. “So how about you? What have you been up to since the festival? Exploring?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She offered a lighthearted huff as he barked of laughter, a light roll of her eyes. “I swear these lands get stranger and stranger every time we speak, Cairo.” First it was armor, and now plants eating armor! Seriously, perhaps she should leave and return to the normal of her homeland… not that she could. She did not want to face certain death; returning to the lands from whence she came was a death sentence if she had ever heard one, and a luxury she would not afford herself.

She looked around, and had been focusing on the craftsmanship of the wall when his question came through. She hummed softly as she tried to pinpoint exactly what she had done. “Mostly adventuring. I had some soul searching left to do, things I still hadn’t quite worked out in my own head.” She offered, to which Carlys offered a short chortle of agreement. “I explored some of the other lands… and Carlys and I were working on our fighting tactics quite a bit.” She remembered being so perplexed at the thought of her companions fighting alongside her. “It was a coincidence when I stumbled upon Aurielle. She was up north by the Falls, mourning, and yet even in her mourning she was so kind, offered me a place here and some more advice.” She’d found the Spirit had a good listening ear, and had helped her resolve some of her inner turmoil. “I looked for my siblings a bit too… after the coup, we were all scattered. I have no idea if some of them made it out alive, and I guess I might have to settle for never knowing.”

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He laughed at her remark, tail flicking in an amused wag. Their world as a whole had many secrets and mysteries to share, and he doubted he’d see most of them in his lifetime, even if he actively sought to find them all. He padded along, listening as she recounted what she’d been up to since the festival, and he nodded, a squeeze clutching at his heart. It was exactly like Aurielle to set aside her own grief and pain for another. At the last, he offered softly, “They may yet find their way to Boreas or Auster, perhaps even here. You never know.” His eyes scanned the distance, letting his peripheral catch any odd movement—a deer slipping through the scrub and tall grass, unaware she’d been spotted. He didn’t let himself focus too hard on her, letting his eyes wander, though he was watching for any sign of a large predator about to pounce. Both scent and eyes told him there was none, at least in that direction, so he moved on. “Any plans for rank?” His ear curved toward her, lips quirking in a curious smile. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Being a curious creature, Rhaegara would never stop until she knew everything this world had to offer. It was just who she was as a person. She longed to see everything, and that was why her intrigue would never be sated.

There was a softness and a fondness in her tone when she spoke of the Spirit’s actions. She truly did admire the woman, which was something she had not thought possible for herself given everything in her past. She didn’t think it possible for her to respect an authority figure, but once again the spirits had proven her wrong in the form of a wolf blessed with the ethereal glow of the spirit realm.

Her eyes bounced upon the wall, noting the intricate work that allowed the wall to get as high as it already had, the way the plants grew along it’s base and the small creatures scurried at it’s feet. The next question came and she hummed softly. “I’m not positive yet, but I discussed the War Circle at great length with Aurielle on our trip back to Valhalla.” She offered, hoping it was helpful. “I’m still gaining my bearings.”

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He didn’t miss the fondness in her voice as she spoke of Rielle. The Spirit had that effect on nearly everyone she met. He listened to her answer, nodding to himself. He’d figured the War Circle would be her most likely choice. His tail flicked as he padded along the wall, smiling to himself. “We could certainly use more in the high ranks.” He paused, ears swiveling at a bird call, paw lifting briefly in a point. Crystal glided back from her own patrol, clicking her beak gently, letting him know there’d been no signs of danger at her end. He smiled at the owl as she landed on his back, shuffling her feathers as her wings folded neatly. The owl nodded to Rhaegara, blinking before her head swiveled away to scan the land. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Carlys took to the skies when she saw the owl land, realizing she could do her own scoping from the sky. She was eager to play around with her aerial view while Rhaegara kept her gaze focused, alert beyond the wall. Nothing seemed amiss, and she thanked the spirits for that. She found that she rather enjoyed peace, even if she was meant to be a warrior at heart, and she was meant to fight the good fight. “I don’t know if I’m good enough to ever be considered for a high rank.” She admitted softly as her gaze focused on him and his owl both, watching as the creatures swiveled her head. That, she was familiar with. Her mother’s companion had been an owl… it was still just so strange to see a head turn like that. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- 'Carlys' ---- "Hear" ---- Think