Traveling down from the north brought a refreshing amount of warmth along with it. She was getting tired of hunting the same mountain and tundra dwelling animals all the time. She still considered the Soul Sand Cove their home for now and had left the pelts they had collected in the cave they called home, leaving Nirvana to keep an eye on the place while she and her husband took a trip further south. A bit of a honeymoon perhaps, though there were still plans that she still needed to prepare for to truly celebrate their mariage, but she hadn't found quite the right wolf to fit that last piece of the puzzle for those plans to come to fruition. She was a patient woman though. She'd wait as long as she needed to make the celebration perfect for her perfect demonic mate.

She was sprawled out in the shade of a large oak tree along the bank of a flowing river, her head resting comfortably on her paws with her aqua gaze closed while she napped. Temno and Ciemny were perched in the branches above her and she had no doubt that they would alert her if anyone approached so she felt perfectly comfortable resting here on her own despite the fact that a pack's borders were only a short distance away. In honesty she was quietly scouting the pack out, evaluating them from afar. An inkling of an idea had come to mind as they traveled and passed the borders of other packs as the considered the future for her, Alastor, and their family that would one day form, but she needed to know more first before she could really put those thoughts into action.

A chittering call from one of her companions roused her and she blinked open her eyes, lifting her head to look up at the wolf that they had spotted - though she was hardly old enough to be of even a little concern. Her gaze landed on a beautiful young pup, pale in appearance with dark markings that formed interesting shapes across her form. She was near the border of the pack that owned the pale, birch tree forest behind her, a lovely little thing with a long, draping tail. A small smile pulled at Manea's lips as she crossed her forepaws delicately, watching the girl curiously. "Well, hello there, little one. What's your name?"

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Ikigai was allowed to go a little ways outside of pack lands as long as she took an escort. Today, an entire pack of akitas had come along with her with Anko, her mother's dog, at the lead. The curly tailed canines spread out, on alert for threats. And so, long before they came upon the resting woman, Ikigai knew of her presence.

No matter the size of the opponent, there were enough dogs around to at least keep it at bay while the princess escaped, so the girl felt no fear. It was her intent to learn a bit about the outside world on her walk today. Perhaps the woman ahead would be able to regale her and tell her a story or two of the outside world and of her life.

As the black and white princess drew near, her long, lustrous tail snaked over the ground with a hiss. She showed no fear as she drew up beside the beautiful plum colored woman. The young lady dipped her crown gracefully and seated herself a respectful distance away. The woman's words met her ears and Iki's dark ears swiveled forward. "Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas," she answered in soft, yet strong tones. "And you are?" She gave her head the slightest of tilts, waiting for the large fae to answer.

Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas

Manea's gaze followed the poised young pup as she moved closer and settled near her, though clearly respectful in her distance and manners. She very clearly was being raised well. Her parents must take her upbringing very seriously - something she could certainly appreciate. There was little of more importance in her culture than children and how they are raised. Her ears swiveled forward to listen to the well spoken girl when she listed off her many names, a slight smile of amusement tugging at her lips, but she was still impressed that a girl so young was as eloquent as she was. "Manea Mendacium," she replied with a small dip of her head to her new, young acquaintance. She clearly carried the scent of the pack she had been watching for the last few hours and with the way she carried herself she wouldn't be surprised if this was a child of the pack's alphas. She couldn't imagine that every child was as prim and proper as this girl was.

"You're quite beautiful, Miss Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas," she commented with a soft chuckle as she reached out with a feline-like paw, her soft paw pads cupping the girl's chin to turn her head from one side to the other, admiring her delicate markings and now noticing the small nubs where horns would form one day. She heard a shuffle and a low, threatening growl form somewhere behind the girl and she tipped her head to look past Ikigai curiously, spotting the large dog that seemed to be her escort. A couple more of the canines joined its friend, making it very clear that the girl was under their protection. She smirked and let her paw fall away, saying, "Don't worry, dogs. I'd never harm a pup - especially not one as well bred as this one."

Her unwavering aqua gaze remained on them until they settled again and then she refocused her attention on her little guest. "You must be quite important to have such a stringent protection around you," she commented with a curious tilt of her head, resting her leg over her other one once again as she laid elegantly in the shade.

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Manea | Temno | Ciemny

As the woman reached out to gently grasp Ikigai's chin, the girl didn't pull away. The purple lady had shown no aggression nor hint of malice, so the young princess wasn't afraid or uncomfortable. The dogs didn't feel the same. They all moved forward as one, growls low and hackles up. A single shake of Ikigai's skull had them settling moreso than the woman's word of promise. Anko stayed close, however. Iki couldn't blame the akita for that. The dog knew how important Ikigai was to her master. She would protect the girl with her life and the lives of her children. A good number of whom had the purple woman and the young mistress surrounded.

The woman gave her name as Manea and Ikigai accepted it with a nod. Manea complimented her, using the princesses full name. A soft laugh escaped the girl and she gave her head a shake. "Please, Ikigai will suffice."  How many pups her age even used the word suffice? She wasn't sure that her brothers would even know what the word meant, honestly. She tried not to think badly of them, however. They simply didn't possess the same thirsty mind that she did. Every day was a new quest to attain some previously unknown knowledge. Ikigai's inquisitive nature allowed her to meet with and come to understand wolves from all walks of life from the lowliest wanderer to the shogun and empress themselves.

As Manea pulled her paw away, Ikigai noticed its odd shape. Quickly, but gently, Ikigai's own paw rose, catching that of the purple woman. The girl's own paws were oddly dexterous and possessed working thumbs. With her odd appendages, she turned Manea's paw over, a grin soon lifting the crimson corners of the girl's eyes. "I've never met another wolf with odd paws."  Having appreciated the woman's large feline-like paws, Ikigai released her gentle hold, placing her own paw back on the ground. "I used to be a little self conscious about them, but they're very useful, I've learned."  She was capable of doing things that other wolves simply couldn't do. That made her paws quite important, she decided.

Ikigai's breeding was brought up and the girl dipped her crown in a nod. "I am a princess of Ashen. My mother is the empress and my father is the shogun."  She believed that this was explanation enough for her good breeding. As a princess of Ashen and one of five royal children, her upbringing had been given strict and careful attention. While she wouldn't be a fighter or warrior like her siblings, Ikigai showed great promising in the art of diplomacy. That and her aptitude for learning placed her leagues in front of her siblings as far as her education went. Ikigai was constantly on the lookout for new information. Meeting Manea was the perfect opportunity to learn more.

"Where do you come from, Manea?"  The pallid child gave her head a slight tilt as she asked. Not everyone walked the same paths. She doubted that many outsiders would understand the religion that Ashen held, though Ikigai herself didn't strictly follow her aunts sermons. Family was what the young Abraxas worshipped. Family was much more important to her than some silly unseen being. This unseen being was quite important to her aunt, however. Thus, Ikigai never spoke her doubts aloud. She did know that her father felt much the same and that in itself made her feel quite a bit better about having those doubts.


Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas

She chuckled softly when the young girl corrected that she could go by Ikigai instead and gave her a small nod. "Ikigai then." Poised, beautiful, well spoken... And still so very young. Manea was quite smitten with the young girl and gave her all of her attention in return. She gave Ikigai a curious look when the girl grabbed her large, feline like paw with her own, stopping her from withdrawing it entirely as she let go of the girl's chin. Her aqua gaze went to the unusual paw that Ikigai herself possessed and her brows lifted with interest. She just kept finding new things about the girl that impressed her and if it wasn't for the pack of dogs currently surrounding them with very watchful eyes she might have tried to snatch her up to keep for herself. Instead she would just have to admire from afar.

Hearing how she had never met another with unusual paws and how she had been self conscious about them at one point made Manea hum with a small frown, some of that playful amusement in her gaze growing more serious as she spoke. "Things like your paws, your horns, your tail... They are gifts. They set you apart from the others. It means that the ancient ones have a special plan for you. They would earn you your life in my family." A small smile pulled back across her features as she relaxed back again, crossing one feline paw over the other in front of her. "Never doubt how special you are, Ikigai," she advised, knowing how it felt to stand out among the crowd. For her and how she was raised it was something she drew her confidence and strength from and she hoped that Ikigai would feel the same.

She hummed with interest and gave a little curious tilt of her head when Ikigai explained how she was a princess of this pack and the ranks that her parents held within it. The daughter of an Empress and a Shogun. Manea had never really thought much of packs or their titles, but with the plans and thoughts she had begun to have of a future she might want for her family and her children she had started to put more thought into it. "Well, your mother and father were a good match then if they produced a wise young lady like you," she commented, giving the girl more praise with a little grin.

When the question came of where she was from, Manea chuckled softly and replied, "My family traveled and moved frequently depending. We always went wherever the conditions were most favorable or wherever we might find the best mates to bring into our bloodline. That's what brought me here." As if on queue, a crash in the distance that sounded like something big hitting a tree made her ears perk, drawing her gaze away from Ikigai for a moment as she looked off into the trees away from her pack's lands. Glancing up at the ravens that were perched above her head she said, "Ciemny, dear, go make sure my husband isn't getting himself killed, would you?" The bird took off without a word, flying off in the direction of the sound.

She gave a little shake of her head and refocused her attention on the girl in front of her with a smile. "I found my soul mate so now we're traveling to find somewhere to settle and have our family. Perhaps once my child is born I'll bring them to meet you. I would like for them to have an example of a graceful, respectful little one to look up to."

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

The compliments and the bolstering of faith that Manea gave to Ikigai brought a small smile to the girl's face. It wasn't like her mutations put her apart in the pack. Her parents and siblings and various other family members had them as well. Perhaps Iki's just made her feel a little less ladylike. She did really like her wiggly toed paws though. They were very useful and delicate looking. Especially in comparison to Manea's large paws. So, if a woman like Manea could be confident and proud of her differences, then Ikigai could as well.

The black and white child listened as Manea spoke of her family and she imagined what it must be like to come from somewhere outside of Ashen. Ikigai really had no experience of the outside world. She was too precious to be let out on her own, she'd been told. Leaving pack lands with a family member affected whatever meetings she might have with outsiders. Once they knew that she was a princess, strangers tended to get more tight lipped. This wasn't the case with Manea and Ikigai was eternally grateful to the dogs accompanying her.

A sound in the distance brought the girl's silver eyes shifting towards it and Manea's explanation a moment later made sense. Up above, a crow flew off to do the woman's bidding. "I do hope he's not hurt," she offered, remembering what the purple woman had said about traveling to find the best mate. He must be suitable for her if she'd decided upon him, and so it would be a pity if he damaged himself. The woman spoke of starting a family and possibly bringing her children to meet Iki, which brought another smile to the horned girls face. "I would like that," she agreed. It would be nice to see what kind of children Manea and her mate would produce. It would be nice to just meet someone outside of Ashen again.

As Iki mused over the chance meeting with this woman and over her own future, she began to voice her musings a bit. "I envy your choice in a mate," she began, her gaze drifting back out to the forest beyond where Manea's mate might very well be. "For me, it will be a political union. Bolstering Ashen's strength. It won't matter if I like him or not and I'm okay with that." She said it aloud as if to make herself believe it. "My family is important to me and if that is the way that I can repay and support them, then that's what I'll do." Ikigai was very confident in that portion of her beliefs. Family was everything. If she could help her pack by marrying off and making them proud, then she would marry whomever her parents chose for her.

Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas

"I'm sure he's fine," she assured the girl when she mentioned how she hoped her mate wasn't hurt, giving her a small grin. "He knows better than to get himself hurt too badly. He's already been in trouble with me once over it, he won't make that mistake again. But he can be quite reckless at times so I like to make sure." Alastor was a ball of fire that could barely be contained, especially right now while she was denying some of his needs in preparation for their honeymoon. He wasn't pleased with the decision, but she simply couldn't wait to see how all this patience would pay off once he was finally set free to have every sinful lust fulfilled. She smiled a bit wider when Ikigai agreed that she would like to meet her child once they came to be, giving the princess a small dip of her head. "It is decided then." She supposed at some point she might cross paths with the girl's parents as well - the Empress and Shogun of Ashen, they had been called. She kept the thought in the back of her mind, wondering if perhaps this new friendship with their daughter might come in handy in her future plans.

She gave Ikigai a curious tilt of her head when she began to muse about her envy over Manea's freedom in choosing her mate, explaining how her partner would be chosen from whoever would be the best political match. She hummed with thought at that, a small thoughtful frown pulling at her lips. She supposed she could understand the logic in that and she could appreciate the young girl's maturity to so readily accept such a fate, though she did wonder if it was the best option for such a rare gem of a young woman. Just to be wasted as some pawn in a political scheme... "Depending on who you ask in my family, they would say that we don't have a choice in who our mate is. Some think it is decided for us at birth," she told her conversationally, shifting a bit and recrossing her paws to lay more comfortably. "I tend to believe that is true - which is why I traveled so far and wide to find him. I refused to settle for less than the man that was promised to me by our Ancients. I just happened to be one of the lucky ones that found love in my other half as well, though not all do. And now that he has completed my soul I will be tied to him forever, in life and in death." It was a wide and sweeping concept to tell to a girl as young as her, but she had proven to be very wise for her age so it didn't feel strange to speak with her about it.

"I hope that whoever you are promised to is a worthy match for you," she added with a gentle smile. "I'm sure your parents will be careful with who they chose, but... All the same, I would hate for your brilliance to be squandered." Her ear flicked at the sound of the branch above her rustling as Ciemny came back to land beside Temno and she glanced up at the inky black raven curiously. "He's fine, madam. A bit of a tussle with a saber toothed cat, but he is unharmed." She hummed and her tail flicked dismissively as she nodded, bringing her gaze back to Ikigai once more. "It seems I've left him alone too long. He's started finding trouble," she said with a chuckle.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny