Tell me that you're alright
Kiyo
How long had it been since he walked through this prairie? Two years? Three? He honestly hadn't expected to ever return to Boreas once he left, but with nothing tying him to anywhere else any longer his wandering paws led him back to where he had once belonged. It was a weird feeling of deja vu as he walked across the open expanse of grassy land, watching as the slightly browned grasses swayed in the breeze. With the onset of fall everything around him was slowly beginning to fade into shades of brown and yellow, bringing cooler temperatures along with it. His travel had been incredibly slow with all the rain storms that had been happening recently, but today was clear and he had made a lot of good progress - even though he really had no real destination in mind.
He reached a hill top and paused, looking out over the landscape. Trying to chose a direction or a mission was difficult without anyone to give his time to. The hole his late mate had left in her wake was still very sorely felt and he sighed softly as he wished fondly for that companionship. Part of him wondered if any of his siblings were still around... What had Paradise been up to all these years? Or Amethystina? Were they even still alive? Part of him felt guilty that they had all drifted apart the way they had, but none of them had ever stuck very close, happy to live their own lives and come back together whenever life allowed. Now that Tempeste was gone... he was like a ship without a sail. Should he find a pack? What packs even existed now? His ears flicked and he tried to focus on the sun baked landscape, his tail curling around him.
The freeze of the summer-turned-winter had finally abated, though it had led way straight into spring. While the temperatures had risen, it had barely been enough for any vegetation to grow and the soil was still much too damp from the thawed snow and seemingly constant rainfall. It made the world a sticky, muddy mess of which she wasn’t particularly fond of, but it wouldn’t stop her from trying to gather herbs to keep Ashen afloat.
Kiyo had set out from the palace in Inu Island via a boat paddled by her Macaque companion, Aoi, and tagged along by her akita companion, Yui. They’d crossed the inlet expanse of water to the shores of Time’s Cavern, where she’d instructed Aoi to return to the palace to aid her grandchildren in their daily studies if needed, then return for her when the sun was setting.
The ghostly woman set out with Yui, trekking up through Fern Gulley where they spent a few hours perusing and carefully bundling what few herbs she could find into the portable med kits strapped to both her and Yui’s backs. Once it felt picked relatively clean, they journeyed over to Algoma Prairie to see if there was anything else. More than likely, the prairie would prove useful for finding carpet moss. This could be bunched and used to stop bleeding, soaked in water and pressed to the lips to hydrate a bedridden patient, or to clean up a messy area. The uses felt endless, but the moss often dried out and was unusable after a week, so it was one herb that Kiyo picked quite frequently.
A light, smooth Japanese hymn in the form of a hum drew from her throat as she went, her tail, normally dragging along in a silver train behind her body but now tied up neatly with a bow to prevent it from dragging in the mud, twitched behind her light frame. As they crested a hill that overlooked the prairie, her nearly translucent gaze caught a fiery flash of color in the otherwise plain looking landscape. She squinted, trying to make out the object in the distance. Her gaze slid to her companion, who nodded to her, and they continued forward out of curiosity. As they drew closer, the shape of a wolf several inches taller than her, but not nearly the height of her son or grandchildren, began to take form.
He was quite the sight to see, cloaked in what looked like varying stages of molten lava. She’d never seen coloring quite like it, but then again she was sure others said the same about her shimmering, molten silver hues. She let loose a chuff of greeting, letting the man know of their approach so that he wouldn’t be startled. He looked slightly lost in what could have been revelry, a tinge of sadness touching the crease of his brow. How curious.
From his vantage point looking across the prairie he spotted a pale figure that stood out among the otherwise plain landscape, the movement drawing his sapphire gaze in. By the time he noticed the woman she was close enough to see some of her features, including the pale antlers that grew from her head and the patches of white that blended beautifully among the light gray of the rest of her coat. She was like snow embodied, a delicate snow flake that was striking in comparison to the empty field around her. He found himself sneaking glances toward her as she moved in his direction, the light sound of a hummed song reaching his ears on the breeze. As she drew a bit closer his gaze caught her own, deep blue finding a silvery gaze that was equally light as the rest of her appearance in a way that was captivating. For a moment he wondered if she was real or if his own loneliness was making him see visions of beautiful, other worldly women, but as her scent found him in the wind he was convinced that she was very much real.
He finally forced himself to his paws and gave himself a quick shake before he started moving down the slope toward her and the dog that followed her. He knew nothing about the woman other than her appearance, but he had been alone for so much of his journey that seeing the opportunity to make a connection with someone wasn't something he could let himself pass up. He could tell from her scent that she was part of a pack as well so perhaps with any luck she could at the very least point him in the right direction so he could stop letting himself flounder in his own sense of loss.
"Hello, miss," he said as he drew close enough to speak easily, giving her a warm smile as he dipped his head politely. "Sorry to bother you. I saw you passing by and just knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least come to say hello." He had already loved and lost once in his life - he didn't know what the rest of his life looked like when it came to the prospect of bringing someone else into his life, but if he sat alone for the rest of time he would never know. "I'm Pyre Elementas. It's a pleasure to meet you." He glanced in the direction she had been heading, adding, "Is there something in particular you were looking for? Something I could help you with perhaps?"
The man turned to meet her as she announced her arrival, seeming to snap out of whatever trance he’d been in. His lips turned up in a warm smile, charming his fiery complexion and she found herself giving her characteristic soft smile back. He seemed to have manners, she noted, seeing as he offered her a dip of her head. It was nice to see, as it reminded her of the hospitality and respect shown back in Iga. There were many bad memories from her homeland, but she would always miss the culture, friendships and other relationships she’d formed there. The regal woman offered a bow of her head as well, Yui doing the same in her position at her master’s back hip.
He introduced himself quite suavely, the corners of her pale lips twitching in amusement. Kiyo, no matter how humble she was, knew she had good looks. More than once in her life she’d had a man running after her, but because of this she’d also learned to weed out one’s true intentions as to whether or not they were looking for friendship, a fling, or something else. So far, this man was flattering her, but didn’t seem to be asking for more. She appreciated that.
He introduced himself as Pyre Elementas, a befitting name for his coloration and stature. He immediately offered her assistance, likely noticing that she and her companion carried packs. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Elementas. My name is Hattori Kiyo, but please feel free to call me Kiyo,” she introduced, her voice gentle and melodious and lilting with a Japanese accent. “It’s quite chivalrous of you to offer help. My companion, Yui, and I are gathering herbs. Do you have much knowledge in the field?” she inquired, her head tilting curiously. She certainly wouldn’t turn away help and the possibility of a new friend.
Pyre's ears perked curiously at the beautiful, lilting tone to her voice when she spoke with an accent he had never encountered before. She already had a very ethereal look to her so it seemed only fitting that her voice follow suit with a pretty, feminine name to boot. He gave a little nod to her companion as she introduced her as well, though his gaze was mostly focused on his new acquaintance. He wasn't sure what he was really looking for approaching her like this, but sitting alone wasn't doing him any good. Luckily she seemed to not mind his intrusion into her day and he certainly had no complaints when it came to getting to enjoy being in the presence of a beautiful woman.
He chuckled softly when she asked if he had any knowledge of herbs and he gave her a bashful grin. "Ah, I'm afraid not, miss. I've always been more of a fighter than a healer. I'd be happy to learn though." He glanced at the packs she and her companion were carrying, offering instead, "Maybe I can help carry those for you while you gather your herbs?" That seemed like a far better use of his assistance since he knew he wouldn't know what to look for, but he had plenty of muscle to help with carrying things.