A towering stone palace, a crashing waterfall, a lush forest of foliage, all working together to create a wonderful getaway from the cold. It still would creep into the summer child's skin, but it was much warmer than in the other lands of Tortugan territory. Russet orange ears were as relaxed as they ever would be, as the mocha hued boy would retreat into the cover of soft grasses. Honey gaze would smile from the darkness, as he would playfully lope out and along the pool at the base of the falls. A grin would spread on his inky lips as he would lie down, his toes barely skimming the water, his plush ringed tail wagging, softly thumping on stone. This truly was relaxing, if only if he had a close friend to enjoy it with. As this thought would flit across his mind, he gave a small whine of loneliness. Recently he had been letting go of his family, their remnants being pushed further back into his mind by his newfound duties in Tortuga. Were they really gone, or would he find them slowly but surely? Honey gaze would soften with tears, but he hastily blinked them away, russet orange ears swiveling forth as a Tortugan wolf's scent would wash over him. Whom would he greet today? The smell was familiar, but he could not be sure until the wolf would reveal itself. "Hello?" Walk, "Talk", 'Think'

The small boy carried his figure confidently these days. His head was high and proud, footsteps strong and sure as he found himself wandering back to the waterfall. This was his favorite part of the territory. The sounds of rushing water always seemed to calm him, and when the weather improved again he would be able to swim. Dayton smiled at the thought, knowing that for now the water would be far too cold. But he continued to approach the river, kneeling briefly to drink. It was then that a familiar scent drifted into his nose. Was that who he thought it was? The smell was not one he had memorized, but his mind told him that he had encountered it recently. Dayton stood up straight once more, his head swiveling left and right to find the other member of Tortuga that rested here. His amber eyes rested upon a large figure coated in summer hues. Was it August? The boy walked closer to see for himself, moving slowly as not to startle the other man. Just then, his presence seemed to be known, for the other boy called out into the woods. "Hello?" Dayton loped into view with a welcome smile, resting several feet away on his haunches. He gave his head a nod, acknowledging the wolf who he had sparred with the other day. There was still a bruise on his head which he tried to ignore. "It's only me, August. Nice to see you again." The smaller brute shifted a bit closer, pausing to admire the view at this angle. "This waterfall is lovely, isn't it?" Walk."Talk."Think.

The proud golden boy would lope into view, a welcoming smile upon his maw. Honey gaze would settle on the golden boy's amber irises, words pouring from his inky lips. A small nod would acknowledge the boy of his presence, as russet orange ears would relax, and strong pillars would push himself upward to a sitting position. Ringed tail would thump quietly on the stone, making hallow noises, barely audible. Maw would stretch into a smile as well, "Oh, hello Dayton. How are your bruises healing?" He had asked the question, and the golden boy had already spoken about the falls. As if any wolf could ignore its flamboyant beauty. He gave a quiet chuckle before replying. "Indeed they are. Just like the Tortugan territory. If only if it weren't so cold. I miss my old home..." A whine would silently escape his maw as he softened his eyes, remembering only small bits of his original home, most of the disaster-torn lands. 'Why didn't we hear it coming? Why didn't we flee fast enough? Why would the gods doom us in an eternity of hell's prison?' He would blink quickly and then shake his head, looking toward the golden boy, managing a smile, yet it looked so false, he almost seemed to be frowning. Walk, "Talk", 'Think'

August would settle back onto his haunches, and the other russet boy would mirror his actions. Luxurious tail would flicker occasionally, noticing the happy thumping noise against hollow stone. This was a friendly meeting, fortunately. Nothing like the brawl that had occurred that day near the lake. Still, the other male seemed to bring it up in a light manner. Dayton set free an easy laugh. "My bruises are healing just fine, thanks for asking, though I have had quite the headache recently." The smaller brute swung his ears once to gesture at his skull. He wasn't lying about the pain, after all. It was still there. "You fought very well, sir, though if I didn't know any better I would say you had taken it easy on me." Some part of his mind wanted to be offended by this. As if his size made him weaker in comparison. But he had to accept that this was true, as was the fact that August was probably more experienced in fighting. But Dayton would learn. That had been the entire purpose of their spar. To learn, and to improve. So the smile remained, unwavering on his dark lips. The other male then made another comment, agreeing with the beauty of the waterfall. He voiced his longing for his old home, and then his expression became one of sadness. Even the fake smile he tried to put on fell through like a wisp of smoke. There and gone again. Dayton frowned. It looked so familiar. Feeling broken on the inside and smiling for the world. But that smile... it was never truly genuine, was it? He stood for a moment, only to move a bit closer to August. He was still a polite distance away, of course, but what he was about to say wasn't meant to be shouted. The crashing roar of the water would make conversation difficult from a distance. So he came to sit a mere foot away, friendly concern dancing in his ochre eyes. "You seem a bit upset, good sir. Do you miss your home?" Just a question with an obvious answer, of course. It was practically rhetorical. He just wanted to get the other wolf talking if possible. Dayton had learned from experience that opening up could help one work through their problems. Walk."Talk."Think.

The summer child was pleased that he had not hurt the golden boy too much, giving a short nod and smiling, almost genuinely. "Yeah, I could have easily crippled you. I wouldn't dare hurt my own packmate though. And I don't think I'm that harsh to hurt a wolf smaller than me. It just makes me feel dishonorable." A small sigh would escape the mocha hued boy's inky lips as the golden boy would question his motives. "Yes, I do..." The man's honey gaze would look upward at the inviting golden boy, then sighing and continuing his speech. "...I lost my entire family, including my cousins, with no idea of their whereabouts, and so far, I've only ever found one of the eleven cousins of mine." He would push himself off and wander off a small ways, then stopping and finishing his string of speech. "And recently, since I've joined Tortuga, I've been pushing them to the back of my mind... I'm thinking about leaving to find them again, but..." The man would turn his crown to gaze at the golden boy, right into his ochre hued irises. "I've been trying to find a new life for myself, so I can forget my tragedies and live on, keeping my head high and proud." Walk, "Talk", 'Think'

He listened quietly as August spoke of his lost family members. But in this case, Dayton couldn't bring himself to share his own story. He had only told two wolves in his life, and one was his mate. The other, of course, was Crucifix. But he was the boy's closest friend. This male was barely an acquaintance. That wasn't to say that Dayton would never tell him, but as for today... secrets would remain secrets. Instead the smaller brute nodded with compassion, hearing every word before replying with a gentle voice."Losing family is terrible. I know that personally." Still, he didn't explain his story beyond this. "I don't think that anyone would blame you for leaving, if that is what you choose to do. Pack members can come to be like family as well, but nothing should come before your own blood, especially if they are relatives you truly know and care about." His eyes became extremely warm and soft. "But creating your own life is just as important." Walk."Talk."Think.

The mocha boy would finish his string of words, and the golden boy would reply, telling of his own losses, but not going into detail. Perhaps he wanted to keep that as a secret for now. He would not push the envelope as his honey gaze would turn up and look at the boy's ochre gaze. Was there really any loss in him? It did not seem like it, yet, if you loose someone, you try to smile for the world, but you just can't, swallowed up by grief. He would give a slow nod, accepting his words, then looking back forward. "Maybe I should try and forget my past, and perhaps if I find them, I find them. I am sure that more than my sister has survived the crossing and the disaster." Honey gaze would soften as he spoke, his brows lowering, as he would lightly sigh, his crown rising again to gaze skyward at the stone mountain. The waterfall would crash on the rock, creating a melodic rhythm of the crashing falls and hallow noises of water on stone. He would push himself up, stepping into the waters, cold shooting up his pillars as he would wade into the pool, toward the falls, where he would go about it, standing there to stare at the hidden side of the falls. Was there a cave? He would gaze inside. Walk, "Talk," 'Think'

Dayton listened sincerely as August seemed to make up his mind on the subject. He decided to move on with his life, and if fate brought his cousins to him, so be it. There was a soft smile on his maw as the other male turned away and waded into the cold water. Dayton felt his ear flick to the side in surprise, his head tilting at an angle. "Um, how does that feel, exactly?" It had been his goal to avoid the freezing river, what with the dropping temperatures and everything. The frail boy would never survive winter with a cold. But now, as he watched the larger brute walk deeper, he decided to give it a try. He walked closer to the edge and lifted a paw, gingerly touching it to the surface. Instantly a shiver rocked through him. Was this boy crazy? Apparently so, for he seemed to continue even further, peering through the active waterfall at what might lie beyond. Could there have been a cave back there? Curiosity tugged at the edges of his mind, of course, but there had to be a better way to get back there. Dayton certainly wasn't going to skip right through the torrent of frozen water like that. So what was August up to? Walk."Talk."Think.