With the sun heading slowly down toward the horizon, the air held more and more of that familiar autumn chill. Conall padded quietly between various remnants of objects, some of them sticking out of the ground half buried, others out in full view and waving softly in the breeze. His paw landed on a smooth, hard object and he came to a halt, lifting the paw and looking to see some sort of small, round object. When the looked closer at the ground around him he noticed more things similar to the one he stepped on, though some were different shapes, sizes, and seemed to have different textures. He tilted his head to the side quizzically, wondering what they could be. Dipping his head down, he carefully picked up one of them between his teeth. He quickly discovered with a light bite that they definitely weren't to be eaten. They were harder than bone. Conall dropped it to the ground and continued on his way, leaving the mystery to the list of questions he might never have answered. Clouds had gathered in the sky overhead, the sinking sun lighting them up brilliantly with oranges and reds, the beautiful scene of a sunset. He looked around, wondering if he might find some shelter for the night or if he would have to go looking somewhere else. Luck was on his side today and he spotted a large structure of some sort that some plants had grown up and around, creating a sort of lean-too. It wasn't ideal, but it would suit his uses just fine. Conall trotted over to it, peeking in and sniffing around it to make sure no wolf was already occupying the space before slipping through the small opening in the vines and leaves. He laid down with a sigh, trying to ignore the soreness that lingered in his hip, his jaws stretching wide in a yawn. By the time the sun had finished setting he had settled in for the night and had drifted to sleep. "Ornat? Ornat! Ornat, where are you, lass!" He ran at full tilt toward their den, fearing the worst as he passed wolf after wolf that had been murdered in cold blood. He had no time to stop and see who all he was running past, he had to get to Ornat. He skidded to a halt outside their den, breathing hard, his heart in his throat. "Ornat?" He heard a weak whine from inside and he rushed in without a second thought. There at the back of the den was a puddle of blood and in the middle of that was his mate and his three children. "Oh, Ornat..." He dropped down beside her, draping his neck over hers and holding her close as tears pooled in his eyes. He heard weak attempts at words leave her, but the words weren't even understandable. Her breathing slowed to nothing and he cried out- Conall awoke with a yell, breathing hard, his green gaze darting wildly around around him till he figured out where he was with a sigh. "Damn it, not again..." he drawled with a soft groan. How long would it be till those memories would stop haunting him? Would they follow him to the grave? With a heavy sigh he peeked through the vines and saw the sky was still in the dead of night. Well, there was not going to be any more sleep tonight, so he stood and slipped out into the open again. Looking around, he wondered if there might be a wolf around with an equally sleepless night that might keep him company... and the memories away. Speech Thought Others

The cool air of autumn was blowing, the season just starting to rear its head, still the man would not fret, the turning of the season never bothered him much. Helios seemed almost to have forgotten himself some, wandering beyond the lands that he was learning to call home. He had left the pack in good paws of course, his wife in a better position than him to answer any calls while their niece nursed her slowly growing brood, still he did not feel particularly good about wandering, he had never been one for exploration?
In truth the man simply needed an out, if only for a few hours. There was much upon his mind, one of which being his new great-nieces and nephews and how the still small pack would handle that many pups? and then there was the question of his own wife and their children. He was ready, and yet not all at once. He wanted to have kids again, to bring a miracle or two into the world and know that his life had held some worth if only it had been to bring the gift of the gods into life. Still he worried and fussed over his current children. He was especially worried as to how Apollo would respond to new siblings.
The sun had already dropped behind the horizon, it?s light snuffed out as he stumbled across the strange plateau. Perhaps he ought to return to the pack lands, to Nat. He had to admit nothing seemed more enticing than that but his thoughts were swirling around his head at a rapid pace and he wasn?t sure he wanted to return till everything had sorted itself out. Russet gaze roving over the warped and littered horizon, landing upon a decrepit structure.
With a sigh he began heaving himself towards it, the faint scent of another wolf slowly becoming stronger and stronger. He stopped a bit of a ways away from the structure, the shadowy form of another wolf standing before him. He dropped his tail and head slightly. Nothing about the stranger said aggression but Helios would rather be safe than sorry. He reached out with his voice, hesitant but strong. ?Greetings??







talk, think

Conall stared out into the starry night blankly, a tired sigh passing his lips. His mind swirled with his dreams and memories. That day had been such a horror. It started out so normally, but ended in such tragedy for not only him, but for his pack mates. The memories were trying to replay once again in his mind, but thankfully a voice broke his train of thought. His tattered ears twitched in response and he turned his emerald gaze toward the russet male that had appeared. He dipped his head in greeting, noting that the male had made the effort to make his stance non-threatening. Conall appreciated the gesture, though it wasn't entirely necessary. "How do ya do?" He replied, his Irish accent as strong as ever. Conall turned toward the male and settled down on his haunches, letting him decide how far he would prefer to be. The old warrior took in the stranger's look, noting that he was probably a bit younger than himself though he wasn't sure how much. The stranger was also a bit shorter, but Conall felt so small and curled into himself that he honestly wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been looking the brute over. His only other observation was the smell of a pack on him, but of course Conall had no way to identify which one it was since he was still new to these lands. "What brings ya out so late, hm?" He knew this random man would have no idea how grateful he was to have some idle conversation after the night he had been through, but he truly was happy to have the distraction. Speech Thought Others

The man before him seemed to pay his approach little mind, and he found himself lifting himself up again as the black man spoke. An accent interwoven into the threads of his voice; it was one Helios wasn?t familiar with. His call was friendly enough and even though the man was often a more reserved one he took a slight step forwards, still keeping some respectable distance between them. ?Not bad, and you?? He watched as the stranger settled down and followed suit. He looked him up and down, an old habit born out of suspicion against non-members of his family. The man appeared older than he was, but not by to many years. He was scarred but looked rather powerful.
The stranger spoke and Helios lifted his gaze to the sky for a moment. ?Thinking, hoping to find an answer. If it?s out there? it is being quiet.? He would not talk about the prayers he had sent to the gods, the ones that had gotten no response?







talk, think

"Oh, been better, but I'm alive so there's something to that," he replied when the male turned his question back on himself. He smirked a little at the thought that being alive was somehow a consolation for his haunted memories. Really he knew he should be more grateful for it, but it was hard when he was awoken in the middle of the night by his own memories of all things. Conall gave a small grunt of understanding at the male's response, knowing exactly how it felt to question and have no answer. Of course he knew nothing of the context for it or what he needed an answer to, but he knew that feeling all too well. "Sounds like we're in a similar boat, friend." He glanced up at the sky for a moment, seeing the stars there, wishing there was some answer to his problems but knowing there wasn't. There was no explanation for what had happened. But, maybe he could help his man find the answers to his questions at least. Looking back to the russet man he said, "I've found that sometimes talkin' to a stranger is easier than confiding in someone ya know. If you wanna say what's on your mind, I'd be an open ear. Besides, I've been around the corner a time or two. I might have a piece of advice to give ya." It was a random offer at best, but it was a genuine one. He wouldn't be the least offended if the stranger refused but he wanted to make the offer all the same. Speech Thought Others

Helios let out a huffy chuckle as the man before him confirmed that he was familiar with that sentiment. There was truth to the male?s words; he supposed there was a lot worse than what was currently plaguing his mind.
The unknown male grunted and Helios knew that this too he understood, it seemed that despite the size of the lands and the wide range of wolves he could have run into, ones he wouldn?t want to meet in the middle of the night were pretty high on that list, he had managed to bump into one who might be able to help shed some light on the situation, or at least listen to him. Maybe the Gods hadn?t been so silent after all. He sent a silent prayer of thanks skyward.
He nodded as the man spoke, shifting back slightly. He supposed there was truth in his words, even if he wasn?t sure he really wanted to confide in a stranger? but then he wasn?t sure what harm, if any, it could do. ?Things within my family have been hectic at best as of late. My young niece has had her first litter just recently, he paused a small smile tugging at his lips at the thought of the newest members of his family, ?This has put my wife in a state of? wanting let?s call it, but she is rather busy looking after our niece and I?m honestly not sure if our current children are ready yet? One of my sons has always been a bit? off.? He sighed, thinking of Apollo always filled him with mixed emotions, he was proud and loved his son; but frustrated by what he couldn?t understand and when it came to the albino that seemed to be a lot.







talk, think

As the russet man began to speak, Conall listened attentively to all of his struggles with his family life. He nodded quietly with understanding, thinking back to when his own mate had first brought up starting their family. He wondered how his life would be now if his family was still here. Would he be having these same thoughts and worries as this man? "Let me tell you a tale," he began, "There was a young lad, not even three years old, who was quickly promoted in his pack till he was the head of their largest troop. There was always fighting of some sort there so being a commander of any sort was a large job. At almost the same time, the boy fell in love and was married. To top it off, his new wife wanted a family and she was pregnant with three beautiful pups. It was so much all at once he didn't know how to handle it all. But he got through it because his wife was strong enough to handle the burden with him. A faint smile touched his muzzle and he added, "That's your answer, friend. You're not in this alone. If your wife wants more children then she's ready for them and all you have to do is be happy for her and support her. Your family may need time to adjust, but they'll have tha whole pregnancy for that. In the end, pups are always a joy, no matter the circumstances." He looked toward the stars that dotted the sky above them and a sad smile touched his muzzle, his ears folding back against his skull. "Oh I miss them so," he whispered, sighing and wishing he could turn back time. Speech Thought Others

The man seemed to understand, nodding his head. Helios watched with curiosity, the stranger beginning to speak. It didn?t take too long for the Olympian to realize that this story was this stranger?s own experiences. He relaxed some, realizing some of the similarities between himself and the older stranger. Not only that but the man seemed to offer some pretty sound advice, and Helios reflected on it for a moment. He did want more children, and Natalya was ready... He cocked his head to the side briefly as he noted the man?s slight change, just barely catching his soft words. ?I am sorry.? He muttered, dropping his gaze. He had never been quite so sincere with a stranger before? but then tonight wasn?t quite an ordinary night. Speech,

At the russet man's apology Conall's emerald gaze darted back down toward the man, realizing suddenly that he had mentioned that out loud. His ears flicked back, embarrassed for letting his emotions getting the best of him. Conall coughed and and tried to quickly brush it off. "Ah, don't mind me. The past is the past and all that." He sighed, giving a little shake of his head. Pushing those memories of his past behind him once more, he went on, realizing that he still didn't know the male's name. "Anyway, I've been right rude, not introducing myself! I'm Conall Dunn. It's nice to meet ya." He paused to let the other man introduce himself as well before going on, "You and your girl are part of a pack, yes? It's easy to smell on ya. I'm still pretty new around here, haven't really heard much about the packs 'round here. That is, except for Valhalla. Had a nice little chat with their queen. She's a right nice lass." Speech Thought

The stranger seemed embarrassed by his lapse in emotion and began to apologize. Helios cocked his head to the side slightly but did not question any further, after all he could only imagine what the man had gone through; Helios knew how he?d react if he had gone through the same. But the russet man would banish those dark thoughts from his mind. The darker man would offer his name and Helios realized that he had not introduced himself either. ?Good to meet you Conall, I am Helios Olympus.? He inclined his head slightly as he spoke. Then Conall was speaking again, mentioning the scent of the pack upon Helios? fur. The man had to chuckle, no there would be no denying it. ?Yes we are, my mate and I are members of the great empire Olympus, named for my family and ruled by my family.? He would pause thinking for a moment. ?I cannot say I have met the queen of Valhalla, though I?m sure my Natalya has.? Those words were more for himself than for Conall though they were not spoken in any sort of hushed tone. Speech,

Conall was surprised to hear that his pack was named after and ruled by his family. It seemed like Conall was running into all kinds of royalty! First the queen of Valhalla and now a member of the ruling family in this Olympus pack. "Well! That's right fine, that is. Very impressive, sir. Having a whole pack named after you! Well, your family. All the same!" He chuckled, his emerald gaze shining with humor. He wondered what it would be like to be part of a pack after all this time. He had never really considered it after the attack on his pack, but maybe it would be nice. After all, he hated being alone and he was getting up in years. Living as a rogue wasn't an easy life for someone with much less years on them than him. "Do ya think I might could come take a look at your pack some time? I guess it's about high time I find a place to live 'round here if I'm staying." Speech Thought