what are you made of? [flesh and bone] Deserts. Great. Fan-fucking-tastic. This day just couldn't get any better, could it? The spares trees provided next to no shade, and the heat was starting to make his head pound. Gods above, he should've had more water. Like, a lot more. Like, enough to last him through the apocalypse. Maybe this was the end of the world. Maybe everything had just spontaneously turned into a desert and oh gods, was this where he was going to die? Altavro sincerely hoped not. There were more wolves to heal in the world, and anyways, this would be the stupidest place to die. He would be dumber than the dumb wolves that Altavro so frowned upon if he died of dehydration in a desert. As a Nomad, Altavro should have known much better. Still, despite being aware of the dangers of the weakness that was beginning to pool in his limbs, Altavro let his tongue hang limply from his maw as he staggered the sparse shade that the trees offered. Maybe he'd just take a little rest until it cooled down. The sun was high in the sky, but surely within a few hours, he'd be okay to move. It was a bad idea, but Altavro knew that his limbs wouldn't have the strength to carry him out of the desert right then. Next time he went in search of the herbs found in the desert (ephedra in particular had been his goal), Altavro was going to make sure he didn't get lost. Or maybe he just wouldn't come back to the desert. Ever. This had been a terrible plan, Altavro thought with a grunt. His mouth felt like sandpaper and his body felt heavy and this was definitely bad. Dehydration was a danger in this heat already, but add into the equation the fact that Altavro was lost in the desert, and this was a pretty serious problem. & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O

Today, she had gone west. In retrospect, it was perhaps not the greatest idea. Ara only realized this as she gazed out over the sandy plains. It was a vast expanse of nothing. For miles and miles, it seemed like all there was, was sand... and far too much of it. The dark-furred girl let out a sigh as she trekked onward. In a few hours, the sun would give her a glimpse of which direction she had come from, but she realized with alarming suddenness that it was now directly overhead. The yearling did not know what she had expected coming so far west -- but this certainly was not it.

The heat was relentless, especially for a creature with a pelt so dark, and she felt as though her skin itself was on fire. Pink tongue lolled lazily from her jaws as she continued onward. One step, two steps, three steps... she was growing weary, slowly losing sense of which direction she had came from. Her vibrant gaze was dull and hazy as she glanced about, wishing badly she could find something to drink. Even the tall palmetto trees provided little shade, and she figured she could push on for awhile, so long as she did not feel too weak or faint.

She didn't know how long she walked, but she saw a flash of fur in her distance. Paws would move more quickly, increasing her pace as she struggled to make out the form of whoever it might be. A wolf. A male. His scent hung heavy in the air, entirely unfamiliar to her, but a welcome sign of life in this apparently wasteland. "Hello?" she called out gently, her ears perking, hoping he would entertain her company at least momentarily -- unless he proved to be company she did not prefer.

what are you made of? [flesh and bone] It was difficult for the male to stir when the scent of another danced beneath his nose, but he lifted his head slowly as the sounds of pawsteps sliding in the sand reached his ears. A female wolf, mostly black with blue eyes, and young at that. Too young to be wandering the desert, Altavro thought with an irritable huff. When she addressed him, he twitched his ears, inclining his head in her direction. He had no energy to rise to his paws, and instead Altavro was content to stay largely still, aiming to conserve his energy until both the temperature and the sun had lowered enough that he could figure out how to get out of this death trap of a sand pit. It took Altavro a moment to answer. "Hello there," His voice was gruff, but not particularly grumpy for once. "I don't suppose you know how to get out of this nasty place?" Okay, there it was. He sounded exceedingly irritable in that moment, his blue eyes narrowed to keep the sun from burning his eyes. Squinting made the smaller wolf look even more like a mirage than ever, and Altavro wasn't entirely sure if she was real in that moment. Hey, maybe he was imagining it all and he was all alone in this desert. It almost wouldn't have surprised him. & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O

Though she was feeling quite exhausted, she knew with utmost certainty that the company of another would do wonders to her spirit. Though she was not always the most social of creatures, she was beginning to feel rather lost in this great expanse of sand and nothingness, and it helped to just know that she was not alone. He slowly turned to her gaze upon her, looking rather weary himself. She noted that he certainly did not look thrilled, but it seemed to be the situation itself that irked him, not her presence.

"I don't know, sir," she responded carefully. "Give it a few hours and we'll be able to see where the sun is going in the sky. That's the way I don't want to go." It was vaguely right -- it helped her find her way home more often than once. The sun always seemed to rise and fall in the same direction, she had learned, and it could be a guide for her if she ever found herself lost. Slowly the yearling would creep forward, unwilling to sit down beside him as though they were old friends. She was rarely so careful with strangers. But the shade was enticing, and she paused a few feet from him, cocking her head slightly to the side. "I'm a little lost myself..."

what are you made of? [flesh and bone] Lovely. Just freaking lovely. Of course she was lost too. Was he ever going to get out of this desert? The heat was making everything swim and gods above, he hated this place with all of his heart. If he ever got, he was never coming back. Ever. No more deserts for this male. In fact, he was going to head as far north as physically possible. Some cold would be high up on his list of priorities when he got out. If he ever got out. But the female's words, which he had almost tuned out, were actually rather clever. The idea hadn't occurred to Altavro, though he had to admit that it probably should have. The male found himself nodding slightly at her comment, pricking his ears in her direction. With his response, he was careful to modulate his tone, trying to keep his irritation with the situation - and not her - from his voice. "That's a good idea, actually. I hadn't thought of that." Though he definitely should have. Maybe it was the lack of water getting to his head. Either that or he was just being dumb. It was probably the latter. "Anyways, the name's Altavro. You don't need to call me sir." His name was respect enough, in the wolf's mind. His name carried enough honor without a 'sir.' The male watched carefully as the younger wolf settled down in the spare shade offered by the palmetto trees around them. She was close to him, though not nearly so close that her heat would touch him, which Altavro appreciated. It was hot enough without the touch of another wolf. "Perhaps we can get ourselves out together," Altavro would offer, more out of a sense of duty than anything else. As a healer, he could not condone abandoning another wolf in the desert like this, especially not a pup. It would simply be wrong. & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O

It was incredible to teach others new things -- almost as incredible as watching a wound heal because of one's own work, or watch a fever slowly be lifted. As she spoke her idea, she saw a glimmer of hope appear in this man's eyes, and the corners of her dark lips began to curl upwards in a gentle smile. Though he was significantly older than her, she knew that did not mean he knew everything there was to know. Quietly her gaze drifted over his face, dancing over the red markings between his eyes. He was quite handsome, she noted silently. Her realization surprised her some, as she usually didn't note the appearance of others in such a way. He introduced himself then, relaxing her spirit even further. "And I'm Ara. It's nice to meet you, s-... Altavro." She smiled again, tail waving slowly behind her. It was difficult to not be so polite, especially in front of one older than her.

Slowly she rolled to her side, convinced this man would not be a threat to her in her exhausted state. Tongue lolled quite comically from her mouth as she gazed at him across the sand. "I could use the company," she told him quite honestly. "Do you intend to go east, or west? My family is east of here." It would be foolish to walk across such a wide expanse of nothingness with Altavro if he was trying to make it across the other side of the desert. She hoped to herself that he would be going the same way, for she suddenly did not want to be alone in such a scenario.

what are you made of? [flesh and bone] Altavro inclined his head slightly towards the younger female, committing her name to memory as he did so. Ara. It had a nice ring to it. Easy enough to remember, at least, and less of a mouthful than his own name. "I wish I could say the same," Altavro snorted, the exhalation stirring up the sand beneath his muzzle, "But I would much prefer to have met you in a less . . . desert-y environment." He was a little bit too tired to be spectacularly cranky, and he saved the most scathing of his glances for the seemingly endless expanse of sand that stretched around them with no variation, but Altavro was certainly not in a good mood. Then again, who would be if they were lost in the desert? A saint, maybe, but Altavro was definitely not a saint. It was a good thing that Altavro had offered to travel with her, he thought, for he was thus far finding Ara to be easy company, which was an impressive feat considering his cranky state. "I don't have anywhere to go other than out of here," Altavro confessed - he hadn't been planning on mentioning the whole homeless aspect to his life to a strange pup, though he supposed that it would have been obvious enough due to his lack of a pack scent. Then again, not all loners were homeless, so perhaps she had only surmised part of that statement. "I think I will be heading east, as well, however." He hadn't really planned on it until she asked, but Altavro felt little desire to abandon the younger wolf in the middle of the desert. It was at least his duty to ensure that the female got out of the desert in one piece, if not back to her pack's territory. Of course, the latter only applied if she hailed from a pack. Which Altavro was curious about, as she had never specified - only mentioned her family. "Do you come from a pack, Ara?" Altavro questioned wearily, letting his head rest heavily on his paws for the moment. There was no need to move it just yet. Not with the sun still so high on the sky. He could only imagine how much more miserable the heat was for the darker furred wolf who lay on the sand next to him. If only there were water nearby... & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O

Ara noted the slight annoyance in the man's demeanor, but she knew it was not at all directed towards her. Her father could be irritable at times, and she knew not to take it personally -- it was a trait she knew had been passed on to her. Though she tried to be friendly, oftentimes she could be a bit detached, though she was working on being friendlier, like her brother Faolan.

"As would I," she agreed with a gentle smile. Though she was almost her full height, she was still very much a child, though was gradually approaching adulthood. Behind her, her tail waved about freely for a moment, as though momentarily forgetting the dreadful heat that plagued them.

Altavro told her he had no particular place to go, and basically accepted her offer to join her. This didn't surprise her -- she knew most packs seemed to exist in the eastern part of these lands. Though Ara knew the world was large, she didn't quite know how large it really was. "Good," she stated, that kind smile appearing on her lips again.

"I am of the Kingdom of Seracia," she answered easily when he questioned her. Her own head dropped to rest on her paws, enjoying the slight shade and rest for a moment before they continued on. "I don't know if you've ever seen the mountains to the north of here.." Mount Volkan was a rather large structure; it would be hard to miss had he ever ventured northeast of here. "We live close to there." Her eyes sparkled as she watched him, wondering if he knew any of the wolves of Seracia.

what are you made of? [flesh and bone] The fact that Ara was handling this experience with far more grace than Altavro kind of rankled, but he was too tired to be anything other than cranky. Maybe once he'd gotten a few long drinks and he'd been out of the sun for a few hours, Altavro would be properly grumpy again. For now, though, he was about as content as one could be with a mouth like sandpaper during the hottest hours of the hottest season laying on sand that seemed intent on burning his fur right off. It was like sitting in a fire. "Maybe next time," Altavro half grumbled, twitching his ears lazily as he spoke. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a next time. If he ever saw Ara again, he'd hopefully be somewhere in the far north, bathing in ice cold water and celebrating the cool temperatures that now seemed more imaginary than anything else. There was no way the desert could be this hot if there was ice in the northern lands right now. Maybe the ice had all melted while Altavro had been wandering the desert, and everything was as hot as this desert right now. The thought made Altavro cringe, but it would be just his luck, wouldn't it? The wolf nodded just slightly, dragging himself upwards to sit properly as Ara spoke. "The mountain? I believe I have." He had walked in its shadow a few times, but he had never been close enough to it that he had scented any packs in the area. The western lands had been his favored haunt most often since his arrival in Alacritia, but Altavro had seen enough of the east that he recognized the description of the mountain. "I haven't been around long enough to know much about the packs," Altavro could only name one, Valhalla well, two now if he counted Seracia. But he knew nothing about Seracia save that they seemed to raise wolves that weren't necessarily the brightest around, though they did seem to be polite. Or maybe that was just Ara. Maybe they were all hooligans other than her. Wouldn't surprise him, Altavro thought with a grunt. Still, he was curious. Curious about much that Alacritia had to offer, and the packs were certainly not least of his curiosities. "What is Seracia like?" Altavro questioned idly, seeking a distraction from the heat more than anything. The issue of a pack was not a pressing one, and Altavro was basking in the freedom from responsibility for the first time in his life, which had up until then been devoted solely to healing others and learning more about healing. There would come a time when he returned to his craft beneath an Alpha, Altavro knew, for like all wolves, he needed a family, but that time was not quite yet. "I've never been a member of a true pack before." He would add that as an afterthought, and half to himself. The Nomads were a closely knit group, that was true, but they were no pack. & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O

Though she wasn't always the most social of wolves -- she certainly took after her father more than her mother -- she truly enjoyed the company of wolves like Altavro. He had a serious aura about him that she felt drawn to, though not so serious that he was bad company. Slowly she rolled back onto her belly, her paws stretched out carelessly before her. "I've never been so hot..." she noted quietly, sighing inwardly as the realization. She knew there was no reason to complain, as there were far worse situations she could find herself in.

He admitted not knowing much about the other packs. She smiled, regardless. It was honorable to admit ones ignorance. She had learned to do it long ago. She knew there was so much for her to learn, and also knew she would never get the knowledge she craved by pretending to be a master at her craft when she was merely a novice. "If you ever need anything, you can find me there, then." If he was hurt, or hungry, or simply needed shelter, she could offer it to him. She knew, too, that she would be welcome in Ludicael or even Valhalla if she needed anything, though she knew nothing of the latter.

"It's not bad," she started honestly, faltering quite obviously as she tried to answer. It was her home, but merely because her family lived there and had been thus far content there. "I don't know anyone well beside my family there, to be honest. My parents are growing old, and I think they are happy to simply have somewhere to be together and with their children..." The atmosphere had changed since she was a child, though not necessarily for the worst. It was simply different. The girl shrugged slowly, clearly at a loss for words. "It doesn't feel overly close, but I feel some kind of safety being there." And that was important for her elderly parents.

what are you made of? [flesh and bone] Altavro groaned a little as the female spoke, closing his eyes for a long moment. "I'm never going to look for herbs again." He muttered in agreement with her statement. A slight over-exaggeration, but he hated everything about this, and certainly wasn't going to be looking for any plants that grew in the desert any time soon, unless it was a fucking miracle cure. No more deserts for him. This was more than enough desert to last him a lifetime. Altavro inclined his head slightly as she spoke, a slight wag of his tail his first reaction. "Thank you," The wolf began simply enough, twitching his ears. "You may find me on your borders soon enough," Altavro snorted to himself, "If the winter proves harsh, I will need a pack for shelter." Altavro wasn't the best hunter, and while he was certainly capable of providing for himself in times of plenty, winters were often difficult times, even within the Nomads. So perhaps he would indeed find a pack by the end of autumn to dwell in for the rest of his years - or maybe just the winter, anyways. Elderly parents? Hmm. Altavro knew little of what it was like to be raised by older wolves - his mother had been young and in the prime of her life when he was born, but elderly wolves often had to deal with many complications during their lives. They were less able to fend off diseases and injuries, and often he had treated wolves that were older for things that a younger wolf would have had no difficulty fighting off. "My family was always very small - there was never a wolf that didn't know another." It was a strange thought to him that one might be a member of a pack and not know any other wolves. Wasn't that what a pack was all about? Maybe this was how they did things nowadays. But it was still weird. "And being stuck in one place for so long doesn't bother you?" It sure would bother him, Altavro was sure. Maybe he was just made to be a nomad forever. & i'm running out of timeA L T A V R O