After the number of conflicts Ember had with her father, she couldn't stand to just sit idly by in the confines of Hearthstone while she knew there were evil wolves skulking around somewhere in Ardent. No matter how hard she butted her head against her sire, neither side seemed willing to give even an inch to the other. Artorias had painted such a vicious and vile picture of the wolves their family now deigned enemies, but if they were so terrible, then why hadn't her father struck them all down where they stood? Her frustration only compounded the more she dwelled on it, and following the Hallows meeting she had decided it was high time she made her own decisions for herself. Damn whatever her father said about staying away from them, Ember was going to go see these monsters for herself.

The trip across the continents would not be quick. Ember knew she'd be gone for a few days, so she made up a story of going to spend some time out in Auster to clear her head, grabbed her cloak and sword, and set off for the north. She didn't care what kind of consequences she might face when she came back home from her angry father. As far as she was concerned, he had asked for this with the decisions he'd made. With her companions in tow, Ember crossed the Bifröst and continued northward, stopping overnight to camp near the base of the Fenrir mountains before continuing up around them past where her maternal family's pack was. She skirted the Armada and wound up in the cold snowy north in the height of winter.

It was a sharp contrast to the lovely summer Auster was experiencing right now. There was snow and ice, though admittedly not as much as she thought there might be, and it was cold, but not frigid, her coat and cloak more than enough to shield her from the weather. The weather today was overcast and cold, but thankfully no snow fell as Ember crunched through the layer that had settled on the land. Around her, tall pine trees scattered the territory, and the lingering odor of several wolves clung to the air like a miasma. There were no scent borders up so she knew this was still wild lands, but it was clear a group had been doing a lot of work here—a group she didn't recognize. This must've been the Syndicate... Trying to remain covert while she slunk through the sparse northern forest, Ember headed east, making her way to the rocky shore and the thin channel that separated the mainland from a small island off the coast.

A coastal breeze whipped into her face, knocking her hood back and carrying with it the stenches of many unknown wolves from across that island way. They were the same ones she smelled here. This had to be the Syndicate, there was no doubt in her mind now. But she was still too far away to see anything; the distance between the coast and the island too great to make out anything distinct on the island besides trees and small mountains, even with her improved eyesight. Ember scowled and pulled her hood back up, continuing to scour the distant island to no avail. Her sight then turned south, to the sound nearby. Maybe if she was sneaky enough, she could get closer to get a better look without anyone noticing her...

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Traveling beneath the canopy of pines, Rhazien is loping at a steady pace, following one of Absinth’s ravens that is soaring through the heavens above. The weather had died down for now, meaning the bird had an opportunity to patrol the area without batting against active snowfall. Truly, Rhazien didn’t need to be following it. Surely the creature could patrol an area without an extra set of eyes. But, being the ever-curious, ever-tactful wolf Rhazien was. He wanted to see this plan of Absinth’s in action, as she and Sephiran sought to use the birds as a reinforced means of patrol.

They didn’t own the forest yet, but their presence was heavy here. There were a few more kinks to be worked out, before they could add the Sparse Pines to their domain. But soon it would be theirs. Their scent was heavy here, lingering along the borders, swathing the trees in a thick musk as they methodically marked numerous pines. They wanted rouges and loners alike to know that a group was ready to move into this area; to snuff them out before violence ensued. Sephiran would have no qualms about killing lingering loners if they refused to leave.

The raven releases a cry above his head, alerting him to a change in the area. His serval companions follow in suit, veering off ahead of him to investigate. They are leading him to the East, towards the rocky, snow-covered beach, where their island materialized on the horizon. As he neared the waterside, a new scent danced in the breeze- one he recognized. The Hallows. Only, this was not the musk of Artorias he smelled, but instead, there was a feminine tinge to it. Youthful and supple, tantalizing to the senses. Ever curious, Rhazien continues his journey to the source of the smell.

His serval companions beat him to her, Zemir and Zemra stopping several yards away to observe her. And then, Rhazien sees her; a tall, slender woman adorned in a thick cloak, standing on the shore and gazing out into the East. Towards the island. Her scent is stronger now, The Hallow’s trademark smell indisputable, meaning, she was one of their members. At first, Rhazien weighs his options, deciding if he should approach, or leave her to her own devices. But he’s overwhelmed by his curiosity, the need to satiate the gnawing fascination eating away at his stomach. Why was she here, so close to mortal enemies? He just had to know.

Striding forward, Rhazien exudes an aura of neutrality; but there is no denying that suave, handsome undertone that always accompanies him, that charismatic, cunning guise that draws others in. His eyes are roving across her, inspecting her, analyzing, forming an assessment. She looks young, younger than Sephiran even. But with the cloak, he can’t see much more than that. “Beautiful, isn’t it.” He croons, motioning towards the island sitting on the horizon. With the sun's current placement in the sky, there is an ethereal glow cast over Ardens Glacies. “Rhazien Saxe.” He stops at a conversational distance, his companions clinging to each forelimb. “And you are?” A Hallows wolf no doubt, but who was she?

"Speech"

This far along and Ember was now faced with a dilemma. She had hoped to just be able to scout the Syndicate from the safety of neutral wild lands, but the island was farther away from the shore than her father's map table led her to believe. That meant she would either have to concede defeat and turn back home or she'd have to risk getting closer to actual Syndicate lands. Hmm, dilemmas, dilemmas... Em was still mid-contemplation when a cry from overhead and a flutter of large wings swooped down towards her, the young fae's head tipping skyward to spy her own raven companion coming to alight himself on her shoulders. "We have company," Nocturne croaked into her ear. Ember felt the static rise in the air, every nerve sparking to life in response to the unknown threat imminently upon her. She nodded to her companion. If they were already spotted, running would do them no good. She would have to play out this encounter and hope for the best.

There were a few moments of absolute stillness. Only the lapping of the arctic waters on the rocky shore kept the world from being entirely silent. Ember waited, waited to see who would show up. A Syndicate wolf? A stranger? Was it one of her parents here to angrily drag her ass back home? She kept her hood pulled up, trying to obscure as much of herself as possible from the stranger's gaze. She could hear their paws crunching the stones behind her now. Shit, he sounded big... Ember readied herself for the worst, her mind racing through all the combat scenarios she'd practiced. The weight of Ravenedge on her back hidden beneath her cloak had never felt more comforting than it did now. Only once the stranger was practically upon her did Ember avert her gaze from the island to see who had found her.

Yeah... he was definitely not her parents...

Sapphire and turquoise eyes scanned over the larger brute closing the distance. He was easily a half foot taller than her at least, with a physique that exuded strength and commanded attention. Her nares flared to catch his scent on the salt-tinged air; the musk of the Syndicate clung tight to his coat. Definitely a Syndicate wolf then. Ember's guard went up, though outwardly she remained as impassive as she could, despite her heart racing in her chest. Fuck fuck fuck! She hadn't planned on getting caught! His eyes of swirling amethyst and emerald seemed to pierce into hers, and in an attempt to appear more collected and in control of the moment, Em held his gaze with a youthful and defiant fire in her eyes while she studied him back in turn. He looked as if he'd been carved from fresh obsidian, as black as night and equally as hard and unyielding as rock as well. There was no doubt in her mind that he could easily overpower her if things got physical. She'd have to play her cards well to avoid that outcome if he was here seeking violence.

But right now, the brute showed no signs of aggression. He stopped a conversational distance away and stared at her with curiosity, a confidence about him like he already knew how this encounter would play out. When he spoke, his voice was a low crooning baritone. Ember could practically feel that voice shake the electricity in the air. There was no doubt he had already smelled the scents of the Hallows on her, so there was no use hiding beneath her cloak anymore. Ember pushed her hood back, letting the brute get his first good look at her. She made sure to keep her sword concealed for now—a dangerous surprise should she need it.

The wolf gestured to the island, calling it beautiful in the glowing sunlight. "It's a little cold for my tastes, but I suppose it is," she quipped back, looking back to the island. The brute introduced himself as Rhazien Saxe, earning a soft hum from the Carpathian princess. "Ah, I wondered which one you were. Rhazien." She repeated his name, soft and breathy as she committed it to memory, his name slipping from her tongue in a cloud of warm breath in the cold air. He asked her name and Ember shot Rhazien a smirk from over her shoulder, eyes alight with mischief. "Does that work? Getting your enemies' names out of them by asking nicely?" Ember gave an airy giggle and shook her head, slowly turning from the ocean view to face Rhazien directly. "Ember Carpathius." Ah, the arrogance of teenagers—thinking they were invincible because of their names, so sure he wouldn't try anything with her because of who she was. The real world had not broken that illusion in Ember just yet. "I wanted to see what the monsters looked like." Oceanic eyes roved over Rhazien's form from ear tip to toe, then back, meeting his gaze without fear. "Guess I know now."

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"