This was her first winter alone and it seemed that the loneliness was setting in a quickly as the cold. Though today wasn't particularly cold and the sun shone brightly against the stark white snow the last few nights had been brutally cold. The slender female was used to being alone, actually since she had last seen Talon she had pretty much avoided all other life. She had found a den in the hull of a great cave made out of some strange material she had never seen before. But it had cut the wind and served as a fun place to explore for a time before a pack had decided to move in and claim the space as it's own. Just before winter Kangi had been kicked out of her home, well not literally but the young girl had slipped off as soon as she had heard the voices of the approaching wolves and a few days later she had returned to find the new scent of a pack in her old home. The young girl had left soon after that, dejected and a bit worried. She had moved further north, following the wall she had met Talon on last and then heading towards the frozen lake. But the north didn't offer a whole lot of shelter and she had spent the last few nights digging holes in the snow and making a makeshift shelter for herself.

Talon had spoken of a pack he had joined last time she had seen him, asked her to go and live with him even... She had tried instead to get him to come out into the wild and join her but in the end he had declined and looking back at it now she realized that that had been a bad idea. It was hard on her own, she had gone almost a week without a successful hunt at one point, she had grown weaker and weaker which made the hunts harder and harder. What had saved her was pure luck, she had followed a crow to a carcass of a deer that had broken its leg it seemed and died naturally. There were crows everywhere, scavengers who were unable to to get into the body without some sharp fangs to help them. Kangi had ripped into every inch of flesh and then settled near the haunches to eat. The crows had fluttered down one by one to join her after realizing she wasn't hostile. And so she had shared the meal with her namesake. That had been the day that she realized that she maybe needed to find a pack or someone else to help her out. But it wasn't until today that she realized that she might as well carry through with that plan.

But would Talon's pack be the right one for her?

She was nervous, she realized this as she slid slowly closer to to the boarders the had long ago discovered and had long since avoided. Teeth chewed at her lip idly as slender limbs dragged through the snow, head handing slightly and large ears folded to her skull. The young girl wasn't quite sure why she was here, she knew she wanted to see Talon, maybe even meet this lady taking care of him but she was almost scared about being so close to this packs territory. When she was younger she had wandered across Sercia's boarders without thinking, later learning that their could have been consequences. As she had grown older her caution of packs had grown even more. But here she was, willingly approaching the boarders of a pack. She slowed to only a few steps a minute as she caught the first wiff of the pack scent here. She didn't want to get too close. So she stopped a couple hundred yards away and tipped her head back, calling for Talon and Euph. As she cut the howl off, though, she shifted nervously where she stood, eyes darting back and forth like a trapped animal. Why did she have such a bad feeling about this?

Speech!

Silence. It engulfed him as he wandered through the lands he was slowly beginning to recognize as his home. As winter took over, however, and snow began to accumulate a bit more each day, he found himself feeling more and more a stranger. He had seen snow, knew what it was like -- but everything seemed colder here. Much more harsh and unforgiving. Slowly he was beginning to toughen up; both physically and emotionally. The wolves here were serious and many seemed emotionless to the sensitive boy. He had taught himself to compose himself; to not show weakness, but instead humble submission, even when he felt like crying inside. But an all-too-familiar call echoed through the land, arresting him from his thoughts. It couldn't be! There was little hesitation in Talon's gait as he immediately began to head in Kangi's direction. A normally meek, rather shy boy, he could not contain his excitement at hearing his friend's voice again. Last time they had met, she didn't know if she wanted to stay. But maybe she had made up her mind! He was eager at the prospect of reuniting with her, since Euphrosyne had spent lots of time with Isardis lately, and he frequently found himself alone. He could hardly believe it was her, even as her beautiful self came into his view. Amazing! The boy looked much better than he had since they last met, but would forever retain his undersized, slightly malnourished appearance; yet he looked more like an adult than every before. Still his gait was childlike and awkward, and a smile broke out on his face as he rushed forward, eagerly embracing her upon contact. Behind him, his slender tail would lash back and forth, unabashed in his pure joy. "Kangi! I missed you!" The familiar feeling of excited nausea crept up in his belly, and he could feel his heart racing in his chest. Despite the awkward nervousness that suddenly flooded him, he was grateful for her presence. So it was with a great feat of courage that he leaned to lap tenderly at her face, overcome with joy and affection -- and even a kind of love for Kangi, the mysterious, beautiful girl that kept reappearing in his life. She never seemed to stay for as long as he wanted, and it made him crave her presence all that much more.

Loneliness had crept up on the young female. She had wandered off in the direction of the nearest pack, which had actually kept her in the North, rather then heading off in the direction of the warmer south. She kept her body low to the ground, her ears up and twitching at every little sound. She tended to keep to the high grasses and the small clumps of trees that provided what little shelter there was in the area. Soon the scents of other wolves reached her nose. Arietta paused, one paw still in the air as she twitched her ears. The sounds of wolves speaking reached her, though they were still fairly quiet. She slowly padded forward, keeping her body low to the ground and all senses alert just in case these wolves decided they didn't care for her presence. Reaching the ending of a grouping of pines Arietta crouched down and let her blue gaze wander over to the two wolves. Her first couple meetings in the mainland hadn't been so bad... but it was the meeting with one of the rogues of Alacritis that had scared her and made her fear just about every wolf that she met. Nervously her ears twitched, until finally the she-wolf edged out into the open. "Uh... h-hello there. I... are you two... part of the pack here?" Speech,

Unease and worry began to creep through her limbs and into her bones, a slight quiver that didn't come from the cold starting in her legs. But she stood there, waiting, eyes wide and ever watchful as to who exactly might come along and say hello rather then Talon. But those feelings began to recede, fleeing her body as the sight of the three legged male came wobbling into view in the distance. Her tail began to slowly lick at her heels in a show o her pleasure but her excitement was quelled by the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach. Although as he drew closer and closer her excitement began to increase and the bad feelings began to go away, the bad feelings always went away when Talon was near. Tail began to lash quicker at her heels as he got close enough that she could make out his markings and features. Her whole body began to tremble, hips and shoulders began wiggling to let out the energy the was building within her as her forelimbs folded beneath her into a play now before she would hop back to her feet and then drop again. Movement, she needed to be moving and unsure of if she was welcome in this territory she dare not move forward. Instead she hopped in circles, wiggled, leapt up and down, spun and did anything else that might feel right until he was safely across the boarders of his new home.

Young muscles surged as she leapt forward, once more almost colliding with him, as seemed to be a habit whenever they met. She was wiggling even more now, barely able to contain her joy as she rubbed against him and covered his face with affectionate kisses. Why did she ever leave him? It was something she wondered more and more each time she wandered off on her own. Every time they met it felt like that had been apart too long, like her heart was going to explode in her chest from the pure joy of being with him. Maybe it was time for her to find a home and stay in one place, and there was no one she would rather stay with then him. His words fell on deaf ears, unable to properly hear him and comprehend what he was sayimg over the sound of oh her own erratic heartbeat in her ears. Everythimg about this moment felt right. like everything she had been searchimg for in her time wandering Alacrita was here. She never wamted to leave...

"Talon!" She half squealed as she fell back onto her hanches, still griinning like an idiot up at him. "I've missed you so much! And I came here because I have something to tell you..." She paused, drawing in a deep breath. Even though she had made this decision already now that it was time to say it she suddenly fought to find the words. She frowned, jaw working like it had when they had first met back when English had been such a forigen language to her. She tested a few phrases on her tongue but before she could even try to form the words properly a form emerged from behind a snow bank, small like them and probably around the same age. Voice was besitant, unsure if she should be here but Kangi flashed the youngster and award winning smile. Eyes would slip to the side, flashing Talon a quick apologetic look to say she would have to tell him in a bit. "I'm not but he is. Are you apart of this pack?" She asked softly, motioning with her head for the girl to join them if she liked. But never one to push the slate pelted girl would remain seated before Talon, not wanting to be any further away from him anymore then she had to be. If she could she would have happily knocked him to the snow and curled up with him right there. But it didn't take a pack wolf to know that that wasn't always the most polite thing to do especially in front of other wolves...

Speech!

The boy watched eagerly as he trotted closer to her, watching her twitch and leap with excitement. Talon was unused to feeling so completely exhilarated at the mere sight of another; but when she appeared, he felt his tummy fill with anxious butterflies and his spirit soar. Behind his lanky form, his tail lashed about with alarming speed. His movements were rapid and shaky as he rushed forward to greet her, oblivious to whatever might be going on around them. He was rewarded with the feeling of warm flesh and he wanted so badly to never let her go. Talon had been hesitant, not sure if she would want such open affection ... but he couldn't contain himself and began to lather kisses and licks all over her, wherever he could reach. Kangi seemed equally as willing to give him affection, and he was happy to feel her pressing back into him firmly. There was so much he wanted to say to her, and yet he was stunned into silence, and the only sound that escaped his lips for a long moment was a needy whimper. He hardly even heard her speak, but once he realized the words that had left her mouth, he slowly pulled back, a goofy smile overtaking him. His eyes sparkled as he watched her, so much affection danced in those eyes. "What is it?" he inquired curiously, but his own happy expression faded as her smile faltered. What was wrong? But his attention was arrested by the arrival of another -- someone ruining their special moment. But Talon was not one to argue. It was a younger girl, and he forced a smile in her direction. "Yes, I live here," he called to the girl. "I'm Talon. What's your name?" He would've preferred to be alone with Kangi, but he would not admit it allowed. What was she going to ask him? Hopefully things were okay... Waiting for the stranger's response, Talon would move to hesitantly drape his head over Kangi's neck, pulling her close, begging her to not leave him again.

The russet brown marked fea wandered through the frigid territory of Glaciem, her nose sniffing out her dear friend. She had been so caught up in the idea of having her own pups and spending time with Isardis making those dreams a reality that she hadn't gotten to see her favorite young male in ages. She missed Talon so much so she made it her mission today to find him and make up for lost time. She had just caught his scent on the breeze when an unfamiliar howl came from the borders. Her ears perked up in curiosity and her gaze shifted in its direction. "Hmm... I wonder who that could be... Oh well, one of the higher ranking wolves will greet them, I'm sure," she thought to herself. With a slight shrug she trotted off in search of Talon. To her surprise his trail led right to where the howl came from at the borders. What was he doing greeting wolves? Did he know this one? She hurried her pace a bit, despite the fact that her slowly growing stomach made her running a little awkward. It suddenly dawned on her that Talon probably didn't know about her being pregnant yet, and her light run slowed to a halt. What would he think? She was suddenly nervous and excited to tell him all at once. He would always be like a son to her, but would he he happy about his step-siblings? Giving a soft sigh, she pressed forward, keeping an eye out for the small brown wolf. She finally spotted him with another slender black and gray hued fea and a dark brown and almost russet colored young fea. The darker one he seemed to know pretty well, the other neither of them seemed to know. Euph slowed to a gentle walk, her tail wagging happily as she gazed at the group, settling mostly on Talon. "There you are, Talon! I've been looking everywhere for you. Are these friends of yours?" she asked, turning her kind, emerald gaze to the two females. Speech Thought Others

These wolves were not those with evil in their hearts -- had they been they would have surely chased her away just as her words left her. Instead the female and the male both turned their attention to her, and the young brown fae shook her head. "I'm not apart of this pack, actually... I..." Arietta took a breath, letting her body relax just a bit. She needed to get used to interacting with wolves on the mainland... and not expect each one she met to be evil. "My name is Arietta... I'm... looking for a pack to join." She shifted nervously on her paws, her blue gaze shifted as she caught the sound of movement. Another wolf was approaching them. She turned her head quietly to the newcomer, her gaze shifting between each of the three wolves. The first female wasn't apart of the pack... but these two seemed to be. Would they accept her and bring her deeper into the pack lands? She truly hoped so. Speech,

Ooc:: Sorry for the bleh post. Muse kinda died on me. e.e

ooc;; and I just say (once again) OMG TALON HAVE MY BABIES!!! SQUEEEE!!

She loved that smile, even though nerves were slowly eating away at her courage she couldn't help but giggle and smile at that goofy smile he flashed at her. But he noticed her hesitation and his energy seemed to die down as well. God how could she say this? It was good news, she wanted to stay with him, she wanted to stay here. But what if he didn't want her to stay? Sure he had invited her last time they had met and yes every time they met it was like they never wanted to leave each other but would he still want her to stay? He had mentioned another woman in his life, and though she had not recognized the feeling of jealousy initially when he had spoken of her she had understood later on and slowly her insecurities had started to gnaw at her. What if he didn't want her anymore? What if this woman with the strange name meant more to Talon then she did? Kangi was still knew to the whole experience of love, at least this kind of love, and didn't really understand that someone could love more then one other person. She had loved her mother and then she had died, she had loved Prospero and then he had vanished and now she loved Talon. She had never loved more then one person at a time. Though she was beginning to realize that what she felt for Talon was a bit different then what she had felt for the parent figures she had had in her life.

Talon replied to the girl easily, speaking in soft tones to her and Kangi couldn't help but flash a smile his way. He moved a bit closer and draped his head over her shoulders, she couldn't help but arch her neck and place a soft kiss on his cheek even as he applied a bit of pressure and coaxed her closer. She didn't resist, shuffling a bit to close the distance so she sat contently before him, enjoying the warmth of him wrapped around her. If she could have stayed there forever, listening to the sound of his heart, she would have been happy. She leaned slightly against him, though not enough to push him off balance and closed her eyes for a moment. At least until the young girls voice brought her back to reality. Golden eyes fluttered open softly and she fixed her wide eyed gaze on the girl, large ears fluttering towards her as she spoke then drew in a breath to gather the courage to say the rest. She could understand that pause... But before Kangi could speak the arrive of another female interrupted her, this time though the wolf came from the direction Talon had come. Was she a pack wolf? Had she come to check out the intruders?

Muscles tensed for a moment, not wanting to pull away from Talon's embrace but not wanting to be dragged into the pack lands either if that was this female's intentions. But she had kind eyes and after a second Kangi realized that her stomach was round with child. It took a few more seconds before a soft smile drifted over Kangi's features and she allowed herself to relax. She kenw Talon? She had to be okay... "Yeah, Talon and I have been friends a long time..." She paused to place another kiss on the boy's cheek and chuckle. Then her attention turned towards the young female again, smile still soft. She didn't want to run the girl off... "Hey, I'm Kangi and I'm looking for a pack too... Maybe we could ask these two to take us to someone who might accept us together?" Well there was no turning back now... If Talon hadn't already released her she would pull back now, putting a slight distance between them as she got up the courage she had come here to tell him. "I want to stay with you, if still want me to..." There was hesitation in her voice now as she addressed Talon directly, wide eyes searching his expression for some hint as to what he might be thinking about this.

Speech!

Everything was so perfect. Part of him had felt a strange pang of jealous at Euphrosyne not spending as much time with him as he had expected, but such was life -- and he couldn't get overly attached to her, anyway. She was not his alone, but something he would have to grow to share with others. Even Isardis. But with Kangi right now, he felt different; felt like he didn't want to share her with anyone ever, and that was why his embrace on her tightened, sudden boldness coming over the normally meek boy. He knew if he let her leave again, he would be devastated and alone and he was tired of feeling that way, especially now that he remembered what it was like to feel so happy around her. And so he was content to stand by her side with his muzzle draped delicately over her back, eying the newcomer quietly. It seemed the slight commotion had attracted another -- Euphrosyne! His joy at seeing her was obvious, and once again his tail began to wag delightedly behind his lanky frame. "Euph!" He called out enthusiastically, eager to introduce everyone to one another. But his attention shifted to the girl who introduced herself as Arietta. She wanted to join? "I think... you'll have to speak to Isardis, the leader, probably..." And ... so would Kangi? She suggested they look for someone who could speak to the two of them. Shifting a bit, he watched her gaze, seeking her gaze. He felt his chest tighten as she placed another kiss on his cheek, heat rising to his face and making his heart soar. And finally she pulled away, telling him she did in fact want to stay. "I... of course I want you to stay!" he announced with a cheerful tone, his voice wavering slightly as though he was overwhelmed by the news. Unable to contain himself, he lathered her face in more affectionate licks; she had always been so beautiful and mysterious to him, and he was amazed she wanted to live here. With him, no less! His gaze searched for Euphrosyne again, silently hoping she would call for Isardis before any of them could scolded for letting strangers into Glaciem without approval.

Euphrosyne blinked in surprise at how close the new comer was with Talon, apparently very close friends indeed. Close enough in fact for Talon to have his head draped over her shoulders and for the girl to lick his cheek. When the dark colored girl introduced herself to the one that inroduced herself at Arietta, Euph's ears picked up on the name Kangi, the name ringing bells in her head from the first day she spoke with Talon. So this was his best friend Kangi! A smile stretched across her muzzle when she saw how happy just being with Kangi made Talon. She was glad that they had been reunited after all this time. Maybe that was just what Talon needed to keep his spirits up in this cold, unforgiving pack. Having a close friend with you can work wonders. She just hoped that Isardis wouldn't try to keep Talon from his happiness. She knew young love was a precious thing, but she wasn't so sure Isardis would care when he saw the beautiful young fea. It saddened her a little to think that she may never actually find love. She loved Talon of course and she would love her pups and she would even love Kangi simply because she made Talon happy, but that wasn't the same sort of love that she saw blooming between Talon and Kangi. It was the price she had to pay she supposed. She pulled her thoughts back to the present then and moved her emerald gaze moved between the two young feas wishing to join this pack. She gave them both a small smile and said, "Oh, I am certain neither of you will have any problems joining this pack. There always seems to be room for one or two more wolves around here. But lets call Isardis and make sure, shall we?" She turned up her muzzle toward the sky, letting loose a howl to call her alpha to the boarders to meet the two new commers. Speech Thought Others

It would be the call of his silver brood that would persuade him from his slumber beneath the pines, raising casually with a jaw-stretching yawn as the gold-banded King would leisurely saunter towards Euphrosyne?s proximities. Half-hearted of course, mind still partially clouded by the grasp of sleep, but motion defined and elegant all the same. His carelessness however, would be cast astray by the sudden realisation of unfamiliar; their youthful scents automatically driving his body into a resolute trot, reaching now so eagerly for wherever they lingered. The pregnant babe stood amidst the company of three younger lambs, two of which were strangers against the familiar deformities of ?Talon? or whoever he so helplessly called himself. Lips would tweak into a cunning smirk as his approach would slow to a halt beside the silver and russets of his pretty damsel, gazing down upon the peculiar little characters that presented themselves. They were of no threat. ?Oh look, the circus is in town!? he chuckled weakly, leaning into the body heat of Euphrosyne.

{{Ooc:: Hey guys sorry I haven't been able to post with Arietta yet. Please just skip me this round and I'll post in a couple days -- my time at the library was cut short today unfortunately so I won't be able to post yet.}}

Euphrosyne would call for him, and without fail he would arrive almost immediately. His posture, once lax and carefree, shifted quickly, tail retreating from its position behind him to curl between his hind legs. He did not want to upset Isardis, especially when asking for Kangi to join Glaciem. She was certainly more skilled than he, and would make a wonderful hunter if she wanted! Talon had no doubts she would fit right in here. And then he appeared, ghost-like and intimidating as ever, and his eyes quietly watched as he slid beside Euphrosyne. He wasn't quite sure what he meant by the circus, but the brute didn't seem mad, and he offered a meek smile. "T-this is Kangi," he offered with a gently nod of his head towards her, though he remained plastered against her side. "She would like to join us here..." His voice was somewhat pleading, though he held back the panic that would threaten to spill if he seemed unhappy or unwilling to give her a chance. He needed this.

Of course she would need to speak to the alpha about joining a pack. Arietta dipped her head a bit, trying to hide the embarrassment that flared up. She was going to have a lot of things that she would have to learn. The russet female shifted her soft blue gaze to the pregnant femme, who kindly called the alpha. A sense of nervousness crept into Arietta's heart, though she wasn't about to let it show. The male who showed up was truly magnificent. Arietta found herself staring, though she tried hard not to. The male carried himself with the true air of an alpha... and was handsome. After he spoke the femme shuffled her ears nervously, though she made sure to speak with a clear tone when she addressed who she hoped would be her future alpha. "Good alpha... Sir... I too would like to humbly ask for acceptance to your pack." Speech,

ooc;; short, need to get this in here

She couldn't help but giggle, almost falling over as he continued to show her affection when she asked if he wanted her to stay with him. Well at least he still wanted her as much as she wanted him. She never wanted to be apart from him again... She lifted a paw to push playfully at his chest in an attempt to get him to stop his antics though she only half heartedly wanted him to cease his kisses. And then everything seemed to happen so quickly, Euph spoke encouraging words to them and tipped her head back to howl for the alpha. Whatever hard feelings and jealousy the young girl had originally felt towards the older woman seemed to melt away as she beamed up at her. She was like the mom Kangi had never had and already she was beginning to like her. They would defiantly have to talk later... But no sooner then those feelings of peace and ease arrive they were chased off by the white wraith who slithered onto the scene. Something about him set Kangi's fur on end and slowly she lifted her lithe frame to her paws.

Sharp gaze gave him an appraising look and almost as soon as those words left his mouth she wanted to rip his tongue out. She had no practice in controlling her anger and immediately she was bristling, walking towards him and ready to get into her very first brawl. But Talon's soft voice floated forward, introducing her and she stilled herself, trying to draw in a few calming breaths. Talon's next words were what made her turn around and stare at him with open appal. Was he afraid of this man? There was need and a pleading tone in Talon's voice when he spoke to the king. Was that how kings were supposed to be treated? Confusion, anger, sorrow and despair seemed to crash down on her all at once. When she had first met Talon and he had described a king to her this was not what she had expected. She had expected a kind older male who smiled a lot and was very relaxed and happy. Not this asshole...

Her shoulders visibly sank and she tossed a confused look at Euph, then the king, and then back at Talon. What was she supposed to do? The other girl proved a helpful distraction, drawing the ghost's attention to her as she spoke and slowly Kangi took a few steps to return her back to Talon's side. She offered Talon a weak smile before looking towards the King. She couldn't look him in the eyes though she her orange gaze drifted to his paws as she drew in a shaky breath. "I would like to ask the same of the good alpha..." Her words were airy, desolate even and even as she spoke them they felt foreign to her, using words that Arietta had used and that she did not quite understand. What was she getting herself into?

Speech!