But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Aquene had no idea of the significance of the lands she stood in. She knew not that her father had stood here while having his heart broken. She knew nothing of the tragedy these lands had carried for her family, only that she had run to them to escape the tragedy of her own life. Her mother had gotten so sick so fast, and she had felt powerless to stop it. She was a healer; she was meant to help… and yet she had failed when she would argue it mattered most. It had stung, and she had left in the dead of night. She hadn’t even said goodbye to her father as he grieved.

She felt like an awful person, but it was too late to dwell on that. It felt new. It felt… refreshing to be in a land away from so much of her sorrow. She was resting, tucked away in a small cave that sheltered her from the harsh mountain winds. It was difficult to travel, especially with the uncomfortable heat under her pelt as her first season started to settle under her fur, an uncomfortable shiver down her spine as she gnawed idly on a rabbit bone. She had caught the creature on her way to her hiding place, hoping for some reprieve.

It was a lot to take in. Aquene wasn’t sure where to go from here. She felt lost and she didn't know what to do next.

Having decided he was going to spend the night within the Dire, he bid goodnight to his companions letting them know where he would be for the night. He needed some time to clear his head with everything happening around him. Neha leaving, Lila staying, Flair rejecting him, spring returning it was all a lot of chaos to muddle through. And honestly Aleister needed to get away to think about it all without being distracted by the smells of the Mountain women. Not that they smelled bad. Quite the opposite and it was a little overwhelming for the bachelor.

So he trekked north, following familiar paths as he traversed higher up the range. As the winds of winter whipped through his coat, reminding him that it wasn’t giving into spring just yet, he saw the opening of a dark cave that may allow him to warm up a little. There he was sure he could shelter from the onslaught of the mountain wind. As his head peeked through the entrance, her smell hit him like freight train once again.

Fuck. Not this again.

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Thoughts were interrupted by the scent intruding her nose, caramel eyes peering at the figure who had appeared at the entrance. VAYKO“Who is there?”[/VAYKO] She called out hesitantly, a guarded expression. Her mother had always warned her of these tricks. She had been a healer, and she was familiar with how the scent could draw unwanted attention, even if it was her first heat as a woman. VAYKO“Show yourself!”[/VAYKO] She repeated with an attempt at more authority, though her voice was still soft. Her ears were pressed flat against her skull as her heart thumped out of her chest.

The stupid hormones were making things much more difficult than she needed to be, and she wished she had a way to suppress it. She had no idea the intentions of the scent that was undoubtably male. Perhaps he simply stumbled upon her, perhaps he was a nice guy or perhaps he was a man-whore looking for another lay. She had seen the different types in the pack back home, and had learned through stories of weeping mothers in an open-breeding dynamic about each type. VAYKO“I won’t bite.”[/VAYKO] She figured she could at least attempt to be friendly, even if she was guarded against the stranger.

Shit. What was with all the women around? The Vuesain just couldn't seem to catch a break. At the moment he was trying to stay away from women, but it just seemed he kept stumbling upon them. Why weren't there more men on the mountain? The Dire was full to the brim with estrogen. Sighing softly to himself, he debated strongly on whether or not he should just flee now and save the potential trouble or meet the female within the cave.

At this rate it was: Dark Cave - 1, Aleister - 0

So he didn't understand why he decided to show himself when the woman demanded him to. Mismatched gaze peered in as he moved further into the den, his eyes seeking wherever she hid within the stone walls. He quickly spotted her dark chocolate coat when she called out that she wouldnt bite. A nervous smile crept onto his ebony lips, "You promise?" Though, he hoped this encounter truly wouldn't lead to that. Cleaning his throat, his gaze met her caramel eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," truly he would rather not go through another scenario like the one with a certain flame coated lady.

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Ene found herself nervous. She didn’t know what to expect by the man at the mouth of the cave… still, he seemed just as nervous as she was. She shifted almost uncomfortably as the question came. He seemed friendly and it was enough for some of the tension to fade from her body, her head tilting to the side as she caught his gaze, mismatched eyes which the girl found fascinating. She cleared her throat awkwardly, shaking her head at the apology. VAYKO“The weather outside is awful; I can hardly blame you for wanting someplace to shelter from it.”[/VAYKO] She assured him as she motioned with her head for him to sit.

She curled her tail tight to her body, almost withdrawing herself in order to try and mask the burning itch under her skin. VAYKO“My name is Aquene… and yours?”[/VAYKO] If they were both going to be sheltering in place together, then they ought to learn more about each other… at least, that was what the Slayer girl figured. She just hoped that they could stay on their own ends of the cave. She remembered her sister teaching her about heat as part of her healer training, and she knew sometimes it could drive wolves wild… why did these things always happen to her?

As he shifted into a comfortable sitting position upon his haunches, he shook off the wariness that had beheld him at the moment of entering the cave. The woman seemed nice enough, not one to bite him in the face for intruding on her. A gentle smile crossed his ebony lips as she dismissed his intrusion by the way of the weather outside. Had the mountain wind not of stung with cold, perhaps the Vuesain would of carried on without finding her cave. "The wind is something fierce tonight," he answered idly, trying to gauge the young women's temperment.

He could smell she was in heat and knew what instincts she must dealing with under that dark chocolate coat of hers. Aleister too had to reign in what instincts drove him to try to get closer to her, though he rooted himself at the entrance instead. Introducing herself to him, she asked for his name in return. "Aleister," he returned with a polite smile, hoping to ease the tension within the woman. "You new here? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you. I live down at the Lake a little ways south of here." He has been busy meeting a decent amount of folks while staying upon the Mountain, though she was one he hadn't seen yet.

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Aquene had a calmer nature to her than her father or some of her siblings. She had embraced her mother’s poise under pressure and strove to be kind to every wolf she met. She wasn’t afraid to use tooth and claw, she just preferred not to. The man had done nothing wrong, and so long as he continued to do nothing wrong, she had no reason to retaliate. She offered a friendly smile and a nod. VAYKO“Yes, it is. It just about shook me to the bone when it first started. I can’t imagine any creature being out in this weather.”[/VAYKO] She agreed.

She had sought out the mountain thinking it would bring her some peace. She thought perhaps it could help her collect her thoughts. She had always enjoyed the rugged nature, the stories her father had from his days on the mountains. She only ever heard the good tales with old friends, never the tragedies he’d had to endure in life. It seemed instead of peace and quiet, she found company… but perhaps company was what she genuinely needed at the moment. He introduced himself, a polite smile that caused more tension to fade from her body as she relaxed in his presence.

VAYKO“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aleister.”[/VAYKO] She greeted in turn, nodding at his question. VAYKO“I am… I left home a month or so ago… trying to ‘find my own path’ as my mother would say.”[/VAYKO] There was a twinge of sadness to her voice to suggest that there was more to the story. VAYKO“Do you live down in a pack? Or are you at the Lake by yourself?”[/VAYKO] She was curious, and they had nothing but time until the winds died down.

"It's not easy being a mountain wolf," he answered with a sly grin. He was so used to the elements here, most of the time they didn't bother him like it did for others. Aleister was born hardy and resilient, with a vast teachings from his pack him and his siblings quickly learned the ways around the mountain. It was either sink or swim here, the weak didn't survive long. Either the harsh weather or one's carelessness would be the end.

Like he guessed, she was new, having only just arrived within the Lore after leaving her family behind to seek her own path. He could somewhat relate, as he was quick to leave his family behind once his adolescent wanderlust sifted through his veins. "You definitely have to branch out eventually. There's a lot to learn out here," he answered. Having left at a young age, he quickly learned a few things while out on his own.

"I have a small group with me. We are not exactly official yet, but we are pretty close." Now that Lila decided to stay, he could feel their journey was almost complete. "You have any plans on sticking around or know where you want to go?" Small talk, not his best attribute, nor was it his favorite. However, it always seemed to make everyone else more comfortable.

But I put it out of my mind Long enough to call it courage To live without a lifeline

Aquene could do little more than nod in her agreement, a soft smile on her features as she offered her agreement. Her father’s pack had been settled at the base of a mountain, and she had spent many hours scaling up and down. She preferred the altitude, even if it tended to bring harsher weather with her. VAYKO“It simply seemed like the right time. It’s something of a rite of passage in my family. My father spent much of his younger years a wanderer without a family.”[/VAYKO] She explained as best as she could without touching on why or how. She had no idea that he had spent his earlier years in this very land, on this very mountain and in this very cave, even.

They had a group? That piqued her interest. Her head tilted to the side, a soft smile on her features as she hummed and considered the question. VAYKO“I do not know. I just knew that I wanted to find my own place in the world.”[/VAYKO] It was terribly indecisive, so she followed it up once more. VAYKO“Might you or your group have use for a girl like me?”[/VAYKO] There was perhaps a playful edge in her tone, though it was perfectly possible it was the way the hormones afflicted her. VAYKO“I’m a healer. I’ve trained most of my life in it.”[/VAYKO] She explained more of her skillset. She had grown weary of running, but she did not want to turn back and return home.

She loved her family. She adored her family, but she could not return to them, not with how much she still blamed herself for the death of her mother. She wasn’t certain she could look upon her father’s face without the guilt eating her alive.