Whisper Caverns They say there's no comfort in the dark

Her pale, silver eyes, as bright and rounded as the moon, watched him with unmistakable interest. His own features were expressive, his pale eyes giving away his emotions whilst her own did just the opposite. It was the small waving of her tail which showed that she was content with speaking with him tonight.

He cringed, and he frowned, though still enough told her that he did not mind offering her the answers to her question with a story on how it had happened. Already she knew, by his expression, it was not a good one before he went on to speak just that. It was from a fight gone wrong, a battle of sorts it seemed if there was more then just a few wolves. Ravenna didn't ask further, as to why the fight happened, for it was a past Elias obviously did not feel like reliving and Ravenna knew all too much the feeling herself.

Her head tilts, looking over the back door which was missing a toe as well. He seemed like he could hold his own, even with a fall, but she did not think he would be the type of man to be living in the rocky terrain of Serpents Pass or high in the north. When he got older, falling might be quite a problem for him, though perhaps that was just the 'medic' in her that was talking...

"You know the bigger they are, the harder they fall." She speaks with a smirk, remarking on his size if only to lighten the mood of the conversation. Ravenna didn't have any large battle wounds herself she could really show off, just cuts and scraps here and there, all hidden under her thick, coarse coating.

Elias saw her effort to cheer him up for what it was. Though it didn't feel entirely genuine Elias shot her a grin nonetheless.

"Oh you wouldn't believe how often I used to fall over, you know right after? I was like uh- a newborn deer. Wobbling all over the place. My home's a mountain so that could have ended terribly but, luckily most of it is tundra. Lots of space to practice walking, then running. Now I'm almost a pro!"

The key word being almost, but he was pretty damn proud of himself nonetheless. Or at the very least he knew he should be, wanted to be.

"But yeah, I'm actually here looking for a friend...Well, he's more like family. His name is Thuban Selwyn. Has the usual yellow eyes, brown coat. Typical Selwyn, you know?"God he hoped she knew. If not then he didn't know what he was going to do. He could only wander aimlessly for so long, before Raina got mad or worse yet, thought he'd vanished too.

Morganna had said she'd never seen nor heard of him, but hopefully her sister had. But then again...It wasn't as though he'd met them all that far apart. If Thuban was indeed in these lands as Elias' suspected then in all likelihood he wasn't in these parts.God, where are you Thuban? I miss you.

Elias went on then to explain how hard it had been for him trying to adjust to missing three different toes on two different feet. He had adapted to this, even having done so on a mountainous terrain he still called home. It might have suggested that Elias had not been in this land for very long. He mentioned a tundra and she could have mentioned north in Relic Lore, there was a tundra, but she kept her mouth shut for the time being. He was looking for someone - a Selwyn, as himself. He said he was like a friend, but more actually family. Of course if they had the same last name they would be family, which might suggest perhaps this wolf he was talking about was adopted. Then he went to say he looked like a typical Selwyn, brown with yellow eyes. Ravenna blinked. Elias did not look like that at all. Perhaps he was the adopted one...or, she was jumping the gun. After all, Ravenna and Sven did not look like your typical Archer wolves ether, who were normally dark in coloration. Still, they shared those common pale, silvered eyes.

After taking in all this information about the other wolf, Ravenna frowned and shook her head, confirming that she did not know of the man which Elias was referring to. Knowing now that Elias was on a mission, brought here from his true home, Ravenna did not look to him as someone that was looking for some place to settle for the winter or to even call a permanent home. Shame, his light attitude would have been a nice change in the Ridge and his size alone surely would do them good warding off any intruders. With so little members, he would have fit in as a good groundskeeper. Oh well.

"There is a tundra, far north here - about five days. If your friend is looking someone familiar to settle, he might have gone there?" She could only suggest. If he was not sticking around, at least she could point him in the right direction. "I have a pack, just east of here in the willows. I can keep a look out there, if he comes our way." Although she doubted it. It was unlikely these days that any newcomers came their way. Everyone had ventured to the newer open lands in the eastern side of the mountains and the far north, leaving the old south far behind.

Oh no.

That was not...He'd hoped that she-Elias swallowed thickly and shoved back the mounting sense of dread with all of his strength. No, it was okay. He was okay and so was Thuban. He had to be. Just because yet another one of his friends-if they were even that-hadn't heard or seen him didn't automatically mean it was time to freak out.

He knew that, told himself over and over but the words didn't stick.

What was he going to do? Hell, why did he even bother in the first place. It was clear he was inept, a stupid boy masquerading as a man.And yet that's what hurt most of all, how much he tried and tried and tried and yet all of his efforts amounted to nothing. He'd tried to get help? Not good enough. He'd risked it all to help some escape? Not good enough. Had come all this way to bring Thuban back home? Tough shit, not good enough!

Ravenna couldn't offer him much, but he supposed crumbs were better than nothing. Better than aimlessly wandering, hoping they'd run into one another like something in a story, one with a happy ending.

Elias took comfort in her words, maybe there was comfort in the dark after all.

"Yeah, you're right. He might have wandered that way. I sent him out to look for our family and well...I think he got lost. There was a terrible snowstorm, so I can't blame him but..."He trailed off with a shrug."It certainly threw a spanner in the works. I wasn't supposed to go, everything's a mess back home but...He's family, I couldn't abandon him. Not after I dragged him into this mess in the first place."He paused and shot Ravenna a sheepish smile."Sorry, I'm rambling , aren't I? I just, you're easy to talk to and I sometimes don't know when to shut my trap. Been told that a time or two....So yeah, sorry."

The worry was obvious in the other wolf. Whoever this man sad that he was looking for, he cared deeply for him. Being such a large man, a wolf that others could easily find intimidating, he held such a gentle soul, a delicate heart. Respectful, trusting, hopeful and emotional. She smiles, though says nothing out loud on it. It was odd seeing a man such as this, when so many she knew held a harder exterior. The closest man that she could relate to was @Kerberos, who's personality made it hard to be mad at.

He went on to explain what happened then, admitting how he felt guilty for his friend loosing his way in the first place. It would explain further of his desperado to find him. She reached out her blood stained muzzle, hoping that a touch to his shoulder might ease him. After all, he had nonchalantly filled her with compliments that it was clear he took to her, so hopefully she could help. "Come on, let's get back in the cavern before we get soaked." She spoke at she tipped up her muzzle to the darkened heavens, the threat of rain still rolling with the thunder up above.

She picked up her kill, who this stranger (or maybe he was an ally now?) had not blinked an eye too. Being a traveler, he did not scent at all pressed for food. He was healthy, she'd give him that. Pacing back into the cavern and into the darkness, she settled down against one of fhs various boulders after tossing her prey to the side. She cleared her throat as her front paws slid forward into a lay on the cool rock flooring. "My home in the Drooping Willows is just hours west of here towards the mountains. From there, if you keep the mountains to your right, you will run into a pack called Charred Ash Draw two days up. If you continue, you'll near two more packs before getting to the tundra. It's a vast, desolate place. There, is a pack called Whitestone Monadnock. My sister, Morganna who you met, founded that pack..." She spoke, trying to be as helpful as possible to send this traveler into the right direction. "Between those four packs, if you don't find your friend, at least you will get the word out." It was really the best she could do to help him.

Then, just out of curiosity she asked... "When you find him, will you go back home?" She couldn't help but wonder. Now that she thought about it, perhaps that's what happened to Eskil. He had come here looking for his sister and then all at once he was gone. Served her right taking a liking to the ones always on the move...

If Ravenna had asked him to jump, he would have wanted to know how high. So when she told him to move further into the cavern with her, he nodded along eagerly, more than happy to do her bidding. Padding along, his odd paws making an odd tapping noise against the stone floor, he only stopped when she did. Ever the good little subordinate, he quickly settled down by her side. Close so that he could feel the warmth radiating off her form, but not too much so that he was invading her personal space.

With his legs tucked close to his body, and his tail covering his side like a blanket, Elias' ears twitched as she continued. More directions, these Archers were sure found of them, huh? Just as before he stored them away in the back of his mind, as they would no doubt be very useful when it came to venturing out into the big wide unknown of this land. And well...If things went badly then at least he would have options on the table. Places he could go if heading back home was too much for him to bear.

"Thank you, really. You've been so very helpful. I never thought-"He paused and cleared his throat. Now wasn't the time to get all sappy, was it? "Hmm, well yes that has always been the plan."He admitted, his brows drawing together to form a frown. This was going to be a problem, wasn't it? He'd never had many friends, and those he had were all...gone now. So many wolves here had been kind to him, saying goodbye was going to hurt. It always did.

"Maybe...I can come and visit, or you can. My sort of Aunt is in charge now but...I don't think she'd mind! There are never enough friendly faces in the north."His tail patted against his side, his enthusiasm crystal clear.

Elias took her directions well and thanked her for everything that she had done in order to help him find the family friend or family, for that matter, that he was looking for. He paused in his sentence as though deciding better on exactly what he was going to say and Ravenna didn't allow herself to think too much about it. After all, what he said next caught her attention more so.

He would be going back home once his mission to find his friend was complete. He frowned then, although the decision now plagued him as he thought about it. Ravenna would be the last one to tear away from her home, so would only imagine if he was as loyal to it as she was her own, he would do that just that and leave the Lore. Ravenna would have thought less of him if he did not at least return home long enough to let those that were waiting for him know what was going on.

"That is very kind of you to offer..." She spoke, a 'but' hanging in the air. "...But as it were I have taken leadership of my family pack. The last year has been hard on us and we cannot afford loosing another member to another adventure. They need me with them." Surely, of course, he would understand that, especially now that he knew he was speaking to a Leader. "However after your mission, you are free to visit me." She would speak, lightening the misty night air with a smile.

I'mma fade with this post as I'm starting a new thread for you soon. :3

Elias tried-and probably failed-to hide his disappointment.

It sucked but her words made sense,  she was a leader and so she had far more important things to do. Besides, now that he thought about it he wasn't sure how Raina-or anyone else- would feel about having a stranger turn up at their borders. After everything that had happened the Selwyns were cagier than ever. Maybe... they needed more time, to recover and learn to trust again. Maybe then it would be okay. For now...he would have to make do with her offer. Once he'd found Thuban he'd retrace his footsteps and tell her all about it!

It'd be great, they'd have a fun and talk about all sorts of cool things. Heck, he could even introduce her to Thuban! Wouldn't that be grand?

"I promise I'll drop by."He told her, dropping his chin to rest it on top of his bird-foot.

At least for now he got to share her company and not be so cold on this cold and dark night.

Fade