Blackberry Fields give it to me slowly

@Xulia

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

It was strange; these lands had seemed abandoned days ago, and yet she found herself slowly meeting more and more wolves. First, there had been Adelard. She had to admit, she had taken a liking to him. Something about his presence simply… calmed her? Then there had been Clover, a smaller wolf, but one she also found she had a liking for. She had wandered north just slightly in her travel plans, finding a massive field covered in snow, the winter weather chilling, but not overly so thanks to the think coat she had been blessed with at birth. The summers were awful, but she found herself less miserable than others at birth, which she was thankful for in times like these.

Still, an ebbing sense of aching was upon her still, her paws practically numb from the cold. She knew she ought to turn back south and find herself some shelter before her paws froze off, or before the pads cracked or something equally as drastic. She probably ought to find herself some food as well. Life as a loner was hard, and she craved the safety of the tribe she had grown up in… of course, that safety was long gone now. Rhen and his daughter had seen to that, even if Alliare was no longer with them, may her soul burn in the deepest bowels of hell.

She found herself analyzing the blank bushes. She was certain that if she had not found this field in this season, it would look much different, and she wondered what kind of berries might grow there in the spring and summer. Perhaps if she were still in the area, she would find out? She wasn’t certain, but she knew she could at least look into it. She truthfully did not know where she would end up next, probably east.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

Being this cold sucked. Xulia wasn't used to the terrain, or the weather, or having to navigate so carefully. Gone were her beaches, the ocean, the plentiful fish and moderately relaxing life she'd lived back home. Of course, she'd been planning to eventually lead that pack, so it hadn't been all fun and games, but it was at least easier than she had it right now. Part of her thought she might rather have an incompetent leader than deal with this, but... she knew, deep down, that wasn't true.

Xulia was cautious in her approach of these bushes. There might be thorns, even if the berries wouldn't show up for another several months. It'd been a while since she'd seen another wolf, other than Maugrim, so she wasn't expecting to come across one here.

A woman, older and shorter than she was. Tawny in coloration. She was also perusing the bushes and looking near as miserable as Xules felt. And while socializing was not particularly her strong suit, perhaps this woman had information on these lands that could be beneficial to the Valle girl.

"Hey," she called, angling her ears toward the female. She didn't approach, not yet, but she was certain she could be heard. But she wasn't close enough to catch the stranger's scent, and part of her wondered if she'd accidentally crossed some sort of border. "I'm not trespassing, am I?"

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

She couldn’t wait to see barren bushes bursting with life when the season came for it. Even if it weren’t these bushes specifically, she had little doubt she would come across _some_ bushes and that was enough for her. She heard a voice, and her head turned to see a woman there, a little younger than her, but almost an adult if Rhaegara was good at deciphering those things. “Hello.” She greeted cautiously in return. It was best to be cautious around these parts, she had learned. The question fell and she glanced around, wondering if Xulia was still talking to her.

“No, I don’t own these lands.” She clarified for a moment. She did dream of one day finding lands to perhaps claim as her own, but she felt it wrong to do so without followers, without a mate to lead beside… those things took time, and she wasn’t particularly in a rush. Things would happen as they did, and until then Rhaegara would wait. “My name is Rhaegara.” She greeted softly, turning her body fully so she could show that she was giving the girl her full attention. “Are you new to these lands as well?” She supposed she would have to be, if she hadn’t known these lands went unclaimed.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health

This woman was built solid, like Xules had always wanted to be. It was evident just how strong she was under that dense fur, and even though she wasn't as tall as Xulia, there was no doubt in her mind that this lady could destroy her, if she wanted to.

There was something oddly attractive about the thought.

Xulia cleared her throat and glanced around her - it was good that the lands weren't claimed, she supposed. Rhaegara. A powerful name to match a powerful woman. She dipped her head respectfully and looked back to the tawny female. "I did, too," she explained. "I haven't been here long at all. My name is Xulia."

It seemed unfitting for a warrior like herself, to have such a dainty name. But perhaps she was the only one who thought that way.

"Have you seen many other wolves nearby? These lands seem fairly barren." At least, from what she could tell. Maybe there were others across the mountain, but she wasn't ready to traverse that just yet.

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

Rhaegara had been training since birth for all artforms. Her parents had prided themselves on teaching her diplomacy, but they also gave her the skills to defend her tribe, and they had trained her well. She noted the way she seemed to be sized up, the clearing of the throat inviting conversation as she listened attentively. She was respectful, which Rhaegara could appreciate. She had been blessed with the fortune of not having an unpleasant encounter yet since reaching these lands, a tend she certainly hoped to keep. “It is nice to meet you Xulia.” She greeted cheerfully.

The question fell and she found herself shrugging softly. “I have met a few… more with each passing day.” She admitted though she knew the other woman was right. “They are barren… I’ve come to wonder if they have always been this way or if something happened… either way, I’m certainly not complaining about it.” It meant less conflict, especially over prey during a season as cruel and demanding as winter… and she would never complain about it. "What brings you to these lands?" She was always fascinated in the stories of other wolves.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

Fortunately for Xulia, the woman did not seem to want to crush her. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Her tone relaxed the girl, and Xules let out a slow breath. Her tail swayed slowly behind her. "You as well, Rhaegara," she echoed, a small smile forming on her maw. She had technically only had pleasant encounters here, as well. Part of her wondered when that would change.

Likely, if she met back up with her family. Not a lot of them were particularly nice.

"It's strange. These lands are beautiful, but so uninhabited," she replied. Part of her had to imagine they weren't always this way. Perhaps something had happened to make it so. She hoped, idly, that whatever caused it to be this way was no longer around. "I'm looking for my family. Wolves, around my age." At least, the ones she hoped to see. "Have you met anyone by the names of Andrey, Viorel, Vayko, or Sharlee?" All of her siblings and cousins. Brothers would be preferred, but she also wouldn't object to having her cousins by her side.

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

She caught the way the other wolf seemed to relax, and Rhaegara was glad she wasn’t too energetic or even looking for a fight. Rhae could not handle a fight right now, nor could she ever really. Sure, she had the training, but it seemed counterintuitive. Rhae hummed at her words, a friendly smile on her features. She tried to treat others the way she wanted to be treated, a more docile tone to her nature until she was presented with a reason not to be.

Those were words she could agree with, a nod as she looked over the other woman once more. “Indeed; it’s strange. I’ve never seen a land like this so barren. Usually there’s a pack here, asserting their claim.” She agreed with the sentiment.

The attention quickly turned to family, and she felt a faint pang of sadness. She missed Raelle and Drogaen, but she hoped her siblings were doing well. She hoped they had made it out of the Tribe alive and that Rhen had not managed to track them down. Andrey, Viorel, Vayko or Sharlee. The names sounded foreign to her and so she was shaking her head with a frown. “I’m sorry, but those are names I’ve never heard before just now.” She wished she could help more.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

Fighting would be a bad idea, right now. With no backup or healers around, Xulia would be risking severe injury, or even death - especially in this weather. And energy was hard to come by right now anyway. Maybe later she'd be more assertive, claiming her own territory and chasing away outsiders, but for now it was pointless.

"I don't like it," she admitted, humming softly in thought. "It's... too quiet. Makes me feel like something bad's about to happen." It was a creepy, prickly feeling on the back of her neck. Uncomfortable and tense.

And as expected, Rhaegara had not heard of her family. That was both a relief and yet... not. "That's fine," she assured, letting her tail sway slowly. But she had to get going, to keep looking - that was her main goal right now. "Thank you. Eventually, I'll find them, and if not, maybe I'll figure something else out." She was mostly thinking out loud at this point, trying to come up with a plan. Because Xules liked having plans. "Thank you, Rhaegara."

Rhaegara could do nothing but hum in silent agreement. Things were oddly quiet. She had feared the quiet at first, afraid that her father’s beta would send someone to deal with the Rayvne heirs so they could not come back and seek to claim that which had been taken from them, but as the months faded into a year, she had cast that thought aside… still, it appeared from time to time, in moments like this. “I agree… it’s eerie… and foreboding.” Needless to say, she was not a huge fan of the quiet. She was a paradox like that, because she also loved the quiet.

She thanked her, and Rhaegara dipped her head to form a silent ‘you’re welcome’. “I wish you the best of luck. I know how awful it can be to be separated from your family. I hope you find them soon.” She offered sincerely with a soft smile. She glanced around and over her shoulder. “I ought to be getting back to my travelling companion… but it was good to meet you.” She offered before starting to take her exit.