[Kalypso]

The Wayfinder stood in her favorite spot in the entire territory of Tortuga, on its sandy shores with the waves lapping at her paws. Deep blue eyes were staring out across the ocean to the line where it met the sky on the horizon. She always wondered what lay on the otherside of that line out there. Unfortuneately for her, it would always remain a mystery. Perhaps it's better that way, Kalypso thought, life needs a litle mystery. 

She turned her mind to more important questions, like when the Captain and her beloved Kaikona would return from the War.Surely it would be any day now. Each night she spent away from Kai was harder than the last and each day her lovesickness grew worse. She missed him so much. Kalypso worried about him constantly, he was her last thought before she went to sleep and her first thought in the morning. She really hoped he was okay and that he hadn't gotten hurt out there. Kalypso bit her lip as he anxiety climbed. Usually the waves calmed her soul and set her mind at ease but not even the oceans song could sooth her at the moment.

Unable to contain her restless energy anymore she decided she would head for the Watchman's point. She was on the western side of the cove anyways, the southern Watchman's point wasn't too far from where she was. With a small splash she jumped from the shallow water onto the dry sandy beach and trudged her way through the dunes and into the jungle. 

She really did love everything about Tortuga. Its birds were bright and beautiful, flying through the air in a rainbow of colours. The flowers were huge and exotic, artistic creations whose scent was sweet and intoxicating to the senses. But Kalypso also loved exploring the land outside of her home, seeing the differen environments and cultures across the Straits was fascinating and wonderful. And as long as she had the Stars to guide her home she could go wherever she wanted and make friends. She had the perfect job. 

Her happy thoughts came to an end when she saw a pale figure up ahead. He had black and red markings and she certainly didn't remember anyone in the pack who looked like that. A new person! How wonderful! Tail wagging excitedly behind her she heads towards the strange with a soft bark to get his attention. "Hey! I'm Kally.."It isn't until she draws closer that she sees how injured he is, old wounds slowly healing from a fight. Her brow creases in concern, "Oh, ouch that looks rough. What happened?." He smelt weird. Like ash and smoke, like blood and fire. Definitely not from Tortuga. Her blue eyes grew sharp with interest. Who was this guy?

[valefor]

Valefor had lost track of time since his arrival in Tortuga. The war was still raging when he had been dragged back to the lands belonging to these heathens and since then he had hidden away in some tunnels that snaked through the island meant to contain slaves and prisoners. He had lurked within the darkness until he had no choice but to hunt and find clean water, or die. The water in the tunnels was undrinkable, as most of it came from the ocean during high tide and was far too salty for consumption. Of course Valefor wasn't aware of that to begin with. Before coming to Tortuga he had never seen such a large body of water and didn't understand that ocean water wasn't for consumption.

Thirst and hunger drove Valefor back to the surface, where some sort of heathen guard met him. Vale glared at the wolf suspiciously and began to walk. The wolf followed him but didn't make any move to attack. Valefore tentatively continued on until he was off the island, his golden eyes glancing back every so often at the guard who did little but follow him as he limped inland for clean water. He was weak now. Even if he wanted to run, he knew he wouldn't be able to. His body hurt and the wounds inflicted on him were taking longer to heal due to dehydration and malnutrition.

Finally he made it to the edge of a stream where he drank greedily, his eyes never leaving the form of his guard. A voice behind him made him jump and he quickly repositioned himself to face the lady speaking to him. The fur on his spine rose but he didn't dare growl.  

"Hey! I'm Kally...Oh, ouch that looks rough. What happened?."

Valefor remained silent as she spoke and for a time after. He was outside of the Valley. They weren't supposed to speak outside of the Valley on normal circumstances but this was different. Perhaps his gods had put him here on purpose. All of his life he wanted to lead heathens to the will of the Rosa, to embrace their true nature. Perhaps this was all in their plan.

"The war. I was captured and dragged here by heathens, but my faith is strong. My gods will come for me." he replied in a calm, clear voice. But he sounded much more certain than he was. He wasn't important. He'd never even met his gods. What if they never came for him? What if he was thought dead and could never return home? Suddenly all of the water in his belly felt unwelcome and he was on the verge of spewing it out upon the earth. The future was uncertain for the first time in his life.

[Kalypso]

Heathens? Gods? These are all foreign concepts to her, strange words that were unfamiliar and they made her brow furrow. "What'd'ya mean?" Kalypso asked curiously, just now noticing the Gunner that stood guard some feet away, lounging in the shade of a thick tropical fern as he watched the black and white male.

Oh.

Kalypso swallowed thickly, feeling her own stomach twist and heave as she struggled to come to terms with what he was. A prisoner. A slave of Tortuga. It made her mouth twist into a tight line, half frown, half grimace as it dawned on her who he was. A prisoner of war. It left a bad taste in her mouth and even though she ''knew'' that it was for making the empirer stronger she still didn't like it. "Ah. I'm sorry." Sorry just didn't seem like an acceptable response for forceably taking someone from their home and loved ones and dragging them into unfamiliar territory surrounded by strangers, some of whom probably would try to hurt you.

Kalypso sighed heavily and shook her head, "I know you probably don't care but my name is Kalypso. What's yours?" And what is a heathen? What gods do you worship? Her natural curiosity burned to the point where she just simply couldn't contain herself anymore and she had to ask, "Wanna talk 'bout where you came from?" If he did she's smile and settle in to make herself comfortable but if he snapped or refused to answer her questions she roll her shoulders in a small shrug. Fair enough, he didn't have to speak if he didn't want to. 

"I just thought it'd be nice to learn a bit more about you and where you come from."

[valefor]

"What'd'ya mean?"

Valefor's golden eyes narrowed a little in mild confusion. Had she really never heard of gods before? It had never occurred to him that heathens wouldn't even know of their gods. He just assumed they knew of them and chose not to follow. Had he been wrong in this assumption? "You don't know what a god is?"

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? That your pack dragged me where against me will? Why? It's the nature of war..." Now he was really suspicious. None in the Valley had been appologetic to captured heathens. They were creatures that had been denying their gods and needed to be rehabilitated. They needed to be bled, to give themselves to the Rosas....they needed to be reminded that they were wolves, superior creatures among a world of dirty dogs and hellions. Why would she appologize to him?

"I know you probably don't care but my name is Kalypso. What's yours?"

The white male looked her over, unsure of how to answer. He wasn't even supposed to be talking to her. He was in the world of heathens and should have no name to them. And yet... what harm could it do? If she knew his name, how would that hurt his home? A name was just a name afterall and as long as he didn't speak of anything in depth about his home he wouldn't be hurting his pack. Besides, his name meant nothing to most in the Valley. If they offered a trade for him, there was nothing he would be worth.

That thought caught him offguard. His name was worth nothing. He was worth nothing to his own people. Not even his mother would betray the pack for him. "Valefor." He answered quietly, so much so that his own guard would not have even heard it.

"Wanna talk 'bout where you came from?I just thought it'd be nice to learn a bit more about you and where you come from."

"Do you not know with whom you are at war?" Valefor asked, raising a brow. Surely she knew about the war and who was involved. Vale wasn't about to betray secrets of his pack, but he might be able to get something from her about what all of this was about. He knew very little about the war he was involved in, though he did know who he was fighting.... he just didn't exactly know why...