[Ashe]

Ashe had left her small family pack somewhere in the Reach, and had traveled along a river, keeping well on the opposite side of a great mountain that smoked in the distance.  She had been curious about the smoking mountain, but certainly not curious enough to venture anywhere in its direction.  Ashe knew what fire was, and was pretty sure anything that burned as big as a mountain was to be avoided.  When more mountains came into view, she swung east and back north,  following the ridge line that loomed above the trees.  The forest eventually thinned out into meadows, which turned into grassland.  Having grown up entirely under shaded canopies, the openness of the plains awed Ashe.  She lingered in the amber waves, for there were mice and other rodents a plenty to be her prey.  But then a summer storm blew through with a wind the likes of which she had never experienced.  Visibly ruffled and soaked from the storm, she decided the open plains were not exactly the most suitable of places.  She turned towards the mountains to her north once more, hoping that there would be caves where she could more adequately find shelter.  On her way she found a river, and began to follow it upstream.

For the hundredth time that day, and for each of the days that had past, the dusky she wolf second guessed herself on whether or not leaving home was even remotely close to a good idea.  It wasn't like there was anything wrong with home.  In fact, it had been a quiet place where nothing ever happened.  And for a teenager, that was just the thing, wasn't it?  She wanted to see, to know, to learn.  And yet she really wasn't sure if she did.  She wasn't ready last summer when several of her old pack's youngsters set out on their own grand adventure.  In the winter that followed, she regretted the missed opportunity, but hesitated again on leaving in the spring.  Like a pendulum, Ashe swung back and forth, back and forth with her decision.  She began to wonder if she would ever be ready, and had decided to leave anyway, but after several days alone in the wilderness, she regretted that too.  Maybe she should have waited to leave with the younger pups next year...  Well, it really was too late now.

She plodded along the river, completely lost in thought, until she almost stumbled across a scent marker.  A pack was nearby, and Ashe wasn't quite sure what to do about that.  On the one hand, she supposed she was looking for a new home, but on the other, she just wasn't sure if she was ready to meet someone yet.  Her parents had been soulmates, lovers at first sight, and while Ashe knew it didn't always happen that way, she had dreams of a handsome male who would come and whisk her away to an enchanted land.  Well... part of her did.  The other half had nightmares fueled by stories of the travelers who they had met upon the hunting trails during one of their moves.  Not all males were princes, some were villains.  Any rustle could be ruffians on the road, and Ashe was the very definition of a damsel.  She was neither taught nor talented in combat, and she wasn't an overly accomplished hunter, either.  The large beasts that had moved around the plains were more than a match for her, and she had not even so much as dared an attempt.  She ate mice and voles and rabbits, when she could catch them.  A pack would allow her to catch larger game, and her rumbling stomach agreed with that notion.  Her heart, however, galloped in her chest.  What if this was not one of the "good" packs?  She wasn't sure she was fast enough to outrun any pursuers.

The teen backed away from the scent marker, her ears back and her tail tucked.  She started to turn, but suddenly the way back seemed so bleak since she'd already come this far.  So she turned back and took a few steps towards the would be border.  But no... perhaps it was best to try and observe the pack first...  But the mountains would have better shelter, and she didn't want to get caught in another storm.  It would take her a day at least to backtrack to either of the forests.  She should go forward... she should go back.  The long grasses soon became trampled under her feet as Ashe became unintentionally responsible for an anxiety induced crop circle.

[Echo]

He wasn't sure entirely how long he'd been sitting there contemplating his scent decisions in life, or the many other complications that rose from him developing- "feelings" for someone he wasn't even sure felt the same, but he was very happy to have the interjection that just happened to stumble out of the woodwork along the river.  

He remained quiet, hidden amongst the boulders he'd been lying on, looking down and observing this, meek, quiet little thing that had walked up to the border markings.  He watched with intrigue as he could almost hear the little wheels, and gears in the smaller ones head turning, and gyrating.  He smiled, the actions of this one reminding him of the little ghost boy that resided in the pack, so unsure and innocent.  Though he couldn't tell this ones innocence simply by looking, he would obviously have to talk to her at some point.  

His brow lifted at the sight of her changing her mind, and then changing it again.  Tucking tail and running, and then coming back once more.  He wondered what was going on in the mind of hers, but then again really didn't want to know if there was this much confrontation without even confronting an actual person yet.  Still, curious minds wondered, and Echo had a slightly curious mind, back behind all that sarcasm of course.  

He waited a few more minutes and let the grass become a little more flattened by her constant pacing, before he stood, and peeked over the edge of the boulder slightly in order to be more in her line of sight.  

"I'd let you exercise a bit more, but I'm getting dizzy watching you up here." Echo called down, smiling, letting the nervous nelly know, he was pretty damn friendly (if you were a friend as well anyway).  "You look like you got a lot on your mind, everything alright?"

[Ashe]

"I'd let you exercise a bit more, but I'm getting dizzy watching you up here."

The sudden sound of another voice startled the teen, and Ashe leaped up into the air with a squeak. She flailed back into the taller grass, disappearing momentarily as she crouched, cowering.  Then she looked up and saw the male on the rock, who could still very clearly see her from his higher vantage point.  Already she was looking foolish, and she cursed herself for not paying more attention. She remained low to the ground, bright blue eyes staring up at him.  He was huge, much bigger than she was, even though she was still growing, thank you very much.  But she suspected (correctly) that he would have been bigger than her father.  Immediately her thoughts flew to the tales of big baddies on the road, out to prey on the unsuspecting.  But did baddies usually call out before they attacked?  Or was he trying to lure her into a false sense of security?!  But he was handsome, and another part of her brain flicked back to fairy tales.  He certainly looked regal up on those rocks...

"You look like you got a lot on your mind, everything alright?"

Ashe's ears flicked forward, then back again, and she shivered in the grass.  If this had been a cartoon, steam would have come out her ears with how fast her brain was turning.  She wasn't going to approach him, oh, no no no.  If she got within reach...  Warring images of vicious brutes and the tender embraces of her parents froze her in place.  She needed to know more, she decided.  That much she could do.  She straightened, forcing herself to stand tall.  A nagging voice in the back of her mind told her to run.  Logic, sweet logic, told her that even if he rose and made an impressive leap, he couldn't reach her in a single bound.  She would have a head start, and maybe, just maybe, once he was level, she would be able to lose him in the tall grass.  She'd run if she had to, and make directly for the closest set of trees.  But he had not been overly hostile so far, and she wouldn't ever get anywhere if she didn't even ask for directions.  She had no idea what packs were about.  How was she going to know if she didn't inquire?

"Can you tell me where I am?" She called up to him.  Refusing to move from her safe distance. "What territory is this?"

[Echo]

He had to bite his tongue as she all but flew backwards into the grass at his voice.  He knew that it probably wasn't the nicest thing for him to get some sort of amusement out of her dilemma, but he really couldn't help himself.  He kept the smile he had on the inside hidden though, as he didn't really want to embarrass this young wolfess.  She looked frightened, and as if she hadn't been very socialized to others, and if she had, perhaps it had not been as well received as when he had been.  He put on a smile in a feeble attempt to try to look less frightening, and hoped it didn't make it worse.  Forced smiles had a history of making him look like a serial killer.  Hopefully, this would not be one of those times.  

"Can you tell me where I am, what territory this is?"

He was impressed when she stood and spoke to him, though only just.  She did still have a bit of a shake in her voice, and Echo was sure that if he lifted his voice even a decibel, that tall stature she pulled herself up to, would crumble and fall, and perhaps even bolt.  So instead, he thought to make himself seem a bit more friendly, less intimidating.  He didn't get down from the rock, but he did walk closer to the edge before laying down, having his front paws crossed over each other, and dangling over the ledge.  "Sure I can, but I think we need a little give and take here.  I'll answer your questions, only if you answer a few of mine.  Kind of like getting to know each other, hows that sound?"  He'd wait a minute to see if maybe she'd nod, or agree.  She didn't have to say anything if she didn't want to, Echo had a feeling she'd be alright with this, especially if she really wanted to know where she'd found herself.  

"The territory here belongs to the Queen and King," He'd save the formalities of having a Queen King- King Queen? Whatever, Akira was, for later.  No need to confuse the girl right now.  "And the name of this place is Gemini."  He smiled warmly at her, she'd fit in nicely here, but he didn't know if she wanted to come in or not, with the way she was a few minutes ago, he wasn't sure she knew either.  "Now, my turn..  What's your name? If we're gonna get to know each other, I don't wanna go around calling you-" Huckleberry - His smile faltered slightly, before recovering, "Some kind of silly nick name."  

He has a habit of doing that, and it never turns out in his favor.

[Ashe]

"Sure I can, but I think we need a little give and take here.  I'll answer your questions, only if you answer a few of mine.  Kind of like getting to know each other, hows that sound?"

His smile looked a bit more like a grimace, and it did little for her confidence in him.  Still, he didn't snarl at her, she simply swayed from foot to foot. She eyed him as he shifted position, tensing in case she had to make a break for it.  But he settled back onto the ledge, and a small amount of tension leaked out of her shoulders.  She didn't particularly find his initial answer encouraging, but she also didn't really have any secrets, so it wasn't exactly a horrible request.  Her ears swiveled back and forth, and she looked more like a deer than a wolf.  She refrained from sniffing the air, not wanting to make it obvious she was looking for an ambush.  When her flash assessment revealed no threats, she replied cautiously.

"Okay..."

"The territory here belongs to the Queen and King, and the name of this place is Gemini."

She couldn't say she was very impressed with his declaration.  Most territories declared monarchy, her own pack included. She was even from a large enough pack to not be related to her former home's royalty.  The territory name didn't ring a bell with her, but she wasn't really surprised about that.  She hadn't exactly had a political-geographical education back home.  The Reach had been an ever-shifting landscape of power, and packs rose and fell like the sun.  She expected that she wouldn't even recognize the place if she were to return after a full turn of the seasons.  The real question would be whether or not she would go back, or would need to know anything like that. Should she have paid more attention to the borders she'd passed?  Probably... no, definitely.  She should have...

 "Now, my turn..  What's your name? If we're gonna get to know each other, I don't wanna go around calling you- Some kind of silly nick name."

The male's next statement jolted her out of her sidetrack spiral, and her focus snapped back to him.  His question was a typical one, but still she hesitated.  In that moment she could be anyone.  She could say anything, and realized, she never even considered it.  Her mouth opened, then closed, and her ears flicked back and then forward again.  She should just tell the truth, after all what was the point of trying to come up with a reinvention when she was trying to invent herself in the first place?  It was silly really, and she mentally cursed her resulting feeling of foolishness.  She definitely should have just left with the others last year.  She could have been traveling with a pack, then, and she would have had their ranks and numbers to support her.  Or she should have just stayed home, and not have bothered with all this nonsense to begin with.  She became aware that the male on his rock was probably staring at her, and she cleared her throat.  If she could blush, she'd be crimson.

"... I'm Ashe."

ta da!

[Echo]

She didn't seem very enthralled about his answer- but really could he blame her? Most packs had alphas, most of them had their own names for them- Alpha, Queen, High and Mighty- whatever.  Serrate didn't go around and demand her title from those who resided here however, and perhaps that was one thing that set her apart from other places.  Echo hadn't been to many other packs, nor had he resided in any but this one, but he had heard of that Saboro and what they did there.  He was not impressed, nor did he ever want to go find out first hand what it was like.  Especially if they had so many escape and take shelter in Gemini now.  Why would you escape somewhere you enjoyed being?  His mind wandered for a moment before the shifty girl beneath him caught his attention once more.  Though she acted more like a scared prey animal then a wolf at the moment.  

Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again, and he leaned forward to hear her.  The words came out, all two of them, quietly, but he heard them.  Ashe.  Her name was Ashe.  He was half expecting a name like- Sparrow, or Fawn, something more on the timid side of things but, hey- Ashe worked.  He was sure once she got into her skin here, maybe she'd open up a bit.  One could hope.  

"Ashe. I'm Echo- one of the Vanguard, here in Gemini.  Which probably means nothing to you since you have no idea what those are yet." He laughed at his own stupidity, a genuine laugh, shaking his head.  "I'm kind of like a soldier, you know," He stood then, trying to look heroic, stoic, and tough, "defending the weak- upholding the law, saving damsels in distress!"   But it faltered as quickly as he put up the facade and he quickly chuckled himself back into his laying position.  "No but really- I'm just here to defend when the pack, or anyone in particular needs defending, so you really have nothing to fear from me Ashe.  I promise."  Echo smiled again to her, this time genuine, warm and inviting, not as fake and forced as it was the first time.  I'm one of the good guys I swear- even if I don't act like it sometimes.  

"Back to you- any more questions for me?"  

[Ashe]

"Ashe. I'm Echo- one of the Vanguard, here in Gemini.  Which probably means nothing to you since you have no idea what those are yet. I'm kind of like a soldier, you know,defending the weak- upholding the law, saving damsels in distress! No but really- I'm just here to defend when the pack, or anyone in particular needs defending, so you really have nothing to fear from me Ashe.  I promise."

He was a bit long winded, wasn't he?  His introduction revealed a lot more than his name, and Ashe quickly learned that Gemini had need for soldiers who were also guards, seemingly more of the latter.  He was quick to make assurances, and it wasn't as comforting as he'd have hoped, and she was still suspicious of him, but the logical portion of her brain said that she was also exhibiting the signs that she needed comforting. She had what was commonly called a "glass face".  She wasn't particularly good at hiding her feelings.  She now had a choice, she could take him for his word, put her faith in the fact that he was telling the truth, and accept his offer of protection.  Or, she could accept the nagging feeling that read everything as a lie, that told her she could trust no one, and that this was a trap.  But who was she, to be worth trapping?  She wasn't a noble blooded creature, she wasn't even of breeding age.  She was just a girl. alone.

"Back to you- any more questions for me?" 

Big blue eyes stared up at him.  She didn't want to be alone.  The plains had been a haven, but she knew that the harsher weather was coming, and she would be unable to live alone out on the open.  She needed shelter, she needed safety.  She needed a pack.  But what remained to be seen was whether or not it would be this pack.  Once again doubts clouded her mind, and the visions of horrible things that could be done, monsters that ripped apart things like her.  But she wanted to believe better.  Could she believe better? She studied the male on the rock, weighing the pros and cons in her mind while trying to come up with something to say.  She hadn't really thought this through.  Stupid. stupidstupid.  Well, she'd just have to find out more.


"Do you like your pack?"

A simple question, but a possibly complicated answer.

[Echo]

Ashe did not seem very pleased by his answer, nor did she seem like she had relaxed at all.  Honestly though, he really couldn't blame her.  She could have been through some atrocities that he could only imagine, or seen some terrifying things that made her so timid and shy.  The one thing he did know though, was that he was going to make sure she was taken care of.  Gemini always took in those that seemed to make the pack stronger- so maybe in a way Ashe's meek nature could prevent them from having another mistake at the borders like what happened to them previously.  Echo would make sure little Ashe here would have a place to stay, even if it was just for the night.  He wasn't really a knight in shining armor, but he suppose he'd have to be something along those lines for this frightened young girl.  

"Do you like your pack?"

Mind switched gears mid-sentence, as the small voice carried up to him.  He opened his mouth almost immediately to say yes, but, took a second of pause.  Echo did like Gemini, he liked those he lived with and those he had met- but sometimes he did not like what happened.  He did not like hearing about children dying- about their ruling pair almost dying- about children leaving and maybe returning, or them leaving on a more permanent basis.  There were aspects on both sides of the spectrum here.  He was silent for a few moments mulling it all over in his head before speaking.  Perhaps in order to gain her trust at least a a little, he would tell the truth.  Let her in on some things that rarely no one outside of Gemini knew. But then again he risked scaring her with these nightmarish tales. He took a deep breath and looked down at her, saying in the most sincere and truthful way possible, "Most days."
Those two words were the easiest, and yet hardest to come by when it came to explaining Gemini.  "Like anywhere else it has it's good and bad, but most of the time-"  He paused and sighed, lying his head on his front paws that dangled over the edge, "- it's a good place to live.. So, yes I do like my pack."  

He closed his eyes momentarily, reflecting on his answer, before opening them again and looking down calmly and softly to Ashe.  "It's filled with wonderful things to see, and places to explore- a variety of creatures to meet.."  He said softly, before finishing.  He smiled warmly, blinking down at her.  

"What do you need me to do to let you know you can trust me? To trust you'll be safe here?"

Because whatever it is- Echo is ready and willing to try his damnedest to make it right.

[Ashe]

He paused, actually considering her question instead of blurting out the expected affirmative.  Patiently, Ashe waited for his answer.  The shy girl had not expected him to be so thoughtful, or to take her question so seriously.  Her ears slowly came forward again as curiosity temporarily won out over fear. Most were eager to boast, sharing the best like infomercials, trying to entice a commitment without the facts.  Ashe liked facts, she liked to think, and watch, and plan.  Wolves hunted as a team, and each individual had a strength they lent to the game.  Ashe's success lay in the ability to plan and coordinate.  When it came time for the actual event, she was usually a flusher.  She was quick and agile, but lacked the linebacker build that would allow her to connect and fell a larger target.  So instead she had always been the first out, spooking the prey and herding them towards the heavier, more capable wolves.  Her ability to read the terrain and create a plan of attack was her contribution.

It also was what kept scenarios constantly running through her head, and while she sat in silence, her mind was noisy.  She was doing her best to analyze Echo.  So far he had been courteous, but a bit rough in speech.  Not exactly "country bumpkin", but he gave off the impression of being commonly bred and raised.  There was no high society in his voice, nothing that indicated he was a noble's offspring or mate.  She found these observations to be typical, and felt his answer would give her more insight into his true personality. Or, her anxiety countered, he was simply taking the time to formulate a very convincing lie.  He didn't strike her as a liar, but then, she supposed she had never been particularly good at reading her own kind as she was the prey they hunted.  That was the main challenge really... It was why she'd left.  She needed to learn how to properly socialize, and the dialect of her former pack was too familiar.  Again she mentally lamented her lack of courage for not simply joining the other youngsters when they had left. they could have been a great buffer in helping her cope.

"Most days. Like anywhere else it has it's good and bad, but most of the time- it's a good place to live.. So, yes I do like my pack.  It's filled with wonderful things to see, and places to explore- a variety of creatures to meet.."

Back and forth the voices in Ashe's head argued, each presenting for why Echo was honest or a liar.  When he began to speak, she mentally shushed herself, focusing on his answer.  He was forthright, but vague.  He mentioned a couple highlights, but glossed over the shadows.  She thought about what he had and had not said.  She was no longer cowering, but she was still stiff, still unsteady.  He hadn't revealed as much as she'd hoped. She turned to look back to the open grasses where she had come.  Could she survive out on the open land all winter?  All alone?  She didn't really think so.  She had the option to turn away, to try for the other mountains and the possibility of a different pack.  But where would that put her except in the exact same situation?

"What do you need me to do to let you know you can trust me? To trust you'll be safe here?"

Ashe's highly expressive ears flicked backwards again as her inner voices began to argue once more.  Why was it so important that he should gain her trust?  Reason pointed out that she was one step away from a deer when it came to nerve and that she was clearly making him uncomfortable.  Anxiety countered that he wanted her for some unknown sinister reason, and was trying to lure her in.  Reason thought that was preposterous. But Anxiety countered with is it?  The inner conflict was not quite dialog, more so flashes of emotion that bounced around inside her skull. Reason said she was in no position to be stingy about trust.  Anxiety listed off a plethora of terrible images and scenes.  Blue eyes looked back up at Echo, her face unreadable as she weighed his question with equal seriousness, and probably a lot more dysfunction.

"If I were to decide to stay... and then decided I would rather leave in the spring... could I?"


As the catchphrase stated, winter was coming.  She needed a pack to help support her through the cold season, when the mice and hares would be hidden in the drifts, nestled underneath the matted grasses.  She'd starve digging for them.  She'd freeze in the wind.  But she had to know that she had options.  Had to make sure she wasn't walking into a land she would never again walk out of.  Would she, if she found a home here?  Probably not, but she had not yet decided if she would return home, either.  She hadn't decided anything. Not yet.

[Echo]

He did not lift his head from his paws when he spoke, and he did not lift his head when she listened.  Instead, after he had said his piece about Gemini, he watched her.  The girl below reminded him more of a prey animal than a wolf.  She was cautious, yes, as any wolf should be, but she seemed overly so.  If she was some sort of spy, she was a very convincing one, but he was doubtful.  She was far too frightened, and smelled of uncertainty, so he would brush of the thought and send it back into the spiraling cascade of ideas that ran in the back of his head.  He wondered if she was considering Gemini as a possible home, or perhaps just as a place to rest for the moment.  Either way, Gemini was a gracious host, and was open to those who needed a place to stay.  It had been in the past, and he was sure it always would be. 

"If I were to decide to stay... and then decided I would rather leave in the spring... could I?"

Nodding his head, and then realizing how uncomfortable it was nodding while laying on his paws, he lifted his head and looked down on the girl.  "Of course.  There have been many travelers that have rested here before being on their way.  If you need Gemini to be a home to you, it's open to be so.  However, if you need it to be a stepping stone on a longer path to somewhere else.. it's a gracious host to help you on your way." 

Echo was never one for pretty words, or intelligent conversation, but he could make a place sound inviting if he wanted to.  This decision was up to her and her only, he wasn't going to make up her mind for her.  While he thought it would be nice to have her come in and meet some people, figure out this place was not bad- or as scary as she made it look, he understood that for a young female, this was a very frightening- new thing to overcome.  So, he'd be patient, kind, and welcoming until she felt as comfortable as she could (which he figured might actually never happen anyway) and take his leave, leaving her to decide what she will.  Come in or stay on the border and contemplate, was up to her.  "If you prefer, I can leave you be, take my leave and let you decide on your own.  Or I can stay and answer any more questions that you might have.  Up to you."  He'd stay lying, until she made up her mind.  Any sudden movements, and she might shoot straight up into the air.  

He didn't want to go fetch her from up a tree.  He wasn't in the mood to climb.

[Ashe]

"Of course.  There have been many travelers that have rested here before being on their way.  If you need Gemini to be a home to you, it's open to be so.  However, if you need it to be a stepping stone on a longer path to somewhere else.. it's a gracious host to help you on your way."

There was no hesitation before his answer came.  The words seemed more practiced, and one of Anxiety's bells rang in Ashe's head, saying that a script could mean a trap.  It could also mean it was his job. Countered Reason.  She weighed his words as her mind argued, analyzing the entire brief conversation they had been having.  So far Echo had done almost textbook what her own pack's guards had done.  While their borders were seasonal, opening and closing during fat and lean times, Gemini either had not closed their gates yet, or did not do so.  If the pack were prosperous enough to house guests even in winter, there could be great opportunity here.  But there's risk, reminded Anxiety.  But Reason calculated the percentage of risk appeared to be fairly low.

"If you prefer, I can leave you be, take my leave and let you decide on your own.  Or I can stay and answer any more questions that you might have.  Up to you."

Ashe shook her head. "That will not be necessary."

She still felt Anxiety grumbling at the back of her brain, and she was still scared, but Ashe knew she was going to have to leap sooner or later.  So far Echo had given her the assessment that at least Gemini had a few similarities to the pack she had known.  If there were those parallels, then perhaps there would be others.  Plus, there was a new land to explore, new trails to run, and, as Echo had said, Mysteries.  She had left her pack to see and learn the world, and that was what she wanted to do.  She couldn't if she stayed cowering under a metaphorical rock all the time.  She had to take a risk, take a chance, make a change.

"It would be my pleasure to join your pack." Ashe stated, giving him a slight dip in her posture that was almost a curtsy.

Application submitted.
Now there was nothing she could do but wait for his reply.
Hopefully Echo would answer before Anxiety had time to start running scenarios in her head.
What have we gotten into?

[Echo]

"That will not be necessary."

To say he was shocked by her refusal of his offer to leave was slightly correct.  He may have lifted his brows in surprise that she shut down his suggestion, but instead he only nodded his head slightly in understanding.  Echo began to ponder on the types of jobs this meek lady wolf could aspire to attain here, it was quite obvious that Vanguard and Ranger was way out of her wheelhouse, as she would more than likely scream at them from a safe distance rather then engage.  Not that there was anything wrong with that- everyone had their weaknesses and strengths.  Perhaps Shepherd would suit her, or a doc, or a storyteller.  If she could maybe speak up just a bit more.  Either way- Echo knew everyone here had their own jobs, and they earned them one way or another.  Ashe would gain her own place here, and her own rank, in her own time.  

"Alright then, I'll stay.. for the moment."  Or until you want me to leave.  

He looked down at her blinking for a second, taking in the silent moment before it appeared she had finally made her decision.  

"It would be my pleasure to join your pack."

And Echo smiled, but like a real actual smile this time, not a creepy Pennywise type smile.  It was warm, genuine and inviting.  "I'm glad to hear that Ashe. I really am.  I hope you come to find this place to feel more like home the longer you stay."  He'd pause, standing now, slowly, making sure not to make too quick of movements because- you know- he still didn't want to fetch her from the top of the cliffs if she shot upwards in fear.  "But if you do choose to leave in the spring, I hope you found Gemini to be a helpful steppingstone in your journey to wherever you're going."  He'd turn to leave her, turning his head back one last time, "If you want me to show you around, I don't mind. If you want to go off on your own, the way inward is that way."  He'd toss his head to the left.  He'd pause for a moment to see if she did want a tour guide- but if she didn't, no harm no foul, he'd just as well jump down from his rocks and be on his way-

-Hoping Ashe would be alright on her own.

[Ashe]

"Alright then, I'll stay.. for the moment."

Anxiety rattled around in Ashe's thoughts, spawning butterflies in the pit of her stomach.  What if he declined?  He was trying to convince her to stay, why would he decline? But what if he did? She'd have to come up with a new plan.  What could she remember about the lands she had traveled through?  Had she smelled any hints of other packs?  She strained to remember.  She had been more caught up in the journey of now, and hadn't been thinking too hard of finding a permanent place for herself.  She should have planned this whole thing out better.  If she had, maybe she'd actually have a plan.  Now her heart lurched and she mentally scrambled to create a plan B net that would catch her in possibility of rejection. A minimal possibility, Reason reminded her, but Anxiety drove her to it.  Pieces and images began forming new possibilities, new routes.  They spread out in her mind like a conspiracy wall, isolated events connected together with a spiderweb of tangled threads.  She began to get caught in it, until Echo began his reply.

"I'm glad to hear that Ashe. I really am.  I hope you come to find this place to feel more like home the longer you stay. But if you do choose to leave in the spring, I hope you found Gemini to be a helpful steppingstone in your journey to wherever you're going."

And that was that.  Relief washed through Ashe, partially melting her bones as she sagged with a visible sigh.  She returned his grin with a shy smile, and he turned, then came back.

"If you want me to show you around, I don't mind. If you want to go off on your own, the way inward is that way."

A jolt of panic shot down Ashe's nerves, icing her blood before the heat of adrenaline hit her muscles.  How was supposed to go into the territory all by herself? Surely he didn't really think she would?  But maybe that was how it was done here.  How did they know who was pack?  How was she supposed to tell them?  How would she talk to them?  Nononono.  She needed an escort, she needed Echo there to make sure someone knew she had been rightly and properly accepted; That she had followed the rules and wasn't some interloper.  He had offered to stay with her.  It wouldn't be too much to ask him to walk her in... would it?  What if he was only being polite?  What if he was actually really busy?  She'd probably interrupted his patrol.  Did someone else cover the distance with him who would guard it in his stead?  What if there was a breach in security caused by him leaving?  But how did he expect her to walk in on her own and not have it be that very problem?  Useless mental circles.  Just ask him, dummy.

"Um..." She tucked her tail and looked away bashfully. "I would prefer an escort... if it's not too much trouble." she mumbled.