[Riocard]

✦

How many times had he rolled in something to travel for days, before washing it off. It was a rinse and repeat process, to hide his scent the best he could to throw off some sort of trail whenever he couldn't mask it with a source of water. He was surprise eyes hadn't mutated and grown out of the back of his skull. Leaving such a powerful place was... dangerous and it was bound to make one paranoid. Perhaps this kicked his trust issues up several notches. But he'd have to see when he was safely behind someone else's borders. Some place where he could scrounge for a new sort of identity... or perhaps adopt his current jaded nature.Would he be a chameleon there? Or would he just accept every part of who he was, who he lost and what he'd done and finally move on?

He didn't know, and Riocard didn't know where to start.

Rio had been sizing a place up for days, lingering far enough from the borders to evade some sort of suspicion -- just watching. He didn't know what to think. Anyone's borders would look appealing if one were desperate enough, so he was trying to separate the need to get out of the "open" and into someplace where they wouldn't allow aggressors to try and kill him, or drag him back. Was he afraid of Saboro? No. But that didn't mean he wished to be tortured, or killed. If he wished for the latter, he would have just let the sentries tear him apart at the borders.

Life someplace new.. was what he wanted. Preferably away from bloodthirsty hounds, but he wasn't sure if such a place existed. 

All he had to do was jump in and hope.
But was there any hope left?

The arctic, dire mix had fully cleaned himself off and approached the ruin-like borders of his chosen refuge. He steps were light, but he didn't hide the fact that he was there and where the scent was the strongest he paused. A breeze brushed through behind him, stiffening his posture, until he relaxed when he realized there was no one behind him. The wolf sat, and a low, slightly growled bark sounded from him. It wasn't loud, or sharp. But he was sure someone was lingering on the borders, and if they were competent they'd already know he was there. The wolf's expression was neutral, with an ear cocked behind him, cool eyes on the land before him. His muscles burned to keep moving, but he forced himself to remain as still as stone. 

Perhaps just a glimmer of hope remained.  

[Alec]

This land had so much to offer to the young explorer.
And who would he be if he didn't take advantage of such numerous adventures?

It was a sort of competition he had conjured up in his mind, one against his siblings. All of them. Maybe if he could venture out farther than they had, facing fearsome beasts and mutant creatures as wicked as anyone could imagine, he'd come back a hero! Embsay would finally forgive him for winning that race and Mama and Papa would give him extra kisses when they all went to bed. They'd have to be secret kisses; they wouldn't want the other kids to know they'd already picked a favorite. Hint: it was Alec!

Fat puppy paws plodded along through the thick grasses, the late morning sun on his back and a butterfly guiding the way. Or, more accurately, it was just trying to mind its own business. But Alec had other plans. Every time those beautiful, paper-thin orange wings sought refuge on an autumn blossom, the pup would pounce and send it on its way again. A game, of course! Every once in a while, in-between the giggles and snickers that accompanied such childish antics, the boy would whisper a soft sorry to his butterfly guide. Not enough of a sorry to stop the shenanigans, though.

This bliss would have continued, an endless cycle of flapping wings and bouncing paws and naive nips, if that bark hadn't reached his ears. Those wide, fluffy ears stood tall, bright beaming eyes widening in sheer excitement at the sound of another. Someone else who could join him! Enter: Player Two. Yips of high-pitched, puppy glee burst from his lips as he turned and barreled in the direction of this newcomer, that dark figure growing closer with each fumbling leap. A more astute wolf may have noticed his slightly ragged appearance, his foreign scent, his notably neutral expressions. A more astute wolf may have pieced one and two together to figure out what was going on here.

Alec was not that kind of astute wolf.

"WOW you smell funny!" His cheery voice burst out without a second to think about what he was saying. Clumsy puppy paws tripped over themselves to come to a stop a few feet before Riocard, but it did nothing to dampen his spirits. "Are you here ta play with me?" His tail wagged violently against the ground, brushing debris back and forth in the grasses, "You can help me catch the butterfly! His name is Stanley." Alec would lean in for that last bit, as it was a super top secret, need-to-know intel. 

He'd stare, expectantly, up at this new stranger. At his new friend. Tongue lolled out from his wide puppy smile, his legs itching to jump up and begin to game even before he'd received a yes. But who would say no to a new game with a new friend? Only a crazy person, duh!

And this guy seemed like he needed a new friend...
Introducing Alec, here to save the day!

ooc: young Alec is just here to hang and say hi, like the troublesome turd he is.

text speech: #BF5248

[Bellona]

---

The sun allowed rays to split through the numerous clouds and the gentle breeze felt like a cool hug, bright blue eyes stared down at the tree where her father lay. The adolescent girl had smiled, to herself, to her father, as she made a point to visit him every once and a while during the day. Bellona often saw him at nighttime too, but he needed to sleep sometimes and so did she. In the back of her mind she could hear the gentle scold of her family for not getting enough sleep, often wanting to stay up for the better part of the night just to get a kiss or a goodnight nudge from her father. Bellona knew she should focus more on the living, but she felt a certain comfort in knowing he was always with her.

Inhaling she gave a final nod to the tree, closing her eyes and murmuring. “I’ll be back.” Before raising herself to her feet and removing herself from the ceremoniously quiet space, rolling her tongue across her lips and along her nose. Without much thought she’d wandered toward one of her favourite spots, atop one of the highest peaks of the territory and giving the best line of sight towards the borders. A certain longing and wish to have that as her job to prevent the monsters from trying to invade their lands again, Bellona yearned to have that sun shield on her back, barring at the doors and being the gateway into her home. Much like her mother, a protecter at heart; but also her father, a force to be reckoned with and who wouldn’t back down from anything.

As the fallen King’s daughter made her way toward her perch, eyes caught the gangling movement of a grey and black pup, heading straight toward the choke point of the wall. Bellona squinted, hesitating, wondering if perhaps he wouldn’t actually go beyond that line. She didn’t see nor care what drive him toward the wall, only that as he got closer he seemed to have little care to knowing where he had been going. Bellona wouldn’t stand by to watch him aimlessly wandering into the lowlands without a watchful guide, so she took it upon herself to be that figure today. With that, her white legs drove her toward the young pup.

Without hesitation she followed him through the opening, feeling little resistance and little regret for her decision. He was someone who needed protecting, even if who he’d stumbled upon was of no harm, but one could never be so sure. Of course, her personal duty of providing security to the boy didn’t come without it’s challenges, and her eyes saw beyond to the pup to see a stranger sitting there, too.

"WOW you smell funny! You can help me catch the butterfly! His name is Stanley."

Just managing to catch up to the kid, Bellona attempted to grab his scruff and yank him backwards as gently as she could (Bellona was never one to be considered graceful) closer to her and farther from the stranger who met a fierce, stern gaze from the adolescent girl. Her stance was strong and unyielding, perhaps a little too prideful from someone so young, someone so naive, and someone so much smaller than he. Bellona had a lot to learn, still, but today she’d learn what it meant to keep young bodies safe. She knew one thing, and that this stranger was not from here and therefore a liability.

“Halt.” Spoken bluntly, perhaps to both the pup and the brown stranger. “We do not ask strangers for anything,” Turning her head toward the boy, “Especially on this side of the wall.” Perhaps the boy didn’t realize where he’d wandered to, but that was a mistake easily corrected for the future.

Turning her attention back, she’d continue to engage with the outsider. “What is this stranger’s name and what purpose does he have?”

---

[Riocard]

✦

Out of everything he anticipated coming from behind that ...wall, a pup was the very last thing. Actually a puppy wasn't even on the list he may have had compiled in his old bitter, paranoid head. He wasn't sure if that was a bad sign, or a good omen. But with that last thought his eyes narrowed some for just a moment before he brightened his expression into something that was a little more friendly. Ah but someone was coming up behind the young one, so he didn--

Riocard's jaw fell open when he finally got a good look at the tri-colored puppy. His mouth went dry and he almost stood up, but he held his ground, trying to focus on facts. The wolf he knew was.. older? Or would have been, if he lived. Riocard's teeth clicked shut, but his eyes softened at the sight, though his heart pounded behind his ribcage. Was he to be haunted by his past here too? Was he doomed to relive parts of his life, just at different locals? Riocard almost left, almost stood and walked away. He didn't wish to feel guilt anymore, and Alec wasn't even something he could stop. That one hadn't been his problem, just some pup he met in the dark of the jungles.

The dark wolf sucked in a breath to reply but the tag-along pulled him away, and Riocard's expression resumed a sort of neutral-likeness... with a touch of mirth in his eyes (as well as wariness). "Perhaps another time," he responded to the puppy first, cracking a smile. Though he was not to ignore the more important of the duo, for his blue gaze flickered to her and his attention was fully on her.

Riocard dipped his head towards her. She was young too, if he were to go by her coat, body proportions and tones in her voice -- but he supposed that was unimportant. "I am Riocard," he resisted the urge to flicker an ear behind him, but to counter that he shifted paws just once. "I wish entry into these lands. Acceptance, if you will. That is... if your borders are open to new recruits?" His head canted just slightly, a curious expression blossoming in his eyes. He was projecting friendliness, or at least he thought he was. Did he remember the meaning of that word? Rio's eyes slipped down to the pup that eerily resembled the one he met. He still had bright eyes, and an uncaring naivety. When was the last time he saw that sort of innocence? 

"I assure you, I'm no burden."

[Raining]

*noses back to the first page*