[Daylight]

The travel from Alteron's dense forest had been long and arduous. Who knew how long she had been out and wandering around — aimless at best. The forests had thinned in spots, grew in others into dense brush and trees that blotted out the sky. The air there was hot and humid, so heavy that she could hardly breathe. Night was darker there, and without the companion that usually guided her efforts, they were lonelier.

The jungle slowly rotted into a tundra, one expansive and one the moon's veiled light touched. The stars and gaseous band across was guiding the way. Mountains surrounded the deep valleys, places Daylight had never seen. She felt so exposed when entering the valley. She had to skirt the firs and evergreens that carpeted the hillsides to keep away from the sun. Hollowed trees and abandoned nests kept her safe as she slept when the world was awake. And when they laid their heads down to sleep, Daylight emerged and kept going.

The taiga had narrowed into a passage, filling in a valley for once. She could smell the ice and the water, mouth aching and dry for something cool to soothe her throat. There was a problem, however. The closer she came to the mouth of the glacial valley, the more she could smell them. Who they were, she didn't know. All she knew was that this part of the world was civilized. "Huh..." she grunted, standing on the borders of an unknown territory.

She was too thirsty to turn back. Morning would soon come, and laying on the outskirts of a pack was never a good idea. What if they took people, kidnapped them? Daylight would be in deep shit. At least if she... joined them? Her days in Alteron had been long past, her efforts none and her glories forgotten. A fruitless endeavor to say the least, despite her former company. Daylight was too exhausted to fight the debate in her head, sitting down and waiting was the better option here.

At least for now.

✦ ✦ Speech Text ✦ ✦

[Baine]

 B a i n e,

Prepare yourself for nothing comes for free

actions - “speech” - thoughts

 D*** it.

He was in no mood to deal with anyone today and he made sure to let everyone know to f*** off by giving them a glare if it even looked like they were thinking about approaching him. Luckily it seemed that the message was received that the Blackblood desired no company; although most days he usually was indifferent to everything. It just so happened that he was, once again, tasked with patrolling the outer rings to the north. His nose scrunched up as a snarl tore from his throat. He had been doing patrols for a week straight with little to no rest in between. He was tired, his joints were sore and his paws ached. Yet the other sentries were unavailable and so the job landed upon him. His attitude flared as he was quite sure that they were actually playing hooky and didn't want to deal with the accursed shift so decided to leave it for the quiet guy to deal with. Because he had nothing better to do right?

F*** them.

The only upside was that the forest was quiet, save for the sound of his footsteps and the occasional bird call, perhaps it had to do with the fact that winter had driven away most of the wildlife from their home. It was a bit eerie to no longer hear the choir of song birds or the barking of squirrels as they sounded the alert for nearby predators; mainly wolves. Honestly Baine didn't care for the absence of life, in fact, he was content with the deafening silence that now dominated the lush forest. Well actually, the plants on the forest floor were withered and decaying, the trees were the only thriving plant life during this season.

Perhaps that was why so many idiots and weaklings swarmed their borders; like flies upon a rotting corpse. Because, despite the eerie aura they all felt, the place looked beautiful and inviting.  More like they forgone their instincts and instead decided to risk an encounter that usually ended with horrible results. Being chased away was the kindest outcome the other....well let's just say they had ranks now. However undesirable it was. So lessons in life they learned was to listen to your gut and no one gave two s***s about you or your feelings.

Just as he was begining to believe that today would actually be tolerable his nose caught and unfamiliar scent close by, his attitude plummeted, with a snarl now scarring his features the Blackblood made his way towards the origin of the smell. And what do you know. There sitting all naive and comfy was a female who stared off into the distance like a d*** space cadet. F*** this s***! A snarl roared through the silence of the morning air as he stepped out into the open.  "Take four steps back wench," he growled, fangs bared, letting it known that he wasn't going to tolerate any attitude, "what are you doing here?" 

ooc

forest graphic © m-adking / coding © vixxie's codes

[Daylight]

And of course, someone appeared just as she had predicted. This one was rather grumpy though, ordering that she make four steps back, adding a meaningless name at the end. There wasn't much to do besides take those four steps back and stand there with an emotionless expression. Daylight was not intimidated by this prick, there were far worse things than a grumpy man not willing to do his job.

"Isn't it obvious?" she retorted. Apparently when one was sitting on a border and waited for someone, it wasn't obvious enough to a sentry that they were wanting inside. Daylight could tell this would be a fun little game, that this whole pack would be similar to the cut-throat innards of Alteron. "I want inside."

It wasn't like before, as she had been kidnapped and taken against her will. She lived inside of Alteron's depths until she found herself actually liking the idea of becoming something worthy. Now she had a choice; to walk away or to do this little initiation. "Ask away." Daylight knew the whole process. Questions were asked, shit went down, blah blah blah.

She just wanted sleep and she was sure this guy just wanted to do anything other than be here.

✦ ✦ Speech Text ✦ ✦

[Gothy]

reath is busy atm but if anyone else wants to take this, they can. otherwise i'll just................ AA myself lmao

[Gabriel♞]

  He was somewhat... absent, during the whole debacle. The shift in Sabora from the queen he knew to the girl he'd helped raise was something Gabriel couldn't face. He didn't volunteer for Vulture when his mentor was missed, and had nothing to do with the next generation by retiring from Harpy altogether. Another ex of Oriana's took his place, who eventually took her place-- from Bane, of all people. Tossed Knife's body before the boy no older than he, looked in her brother's Halberd-red eyes and saw absolutely nothing. Sometimes he's glad to take after his mother.

  It's not important, now. Out of all the litters he raised, slaves he's taken, no one in Saboro now knows him as any more than the descendant of an old empire. (He wonders if his mother thinks of him as just that.) Someone speaks, and he's secretly grateful for something to take his attention. It's too early for anyone else to be up, but he's so adjusted to it from necessity and early sunsets, it's Gabriel waiting for the sun to wake, instead of the other way around. It's far too early for a fight.

  "Go to sleep, Baine," he urges, approaching from behind the dire at an easy pace. He knows new blood's on the night shift; it's a tradition older than he-- a hazing absorbed from the Howls. He traveled with Bane one slaving season, long ago-- before the standing Sabora was even officially a Tracker. Sometimes he wishes things were that simple. Sometimes he misses Sagaris. "I can take this one." He'd take everyone that arrived if it kept his mind off it.

  He sits in expectant silence, allowing the exhausted Sentry to leave. Or, if he's anything like the Bane Gabriel knew, pointedly sticks around to observe. Cricket chirps overlap the morning's first bird calls. Spend enough time looking, you can tell he's just as tired, only in a different way-- he suspects (maybe hopes) this woman is the same way. At long last, he asks, "What's your name?"