I can make it quick, or I can make it so much worse.

After a few days, Druth learned that the mountains were definitely not where he wanted to be. Although a significant improvement from the barren, frozen wasteland he'd woke to, he found the ground there was not to his liking. It was too uneven and too rugged, and almost every attempt at hunting easy prey had been a failure. He would starve there, had it not been for @Reiko and her odd friend, but the last thing he wanted was to rely on them in order to survive. Druth, though aged, was more than capable of enduring and surviving.

He meandered lazily through the lowlands that afternoon, keen to get a move on from this unfamiliar place but reluctant to leave his companions quite so soon. He had offered to help the pale she-wolf find her children, after all, if she could aid his journey to a more suitable place to settle for a time. It didn't feel like he'd done much to uphold his end of the bargain, so he roamed with a keen eye in search of two pale-furred cubs.

Pausing by the stream to rest, the aging wanderer dipped his muzzle to lap briefly at the water's surface. It tasted fresh and eased his dry throat, but the chill of it made his teeth throb a little. Lifting his greying crown, he took a short time to look around at his surroundings and admire signs of Spring in the areas where snow had thawed.


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The spring thaw revealed many gifts to those who thrived on the end products of decay, and Atlas had taken a liking to a particularly lush area of foothills that seemed positively brimming with opportunity. Much of it was a bit fresh for his liking and hadn't yet been exposed long enough to be picked clean by scavengers, but thankfully there was essentially no effort wasted on searching - it was just craggy enough to provide a steady supply of updrafts for him to glide upon with ease. It was also a bit more visually inspiring than his favoured arid, treeless slopes.

A desiccated sheep skeleton on the cliffside had caught his eye, and he descended to meet it, rolling a few bones around with his beak before ultimately selecting a stout femur he knew would be loaded with rich marrow. It was a bit too large to swallow whole and would have to be shattered, but there weren't any appropriate exposed areas to drop it on, so he shuffled over to the edge of the drop and took off. He transferred the bone to his feet as he dropped, recovering his altitude with a few languid wingstrokes and turning into a high arc to assess the landscape below. There wasn't much that could be of use to him there, either, unless he wanted to drop it into the river. He was amenable to having a drink, however, and lazily drifted downwards. 

The grizzled old wolf at the creek's edge made for a convenient enough landmark to aim for, and he landed heavily some yards away with an exaggerated shuffling and folding of wings. Abandoning the femur momentarily, Atlas waddled over to the water and dipped his head to the surface for a sip of his own.
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Spring was well on its way, and Quicksilver was glad to see colour begin to bloom beneath the snow's thaw. Proof of Winter's hold remained in the solid ground beneath his feet and the way ice tried to cling to the water sources, but the days were getting longer and warmer. He was glad to see it wither, for within him the druid had found a longing for the changing of seasons and the warmth of a Summer sun at his back.

His thought were of Reiko that day as he ventured through the territory beneath Ira's mountain, having failed to keep her from them since their encounter in this very land. She was the epitome of beauty and purity, with a smile that'd lit up his entire world. Quicksilver's time in this strange, new place had roused many uncertainties within him that he continued to address, but nothing conflicted him more than the unexplainable feeling that meeting Reiko Izuka had stirred within him.

It was the sight of an unknown wolf at the stream's edge that drew Quicksilver from his quiet concerns, and he veered to change his course and begin to approach. With a soft chuff and a curious prick of his sterling lobes, the silverwhite regarded him kindly: “good afternoon.”

He kept his distance, and did not at first notice the unusual bird at the elderly wolf's opposite side until he paused to better look upon him. Quicksilver wondered if this was a companion of some sort, as he'd known canines to travel with avian friends, but he'd never seen a feathered creature quite like this one. He stared for a time, curious.


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It hadn't been long since the crane agreed to stay with Reiko and the rest of her group in search of the pups. There was no telling what Izumi was getting herself into by agreeing to it all, but after meeting someone she felt a small connection with despite never meeting before, the fae felt obligated to help. Besides -- anything that would get her off her feet and have her explore was a better change of pace than lounging around in confusion. 'How long will it take to find the two children with the followers we currently have?' she wondered to herself quietly -- and speaking of followers, the princess had yet to meet the two others which Reiko mentioned before. These Aerasha and Druth individuals -- just what were they like, exactly?

Izumi would never really know unless she tried, and so she did.

A scent trail that she picked up from Reiko earlier led to an arrangement of trees and flora just near the base of the mountain -- one of the search party members must be nearby. What should she say when they crossed paths? A simple hello? Should she ask whether they were just as lost as she was? Introductions weren't really her strong suit, so the princess hoped they were more of a talker than she was.....

"Hello?--" After a while of walking, the scented trail would finally lead towards a figure in the distance that made her pick up the pace, but the crane's long legs would come to a halt behind him as the full scene came into play -- and what a strange scene it was too. A greyscaled man, another approaching from a distance, and a........bird? Standing so close to a wolf without fear? Violent hues lurked around for a bit before Izumi could actually open her mouth, and even then could she not help but cant her head to the side. "Am I.....interrupting something?"

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He lifted his crown quickly at the nearby flutter of heavy wings, and turned to point his muzzle in the direction of such an unexpected sound. Druth felt water trickle down his chin and he swept his tongue over it briefly, a rugged charcoal ear splayed sideways in confusion at the sight he found. The bird was a giant, with odd hairy features unlike anything he'd ever seen, and he rumbled in contemplation as it landed close by and roamed his way.

Silently, he watched with a cool expression as it dipped its head to drink, and the old wolf made a careful sideways step to allow further space between them. Druth had never been overly fond of any avian creature, and he definitely didn't trust the sharpness of this one's beak.

Soon, another canine made its presence known. Hazel eyes were swift to find a pale youth head his way and, while Druth wasn't particularly interested in idle chit-chat or helping anyone else locate their lost family, he remained rooted as the stranger drew near. He seemed friendly enough, though the elder male's own expression was void of warmth. "Same t'you," he returned simply, and the appearance of another at the creek's edge had him look her way. She was a soft-looking thing, pale of fur and pointed in darker shades, but unfamiliar; he felt a little cornered to have been alone, then suddenly crowded. 


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Atlas was surprised to see the grizzled wolf shuffle slightly away from him, though he wasn't particularly offended. He half considered cracking a joke about carrion freshness, but decided it would be in poor taste. Having shared the mountains with wolves his entire life, he rarely entertained the fact that there were other kinds of them that did not live in the realm of bonebreakers or even know what they were.

As a second, then a third wolf materialized, Atlas himself experienced some discomfort. He could keep an eye on one of them, but he didn't fancy being on the ground in the presence of all three. In his experience, wolves did not target his kind, but there was no question that they would have been capable of it should they be keen for a meal, especially with three there. None of them had acknowledged him directly, and he lowered his head to retrieve his precious bone, confident that he was at least out of range of a pounce. Eyeing the canids sidelong, he launched himself upwards and away from the strange gathering with a few deep, leisurely wingbeats, quickly gaining height as he sought a lonelier place to enjoy his meal.
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He was a gruff old creature, travel-worn and maybe a little rough around the edges, but Quicksilver was curious to learn a little more about him. The young druid played a mental guessing game, imagining the stranger to easily be beyond his tenth year, and wondered of the many things he'd seen in his lifetime.

Lips parted, he prepared to offer his name and attempt to engage the grizzled elder in conversation when another voice interrupted. Quicksilver looked around, over a sterling shoulder to find the slight frame of a she-wolf who asked if she were interrupting in the same softly accented tones as a certain snowflower. “No,” he answered, encouraging her closer with a friendly beat of his tail, “are you...?” Reiko had mentioned her children to him, but he could not recall her commenting on any other relations. While this wolfess could easily be a sibling, he didn't feel comfortable assuming. “Do you know Reiko?”


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The fleshy-looking avian left, leaving all three of the wolves in the same place together. One of the men seemed eager to start a conversation, and the other (the one she was actually looking for) looked......uncomfortable. Was it because she appeared out of the blue so suddenly? Taking note of this, the young crane took a few steps back to give the brute some space and bowed her head, in both greeting and apologeticness for potentially scaring him.

Her attention temporarily switched from who she assumed was Druth and towards the silver-crested boy who approached. "You.....?" and for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was familiar in some way. "I know you....don't I?" the girl mumbled, more to herself rather than a direct question towards them, but would quickly brush the feeling of recollection for now and tilted her crown curiously at his question. "Why yes, we just so happen to travel together as a group..." she said with a sideways glance toward Druth and back "My name Izumi. May I ask how you know of Reiko?"

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He heard the bird take flight and shifted in surprise, having forgotten it was even there. Druth took a moment to observe its departure before his attention was returned to the duo who'd suddenly appeared. One, with tones similar to those of young Reiko, focused her attention on the silverwhite- and seemed to recognise him?

The old greynose twitched a whisker, largely uncomfortable with the whole situation that he'd unintentionally found himself part of. All he wanted was to drink his fill and carry on, so with a disinterested flick of an ear he lowered his muzzle to lap at the water again then turn to carry on his way.


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The elder spoke no words, and Quicksilver did not at first notice his disinterest in their little gathering. His attention was fixed on the two-toned female who... found him familiar? The druid froze, looked briefly around to confirm that her question was directed at him, then turned back to meet her orchid gaze. “I...” he splayed an ashen ear, uncomfortable with her scrutiny, “I don't...?”

Do you?

A moment, then, of feeling torn. He wanted so desperately to reacquaint himself with who he'd been before - to unearth the truth of his family, the pack he had come from. Similarly, he was fearful to know. What if something truly awful had happened to him, and this repression was his mind's way of protecting him from the trauma?

Who am I?

He looked to Izumi, tried to read her features, and willed himself to remember.


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The young crane stood and watched the elder slink away, shifting awkwardly on her two front paws and sighing with slight disappointment that she didn't get to introduce herself to them -- perhaps another time? Introductions were so complicated.....

Her lavender gaze was quick to snap back at the silver-crested boy when he spoke back up, and while he didn't really answer her question about Reiko, it was only then that she'd remember her earlier statement. Right, he did look familiar now that she thought about it...

And with calm and gentle steps, the young crane would slowly make her way closer towards the boy, lavender eyes scanning his features until something began to click in that head of hers -- Lumiya's court -- Seelie court. "....S........Sundance...? Is that you?" Sundance was the name of a boy with similar features like this one -- soft colors, light eyes, and lengthy legs similar to her own. Though considering she wasn't too acquainted with the boy back then in comparison to Teya and Bridget, Izu could've easily been mistaken.

So she waited -- backing away a wee bit with a stoney expression that anticipated his answer, and waited for him to confirm whether or not she was right, or if she was just crazy...

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S... Sundance?

He twitched his ears atop his sterling crown, as far forward and as high as they would go, expecting something to ignite with recognition within him. He searched the farthest reaches of his frantically beating heart, opened his mind, willed his memory to return full force.

But it did not.

Still as empty as before, he wilted. Quicksilver did not recall this name she spoke of in her lilting foreign tones, and his powder blue eyes dropped in quiet defeat. That, clearly, was not who he was, and he bore no recollection of the siamese fae's fine features. He blinked up again to bravely search the lilac depth of her lovely eyes, but again, he felt no connection to her or the name she'd provided.

“I'm so sorry, I...” a soft breath exhaled from past his fangs then, and the silverwhite fidgeted at the sudden discomfort that came over him. “I think you've mistaken me for someone else?”

Such a shame, for in a beat of a single moment he'd thought fiercely to have found some link to who he'd once been.


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Was it the quiet desperation to find out what had happened to the members of her befallen home making her feel this way, or was it the sudden disappointment his answer brought her? Whatever might've been the reason, a small tinge of pained sadness crossed her averted violets, for the split of a second, before they switched back to him once more with her masked passivity. Izu wanted confirmation that she was only spewing foolishness through her curiosities, but that didn't make it hurt any less -- where did everyone go?

"I......probably did.....my apologies..." She averted her eyes once more as a sorrowful softness reached her voice. A part of her wanted to inquire further in refusal that she going crazy and that this was one of the missing members of Lumiya's court, but harassing the silver druid any further didn't seem appropriate -- not when she might've been wrong.

Clearing her throat and shuffling herself back into the regal stance she always donned, the crane decided to go back to the previous inquiry "You sought out Reiko, right? I wasn't aware of anyone else who traveled with her, other than a few who I've seen in passing. Do you....happen to be a friend of hers?"

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She apologised, which was sweet - but totally unnecessary. “Oh, that... that's alright,” he smiled sheepishly, feeling his cheeks flush beneath the alabaster of his fur. “My name is Quicksilver.”

The topic moved onto the name of another, Reiko, who seemed to be a mutual acquaintance of theirs. That explained how he'd detected the scent of her on the air surrounding the duo, and still he assumed that the pointed wolfess was a relation of hers.

“Friends, yes. We met recently, but I don't travel with her. I live with my pack-mates on the mountain,” he regarded the impressive reaches briefly with a sweep of his pale eyes, “we are Vanderfell Woods. I should... probably be getting back to them.”

To Izumi he dipped his muzzle, feeling bad to lie about his speedy getaway, but he was rather overwhelmed by her recognition of him. He bid her farewell and departed hastily, eager suddenly to be by himself.


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