How far have we come?

@Ira

---

 The wilds beyond his land were just as wide and open as he had expected. Here in the foothills, you could see for miles while still having gaps of travel where you barely saw above your head. They rolled like waves, rising and lowering as he traveled. Mordecai was some distance away, likely seeking out his own interactions with strangers, but he was sure if he truly needed him, he was just a call away.

 Though, so far he had not needed him. He had only passed one wolf so far in his journey but there was plenty more to be done.

 In the far distance, he could see further mountains rising up, forests blooming across the foothills before then. He pondered if that peak there was home to a pack, like the nameless mountain that Empyrean claimed to the south.

 The starlit titan made his way down one of the foothills to a stream, where he paused to catch his breath and have a drink.

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Another day of traveling. Another day of wandering. What purpose drove her paws was of little concern, so long as she made full use of the day. The High Queen was unsure what made this land so sparse of wolves. Most of her encounters took place somewhere around a full day's travel or more just to even cross another aside from the prey. Ira had made promise to herself that she would not question this land and instead focus on living, though the occasional thought would still drift into her mind.

Perhaps this had been a new world by the gods. A fresh start for all, not just her own. Had the turmoil grown so strong that they abandoned their world? What made her special to start anew? Her questions were but a void in space forever tossed into the unknown. How unfortunate that even with prayer she would never be given a straight answer. Ira emerged from the woods to where the familiar mossy hills spread out before her, and in addition, a man who looked almost as if he had lept from the sky itself.

Heavy clouds blotting a night sky with a gaze as fierce as the sun. He was strange but admittedly handsome in some odd way. Had he been a woman she would have assumed him to be a reincarnation of Nott herself. “ Hail, Stranger. What brings you this way?” Likely nothing. Everyone was a traveler nowadays, simply going where the wind or gut guided.

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@Ira

---

 Another was near.

 He lifted his head, water dripping from his chin as he turned towards the stranger who was approaching, just in time to hear her call to him. He licked the water from his lips, examining her as he readied to speak. She was tall and lean, with a pleasant range of blues and greys across her coat. Her eyes were shadowed by dark fur while her snout and cheeks had a paler grey hue, never quite reaching into a truly white range. She was pretty, but not in the way a damsel in distress would ever be. The way she held herself and the black scars that splashed across her face spoke of the truth: she was powerful.

 Had he known she was comparing him to a goddess, to night personified... he would have felt such a mixture of delight and irony, similar to that which he felt when the name Ichorwood had been chosen for his forest. A strange and complex relationship with gods, the man had.

 “Hail,” he copied her greeting with a respectful dip of his head, “I'm seeking out what packs may live in the greater area to know what neighbors I might have.” He did not want to go into specifics just yet, in case this powerful woman was one of a group who would see his pack's presence as a threat to be dealt with. He would tilt his head, querying her respectfully, “and yourself, ma'am?”

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He looked to her quickly, water still dripping freely from his maw as he slipped his tongue to catch what he had missed. In the time it took for her to look over him, the man seemed to do the same though his eyes did not linger long. With his own bow, he returned her greeting, claiming to be in search of other packs that made their homes within the mountain ranges. “Then you may look no further.” He had said neighbors, though he did not mention what status he held within his own pack. Part of her assumed he might be an alpha, but he could have just as easily been sent by one to look in their stead.

“I am Ira, High Queen of Vanderfell Woods. We claim that mountain, or a portion of it anyway.” Perhaps one day they would stretch their borders, but even to she an entire range seemed excessive. Who knows though, perhaps one day they would grow to such numbers that a claim that large would be required to sustain their ranks. She craned her neck, nodding to the distant peaks and woods that obscured the lower reaches.

“I know of others nearby as well, though your scent is not familiar.” Empyrean would have been her best bet given the direction he seemed to have traveled in, but he did not smell like them, nor did he hold Hydra's scent. “I think it would only be fair that you share about the claim you reside in first.” Word would travel one way or another where her home was, but she would not freely give out any further information lest this man soon become an enemy.

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 It was not that the woman wasn't beautiful, for surely she was, but with the power in her stance he felt it unwise to linger his gaze too long. Wolves this far east seemed to be eager to find offense in anything and he wasn't of the desire to start up another altercation.

 Especially after he learned that she was a high queen. He dipped his chin respectfully when her rank and name was given, though he did not speak yet. Her eyes were golden, a quiet reminder of his own flame-lit ones who he must have inherited from his father. She spoke eloquently and indicated to the mountain that she had claimed - so he looked to it, inspecting the peaks. If they owned the mountain, he wondered if her wandering beyond the mountain was in search of recruits, mates, or extending her own claim to reach further into the foothills. He hadn't caught the scent of any particular packs, so he figured if the former was the case, it was a new venture.

 He offered a polite smile, “It is an honor to meet you, High Queen Ira.” Training from his mother coming into play immediately, he went on to introduce himself, “I am Crux, Singularity - king - of Event Horizon. Our claim is the autumnal forest of Ichorwood, beyond the Stone Mountain and tucked against the sea westward.” He rarely went to their shore, but they had stretched their land out to it for security of borders. With one side claimed by the sea, there was less chance of intruders diving in from that direction. They could put their focus on the mountains to the east and the lands to the north and south.

 He looked at her again, satisfied that his previous understanding of her confidence was in fact the power of a pack. “This is the furthest east I have come as of yet, though I've met a couple of packs further south of my land.” He had met Hydra at the edge of his own claim and then Dirge when wandering south. Then, he had met the warlord Vengeance, who had come after hearing about him from the Empyreans. From what he understood, the Nightwalkers lived even further south, in a woodlands beyond the mountains.

 Unsure of what else the high queen would want to know, he waited at attention, body at a calm confidence though careful to not display dominance over this woman. Though they held the same rank - he assumed - and her land was nearby, he was not here to dominate or prance about his own power. This was foreign land and he would act the foreign dignitary.

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“Singularity...” The word was faintly uttered as she tested the title on her lips. Never had she heard of such ranking, though perhaps it was part of something more. He too was a King, or perhaps that was just translation to a structure she was more familiar with. “I'm afraid I have never heard of these places you speak of. I have not traveled much further than these plains, only to that mountain in the distance.” Hydra's mountain. 

She couldn't help but wonder how the other queen faired now that some time had passed. Had she found more of her family? Had their numbers grown or were they, for the most part, unbothered by travelers like herself. “Nevertheless, the pleasure is mine. You come from that direction, yes? Do you know of Hydra?” Based on the placement of the mountains, it was possible that Hydra had decided to name her territory Stone Mountain, or perhaps it was part of another chain nearby.

“Aside from her pack, I know of few others. Recently a group by the name of Elysium has taken to the lake at the base of my mountain. I know little of them thus far, but they are pleasant neighbors at the moment.” It would be hard to complain about wolves that sought peaceful coexistence, especially when they had made the effort to bring such a generous gift.

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 It was a unique title to his pack, one he'd decided on very recently. In fact, titles were a bit of a game of juggling. He'd felt his previous title of Supreme a bit too haughty and the title Mordecai had given him of Prince a bit... Well. Any pack might ask who the king or queen was, if he called himself prince. At least with Singularity, it indicated to the fact that he was set apart from the rest.

 Ah, so she knew of Hydra! “I have met both she and her husband. Empyrean lies further south and inland of our land. We are...” he looked up to the sky, discerning where the sun was at this time before looking back towards her. “When the sun sets from here, it would rest atop Ichorwood before falling behind the horizon.” In other words, due west.

 The High Queen didn't seem outwardly aggressive, so he felt no worry at giving specifics. After all, if packs were to come to his border from simple word of mouth, why shouldn't the mouth those words come from be his own?

 Elysium... the name was not familiar - at least at this point. Nevertheless, if they were pleasant, he would tuck it away for future reference. “Your pack, Vanderfell Woods, could you tell me a bit about it? Beliefs, values, things like that.” Perhaps they would be similar to Empyrean and his own: Creation of family and survival together. It was a fairly obvious goal for a pack and he had no judgement either way, but if this queen's pack had some other overlying motif, he was eager to hear about it.

 Especially if it could affect his own people.

---

This thread is before Crux meets Harper~

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So he had met her. Ira's mind drifted back to her brief encounter with the queen. Supposedly they had known each other, but even now she could only recall recent memories. Hydra might as well be a stranger, not the friend she had once suggested. Still, she wished to see what was there or what might have been had it truly been her she once knew. As Crux motioned towards his own claim, golden eyes would be quick to follow. If he lived as close as he said perhaps seeking out his woods would be added to her list once she was ready to travel further.

“I shall take note of this. I see no reason to hide our values should you offer the same.” He lived far enough that his pack was of no direct concern to her, though if they did not get along, he and his people may bring trouble down the road. If Hydra had no qualms with their existence though, then she likely had naught to fear.

“We banded together quickly after awakening here. It was determined that our past lives were lost, so we must now forge anew. As Vanderfell's High Queen I took inspiration from my birth pack, albeit some much-needed changes. Blood is only as good as the wolves who carried it. If you wish to live with us you must provide for us, and in turn, we provide for you.” In a sense, no one was to be left behind, so long as you showed the effort that you belonged. It was all that mattered to her, even as a child. Those who work to prove themselves would be rewarded not shunned for trivial matters like where your parents once came from.

She paused, turning her head to look back at the fanged man. “Every soul who walks this earth has a role in life, if you do not know what it might be then we will find it, grow lazy and dependent then you best look elsewhere. Self-worth is important if a pack is to remain strong, everyone must strive for greatness... but one must not forget themselves. Remember your place. Remember to respect those above you and at the very end, uphold your honor lest you risk losing it to one who will.”

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 She spoke of banding together, forgetting lost lives and forging anew. He nodded in agreement, keen eyes locked on similarly hued as the woman explained her land, her people, her beliefs. He understood the need to change, to make new from what was old. He pushed aside a thought that it felt a bit like an advertisement, as if that wasn't exactly what he had asked for when inquiring about her land and her people.

 Of course, to each wolf, their own people were the pinnacle of wolfkind.

 “Your pack sound respectable and strong,” he mused approvingly. “Event Horizon is similar, though I think you could say the same about most packs.” He'd give a soft laugh. After all, were not all packs in this strange new land just wolves banded together to survive and make names for themselves?

 “Unfortunately, my own birth pack was nothing to be proud of, so I am determined to not repeat the mistakes of the past. It was a warlike pack whose blood thirst was its downfall - Now, we are born out of circumstance. Lost souls banded together as a new family, protective of our own but open to alliances, visitors, and the like. War only brings suffering and suffering we have felt in full - for those of us who remember it - so we arise from the ashes to build each other up, together.” What use was a pack who served nothing but war?

 Those who had felt suffering and had grown from it were stronger than those who had never had to see the harsh realities of war.

 He thought to the wolf he had met, Vengeance, who called himself warlord. He decided that later, he would tell Queen Ira of the Nightwalkers, but he knew little more about them than the title of their king and a bounty passed on by the titan. Her opinion of the pack would be her own and he would not wish to input his own personal bias.

 “I don't suppose you have any idea how or why we all seem to have been sprung on this place?” For each wolf it seemed different - some remembered their lives as if nothing had occurred. Others remembered little but their own names. He was somewhere in the middle, though he remembered enough to know that he had to make this life better.

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10 years later I am here

---

So it seemed she had sold her pack well. It was almost unfortunate now that he already hailed from one with ideals so similar. Allies were still an option to consider, but the distance seemed great and they were still but strangers. Any smart mind can pass off promising words, but that did not make them inherently good or someone who would better off her. At least for now, it was another consideration.

“I know the horrors you speak of, though my birth pack did not wage for war, wars still came our way. I seek peace, though I will defend what I love and those who give their life to me.” As any great alpha should really. Talents aside, she would be no better than those below her, the only difference was that her people had put their trust into her and with their support, they thrived. Naturally, that meant her life should come before the harm of any under her domain. “I have had to make the hard decisions before. I was placed in the path of war and set to lead my pack through the conflict.”

Perhaps if she had been trusted back then she would have stayed, but how could one lead and give her life when those behind her did not want her alive. “I know not why we have come to these lands. I've heard whispers of rebirth and the afterlife, but I know I have not died and this is no Valhalla nor Fólkvangr. I see a third path. For whatever reason, we have been presented with new beginnings.” Perhaps the answer laid in their past lives. Crux had come from a war-hungry plague, while her own talents and efforts were shadowed by tainted blood. Maybe the gods saw more for them as did they for the rest. Truly a new opportunity to live the greatness set before them.

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 Her tales of her homeland were mildly familiar, though they were dissimilar from his homeland. No, his birth pack prepared for war with every breath of their being. It had been one of the things he had grown in and grown sick of, thankfully escaping when it Fell. Nevertheless, he nodded thoughtfully as she spoke of leading them through war.

 Then, she spoke a name he recognized.

 “The people of my birth spoke of Valhalla,” he said, brows raising in curiosity. Though the other, Fólkvangr, his people had not spoken of. It sounded familiar, though not as essential to his kin, apparently. “Our goal was to prepare for Ragnarok and my mother called her family Gimlé, in reference to the resting place for the survivors of Armageddon.” It had been a small sect, almost a family, though he had not been brought into its fold. “I remember an event like a small Ragnarok, the fall of my birthplace, but I also remember no death.” If this was the afterlife, why couldn't he remember how he must have died? It could not have been Valhalla, this land, but if this woman had not seen Ragnarok then how could it have been Gimlé?

 It made no sense.

 Still, he agreed with her. “It may be impossible for us to learn how or why we came, so new beginnings and moving on are all that we can do.”

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Ira listened with interest, her ears flicking forward with attention. “Then we might come from more similar pasts than we once thought.” How interesting that he too had Norse origins. The roan woman could scarcely remember a time she met another of similar origins, but perhaps it was another testament to this land's existence. She had seen no Ragnarok, but perhaps the gods had something else in store for them after all.

“I have seen no such thing, though I left my homeland some time ago.” Would it be possible for such an event to only affect those who worshiped the gods of old? Tales told of a large-scale event that would plague all, yet here they stood. “It seems we are in agreement then. Do you have any further questions pertaining to these mountains? I have little to offer beyond what has been shared. If your curiosity has been quelled then it may be best that I see myself home before too long.”

The mountain queen had almost lost track of time completely, but it was clear that the sun was beginning to reach its final points of the day before retiring. Climbing the mountain would be easier when there was still light to guide her path.

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 Crux gave a small smile at that - to think they might be from the same realm would incredible. Perhaps he might find others here that he even might know. Perhaps... perhaps his own mothers or the few wolves he knew as friends, before their own disappearances. “That is good,” he admitted, “Ragnarok was not a time I would wish on my worst enemies.” The fire, the pain. The loss of home and friend.

 He shuddered, shaking his coat out.

 “I do not! I'll leave you to it, may we meet again under as amiable circumstances.” The starlit prince dipped his head in a bow and smiled, allowing her to speak if she needed to before he headed on his way, avoiding her boundaries carefully. “It was a pleasure to meet you, High Queen Ira of Vanderfell Woods.”

---

Exit unless she has something else to say that would need a reply!

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The roan woman couldn’t help but find herself in agreement. Ira knew of Ragnarok, but never was she prepared to face it or expect to see it in her lifetime. What came after promised blessings, but nothing worth the raging wars and disasters that would preceded it. It seemed that Crux had also thought the same as he shuddered briefly.

“And I, you. May the gods keep watch, King Crux.” With a dip of her head she watched as he turned to leave and she too would follow suit, paws destined for the mountains.

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