But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong

Nemean didn't know what it was to be social anymore. After his tryst with Annika, he'd mostly managed to keep to himself. He stuck... well, not close to the lake, because there were a pawful of other scents around and the thought of being approached made him a bit nervous. Sure, it'd gone well last time, but the time before that, Caligula's venomous friend hadn't been pleased with how close he'd been lingering. 

It'd never stopped him, nor did the potential threat of stepping on toes, but he didn't particularly want to leave, either. 

The lake was beautiful. Clear, cool, secluded; framed by mountains on one side, and to the north bordered the tundra. He'd finally stretched his legs and let himself climb the peaks, carefully at first, but it seemed that by now his leg was pretty much better. Sometimes it got a little sore, but he wondered if that wasn't just going to be a permanent reminder or if it was just a sign he was pushing himself too hard, too soon. 

The Nightshade didn't linger long in any one place, never sleeping in the exact same area twice and hoping, this time, to avoid others till he decided he was ready. He kept telling himself that joining a pack wasn't something he was interested in, but fuck, life as a rouge was lonely. He missed having at least a traveling companion, but more than that, he missed having a purpose. He missed adding his hunts to the caches or, better yet, hand delivering his trophy to someone he thought needed it. He missed the unity of those he cared for around him, the protection and the stability. 

But how was that a life he belonged in, anymore? How was he supposed to keep letting people in when all they did was use him, or hurt him, or leave him? Nothing good in his life had ever lasted, and he was, what.... just supposed to trust that one day, someone special would come along and none of it would matter anymore?

Life wasn't a fucking fairy tale, and Nemean was nothing more than a lost soul full of anger until he finally died. 

The blue man approached the lake quietly, ears on swivel while he crouched at the waters edge to dip his head down for a drink. His dual gaze roamed what he could see; wary, tense, but more than anything unsure. 

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[narrow width=700]She had suspected a stranger prowling about the grounds, but had been much too busy flitting about and finishing her mental map of their new home. It had been some time now since they'd settled in, and she was feeling more confident by the day as their scent broadened to the outskirts of their territory - not so much for hostile reasons, but just as a general 'hey, we're here!' to outsiders looking for a sign.

The morning dawned crisp and clear over the mountains that loomed overhead, sending bright rays of golden light flooding down onto the lake and surrounding grassland. Valeska stopped, feeling the need to appreciate the view - if not purgatory, she reasoned, this was the closest a mortal body could get to the afterlife. The water seemed to ignite in an ethereal glow beneath the sun's heavenly touch, glimmering and golden as it shimmered like fairy lights in an enchanted forest. She smiled to herself, feeling a little jolt of pride as she admired their home.
In some ways, it was worth dying in the Land Before - just to be here, with them.

All of them.

How had they managed to reunite in a new world whose scope might be limitless beyond imagination? How fortunate, how blessed were they to have all awoken in the same place, even in the same time? The Five were generous with their favor, and she could only begin to repay their benevolence by creating a haven for those as lost as she herself once was. This was to be her great work; her singular joy.

Her thoughts trailed off as a large figure suddenly registered in her line of sight at the shoreline; big and dark and masculine, he appeared almost furtive, ears swiveling about and eyes darting nervously as he drank his fill. Peculiar. Valeska set off at a brisk trot, her little form streaking through the grasses like a silver star. 'Busybody' was an apt term to describe her, though she meant well; she just liked to be in the know, especially concerning fresh blood in her - their - new land.

“Ah hah!” she declared triumphantly, halting a few yards away to give him adequate space. “Thought I recognized scent. You are very sneak, but do not mind. I am Valeska, High Priestess of Elysium - do you have name?”

Her nose twitched, and she caught the faintest whiff of someone familiar. Smoke... and a hint of vanilla. She smiled to herself, but chose not to say anything direct.

“Have you met others here, or are you alone? You may stay and rest, by all mean! Means.”

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That Nemean might really have died to Ba'al's teeth had occurred to him, but being dead wasn't something he was willing to accept. Especially not at the paws of that ungrateful fuck. No, no he'd lived, but for what? To slink about the lake and take a drink when he thought he was alone? Sequester himself into the nooks and crannies of the mountains and avoid the scent of each and every canine that came his way?
Piper might've done exactly that, he mused bittersweetly -- his mother was no coward, but the group had always come before anything else, and he could see her tucking them all away in some caves like the ones in the evergreen forest to keep them safe. The Nightshade wondered what the chances of them being anywhere nearby was, but quickly squashed the thought; Valerie wasn't likely to be happy with how long he'd already taken "catching up", and he didn't think it was a place he belonged. It was best if the valley really was lost in the far, far distance, no matter how badly he missed his family. 

Nemean was pulled by his brooding thoughts by a figure, unannounced by the wind and quiet in step. 

The pale dawn set her ablaze with shades of snow and starlight, and though he hadn't really signed up for company, her tiny figure didn't do much to intimidate. Small, though not tiny in build like so many women seemed to be; he was sure he'd never seen fur quite like hers, deciding he liked it compared to his own darker tones. That didn't mean a coil of tension wasn't wound around his heart, or his belly didn't suddenly feel like it was filled with rocks; he straightened up and stood as she darted his way, certain he was about to meet trouble and likely for having skirted the boundaries of her home for too long. 

Nemean was the mighty lion of the Nightshade family, and he would not go down without a fight.

Each muscle beneath his blue pelt was tense by the time she drew in close, but to his surprise, she stopped. 

'Ah hah!'

Confusion flooded his senses as he watched her, tongue swiping around his lips as she spoke; Ears wilted, brows drawn tight, and head low, Nem was a little lost at first, but as she introduced herself, realized she was apparently the whole fucking LEADER of the pack he'd smelled. And.... apparently she didn't mind him being, as she called it, sneaky. Well -- that was the word for it, no? He counted himself lucky she didn't give off the same murdery vibe Eldra did and let himself loosen a bit, extremely thankful he had space. He noted that she had the same slightly odd way of speaking that Annika did, the one that made him think English wasn't their first tongue, either -- and perhaps they hadn't known it long. 

Valeska, High Priestess of Elysium, and she was asking for his name. 

"Nemean Nightshade, rouge of absolutely nowhere," he drawled in his stormy voice, the lines in his face smoothing as he realized she wasn't, in fact, going to bite the rest of his face off. Thank god, really, because he already couldn't afford to be any more scarred up without really pushing ugly! Piper had successfully convinced him the burns hadn't tarnished his good looks, but some days, he wondered.   

"Both," he hummed with the flick of an ear as they righted themselves, "I'm alone, and I've tried not to intrude on your... Elysium, you said? I met an Annika a few weeks ago, if she's with you, but I haven't seen her since."

He'd been... too busy hiding, he supposed. Not from her --he certainly wouldn't have minded running into Anni again-- but just so in general that he might've missed her. He didn't even know if she was a part of the group or not, but he was pretty sure her scent was twined within. Hopefully the pretty priestess here didn't think he was trying to steal her members and change her welcoming attitude -- though really, she encouraged him to just... hang out. Rest, even though he'd clearly been here... what, a moon cycle now?

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[narrow width=700]If he felt apprehension at all, Valeska didn't pick up on it. She continued cheerily on as the morning light filled the landscape around them in streaks of brilliant gold, the former silence of dawn now broken by a flock of sparrows flying noisily overhead. The gentleman in front of her was the picture of intimidation - vastly tall and thickly built, a wolf with any sense would have shown some fear in approaching, but the silver female seemed to care little for her own safety in this manner. She was rash and bolstered by faith unyielding; as a devoted priestess of the Five, she rarely felt the cold grip of terror wrap its bitter claws around her heart.

She was, in her mind, totally invincible.

Barring one incident with that dark devil she ran into underneath a log. Still, she escaped with only minor wounds to her flank, and they had healed over in a timely enough manner (though her fur hadn't quite yet grown back in all the way).

As the stranger formally introduced himself, she let her eyes drift across his scarred face, barely registering if it might be taken as impolite - his scars held so many untold stories, she could hardly resist the urge to ask after them before he continued explaining his presence. What great tragedy could have caused a burn like that? She'd never even seen a fire with her own eyes, though she had heard tales of the forests south of her old home being set ablaze in the dry season.
Mercifully, she abstained.

“Nemean? It is good to meet you! Oh, and how wonderful that you know Annika; she is lovely woman, and so good with the hunt,” she replied cheerily, blinking up at him with wide, honest eyes. He seemed nice enough, and his skulking about their home was of little concern as long as he wasn't vandalizing property or sacred worship sites. “She is one of our Elysium-family, though a little quiet. Found unexpected blood ties here, and she and my sister are still - how to say - awkward. Do not know how to talk to each other yet. Am confident it will come in time, but it is well she has more friends like you, I think.”

Valeska waved a paw dismissively over his hesitancy in lingering. “You do not intrude. All are welcome here, in passing or permanence,” she said blithely. Perhaps she might be perceived as a little too lax for an Alpha, particularly over such a bountiful swath of land as Fate's Respite, but according to the gods, good things were meant to be shared - and she had never truly met a stranger. Why start now? Besides, Annika seemed lonely, and another friendly face might do her good.

“So how did you awaken in this place, Nemean-friend? Seems no one arrives in same way. I perished in great earthquake in the Land Before; it was probably awful, but thankfully do not remember much after hitting head very hard against wall of deep chasm.”

It was spoken so casually, she might as well have talking about the weather.

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It was nice, almost, to be in the presence of someone so.... cheery. Sure, she probably had some dark, troubled past too, but she wasn't pouting by the shore of a lake just as the sun peeked above the horizon to start a new day, hoping not to be spotted. She didn't avoid people like a plague and worry too much about protecting herself for any given reason at any moment. 
Her golden gaze swept across his face, and while there was always a self-aware twinge deep in his gut, he didn't react -- he'd long since grown used to the stares of others, though it was almost better now that he wasn't a yearling, features freshly pink and suddenly bare. 

Where Nemean might've worried she thought he was stealing her member away, Valeska seemed thrilled to hear Anni had found herself a friend, that she was indeed a member, but still awkward with.... her blood? Family she didn't know she had, apparently? Was she this pale woman's sister, or like, aunt? 

Awkward indeed, but more curious yet was her continued lack of.... well, the only word he could think of was possessiveness. 

"What's the catch? Nobody smart just lets some rouge siphon their resources without getting something in return."

He might've questioned more about Annika, or maybe the pack, but Valeska asked how he'd woken up here -- the comment struck him as odd. Waking up here, unfortunately, wasn't his first brush with coming to without an idea as to why or where he was; he'd just been thankful to wake up at all, that he still held the memories of his life he felt like he'd only just regained. 

But Valeska -- the pale woman spoke of her death, how nobody seemed to have the same story, but everyone simply awakened. At least, the way she worded it made him assume that nobody chose to come here, but that must've been just the way she spoke. Hell, he was more willing to believe magic had carted him off here and saved him from the aftermath of the fight  than he'd lost the fight and died. 

"I didn't die," were the first words that came to mind, indignant and quite frankly, caught off guard. How could he be dead if he'd woken up? Sure he didn't know where he was, and yeah, the fight had been getting pretty bloody when he'd passed out.... but he felt his heart thrumming in his chest, heard it whooshing in his veins. He was warm, and he was breathing, and he was alive. 

"I just.... woke up, like you said. I just woke up in some forest a little south of here, bloody and tired. The last thing I remember was a fight, but someone saved me."

There'd been another dark wolf there, right? He couldn't remember, but he thought it'd been a woman -- watching. For just a brief, terrifying moment, he wondered if it wasn't Death incarnate, but brushed the worry aside. Evidence surely proved he was living, breathing, and thanks to Caligula, healthy. He wasn't.... dead. 
He was aware of how bad all the details lined up for exactly that, but nothing would deter his belief. Valeska remembered dying: surely, he would've too.

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[narrow width=700]To her surprise, something about his expression said that he didn't quite believe her and her unusual pack's lax attitude toward strangers, and her suspicions were quickly confirmed. It was true - they were a bit odd compared to the normal band of wolves (perhaps an understatement), but Valeska had grown up in a traditional pack and experienced the brutality first-hand of pride and arrogance. They had died clinging to their stubbornness, their inability to yield to change as they had slowly starved on that mountaintop.

No. They would be different. She would make sure her father's bitter legacy died with him.

“Have you seen how big it is?” she asked with smiling eyes, gesturing to the vibrant and sprawling landscape surrounding them. “You will hardly be bother. We would love if you formally stay as part of family, of course, but is not requirement to visit and relax. Will also mention my sister has helped us form alliance with pack called Eventful Horizon, and plan to throw feast for them soon, if you do make permanent residence.”

Thus far they had been so caught up in rounding up their former members and establishing this place as a home, they hadn't managed to host any formal events just yet - but gods willing, that was about to change. Valeska thrived on playing hostess and Event Coordinator, and they were just about due for their summer festival in the coming weeks.

Nemean did, however, seem a little bothered at the casual suggestion of his death. She hadn't meant any insult, since for her, this was a simple fact of life - or afterlife - but she did acknowledge that not everyone had arrived in the same way, nor under the same circumstances. Perhaps he hadn't died. Others claimed they hadn't.

But... he described a fight.

Had someone saved him, after all?

Valeska didn't think it prudent to ask any further.

“Some of us have seen others we knew from the previous world,” she said, changing the subject to something a little less dark. “Have you seen family here?”
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For someone who'd been raised in quite frankly the opposite mindset, it was hard to believe there were people out there who were good simply for the sake of it. Maybe the pale little woman was just really good at hiding whatever she really thought about him hanging around and was just being polite. Still, even Nemean had to admit, it was a pretty big expanse of land. He'd been evading direct contact with everyone for the month he'd been nearby and clearly, hadn't started effecting them. 

He appreciated the trees, around here. He might've been born of two mountain wolves and had moved there at a very young age, but the cover of a forest like the one he'd been born in initially was something he'd never shake.

"So the catch is that you hope I join," he mused softly, mulling over what she meant by throwing a feast. The obvious, of course, was that she was wholly intended to feed another packs own members and let them in on the territory, celebrate their alliance. This idea was a little less foreign, for though the Vale had never settled anywhere long enough in his time to have any alliances, he knew Piper took care of her own, and that any allies she made would be allowed free passage into the territory, and though perhaps not freely fed, allowed to share hunting grounds.
Really, though, it said more about the pack. Not just their alpha, but the members would be welcoming of their new friends -- did each and every one of them agree? 

"No family," the Nightshade lion responded breezily, trying not to let the idea of death linger and shake him further, "A friend, though. He was kind enough help me get back on my paws, but his leader would have expected something from me in return had he found out. I've never known somebody that would aid a total stranger without something in return." 

It was strange, to feel so.... disarmed. All Nemean had ever known was the hard shell around him -- and the moment he'd let a crack in the wall, he'd been stabbed repeatedly in the back, failed, let the only family he knew of at the time walk away. Losing his memories had made him soft, and even then, he'd been drawn to serve the Dominion. He'd always been drawn to the strong, never shied from any challenge. 

Somehow the way she just kept smiling at him, insistent on being a cheery little bundle of kindness, just felt like another summons to adventure. Despite being stubborn, Nemean was smart -- his mind liked to keep working, and he liked to learn new things. He wasn't always particularly nice, but he didn't bother with lies.
Unfortunately, stagnating was something he couldn't do. When he was healing, he at least told himself that was the purpose, but now?

Now he was better; he scaled the cliffs and perused those rocky ledges like a goat, sure-footed and at home. He had no purpose and no destination, and for such a proud man who'd grown up very near like royalty, he wasn't as selfish as most other Nightshade's. He was most at home when he felt needed, seen -- not just another piece of the puzzle that blended into the whole. 

Nem's dual gaze slid to the lake's crystalline surface, past his own marred features and to the life beyond. He watched one fish dart after a smaller one, tracing them a moment or two before they vanished in the distance. The flock of sparrows had settled in a couple of the trees further out, chittering and chirping and apparently glad to be alive. How many times had he wished for a pair of wings to take him far from all he suffered, somewhere he could feel..... Home. 
Nemean liked this area. It wasn't the canyon the Vale had tried to settle originally, the place that so far in his life, was the only place he ever felt truly at home. It wasn't the tundra and the tunnels Piper tried to settle in after the fire, but somehow, a piece of both. There wasn't a rocky shore to visit, but there was a nice lake, brimming with life and attracting it. The mountain wasn't the same, but touching the sky was the same no matter which peak you climbed. 

The Nightshade slipped to his haunches and looked back to the woman of starlight and ice. 

"Nobody joins a pack they know nothing about," he rumbled, a little unsure. Too hesitant to say 'tell me what you're packs about so I know if I could join', but still fishing for information and making the interest known.

Did a laid-back sounding pack even have a place for a fighter? Sure, he thought himself a pretty good hunter, especially of birds, but he'd never met a wolf over a year of age that couldn't hunt. He wasn't even very well versed in pack hunts; just ones he'd taken part in growing up. He had some herbal knowledge, but most of it revolved around wound care and emergencies. Piper made sure they were all prepared for the worst, but past that, he didn't know anything about sickness or frankly anything else that qualified him as a healer. 

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[narrow width=700]She couldn't tell if he was being belligerent on purpose or if he was a cagey fellow in general, but she remained utterly unruffled and smiling as ever. In fact, she rather enjoyed it - most folks seemed to fall into Elysium and not even bother asking the how's and why's of their group, but this gentleman here, he actually had questions.

She never got to answer questions.

Her spine tingled. This was a man placed here to listen to the gospel.

“Well, why not, from my view,” she chortled, the picture of innocence. “I am the concern for Annika-friend, and want to see her smile. She is hard-won, but there is much inside of her - so much more than just pain. Right now she mostly talks to me, but think it would be good to have more faces she feel safe speaking with.”

He was scrutinizing her, searching for the lies, the catch; the fatal flaw in the generous offer she presented him with arms open wide. This was a wolf used to being slighted, of being caught like a bear in a trap and having to gnaw his way back to freedom. She didn't blame him for his fear. “We are not prison,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “Like said, can stay without joining, but we are happy to have you. And if decide later you do not like, or have grown away from us, you may leave with no ill will.”

Nemean was quick to brush past the topic of what may have been his untimely demise, and referenced an old friend he'd recently encountered and sought aid from - along with a condition for doing so, if caught. No wonder he was so gun-shy. Not all packs were as welcoming of strangers without sinking their fangs into their scruff, dragging them kicking and screaming into the ranks.

Her face twisted up in disgust.

“That is wrong,” she said through clenched teeth, the first glimpse of emotion he'd witnessed other than airy peace and tranquility. “You help others because it is right thing to do. Should never expect repayment for that; you are blessed to have friend who would look out for you, even from his own.”

Injustice was a quick way to ignite her anger. So far, her experiences in this new world had been mostly positive; she assumed there were some groups who were a little less than savory in their dealings with guests, and she counted herself lucky to have avoided (most of) them in her time here.

'Nobody joins a pack they know nothing about.'

“You would be surprised,” she said, her expression shifting into a lighter tone. “You are honestly the first to ask much about ours. I think some are just exhausted and looking for place to rest head after trauma of waking up in wholly different place; beyond that, not much else. It is good that you ask! Is change of pace.”

His face remained fairly impassive, but she was undeterred. Neither had much to lose from the exchange, and if it was information he sought, she would do her best to accommodate his wishes - he had a point, even if it hadn't applied to many.

“Elysium was created for worship, and for respite. I am High Priestess, and we - well, some of us - worship the gods; the Five. Belief is not requirement, but nurtured if present. We have five festivals a year to worship each, and friendly competition among us for furthering of skill and rank, though rank is less traditional. More like...” she trailed off, searching for the correct words. “Symbolic of skill and growth of character.”

Valeska paused to see if he had any questions, and continued. “We do not believe in violence, but understand bloodshed is sometimes necessary. We have healers, swift wind-runners, mystic seers, and those of the shadows-bane; warriors against those who seek wrongful harm.”

The little wolf realized she had taken up the entire conversation, so caught up in her own excitement at finally having exposition - and realized he might have fallen asleep by now. She smiled again, almost shyly. “In so many words, we seek to stand for those who cannot.”

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Talking with Valeska, Nemean concluded, was like a breath of fresh, cold air. It hurt at first because you weren't used to it, but then you realized how good it felt when you good a nice, deep breath, how much you'd needed it.

He wasn't sure if he belonged to this Elysium, but listening to their priestess speak about them was something to behold. Talk of Anni was one thing; he could tell he cared for her though apparently, she was as pained as he'd first assumed when they'd silently drowned in each others company, he only told himself to seek her out. He didn't need to be a member to check in on her, and while Valeska had riled a bit of sympathy, he honestly wanted to help if she believed Annika would benefit from his presence. And if he did want to join, it wasn't a contract to sign his life away; Nem didn't comment, but instead just drank in each word, learning and mulling over each new bit of information he gleaned from Valeska. 

The way she darkened when he mentioned the pack that, truthfully, Nemean couldn't remember the name of even if he'd ever learned it, that was something different. The Nightshade could honestly tell she meant each word that dripped with restrained venom, disapproving and even angry on his behalf. 
He didn't comment here, either, but his eyes shone with interest and perhaps, the beginnings of respect.

It turned out that not many, in fact, asked about the pack first, and while Valeska seemed thrilled to talk about the thing she loved, it was just as boggling to Nemean as her niceness in the first place. 

The last thing he expected to hear was that they were a place of worship, a place that believed in gods. Piper had spoken of them as a detached entity, sometimes; something that existed somewhere, that clearly They had created the world, but she didnt care for them. 
Valeska might've worried he was getting bored, but his attention was rapt on her. 

We seek to stand for those who cannot.

An odd, odd place, but one Nemean found himself interested in. It sounded like a place where he might, in fact, blend into the background, but all the words she threw out at him were so foreign he wasn't sure what she meant. The festivals would give opportunity to rise in rank, but they were symbolic. 

Hm. 

"You have my interest," he admitted, ears flickering uneasily, "But I've never known a place like yours, and quite frankly, was raised the opposite. I can only try to fit in and see if it's a place I can belong."

He wasn't going to sell his life over to another Dominus, Alpha, whatever you wanted to call it. Perhaps a god was no better, nor five, but maybe he could find faith with this little woman. 

"I've always been a warrior, but I'm almost as good of a hunter -- particularly of birds. I'm interested in your gods, too, if you'd tell me more about them later, but I'd like to join if you'll have me."

And what, if he didn't like it, he just vanished in the night. No problems. It was an asshole thing to do and he knew it, but drastic times called for drastic measures -- best case scenario he found the place he was meant to be, somewhere he could be happy. Worst, he had to say goodbye, either on good or bad terms. 

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[narrow width=700]As she had concluded her rather long-winded dialogue, she was thrilled - absolutely floored - to see him looking back at her, not as one laughing down at an excited fool, but rather an equal. She had been jeered at before for her idealism, but she had grown a thick skin since then, and ringing laughter bounced harmlessly off from her armor of belief these days.

Yet here he was; a skeptic, as was his right, but listening. This was what she sought, strove for. She did not wish to rule him. The hierarchy of Elysium was designed not for excess privileges to those who proved themselves, but respect and renown for their skill and wisdom. All were equal, but recognition was not the same as pride - in the way that the masses honored great Saints and knew their power to be genuine, but with no ire, no ill will. Those in higher positions did not earn first bite at each kill, but they would be venerated in other ways, such as hosting ceremonies and assisting with events and expeditions into new lands. It was a different sort of system, that was certain.

Valeska had never dreamed it might work.

“You honor me, Nemean,” she replied, eyes sparkling with excitement. “To have someone understand - to listen, oh, it is so wonderful! You may stay with us as long as you wish and flourish. No cage, no prison - only expect fairness and good intent.”

The stormy-eyed stranger told her of his skills, still tinged with hesitation as though he still didn't feel certain of his belonging with them; that was all well and good. No one was bound by fang and claw to stay within their borders. Valeska herself had drifted for many moons, and she understood that no wolf shared the same journey. Home was where you made it.

“I have encountered evil in the south,” she posited, weighing each word. “Was nearly slain by dark, stinking, devil of wolf beneath fallen log while seeking shelter from a storm. Wonder if he is of the pack you mentioned before... if warrior you were, warrior you may stay, as well as hunter. I fear him darkening our door one day.”

Her head quirked to the side as he spoke of hunting birds in particular, and she suddenly looked very interested. “Birds are quick,” the little wolf said, clearly impressed. “Do not remember last time have tried bird! Takes much patience. You are a man of many talent, it seem! Oh, cannot wait to tell others. We have much to do before feast, so come, we may talk as we go. I must introduce you!”

Smiling all the way, she motioned for him to follow, and walked toward the sun as it framed them both within a halo of light.

{Exit Valeska}
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