straight from the heart,

@Scott & eventually @Hydra @Dirge @Jarilo (whoever is available! Just let mr Scott post first, please <3 Shadow guardian @Desdemona always welcome LOLOL. Backdated!

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Leta led the way home, which would soon enough be home for Scott, too. Along the way, she educated her new friend (her heart thrilled at the thought) on more of Empyrean and its culture. “...so, her husband, Dirge, is King alongside her. He is wonderful and kind, we might come across him, actually,” she considered, “and Hydra's brother, Jarilo, is their second. He is wonderful, too, and as great as protector as the both of them,” she advised with a wave of her tail. “I think they will all appreciate you and what you have to offer. I will let you speak for yourself,” she said with a laugh and a wave of her tail, “but I've got your back!”

Not that he needed it; Scott, she was certain, would be readily accepted even without her for his nature alone. He was personable, which helped him plenty. “I'll let you do the honors and call to them,” she encouraged, chartreuse eyes twinkling. Of course, once his voice rang her own would join in.
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Leta was talking on the way there, about Hydra and so many other wolves that were apparently important in the pack, with high roles and such. There were quite a few names to remember, and Scott hoped he would be able to remember them all. He did not want to make a fool of himself in front of the others. But she wanted him to speak for himself, and she even said he could call for them. Things became a lot more nerve wrecking at that point. But Scott knew that if he did not find his voice now and didn’t stand his ground, did not show what he could do, he would never get anywhere in life. If he wanted to be some type of protector to the pack, some guardian like his father had always been, he needed to take action and show his best to others.

He looked at Leta, and then at the bird that was sitting in a tree nearby, watching them. He had followed them again, huh? He seemed to go wherever Scott went, which was nice; it was a comforting thought. He took a deep breath, and then called out, howling for anyone to come to them. Hopefully he could show them his best, and everything would go smoothly.

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Since this is backdated, Hydra is not yet preggo for reference!

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The matriarch heard two voices; one she recognized, and the other... she did not. She was near enough to meet the duo swiftly, breaking from the treelines cover and swept toward them with ample confidence in her step. By now, she knew the borders intimately well; Hydra need not look where she was going as she looked to those in the near distance. Her eyes held the young Leta for a moment (who was quick to lower her head) before shifting toward Scott. 

His song might not have been familiar, but his features and scent both were. Hydra had not forgotten their first encounter, and as she closed the distance between them with her tail lifted proudly she drawled, “still living, I see,” in good humor, though such a thing might be difficult to deduce based on her features that were of similar make to the place they stood; still, hard, and stony. By now, Hydra knew for certain that was the case; she felt hunger, as well as pain, just the same... and all the feelings that came with that, too. 

“I am pleased to see it,” she spoke lowly again, the only obvious indicator that she could feel at all. She had enjoyed their conversation held long ago... it had given her much to think on. Her gaze shifted to Leta, and then back to Scott. She would assume nothing, knowing the dangers in it, and instead asked, “what brings you to our borders this day?”

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After his howl, it didn’t take too long before the so called Queen Hydra arrived and Scott – the moment he saw her – indeed recognized her, and found out he knew her. How interesting. What a small world they lived in! He literally had had no idea that the Hydra he had met was in fact a pack leader. This made things a little embarrassing and it turned Scott more shy, but it also was more comfortable in a way, since he’d already met her before. It was a familiar face. And hearing her words, it was clear she was feeling pretty good about seeing him again. Scott smiled at her, tail waving behind him.

‘’Hydra, guid tae see ye again.’’ — Hydra, good to see you again. he started off with, dipping his head in greeting at the approaching female. ‘’A'm still living, indeit.’’ — I'm still living, indeed. Alright, okay. But jokes aside- when she asked about why he was here, he was quick to answer that question. Much quicker than he’d first thought he would. The words rolled off his tongue so easily, he was surprised by himself.

‘’A talkit wi’ Leta an’ have decidit thon A want tae join the Empyrean, gin ye accept me.’’ — I talked with Leta and have decided that I want to join the Empyrean, if you accept me. he spoke, his thick accent as heavy as ever. He was proud of the speech his father taught him, and he was not afraid to show it. ‘’A want tae be part o’ a family again an’ protect its members.’’ — I want to be part of a family again and protect its members. Scott knew he wanted to become some type of protector. He hoped that if Hydra would accept him, there was a guardian rank.

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From the shadows did Desdemona arrive, settling behind the Queen. A subtle nod to Leta though, and a notable look toward Scott, the wolf she had met quite some time ago. She could remember he had asked questions about their group, though it seemed in the end he decided to join them so. A tail slightly wagged in a greeting, but a silence continued from the guard. 

He was still difficult to understand.

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skippable unless directly talked to!

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It was an unexpected development, this—but certainly not a bad one by any means. The matriarch glanced toward Leta, who watched with bright eyes. Scott was a protector, a guardian—these sort she would ever welcome, should they be of good stock. And as she looked back to Scott, she could glean no hatefulness to him... no terrible things that existed within she herself, a necessary sort of evil when acted upon. He seemed a good man, and Empyrean had room for that and what he had to offer. 

“You are a guardian,” she acknowledged with interest—for here, they were kindred spirits. Hydra was as much a shield as she was a sword, after all. “Empyrean is a family; to join it is to become a part of it,” she informed, “and it is important that we each protect one another... your added teeth would be welcome here, so long as they are as capable during the hunts as they are against any enemy we might meet,” she drawled with a grin. In desperate times, such as famine, the capacity to hunt and protect became doubly important... but Scott appeared a strong man, even despite his time alone. She imagined he had the fundamentals down.

Her sharp eyes then drifted toward the trees, where a bird seemed to observe with some measure of interest. She had noted them there, and still they had not moved... it had been lingering since their own arrival. Knowing these beasts had some capacity to understand (largely thanks to @The Eagle), the shrewd woman wondered, attention shifting to the accented man, “do you work with this one?” gesturing toward the trees beyond. The woman had not earned three masteries in the realm of warfare for nothing; what was inconsequential was not so for the matriarch. For if it was not his companion, it meant that another might be looking in on she and hers—him included among that number, should he have concurred he could hunt—and she would have to send her own winged-partner on a hunt.

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OH HEY, Desdemona was here, too. Scott remember and recognized her, as well. Looked like he was being met by wolves he had met before. It honestly made this meeting a lot easier for him. His attention shifted back to Hydra fully once more whwn she told him he was a guardian. Had she accepted him into their ranks and given him the role of guardian so freely? Scott did not oppose to it, it simply caught him off guard a little. He listened some more as she spoke, explaining the values of the pack, and Scott nodded, smiling. ‘’A can ficht an’ A can hunt. Ma father taucht me awthin’ A neit tae know.’’ — I can fight and I can hunt. My father taught me everything I need to know. Scott spoke proudly.

He noticed her eyes went to the trees, and she seemed to observe something for a moment before speaking again. At first her words confused him for a moment, not sure what she meant. But then he realized she was talking about the peregrine that was sitting in the trees and watching them. ‘’Yeah, he's been followin’ me around iver syne we met ilka other.’’ — Yeah, he's been following me around ever since we met each other. the man proclaimed, once again proud that he had a feathery friend to call his own. This bird had certainly helped him through some lonely times. ‘’A think A'll name him Tobias, after ma da.’’ — I think I'll name him Tobias, after my dad.

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Desdemona was ever a constant presence here; Hydra had acknowledged her arrival with a backturned ear, her attention on the task at hand then. The swish of her tail was not missed, and gained Scott further interest. It was precious few that Desdemona regarded with anything but for her cool stoicism. They needed no introducing, she suspected... 

Ah, so his father had taught him; Hydra would surely test the knowledge, though first would let him settle. “Then you are welcome among us, should you be willing to put Empyrean first,” she drawled. For their family came before all else... especially for the matriarch, who would do anything for those within her ranks to keep them safe and fed alike. 

The bird, it turned out, he did know. Imperceptible to most, except perhaps Desdemona, she felt more settled to hear it. “Tobias too, then,” she drawled lowly, wondering if the peregrine even knew it now had a name. Birds were quite intelligent things she knew, but it seemed to accept this. That was not known for certain—Hydra was not so brilliant at getting a good read upon the birds of prey... yet. 

Did The [golden] Eagle have a name? It seemed... strange, to name it anything else than what it was. And then and there she could conjure nothing that seemed to suit him more than what he was. Food for thought, certainly.

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Guess we can fade it here? O:

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Should he put Empyrean first. Scott nodded, smiling. He was ready to leave the life of loneliness behind him, he was ready to start a new life. He was not made to be lonely, anyway. He’d always felt lonely so easily. And he was happy that his bird friend could be part of something bigger, too. He wasn’t sure if the bird he’d named Tobias wanted to stay close to the pack, but he would be happy enough if it at least came to visit now and then. But if it would leave after today… Scott would understand that, too.

‘’Thank ye, A will dae ma very best.’’ — Thank you, I will do my very best. he told Hydra, ready to get settled in and to get to know the others of the Empyrean who he had yet to meet. He did feel a little tired, though. He guessed it was because new situations tended to tire him a little mentally. He hoped to sleep it off soon.

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Fade from me!

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Leta knew that his doing his best would be more than enough, and it seemed Hydra thought as much too; she invited him into the depths with a side-step, though not before looking to Leta, and she understood the meaning of the look. “Come on in, I will show you around,” she invited with a wave of her tail. Surely he might be tired from his travels... she could and would gladly show him some decent napping spots he could idle in undisturbed.
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