gave me no compasses, gave me no signs

Rannoch awoke with a gasp, sending the blanket of snow that covered him to the floor. It was cold here—more frigid than anyplace he could remember living—and he was alone. His memories were sparse, as a haze of twilight and delusion concealed the details of his previous life. Nevertheless, he looked around with tired eyes with a look of concern and curiosity upon his face. 

Where was he? 

The sun was beginning to rise, sending warmth and soft, golden light through the breaks in the treeline. He did not immediately move, as he felt fatigued and was still trying to orient himself to the unfamiliar surroundings. Rannoch was lost, tried—yet somehow content with his situation. He didn't know any better and felt there was no reason to fret. For now, he was safe.

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She often went through and and out of the tundra ; away from the ford that was be. Of course, the others most likely noticed her presence, and she did not seek for much. A mixture, perhaps, maybe a thought destiny would come forth if she were to meet but another, or even gain more knowledge that was to the packs around. She knew of a few, if counted by so, Northfall, Frostchant, Empyrean, Tsukiishi, Vanderfell.. Yet, only a handful was met personally with those leaders, and one was someone she desired to bring a vengeance toward, and a possibility of battle.

Though such ways to be wanted, there was enough to the ford to do successfully. Vendrussel didn't want to rely on ally to protect her own land, even if the time was to needed it. To be that of a dragon was strength of themselves and their own group, and she struggling with so. Her often times ventured deeper, sometimes filtering through forests in an eye for someone that seemed, worthy. Except most desired the same, already staking a claim in a pack elsewhere.. Adventures were not long-lasting.

She saw a figure in the distance, almost would miss for his light pelt mixturing to the snow, and Vendrussel let a small chuff of her presence, to not startle the laying man.

She vaguely thought if this was the tigers land, but did not smell him around..

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Rannoch surveyed his surroundings curiously. "Hm," he hummed to himself, wondering how he'd gotten to this forest. An unexpected call moved his attention away from his thoughts, drawing his gaze to a dark silhouette in the distance. He perked, feeling a flicker of hope; perhaps this wolf could help him out. 

"Hello," he called out, his voice hoarse from its underuse, "Do you know where we are?"

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He was a tall man, reaching her own height but held a body mass far then her own. It made him seem bigger — almost warrior-like as her eyes gazed upon him in an inspection. He seemed like a northern wolf, Vendrussel would of thought, but he was lost.

She smiled lightly, and chuckled, "northern forests?" onto the obvious factor, as she used her paw to motion around them so. A land of snow and evergreens, yet the season was still on one fall.. She knew not if he would know such a season, not realizing the man just had woken up like she did long ago. 

Though the name of this place remained unknown for the dragon as well.

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Vendrussel was well-built and beautiful. She was strong, an intimidating force, yet there was something about her that told Rannoch that she was not a threat. Rannoch was able to see her more clearly, now that she was closer.

”Northern forests?” she answered lightly, motioning to the forest around them. Rannoch looked to the trees, studying them with a fine-lined brow. He was all the more confused; they were in a forest north of what? ”We’re … north?” he asked, looking back to her. ”North of what?” Where was he?

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"We are in the northern regions," she nodded to his question, then further probbed to her own, "did you just wake up in this land?" With his confusion it made her slightly guilty for feeling she pointed out the obvious — as it looked, he genuinely did not know. Another who simply.. Awoke, within the land, some with memories, some knew not, or the occasional few who knew where they originally came from, and was lost in confused.

When she looked around there was but none besides the pines. Nobody to claim him, and most likely did not know of.. Most of these land knew not of each other, and she thought it was but a rare coincidence how she had met Kei. Though now they stood, together alone within these frosted evergreens, and one was lost, but she, knew of her knew grounding.

"I am Vendrussel, lower is that of the mountains, though I claim to the coasts of them."

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Rannoch listened, absorbing the information like a sponge. He found it weird that Vendrussel was able to guess that he had just woken up, and he looked at her, surprised. ”I did,” Rannoch confirmed, his voice wavering slightly. ”I don’t remember coming here …” he tried to retrace his steps, searching his memory, but found nothing. ”Did you wake up here, too?” he asked next. Was that how she knew?

Vendrerussel then introduced herself, and told him where she was from. ”I’m Rannoch,” he said in turn, his name coming to him easily. ”I’m from here … I guess?” Rannoch couldn’t say for sure, but it felt right in the moment.

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"Long ago I awoke far away, and many do the same.. This place seems to bring people, away from where they originally were." Though she indicated it was not the north in particular, but the very continent that they seemed to go on. Many wandered to in a mystery, and she had met many wolves who had said the same way, and either still continue to find where they belong, or make a claim.. Either with, or without her. Thoughts came to be if she could recruit such a man, but probbed if that was what he wanted, and if their destinies colided.

"Pray tell," she started, "Rannoch, where does your heart lie? To feel to be with others, or the feel to stake of your own — we are all drawn to something here." She would hope his answer was not to stake his own, for a man like himself she would enjoy drawing him away into the ford. Yet, could not stop destiny and to know that of a new companion itself into these northern regions.. Unless decided his destiny told elsewhere, just as hers led from the desert, all the way to the coast.

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It took Rannoch a moment to comprehend what Vendrussel told him. ”So … this is normal?” he asked, and then wondered, ”Do you remember where you come from?” Was she like him? Did everybody forget their life before this land? He collected every question that came to him, saving it later. There was a time and place for each and every one of them, but he felt that it wouldn’t be helpful to bombard her with his every query.

Rannoch was caught off-guard by Vendrussel’s question. He wasn’t entirely sure what his heart wanted, especially since he’d only woken up a few minutes ago. ”I … like this place,” Rannoch decided after a pause, regarding the surrounding evergreens with a sweep of his turquoise eyes. ”I’m not sure why, but it reminds me of ‘home’—wherever that used to be.” Had she felt like that when she had woken up? Had she naturally been drawn to the coast like he was drawn to the forest?

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"Only some, faces remain a blur." She knew of her culture, she knew of her land and the look it had, she could remember she had parents.. Yet when she tried, she could not remember the faces of them, nor' even any 'friends' that there was. Though in heart she felt she was loner within that land, though honor-bound they all were to each other, she too processed that. To remember what was around but not the wolves there, it simply.. Vendrussel didn't like to think about it, as she focused on the new future and what the ancients had guided her to.

"We are all drawn somewhere, do as you will with this new life and let it not be a waste," the northern wolf said with a flick of her paw. It was a shame when some stayed too close to their past and kept that firm hold onto — she was not one of them, and would hope for the same to him. He liked this place, though she knew not if it was claimed, and especially not by the tiger itself.. "Beware though," she so warned, "beasts lurk in the north."

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Their situations seemed similar. Although he couldn’t remember much at the moment, he would slowly regain some of his memories—places and faces from another lifetime. ”Did you remember everything right away?” he asked, drawing his paw to scratch his forehead. ”Because I can’t remember all that much right now,” he admitted, ”I know that I’m Rannoch Tiberous Frostfur, and I’m from a place with evergreens like these.” But that was all that he knew.

Vendrussel then offered some advice and then followed it with a warning. Rannoch focused on the later, leaning towards her with interest. ”Beasts?” he echoed. ”What beasts?”

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"Sometimes," she said, a gaze downwards, "I try not to think about what I cannot go back to," she so admitted. A moment of silence of passing, before she looked back, blue to blue, though shades may differ. He too was a gray and white man, while she carried the same color their choice of tone was entirely different, and gave off but different attitudes. He seemed one like the evergreens and to the forests, while she was to the northern waters. Such as fate, an appearance settling to the land they own — maybe it was why the ancients chose to envision that of the sepulcher, for she suited most to.

"Tigers," remembering vaguely how @Valmúa knew not of them, "they are stripped lions, but bigger." It was surprising how many knew not of their kind.. If a woman who hailed from the north did not know of the tiger, she could not imagine a man without memories could either know. Surely so, as wolves do, most know that of the cougars of the mountains.. Hopefully, he would understand, "they roam the tundra."

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Rannoch respected Vendrussel’s decision to not think about her past. He looked away as she did, wondering what he couldn’t go back to. Did he have parents? Siblings? A family of his own? Rannoch knew that he couldn’t linger in the past, as there was nothing that he could do about it. All he could do was move forward, and make a new life for himself.

”Stripped lions?” he asked next, scrunching his face. Again, he was clueless. All he could infer was that they were large, and that meant something coming from Vendrussel. She was as big as he was, and so large to her must have meant very big.

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She nodded, "I have met one, and he has mentioned of his claim.. Assumingly near here, or here." Though she hesitated to tell him that first — in the end she knew it would be best to inform the man of the possibility of him roaming near here. Though as peaceful as the tiger presented.. In the end she knew better to trust a beast, who could have always turn on her, and within the future, imagine a run in may be just as so. She would not desire to put that risk on another.

"Be safe with him roaming," she said with a caution, offering a smile of so — like an attempt of an reassurance, even if it does bring a wariness to her soul.

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Rannoch was lost. Although he understood the presence of a threat, he couldn’t follow why it was dangerous. All he knew was that it was a large creature; Rannoch was large, but he wasn’t a threat. Why was this “tiger” any different? ”I don’t think that I following … “ he admitted, his ears falling as he spoke. ”But … what’s a tiger? And a lion? I’ve never heard of those before.”

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She looked at him in a surprise, a.. Well, she wasn't sure how to explain so, as Vendrussel sunk in a thoughtful silence. Though gaze calmed and a hum rung out, she was not sure how exactly to tell him what a feline may be, "they are far larger and us and growl from the depths of their throat, a rumbling. Claws sharper then ours. It is best to be wary of anything bigger then yourself," — was what she attempted to say in any attempt of warning. In the end, if he didn't know what the two were.. She couldn't really say how to describe that of a feline.

"I live to the west coasts, you may find me there if you wish to either become part of my ford —," she said, a glimmer within her ocean eyes, "or otherwise find me." Though all the chatter they may be, she glanced to the sky.. Early as it was, the Alpha could not stay here forever. She may wonder so often outwards, maybe to @Kei's noticement, but Vendrussel would always return within the day, even if it may be late at night.

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Rannoch invented what the lion looked like in his mind, and it was far from the truth. Instead, he saw a giant wolf with large claws and canines, twice his size. Its voice was deep and raw, and the noise it made when it roared was anything like he had heard before; the figment caused his stomach to churn. Yet, despite scaring himself, Rannoch nodded his head. "I will," he promised. 

Vendrussel then revealed where she lived, and he made a mental note. "Once I get my bearings, I'll come in see you," he said. Rannoch knew that he couldn't stay in this forest forever and that he'd eventually need to take trips out of it to experience the world and learn. But, for now, he would stay in The Everfrost. 

"I'll be here," he said lamely, smiling.

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"Farwell." Information left with the man, she departed with but a tinge of regret that the man would not follow her. She looked back at him, gray in view and touched upon with snow itself — like the evergreens blended with him so. A stranger met in destiny, she so thought, though Vendrussel seemed to not gain another recruit on the fine day.. Though perhaps a fruit may bore as she left with some other information, and just maybe, he'd remember her the day if she came to these forests, for a time of need.

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”See you later,” Rannoch replied. He watched Vendrussel leave, and felt a pang of sadness once she had vanished in the treeline. He was alone now, and the forest felt empty without her.

Left to his own devices, Rannoch decided to test his stength. His rose slowly onto unsteady legs, and stood until he had steadied himself. Once he was ready, Rannoch began to wander, ready to explore his new home.

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