is it really a discontent?

Leaving behind Duskguard for the moment, Nikki roamed directly below it. If she was to have a map, she'd mark it near the Moors and the pretty woodland to the right. Of course, she also knew that location to be part of a pack. One she didn't know very well, if at all. Maybe even its name was lost on her. It mattered not.

Walking around the unclaimed location, she skids a few times on the earth. The previous day's rain made the snow slick and icy. It didn't matter if anyone else was around either; she suddenly whooped joyfully, like a child. Her paws slid against the ice, carrying her body forward. She laughed, sliding across the ground. Though she didn't like the cold very much, she could enjoy it.

Her nails click and clack to gain a hold near a pile of snow on the other side, propped up. "Oop!" she managed to say, sliding right into it. The bank is hard due to the rain's blessing, and she bounces off of it. Her smaller body crashes to the ground, but there is no blood. Nothing hurt or twisted, thankfully. Nikki looks surprised, staring at the sky with a blank expression.

Before she bursts out laughing.

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He always disliked the act of waking up when the sun was still out. Yet Haldis was a group of wolves that preferred it, and while Erebus wasn't privy to it, they stirred most during the day. He found it hard to sleep in their presence.

The man was on a saunty stroll, ease of mind in the sparkle of ice. He enjoyed the crunch the snow made when his heavy paws broke the partially melted and refrozen top layer, to crash into the softer parts below. Crunching along, no mind to sneak in such times. It would be far too difficult anyway, being as most often his darkness would stick out clearly against the white in the sun.

Behold before him a laugh, which caused his ears to twitch and his face to contort. What was there to laugh about?
The man eased up over a hill, the snow making his climb difficult. His head rose over first, allowing ember orange eyes take sight of a small little creature.

They were strange in appearance, their tail swooping up over their back. Though not entirely weird or ugly by any means. Erebus thought of Dragoth women and his cousins when he spied the silver in her pelt.

"Are you alright?" The man chuffed over the hill. What a strange question for him to ask, for the well-being and whereabouts of a stranger. Erebus seldom ever cared.
Whatever.
It was to get their attention.

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Oop. She was found out. Nikki's laughter quieted into a chuckle, but her jaws bit down shortly after. She sucked in a breath to calm herself. Her chest heaved from the effort of physical activity. "I believe I am, sir" her tone was light and musical almost, even breathless "my apologies; I was just having some fun." Was she bothering him? Ah, why did she apologize? Some folks could take things offensively, that's why. Even if she meant no harm.

Shaking the snow off her coat, she slowly rose. Having bounced back onto the ice, she was careful of its sturdiness. True she had just been minding her own business. No reason to be guilty. In a sense, she slipped the words out without caring — similar to the ebony-hued man. Though she couldn't know that. "I'm Nikita" she added, giving a nod and a slight polite bow. Her skull slipped forward, pointing to the ground before rising "I do not believe we've met, though."

It was time for him to introduce himself - but would he?

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His eyes looked at her with a sceptical glare, head half poised to the side. She was already offering her name, yet he hadn't cared to ask? Erebus thought it almost strange, before rolling his eyes.

Ah, common folk. The prince could never forget their foreign ways of interacting with one another.

"Erebus." He obliged smoothly, and began a careful step down from the hill, in her direction.

"Nothing wrong in having fun." He began, a cool look in his eyes as he looked off from the girl and towards some imaginary stranger in his mind.
"Though, others might begin to question your age." The man spoke playfully, and offered a small smirk on his lips. Hopefully she would take it as a jest rather than an insult.

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She chuckled. "Well, lucky for them" Nikita mused, rolling her eyes playfully "I am almost freshly out of the yearling stage. They can stand to look the other way" Having turned 'mature' this year, she felt that 'acting her age' was just as bad as acting in a negative sense. Why would one lie to others about what caused them joy? "and if not? I do not have to justify myself to them anyway." A light 'harrumph' escaped her lips.

Worrying obsessively about what others thought of you was... tiresome. She knew the man was joking, but she was not one to shut up at times. She even thought he would appreciate that line of thinking if she had to guess. "Being free does not mean conforming to what others think of you" She shrugged "anyway" A pause "do you live around here, Erebus?" She could not detect a strong scent on his coat, hence her assuming he was a vagabond like her.

But he did not smell of Duskguard. Safe to say he didn't live there.

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He smiled at her charming childishness and allowed her to continue on her rant- stifling a laugh at her last statement.

Ears perked at her following question, surprised to be asked. He shook his head in denial.
"No, I'm merely staying here awhile." Using his nose, he would briefly point in the direction of Ripperwood. "I intend to move and establish myself someplace else soon." He teetered on the idea of going on about Shadowcast and the empire he intended to build but, he held his tongue. No one was meant to be so political all the time. It was nice to not go on and on about it if he didn't have to. This girl didn't seem like she'd be too interested, anyway.

Moving on, he cocked his head to the side. "Yourself?"

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She followed his nose, looking at the distant woodlands. Toward the Mountains, yes! "I see!" she chirped, wagging her curly tail "I hope your stay has been good then" Nikki added kindly. Duskguard had been very welcoming, but she wasn't quite ready to settle down so soon. She just got here! Time to see the world and all it had to offer "what's the name of the land you intend to live in? So I can be respectful of your, ah, living conditions!"

Or the claim. She had an inkling for these sorts of things, even if someone didn't say it outright. He seemed to exude the aura of a leader. A soon-to-be one? Maybe. Even if he was just a vagabond, some loners could be territorial of unofficial claims. "I'm just a wandering fortune teller" She smiled "I was visiting a friend in Duskguard, and did a few fortunes for the people there. It was a good experience." She turned to look to where she had come from, this time using her nose to point.

She whipped her head back after showing him the direction. "I think I'll head back down south though. It's becoming too cold for my liking." Though she didn't see put off, wearing her cheerful smile.

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"I believe the locals call it Ripperwood.." His face seemed to be unsure, if perhaps he misheard the name on whispers. "But you'll know it by the trees that bleed red sap." That was how he knew for sure he was in the right area, at least. The man was yet to begin marking his scent, Shadowcast in it's mere infantile stages. Only a few members for sure held at his side, waiting in the trees for him to make a move. They were ready.

Listening to her go on, his ears perked and an eyebrow raised. "Fortune teller?" He pondered in a questioning tone, hoping she would go on. Of course he knew what a fortune teller was, but he was curious to how she went about it.

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Ripperwood. What an ominous name. "Bleed red sap?" she echoed, in awe "how fascinating! I came upon a woodland that was almost entirely engulfed in red. Ah, the Ichorwood?" She wondered if Erebus knew of it "but it was only the foliage. I've never encountered red sap before..." She trailed off, tilting her head with a frown. She wondered if the sap had special medical properties! 

Breaking out of her trance, she gave a nod. "Y-Yes" How does she explain? "I can use objects that you feel subconsciously connected to, in order to read a fortune" But "there has to be a question asked. A direction to gleam. Like your future, relationships, etc etc. Some wolves have asked for guidance on some issues too. Nothing is certain; the future can branch out with each action one takes. It's like a spiderweb."

And a dew drop could drip down one line or the other. Taking different paths. "Even if I give an answer, your direction can shift away from it. Be it subconsciously or having clear a desire to get away from it. Be it denial or rejection. Does... that make sense?"

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He listened intently to her explanation, frowning when he figured he had nothing to give her. Erebus held no ties with any specific objects, only specific people.
"Yes yes.." He nodded, clearly comprehending in the best way he could.
"That's very interesting.." The man's face appeared to light up. "You should come down to the Ripperwood when you have the chance. Perhaps some of my companions will enjoy a fortune."

He smiled and leaned in with a wink. "We'd pay you in fresh caught food and safe lodging, if you did." The hospitality of the devil.

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An offer was made to her. Nikita would be in the services of yet another community for a time, but this time they offered her food and a safe space to sleep. She smiled kindly at Erebus, even if the perks didn't sway her. She was happy to just assist where needed. "I'd be happy to read your friends' fortunes." 'Friends' was a stretch, but he had said 'companions' and not 'followers' anyway! 

Even if she didn't help in a traditional sense, some folks took special joy in receiving her fortunes. The fact they brought her items special to them was a boon; she could learn from their shapes and read their auras... The geode Priestess Olive showed her was very interesting in particular. She hoped to see something like that again one day. "Once I'm done here, I'll travel to Ripperwood" she added with a nod "I suspect it'll be easy to find." Red sap and all.

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Erebus grinned, believing his offer to be a generous one. Perhaps he would think of something more to offer her, especially once Shadowcast found it's footing and became better established.
He dipped his head in gratitude towards her.
"Certainly not. Just head straight south of the Everfrost, between the mountains, I'm sure you'll find it without too much trouble." The man did surely hope she would, indeed, hold up to her word. It would be nice fun for the rest of the pack, help them feel more at home if they weren't already settling.

He stood back a few steps and smiled warmly, down at the young woman. "It was wonderful meeting you, Nikita." A hint that they should likely move on. He had exploring to do, and it was reasonable to assume that Nikita wouldn't prefer to stand around with him all day.

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With a plan in mind, Nikita had a direction to go in. She smiled kindly at Erebus before he swung away and began to move — perhaps back to Ripperwood. She called after him, wagging her tail. "It was nice to meet you too! See you then!" Before making a vow to visit before winter arrived.

It'd be harder to travel through the snow and she disliked the cold seasons anyway. The pair would part on good terms, with a promise to gleam more fortunes in the near future. More experiences for her meant more accuracy. A fair trade, she found, for the hospitality that Erebus offered to those in his community.

/end

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