Where the hell am I supposed to go?

His head was throbbing with a faint humming in his ears. Sonder slowly blinked as he dragged himself into an upright position. A paw reached out to skim over the plush grass beneath the alabaster male. Almost as if checking if it were real. The slight tickle of the grasses on his paw made it very real for the male. But, where the hell was he? The last thing he could remember was being on the plains with Callahan. And now, he was in a verdant valley. Sea foam eyes sluggishly dragged themselves up the length of the peaks until they disappeared into the clouds. “This is a damn bowl.” He muttered as he finally rose from the earth. Sonder took shaky steps towards the azure waterway, eyes slowly looking around the vale. It seemed, quiet. A slight simper appeared as he made it to the bank. He could get used to this. Perhaps, this solitude was what he needed.

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@Faust I'm so sorry this took so long ! got caught up with getting my uni schedule & got hit with a wifi outage u.u

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Faust's eyes had been on the stars in the sky as the sun would begin to rise. One by one, the stars would begin to disappear form the sky above. The sun would take them away, but he had a feeling that they never truly left.

The stars, after all, always watched. The Mistress of the Stars never left him alone. Faust had confidence in her, and she him. He knew it.

But there had been someone else. In the valley of his home, a white speck lay. Narrowing his eyes, his gait sped up. Faster and faster until he was in a comfortable trot and got a whiff of his scent. Masculine and tinted with layers of cow skin. A heavy scent. Faust went on a defensive side.

He had more to lose now.

"You lost?"

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Sonder mindlessly lapped at the crystalline waters, ensnared by his racing thoughts. How the hell had he gotten here? Where was Uncle? Where was anybody? He felt, lost. Son could barely remember the last things he did with Uncle and Pa. But all he worried about now was their health. Would Uncle make it past the winter without him? Could Pa keep them fed? They were the only reason he hadn't gone on his own when he was of age. They needed him.

The male was dragged from his thoughts by a gruff inquiry. “Pardon?” He replied as he turned to face the stranger. He eyed the other, taking note of his stance. A slight smile appeared as he tipped his head towards the male. “I mean no harm, partner. Seems I just woke up here not too long ago.” Sonder paused, fixating his gaze on the male. He had no real reason to be afraid or pick a fight. “Say, do you know where the hell we are?” He asked calmly. He just wanted some answers.

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The male before him had an interesting cadence to his voice. His words were more drawled out, long and pronounced. It had a funny, home-body ring to it. Faust's ears flickered.

His shoulders relaxed, but the narrowing of his eyes did not. "Happens to a lot of us," Faust would comment, letting his narrowing eyes break away into a more comfortable expression. He offered a huff of a laugh. "...Surprisingly."

When he asked where they were, Faust gestured to the entirety of his vale with his nose. "You stand on Velarion lands," he'd turn back to look at the brightly colored male. He was fit. Built well. "I am the keeper of this vale. Faust."

Faust would dip his head in a greeting, reaching his eye once more hoping that he would do the same.

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At the sound of the male's laugh, Sonder released a chuckle of his own. “Just wolves fallin' from the sky. Ain't that a sight.” Seemed there would be no fighting after all. Son shook out his fur and allowed his eyes to trail over the dark furred male. He no longer felt the need to be on the defense, instead enjoying the conversation. “Velarion?” He paused. Oh, this was the leader. A lopsided grin appeared. “Sonder. Nice to meet ya, partner.” An ear flickered as Faust lowered his head. Was that some fancy greeting or somethin'? With a soft sigh, Sonder mimicked the other and lowered his head in greeting. God, he hated exposing his weak point. But hey, it's the only way he'd get out of this without a scratch.

Sonder lazily trailed his gaze around the basin, his nose twitching. He was feeling sort of hungry, and the plethora of prey scents was making his hunger a lot more noticeable. But that could wait. Right now, he just needed to figure out how he was going to get back to Pa and Uncle. Sea foam eyes slowly made their return to the male, Faust he said. What an unusual name, though Sonder knew his own name was an odd one. “Where're you from, anyways? You have a funny voice. ” No, being tactful was not one of his strong suits.
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I am so sorry this took so long ! final year of uni has me on lockdown ;-;

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It was endearing to see this man's change of stature as he realized Faust insinuated that he was the Vale's keeper. His voice was silly, and his remark at the but of his sentence had made it even more so. Partner. They were partners? Faust didn't remember that.

"Likewise," the beast would agree, watching as the male mimicked the bowing of his head. In his eyes, the action seemed to be almost unnatural. As if he hadn't ever done it before. Strange.

Faust's eyes didn't leave Sonder as he took a good look around the Vale. "Here, I suppose." Confusing. "Fell from the sky just as you...and I created a home for my family." Not as confusing. Direct. Faust's morals were not to be questioned or tampered with. He would do anything for them. Faust let out a chuckle at his comment about his voice.

"Could say the same about you, partner. Where do you come from?"

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Sonder kept his gaze on the dark-furred male, always waiting for the polite façade to fall. Son had lived a hard life with Pa and Uncle, always waiting for kind folks to show the snakes they truly were. It's what took Ma from them. What made Uncle unable to help their little family? And Sonder would not be played a fool here by this man.

Sonder turned his gaze up to the sky, almost hoping Pa or Uncle would fall down to the earth just as he had. Faust said everyone did, so why didn't they? Why was he the only one that was dropped here? Things could've been easier if they had come with him. The trio would be able to survive together as a family. It was what Pa always said. Family over all. And now, Sonder was left without his family.

“Family you say. That's what makes a man strong.” He hummed, slightly relaxing his stance. Faust wasn't as much of a danger. Well, Son hoped he wasn't. He was in no shape for a fight right now. The emphasis on partner made a brow rise. Was he mocking him? Son wasn't surprised. Almost all, civilized men saw him as a stupid cowboy. And maybe they were right. “Here and there.” He set his gaze on the lake beside them, focusing on the glimmering surface. He couldn't show this stranger how much he was hurting. “My family was always on the move. Never settled in one place too long. Always a new group comin' along to take what was ours.” Just the thought of that brought a surge of hot anger through him. Those thieving snakes took Ma.

A soft sigh left the man's lips as he turned his focus to the other. God, he hated this. He hated being this, weak. Sonder had always been the strong one. The muscle for their family. The provider. And now. Now he was useless.

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Faust watched as the white male looked to the sky, hopeful gaze watching to see if the clouds would part with a miraculous body falling down. He almost felt badly for the man, the words loose on his tongue. Family is everything. Cheers to that— Faust has quickly gone to respect this man for such a sentiment. There was nothing in this world that Faust wouldn't do to protect his family. Nothing.

"The men in my Vale are the strongest, then," he would comment, turning his head only slightly to look at Sonder. His words were slow, honest, and deeply etched into his heart. He felt vulnerable speaking so plainly about his love for his family, but there was an aura of understanding that surrounded Sonder. "Family is everything to us."

Faust would hum with acknowledgment. He couldn't sympathize with Sonder, not knowing what it felt like to be chased out of a home, but he would give him the benefit of the doubt. "The Vale is not going anywhere."

The Sévir would stand to his feet, blades of grass and loose flower petals clinging to his fur. "You are welcome here, Sonder," The Titan would rumble, feeling confident about his choices. "'Long as you carry your weight— you hunt, fight?"

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Sonder could feel Faust's gaze on him, always watching. Though, he didn't blame him. He was a stranger on his lands, a possible threat to his family. And Sonder recognized this honorable man. While Faust was refined, and intelligent in ways Sonder could never be, they were similar in one thing. They were loyal to their family. And that was something Sonder could respect.

“Sure they are! You have family, a reason to be strong. And a source of strength.” He mused, a smile appearing on his lips. “As it should be, partner. Family is the only thing we'll have once we're gone.” Son's smile disappeared as he heard the emotion in Faust's voice. Yes, this man had earned his respect. Hell, he deserved it. An ear flickered at the hum. Sonder had figured Faust was a nobleman, born to a civilized people. And civilized folk would never understand the life of outlaws.

“I'd never think it to leave. You have a strong group, a family. There's no need to leave. You got no enemies here.” He replied, now entirely focused on the man before him. Damn, even the way he spoke made him sound like an idiot. But what a surprise. He knew he was an idiot.

Sonder dipped his head, hoping it was the proper response to Faust's generosity. “I thank you, Faust. It's nice having a purpose again,” he paused, lifting his head up with an easy grin. “Do I fight? Partner, I've been fighting since I could walk.” A hearty laugh left his maw as he playfully bumped Faust with his shoulder. “And I hunt very well, partner. Don't worry. I can earn my keep around here.”

And for once, Sonder felt, happy. True joy at the idea of being useful. Of having a place to call home. Of never having to run again. Maybe, just maybe, he could find his place with this new pack.

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Faust could only be satisfied with Sonder's answers. His expediency with the adoration for family, for their incredible values, the delectable smile that coveted his face. He was just one pure example of the wolves that Velaris needed. Wanted to hone. He'd hunt every one of these types of wolves down across the very continent if it meant for this type of fruitful loyalty.

"There's no need to thank me," Faust breathed, smile creeping up on his dark features. "Partner."

Faust let out a soft chuckle. The word, accented and gruff on Sonder's tongue still made him get a kick out of it. The contact he made with Faust's shoulder had him glancing towards him, elation ridden in his orbs. He'll fit in well here. That was clear enough to him. 'Fightin' since I could walk.'

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Faust gestured with a relaxed shrug of his shoulders before leading Sonder, the newly added white wolf, towards the heart of the Vale. "Come. I'll give you a tour."

Faust's eyes gleamed.

"Your new home."

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Sonder felt joy for the first time since he lost Ma. He felt comfortable with the nobleman, a friendship he wanted to cultivate in time. In truth, Faust reminded him of his father. Honorable and, from what he could gather, just. This was a man of morals and respect.

“Whatever you say, Partner.” Sonder returned the man's smile, and the worry that had tried to ease into his mind disappeared. He was wanted here. He had a purpose again, a reason to live. Sonder had people to call family, people that would rely on him.

Sonder fell in step beside Faust, his pale eyes turning to look at the land. His lips quirked at the mention of a demonstration of his skills. “We sure will, partner.” He quipped as he followed his new leader towards the center of his home. His new home.

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