Rage against the waking dawn,

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(Note: backdated to before Valeska left for Northfall)

Some folks sought fruit for their bad habits, others sought hallucinogenic roots. Harper had mentioned a new variety she'd spotted while out and about during her daily strolls, talking up quite a big game about how she could 'almost hear the gods speak outright' upon consumption, how the hills 'sang with their blessings and blossomed into colors only the great celestials knew'. The validity of her claims remained to be seen, but Valeska was an excitable sort of wolf and immediately set off toward the region her sister had made this... discovery.

“Ah, to hear Nivia's voice - surely she must sound like snowfall feels; soft and faint, but everywhere! I have so much to ask, but only if she chooses to listen! Perhaps Sylvanus will speak first, for winter passes soon. Spring is close, now,” she tittered to herself, short legs working furiously as they strove to cover ever more ground in her hunt. So thrilled at the prospect was she, that the gathering dark clouds hardly registered in her peripheral. Her mind was filled with joy and love and light, and not even the sound of whistling winds could tear her from her reverie, nose to the ground and eyes wide in wonderment.

“Sylvanus, or maybe Houtu. Oh, would I be worthy? Would the great All-Mother speak to me?”

The final rays of sunlight gradually faded into darkness, and at last the swelling clouds managed to blot out even the stars that once twinkled merrily overhead. A sudden gust nearly swept the little wolf from her paws, breaking her from her daydream as she realized what had occurred - and what was about to become far, far worse. She took a quick look, gasped, and tore through the underbrush, tripping and cursing and scrabbling over fallen logs all while narrowly avoiding chunks of debris that had begun to fly through the air. Fuck fuck fuck, she forgot how jealous the Five could be of each other. Equal tribute was paramount!
“Aether, God of Autumn and master of wind! I am sorry to leave you out! I did not mean to make you feel inadeQUATE-” The last syllable came out in a shriek as a branch clocked her square in the back of her head, causing her to lose her footing as she fell in a tangle of limbs atop something soft and warm and... incredibly angry.

“Oh, gods! Forgive Valeska, I have been attacked-”

How peculiar. The wolf she suddenly found herself mixed up in smelled oddly familiar, from what little whiffs she could catch amid the howling winds and blinding snow. Then it clicked. “Vanderfell! How nice, oh, I am so sorry. I was hunting for roots, and suddenly it is the end of the world-”

A rock flew by at breakneck speed, smashing to pieces upon a rocky overhang nestled within the mountains about a twenty-second sprint away. The snow was too dense to see through, but it looked like it was large enough to fit the pair - or even better, perhaps it was a cave which they could retreat deeper into.

“Come, Vanderfell - over there!”

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"Uh, hey." Orlaith hasn't officially met any of their neighbors. She remembered speaking to a woman named Nevada, however that was namely with Ira that was doing so, and Orlaith, merely a background decoration as a guard. They spoke a language she couldn't understand and with so was rather bored of that interaction, but was diligent in her job. That was the only impression she got from the neighbors, and yet knew they held a pact that they would not touch the ullcraig grounds — which, she was thankful for. 

.. But this one was a kinda weirdo, she would immediately dub as.

There wasn't much time where they could properly sit down and talk, as the winds ripped around and twirled, she could feel her paws almost grow light as the terror was behind. She just arrived to this land maybe for a year or so, and had no intention to end within the bottom of hell itself — if it existed. She wasn't a religious would, and didn't really care for God if they were real or not. Orlaith, didn't pray to anyone. A simple wolf, who believed in herself and comrades then praying to a higher power for that luck.

But the other pointed out a cavern, that just maybe.. They could duck into to. She wasted no time to run after though, but was looking at Valeska in a slight worry, for she seemed relatively light and dainty.. Would she make it?

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If the Vanderfell woman's expression betrayed any concern over the Priestess and her peculiar way of speaking, it went unnoticed amid the chaos of the storm. As Orlaith quickly tore through the narrow opening ahead, fur whipping violently in the wind, Valeska was quick to follow suit - she may have been small in height, but the little wolf was built sturdy and (Ford) tough and so she managed to find enough purchase with her claws to scrabble through. The wind screamed outside, deafening their labored panting as they fought to catch their breath.

"Священная Мать-волчица!" — "Sacred Wolf Mother!" Valeska swore, eyes wide as saucers as she stared out toward nature's wrath. “Aether is furious, or else we are just unlucky - I have never seen such storm since leaving home! Er, other... home.” It had been a full year since the event, but she still had trouble reconciling the sudden transition between realms as her death in Ruhe had unceremoniously dumped her within this place. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the jagged rocks against her flesh as the earth opened up beneath her...

At least it had been quick.

A large rock suddenly cracked and shattered against the entrance to their shelter, spraying the pair with small pebbles that stung like little pinpricks. “We should go further in; could still be hit with flying things even at mouth of cave!” she barked over the noise, pushing forward into the darkness and hoping Orlaith had the sense to follow. She knew nothing of this particular soldier of Vanderfell, but at least her self-preservation instinct overrode what icy nature may have originally greeted her. It was true that Vanderfell hadn't been the warmest pack to make neighbors with, but they generally stayed out of each other's way; and although Valeska longed for a true partnership in which to share feasts and festivities, it was satisfactory for the time being.

The cave was much deeper than she had anticipated, and broke off into multiple winding tunnels that led to Gods-knew-where. The pale wolf stood at the crossroads, taking a moment to shake the debris from her thick fur, and then turned to face her fellow refugee.

“Suppose it might help to introduce myself. I am Valeska, High Priestess of Elysium - as I said, I was looking for specific roots for ritual purposes when I accidentally insulted Aether, and great chaos came to life,” she said sheepishly, ears rotating back in slight embarrassment. “But you are also a ways from home! What brought you out into storm?”

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By instinct did Orlaith shift around to cover the front — blocking what strong winds that landed to them. She could her fur flocking through even if they went further in, as it truly was blazing around like a madman. Pebbles flickering through, it seemed like the Tornado was coming directly toward their location, and the only safe haven was being this cave. A relief flooded over, thinking what could happen  if she were whipped up!

"I have not seen such storms," the woman admitted — but even if she had, she could not remember. There was now a whole year of memories that stayed, and yet near four was completely missing as she was relatively within her 5th full season. She wondered if she was ever encountered one and couldn't recall.. Sometimes there was a pain within her right arm when she saw lightning, a shadow pain for she knew there was no relative injury there or a scarring. Moments and flashes of nostalgia and anger that still could not be explained...

With a nod, Orlaith would follow in further behind the gray wolf.

"I am Orlaith, part of the Hedrad, as a Aesir in Vanderfell — a guard." She didn't know the ranks too well if had to be honest, or at least their meanings. She knew what they all were, especially as it has been sometime, and knew of her own stance.. But in the end she saw herself nothing more as a guard. The highest ranking one though! Besides the High King and Queen, and.. The only one. But since they were giving official titles, it felt a bit prideful to for once actually say so. Orlaith lifted her chest up while she was stating so.

"Nice to meet you, Valeska," she was also ignoring all the religious nonsense. Best not to try and understand, and frankly did not want to know, "I can't say I remembered why, just felt like it," she confessed.

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The caverns surrounding them amplified the sound of the howling wind outside, chunks of debris echoing loudly as small rocks and sticks landed sharply against the rock walls that were meant to shelter them. It was difficult to see much further in the dim light, even with their wolf-blessed eyes, but Valeska would have rather been safe than certain, and so pushed onward with the hopes that her new acquaintance might follow.

The sound of the large female's voice behind her confirmed that, indeed, she had.

Orlaith of the 'Hedrad' and 'Aesir'. So they were both speaking relative gibberish to one another.

Well, as the saying went, misery loves company, and it wasn't like they had anywhere else to be at the moment.

“I can see you are a great warrior! You are built strong, like the ox,” she stated admiringly, noting the thick muscles that lay just beneath her pelt of greys and browns. The smaller wolf continued forward, albeit much more slowly now, ears twitching at the sounds of water droplets falling from the ceiling overhead. The storm sounded much further away at their current depth, and she was curious where the tunnel went.

“I have only met Ira and Quicksilver of your pack, so it is nice to see a new face after so long as neighbors. Have you always trained as a guard, or do you have other... pursuits?” she asked curiously, squinting into the darkness ahead. Was the light playing tricks on her, or was something moving?

“You remind me somewhat of my sister. She was also born a great warrior, though she now prefers the company of plants over fighting.”

She hesitated, turning quietly to look at her companion.

“Not to cause alarm, but... do you feel watched?”

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Orlaith, unabashedly, flexed her muscles upon her joints. If a human, would surely be showing off her fine arms at the moment while trying to impress a pretty girl — not for the point to woo a lady, but simply show off her strength. It wasn't often she was praised ; actually she couldn't remember a specific time she was praised and has been more or less told off by the King, and nagged more by the Queen then anything.

She couldn't help but feel downhearted for a moment.. If they even cherished having her.

Orlaith shook her head to try and push those thoughts aside, for it wasn't really any use. She doubted even asking about it would change about the moment, rather simply look at her even less.. Imagining the stoic gaze of the High Queen, and the rather hostile, or disappointed look of the High King, "ah, yeah," responding a bit in a lackluster with her mind fondling elsewhere, and attempting to refocus on the situation of another.

It wasn't like of her to be down about these futile thoughts.

"I don't remember a good four years of my life, so i'm assuming I have. How else would I have these muscles?" Another flex, to show off her grand physique. As she couldn't remember the previous times, for all she knew she was raised differently. Yet it felt right to say she was always a warrior, someone who trained on the arts of so.

"But if she is like me i'd be down to meet," it was always needed to have a buddy. She burned bridges with most in Vanderfell to her more aggressive behavior, and had trouble finding friends outside due to the same issue. Orlaith was perhaps a bit too protective, when it wasn't her place. She laughed lightly, at the thought of meeting someone was burly as herself and yet finding joy in plants —

but the thought was taken away as she raised a brow, "you mean that rabbit?" and pointed, to the small critter who hopped from it's corner.

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There was a grim sadness hiding behind the woman's brazen eyes; perhaps not so much sorrowful as it was wistful, as if longing for something just out of reach. Orlaith faltered only for a moment before quickly shifting gears and began parading her toned muscles with some flair, flexing her shoulders and showing off the definition in her haunches. Needless to say, Valeska was impressed - it was difficult and took many moons of rigorous training to achieve such a look through thick fur, and the High Priestess glanced down at her own stocky legs and noted how the fluff overpowered what muscle she may have possessed.

She wasn't certain if it was worth the effort in her case. She was already shaped like a soft brick; no need to make it more pronounced, she reasoned to herself.

“I would think so; if the gods do not kill us today, then perhaps you should meet her,” she offered with a pleased grin, excited to have actually managed a positive conversation with someone of Vanderfell's ranks. Valeska was an emotional creature and could little grasp the stoicism that ran through their ranks, but it was pleasant to meet someone as passionate as she was.

Orlaith motioned to the long-eared, silhouetted figure crouched deeper within the cave, and the little wolf jumped.

“Oh! Sacred Wolf Mother!” she uttered, eyes wide. “I thought it a demon sent from Aether to punish me. Oh well, maybe we should not venture deeper and wait. The fury of the gods is a sight to behold, but I do not wish to be clobbered with more rocks.”

Settling down upon the stony ground, the two wolves passed the time engaged in idle chatter, and waited for the storm to pass.

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