the calling

A great river came off the coast and cut through the low lands south of Empyrean's territory. Elke had followed this river inland to the east a number of times before. Never before however, had she gone further then the Ripperwood. This afternoon she had pushed herself to go further beyond her limits, her insecurities and nervousness being shoved down best she could with a hard gulp.

Beyond the bleeding forest was the expanse of open, rolling hillside. The breeze seemingly constant, moving the tall grass like waves of an ocean. An ocean of green, cut right down the middle by the river which she had been trailing along. Out in the distance, she spotted the odd formation of rocks- a collection of them, jutting out in spires none like she had ever seen before...
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Uriel stretched her paws ; she found that the sky-Gods had left. Nights now no longer seemingly plagued by them, though beauty as they were.. They as well gave a fright to herself. She couldn't understand nor' put a thought on how or why it occured, and could only blissfully watch with an awe and wariness. Others re-assured her was fine and the nights as well brought of no harm, just noises and flashes from above. Then finally, they didn't return one night.

She roamed the plains once more, coming across the foothills that brought rolling hills. A breeze drifted by, she smiled graciously by the pleasant coolness against the heat the summer was bringing. She could hear the frolicking of deer within the background — and as well, the smell of another on the wind. Nose twitched, particularly was a pack wolf somewhere around. Curiously, she looked for said-individual.

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Elke continues to look to the spires ever curiously, deciding that they must have been some kind of mountain. It looked like one she had not seen before, the rocks thin and tall but not so much so as a mountain. Maybe it was pieces of a mountain that had broken off and fallen here. Like this. Straight in the air. In the middle of a field.

Well that didn't sound right either. Then again, she had never seen gods dance within the heavens either. She had grown up on fairytales and words of magic by her father. Anything must be possible, really.

She could hear the distance scurrying of animals, movements in the dotting of brush within the rolling fields. She listened to it all, content with only strolling. Perhaps good herbs could be found in this place? She goes to sniffing things out further and catches the scent of another wolf nearby.

Her head lifts, seeing a golden woman out in the distance. Elke woofs out lowly, her smile soft and tail a gentle sway at her hocks.
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They were a pale gold, though swathed with white like herself and yet upon her pelt were the dapples of gray. An unusual mixture Uriel thought, she hadn't seen a wolf with a splendor of soft colors like her ; but even in the distance she could even see they held a lavender look. A softness to their beauty, young and perfected as the heavy smell of a pack was upon her pelt. She was from somewhere, that the golden dame knew not.

"Hello there," as Uriel was caught looking she approached with a kind smile, "lovely day isn't it?"

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The stranger came nearer and Elke watched her do so with a weariness in her eyes. Elke was a cautious woman, brought about by a nervousness gained during her youth from bullying and hatefulness. But Elke was also a loving and forgiving girl and wanted to know others, wanted friends outside of those she called family.

Elke stayed put in her place, determined to know the woman, her tail continuing to sway as it stayed lowered behind her. “It really is.” The young woman agreed with a softened and innocent smile. The woman before her was light and lean, her coat a mix of golds and creams. The colors were not far from her own but lacked the charcoal or phantom mask.

“I have never traveled this far east before, although I admit home is not all that far...” She says with a sheepish smile. “Do you live around here?”
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She cocked her head to the side, "Where do you live?" Uriel asked curiously. Although she smelled of a pack, it was not one she was familiar with. It surely wasn't one that in the north or the plains, so surely a more southern pack.. It was a curiosity to who else was around, knowledge was often important to keep herself away from their borders and whether she should stay from it's wolves altogether. Yet the one before her was soft, and seemed kind ; that surely her pack was the same.

"I live more in the northern places," Uriel said, "but I don't have a true home, I'm a loner."

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The woman before her asked where she lived when Elke said home was not far. In turn, she said that she had lived in the north but no particular place. She was a loner. “Oh...” Elke spoke lowly. She hadn't meant to sound sad, but she had and sheepishly smiled when she noticed she had. Being a loner. Well, it sounded obviously lonely.

Elke's family was a large one. At one point or another, there wasn't many who did not know the name 'Ostrega'. She couldn't imagine not being around family- didn't want to. It was sad and thus, was why her voice had sounded sad for Uriel.

“I am of Empyrean. We live on those mountains closest to the river.” She spoke as she turned her head, motioning with her nose towards them in the distance. “I admit I've not done much travel since we all arrived here, although I'm sure there is much I'd like to see.” Seeing new places, especially beautiful ones, was exciting to her. Though since arriving here she had turned into a home buddy.

Maybe it was because she was made to travel alot at a very young age. Maybe it was because of what happened to them at Moonspear and she was afraid if she left her family, she would loose them again. Perhaps it was a little of both.
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Empyrean.. Not a pack she was familiar with but would be remembered. There was a few on the tip of her tongue and smelled around ; but generally Uriel avoided their areas out of both fear and politeness. Yet Elke seemed alright and kind, she would hope that the pack was the same ; but nontheless most likely would not visit, "they live in the mountains?" Uriel asked curiously.

"If you continue east there is the desert, further north is the tundra, and down south are lushed with forests. I don't visit the warmer regions too often.. But they are something to be seen." She gave general directions for the wandering soul, if she felt the need of an exploration those were some areas. Although Uriel couldn't say if they were safe.

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Elke nodded in a silent 'yes' to the woman's question. The mountain spires were tall and jagged and looked most foreboding when looking upon them from the foothills. It's treasures were secret ones, beauty which was only allowed seen by those which called it home or their close guests. Beyond the Ripperwood here, it was hard to see much of them with the forestry in the way.

“Have you seen red rock in any of these places?” The young woman asked curiously after she had explained a general knowledge of the lands in each direction. Elke did not think she would stray far enough to see this tundra or desert, but was interested in the forests where they had allies in the south and open lands she could see from here.

“Those,” She would jut with her muzzle. Across the river were the Rocky Outcrops, she had not seen rock shaped so oddly like this before. “Have you ever seen rock like that before? Are they... mountains?” They didn't look big enough to be... did rock just, grow like that here?
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There was still much to know about the land, but the unknown scared Uriel so. She looked to the outcrops that the dame pointed to, and lightly stirred in her spot. Uncomfortable, going there, remembering the very factor of being attacked and a confidence shattering ; she wasn't sure if was always meekly or that instance brought that same fate. Deep breathes, Uriel would reminded, it was the curiosity of another, that she could answer.

Quietly shaking her head on an answer to both, she never seen any red-rocks in particular, but the rocky outcrops, she has, "they are like teeth, jagged and pointed."

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Uriel seemed hesitant to speak much of the rocks or maybe it was something else... In this placement within the rolling hills, she could not smell the scent of another pack across the river, across to where the rocky outcrops lie. “Very strange indeed.” She admits, an exhale of breath.

“I can't say I'm surprised at the sight, however...” She goes on, “This place as a whole is quite strange indeed.”

And then, “I am Elke, by the way. Elke Ostrega.”
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She nodded, everything was unusual. She didn't comment how she came to this land without memories, and yet it seemed especially common for many to simply.. Wash up here, without knowledge. Casted away from another realm, and brought together where mystery lingers. Fear and caution, but a curiosity all the same of what was happening, and all she could do was try to digest the unknown, "I am Uriel," the golden woman said smiling..

Lightly did her eyes squint though, as the sun gazed down into a light evening, "perhaps it is time to depart.. It was a pleasure meeting you."

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“Yes, a pleasure.” Elke would agree, offering a returning small smile. “Yes, I'm never gone long, barely at all... best not to have any worry.”

Elke was seldomly sought out by others specifically, but she was always in sight, always passing others on her same routine. If she was gone much, it would be odd for her and would stick out, especially if she was needed to treat someone.

“Goodnight to you, Uriel.” And then the young woman scurried off back towards the mountains of home.
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