The twisting of strings coming from above

 He was so near to home he could almost taste it.

 Finally, familiar scents were on the wind. The fresh scent of mountain air, the chill that rippled along with the breeze in quite a comforting fashion. Familiar, too, were the scents that drifted down from the mountain he skirted along the base. He had spoken to @Mordecai recently, letting him know about the other pack to the south of their land - Empyrean. Close enough in relations to the Nightwalkers to alert them to the presence of Event Horizon at least.

 He slowed to a stop, not wishing to invade their space, and lifted his head to call a non-urgent greeting.

 He wondered if Queen @Hydra or her king would recall his voice.

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Mordi isn't required to post, just letting you know abt the thread!

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Though it was not the Queen that dropped firstly by, but rather her shadow. Hearing the call that was for the other, she was rather close, being always one onto the borders. A usual patroller, and so she skulked from the shadows to the other. Unfamiliar as so, Desdemona looked curiously at the man. He was a large one, white though in pelt, unusual to see within these mountains, and black patches that twinged with a spatter of snow-white. She nodded politely at him, gently guarded while waiting for signs of Hydra to come down the mountain.

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She had heard; she called back, a distance aways as she manned the other leg of her borders. Nosing her sister, @Alya, Hydra turned to head toward the caller, a voice she had in fact recognized. For a time her sister moved with her, but fell back to mind something else as Hydra pressed on. Hydra and her both felt a sense of something they needed, and the absence of it... well, it caused them to search now and then. It was something they two must find... something she imagined only they two could. 

It was this on her mind as she headed toward Crux and Desdemona, and this she pondered as Alya fell back. One or the other, or both together... they would find it, Hydra knew. But when? Closer, now, Hydra lengthened her stride and called once more to alert of her nearness. She felt certain the man was already being tended to by one of their many, at the least—and he would not be waiting for too much longer.

And soon enough, Hydra broke through the threshold of the spruce trees and navigated her way expertly 'round the Dragonsteeth. The gaps and crevices here could snare any unsuspecting ankle—and now in the Summer, a leg—but Hydra had become accustomed to the obstacle course that (she liked to think) kept many a potential intruder at bay. Or swallowed whole... Hydra had discovered some starved coyotes, plaque within the Dragonsteeth proverbial gums. Her own head held high, she regarded the familiar face with a sway of her lifted tail. 

“Crux,” Hydra greeted lowly, sidling alongside Desdemona in quiet solidarity; the shadow of Empyrean stretched as far as it did, she liked to think, for wolves like she and her both. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She inquired, ear twitching as she listened.

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 The first to arrive was a stoic woman, tall and slender in appearance though very clearly confident in her own strength. Her polite nod was returned in kind as he admired her wide ears momentarily. Ah, there - the Queen's call of return - he twitched an ear in reaction, sensing the silence of the woman before him as a silent indication to wait for her before they spoke.

 And so she arrived, coat black as ever, blue eyes vibrant against her face. She looked the same as she had before. That was good news for the Mountains.

 He dipped his head to the Queen, offering a kindly smile. “Queen Hydra, good evening,” he said, “The last we spoke, you asked for me to come visit once my land was claimed in full.” He wasn't quite sure where this visit was going, but he had promised to come see her after the forest was his. “I have left Ichorwood - as we have renamed it - to tour the regions east and south, and am now on my way home to Event Horizon.”

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skippable!

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Tucking into the shadows, she stood back from the Queen, and obvious continuous stare at him so. Though it seemingly a friendly conversation then one of new ; perhaps a new ally, Desdemona thought. Especially as the other introduced the name of Event Horizon, officially claiming so and finally ressurecting.. She couldn't deny a curiosity of neighborhood packs, as once before she would know who was around, but still then, here the land and it wolves, remained complete strangers. She still awaits to hear news from others on what was further beyond their cliffs.

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Hydra was pleased for his visit as he spoke of his reasoning behind it, and nodded her head some as he spoke of his travels. Interested in those, too, Hydra supposed she ought to first congratulate him on his own success. She had not expected anything else, when she had met him all that time ago—Hydra had only wondered when it would be done. Answer provided, Hydra drawled, “Ichorwood. A name that suits its Prince,” she hummed with a wave of her plume, “congratulations are in order, then,” she continued on, licking her chops, “I am pleased to hear it,” she seems to finish, though falls quiet for a moment. “How did you fare upon your tour? Did you see anything of concern, on your travels?” she asked, interest apparent. Better to know what threats might lurk now rather than later. 

Hydra knew Event Horizon was not so far away; though her features remained ever unreadable, they brightened some as she next spoke, in relation to what he had accomplished, “The Queendom should celebrate such a thing,” she suggested in her low voice, thinking aloud, “perhaps our packs might come together during these strange times... to hunt with one another for an evening this fruitful Spring,” she wondered if such a thing might be of interest to him, and hoped that it might. Crux seemed more than a decent man, and so she was willing to bet those that followed him were of good stock themselves. A spot of good, and something to look forward to as well, felt as though it could only be of benefit.

She had every intention of finding that out, though there was nothing malevolent behind the thoughts, given what she thought she knew of the man before her.

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 His own tail waved in appreciation of the compliment and he dipped his head, “Thank you.” Never one to revel in compliments or expect more, he nonetheless was pleased to have received it.

 The shadow queen asked of his learnings and he licked his own lips. “The only thing of concern is the disappearance of the brindle woman the warlord Vengeance was asking about.” He was fairly sure that Vengeance was an ally or otherwise associate of Hydra - at least, the man had mentioned her as a mutual familiar face when they had first met. He was unsure of how much she knew about the situation as it stood, so he continued, “From my understanding, she went into the mountains west of a pack called Elkshire and all trails from there went cold.”

 He shook out his mane of fur after a moment of observing the queen's reaction to this. While he hadn't been fully invested in the hunt for the woman, Vengeance's claims for what she had said were startling to a new pack leader and he worried for his people's safety. If she was gone... then it was best that way.

 On to happier things. “I met several packs on my tour, including Elkshire - allies of Vengeance, if his approach during my meeting with them is any indication. There was a pack called Pantheon to the west of Elkshire and to the northwest of here, two neighboring packs called Vanderfell Woods and Elysium. The latter of the two is now Event Horizon's ally.” He'd offer a smile, thinking gently of his not-so-gentle new wife among the women of Elysium. What a strange group they were, but not bad at all.

 Hydra suggested a pack hunt and he returned the smile. “I, and my people, would like that.” There was nothing better than to be close friends with your neighbors. He was well pleased with the pitch black woman and her people so far and he was pleased to hear that she wished her pack and his to have more involvement, even if it was to be just a hunt.

 If Hydra wished for Empyrean and Event Horizon to grow close, he would be more than happy to oblige.

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“Should I catch wind of her, she will be dispatched,” she drawled simply in turn. If Vengeance perceived her as something of an enemy, she could only imagine the sort of woman she might be—but to waste energy on a woman already dead seemed a purposeless thing, and Hydra was not a woman who enjoyed such. Glad for the latest information as to her whereabouts, Hydra tucked it away for safekeeping. But as Crux mentioned Elkshire, Hydra became aware that she had more to learn. 

She had heard of them—the name felt familiar, at least, unless she was remembering wrongly—and she continued to listen on as he explained his tour. Hydra felt some scouting was due, for all the names she did not know there. Elkshire she had heard tell of, and Vanderfell, too. Elysium, though, and Pantheon... she had not. “What did you make of each of them? Clearly, Elysium made a good impression,” she hummed, ear twitching. She wondered why he made an ally of them as opposed to the rest of the names he had mentioned... and with that, if they were worth a visit—

Elysium... no, she had heard of them. She had met one of their residents, as she recalled; they had swam together to an island. Much had happened between then and now, but it sounded as though they were a fledgling no more and had fully founded. What sort of impression had they left upon Crux that he would extend his hand to them, she pondered? 

“It is settled, then,” she drawled, peering to Desdemona for a moment, “The Great Hunt of the Summer shall be had.” It would be good to learn more of their closest neighbors in this way, when the blood ran hot with the food still warm as they supped. Looking back to Ichorwood's Prince, Hydra hummed, “we must think of a time that will work well. Is there a time for you that does not?” she inquired, voice curious.

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 She did not seem extremely invested in the hunt for the woman, yet a diplomatic statement of intent was given. The woman would not survive with all the packs after her, it seemed, so he hoped that the conflict would not come north towards his home. He truly didn't want to be involved, despite agreeing to help where he could. His hope was that she was gone for good, never to return.

 She asked of the packs and he considered them in turn. “The queen of Elkshire seemed competent but tense, Vengeance apparently close enough to her people to join us without a call.” He was uncertain of her reasons for her distaste of him, knowing nothing of her religion or the derision she held for those of white and black pelts. “I spoke very little with the man from Pantheon, so I can't say much for his people. The queen of Vanderfell Woods appeared respectable, with similar ideals to you and I.”

 Starting new. Not to mention, the woman knew of things he knew of from his past life. This made him question if the truly had been from the same world, perhaps just too distant to ever meet. “Elysium,” he gave a soft laugh, “A peaceful people, eager for friends. I met my new wife there, actually.” It had been very sudden but a whirlwind romance that they were still learning how to navigate. He considered mentioning to Hydra that he would be visiting with them for a feast in the coming months -

 - Ah, she asked him something that would require an answer about that.

 The Great Summer Hunt, he smiled, tail waving in a gentle wag. “About a... moon-cycle from now, Elysium has invited some of my pack to a feast in celebration, but after we return and have rested from the trip, we have the rest of the summer open.” He had no more long trips planned and hoped to spend a good long time resting at home once the feast was over and done with.

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Hydra stored away the information he shared, curious most of all of Elkshire in that she had met none from there, yet. But she had heard tell of them, from Vengeance too... though it seemed the two packs were close, now. In more than just proximity, if he could arrive there without being rebuked... though Hydra recognized she was only assuming as much; plenty came and went from the borders, after all, to interact with their neighbors too. 

Pantheon, too, she pondered about. 

More news, on his own account; a wife, from Elysium! “More congratulations are in order then,” she drawled, tail swaying behind her. For all the confounding things about each of their arrival... life went on. They were still able to feel, and find love, and do as they always had. He spoke of a feast to be had with those wolves, which she attributed to the marriage; nodding, Hydra hummed, “alright. Perhaps, the week prior to the Summers end,” to give he and her both plenty of time to plan for it.

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 Truthfully, Crux knew very little about the packs of the Temperate. The Warlord was, well, a warlord so he doubted peace was much on his mind, and the Elkshire queen seemed cold but cordial. He was just glad to know they didn't want to skin him for encroaching accidentally on what he assumed was their land.

 He smiled, appreciating her congratulations though they could hardly be called friends yet. “That sounds good to me and I'm sure my pack will agree,” he said, his tail beating gently. Then, with a sigh, he shook out his pelt. “I should be off, I think - home is calling.” He dipped his head to Hydra first and then to the watching Desdemona. “It was lovely seeing you again, and meeting some of your pack as well,”

 Unless she had something else of import to say, he would say a, “'Til the Summer's End,” and away he would go.

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Exit unless stopped!

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