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The rain still continued in torrents, dark clouds only allowing the slightest bit of sunlight to pass them, despite it being in the middle of the day. Haephastus had only been there two days and began to wonder whether or not the place had ever seen a full day of sunshine. It was a silly notion, of course, but wandering about in the rain wasn't entirely his favorite thing to do. The streams, small as they were, overflowed with more water than they could handle and, he imagined, that the larger bodies of water were feeling the brunt of the weather as well. He hadn't managed to make his way to any of the small lakes or ponds that might have been strewn about his new home and he doubted that it would be a wise thing to seek out in such weather.
Despite the weather, Haephastus still needed to get out and learn the lay of the lands, the exact location of the borders and, for his own personal knowledge, the places where the other denizens of the pack resided. Passing in to the largest of the forested areas, Haephastus stopped under the largest three that he could spot, giving his multicolored fur a bit of a shake before deciding what to do next. His right arm, the good one, lifted to grasp the lowest branch of the tree, which was thick and sturdy despite the weather. His bandaged arm, the one bearing only two fingers, followed suit until finally he was hanging there. Pushing his feet against the trunk of the tree, he was able to find hold long enough to pull himself on to the branch.
Finding his footing, the foreign male took a moment to scout the area from his perch, finding nothing but rows upon rows of trees, not a single unique attribute. Frustrated by the lack of something that would stick out in his mind, Haephastus made his way carefully along the branch, not stopping until he found another, which he carefully made his way across to. He continued this patter for a time, until the moment the branches came close enough to another tree. Feeling the faint sway of the branch beneath him, he gave a small hop, grasping the stronger branch, which happened to belong to a separate tree, that jutted out above his head. Using the strength of his arms to carry him, he shuffled his way along the branch, much like a child on monkey bars, until he reached the other tree and was able to find solid footing. From there he scouted once more, dropping to a crouch for a better view.
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Xeris had been trying her absolute hardest to avoid the rain, which proved to be a most difficult task indeed. It was falling in torrents, soaking her fur. On the bright side, she thought, at least maybe it would wash out the lingering red stains on her coat. But still, this much rain in a short amount of time was likely to cause dangerous flooding; she'd have to be careful not to get stuck somewhere. Knowing herself and her luck, that was exactly what the white she-wolf was prone to do.
Finally she came to a wooded area and ducked beneath the trees. She held her right arm by her side; it was in a sling and still splinted where the scarred coyote had broken it. Xeris was still wary wandering around in unknown territory, and was now always sure to look upward instead of just at her feet. The last time she spent too much time concentrating on the ground and missed Inferni's skull-laden borders; if it wasn't for her friends that mistake could have been her last.
It was this such looking upward that led her to spot the stranger in the branches. She cocked her head to one side and looked at him. He smelled a bit of Phoenix Valley but she'd never seen him around before. Perhaps he was a newcomer. Still, she was a little cautious, but her curiosity got the best of her and she called out to him. "Hello up there!" she said, grinning. "What are you doing? Be careful, don't fall!"
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It was difficult to see anything through the downpour of rain and the cataracts that were beginning to slowly form in his eyes didn't help much either. Despite this, Haephastus still attempted to scan the area, turning his head this way and that, before finally allowing his eyes to settle on something off in the distance. It looked like mostly trees but the foreign hybrid was almost certain that he spied a clearing through the rain and something that faintly resembled the structure of a building. Squinting just a bit, the multicolored male lifted his bandaged, two-fingered hand to his face, wiping away the bits of water that still lingered from the rain.
He was ready to move on, possibly farther ahead to inspect the building, when the sound of steps filled his ears. They turned abruptly to meet this sound, head and eyes soon following after, to spot the unknown woman who was now below him. "Good day." He returned her greeting, speaking louder than he might have otherwise, to be certain that he was heard through the pounding of the rain. "Scouting." He informed her, though it wasn't for anything particular. Making certain that his scar ravaged back was facing away from the woman, Haephastus shifted his weight and dropped down to his rear on the branch. Sure that he was far enough away as to not hit her on the way down, he slid from the branch and landed on the ground with a quiet thud.
"Why are you out in the rain?" He asked, turning to look upon her once more, seeming somewhat puzzled. He was certain that he had not heard anyone summon someone else, so why was it that she was out wandering in such weather? Of course, the foreign man was not used to the ways of the packs in these lands, where the men often did most of the work while the women stayed protected and in constant comfort. "I apologize, Miss. My name is Haephastus." He offered her the greeting, somewhat ashamed that it hadn't been the first thing that he had done.
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Xeris looked up at the darker colored male as he turned to her. He said he was scouting. Maybe he was trying out to be the pack's new scout. She certainly hoped that word hadn't gotten out about her blunder and caused the necessity of a border patroller to arise. She felt a bit nervous at the thought of this and bit her lip. She watched as he slipped gracefully down onto the ground before her. The white wolfess smiled a bit at his question, pleased to see that he was concerned even for a stranger. "Well, to be honest, I'm trying more to get out of the rain than to walk in it," she said with a small chuckle.
She listened as he told her his name. Haephastus. She'd never heard of such a name before and it sounded very interesting to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Haephastus," the white female said politely. "My name is Xeris." She looked him over, her golden eyes searching his face inquisitively. She noted the strange milkiness in his eyes and wondered if he was blind. But no, she thought, he couldn't have been if he managed to find his way down and over to her so well.
Leaving that thought aside for a moment, she spoke up. "I don't believe I've seen you around before. You must be new to the area. I'm always glad to meet newcomers," Xeris said with a friendly smile. Her eyes were then met with the male's bandaged arm. "What happened to your arm?" she asked, then quickly added, "If you don't mind me asking, that is. As you can see, I'm no stranger to injuries myself." She looked down to the sling which carefully held her right arm.
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Haephastus nodded at the woman's first comment, looking somewhat bashful at the fact that he seemed to imply that she wanted to be out in the rain. Pushing the odd feeling aside, the foreign man took a few more steps forward, motioning with one hand toward the tree that he had just dropped out of. "If you stand closer to the base, the leaves catch most of the drop." He offered her the information, though he figured that she probably already knew that, and kept to the side so that she might move closer to the tree if she liked. He felt odd having nothing more to offer her as protection from the rain but, then again, he hadn't really expected to find anyone else wandering about in such weather.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Xeris." Polite as always and with his words he offered her a very faint smile. "This is my second day here." He explained quietly, nodding his head at her observation of him being a newcomer. "I have met the Patriarch, very briefly, and Miss Geneva as well." He offered, as if he may have to give some sort of proof that he was telling the truth. The scent of the lands and the pack had yet to cling to his fur, it would be easy to mistake him for an intruder, which was why he had asked Miss Geneva so many questions the day that he had joined. "It is much different from my old home." He noted quietly, as if to himself. "But what I have seen has been very lovely." Lovely and confusing.
He quieted himself for a time, ears perking forward to catch her words, and for a moment he was silent, staring down at the bandaged arm and area where his three missing fingers should have been. "Remnants of war." He spoke quietly, almost sadly. It wasn't a lie but it also wasn't quite the truth. There had been a war and he had indeed lost his fingers during the war, but it had been an act of torture that had taken them away, the very same torture that had left the ragged and jagged scars all down his back. Trying to perk himself back up a bit, he nodded toward her own injured arm. "And you?" He inquired quietly.
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Xeris smiled at the male's comment. "Yes," she said, a bit distantly. "Thank you." She stepped closer to the tree, placing a hand against it and leaning slightly upon the trunk. This man was quite the gentleman, she thought, even if he did have a rather curious way about him. He was right, though; the white female found herself a fair bit drier than she'd been standing farther away from the large tree trunk.
She listened politely as he spoke of his time in the pack so far and who he'd met. So he was a newcomer, as she'd thought. Xeris could remember back to when she was just beginning her new life in Phoenix Valley. "Ah, so you've met Jefferson and Geneva," she said. "I haven't spoken to the Patriarch himself very much, but I have seen Geneva once or twice. Everyone here is very kind, as I'm sure you've seen." He mentioned his old place of residence briefly, and the white wolf's mind wandered, wondering where he had been and what kinds of things he had seen. But that was a conversation for another day, she supposed as Haephastus continued speaking.
So he had been in a war. That was an intriguing thought. Xeris had never witnessed full-on war before; where she came from things were peaceful--at least, mostly peaceful. A frown crossed her face briefly before she spoke. "A war..." she murmured. "Wow. You must be very brave. I could never fight in a war." It was only the truth. Her brawl with the fierce coyote was the closest she'd come to such things. "I was in a fight as well," she said in reply to his question, "Though not really a war." She paused. "I made the mistake of accidentally crossing over the borders of Inferni," the white wolf continued darkly. "They're a clan of coyotes that has settled nearby. Apparently they have something against wolves. Or at least the one I ran into certainly did." Her voice trailed off a bit and she hoped that he could assume the rest of what happened. Would he think her a coward? Or careless for not knowing the borders?
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In all honesty, Haephastus was feeling quite a bit silly for saying something that was probably blatantly obvious to everyone. The woman was kind though, making no remark about a statement that was simple common sense, and instead obliged his words and moved on to the base of the tree. He gave a bashful sort of smile at this, both a mixture of nervousness (he still wasn't quite sure how to act to everyone around the lands) and a little bit of him feeling rather stupid at the time. Instead of dwelling on it, though, he turned his attention back to the woman who had once more begun to speak.
"I have seen it." He assured her quietly, quite fond of the fact that the attitudes had been so nice and that things really had seemed peaceful. Of course, that wasn't to say that Haephastus didn't expect anyone to not have a bad day, it was just a pleasant experience thus far. "I didn't speak to him much." He explained, regarding the Patriarch. "He was kind enough to allow me to find a cabin to stay in, though, and Miss Geneva even brought me in out of the rain." Her kindness to a complete stranger still left him in awe and, he wondered in silence to himself, if that sort of kindness was why everyone in the pack seemed so content.
"There is not much choice in war." He explained quietly, almost sadly. "Be brave and fight or lose your home." In the end, despite the fact that they had fought for all they were worth, they had lost their homes and many had lost their lives. "This Inferni." The words were quiet and sudden, ushering the conversation away from the subject of his home and the war. "I have not heard of them." He informed her, suddenly curious. "Just for no reason they dislike wolves?" It didn't seem to make sense, there was always a reason. The Jackals had desired more lands, thus spawned their hatred for those that lived in Jerusalem, the lands that they desired.
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Xeris could tell that her new acquaintance was feeling a bit shy and nervous. Rather like herself, she thought. When she had first come to Phoenix Valley, she was nervous around her new packmates too. Thus, she felt a little better knowing that she wasn't alone in her feelings. She knew, however, that Haephastus would, in time, become accustomed to life in Phoenix Valley just as she had. Perhaps she should introduce him to her other friends--or maybe he would prefer to keep to himself for a while. Xeris decided to leave that decision for later.
She was also pleased to hear that he had been treated well so far. She'd only seen Jefferson once, but recalled hearing that he had a nasty temper. And from Geneva, of course, she expected nothing but kindness; Xeris felt that Jefferson's decision to have Geneva as a second-in-command was very appropriate. "I see," she said. "I haven't been in the cabins much. I can understand why one would want to stay there now that the rain has become so abundant." But this was idle talk, what concerned her more was his reaction to her talk of Inferni.
He asked why they didn't like wolves. She hesitated for a moment before responding. "I'm not completely sure," she admitted. "I've heard rumors that something happened between Inferni and Phoenix Valley, but whatever it was happened before I came here." She didn't really know what else to say. "I'd steer clear of them, though, if I were you. I even met someone from another pack who tells me how dangerous they are. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." The white female considered ending this sentence with "more than you already are," but decided it would be best not to bring up Haephastus' injuries any more; it was obvious--and understandable--that he didn't want to talk about the subject.
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Geneva had shown him kindness that he had not witnessed in anyone else. A stranger, despite the fact that he knew her name and had thrust himself into their home so openly, and she had shown him kindness that he wouldn't even expect from a close family member. It was true, Haephastus had to face the possibility that, with his cataracts, he would be blind in the future, and Geneva had offered to read to him. It still astounded him, just how easy it seemed for her to offer such a thing, how completely honest and sincere her words had been. It had given him hope and the will and want to return her kindness to the whole pack.
Pulling his mind away from Geneva, milky eyes moved back to Xeris, perhaps taking note of a second budding friendship. Her words were most interesting though, despite how he might like to learn more about her, the group called Inferni took his interest for the time. He was certain that a single encounter with a single pack couldn't stir such a hatred within them that they would extend it to all wolves. There had to be something more to it, something that had gone on for a much longer time, and it made the foreign man wonder just what it had been. Furrowing his brow some, Haephastus was quite for a moment, considering his words. "I will keep my distance then." He assured her, though it didn't mean he wouldn't do just a little investigating.
"I know there are other packs in the area also, but how many?" He questioned, unsure if she would be able to tell him. "I picked up their scents on the way here, but some smelled so differently than Phoenix Valley does. Do they live in different ways also?" It was all so new to him and he was so worried about overwhelming her with questions. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries though and manage to do something that might get the pack in it's entirety in some sort of situation.
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Xeris looked at Haephastus again as he considered what she had told him. His eyes...it was really nagging at her now, was he blind or was there something wrong with his eyes? She'd never seen any wolf with eyes like those. In a way they were intriguing to look at, but also saddening. This man must have truly gone through an incredible life, she thought. It would be interesting to learn more about him sometime, though she felt that now wasn't the time for that.
She noticed that he thought for a few moments about Inferni and what he had been told. The white female hoped that she'd said enough for him to understand; in all honesty, she didn't really know that much about the situation herself. But to her relief, he seemed content with her words and her warning of the danger of Inferni. He then asked about the other packs; Xeris again hesitated, thinking over what she knew about the others before replying.
"Yes, there are quite a few others," she began, "Though I haven't been in many of their territories. Inferni is the only coyote clan around here, and they live to the north past the woods. The other territories are west of here. There's Dahlia de Mai, which is fairly close to us, Crimson Dreams, the only other pack territory I've visited, AniWaya, and the newest pack, Cour des Miracles." She paused for a moment to let him take this in. "To be honest I don't know too much about the others, I'm not really the traveling type especially after what happened last time I left the territory." Xeris felt a little bad that she couldn't tell Haephastus much more about the area, but then again she'd only been around for a couple of months.
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"This place.." He began, after hearing her explanation about the lands. "It is different from where I have lived, but somehow the same." Even he couldn't wrap his head around it all and only hoped that he could explain in a way that would make sense. "Jerusalem is a giant city with many buildings." He told her, just a bit of information before he continued. "But like you have many packs here, we had many people there. We didn't live in packs though, just all together in one big city. There were no ranks and no leader, but we functioned much like the packs here do. If you could hunt, then you did, and you could trade your meat for some other kind of service or goods. Everyone always worked together."
He hoped it made sense, it did in his own head. Of course, Haephastus hadn't been around to see those days. He had been born in a time of war and had left at the very end of the war, a war that they had lost. Jerusalem had also had it's fair share of mischief makers and trouble and he had been told that they had always just dealt with it as it came. He had to wonder why things didn't end up the same way here. What harm would it do if they all lived on one land? Wouldn't they be more protected, flourish even? Indecision in leadership, he supposed, could have been one of the largest reasons but even he had to wonder, just in faintest thoughts, why leadership was even required. It was taking a lot to get used to.
"What happened when you left the lands?" He inquired quietly, unsure if she had gotten attacked or had simply lost her way or something of that nature. If they coyotes were out randomly attacking, then something large must have happened to fuel their hatred. It still tugged at the back of his mind, wondering what it was and wondering if it might eventually lead to war.
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Xeris listened as Haephastus told her of Jerusalem, his former home. It was interesting to her, hearing that another world, a city, could exist. She'd never been to a city. All of her life had been lived in the wilderness; in forests and wide open plains. Places where no traces of humans were evident. In fact, she never learned of the existence of humans until a few months before she arrived at Phoenix Valley. To think that this man had lived somewhere where humans were once so abundant; it was a very peculiar concept to Xeris.
"I see," she replied after a moment of hesitation. "I have never been to such a place. It sounds very interesting." Xeris wondered if she should talk about her own past and where she used to live. "Where I grew up, only regular wolves, not Luperci, were accepted. My father was the leader of our small group, and he banished me when I became a Luperci after getting into a scuffle. I seem to have the worst luck with mixing up borders." The last sentence was spoken with a hint of humor, maybe to lighten up the situation a little, but she knew it wouldn't really work.
He asked about what had happened when she went to Inferni. Thinking back to the event, Xeris frowned a little. "I was wandering in the forests to the north--they call them the Dampwoods--and I suppose I accidentally crossed their borders. The rain hampers my sense of smell, all the scents get mixed together. Of course, Inferni has border markers, but I must have missed them somehow. It was an accident, really. And then before I knew it there was a coyote coming after me. A horrible-looking creature. Missing one eye and covered in scars. I tried to tell her that I meant no harm, but she insisted on violence." Xeris realized that she'd never found out the name of her attacker. Then again, she didn't particularly want to know. She would be staying as far away from the Inferni borders as possible.
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Cupping his ears forward, Haephastus was silent as she spoke, telling him of her past and how they had lived. It was unfortunate story but also one that caught his interest. "He would send you away for something that was not your fault?" He asked, a hint of sadness in his voice over the fact. He didn't understand how someone could do that, especially someone so closely related. Then there was also the fact that they couldn't shift. People without that ability were very rare in Jerusalem and, eventually, they usually sought out someone to change them. None-the-less, they had all be accepted with open arms into their society.
"But you have Phoenix Valley now, just like I do." He said quietly, as if there had been something that he had lost in his life once and only had just found the hope and possibility to get it back. He smiled though, an honest smile, and moved his eyes to take another look around his new home. "It's quiet here, comfortable, but I like it." And the man was content, hopefully like she might be in this place, because everyone had seemed accepting thus far. A man with two fingers on one hand and going blind, they could have turned him away as being useless, but they had not.
"Sometimes people should be more understanding." He frowned some, referring to the fact that she had been attacked because she had passed their borders on accident. Certainly they hadn't thought her a threat, had they? Haephastus couldn't imagine it. He description of the woman reminded him of Jefferson, with one eye and abundant scars, which would make it easy to remember should he happen across her. Of course, that didn't mean Haephastus had the intentions of doing anything, just that it was something he would remember. "Violence shouldn't be used so easily." He said with a sigh, shaking his head. "We lose more with it than we gain." And he knew that all to well.
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A bitter smile slowly made its way across the white female's features as Haephastus spoke of her father. "My father was corrupted by greed and want of power," she explained. "When he became the pack's leader, all he wanted was to be in control. He'd promised to keep the pack close to traditional values, and not to embrace the human culture that many Luperci had. I personally had a neutral opinion on the subject, but was forced to listen to him. He knew that if he broke his promise he would lose the trust of others that was so instrumental in keeping him powerful. So he had to force me to leave." Xeris looked to Haephastus. She had never told this much information about her past to anyone in Phoenix Valley. How had a newcomer, someone she hadn't met before, coaxed these important truths from her mind?
The smile upon her face turned into one of gratefulness. Haephastus was right; she had a new family now here in Phoenix Valley, and it seemed that the male in front of her was quickly earning his place among that family. "Yes," she said. "And I'm thankful. Hopefully you will find yourself at home here." She was pleased to hear that he liked the area so far. In thinking about it now, Xeris recalled that she really hadn't spent much time considering where to go after she left. Phoenix Valley was the first place she happened to come across. But thinking about how things were now, she would have never wanted to be anywhere else.
She then frowned as he spoke of Inferni again. He made very valid points about understanding others and using less violence. In some ways, she supposed that these could be applied to her father as well. The similarity was rather odd. Both her father's pack and the Inferni clan were "purists" of sorts. But that was something she'd rather not think about right now. Haephastus spoke of losing more than one gains. Her golden eyes glanced to his hand which was missing three fingers. He wasn't a stranger to violence. She could tell that from his appearance and the words he spoke. "You are right," she said simply and in a rather somber tone.
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