Outskirts of Opes

Keri was seated in the middle of the forest, sat cross legged on a tree stump.
Around her was the gloom of a drawing eve, a peaceful night with a clear sky. When it dropped night, the stars would be visible in the open air, as would the waxing gibbous moon.
Keri had been tracking the moon as usual, feeling the attraction of her birth moon. It was the only way she had to reference her birthday, though of what month she never knew save it was near the winter. The world had changed since she was a child however, what was once winter was less harsh and drastic than before.

Around her, a soft wind billowed around the trees, drawing a gentle whisper from between the thick trees. It was peaceful, to sit in the place she felt at home with the moon of her birth drawing near, Keri reflected.
At her side lay the wooden flute she so favoured, and it was this she now reached for.

Her fingers found their places over the holes, bringing the blow hole to her lips. Wetting them, Keri blew gently across the top producing an eerily out of place note in the silence. She didn't stop however, her eyes closer as she continued to blow; fingers working over each hole with learned practise to produce a gently tune of peace and serenity.
As she played, she began to sway only faintly, moving kinetically with the music she played as she lost herself within it.

Onai roamed the forest in her Lupus form, her paws barely making any noise as she padded along across the dirt and grass. She stopped, her ears flicked back and forth, hearing the music. She knew it was a lycan for her keen senses told her so, but she was unsure who it was. It had been so long since she had been around her kind, she was only called when needed for she belonged to no tribe. But served teh Garou Nation as a whole, as one of its warriors. She was more self-controlled than the others, least to say she preferred to use brawn that brute strength. She crept closer to the music, each step bringing the music in louder. She finally stopped in front of the lycan and realized who it was. She bowed her head to the ground and didn't make any eye contact. She couldn't talk in her wolf form so all the Aplha recieved was a soft grunt.

The girl was aware of a second presence, but she didn't stop her playing.
Instead, her eyes remained closed and she acted as if she hadn't even noticed. It wasn't down to rudeness or lack of care, it was quite simply she knew it was a Garou that faced her.
Since they hadn't spoken first, it wasn't one of her tribe, and the low grunt was one of a stranger.

As her tune finished, she held the last note and let it die naturally. When it did, she lowered the flute and regarded the wolf before her.
Keri tilted her head, giving a faint smile. "Hello, Sister." She barked in their native Garou, making a lazy gesture. "What brings you to Opes?"

Onai raised her head. "Greetings to you as well, Sister." She said also in the Garou tongue, giving a respectful nod. Yet she remained in wolf form. It wasn't that she was afraid, she just didn't have any clothing with her, despite the fact that the Alpha was female. "I was just wandering, one tends to get bored of life in Parasitus. Besides, I had an unsual encounter with the king himself." She said and sat down and shook her head. Casting off a twig that was stuck to her fur. "May I ask why you are here?"

Keri rose a hand to lazily scratch at the side of her face with her index finger, her blue eyes curious of this stranger.
"Ah, a native of Parasitus...." She murmured quietly, "There are not many I know from that land." The girl mused quietly, looking away to the floor as she did, before her head rose up.

"Why, this is my forest..." She laughed quietly, both arms raising up to gesture around her.
"Welcome, to TsAko forest, the furthest outskirts that I can just about claim." The woman laughed. "It's the only place I may sit without my entourage." Keri chuckled, mind casting back to Thomas and Zeyda, her beta leaders.

Onai nodded her head. "Yes, unfortunately..." She scowled, everyone knew Parasitus wasn't exactly the best place. At least she had a home though, rather that than sleeping in the dungeons. She looked around as Keri gestured to the forest, her eyes widened slightly. She had failed to notice it was claimed and mentally scolded herself for it. "My apologies, I had not realized the territory had been claimed." She said before getting up.

Keri laughed quietly, gesturing at her as she got up. "Don't be stupid. This forest may belong to me, but I don't defend it from those that wish me no harm." Her eyes rolled.
"Were you an army, or one of those in lesser favour, then I would have killed you instead of offering you greeting." The plain and frank way with which Keri spoke showed the seriousness of her words.

"Sit, rest. Do as you please. I do no care, so long as you wish me or my Tribe no harm."

Onai flicked her ears back in annoyance, she wasn't stupid. Simply showing respect for an Alpha Garou. She sat down, slowly. "I wish no harm to you or your tribe." She stated, she became more confident and sat straight. Even in her Lupus form, she was quite large for a wolf. She scanned over the Alpha, taking in everything about her. Onai took in her scent, recieving even more details.

Keri nodded. "Fair enough." The girl shrugged almost nonchalantly, before she began to twiddle with the flute around her fingers.
"So Stranger, who are you?" Never let it be said Keri was subtle.

[[really short sorry... can't think of much.]]

(it's all right)

Onai grunted slightly. "My name is Onai Ralf, most call me Red though." She said, gesturing to her red fur. "What is your name?" She asked softly. She shook her head again, her fur catching the moonlight and it seemed to glow. Most of the top part of her fur was red, but the under side was white.

Keri gave a faint smile. "How apt..." She murmured softly, before raising an eyebrow.
"Kasheri TsAko." She nodded with a wry grin. "I prefer Keri, though many have been known to call me far worse." A mild thought went to her friends.
"I think they favour 'Tramp' at the moment..." Her hand came up, rubbing at her hair almost absently... "S'not my fault I refuse to buy things..."

Onai rumbled deeply and bowed her head. "It's nice to meet, Keri." She glanced at her, noticing that she didn't wear shoes or anything to protect her feet. "How come you don't wear shoes?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Her tail swayed slightly behind, sweeping the ground almost.

Keri grinned warmly at the girl.
"Aye, well met Sister." She responded almost formally, slipping the flute into an inner pocket of her coat before she uncrossed her legs and laid her filthy, green stained feet flat on the floor.
At the girl's question, Keri rose an eyebrow, staring at her own feet with a look of mild concentration.
"I don't like them..." She said simply, looking up as if it was a simple matter. "They're not normal."

Keri stood, stretching faintly as she folded her arms over her uncommonly untorso'ed chest. "They're stupid and irittable."

Onai huffed loudly, as if chuckling. "I really don't like them either but I wear them. You have to appear normal amongst the natives of Parasitus. Or else Hazari and his band of imbeciles would come after you." She snorted. What a joke he was, thinking that he had all that power. Like he could even take over a plot of land let alone a kingdom. "That man is...I have no word for him."

Keri tilted her head, staring plainly at the wolf.
"I walk around Opes with a giant, or a woman with bright blue hair. I dress in armour and I tend to steal from time to time." She tilted her head back upright with a smile. "That and I'm well known around these parts, I'm an eccentric."

She took a few steps, stretching her cramped leg muscles. "I've heard a few tales... I keep my ears to the ground when the Monarchy is concerned..." Keri mused softly, thinking more towards Arturia than the rest of them.
"He's an arse, but not a threat from what I can make out."

Onai nodded to her, taking in everything she was saying. "I don't know anything about these parts, truthfully I was just wandering a new place." She said, looking around the forest once more. "This place is beautiful." She said, slightly in awe. Then she looked back at Keri. "Yes, although he knows how to through his weight around. A good friend of mine lost someone dear to her, just a few nights back. I don't understand why she stayed though." She said, then ruffled her fur again and started to lick it.

Keri chuckled faintly. "S'alright, I have no idea about Parasitius." The girl shrugged faintly before turning back to face the wolf, though her own gaze filtered around the forest.
The trees were rich, strong and healthy while the plant life was plentiful, especially around the area the girl had been sat.

Keri's natural strength was in the nature of the earth, the power of Gaia she had harnessed. That was Keri's lesser known Gift of Gaia; she was a complete and utter nature worker.
Whenever she was sat in the forests of her home, she always influenced the area around her, though perhaps not consciously.
"It is, isn't it?" She smirked faintly before tilting her head curiously.

"People are strange. We can't understand them..." A light shrug. "And the Monarchy is just as bad as people are complex."

Onai stood up on all fours, her form slowly took the shape of a woman. Her form muscalar yet toned, her hair wasn't bound. Some of it hung down in front of her, covering her breasts. Some of it was behind her. Once she was done shifting, she went into a sitting position and drew up her knees infront of her. She hung an arm lazily over her knees as she looked at Keri. "That is true." She said, her human tongue was much softer than the Garou tongue.

Keri watched the girl, unabashed at her sudden nakedness. Lycans soon got over that small human emotion of naked embarrassment. That, and when she had seen most of her Tribe naked before now, it was hardly something new to see a stranger.
"I'm sorry, I have no spare clothes teh offer yeh, Sister." Keri swapped herself from rough canine to smoother human. Her own tone was softer, yet she had a rough, almost common way of speaking. Rolling her r's and casually using slang.

Onai smiled lightly. "It's alright, I wasn't expecting you to hand me clothes anyways." She said, waving her hand to dismiss it. She tilted her head to the side. "Any news from the other tribes? Sorry, I am not in tuned to what goes on. I like to keep to myself unless I am called. Which rarely happens in these times." She said, leaning back slightly. Getting a bit more comfortable.

Keri chuckled. "I norm'lly steal 'em." She said without a hint of sarcasm or jest.
It was entirely true; all Keri's clothes were stolen from Zeyda and Illyxia.
At her question, Keri perked up curiously.

"Ah, Yer a wand'rer." She nodded softly, before she began to muse.
"Well, the Fianna and our allies are all well and in harmony... The Shadow Lords are... Shadow Lordy... And as far as I know there are no conflicts.
Though, the Essentia Tribes are contemplating moving due to teh vampires." Her eyes darkened with a sharp intelligence that betrayed her common idiot outward appearance.

Onai laughed at lightly. "A leader AND a thief." She said jokingly. She listened intently as she told her news of the tribes, but then darkened as well at the mention of vampires. "Their spawn seems to be spreading far faster than I thought." She said with a rumble. Lycans were not a good terms with them but at least they were terms. "I wander when I have time, and when I can sneak past the guards withouth raising suspicion." She shrugged slightly.

Keri stared at the girl, humoured. "Aye. A fair and noble combination I do believe." She nodded faintly, noting the change in her new found companion.
"Aye. Sadly the Empress feels they need to be in every city." Keri shrugged softly. "I cannot really complain however; my Lycans populate just as far, and further still. War's do that to the population." She reflected quietly, thinking of the last TsAko war, more than seven centuries ago.

She frowned faintly, though raised an eyebrow at Onai's last comment. "Why would you raise suspicion?"

Onai shrugged. "Hazari has his guards strung pretty tight. It is unusual for women to wander at night, especially there. If they are caught, well you get the idea of what happens." She said. "The men there are as wicked as the king, thinking women are only good for bed and teh kitchen." She shook her head in disgust. "I am more than happy to prove them wrong, of course." She said with a smirk. Many had tried to tame her, but she was wild, as wild as the hills.

Keri frowned faintly. "Sounds like it ain't a good place to be livin'." She mused quietly, pacing back to her stump before sitting onto it with a small thump.
"Sure, any man tries teh lay his hands on yeh, just cut off his pride." The girl mimicked the motion, a grisly grin on her features. "He'll soon leave yeh 'lone, aye?"