fate speaks again [Heracles/Open]

Heracles' eyes remained upon Laurel in a steadfast but non-threatening manner. At least he attempted to make himself appear to be passive at the current time. The scent of another infiltrating his nostrils was what managed to finally avert his gaze from the larger female. Internally the brute chuckled, he should have assumed that another would end up joining them. R'imdar had a way of bringing together lost and damaged souls. If he recalled correctly that was how his family group had been formed prior to his birth. The other's odor told him that the newcomer and Laurel had not been strongly associated in any recent days; yet it would not take long for him to realize they had not met at all. He turned slightly to watch his approach; but not removing Laurel from his peripheral vision. Heracles may act a gentleman, but he was no fool. Turning away from a stranger would be a rather foolish way to get himself hurt for he did not doubt this female's capabilities.

It nearly surprised him at the small and delicate structure of Eztli as she approached. What a sight the three of them must have been, two towering somewhat stoic extincts and the petite Iranian. Heracles had heard about how scrappy smaller canines could be, but he had yet to see one quite this small that was not still a pup.  Her words brought a tiny smirk to his features and he sent a glance back toward Laurel. It brought him slight amusement in the fact that this female initiated conversation in almost the same fashion as he. Some may find themselves displeased with this fact, but Heracles embraced it. If there was similarities in his greetings, then perhaps he was doing something right - or the two were both terribly wrong. In recent months, he had found himself jaded and wounded internally and fought to forge a new exterior for himself. He was in the transformation stages of becoming something greater than he had been and reaching his long desired atonement. 

Without thinking, Heracles used on of his front paws to scoot the skull to be positioned more underneath him. It was a constant reminder of the life he had held and a trophy of hurt that he wanted to keep. Although unlikely that one would steal his skull, the brute could not help the protectiveness that he felt toward it. At one point in time that had housed the mind he had fallen so deeply in love with, the one that helped him raise his children. "We are in R'imdar," the words slipped fluidly from his muzzle, yet the territory's name held a certain reminiscent quality to it. It was unavoidable, these had been his homelands for the majority of his life - a place he had sworn to himself never to return to; yet, here he stood. "I do not believe you are interrupting anything, but I do believe it is the lady's decision," his gaze averted back towards Laurel, inquiring a response from her. The Kenai brute would allow her to speak as to if they were interrupting something or if for whatever reason she preferred Eztli not to be around. Heracles was curious on her opinion of the matter; although, not completely convinced that he would be willing to run off the smaller wolf simply because she said so. 

Heracles' loyalty was currently in himself solely, but that did not mean it would always remain in such a fashion. He believed himself capable of forging relationships, friendships at least - not that he had much tried since leaving these forsaken lands. There had been a run in with another prior to meeting these two, but Heracles had yet to convince himself on if there was companionship between them. Sometimes the brute wondered if he was only lying to himself on his own abilities for redemption.

@laurel, Eztli