my life, my love, my drive [joining, Selene/Arche]

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They had finally moved from the southern lands in search of a place to call their own. Król had not felt entirely comfortable about lingering so close to Khalsa lands, even when it was clear that none of its members were hot on their trail to attempt to drag Selene back to their lands, and even though he had heard rumors that Kharak's scent had faded from the territories that said pack called home as of late, he was not about to test his luck by staying long enough to see if the tales were true. He had thought on their conversation so long ago- Selene confiding in him that she did in fact want to settle down within an established pack, as well as her feeling comfortable in starting a family with him- and though one part of that train of thought made his heart flutter significantly faster than the other, Król had still dedicated time and thought to the concept of the first point that his love has made, finally deciding that there was nothing in the southern lands of Anikira that could be of any use to them. The southern lands were harsh and barren places, full of packs that were either too small in numbers or too militaristic for the Tundra brute's current taste.

If they were to raise a family together in the near future, Selene deserved better. She deserved every bit of luxury that the territories of Anikira could afford to offer to them, and she would not find it in the lands of Igneir.

So they had journeyed north for what felt like months, slowly but steadily- Król was no longer as young and spry as he had used to be, after all, and after living a largely stagnant lifestyle for so long he was utterly unaccustomed to just how much a brisk day's worth of travel took out of him. They'd kept moving all the same, passing through unclaimed lands and lands where the scent of packs had been allowed to grow stale alike. It seemed to be a volatile time as far as the survivability of packs upon Anikira was concerned- Król had realized with a slight jolt that the scent markers in Acerbus simply did not exist anymore, and had found himself wondering just what had happened to drive Ambrose and the rest of his pack out of the area- but such was the way of things upon this continent. Old and outdated organizations were constantly being pushed out of the way to make room for newer and stronger ones, and they either adapted or were forced to scatter to the four winds. Usually it was down to the strength of the individual wolves in charge of such packs to hold those under their charge together in times of strife, but Anikira was a harsh mistress even at the best of times, and environmental factors could just as easily drive a pack apart as fighting from within.

There had been one northern pack, however, that had stood out to Król's current sensibilities of wanting to make a better life for himself. Aludri. A pack that was located farther into the colder regions of the continent than he would have liked, but one that seemed strong in numbers, and who would likely have the stability required within their ranks for he and Selene to appropriately settle into the way of things. Król knew not whether they would even have a place for him within their ranks, or whether they would take one look at his scarred visage and decide to turn him away before he even had a chance to explain himself, but he at least had to try, for Selene's sake if no one else's. The life of a loner was no way to raise a litter of pups, and though the Tundra brute was still largely uncertain about his parenting capabilities, he wanted any pups that they brought into the world to have a strong support network, to never have to worry about where their next meal was coming from or whether they would be appropriately sheltered from the elements as the seasons passed. He wanted them to grow up in a place where they could grow and flourish into the best possible versions of themselves.

So it was that he found himself on the border of Shyia that morning, cresting a small mountain ridge and shivering slightly as the brisk air blew through his pelt. Turning back to ensure that Selene was still following dutifully behind him, he paused long enough to nuzzle into her side, muttering quiet words of encouragement. "Not long now, love." With that, he turned his massive head towards the sky, letting his deep baritone voice ring out across the valley. It was a call to any higher-ups of the pack that happened to be lingering in the area, a call that would hopefully clarify his intentions as not being hostile. But most of all, it was a potential beginning to a new chapter in both of their lives- one that was just waiting for permission to be written.

word count|| 855
tagged|| Selene, Arche
notes|| Selene can feel free to post first, and then Arche can come in!
Bine G.