Dull grey clouds left a wash of shadow against the scorched landscape bathed in charcoal. Here and there verdant shoots pressed up through the fine crust of death, bringing a vibrancy to a scarred land. Deep grey paws imprinted themselves into the fine crust, one of few who'd passed through the yet recovering land.

New growth brought mixed feelings against his young mind. Since his childhood there had been strife, grief, and anger for things beyond his control. Each experience had left resentment for how time passed, harnessing a vast emptiness within that yearned to devour everything within its path.

Even so, confidence within himself held to a high degree. Each step carried the diluted peach form with a standard of command, while his dual brown eyes cast about the remnants of the forest, hoping to find something more interesting than sprigs of grass.

@Helena

ART & CODE BY DAWN, CODE MODIFIED BY CALA

Helena was lost.

It hurt her pride to admit it, but she could feel in the air how very far from the desert she was. The air was wetter, the lack of dust on the wind a telltale sign that she had taken a wrong turn and was nowhere near where she was meant to be. And her mother would not be happy, not in the least. She wandered now mostly for the sake of keeping moving, uncertain where to go and what to do. It left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, to think that she might have to actually ask someone for directions.

And that person seemed to materialise out of nowhere. Dilute peach and dusty paws, the male seemed to pop up from the smoky depths. And Helena was not quite sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or not. She wasn't stupid enough to go bumbling into something without consideration - her consideration resolved with the conclusion that she was still very much lost. "Hello?" She called out, tail twitching about her ankles in agitation. "Can you help me? I think I'm lost." It almost got stuck in her throat, but she could play the part of damsel for a little while, enough to get directions perhaps.

@Paerios

code by scorpixia♡︎

Lengths to cross out of burnt forestry left a tangled moment of boredom, pressed to turn back towards the cacophonous rainforest, a place loud enough to drown out his thoughts. Just before he thought to turn around another's call caused his ears to twitch against thick strands of charcoal hairs, bringing him to turn casually in that direction.

Just a few steps forward and he could make out a bright cinnamon form, standing against the dull backdrop of charred trees. "How can you be lost?" Lips curled over his teeth, disenchanted immediately by the stranger's lack of immediate knowledge. Yet that cinnamon flesh was rather pretty, and that smooth subtle frame brought physical attraction, which encouraged him to help her.

Instead of disregard and abandon @Helena, charcoal paws stepped forward, his tail lashing against one thigh in irritation. "Where did you come from?" It's not like he was a master of Amaryllis's layout, but he had lived her previous to his return, and he remembered, vaguely, the direction of the desert and those golden plains.

ART & CODE BY DAWN, CODE MODIFIED BY CALA

He moved closer and Helena allowed herself a few heartbeats to look him over. A handsome male, peach in colour and dipped in sooty accents around his face and paws - certainly handsome enough to look at again. Not someone to simply fade into the background. Nostrils flared, picking up the unique fragrance that made up the males scent and committing it to memory. She was always very careful to pay attention to what another smelled like; her sharp sense of smell would always help in the future with identifying another.

How can you be lost?

Accompanied with the flash of teeth, it seemed for a moment to portray irritation and Helena considered that perhaps this wasn't the right stranger to ask for directions. But within moments he has stepped forward and asked where she'd come from and Helena flashed a relieved and pretty smile. "I think I just took a wrong turn? I'm trying to get back to the desert - the Gorge." Sheepish. A pretty face and an open offer for help. "I'm Helena Tollaire - what's your name?" She asked, somewhat in the hope that he might reciprocate.

@Paerios
+5 Observe and study a new scent (Paerios)

code by scorpixia♡︎

One beat, two, three... his heart quickens within an empty cavity, pounding at the word desert that encompasses his dreams, a faded version of this scorched wild land. Brown eyes - deep cocoa and sooty brown - look across the burnt lands. Always the desert pulls at those heartstrings, a steady pulse of history encapsulated in a young mind; currently, a prospect for answers.

It's the pretty smile flashed on the freckled face that draws his attentions, not the questionable intent on returning to the desert - the gorge, @Helena had specified. Not a locale he'd spent much time around nor really cared to. Eyes canted away once more, knowing the direction of the sand dunes, which surely held the gorge upon its rim as Helena wished for, even if Paerios didn't know the exact location there was no evidence upon the charcoal dusted face.

"Paerios Saxe." Lips smeared in an overly confident half-smile as he looked upon the freckled canvas once more, appraising (rather obviously) the woman's physique. "The desert isn't the best place for someone of your stature." Gilded compliments, trussed up that Helena might find him more appealing. "You should see what's in this forest, it's far more interesting." Tail flicked at his thighs, impatience growing although they'd not made any plans toward action, but he was surely not a man who'd wait long for anything.

ART & CODE BY DAWN, CODE MODIFIED BY CALA

Flirting was not something that Helena was well versed in. Having been raised with only her brothers and extended family for company, the skill was rather underused. But there had been rogue's that the Tollaire daughter had conversed with, there had been a few opportunities to practise what her mother might have called feminine wiles. Victoria had laid out early on what the expectation was for Helena - to marry for political gain and align their family with another. It had been accompanied with detailed descriptions of marital duties, discussions on how she might catch the eye of a male and keep it. Her mother had not been squeamish about any of it.

There was certainly a difference between hearing about it, hypothetically thinking about how she might bat her lashes and laugh daintily, and actually experiencing a complement. Accompanied by a name.

Saxe -

Nope, not a name she knew, not one her mother had schooled her in. "It's a pleasure, Paerios Saxe." She gently cooed, taking in another lungful of his scent and noting that he didn't appear to carry the collective pride scent that meant he was attached to one. "In this forest? It looks a little burnt." She reasoned with a light, bright giggle. It was seamless, without chinks or any hiccups - the picture of an airhead. "Do you live around here?" She questioned, hoping to get a better sense of where this male might stand on her tapestry of connections - front and centre or on the periphery?

@Paerios
+5 Observe and study a new scent (Rogue scent)

code by scorpixia♡︎

Youth flowed from both parties, giving a coy bat of eye lashes here, a generous once-over there. Mutual attraction seemed evident, emboldening the already confident Saxe. Although he’d not admit as much to the other youth, his attraction remained physical without further intrigue in the woman’s lineage or persona. Everything about Helena seemed characteristically foolish for a woman, whereas he’d find sharp intellect far more interesting.

Except, he didn’t want to let her go.

”In this forest.” A simple statement, a lie. ”But further in.” There were scorched rocks still made comfortable for living, or perhaps the hollow of a burnt log. Neither were the case for Paerios, but that wasn’t something @Helena needed to know. ”Do you live in the desert?” Almost too companionably he asks the deep brown lioness about her whereabouts, making sure to note her scent and particular markings should he need to find her again at a later date, or hunt her down.

ART & CODE BY DAWN, CODE MODIFIED BY CALA

He hadn't seemed put off by the coy flattery and it emboldened her a little. Each success just added to the bank of social niceties and nuances that made up her public persona, each little win another jewel in her crown. Eventually she might succeed in impressing her mother - one day. Her new companion reiterates that it was this forest, but further in. Vague, noncommittal, frustrating. Helena fought a pout. She had to get better, needed to be the power player, wanted all the information without having to dig it out with great effort. But it wasn't acceptable to demand he give her the exact location of his living quarters. She allowed herself to be questioned instead.

"For now." She agreed, not knowing exactly where her family might be headed. But at least for the immediate future, that was where they would be. "Which brings us back to my being lost - do you know the way?" She asked, freckled face upturned towards him. Soon enough she would be missed, her mother or brothers would come to find her. But it would be a headache before bedtime for the dutiful daughter.

@Paerios

code by scorpixia♡︎

Pitiful, there had been some expectation the woman would find interest in the forest, perhaps want to investigate further, but instead she seemed opposed, pressing the issue of her home further. Still, she'd not questioned him either, allowing him to get away with one lie already.

Irritated by the incessant circling back towards the desert, he grits his teeth, brows drawing down over brown eyes. "Yea, I know the way. What has you in such a hurry to go back?" If she couldn't have some patience then he might need to teach her a lesson. Coal tail tip whipped against his legs, suddenly wondering if the woman was daft, always circling back to her home.

Something akin to a growl reverberates within his throat, just a few minutes before he steps forward, moving to pass the other youth to one side - towards the desert. Not that he intended on walking @Helena home, but it seemed there was only one choice with the direction of this conversation.

ART & CODE BY DAWN, CODE MODIFIED BY CALA

It might very well seem as though Helena was just as she portrayed - an airheaded, flirtatious girl. And in many cases, she was perfectly willing to allow her conversation partner to think exactly that. But sharp, analytical eyes could very clearly see the irritation, the annoyance in the flicker of the males tail, the clench of his jaw as he gritted his teeth. She had no way of knowing this man's internal thoughts, no way of deciphering his motivations, but she could see that it perhaps wasn't going the way he wanted it to.

Nevertheless, he finally admitted that he knew the way - the follow up question caused a hearty giggle to come from her soft lips. "My mother will flay me if I'm not back by sundown." And it wasn't exactly an exaggeration either. Victoria was a hard mother and the older children had certainly had their fair share of swipes from her. The low rumble of something that might have been a growl precedes his movements towards and past her. She perked up.

"Thank you Paerios, you're very kind." She flattered, body turning to keep pace with the larger male. Whatever her expectations were, she at least could get her bearings from the peach male. "Will you tell me about yourself?" She asked, head turned and ruby gaze trained on him.

code by scorpixia♡︎