The rolling valleys of the moors were deafening to his ears, and blinding to his eyes; a true, unrefined beauty that no man ever deserved to behold. It defeated him. Returned the man to his original state as he entered into this world. A helpless babe at the mercy of its caretaker; unbeknownst to its own fragility. It was humbling to know the reality of it all; they were all beholden to their makers - never truly knowing sovereignty over their own minds and bodies.

Yet, he often wondered if any semblance of god had abandoned this world; leaving his children at war and having to pick up the pieces of the world that remained.

Octavius couldn’t remember a life where he never grew hungry or where children didn’t take to the streets to beg for scraps at the capital. Was this what they had intended for us? A question he so often asked, but never heard answered. Perhaps there was some greater scheme at play; so large and great that it couldn’t be comprehended by the simple minds of men.

With the question plaguing his mind, Octavius often took the kings road, keeping the southern territories as his destination in mind. It used to be a place where he could get lost; the rolling hills offering solace from the bustling life of the city. But now, he noticed parties of traveling soldiers far too often. Patrolling territories with orders from the King of Yaurith, no doubt.

They were far too distinguishable from the nomadic tribes that laid claim to the southern lands; with their unblemished leathers and exotic pelts at their backs. The nomads were far too simple to upkeep appearances, preferring efficiency of their wears more so than any slight imperfection. He often wondered if they had any mission at stake or if they merely traveled to the moors for sake of appearances; as if to remind everyone the lengths of the kings hold on the continent.

Octavius tried to keep his distance from them as much as possible. He wasn’t looking for trouble and only sought out to learn from the tribes people. They knew the lands and the benefits of different plants and minerals that he could take back with him to the marketplace. With the seasons changing, Octavius needed to replenish his goods. Like with all things, summer was nearing its end.

He had promised to be careful, he had promised to come back right after dealing with that he had said he had to deal with. He had found Rith with little to no problem, able to avoid detection of his pack thankfully. Rith hadn’t been forthcoming of his pack’s distaste and distrust of outsiders, but once Erion had found out about it he had been more than accommodating when it came to visiting his acquaintance. Rith had been the only one of his pack that ever really traveled outside of the moor, and Erion didn’t know if he had ever seen any of Rith’s packmates. He just knew that the young man had come to initiate trade when a pack member of his had gotten sick and so have begun a history of trade with the moor pack.

But aside from the lake and the moor his knowledge of the rest of this world was quite limited. He had never been to the capital, he had never even known of the capital until recently when wolves had begun to travel from there to his homeland. He had never been the distrustful type, he had never been the type to judge without reaching his own conclusions as well. But over the last few years that had begun to change. The distrust after the woman that had ran his pack into the ground. The distrust after Ox and everything that had happened with Iolaire’s brother... He loved Iolaire, and it since the spring they had settled into their new lives with a surprising ease… But in the last month since the path to the capital had opened up more strangers had been venturing to the south. They had different ways of life, different ideals… And for some reason Erion fund himself suspicious of them. Maybe that bled off from Iolaire’s general distrust of anyone, but maybe that was just a fear of change…

And yet…. The man couldn’t help but allow himself to gravitate towards the outsider. In the same way that Octavius knew the look of the nomads Erion had become adept at picking up outsiders by their looks. And while he usually skirted around the outsiders there was something that drew him in. The ashen male drifting forward, head lowered and cocked as he fixated those luminescent orange eyes on the man. ”You seem out of place here…” He said, coming to a halt nearby. Tail remained down, easy and non-threatening even though his head remained in line with his shoulders to keep his throat from being exposed and his spine flat. If everyone from the city had just stayed in the north and left the southerners alone Erion would have been perfectly fine with that…

"What gave me away?" Octavius asked with a chuckle after turning to face the stranger that approached him. Octavius was so enthralled with the beauty of his environment he didn’t hear the man approach; or perhaps due to the political climate of the continent, the stranger was forced to learn to move with a quietness in his step. A frown pulled at the corners of his lips; he hoped life had been kind to the ashen man that stood before him, but somehow... he doubted it. Octavius observed a type of rigidness to the stranger, as if he was anticipating their encounter to end with a squabble at any moment. Octavius tried his best to maintain a composed and relaxed demeanor and forced a smile; trying to indicate to the southern man that he had no ill-intentions by traveling to the southern moors. Octavius was just in search of valuable goods for trade, or even more information on the bounties that enriched the land. Nothing more and nothing less.

Octavius lowered his gaze, studying the foliage and debris that littered the earthen ground; trying his best to appear humble and benign. With a smile still gracing his lips, he spoke with a softened tone, "I’m not looking for trouble."

"Perhaps, you can help me?" He questioned, keeping his gaze lowered and his posture relaxed. Gazing up at the man only momentarily to observe any shift in body language. It saddened Octavius to think that his encounters with the southerners always had to be so tense, but he understood the skepticism he faced. The King of Yariuth had not been gentle with their kind; and deemed them as treasonous with rumors of occult practices. But Octavius never saw that side of them. He just saw a people struggling to survive; all while attempting to maintain their unique culture and traditions. Perhaps the king just failed to understand them.

"I’m a merchant. I earn my living through trade. I am just searching to learn more about the southern territories. Specifically, I come looking for various herbs used for medicinal... and perhaps recreational use." He spoke plainly and as a matter of fact. No hesitation or guise in the words he spoke; fully expecting for the ashen stranger to turn him away.

"Speak"

@Erion

Head tipped at the easy response as the man turned to face him and chuckled slightly. He had seemed unaware of Erion's approach despite him not attempting to mask his arrival. He wasn't much for sneaking up on others, perhaps that was why he often spoke out before coming within another's bubble. "Surprisingly enough, nothing aside from the fact that I don't recognize you... Its a fairly close community here, we usually recognize outsiders pretty quickly." He said easily, allowing his shoulders to rise and fall in a dismissive fashion. His new company's response had been none threatening and for that reason alone he allowed the rigidity in his stance to soften slightly. He wasn't here for a fight, he just couldn't help but stick his nose into places it didn't belong... His company said that he wasn't looking for trouble and Erion couldn't help but smirk slightly. Very few set out looking for trouble, though he had met his fair share of those who brought chaos with them just because they enjoyed it. Thankfully that experience had left with him a fairly good ability to judge others. This man seemed to be speaking truthfully...

He said that perhaps Erion could help him and the ashen male raised his eyebrow curiously. "Perhaps..." The word left his tongue with little to no emphasis, he had no intention of offering his help to a northerner unless there was a good reason. While he himself had little experience with them aside from the trades Iolaire had set up, he had heard absolutely horrible stories of their kind. Not that all of his kind were without sin though...

He spoke again and the ashen male couldn't help the laugh that barked out from him. It faded to a chuckle as the man stated that the herbs he sought would also be for recreational use. "My wife and I have a garden that we started this spring. I know a bit of herbs but I would dare say there is none that knows more then she..." He spoke plainly, easily as he jerked his head and motioned for the man to follow him. "We trade with a couple of northerners, not many take the trek down here though... Mostly we trade among ourselves... You are welcome to come browse our gardens and speak with my wife of your requests... Its a bit of a trek though." Erion said as he peered to the south west and jerked his head towards the misty lake in the distance.

Eyes turned back to the man and he smiled and strange smile as he eyed the man up and down. "I can take you there if you like, if you have the time. But I have to warn you... I will kill you if you bring any harm to my wife or home..." There was a hardness, a promise in his gaze even as he winked at the man. It wasn't a threat, he had no desire to harm the man and he hoped the man would understand that. But he also needed this man to know that he would not hesitate to protect everything he loved...

@October

"My wife and I have a garden that we started this spring. I know a bit of herbs but I would dare say there is none that knows more then she..." Octavius perked up at the tellings of a brimming garden of herbs. Specifically, he knew of many knights and templars that inquired on a restock of lavender and valerian root to aid with their restless nights. Mint, Elm root, Barberry... and endless supply of medicinal plants to help those less fortunate than he. There were other plants, too, that helped ease the burdens of the mind. Some of them named and others... less known.

"I can take you there if you like, if you have the time. But I have to warn you... I will kill you if you bring any harm to my wife or home..." The ashen man warned Octavius; a promise he wouldn't dare test nor forget. After all, the best anyone could do was defend his own... at the very least. And it was a promise Octavius often made himself, back within the streets of the capital. He didn't have much, but he had his shack for a home and gremlin for an Aunt to look after. For some, family was all the value they possessed; it was something that couldn't be priced or bought. He understood exactly what was at stake for the stranger before him.

"I have no doubt in your abilities to do so, and I wouldn't expect anything less." Octavius stated with a chuckle and returned the ashen man with a wink of his own. "But I must warn you, I have no time for tricks or games." The merchant said with a promise of his own.

"Im interested in seeing this garden for myself... but first... What is your name? I am known by most as October, pleased to be acquainted with you." He snickered at himself with the formal introduction, but he found it was always better to get to know those he traded with. It made things more personable and gave things a lightness and ease. However, Octavius was aware that not all encounters were created equal, and he always kept an extra eye out for anything that seemed amiss. Everything could turn south in an instance, and Octavius was not one that liked to be blind-sided.

He wondered about the trek to the strangers home and if he'd encounter anything problematic on the way, but there was only one way to find out; and some things required a leap of faith.

"Speak"

@Erion