Whispering tendrils of darkness started to weave themselves into the two wolfess’ fur. The fiery pup becoming a smoky flame among the barren trees, and her comrade was blending easily into the undergrowth. Her creamy onyx fur was becoming darker and the mud that sucked at their paws was the only sound of their presence. A silence settled over the duo as they treaded forward through the terra. Nova Prospekt had yet to tour the entirety of Abendrot, but each little piece she saw was committed to memory. Azula’s pace was not a gentle walk and Nova took care to keep at the assassins shoulder and make sure she was a step ahead of her. Nova spoke with a controlled voice and her serious mindset echoed in her tone of voice. She meant business and anything Azula could teach would only help further her talents and knowledge. “It is smart that you want to know about the other areas of disciplines. Have you met any of Abendrot’s spies yet? All of us need to be good hunters as well, and having a skilled healer is incredibly important, though many see it as a weaker path. Honestly, I do not know the numbers of each that we have. I know I am not the only assassin in these parts. There is another female named Aerten that I believe does similar work to myself, though I have not seen her recently.” Nova let her lips turn up into a small smile. The praise was magic to her ears though she didn’t let a giddy joy overcome herself. “I wouldn’t say I have but I aim to meet at least a wolf of each discipline. Understand a bit of each, and get to know the wolves I’ll be calling my packmates.”

Nova was too mature to act like the pup she was, the world had ripped away any hope of a puphood. She was an outcast even before her eyes had opened to the world and her ears could hear the horrid words of her Elder’s. She could remember the twisted screams of her mother as they murdered her right in front of Nova. Her Fathers bloody face and chest making in clear that there was to be no love. Not even his mate, Nova’s Mother, could be spared from the ancient traditions. But Nova made it clear she wouldn’t die like that, she would survive on her own until she could no longer go on. Nova could only thank her father for not chasing her into the woods after she ran from their fight. She knew had no chance of survival if she tried, her only option was to run. And run, she did; for days and weeks. Her stumbling onto Abendrot soil could only be described as pure luck.

Azula’s paws stopped moving and Nova stopped a step ahead of her. Nova’s midnight pools looked to Azula’s orbs waiting for her command. “Nova Prospekt, do you know how to fish and swim?” Nova was slightly surprised at the question but she realized with a start that she didn’t know how to properly swim and she definitely couldn’t catch a fish to save her life. On her journey to Blossom Forest, she had never stopped for more than a few hours to rest, eating berries and rotting carcasses to get her by. And rivers had not populated the area from which she had come, so swimming was not a skill had, had to learn. “No, I wouldn’t say I know either of those skills. But seeing that Abendrot is mostly marsh and rivers I’d say it’d only be necessary to learn.” Her voice was strong but, it held a questioning tone. “Would you be willing to teach me?” She could only figure Azula had lead her here for a reason, and swimming and fishing seemed two fairly good reasons to show up at a river.