The two lone wolf faes, both forever doomed to run from their mother now, climbed up the steep canyon walls. Esprit was the older one, watching out for Avril like a mother hawk. Avril often denied the uneeded help, but chose to go with her older sister anyway. Today, the two were purposely getting themselves lost in the canyon. Avril led the way now, though her limbs had long since grown heavy and achey. Esprit followed, not in much better condition. It wasn't until they reached a wide crevice in one of the many rocky walls surrounding them that they even thought of stopping. "Let's rest here," Avril stated as she clambered slowly into the dark depths of the crevice. Esprit, breathing heavily, simply sat outside and looked to a nearby ledge.

Tahti grinned as she came upon the wolves. She walked straight up to them, head high in the air. "Hello, young ones." She said snarkily, staring at them with that one eye of hers. "What are you doing all alone out here?"

Luke was not far behind, hiding in the bushes should the coyote need help.

Esprit was, of course, the first to notice the coyote. Great. Another smart mouth to deal with. At least this one wasn't their mother so they could tear into her if they needed.
Growling immedietly, Esprit stood up and lifted her own head, banner flung up behind her in the same manner. "We're no young ones," Esprit shot back, auds laced into her fur. She was so testy anymore, with how her mother was on the loose for them and she felt no one could be trusted. "I should ask that same question to you." she then said, sick of being hassled, mostly because of their mother.

Avril had tried dozing off when she heard the uneasy sound of words coming from outside and slowly made her way into the sunlight.

Tahti continued to grin. "At least you're younger than me." She said casually. "Calm down, I mean no harm. I am Tahti of the Shadow Haunters and I come in peace." She didn't mean to be rude. It was just in her nature.

Esprit drew in a deep breath and gave a gruff snort. Of all the years Esprit had lived in the valley, she had not once seen this coyote before. She never saw any coyotes for that matter. She missed the old days when there were no 'Shadow Haunters' or anything. Nothing but bittersweet nothings, as Esprit liked to put it.
"Well whatever," she simply replied, not finding any reliance in the coy's words. "I am Esprit, and this is my younger sister Avril, once of the Pyrola Fields." she stated then, no ounce of pride in her voice. She didn't care of their mother anywhere.

Avril gave a relieved sigh as her sister slowly began to calm down, but she still watched the coyote with a wary eye. She didn't think Esprit should give too much away.

Tahti nodded, now smiling in a more polite way. "Hello, Espirit and Avril." She replied, wagging her tail. Luke stepped out of the bushes now. "And I am Luke, a friend of Tahti. Greetings." The hybrid said.

Esprit was a bit caught off-gaurd as yet another unknown canine appeared. She flashed her fangs for a moment until realizing the two were obviously together. Once again she forced herself to calm down, though was a bit suspicious. "Why do you two stray up here?" she asked, narrowing a brown eye. Esprit and Avril had their reasons, so she wondered what was up with them.

Tahti stopped smiling when Espirit asked the question. "I was tired of being in such a crowded area. I need to get out into the world sometimes." She sighed, taking a seat on the ground. "What about you?"

Luke tilted his head. "I came because my coyote friend has a reputation for getting into trouble." He chuckled.

Esprit gave her head a tilt, still with a narrowed eye, and then straightened it again. She gave a deep sigh, thinking of a way to put it. Then she glanced slyly to the sides before speaking. "We're somewhat running from our mother." she said with a low voice. You could never be sure these days.

Avril's eyes were drawn to Luke for a moment at his words, though she stayed quiet. She'de let Esprit do the talking, as she always did.

Tahti closed her eyes. "My mother is dead." She said blankly, lowering her head. "A pack of wolves got to her when I was a pup."

Luke shook his head. "It seems that we are all running from something." He sighed.

Esprit gave her head a tilt and then sighed. However, she didn't feel much remorse for words. "Ours is still out there looking. She's crazy these days, ever since our father and other sister was killed, so long ago." she stated, and found this as her time to hang her head.

Avril simply sat there and watched. Once again her eyes were drawn to Luke with his words. "We're running from something bigger than what she seems," she stated, almost to anyone.

Tahti shook her head. One could say that she was crazy as well, especially over the more recent events. "My son was killed in cold blood a while back, by a member of the so-called 'Ancient Guardians.'" She lowered herself down and put her head on her paws. "And I was forcebred by a friend, if you could even call him that."

Luke kept his mouth shut. It seemed that the females all had something to be upset about.

Esprit gave her head a tilt and thought. She hadn't seen her brother in a long time. "I only have one brother out of two litters of three. Niether of us have seen Avril's full siblings. I haven't seen my brother in what seems like ages." she stated, feeling like this was a competition. She didn't like that. Going back and forth until they couldn't say anymore.

Avril simply sat back again and watched.

Tahti sighed. "I have two brothers, but both are gone just like my mother. Everyone I see wants to kill me, even my own alpha. Yet I stay with her, because nobody dares to stand up to her." It seemed like they all wanted her dead, and it was usually for nothing.

Luke stepped in. "How about we talk about something happy now?" He suggested.

Esprit raised a brow for a moment, and thought some more. Her mother seemed to be constantly making herself more and more enemies. "Well I don't know about my mother, but she is always making others against her." she stated, and then turned her head to the male once he spoke. "Yet I have nothing happy to talk of."

Avril lowered onto her belly and tried catching up on rest.

Tahti sighed slowly and sorrowfully. "I have nothing happy to talk about either. Everything I had has been taken from me." She looked back at Luke, who was getting upset by all this talk.

"Well, this is a good day, isn't it? That's happy." The hybrid said. Tahti shook her head. "No, there is not a happy day for me."

Esprit gave her own sigh, though did her best to perk up. It was hard though, assuming how she and her sister had nothing to go back to. They could just keep going forward and hope things turned out for the best, which would be quite hard. "Eh, happiness is hard to come by nowadats." she spoke, her voice turning dark and dreary.

Avril, not quite liking the coversation herself, stood and began to walk away silently. Then she disappeared into the underbrush.

Tahti nodded in agreement. "I haven't been happy since my son's death." She sighed, staring off into the distance as she always did when she was depressed.

Esprit gave a gruff noise, and then shook her pelt. It brought both anger and sadness when she thought of her mother. "I haven't been happy since my mother turned... Crazy. I used to live the perfect life, with my siblings and parents in a nice territory, but all that went wrong in only one short moment." she stated, and then turned her own head. It felt as though she would cry right then and there, but she faught the tears back.

Tahti sighed once more, lifting herself up off the ground. "I'm afraid I have somewhere I need to be, but I will be back shortly." She said, bowing respectfully and walking away.

Luke watched the coyote go, then looked back at the wolf. He would stay here while Tahti was away. "I am truly sorry to hear about your mother." He said solemnly.

Esprit watched as she bowed and walked away, giving a small nod. She then sighed deeply and turned to Luke. "Oh, it's really nothing anymore. She used to not be able to control herself so I had to watch her. She's done some pretty unbelievable things in the past." she stated, and then thought a bit. She turned and looked to where Avril had been sitting. She almost gasped that she was gone. "Where'de she go?" she asked, startled.

Luke looked around. "I don't know where she went. Would you like me to help look for her?" He offered.

Esprit looked at him with a pair of grateful eyes and then nodded slowly. "If it wouldn't be too troublesome, I'de like it if you came along," she stated with a nod, and then looked around. Soon she found herself with her nose to the ground to sniff. She could smell Avril's scent. "I think..." she began, but was unsure.

Luke nodded. "I'll help in any way I can." He replied, putting his nose to the ground in an attempt to catch her scent.

Esprit gave a nod with a smile, the biggest she could muster under such circumstances. Then she turned and started in the direction of Galar's Marsh. "I think she's this way!" she spoke as she bounded off.

Luke smiled back and followed her.