---

❁

In some form or another, Izumi missed this place.

No, she did not miss the shrouded mists that covered the swamps overhead, nor the clouds of mosquitoes that swarmed whoever came close to a body of water. Westmoor wakes had never been her favorite place, but it was the memory of it that she missed; especially what lied beyond it – just by their shores. With a flex of her digits to feel the wet, muddy soil beneath her paws, the empress knew she was home once again.

Long limbs continued to carry the crane bird south, her lilac gaze wandering around the biome and taking in every bit of land she can capture with her within her memory. She knew the path from where she walked, the path towards the beach that led home. This was the second time she was heading towards the Island since coming back, only now with a new found determination in her heart.

However, the sound of approaching pawsteps made her stop in her tracks, and the crane's head would shift in the direction of whom had bid her company...

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Sovereign

The Shieldmaiden remembered laying down to rest in Skjoldrheim, after one last round of patrols of the island.

Only to wake up somewhere else.

Somewhere that was not the place she had called home...

No scents were distinctly familiar. Not even trails, or landmarks.
Sovereign could only force herself to walk, and keep walking.
Keep looking, keep searching-

The scent of another.

Sov hadn't really been trying to hide her presence; didn't have the mind to in her confusion and panic of being thrown elsewhere within this gods-damned world-- away from all she had come to know.
Away from the wolves she had called friends, comrades even...

With a hopeless exhale, the snowy behemoth soon found herself looking at someone else.

A rather beautiful 'someone else'...

Sovereign blinked a few times as her paws stopped moving, as if taking a moment to fully register that she was sharing space with someone entirely new.

"Uh..." Sovereign murmured after a moment, clearing her throat, "Um...hello...?" The Shieldmaiden greeted, albeit in a much shier, uncertain way than she had meant to express.

---

❁

It was a woman who approached — quite a suprising sight, too.

A tall, winter fortress of corded muscle, who'd gazed upon the cranebird with orbs of molten gold that could burn a hole in ones soul. Izumi was a rather tall woman herself, but the she-wolf before her towered over herself considerably. At first, she quietly assessed whether or not this interaction would be threatening or peaceful — but judging by their reaction, the empress assumed the latter.

They seemed….confused? Shy, even — towards Izumi, specifically, and the crane couldn't help but look from side to side to make sure she wasn't refering to anyone else. Regardless, the woman straightened herself, bowing her head in one graceful motion. "Hello there...." Izumi greeted back, her icy lilac gaze peeking up towards her in a moment of silence before raising back up.

"….are you quite alright, dear? You look troubled." dear, even though the white titaness didn't look too far off in age than she. Somewhere along the lines, it was starting to become a habit....

---

---

Sovereign watched the woman before her, at first also unsure about how this interaction would go.
But the ink-stained woman before her seemed at least cordial about suddenly having company...?

The Shieldmaiden watched the Crane offer a bow with her own greeting, Hello there.

Are you quite alright, dear? You seem troubled.

Sovereign hesitated for a moment, but ultimately let out a yielding exhale, "I think I'm lost..." She admitted, "I was part of a pack, Skjoldrheim. I remember falling asleep there, but I woke up...here." She gestured widely with her muzzle at their surroundings, "None of this looks familiar to me either." The warrior admitted.

"Oh. Uh...My name is Sovereign." The pale monolith introduced after a flailing moment, offering a respectful bow of her own head before righting herself again.

---

❁

The Ivory woman that stood before her, conflicted, admitted to being lost. Apparently she'd even belonged to a pack — yet the group she spoke of was completely foreign to Izumi. Skjoldrheim she says? The crane had never heard of it. Then again, her knowledge of packs within Mythirs was severely lacking since her disappearance. They're could've been a myriad of them since the time she'd spent recovering with the northern tribe — though she had yet to find out.

Though if there was one thing she knew about was how mysterious this place was with the souls it would whisp around and reincarnate like repairable toys. The crane bird assumed that is what happened to the woman before her — who was named Sovereign — but didn't verbally confirm it as of yet.

"Sovereign." she repeated. "I am Empress Izumi." Introducing herself back, she'd lift a paw to gently place it upon the woman's shoulder. "Though I am sorry to say I have no knowledge of Skjoldrheim, or where they might be, perhaps you would like to seek shelter and recover with me until you find them again?"

Izumi didn't know if she could help her find the group she sought, but didn't want to just leave her while she was disoriented and lost…

---

---

Sovereign. The shieldmaiden listened as the ink-stained crane parroted her name back to her,

I am Empress Izumi.

Sovereign tilted her head slightly with intrigue, "Is an Empress a leader? Like a Queen?" She asked softly, genuinely curious. Part of her felt it was exactly like that, but the other part felt it best to simply assume nothing.

And another part felt maybe--

Sovereign blinked back into herself as Izumi placed a gentle paw upon her shoulder;
If the comparison could be made - like soft flowing waters over molded stone...

Though I am sorry to say I have no knowledge of Skjoldrheim, or where they might be, perhaps you would like to seek shelter and recover with me until you find them again?

The Shieldmaiden considered the offer, silent as she glanced away towards the ground to think...

Eventually, Sovereign looked back at Izumi, giving a gentle but firm nod of acceptance; "I would like that..." She said with a gentle smile, "Maybe in exchange for letting me tag along to wherever you're going, I can offer my skills as a warrior?"

I suppose you can say that, yes. she answered with a gentle smile, tilting her head with a soft hum. I oversee the pack as their leader and guide them forward. Traditionally, it was usually unheard of for a woman to become crown regnant without a husband — a patriarchal normalcy that had acted as an unspoken rule since the beginning. Yet the fate of the clan rested in Izumi’s hands now — and she would not need to depend on the birth of a son to succeed her after her reign ends. Not under her rule, at least.

She agrees to follow Izumi back home, and the Empress exhales a relieved breath. If she disagreed, the crane probably wouldn’t be able to rest easy without knowing she was alright — perhaps she’d even follow her till they found….wherever the hell Skjoldrheim was. Though her lilac gaze drew back towards the Ivory monolith when she offered her skills as a warrior. The crane had a feeling that the younger woman’s size and musculature wasn’t just for decoration, and they did need more mercenaries among them.

I take it you were a warrior yourself amongst Skjoldrheim? Izumi inquired, inviting the woman to walk with her with a swipe of a tail.

I suppose you can say that, yes.

An elegant, slight head tilt, I oversee the pack as their leader and guide them forward.

Sovereign nodded a couple times in understanding, knowing now she stood before royalty, even if not the Nordic kind she was familiar with.

By this point, Sovereign had already agreed to accompany Izumi in her travels, at least for a time, and the shieldmaiden felt a small part of her perk up at the Empress' inquiry as to her now-previous status; I take it you were a warrior yourself amongst Skjoldrheim?

The pale monolith nodded once, pulling herself to walk beside the ink-dipped crane, "Yes. I was a Vaettfang, Skjoldrheim's title for intermediate warriors who are not yet masters."
She drew a breath then, scanning their surroundings for a moment to reassure nothing unwanted was lurking...

Satisfied after a few moments, Sovereign's attention returned to Izumi beside her.