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Of course Ralir had heard the name Wanderlust before. Considering Father's obsession with recording the comings and goings of various noulicorns, it'd have been impossible otherwise. When the little jackhop had traipsed into the den Ralir shared with his father, Ralir hadn't had much of a choice to make. Viltalta was an ascended doe, so she must know what she was doing. A large search party would have a better chance of seeing results. And if Ralir himself wasn't skilled enough yet - well, he'd understand that, but he needed to head over anyway, to learn what was going on, and what he might prepare himself to do someday.

He stepped into the grove hesitantly, tail held aloft behind him as to avoid dragging it in the soil or on the leaves. It'd been a while since Wanderlust had left, certainly, so nature would have blown over hoofprints that weren't protected from the elements, but it was always important to be careful.

It didn't look like Wanderlust had an especially organized garden, but he kept to the established path, too. The little grove wasn't crowded yet, but there was Viltalta, in the clearing. Ralir had to hide a gasp as he spotted her. An ascended's wings were always an awe-inspiring sight: what exactly had Viltalta done, to earn her that blessing? She could tell the tale to someone who asked, but only she would ever know.

He wasn't sure where exactly was safe to step, though. Wanderlust's home grove seemed disorderly, to say the least, not like Father's veritable museum with its careful rows. Still, though, an ascended noul had asked for help, so Ralir had to put himself forward. There was no learning by sitting on the sidelines, right...? "Excuse me," Ralir said, polite but certain. No one else was speaking, but he liked to have clarification. "Ah...Viltalta? I've arrived in response to a message from a jackhop. I'm certainly willing to help your search - but I have to admit I don't have much in the way of qualifications." His ears twitched as he gave another glance about the grove. "I've only just received my Gift, see - but I'll do what I can, if you'll have me."

[wc: 367 + ??]

Relief flooded Viltalta as the first nouls trickled into Wanderlust's grove. Her messengers had done their job, then. Her wings ruffled noisily as she stepped forward to greet the new-comings, both of them so young, so new to this world. She could smell how fresh their magic was. The willfulness and health of the young could help them get far in the barrens, though. She would take all the help she could gather.

“All eyes are important to the search,” she said to RALIR.

The edge of her lip curled upward as she spotted KRIMA heading straight for Wanderlust’s hollowed tree. Right to business, that one. Good.

Draven and Bluebell had traveled long and far. Having been stopped by another Jack Hop asking if they would help find some wanderers who had gotten lost. Lost? Perhaps they might know where 'she' was? The large buck looked back at Bluebell who had opted to ride as they had been up since the day before.

"What do you think?" He asked Bluebell as the jack hop had vanished to gain others help.

"Anything i better then going in circles and looking in all the same places." She pointed out from where she crouched. "So might as well check it out. Never know."

The buck gave a nod and headed in the basic direction that had been given to them. The Wanderlust area... It was a wreck and mish-mash of junk that apparently the occupants had collected. Shaking his head he glanced at the strange doe whom bore wings of an Ascended magics user. Flicking his tail slightly, Draven gave a casual glance to those that had also come to the call. It seems that there will be a group to strike up the search.

"Seems that there are others that want to help search for those who wander." Draven muttered to Bluebell as she yawned and just flopped over his back.

Giving a glance back, he couldn't blame the poor thing, he had kinda run her a little ragged hunting. Looking forwards again, he kept a little off to one side away from those whom were milling about the clearing. From the scraps of metal laying about and the large redwood that was hollowed out to act as a shelter and home for those who once lived here. It was clear that they hadn't been here for the longest of times and was a little surprised no one else had moved in.

"How long have these wanderers been gone? Seems like they just dropped everything and left with little want to return." He commented kinda loudly as he moved a little closer to the rest, his gaze more on the winged doe then the rest.

WC: 346

Adahy was up early like most mornings before the dawn. He was hard at work in his 3 acre garden. Furry tail was in the cabbage patches snacking and chasing after random butterflies. The morning was cool and the sun that was starting to come up was warm. "It is a great day for gardening." Adahy though as he started to plant some more seeds.

Form the edge of the tree line came a rustling. Adahy watched and stilled; flicking his ears in the direction of the sound. Furry Tail had made himself disappear into the surroundings like Adahy had told him to do in case of danger, so Adahy had all his attention on the spot where the sound had come form.

Form the bushes came a Jack Hop and it was at a dead run heading toward him. Stopping right in front of Adahy, the hop panted for air. Adahy waited patiently has the Jack hop didn't seem to be running from anything but more toward something. "Good Morning Noul…" The hop said between pants of air. "You are requested to attend a search for the wanderlust who have become lost." The jack hop paused for air. "The wanderlust?!?" Adahy replied. He had heard of them before but only heard never knew them to be really.

The Jack Hop didn't reply to his surprise or questioning only continued on with his message. " If you accept the calling form the Viltalta please meat her in the heart of the Homewood where the search will begin." Without waiting for a response the Jack hop left at the same dead run he had entered into Adahy garden at. Questions and wonder swirled through Adahy's head but none of those could be answered unless he answered the calling.

"Furry where are you? You came come out now?" Adahy called his companion. Hopping form out of a clay pot not to far form the cabbage patch, Furry Tail came over. "What was that all about?" the young hop asked but there was no time for questions. "We are to answer the calling of Viltalta. She needs all the nouls and their familiars she can get." That was all the explanation Furry would get; after all it was all the information Adahy had. "Go and back a sack with some food and I will get two canteens of water. Then we must go right away." They gather their supplies and where for in less the 5 minutes.
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Adahy and Furry Tail arrived at the Wanderlust grove by mid afternoon. Furry Tail had road on Adahy back most of the way so they had made good time. The Wanderlust was a mess and this was surprise to Adahy since he had always assumed it to be well cared for. There was already to other nouls present and Viltalta in all her wonderous glory was standing with them talking.

Trotting up to the small group, Adahy respectfully bows to Viltalta. "I have answered the call Viltalta. How may I help?" Furry Tail, who had hopped down form his place on Adahy's back, was now bowing to Viltalta too but said nothing. Adahy and Furry Tail waited for Viltalta's instructions before beginning any tasks.

[wc:539]

It took a tilt of the head for the words to register as words - Wanderlust's scrawl was messy, and probably not helped by the fact that it'd been carved into wood. Ralir jerked back to say something, but when his ears pricked, he realized that Viltalta was talking about him. He felt himself growing hot with shame. "I'm so sorry!" he said. "I forgot - my name is Ralir. It's an honor to meet you all." These nouls had all come to help, after all, and some of them seemed at least a little more experienced than he.

After a pause, looking from noul to noul, he added: "I think there's a list of supplies here. It certainly indicates the Barrens, and perhaps a cavern system or a gorge - there are notes about light, rope, and harnesses, in addition to the typical rations, water, and sand and heat protection that'd seem to fit the Barrens' climate." He tilted his head. "There's a note about chalk, too - you'd think that chalk wouldn't make much of an impact in the Barrens, but perhaps Wanderlust found something on their previous trip...?"

He wasn't really knowledgable about the Barrens, though. He moved the list out into the clearing, though, sticking it to one of the younger trees in the clearing instead. It might be best to organize their information, right? "I'm putting it here so that we can refer to it again," he said confidently - the context carved into the tree was probably less important.

He returned to the tree nimbly, though, now inspired to search for something else. Perhaps the containers laying around here might have some discovery Wanderlust had made...?

793 + 277 = 1070

The gruff buck raised his voice again, and Ralir paused where he was propping a container's lid open with his horn. He'd only been thinking that it probably wouldn't mark very well, in the sand - but that was certainly a fair point. A cave system might be significantly cooler, though, and have some solid surface to write on. What could be interesting there?

He lifted his head to speak, twisting awkwardly to face the clearing and give comment again. "A cave, then, perhaps? I - I haven't been out in the Barrens very much, and I suspect Wanderlust has traveled farther than I could imagine. But perhaps one of you might have experience...?" If someone had spotted a cave system in the Barrens, they might have an idea of which way to head.

It still wasn't much to go on, though, so he went back to sifting through containers in search of something interesting. He noticed the jackhop on its way in, and inclined his head toward it. "Hello! Let me know if you need me to move out of the way," he offered. He'd never worked closely with any sort of familiar, but he knew they had strengths that could be quite distinct from a noul's. As for Ralir, he'd keep sorting through these containers as best he could, sniffing occasionally to check for mustiness, or some unfamiliar odor.

1070 + 229 = 1299 + ?