Back In the Saddle [Open]

Rowan's teeth chattered uncomfortably as forged on through the flurry of snow. He certainly wasn't as cold as he was when he first started the journey, but he still would have rather not dealt with the unpleasant temperature. Looking ahead, Rowan made sure that the ethereal wolf from earlier was still in his sights before pulling his cloak tighter around himself. Surely the guild couldn't be much further? As he focused on his unusual guide, the plasma mage reflected on the events that had brought him to this point.

---

Looking back, there definitely wasn't a singular moment when Rowan decided he would return to the mage life, but rather the culmination of a few years of boredom. He had first left Infinity Hydra and returned to his hometown after a rather strong bout of homesickness, and he was actually content for awhile. Spending his days as a simple librarian, Rowan fell into a simple, but pleasing routine. He got to relax as much as he wanted, and at the end of the day he was able to spend time with his family. As expected, however, the wanderlust that had forced him to leave his hometown the first time came creeping back into his mind, and after awhile Rowan yearned for his days as a guild member; taking jobs, playfully bickering with guildmates, and of course how could he not miss using magic? There was no reason for a librarian to use something as niche as plasma magic, and every passing day only strengthened Rowan's craving for something more.

One morning, without any sort of major event, Rowan decided he was ready to leave his hometown again. After saying his goodbyes, the plasma mage looked to his former guild, sure that they'd welcome him back with open arms. Unfortunately, he found out that the guild had been disbanded for quite some time now, and so Rowan looked towards finding a new place to call home. After researching the various guilds, he finally decided on Silver Wolf, quickly finding its whereabouts before promptly heading there. Setting out into the world felt incredibly refreshing and while some things were different, such as being a bit more experienced and bit better equipped, it felt very similar to when he had first left home.

It wasn't long before Rowan found himself at the base of the mountain where the guild was said to be located, and after purchasing a simple cloak for warmth, he began the climb up the path. It was unbearably cold at first, and after suffering through frigid weather for several minutes Rowan considered turning back. Just as he was on the brink of giving up, a spirit wolf bounded into the plasma mage's view, and with it a wave of warmth. For a moment, Rowan froze in place, his hands at the ready to cast some defensive spells if necessary. However, the staredown quickly passed and the wolf simply turned and walked away from the man, stopping after a few meters to look back and check if he was following.  Without any further hesitation, Rowan marched forward, his spirits rekindled as he allowed himself to be led by the intangible canine.

---

That moment had already been quite some time ago, and shaking the thoughts from his mind, Rowan returned his attention to the present. Despite the warmth from his cloak and being close to the ghost wolf, Rowan was quickly growing weary of the cold, and again he found himself considering turning back. Seeming to sense his exhaustion, the wolf suddenly let loose a melancholy howl, grabbing Rowan's attention. Looking up at the wolf, the mage was surprised to see it suddenly fade away, and in a panic he stumbled forward several meters. As his body lurched forward, he passed right through barrier, and immediately warmth washed over his whole body. While he had been engrossed in his thoughts, Rowan had actually managed to climb all the way to the guild. He was immediately blown away by just how beautiful the surrounding area was. There was ample plant life flourishing all about, even with the barrier letting in some snow from the storm outside. Turning his attention to the building itself, Rowan noted that it share a similar aesthetic to Infinity Hydra's old guild hall, and he couldn't suppress the smile that grew on his face. As he strolled his way through the garden to the front door, the mage mentally prepared himself for the next chapter of his life. Stopping at the front door, Rowan's lips pursed almost instinctively, and a slight chuckle escaped his lips as he realized that he had done the exact same thing when he first joined Infinity Hydra. This time, however, he knew the drill, and without any more hesitation the mage let himself into the Silver Wolf guild hall.

Wearing her green-and-gold outfit with Argent Gloves and sitting at a table in the guild library, Leona was studying her packet on the Expert-level Court Heiromesh lesson she had completed a few days ago. She recalled Professor Rosetta's words about the Secret Archives where King Saarghon hid all the records of his less savory decisions and secured the door with a clever magic. The magic set down by the king secured the archives so that only those who could speak Noble Heiromesh could gain entry. Leona had been told that the archives were located in Southern Desierto, but where in that region they were was unknown.

Leona would have to get more information later because a staff member informed her that a visitor to the guild hall had just arrived. Leona put her language study packet under her arm and walked to the foyer, where a young man wearing a cloak and what looked to be hunting attire under the cloak was recovering from the lengthy trip through the cold. Leona could sympathize with him... the desert dweller had not entirely gotten used to the cold herself despite living here for quite some time.

"Hello there. I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, the Guild Master of Silver Wolf. How can I help you?" Leona asked the young man. He was a mage with a small degree of power because his magic signature told her that. He must be looking for a guild to join, but she did not assume that right away. He could have had other reasons for being here and the blonde did not want to jump to conclusions.

It didn't take very long for some notice Rowan's presence, and the wait for someone to come greet him was even shorter. Even before she spoke, Rowan could tell that she was probably either the guild ace or even the guildmaster just from the way that she carried herself, along with the enormous amount of magic energy he felt emanating from her. A few moments later, she finally reached the plasma mage and introduced herself, confirming that she was indeed the guildmaster. Standing a bit straighter, Rowan extended his right hand for a shake and put on his best smile. "The name's Rowan Protegan! And I came all this way to see if I could join Silver Wolf." As he introduced himself, the mage sized up the woman in front of him, quietly noting just how much of a stark contrast there was between her and Ardere, his former guildmaster.

Rowan's attention wandered from the guildmaster to the guild itself, his eyes spotting and admiring all the architecture and decorations. He was a bit surprised to that it was actually rather lively, with guildmembers and visitors seeming to make full use of the building's amenities.

"If you want to join Silver Wolf, you've come to the right place and are talking to the right person." Leona assured the new guy, who gave his name as Rowan Protegan. She took the hand that was offered to her and shook it. She was thankful that she could regulate the strength output of the Argent Gloves because if regulating their strength output were not possible, almost everyone she met would have had broken hands. As it stood, Rowan had managed to shake hands without any issue.

Rowan seemed to be interested in the architecture of the guild hall. She did not know whether he cared for the aesthetics or was just looking to see if the guild hall had any signs of life before committing to joining the guild. She could not blame him because joining a guild was a big commitment of time and effort. t was a decision that the wise mage did not make lightly.

After taking in an eyeful of the guild, Rowan returned his attention to Leona, awkwardly gesturing with his hands in no particular way before settling on crossing them in front of his chest. "Great! So, where do we begin?" The plasma mage was pleased with what he saw in the guild, and he was rather quite eager to get back into the saddle and head off on some jobs. Of course, he'd have to get acquainted with some of the guild members first, and with any luck he'd find some similar-skilled mages that he could work with. Working alone was definitely unfavorable, but he was no stranger to it. Even in those few moments as he awaited Leona's reply, Rowan was sorely reminded of his time at Infinity Hydra. It was sad that they were no more, but there were plenty of new faces to meet here at Silver Wolf. Unconsciously, his hand gently slid up his arm, eventually resting atop where the faded remains of his guild tattoo lie underneath his sleeve.

"We can get started on you joining the guild right away... or you can ask questions first. It's your call." Leona calmly said to Rowan. Recalling her past experience with inducting people into Silver Wolf, the blonde would avoid coming on too strong and let the new guy move the interaction at his pace. Joining a guild was a big commitment and he had every right to ask questions before putting his name on the dotted line... or getting the guild tattoo. Leona herself had a lengthy conversation with Leila Vergious before finally joining Silver Wolf, but that was time well spent because the blonde had felt completely at home as a member of Silver Wolf. She was not going to rush Rowan on a decision that required a lot of careful thought and weighing of pros and cons.

Rowan's eyebrows raised in mild surprise as Leona asked him if he had any questions to ask. He had done a bit of research on the guild before making the journey, and climbing the whole way was essentially his way of committing to the decision. Still, he didn't want to seem hasty or rude for a first impression, so he paused for a moment, his brows scrunching together in thought. Thankfully, it didn't take very long for him to come up with a reasonable enough question. "I guess I've got just one question, what's it mean to be in Silver Wolf to you?" Most guilds were built upon philosophies that could be summed up in a sentence or two, and getting the guildmaster's version of it would definitely give Rowan a good idea of what it was like to be a member, or at least what she was striving for it to be like.

"What's it mean to be in Silver Wolf, huh?" Leona asked Rowan. That was a good question because being in the guild meant a lot of things to her. It meant freedom, it meant responsibility, it meant home, and it meant a host of other things that were hard to put into words. What was a good way to combine all of those aspects which meant so much to her?

"Being in Silver Wolf means opportunity to me. If it's any one thing, it means opportunity. I've traveled across Earthland to many places I otherwise never would have been to or have gotten to explore if I weren't part of the guild." Leona gave Rowan her answer. The blonde had been given a lot of opportunities as a member of the guild founded by Leila Vergious, sustained by Poko Monstar, and now led by Leona herself. Now Leona was trying to give the gift of opportunity to other people looking for a place to call home, people like Aspen Azarov, Song Talea, Inkormine Talea, Rinne Faithe, and possibly Rowan. The blonde hoped that her answer was satisfactory because everything she wanted to say was hard to condense into a single sentence.

Rowan nodded in confirmation as Leona repeated the question to herself, mentally patting himself on the back for asking a fairly good question. There were a few moments of silence as the woman thought about her answer before she finally gave it. He had to admit that her answer really fortified his decision to come to Silver Wolf. Every guild had something to offer, and Rowan felt that Leona really sold the idea quite well. Feeling rather satisfied with his choice, the plasma mage beamed for a second or so before clapping his hands together once with some finality. "Well, I'm convinced! I'm definitely ready to join."

Leona was relieved to hear that her explanation of what Silver Wolf meant to her was not too hokey or vague for Rowan. The youth had expressed his willingness to join the guild and Leona would strike while the iron was hot. The blonde drew from the experiences of inducting Desmond and Loki and did not let her enthusiasm get to her lest it drive Rowan away or lower his opinion of her by seeing a Guild Mistress and Wizard Saint act overly excited over something that should be routine.

"Where would you like your guild tattoo?" Leona asked Rowan.

There was a slight pause as Rowan found himself unprepared for Leona's next question. He had actually forgotten that getting a guild tattoo was a rather integral part of joining a guild, and it took him a few moments to gather his thoughts again. Without too much consideration, Rowan figured that it'd be best to just have it placed over his old Infinity Hydra tattoo, just for convenience's sake. Still, the plasma mage was a bit surprised by just how quick the process had seemed. Disregarding the strenuous trek tot he guild hall itself, it seemed that becoming a member of Silver Wolf was as easy as simply asking to join, not that he was complaining of course. Pointing to his right shoulder where his old tattoo resided, Rowan finally answered the guild master. "I'd like it right here on my arm if that's alright." The mage didn't start undoing the string that kept his cloak closed quiet yet, however. He wanted to make sure that they were in fact getting the tattoo situated right there before taking off any clothing.

It's no problem. I'll put it on your arm." Leona said to Rowan, removing her right Argent Glove and preparing the spell that would give him the guild tattoo. The glove did affect the spell in any way, but taking off the right Argent Glove before giving the guild tattoo had become a habit of hers, so Leona kept removing it simply out of force of habit. Speaking of which, she had forgotten to ask what color he wanted the tattoo to be. Leona was so focused on not looking dumb that she had forgotten to ask that very simple question... despite her best efforts she would likely end up looking dumb anyway.

"Before I apply the guild tattoo, I have one last question for you. What color would you like for it to be?" Leona asked him, the palm of her right hand hovering over the spot where he wanted the mark that would signify his membership in Silver Wolf to be placed. Leona needed to be more on the ball in the future. Hopefully Rowan's opinion of her would not be too low after this mistake was resolved.

With the matter seemingly concluded, Rowan only unbuttoned a few of the top buttons to his jacket, pulling it and his shirt beneath just enough to the side so that his upper arm was revealed. Right where he had requested for the new tattoo to be placed was his old Infinity Hydra mark, and he coughed awkwardly as he realized that he had forgotten about it. Before he could do any explaining, however, Leona chimed in with yet another question that she had seemingly forgotten to ask, and thankful for the change of subject Rowan answered readily.

"White's fine." The plasma mage had decided to choose a color that was different from the dark blue he had chosen for his first tattoo, feeling as if this new chapter of his life should be marked with something distinct and fresh. He thought nothing of the way that the guildmaster tacked on the additional question, and instead he was excited to get started with his time as a part of Silver Wolf.

"OK. White it is." Leona said to Rowan as she prepared to give the guild tattoo in the location he had pointed out to her. It was on his upper arm, which was where an old tattoo that she did not recognize was placed there. She wondered if it was a guild tattoo or an ordinary tattoo, but she would not press him on the matter. Leona prepared the spell with her right hand and focused, then activated the spell and let the magic begin.

A rainbow beam emanated from her bare hand as the old tattoo was overwritten with the Silver Wolf tattoo. Thirty seconds later and the process had been completed without a hitch. Rowan now carried the mark of Silver Wolf on his upper arm.

"OK, it's finished. You're now an official part of Silver Wolf. Welcome to the guild." Leona welcomed Rowan into Silver Wolf.