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The wind swept high on the mountain tops of the Misty Mountains, Spring's snow-melt had filled the river and winters cold grip was giving way to the life of spring in the Pine Forrest below. It was here, in the deeply needle-bound lands of the Pine Forest where their story began. To hear Sakaar (dark one) tell it, the tale would be filled with strange mysteries with the way he cryptically and crazily speaks but for a clearer version, one would have to ask Sir Arrate (tan one) being the more factual one. It began with a dream, an odd dream given to Arrate by "that which is unseen" according to Sakaar.

Arrate Gildedtide stood upon a green hill, overlooking the border between the East Grasslands and the Pine Forest. The sky was spiraled with thick and ominous gray clouds that overhung the East Grasslands that moved like emerald water, the winds that blew ruffled Arrate's golden tan fur and brown locks. Suddenly the air grew thick and a bolt of black coiled lightning screamed from the cloud line and struck just within the Pine Forest, leaving a rigid thunder that made Arrate fold his pierced ears back. There was no fire, no crashing of a tree but ravens flurried up from the Pines in a countless number, rattling out a beckoning. No words came from them and their oily silhouettes but the sheer feeling of being called to the Pine Forest gripped Arrate.

He awoke from his sleep, at was a dream? It felt so very real to him and he still had the strong sense of beckoning within him... That black lightning, the ravens... What could it all mean? He stood up on his wide paws, alone as usual. He lived alone in The East Grasslands and it was where he was born though he barely remembers his parents these days, funny how time does that. He stretched and adjusted his Amethyst bearing adornments and left to go find water, but as his morning progressed he could not shake the feeling of the calling, the emotions of that dream. As the Pine Forest came into view, he found himself giving in to the deep urge and took off towards the Pine Forest, completely forgetting about his thirst. He had to go see, He had to know.

During the night Sakaar sat in meditation on his favored grey smooth stone, cradled in the evergreen luster of the Pine Forest. Sakaar had lived and operated alone for almost his whole life so far and was usually too strange for other dwellers to stick around for long. He knew the ways of medicine, dark arts and rituals and always lent an ear or an eye to "What was unseen". Sakaar was also known to be a bit loony or eccentric to other dwellers, but there was a deep loneliness in his strange heart. He was in deep mediation tonight, seeking his path and his purpose. There must be more he was meant for in this mysterious land. During his meditation Sakaar was given a vision.
In his vision he was drifting weightlessly above the Pine Forest, overlooking the East Grasslands, swirling dark clouds hung over his skull-wearing head and ravens flew about him in silence. The wind was blustery but didn't seem to change where he was floating, just stirred his dark and yet pale spiraled fur. This vision was so real feeling he could even feel the garnet on his collar swaying in the breeze. Just then the chilled air warmed and a shaft of golden light pierced through the clouds and shone on a spot just within the Pine forest, It glinted with soft golden shimmers and he finally felt a sense of purpose.
A calling without words but a tugging within Sakaar's chest like a shimmering golden cord, drew every sense in that direction, to where the light lit the Pine forest.

It felt like it was so fast, but Sakaar opened his indigo eyes and it was already morning. Thin rays of light hung between the pines and made the ground resemble a tiger's pelt. He was not born here in the Pine Forest and he honestly doesn't remember where he was born, the curse of a lunatic. He mumbled to himself "That which is unseen has strange ways" as he stood from his sitting, stretching and adjusting his body. He could still feel the call to purpose and felt that the answer to his path lay just within the Pine forest.
Beofre he knew it, Sakkaar was walking, following his dark front paws in the direction he had in his vision. Sakaar spoke to himself, which he did quite often "I follow the beacon of light, to what I do not know.. But there is change in the air.
Change for me, change for the future."
The fallen pine needles shifted in slick and familiar ways under his paws and as the morning went on, not even hunger or thirst would change his mind. Picking up speed he found himself taking off through the Pine Forest, little did he know that Arrate was running to the same place, from a different direction at the same time.

In a small clearing, where a dead ancient pine stood is where both paths met. Sakaar and Arrate came bounding into the clearing from opposed directions and immediately saw one another. Both sliding to a stop in the cool spring-dampened clearing, mere feet from one another. Sakaar's spiraled patterns and dark to light contrast reminded Arrate of the clouds and the black lightning in his dream! Arrate's golden fur and presence of good and light reminded Sakaar of the shaft of light that pierced the dark clouds and it was here where it shown. They both knew that the Ma'ome that stood before one another was what they were looking for, but why? Neither of them could say. Even Sakaar in all his dabbling with visions and "The unseen" did not yet know what lay before them, if they were friend or foe. Arrate felt the darkness that lived in Sakaar but somehow knew that this Ma'ome was tied to his future somehow.
Would they battle? Would they walk by one another's side?
A twisted Shaman and a Princely loner?
As they stood staring at one another and sorting their feelings, they both felt drawn to each other. Sakaar spoke first.. "You... You are the golden light from my vision! Shining brightly in the dark."
Arrate perked his soft gold ears forward, a golden light in a vision? This gave Arrate chills that made his tail floofy a bit, never had he experienced anything like this. Arrate responded, his voice naturally calm and yet slightly authoritative. "You are the black lightning from my dream.. But what does this mean? If you are a seeker of visions, surely you must know."
Sakaar then sat on his haunches and smiled a slightly unhinged grin under his skull, responding in a way that made Arrate just pause and blink, his tone much more light hearted than expected. "Oh! I don't know. But here the lightning and the light meet none the less. I am Sakaar Darkwalker. Do you like my last name? I made it myself!"
Arrate was somewhat confused but it made him smile, This Ma'ome wasn't completely right in the head but it didn't scare him. He relaxed some and spoke back, a chuckle in his words " Heh, okay Darkwalker, I think it is fitting. I am Arrate Gildedtide.. annd... yeah I made mine up too."
Sakaar grinned in a strange approval "I like it! Well... What now?"
Arrate shook his head for he didn't know why they were sent to one another nor what their future held. One thing was for certain, he was very thirsty.
"Well, now we go find something to drink."
Sakaar stood and nodded in an eager way of agreeing " Yes let us find water! I know where!"
Away they went, deeper into the Pine Forest to drink, fill their empty bellies and speak of the future.

That is the story of their meeting, but the tale of the future is still being written.
As they still walk by one another's side to this day, Sakaar guides Arrate toward a hidden and mysterious end... An end that neither of them can foresee but they get the feeling that it will be a grand one, Providing Sakaar doesn't get them into trouble.
Will Arrate become a Colony leader? Will Sakaar stay by his side as his friend? His mate? Or will they eventually become one another's greatest adversaries?
Who can really tell what "the unseen" has in store for these two Ma'ome who's fates are tied to one another.