---

The lanky woman, the thin warrior, had spent most of her time in hiding with Raum. Not hiding per se just, hanging around the hollow...

She'd grown used to the darkness, to the way the shadows crept around every corner, the way the demons would dance in and out of the trees. She was now used to the chittering of the unknown and the constant moaning and groaning of the trees in recovery.

Blinking Rin hid behind a tree, watching a nearby wolf traipse along the hills and jutting rocks, waiting for them to notice her...

But they never did, so she continued to move closer and closer, pale paws hidden behind the thick trunks and stumps she would occasionally duck behind. Smiling Rin mentally patted herself on the back and praised her hard work as the dark youngling bit her lip, the winds shifting away from her and carrying her scent downwind.

Burning optics of fire blinked slowly as her tail hung low, moving nearer to the wolf as she tried to get as close as she could before she jumped out and surprised the other...

The element of surprise was indeed one of her favorite methods...

The moon was hidden behind shadows of its own, dark thick clouds that floated across its vision to block out the light from anything below, the scent of rain threatened the hollow as Rin did her best to try and move closer before the oncoming storm hit.

The bulky, swampy male had been roaming again. Roaming without much thought nor care, nor awareness for that matter. So many things had been haunting his thoughts as of late. Dreams, dark, laughing birds...and memories. The sound of his own paw crushing a small twig had him halt. Fehrduin had been walking with eyes mostly closed, and as they slowly blinked into further awareness, a sapling of rough pine stood barely a couple paw steps before him. A sigh left him. He'd been restless these past few nights. Sleep was more difficult to come by, much to his own disappointment on the matter. Each time he tried, the thought he'd be haunted in his dreams once more would break his desire to sleep.

Fehrduin's ear twitched, a soft breeze coming through. Whether by instinct or some innate intuition, he looked over his shoulder. It felt like something was out there, in the shadows, like before. With a subtle side step, he turned his bulky frame to glance around with caution. Slow and deliberate in order to not miss anything that may be out there...

Nothing.

Silence. It was all that seemed to greet him.

Disquieting silence.

Fehrduin shivered, the clump of fur between his shoulder blades fluffing as he shook his head. Just as he turned back to continue his meanderings, a shape shot out of the darkness near him and the bulky male jumped. All four paws left the ground for mere seconds and his short tail fluffed, holding high. For someone so big, he seemed like a shocked rabbit for a fraction of a moment before his tail drooped. Moonlight poured down from above and painted the form he now faced. A wolf.

The fur that had risen along his spine flattened. As much as the male felt he should've been alert, the tall but young frame before him hardly put any edge to his hackles. His mind told him that if it came to a fight, he would gain the upper hand with his bulk alone. Still, there was something...something of a relief at the sight of another wolf.

Wait... another wolf? Was it....real?

Fehrduin cocked his head to the side, his bright orange gaze narrowing, but in a fashion of study. He said nothing, remaining mute, but his thoughts ran wild. Still, as he looked to the solid form, he decided to believe he was awake. Lowering his head, his tail dropping to a relaxed posture, he remained still. The only motion Fehrduin attended to now was to scent the air, to take what information he could, and to observe. Was there a pack nearby? Or another loner? All in all, a small part of him felt a fluttering sensation within his gut. Excitement and relief. After all this time in this place he had wandered into seemingly by magic, was it truly possible he had found another living soul. Another wolf?

---

Somehow her element of surprise had been broken and the girl raised herself to her paws and kicked the ground before her in frustration. Meh... She uttered as she pulled herself from behind a tree, out from the shadows, and dipped her head to the man. You got me... She mumbled with a sly smile and a wag of her tail in greeting.

Watchya doin' all the way out here? She asked the male with a cock of her head in question. The man didn't smell like he was from around her particularly, smelling of pine and earthy marsh, which she felt might be a little more south... What did she know she didn't know much outside the hollow...

A wind blew, ruffling her fur a little and sending her dark hair tousling, tangerine optics scanning the male and finding he might be a little shorter than her lanky self, but not by much, and she scanned him over to see if she had any worry for her safety.

Fehrduin flicked his ears, but his tired expression appeared to relax, tension gently flowing from his shoulders into a more lazy stance. He could tell she was disappointed. Maybe she had been practicing hunting? On him though? A game them perhaps?

It was a question to consider later if necessary. Fehrduin's voice was deep, rich as the thick bogs he once hailed from as he responded with a gentle, "Searching." A word...just a single word was all it seemed he would provide. Probably not convenient by far he had no doubt, but he also didn't owe anyone an explanation. His gaze locked onto the female, satisfied enough with his observations. He had no desire to admit the female's antics of stalking him in this hollow had indeed startled him, but he hid it well under his gentle mask. He had no desire to invite further trouble.

A flick of his gaze to the side and Fehrduin's brows creased his features as if he suddenly had a realization. A deep thought rising to the surface. One ear flicked back and then forward once more before he cast that soft gaze back toward the lady before him and sat himself down. His short tail wouldn't reach his front paws when he tried to wrap it around himself. The quiet hollow was once again met with the deep vibration of his voice as he asked, "Do you roam alone? Or with pack?"

---

Fehrduin

He flicked his ears and relaxed and he pressed forward towards him a little bit in a curious way. He responded that he was searching and that was all she got... Furrowing her brow and scrunching up her face in a frustrated sorta way she wiggled her nose and he flicked his gaze off tp the side. His face contorting slightly as if he realized something and seemed to be momentarily lost in thought before he sat down. His curled his tail part way to his front paws and asked if she roamed alone or was in a pack.

Well... There are a few of us, we're trying to start a pack here... She told him, sitting herself down and curling her tail to her paws, her own making it to her tiptoes and tickling her nails with the tip of her whip.

Why...? She asked curiously, her head tilting to the side in question, eyes blinking under a furrowed eyebrow. She hoped he wasn't going to try anything and concerned for her safety all of a sudden the woman stood back up and took a few steps backwards just in case she needed to lunge...

She wasn't scared of no wolf... She fought a bear...

Fehrduin mulled the question over, even if it was a simple 'why' from the lady before him, it was question that could hold many answers. Before he could part his maw to even say offer an answer at all, he saw her stand. The posture and change told him she was wary. Alert. Did she consider him to be a threat even though she had been the one stalking him through here?

The thought lost its interest as Fehrduin let out a soft sigh and replied in his slow, deep tone as if wariness was creeping in, "I ask so I do not cross threshold into place I cannot be..." He paused, casting his gaze out into the forest, watching the night cast its shadows. "I do not wish to intrude." Would that suffice as an answer? His brows came together before he looked back the female and stood, offering a bow of his head. "I can depart. Wish of luck is all I give and safe hunting. May your...future pack be strong and of good health." There was a bit of confusion that seemed to cross his features as if he was considering his own words. He knew his language wasn't always the greatest, but he tried. It wasn't from a lack of learning, or a lack of practice, but simply lack of necessity. He'd been roaming for so long without another actual soul to cross paths and the voice in his dreams felt torn between different words. Words he knew and had heard and those he did not. Remaining sitting, he cast and expecting gaze toward the female. Waiting for a response would surely be appropriate at this time. Ensuring that he was either allowed to keep his path or would have to turn away and try another. The latest dream had crossed his thoughts and Fehrduin had a feeling he knew which direction he should be going in but....

Suddenly the bulky male's ears perked high and he cast a sparkling gaze at the female. "You know lands yes?" The tip of his tail wiggle slightly against his side, shuffling some of the earth about.

---

Fehrduin

He explained his reasoning and Rin relaxed a little bit, her eyes never leaving him as she nodded in understanding. That's super respectful... Thank you! She giggled as she smiled a little, waving her thin tail behind her, he didn't want to intrude, and in Raum's eye's he might be but here, to her, he was fine... They hadn't taken the forest... yet...

He mentioned he would leave and wished luck, safe hunting and strong good health, Rin blinked a few times in confusion, wondering if she had said something wrong and she took a few tentative steps towards him. Aw naw you don't have ta leave... She squeaked a little concerned.

I didn't mean to upset ya... She explained, her fiery eyes blinking a couple more times, her nose pressed forward towards him as she lowered her head and flattened her ears. I'm sorry... The tiny warrior apologized, she didn't know for what but she assumed she had said something wrong to make him want to leave... Plus she was really lonely... Raum wasn't really a wolf's wolf...

Upset?
The word had caught Fehrduin's attention. His dark lips parted in a quizzical manner before his gaze shifted away in thought, considering the following apology provided. Maybe his words had suggested the wrong meaning? With a more subtle glance back at the young wolf before him, he observed her posture, her change in tone...she clearly thought she was in the wrong.

One large deep inhale later and Fehrduin slowed his voice, "Is it incorrect of these lands to think strangers are not welcome? Stranger normally chased away yes?" His brows furrowed before lowering his head toward the female as an elder may do in order to understand a younger. "I not upset. You have done no wrong. I have done wrong by placing paw into territory without looking, without scenting...if this is not territory, then no one has done wrong." Large eyes looked toward her, looking for that fiery gaze, seeking some level of understanding toward his words. "Do I speak bad? If that is so, then I should most apologize yes. You have done no wrong." Sitting back up straight, Fehrduin gestured with his snout to the woods themselves. "You hunt here. This is your home. I have no home. I wander, so I have intruded. Invaded." Giving a few nods of his head as if confirming his own words, he looked back to the female, finding something rather admirable about her. She seemed respectable. Whatever pack she planned to create here, he had a feeling she would hold an importance. Though, all this talking felt draining on the bulky male. Enough so that his eyes half closed a moment as if he would begin to doze, sitting there, and moments later, they were open again, intrigue filling the dark pupils as he'd found some reserve of energy to tap into.

With a small twitch of his lips, Fehrduin chose to change the topic by saying, "If time you can spare, may you answer more about this land to me? I..." That soft and honest look returned as he cleared his throat, looking away. "I do not know much here. I am...lost. Yes. Lost is good word. I see few wolves but you first to meet." He held a paw to his chest gingerly. "Name is Fehrduin. I hail from far land. Far far from here I think."

---

Fehrduin

We don't claim them yet... So you're safe for now... I think I haven't seen Raum in a while... She explained, her body language dropping into something more sad, she relaxed a bit as he changed the topic to asking about the lands and introduced himself as Fehrduin. She smiled a little smile and sat down, her thin tail coming to wrap around her little hips as she did a small dance with her front paws.

I'm Rin! She greeted in a peppy, friendly, tone. Eyes came to meet his own, the fire in them burning but a different type of smoldering projected from them, something more subtle than before. It was a gaze of kindness, the type that she'd learned throughout her time wandering, kindness was important to all...

You can ask me anything! I've been all around... 'Been wanderin' since I was little... I got lost one day and couldn't find my way home... Her mind finished her sentence for her... She pushed away that thought and began to tap her tail on the ground before her, a small tilt to her head could be seen with the smile that she sported for the world to see.

Fehrduin seemed a little more eager than before. He'd calmed, in his own way. After all that had occurred prior, this was more than welcome. Though, he supposed what made him most glad was the fact that this was a friendly face. A part of him committed it to memory. There was no telling how long he'd stay in this one spot but he was sure, if the fates had stuck him in these lands, then he would surely return. To have a potential 'friend' to return to surely would be better than a foe.
With a soft exhale, the male let his eyes wander to the forests before softly asking, "Then, what is this forest? Does a pack call it home? I saw mountains in the distance, are those safe?" He looked back the way he had come. "I'm familiar with water, with swamp, but now it is...unkind." He wasn't sure what to call the situation going on, the green fog he had seen and even walked through. Fog that threatened to end the very thread of his life. It wasn't the first time he had seen dangerous mists in the fog but even now, this one had been different than those he'd been warned of as a pup. That alone seemed an entire life time ago.
"Are there...many packs around?" The question seemed hesitant as if Fehrduin himself wasn't sure how safe it was to ask such a thing. There was a small twitch of his lip before he turned a soft gaze back upon Rin. For now, he would not dwell upon concerns and simply enjoy the calm of this meeting. Maybe learn a few things before he moved on.