Ciel woke with a start, shaking his head and blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He felt… strange. His head throbbed a little, and his vision was blurry. Its blinked harder, trying to get his eyes to work properly. Something wasn't quite right.

It paused. It listened. Just like his fathers had told him. Smelt the air, tasting the crispness on his tongue. Something was missing. All at once, Ciel forced his eyes open. Where was his family? Fear clutched at his heart. Green eyes darted about, irritating its aching head. All around him - white. That wasn't right. Winter was months away, or at least that's what his father had told him. The months of cold, hunger, loneliness should come when it was about a year old, but he was nowhere close to being so.

This was all too confusing. Ciel got to its paws blearily, inhaling the crisp, cool, dry air, almost enough to make him cough. His lungs ached. The weather was the least of its troubles, it decided. ”Dad? Papa?” He called, hesitantly, before adding with more volume, ”Veres? Arcene?” They had just been here, right next to him. It had gone to sleep without a care in the world.

Did they abandon him? Ciel scoffed, immediately discarding the thought. Of course not. They would never. But, he scented the air thoroughly anyway, making extra sure there were no trails around him.

But… nothing. Not even a hint of familiarity. There were wolf scents here, sure, but it recognised none of them. The thought of asking one of them made him cringe. He didn't need help, he just…

He just what?

Where would Ciel go from here? He sort of knew how to hunt, but assuming it was winter, he had no idea how to hunt in these conditions. Dad often mentioned how difficult he found it, although he mentioned it was because of his dark pelt. Maybe Ciel would find it easier…

But, wait, it shouldn't have to be worrying about this. His family should be here, where he'd left them. It wasn't possible to vanish into thin air!

”Where the fuck am I?” Ciel muttered, trying to push down the sliver of anxiety he'd never felt before.

Skoll

Today Skoll is out attempting to remember where the borders are. The flakes of white are easier to see through this time, a light falling instead of a blizzard. His nose is low to the ground as he traces the exact border lines - something more noticeable now that he's used to the scents of the various wolves of Camhanaich.

He shakes his fur out as he meanders over the lines, and stops dead set when a stranger's form swims in his vision. The wolf isn't anyone he recognizes from the pack. Something about their body-language seems... Off.

Skoll might not be the most experienced or long-lived, but he can definitely tell when something's wrong. He trots close enough for the stranger to hear his quiet voice, far out enough to not be in bite range. This guy looks... young, just like Skoll and Southeast. It doesn't seem like he's got any family nearby, either.

"Hey." He calls out, gently. "Are you lost?"

Somehow, in the process of trying to figure out where he was and where his family was, Ciel missed the approach of the stranger until the sound of snow crunching made its way to his ears. The pale wolf turned to take a look at whoever was approaching. It wasnt entirely comforted by the youthful appearance of him, and definitely not by the size of him. They were of similar sizes and builds, at least, and didn't seem too threatening.

Still, Ciel knew better than to let his guard down.

"No," it says, almost on habit. He never accepted help from anyone, not even his family these days. But, he supposed he did look out of place here, too young to be on his own and fending for himself. Ciel wasn't self-absorbed enough to deny the fact. "I... it's supposed to be autumn." The cooler months had only just made their appearance, the leaves on the cusp of yellow. It just didn't make sense.

Unfortunately, Ciel didn't have the words to explain himself without seeming helpless, so he chose silence afterwards, pale sage eyes settling sharply on the darker of the two.

Skoll blinks when the stranger mentions the season. He can't remember what season it was before he showed up here - or if he was born here in the first place.

"Is this place familiar to you?" He asks out of curiosity.

Skoll suspects this wolf had just awoken. It would explain the change in season. Skoll isn't sure how to explain how it works. He hasn't asked anyone why this happens - he just knows that it does. Southeast also had the same thing happen to him. So did one of the other wolves in the pack as well.

"Sometimes wolves wake up here. Um. Away from where they were before." The best way Skoll can explain it, he guesses.

Ciel puffs a breath, distracted momentarily by the way it forms in the air. Come to think of it, he'd never seen snow before. It was rather pretty, in a way, but his pawpads stung a little, having stood in place for a little too long.

"No," it said, carefully. He'd never been here before, but that didn't mean he was lost. He didnt need help... right? The other young wolf seemed knowledgeable on his situation, it seemed, although Ciel's head spun with the new information.

"Am I dead?" Was this some sort of afterlife? Had it died in it's sleep? That would explain why he'd just been dropped here unceremoniously. Ciel had heard of wolves dying in their sleep before, but they'd always been old, or sick. He hadn't been either of those things beforehand.

Ciel furrowed his pale brows, puzzled. "Did you wake up here, too?" He'd said sometimes, though, which nullified his thoughts of being dead. What the fuck is going on?

Skoll huffs a breath, it comes out in a puff of white. He hadn't considered this possibly being an afterlife. Skoll doesn't remember being dead, either. Everyone in the pack seems so full of life - this is the first time for him to talk to an outsider. The stranger seems pretty alive too.

"Not dead." Skoll feels alive. He doesn't think they'd feel the cold if they were dead.

Sometimes the scars on his face hurt too, feeling pain while dead seems unfair. "I woke up here a few days ago." Longer, even.

He's glad Kirain found him. Skoll would've frozen to death in the snow. "I don't know a lot but I think it's common." He admits.

Southeast, the other young wolf, Skoll and this stranger too. Skoll wonders how many there really are out here. Is it most of the wolves? Or are more born here than awaken? He'll have to ask someone later.

Not dead, then. Ciel feels an instant relief, even though that didn't completely solve the issue of being here in the first place. If wolves just woke up here, could they even escape? "Well, can I leave, then?" It hoped so. What was here for him if he couldn't?

The stranger had woken up, too, which was mildly comforting. Being similar ages, either he had not tried to escape, or escape was impossible. Ciel couldn't imagine why anyone would want to stay here, after all. A strange world, with no family, no place to call home? He'd much rather leave.

Skoll blinks. Leave?

This guy must have family somewhere, unlike Skoll. He hasn't thought about leaving. Maybe Kirain would know? She knew about the waking-up-thing, so maybe she'd know about this too? Or this guy could go look for someone that knows more information - someone who's older, has been here longer.

"Um. I don't know." his tongue swipes over his cold nose.

Skoll shifts his paws in the snow. Would it be bad to bring this guy to the pack?

"You could come to Camhanaich and ask the older wolves here." The pack's name feels weird on his tongue. He can't quite pronounce it right.

"The wolf who found me - one of the leaders. She knows more about this than me I think." But first. "What's your name?"

He didn't know.

Ciel couldn't help the small sigh that escaped his mouth. Dismay made itself known, the sinking feeling chasing away his previous relief. He was as good as dead if he couldn't leave. Would his family start looking for him? Obviously, but no one would search forever. They would eventually move on. Ciel might never see them again.

The thought made hot tears prick at its eyes, and it shook its head hurriedly. That was uncomfortably unexpected. He cleared his throat, attempting to save face, as the other boy continued. Ciel couldn't look him in the eye for a little, wondering if he caught the way his eyes likely shone with uncried tears for that split second. How embarrassing...

"Alright," he agreed, not really seeing another path to finding out. "Lead the way, then." Ciel wasn't going to turn down free help. This boy seemed agreeable enough, which boded well.

"Ciel Bissette. What's yours?" It doubted anyone would know of the Bissette's here, but it felt weird not to introduce itself using both names. Although, if anyone could come here, maybe he had a distant relative or two wandering around. Not that it would do it much good. Ciel couldn't imagine helping a relative he didn't know out of the goodness of his heart, so he doubted anyone would do the same for him.

He wondered what this boy had to gain from helping him, as he could see none in his point of view.

Skoll motions inward, towards the more forested region. This guy can go warm up, and then Skoll can try to find either Kirain or her mate - then they can figure out what to do with the stranger.

Skoll doesn't recognize Ciel's name - either one - but maybe someone else would. He thinks families are proud of their names, so if any of them are around he's sure Ciel could find them. With some travel, maybe.

"Skoll Almir." He replies. He's not met anyone that matches his name so far.