Perhaps this would be more than just conversation, perhaps this could be what birthing alliances could look like. If Alphinaud was as well traveled as he claimed - and from the medley of scents on his pelt, Ziigwan did not doubt him - then he was probably more worldly wise than the four-years-older wolf. Ziigwan began to internally debate the merits of introducing this pleasant creature to Miskwaa, for three was better than two, and he trusted her judgement implicitly. If she decided that Alphinaud was worth making a friend out of, then Ziigwan would not hesitate to support that. This whole making-new-friends thing was never something he had gotten very far with, though it came with little effort once he was able to push past his hostile instincts. Just how much of himself had been suppressed by those years in that tundra?

When asked of his plans, Ziigwan gave a soft snort and said, "I'm not planning anything further than waking up tomorrow morning." In truth, he had thought of exploring further, though in which direction he didn't know. That decision would be left to Miskwaa, whose lead he had already followed here; he saw no reason to stop now.

"Fortunately, yes," he said, regarding his lost family. Dear friend, the white beast had said - was it common for loners to affect each other with such warm familiarity so soon? When relationships were fleeting, why not exaggerate their meaning? It was that or give nothing purpose. Ziigwan found that he did not mind the affection. "I found her in this field, after tracking her for... it felt like all of spring."

Alphinaud was certainly a daydreamer with his pretty visions of life. Yes, it could definitely have been him once upon a time, but no matter what the young wolf said it was almost certainly too late; Ziigwan's adventure came with a bitter taste in his mouth, came with guilt and selfishness. You couldn't just up and leave at his age, so established, so relied upon. Ziigwan and Miskwaa would do the best they could with the situation they had, it was true, but it was Miskwaa who would thrive, and her uncle would just do his best to keep up.

"You're travelling alone, then? No family, no mate?" he asked, finding himself so curious as to Alphinaud's circumstances, wanting to find where their parallels ended.

If Ziigwan had known what Alphinaud thought of his supposed impulsiveness, then he would have laughed. While it was true that he had never been a plan-maker, it had always been because there was rarely a need to; when his future was certain (and any attempts to change it were shot down), it was easier to fall into ritual and habit. Leaving that behind had been the scariest thing he had ever done.

When Alphinaud spoke of Miskwaa, looking around to see if she was present, Ziigwan shook his head. "She's scouting further today, I don't expect her back until sundown. We spend most of our time mapping this place out." A week into it, he was starting to get a good mental picture of his surroundings, place some names and feel out where the packs lived. If Alphinaud wanted to meet Miskwaa, that was her choice; he would mention the white wolf to her tonight, and if they crossed paths again, he would be content to introduce them. If Miskwaa had been more vulnerable his distrust towards strangers would have taken over, but she was capable of looking after herself and making her own judgements.

At that point the white beast started to explain his circumstances, and Ziigwan learned that their similarities were not so complete, save for the mention of being unsatisfied and driven by selfishness. His ears flicked back in discomfort at that, though it was not in criticism of Alphinaud, merely at the vocalisation of his own feelings. "I just thank the moon I could leave without having to worry over their wellbeing." "You should," Ziigwan said softly, averting his gaze to look out over the horizon, expression carefully neutral. "It's very difficult knowing you abandoned those who need you."

He had had his own female companion, as Alphinaud put it, and she had needed him. They had all needed him. He had left his little grand adventure too late to pretend it was just about him.

Alphinaud's quiet understanding, while unnecessary, was appreciated. Ziigwan wasn't looking for pity or sympathy, he had merely been stating his situation as fact, and no kind words from a stranger would fix anything. The older wolf was mostly grateful that he wasn't questioned about it, something that he feared the moment he let the words, rich with suppressed emotion, out of his mouth. Indeed, the white wolf even went so far as to bringing a close to their meeting. Whether that was to escape Ziigwan's self-pity didn't matter; the grey beast saw it as a strange kind of respect regardless. You had to know when to give somebody else space.

Or perhaps Alphinaud genuinely didn't want to linger, and it had nothing to do with Ziigwan and he self-absorption at all! "It was a pleasure meeting you." "And you," he returned, inclining his head, finding the sentiment to actually be rather honest. "I should stay here, though perhaps, if my niece desires it, we could travel together. If we cross paths again, it may be so."

"Though my knowledge is lacking yet, I can tell you that there is a pack close to the mountain who are reportedly charitable to loners - Fallen Tree Cove. There is another in the willow forest to the north, though I haven't met them. Just watch out for porcupines if you head that way," he said, and snorted lightly at the private joke.

"Safe travels... friend."