For once, the weather was mild. It was neither snowing, sleeting, foggy or sunny. Just a simple, boring overcast day. After the thunder-sleet some days prior, it was quite the welcome change. Raela was making her way toward the border; once again following her nose toward the scent of a cache. Her slender, weakened frame needed a lot of nourishment if she ever hoped to recover the muscle and fat lost to many months of travel. Especially now, since she was out searching for the lost pups just about every day. At this moment, she was on break. The tawny girl was winding through the berry bushes, reluctantly nearing the edge of her new found safety barrier. She was loathe to step so far from the den, but also nervous about spending so much time in close proximity to her new pack mates – many of which were still strangers. Instead she settled for haunting the mid-ranges of the territory, trying her best to eat and sleep as much as she possibly could.

Her coat was shabby as always, and her body was sore, but the first signs of recovery were continuing to appear. Pain was no longer an obstacle to fight with upon standing. Now, it was merely an annoyance, and a reminder of her exile. Nervously, she paused to scent the air. A cool winter breeze brought many scents to her nose, but few of interest. The cache was nearby, as was the border, but another scent was mixed in. She could tell it was another wolf, but not an outsider. In fact, it was very strongly mixed with the scent of the border. Out of curiosity and concern, she changed course briefly, angling herself toward the new smell. If it was in fact a loner, they could just be pretending to be a pack wolf to get into the territory, or steal the caches. It was winter after all. As she neared her target, it became clear that his scent trail originated from within the Downs. A soft sigh parted her lips, and her nervously raised hackles fell.

An inspection of the area revealed clumsily placed footsteps, and thorns covered in fur. This wolf either didn't know his way around (not that she did either yet,) or wasn't feeling so well. At least the tracks weren't rushed, so he wasn't fleeing anything. Raela picked carefully around the brambles, moving slowly. After a few more steps, the man's distant form came into view. He was rolling around on a scent marker. Raela could read the signs; this was another new recruit. She froze, suddenly aware of herself. Raising a paw warily, she contemplated simply moving along to find that cache. She was in no condition for introductions; she looked weak and pathetic in her current state. Maybe he hadn't noticed her yet. He was in no position to pick up her scent unless the wind changed, and she could slip away just as easily as she had come. Peering at him through the thorns, a thought entered her mind. He's probably just as nervous and lost as I am in this new place. And it IS better to know all of your pack mates; you are a team after all. Closing her eyes, Raela rose to full height. This couldn't hurt all that bad, could it? The others had been amiable so far...

A soft, friendly bark burst into the cold air. The amber-eyed female padded forward, followed by the reassurance of a wagging tail. Her head was level with her body, unsure if this new male outranked her yet. She would assume they all did, until proven otherwise. She slowed to a walk, still approaching curiously. She hoped this man's reaction to her greeting would be favorable.

As she drew nearer, the brute's size became strikingly apparent. The dark man was a good deal taller and more robust than she, sporting well toned muscles beneath his pelt. His obvious good health and vigor made Raela slow to a cautious halt. Even in her best shape, her strength would be no match for his. Orange ears flinched slightly when he cleared his throat and spun to face her. She gave another wag of nervous appeasement as his ruddy eyes passed her over, no doubt judging her frail and pathetic looks. Then, their eyes met, and a warm smile formed on his black lips. Her gaze flicked away reflexively, not wanting any trouble from such a strong and capable opponent. His stature reminded her of the well-bred beasts she had lived with back home; and they did not take disrespect lightly. "Hello darling, I assume you must be blatantly confused." Her eyes turned upward to greet his kind face; no one had ever called her ”darling” before. She wasn't sure how to take it. He was being very friendly, but it seemed such a term of endearment should be reserved for a dear one, not a stranger such as she. And, confused? What was she confused about? His presence? His identity? Raela's thoughts were interrupted by further speech, and her ears fell to the side awkwardly at his head tilt. 

His name was declared openly, and with a flourish. The girl pinned her ears back at the sudden, confident movement, unsure what to make of his candor. He was definitely a fit and capable wolf; very impressive. A reassuring flick of his tail brought them forward to attention again, and the male still held a kind expression. She couldn't pinpoint whether he was toying with her nervousness or being genuine. The woman's ruddy colored ears folded again, and a shy softness crept over her face. She would be friendly in response. ”Raela.” she said simply, bowing her head. She scanned his face and body language for any sign of a threat, but so far none had been shown. He was an interesting one. With a hunch as to the answer, she decided to continue with a polite question. ”Are you new to the Downs, Aeus?” Finding another newbie to hang out with seemed a favorable prospect for the weakened female. 

The great black male maintained his outward friendliness, even stooping his shoulders a bit, as if he had taken note of her fear and wished to put her at ease. This was enough for the female, and her posture subconsciously relaxed as well. His answer was dismissive, but nonetheless confirmed her suspicion. His chocolate-colored eyes trailed in and out of the trees as he spoke. Raela couldn't help but flick an ear in the direction he faced. "I'm just trying to find my bearings around here..." Empathy immediately flushed her thoughts; she too was still figuring out the lay of the land, but something in her suspected that she might still be able to help the man. She nodded, smiling, at his question. ”I am,” she felt just comfortable enough to raise her golden eyes to his own.

”I don't know very much about the territory either,” the tawny woman continued casually, ”I've only been here a few weeks.” She looked down, tucking her tail slightly as she spoke. Raela turned to the side, pausing to scent the frigid air. Her bright orbs fluttered over the landscape, re-affirming that nothing around them had changed. She looked back at Aeus, her orange ears falling to the side with uncertainty. ”If you want, I could show you what I do know.” She made a soft gesture with her head in the direction she was facing now. It would be much nicer to have someone else to explore the place with, and both of them could stand to learn some more about the Downs.

The dark male's sudden reaction brought an equally eager smile to Raela's lips; despite her reservations. He was genuinely excited at the prospect, and his reaction was far more favorable than she had hoped. It was as if she had picked the activity he most wanted to do that very moment, as if this was the suggestion he'd been waiting for. Her ears flicked backward reflexively at his raised tail, but she continued to smile, not fully taking the gesture as the threat it could have been. Astraeus seemed barely able to contain his excitement, eliciting a soft chuckle from the girl's throat. It was refreshing to have made someone so happy with her mere company. Raela's tail gave another set of friendly wags as he spoke again. She lowered her head, now much less afraid of making eye contact.

”Alright.” She turned away, moving now in the direction of the cache she had scented earlier. Sore muscles began to remind Rae that this was her first priority, but being in the friendly company of another was giving her new found energy; she could stand to take a tour of the place after some lunch. Raela glanced back to Aeus, just to be sure that he was following. Since he'd had such a hard time getting through the brambles, she tried to make their route as thorn-free as possible, slowing to squeeze through bigger gaps in the foliage. It wasn't all to hard if you went slowly and planned your path. She hoped the man would pick up on this; Raela wasn't comfortable with instructing him just yet. The woman's gentle voice again began to cover the sound of their pawsteps. ”If you're hungry, there's a cache over this way. I just need a bite to eat before we head out,” she explained, lowering her head as her pace quickened to a slow trot. Her ears cocked to pick up the dark man's reply as they moved forward.

The girl's orange ears picked up the man's awkward movements, but he seemed to be getting her hint. Slow and careful, she thought, glancing back to check on his progress. He seemed to be doing alright, that is until he rose to answer her. She was the slightest bit disappointed at the rejection of her offer, but the thought was fleeting. The smell and sight of the little bit of blood on his muzzle, made her ears fold backward with sympathy. Sometimes it really wasn't easy, especially at first. She offered a gentle smile and remark, while glancing at his nose, ”Almost – these bushes can get pretty vicious.” She was thankful, however, for the protection she knew they offered.

The duo kept moving, and as they drew near the cache, Raela's keen hearing gathered more of the man's speech. ”What a beautiful morning it is..” his voice was soft and light, thoroughly relaxed, even. It was enough to make the woman turn her head toward him, and to notice the way he gazed up at the sky, his tail again wagging. She was nearly incapable of smiling at his contentedness. He was already impressively comfortable around her. His candor was greatly welcomed; it meant that she needn't be the relaxed, outgoing one. It was so much easier to be comfortable with someone so very obviously so. His gaze made Raela notice that the sun had in fact come out while they were walking. The clear blue sky was a glorious sight in winter, and she too smiled upwards. ”Yeah,” she replied, a dream-like quality creeping into the edges of her voice as well. The shy girl was glad he could appreciate nature. It was a quality she hadn't yet managed to really find in another, and she felt intensely lucky that Aeus was showing signs of it. She became aware of a seeping awkwardness with the two of them standing there, and with a bashful yet visibly more energized wag Rae pushed forward again, stopping at the roots of a pine tree that smelled oh so delicious. The girl's tired feet began excavating her lunch, hoping that Aeus wouldn't mind too badly.

The haunch of a deer began to emerge, and she chomped into the flesh hungrily, trying to eat quickly so she and her new acquaintance could get going. She wasn't entirely sure where they should head first, but she had a hunch that somewhere with little to no bushes would be more to his liking. They'd probably wind up outside the territory for that, though. Her eyes passed over his form once in a while as she ate, watching for any signal that he'd found something interesting.