Okay, so. This was getting old. Why had she chosen to climb this mountain again? The weather up here was decidedly colder, which she should have expected. Not to mention the stupid rocks that randomly gave way beneath her oversize paws without warning. Not only was this perilous, it was just annoying. The promise of a view of the lands below was the only thing keeping her paws slowly picking their way up the rock face, her head bent down and her ice-blue eyes narrowed in desperation. This sucked.

What sucked even more was that there was actually someone else attempting this drudgery of a climb, a dark male a short distance from her. The rock face had leveled out somewhat, creating something of a flat path and an outcrop that overlooked the lands below. Well, this was just great. The last thing she felt like doing was talking to someone, much less some random dude. Totally not in the mood for a greeting, Volkan glided as quickly as she could to the edge of the outcrop, keeping her distance from the edge in case she was to fall. Stealthily she stole a glance over at the male nearby, keeping silent, certain that he'd notice her and probably come sweeping over... but hoping for a precious few moments that he wouldn't. She directed her attention to the vast display of scenery below her, though had trouble focusing on it, as she was pretty much anticipating him waltzing over any second now...

Holding her breath, Volk continued to stare blankly out at the scenery below, all senses piqued in case the nearby male approached her. But her waiting was in vain, and she heaved a sigh of relief when he just kept on walking. Her icy eyes narrowed on his retreating form. There was a slight breeze up here that whispered through her coat and carried his scent to her. It was unfamiliar...

Staring after him, a thought crossed Volkan's mind that startled her, made her fur stand on end. No, it couldn't be him... could it? There was no way Rhysis could have also come to Relic Lore. But the black male who was walking away from her, at least from the back, resembled him almost to a T. Maybe after traveling he'd lost his scent?

Heart beginning to race as she watched him, the yearling knew she had to do something. Had to find out, just in case, just to be sure... that of course it wasn't him. She just had to see his face, just to prove that it wasn't him, that he hadn't really come here to her new home...

Slowly, then faster, Volkan began to trot after him, oversize paws beating the cold ground as she rushed after him. As she drew nearer, she attempted to keep quiet, planning out what she would say, mind swimming in the anxiety of what his face may or may not look like. What would she do if it was him? She would... run. Or fight –

"...Hey," She barked after him at last, quietly. "Hey, ex... excuse me–" Fear was evident in her trembling voice, though she attempted to keep casual as she forced it out. After speaking she stopped, waiting, nearly shaking in seconds that seemed like minutes. Would he turn around? Was it him?

"Yes?"

The moment of truth. The black male swung around and – OhthankGod it wasn't him. Volkan's lungs emptied, her weathered expression melting into an honest, relieved smile as she beheld his face. How could she have been so dumb? His eyes weren't even the same. Instead of the soulless white she had tricked herself into expecting, this guy's eyes were orange, like fire. Volkan's own ice-blue eyes gave him a quick once-over. He was big; while she was a tall female, he certainly had muscle on him, not a string bean like Rhysis was.

"Just needed to see your face," Volkan quipped matter-of-factly, feather-like tail flicking quickly at her ankles. "But you're not who I thought you were, so." Now she felt a little dumb, but hell if she was going to show it. "...You just looked like someone I knew, from the back, is all." A "sorry to bother you" was omitted. Instead of admitting that she felt a little awkward, the brat stood there, unsure of what else to say. "...So yeah."

With a simple phrase, the big black stranger nodded and turned away from her. Wow, he really wasn't the chatty type, was he? It wasn't like Volkan wanted to talk to him for any particular reason. In fact, just moments before, she'd been praying he wouldn't come over and start a conversation. But now that he didn't want to talk to her, and hadn't even offered his name – the yearling couldn't help but feel a little miffed. After all, she was somewhat of a newcomer to Relic Lore, and hadn't met but a few new faces. If she ran into a stranger and they exchanged words, to her, it was only fair that they exchanged names as well. She was going to need as many connections as possible if she was trying to live in a new place, right?

"Wait," she accidentally commanded, aware of her rudeness only after she'd spoken. "I'm Volkan." Like he cared. But while her grasp of manners wasn't exactly spot-on, the onyx female did know that offering her name was the best way to get a stranger's in return. Being an alpha's daughter had given her a vague sense of diplomacy in her puphood, after all. "If nothing else I'd like to know your name."

She knew she was bothering him, but figured he could deal with it. Volkan wasn't exactly afraid of trying the patience of strangers– if he attacked her, she was mentally prepared to react in whatever way she had to...