At some point snow had fallen in the forest he and Isaura now made their way through. He'd made the decision to lead her north because he couldn't stay near the brook any longer. She stayed with him far past the point he thought she would have deserted him. In the time he'd come to rely on the female as he continued to recover from the fight. His wounds didn't cause him so much trouble anymore which allowed them to travel farther each day. The shadow was starting to help her in hunts and even doing some in his own.


Some mornings he would hunt while she slept and bring food back to her when he could catch it. The least he could do for what she'd done for him when he was still unable to hunt. His yellow eyes turned to hers as they weaved between two trees to ensure she was doing alright. They'd been traveling for awhile now and ye was worried, “Isa do you need to stop?” He asked her gently. Ruari was always gentle with her, he did his best to take care of her as promised.


The snow was cold under his paws reminding you that winter was coming and it would he just them. He'd considered finding a place they could stay for the duration of the cold months. He didn't know about finding a pack, if that was something he wanted or something Isaura wanted. It was a conversation they would need to have but it wouldn't be that day. He was still angry and filled with the feeling of being lost without his brother.


The scent of water reached his nares, perfect, they hadn't had anything to drink in a few hours. The yearling bumped her shoulder, “Let's get something to drink before we go on.” They would need to find shelter for the night but that could wait too. Ruari led his companion toward the water which they soon arrived at to find a pale coated wolf standing in it. The twin looked toward Isaura before turning back to the wolf, “It's a bit cold to be standing in the water don't you think?” He asked before stepping a little in front of Isaura in case the man wasn't kind.

The snow was in some ways a refreshing sight for the shadow that helped to not remind him so much of the day he'd found his brother. Piles of leaves here and there along their path reminded him of funding Deaglan. He saw flashes of black fur amongst them even though they weren't there. Most of all he felt... incomplete. They had been together everyday since the day they were born and the bond they shared had been strong until it fell apart after their mother's death. His mind would remember the days that had been good no matter how few they had been. It's what he tried to concentrate on then as he walked along with his blue eyed treasure.


He worried she was growing tired or that her paws might hurt so he checked on her, “You will tell me if you need to stop?” He didn't want her to think she had to keep going when she needed to rest. He would gladly stop to give her the time she needed, he wasn't in a hurry, not anymore. They had put plenty of distance between themselves and where they had found Deaglan's body. It still didn't erase the pain and guilt he felt but he didn't feel like he was suffocating anymore. With the scent of water on the air he felt it was a good time to quench the thirst he was sure they both had.


Upon seeing the stranger in the water his first priority was making sure Isa was safe. He didn't know the man or what his temperament was like and he would be damned if the pale wolf would kayba paw in her. He would not break his promise to protect her and keep her safe. He placed himself between her and the stranger as they approached the water. He questioned the man about it being too cold to stand in the water. It was as the pale wolf backed out of the water that he knew he wouldn't be a threat to either of them. “Please don't let us stop you from getting your drink we are here for the same,” he told before turning to his blue eyed treasure. Ruari put his muzzle under her chin to lift her head, “It's okay Isa. You should go get your drink,” he told her gently. He then turned back to the man, “Might you be able to tell us whereabouts we might be?”

Ruari didn't want her to think that they wouldn't stop if she needed to and he didn't want her to force herself to go forward if she couldn't. They weren't on a time schedule and as they traveled further from the place they had laid his brother to rest he didn't feel the weight of it so much. He still thought of Deaglan almost every moment but having Isa with him helped to give him something else to focus on. He had moments usually at night when he would think about his brother, he usually tried to remember the good times. There were few of them but he was glad to have at least some. Sometimes though his mind would wander to the bad times too.

Ruari observed the stranger for any signs of aggression that would mean he and Isa would have to move on. The shadow still wasn't in any shape to be getting into a fight unless it was necessary. He was glad that it wouldn't come down to that when he saw the man's tail tucked under him. That was the only reason he'd told Isa she should get her drink and before taking it she too assured the man that he had nothing to fear. Ruari stayed close to her while she drank even though he felt the stranger wasn't a threat to them. It made him feel better to know that he was close enough to protect her if need be.

When the pale man spoke about the different placed Ruari looked in the directions he indicated. “Have you met the wolves of the two packs you mentioned?” He didn't want to come across any packs that were hostile especially while he was still healing. “I think we will avoid the Misty forest, wouldn't want to get attacked as well. The lake and water falls sounds nice though,” he said his yellow gaze landing on Isa. Perhaps it could be a place for them to stay for a couple of days at least. While looking on the direction of mountains he thought about maybe checking that out, “Is it safe on the mountain?” Again his gaze fell in Isa wondering what she thought about traveling on the mountain.

“I know must thank you for all of the information you've given us. It certainly will help in making a decision about where to travel next.” That said Ruari dropped his head down to get his drink.