Pain had driven her from home and fear had kept her out. What else was she to do but run as far as her paws could take her when she had her best friend’s blood on her maw and the memory of her father’s death looming in her mind. She was certain her mother had followed soon after, a soft shudder down her spine as she found herself trekking through an unfamiliar forest, her paws weary from the constant travel that had befallen her. She’d been raised to stay close to home, the perfect Princessa… so what was she supposed to do now that her entire life had crumbled due to a single coup?

She wasn’t sure, but she had time to figure it out. It was the scent that first gave her direction. He was downwind of her, and she caught the thick laden scent amongst the trees, curiosity getting the better of her as she approached, copper eye looking for the owner of the scent, looking for information, any information she might be able to get… it would be all the more helpful. Perhaps she should have been more cautious. Perhaps it was a trap in order to silence the last Ravyne.

Either way, she seemed to be keen to find out. It was the barks she heard next, the calls out to anyone and everyone, and so she returned it. Hello. I’m out here. She posed, moving faster towards the call… and then she saw him. It was then that she encountered the towering man, orbs hesitant as she made her approach. “Are you the one who called out?” She asked, keeping a respectful distance as she settled in her paws, resting on her rump as her head tilted to the side. “I am newer to these lands… do you know much about them?”

She noticed the way the tension hummed in his body right away, confusion present on her features. He was the one who called out, and yet his approach was so unwelcoming. It felt like a paradox to her. Her words seemed to garner his attention at least, listening to his tart answer though she schooled her face and did not let her emotions show. She hid the shock as she had been trained to do as a diplomat. That was unfortunate. She had been hoping for some insight. “My name is Rhaegara.” She introduced softly, doing her best to remain as calm, respectful, and nonconfrontational as possible. She kept her seat. She relaxed her shoulders to eliminate what little tension had remained in her body and her tail slowly swayed from side to side across the snow in a lazy manner.

Still, he looked her over and there was a sense of dread down her spine. She felt as if she were on trial, and perhaps she should be, but not by some stranger in the middle of some random woods months travel from her home. It was all too much. The question came and her brow furrowed in confusion. “Them as in these woods, the areas surrounding the woods, if there are any wolves that live here, or packs nearby or if this place is as much of a ghost town as it seems.” She clarified quickly, wondering if perhaps she had misspoken before instead. Perhaps she had made a mistake seeking him out, though she could not fathom what she had done to cause such a reaction. Perhaps it wasn’t about her at all… hell, she didn’t know.

She had been desperate for some kind of social interaction that was decidedly not bad. She could handle a negative encounter, but she would prefer anything but. He seemed to entertain her presence, recognizing the mistake he had made in interpreting her words though she did not worry about it. He brushed it off and she just smiled, though it quickly faded to a frown. He also had not seen anyone? Never before had she gone so long without any contact with her species, and she was starting to wonder if this was some kind of afterlife… if she had actually died in the coup and had been left to wander this abandoned wilderness as a punishment for some kind of crime she didn’t even know she committed.

She chuckled softly at his words. “It is nice to meet you Adelard.” She greeted cheerfully before continuing. “I have a habit of mumbling… my mother and father used to scold me about it all the time… it was probably on me. I could have used more precise language.” She said those words if only to make the other wolf feel better. He seemed nice, even if their interaction had lasted all of five seconds. It was the truth though, she had been vague in her statement and just assumed he would know what she was talking about.

His stance relaxed and it brought a sense of relief around her. He admitted he didn’t know anything and she was frowning, looking around. “I’m surprised as well… perhaps these lands are untouched? Perhaps we are the first of our kind here?” She wondered as she looked around further. He was right of course, this would be a nice place to settle, but settling required wolves to settle with. “Or perhaps there’s some dark and sinister reason these lands remain unclaimed?” The possibilities were truly endless.

The path of least resistance was usually the way. She knew that… granted, there were certainly times where resistance was necessary, but being on her own meant she could not often afford to take such liberties. The last thing she needed was an injury that would prevent her from hunting… so if she thought something could help make a situation more amicable, then she would certainly use it. His voice sounded warmer when it spoke, allowing a soft smile to form on her maw in turn. She waited patiently for his answer, and she nodded along with it. It did seem a little out there. Surely if there were something dark and sinister, then it would still be there to chase them away.

The question came, and she tilted her head slightly to one side in curiosity. “It’s not nosy at all.” She insisted softly. “I regretfully am not. I feel in these winter months I should be… but it’s not the paw I was dealt when I was uprooted from my life.” She hadn’t had much of a say in heading out on her own, and as a result she’d had no one to accompany her. Her siblings, like her, had scattered like horsemen on the wind. “Are you?” She didn’t think she had smelled anyone else in the woods, and felt it was rather obvious given how he had previously stated he hadn’t heard or scented anyone in days… but she also figured he might exclude a travelling partner.