All at once the poor male's demeanor seemed to change. It was a development the woman had hardly been expecting – she'd hardly expected for him to take her so seriously, though she was grateful for it. Rae truly meant what she had said. Her face warped with concern as the deflated words spilled from his lips. Urien was not the intrepid argonaut he had first appeared to be. As soon as the man's depressed rumbling ceased he was falling; slumping down against the earth and revealing more about himself than she ever could have asked for. The empathy burned in her veins, and the woman would have cried out any number of comforting words had he not chosen to continue; it was plain on her masked face. Onward his tongue flickered; fully exposing the male's plight. Just like her, he was. Just like that winter...

When it seemed he was finished speaking, the woman's whole body had practically leaned in with attention. New light found her previously muted eyes. If anything could wake her up, give her purpose; it was providing for another. The words were all too ready to slip out. “But this pack- they would take you. They took me when I was weak and thin – and in the dead of winter while their children had been lost in a storm. I was nothing more than a burden then; anyone could see that. But they did it anyway. Weak as I was I promised to help them look, and that was all they needed from me.” Her tumbling words came to a halt; eyes searching his patterned face for understanding. “If you help them they will help you. Promise that and they won't turn you away, I swear.” It was a solemn vow; and despite her earlier apprehension she held his gaze. This was serious. Her neck craned down and forward; as if she was trying to convince a child. Raela just couldn't leave him out here alone – couldn't leave herself out here alone. 

At first, the only evidence that the loner had heard and truly understood her words was a mere tilt of the head. But, as she went on, it evolved into a look of shock. He spoke; a never-ending waterfall of peculiar words and hard to reach meaning. Just as expected. Unexpected, was his slow retreat. Urien turned from her, choosing instead to stare thoughtfully into the ground. All the while she remained seated; searching for some indication toward his choice. The quiet murmur of the loner's voice, followed by a mournful whine, had the pack wolf's ears falling with concern. He probably hadn't been offered a home at all since leaving wherever he was from. More strange phrases left the man's mouth as another tundra breeze slid between them. 

When it seemed he was leaning against it, a simple wag of the agouti wolf's tail told otherwise. Her expression lifted, eyes coming to meet him as he turned. Raela's brows seemed to crease as she deciphered his last utterance. With an unsure tone, the subordinate answered. “Sacrifice?” Wierdo. “I hardly think we're condemned, but an offering would definitely put you in better standing with the Alphas.” A smile dared return to her face at the thought. Condemned? That's funny. What isn't funny about him though? Then another idea crossed the woman's mind, and she also rose to her feet. “If you'd like to go get your “sacrifice,” I'll go back to the pack and tell them you'll be coming.” A chuckle slipped through her grin at the word. What a strange encounter this had been.