The cold nipped harshly at his fur, sending a soft shiver down his spine involuntarily as he trudged through the thick snow that layered the mountain pass. Hazel eyes narrowed as he fought against the brunt of the storm to keep his bearings. He had caught sight of the north star shortly before the weather had settled in and followed it faithfully, not letting any amount of pain deter him from his goal. He paused for only a moment as a harsh gust delayed his progress and he grumbled lightly to himself. As much as he would have liked to believe otherwise, making progress in this weather was futile.

He looked around, not that looking did much good for him in this weather. His ears preened and in the distances he could hear the whistling associated with wind flowing through an otherwise sheltered surface. Quickly, his paws were finding new direction, another involuntary shudder running down his spine. He was fortunate, truly, for such a hollowed out haven to be found in a place like this. He knew that, but still he couldn’t help but selfishly wish for better weather so he could continue on his quest. He didn’t have time for these kinds of delays.

They were tedious, and got on his nerves, much like the object of his quest, though in that he had no choice he supposed. It was what he had unfortunately brought upon himself in that regard. The reprieve from the biting wind helped as he found himself shaking out his pelt, trying to shake free as many of the soft white flakes that had stuck to him as he could. The haven was a decent size, warmer than the temperatures outside though not by much. It was enough shelter for him to move quietly towards the back of the den, curling up around himself as his eyes stayed keenly on the opening, the rest of him trying to conserve as much heat as possible as his stomach grumbled in an irritating manner.

Food, he had found, was quite inconvenient and only delayed him, and the fact that it was a necessity of life was quite annoying… he could worry about that after the weather. If it was too treacherous to continue his quest, then it was also too treacherous to hunt.

How irritating.

His peace and relief did not last long. The shelter from the cold always seemed to come at a price, and this time it was at the squeaky voice at the mouth of his newfound resting place. Any feminine voice to him was simply grating and squeaky… well, most voices. There was one exception, but then again there was always an exception to every rule. The question fell and for a moment, the steely warrior contemplated how to answer. He knew where the conversation was leading. Whether or not he minded company? He did. Whether or not she could stay just for a night? She could not.

His nose twitched out of a lack of amusement, hazel eyes staring at her shadowy form at the mouth before he answered with one simple word. “No.” His voice rumbled, echoing around the cave as the snow outside acted to muffle and reflect it back. He was not doing this. Surely there would be more shelter nearby; it was a mountain. Every mountain he had ever known had plenty of cave systems for wolves to hide in to shelter from the inclement weather.

But what if she knew her? The question caused a temporary consideration, a hum and a light growl at himself as he waged war over what he was going to decide. They were of the same age, so it was possible that she did know of the woman he was searching for. Finally, he sighed softly. “Come in.” The reluctance in his voice was evident, but he rested his head on his paws without further consideration of the topic. It was best she take his offer before he changed his mind.

The Morhen man did not offer an introduction. In his mind, it was not necessary for passing strangers to exchange pleasantries. There were far more important things to do… they could simply shelter together and move on their separate ways. His tail wrapped tight to his body and his ears pressed against his skull to show his discontent with the situation. He had already made the offer and could not rescind it. His conscious and ethics would not allow him that… but he would make it clear they were not friends… merely acquaintances at most and that was only if she could help him fight that which he desperately sought, otherwise she was useless to him.