As much as Swift River was beginning to feel like home as he and his siblings settled in, Ruiko actually found comfort in the light trickle of water that swept past in Heartleaf Creek. He had risen earlier in the morning, leaving the solitude of his lone den to trail along the outskirts of the border, marking the territory where the pack scent had begun to fade. Initially, he had hoped to meet Indru along the way, but he believed the tawny leader was probably still in the den he now shared with the pups, keeping sure they at least stayed home while the sun was down. Borlla was becoming problematic – her travels were becoming outrageous and dangerous, and the brown wolf was quietly on the lookout for her as well.


Yet it was not the soft pale fur of his sister that he found by the creek edge. Just as his creamy paws slid to the waters edge, the large male paused his muzzle part way to the refreshing liquid, his burning golden eyes falling upon an unfamiliar she-wolf. One silky white paw was draped leisurely in the water, while she seemed quite calm about her current surroundings. Realizing she probably had not noticed his presence yet, Ruiko did not falter in his original mission; the hefty wolf bowed his muzzle down, his tongue lapping at the water as he quenched his thirst.

So great was his thirst that the moment the cool water ran down his throat he could feel the relief of the burn. Tactfully, however, he only drank for a single moment before lifting his large muzzle back up, his gleaming bright eyes turning back once more to fall upon the girl not far off. Droplets of water formed upon the creamy tuft of his chin, and Ruiko gave the stranger a blink as her accented greeting flowed to him. He had never heard anything quite like it, and the words were unfamiliar to him.


She was a delicate creature – the feminine curves cloaked in ivory, it would seem any man would find her extremely attractive. Luckily for Ruiko, he wasn’t like other males, and instead remained more curious about her origin. “Hello,” he drawled, his deep tones rough. With a flick of his tail, the hefty giant assumed there was little point in beating around the bush. “Where are you from?”

Ruiko withheld the light frown that threatened to darken his brow at her response – he couldn't tell what part of Canada she had come from, though he could only assume it was the reason it explained her accent and foreign words. “I’ve lived here all my life,” he offered in return, his dark tail giving a brief flick before he gave a nod to her once more. “If you don’t mind me asking, where from Canada?”


He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting from the lithe ivory girl and to the waters that brushed gently against the jut of the land. His ear gave a gentle flick against a small fly, and without another sound the large tawny wolf settled himself down to his haunches, surprised at how much interest he was beginning to take in the lives of lone wolves lately.

Her words were not something he would choose himself – delightful, specifically. Yet, her intrigue to his knowledge of the lands was slightly endearing, and the large male only lifted his shoulders in a shrug in return. “The surrounding areas, yes,” he agreed quietly, his eyes drifting back to the waters. “I’ve only explored a bit of the lands outside of close vicinity to our pack lands.” There was a small pause before his eyes drifted back to the ivory she-wolf. She was a seemingly delicate creature; petite in stature, with the palest pelt he had ever witnessed. Her eyes were ice-like as well, and she reminded him of the north. “What of you, miss? Have you done much exploring?”


Both of his ears flickered forward in mild interest to her story. His creamy muzzle canted slightly, a light frown of curiosity marring his tawny features as she delved in to a tale he had never quite heard before. She was from a wolf rehabilitation facility. This, of course, only stirred his intrigue more and the male’s wolfish brows lifted. “Well that’s certainly a history right there,” he mused, a small lopsided grin tweaking at his tainted lips. “What was it like, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Her words did not intrigue him in the sense that she had explored the lands quite thoroughly hence far, they stirred his curiosity because of her initial words: there wasn’t much to explore where she came from. The stoical wolf regarded her quietly as he believed she would likely explain the situation more to him; after all, he had made the inquiry to her homeland. If she didn’t want to talk about it, he would simply lead the conversation elsewhere.


And just as he suspected, the girl continued her tale. Generally, the large male was not interested in learning anything about a complete stranger.. but her circumstances had been so different from his own, that he was surprisingly pleased he had bothered to return her greeting. A light frown pulled at his features as she continued, and at the mention of humans, he only gave a brisk shake of his muzzle. He had never seen a human, though he had heard of them. Of course, he hadn’t heard anything good, and the idea that she had been with them.. and now here, well.. he was almost speechless. “You survived the humans?”