"Speech,"

"Yes," replied Deneb flatly into the wind; the explanation the other wolf had offered up answered his own question as well as any, and it was not untrue. Methodically he sized up the other male - he did not look to be in top form, exactly, but neither did he appear to be in as poor a condition as Deneb, though it pained the man to admit it to himself. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, he mused to himself. Or perhaps he had never been so mighty after all....

"I am Deneb. I've been traveling these lands alone...." He offered a little more of the truth, though not all. "Do you live around here?"

For a moment the two wolves studied each other. "My pleasure, Caniri," droned the champagne man, his voice raised to a volume that could be heard over the raging wind. "Though, as you say, the timing could have been better." The air seemed to be hungrily pulling the heat from his frame, and he fought to keep his teeth from chattering.

"I WAS trying to hunt, until this squall began..." For a moment his golden orbs left the other male, scanning over the trees and snowdrifts that were now obscured in the storm's wrath. "I don't mean to impose, but do you know of anywhere nearby where we might seek shelter?" This freak of a storm did not seem to be growing any weaker, for the moment. If Caniri could be of no help, Deneb supposed he would have to curl up under a tree and let the snow bury him for warmth.

Turning his gaze and thoughts to the alabaster lad, he studied him. "This should serve well enough," he mused, glad to be out of the wind and elements, whatever these accommodations might bring to mind. His brain began to run through the other things the youth had said... "There's a pack near by?" He questioned vaguely, but with interest in his voice. So far he had only run into other loners, or worse, including a wolf he suspected had been driven mad by the winter. "I've been searching for one of my kin, but this winter does not seem to want me to find him," he remarked, tipping his ears toward the other wolf and sitting upon his haunches, curling his tail over his toes and hunching over for warmth.

And so he listened. Phineas. He filed that name away; presumably the leader or someone else of high stature. "Actually that's quite helpful," he intoned, then listened as the lad went on. Up until now Deneb had only encountered other loners and vagabonds who could hardly tell him anything at all. Deneb continued to melt the snow and lap at it, trying to keep his hydration up. All the rivers and streams seemed to be frozen anyway, and he had found that simply eating snow could make one colder. By melting it and drinking this way made his tongue cold, but it was far better than having ice sliding down into his gut. Quenching his thirst, Deneb thought a few moments before responding to Caniri.

"I have tracked him to this general region, but I do not know if he has moved on or settled in, or even still lives... " he gave a sad frown, although really it would be more of a disappointment than a true sadness if Albireo had died before he could find him. Deneb wanted to find his brother because he wanted to find the truth... and perhaps kill him himself, depending upon the nature of that truth. "I wish to finish searching this area before I move on, once this storm has spent itself out. But if you tell me where your pack's territory lies, and maybe the name, then perhaps I shall journey there next." he said, listening to the way the wind howled outside. In all likelihood the storm would make his brother's trail even harder to find, but Deneb wanted to do a bit of sniffing around on his own before going to talk to a figure of authority. The scents at borders could tell you a lot - and if he found a sign of his brother, he certainly wasn't going to waste time talking to other strangers first. You probably don't want to be there anyway, kid, he thought dryly, reflecting upon Caniri's kindhearted offer to help them reconnect.