It wasn't he who had been missing for some time now, but his sister whom the black wolf pup had been looking for. At first Titan had thought that she might have gone to hang out with that stuck up Asriel fella from Willow Ridge. So the dark Thorben had traveled there to try to catch her scent near and around the allied packs borders. Nothing but Willow Ridge wolf scent pervaded his senses. So the boy traveled onward searching for his sister as worry clouded his thoughts. He hadn't seen her since he left her and Asriel out on the ice.

So instead of thinking I'm going to get into trouble again... the young male was thinking I can't let her disappear just like father...

His pawsteps brought the child farther north above the lands of willows until he reached an area where the trees looked much different. Like most trees at this time of year no leaves were present upon their branches, but the branches themselves were not drooped like the willows. If he had been there during mid to late spring the dark pup would have seen heart shaped leaves upon those branches.

Pausing to look at the trees Titan finally realized he had wandered much farther than he should have. However this time he wasn't scared about being alone or lost. For Titan was a little more wise about how he traveled. He knew most if not all of Southern Eden now. So he knew that retracing his steps back would take him quickly to a place Titan would recognize. Glancing back to look at his wide trail through the snow then looking up at the suns placement in the partially clouded sky Titan nodded to himself. He could get back fine. So instead he traveled further...

Not realizing that he was traveling over a frozen stream covered with close to three feet of snow, Titan plowed forward. His long legs and bulky body making it easy to push through the thick white. Luckily for him and most other wolves was that they could pad over at least a foot of that 3 feet of snow because that lower layer was hard. Wolves large paws made it so that their weight would be more evenly dispersed on the snow and acted like snowshoes.

Jerking to a stop Titan scented the air. At first he thought the female pup scent was Malia, but upon closer inspection he quickly realized that it was a pup from another pack. Narrowing his gaze and finally becoming nervous Titan tried to search for the girl who was also out and about. He hoped he hadn't come across another pack. Hi mother would not be pleased if he got into trouble with other wolves.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Titan barked not realizing the the other pup was cut out of his view by a mound of snow.

His blue gaze catches sight of a movement near a few good sized tree trunks. Moving his head sideways a bit to look more closely Titan watched as a head popped out of hiding from behind the largest tree. His eyes met with her beautiful green ones as Titan sighed. That's not a danger... Just a girl.

"Y-your a pup-up." Danica's words made the dark boys' head cock to one side curiously.

"Well I'm definitely not a girl like you now am I?" Noting her shyness immediately, Titan decided to give her a sheepish grin while his tail wagged in a friendly way. Then he glanced around at the landscape once more to make sure nothing else was going to make scary noises and frighten him again.

"I-I h-haven't met a pup who-ho wasn't a sib-sibling before." The girl pup spoke sotly as his eyes turned back to her while she leaned half out from behind the tree to look at him. Danica's shy words immediately had the boy relaxed while his tone took a gentleness Titan didn't think he had.

"I-I'm alone, so, um, just me here...well you too-o." Not even annoyed by her stuttering Titan stepped forward holding his nose out with a friendly smile.

"You can stop hiding, I'm not going to hurt you." Titan cocked his head once more while his dark banner waved happily behind him. Danica wasn't the first pup Titan had met that wasn't family. The dark Thorben had met the Archer siblings along with one of the Attaya children near the lands of his pack. In fact Titan was growing accustomed to meeting with the Archer royalty. As much as he dreaded meeting up with the princes. Their packs were too close for them not to meet during wandering adventures.

Finally the stranger girl pup stepped out from behind the tree fully giving Titan full view of her cream, gray, and white pelt. Not near as much red as compared to his sister Malia adorned this girl. His eyes narrowed appreciatively as the shy girl managed to gather her courage to stand up straight, like a princess, to address him.

"I am Danica Reiner, the princess of Secret-" She paused for a moment then corrected herself, "The ex-princess of Secret Woodlands."

That was a surprise to him. Secret Woodlands was a new place for the young Thorben. It must be a pack much farther away than Cut Rock River or Willow Ridge was from his own family. He remembered the name from somewhere but wasn't sure how he knew it. Not that Titan could remember way back when Ashanti had mentioned Secret Woodlands quite a long time ago. But why ex-princess? Titan sniffed her over noting that he could barely if at all smell any other wolf on her pelt.

"I'm the first born prince of Whisper Caverns pack. My name is Titan Thorben. " He gave her a respectful nod among equals even if Danica was an ex-princess.

"But...why may I ask, are you an ex-princess? Is your pack nearby? Or did you leave?" Titan was curious as he probed the girl for more information on this familiar sounding pack.

"No, my mother's cult is a bit ways from here...I left cause, well, um, I guess I just couldn't take it anymore. Loosing my brother, having my dad suddenly return after abandoning us, I just didn't like the drama. Being there only made it worse. I some what kept it to myself though...then just...decided to up and leave..." Titan listened as Danica gave her answer.

His heart lurched as the girl spoke about her father leaving and then returning. How the dark wolf wished his father would return. No one in his pack knew whether Sloane had intentionally left or if something had happened to the rusted male. Not like how his mother had gone missing after a mission she had warned some of her pack about. Worry and a tad bit of anger tugged at his chest while the Thorben thought of his father. If Titan ever found out his father had left intentionally he would flip out. I don't know what I would do if that was true...

Turning his gaze to the paw prints in the snow Titan held a sad look on his face.

"Our father went missing too, but he...never came back" His eyes looked upwards as Titan saw Danica backing away. "Please don't go... " Was all he could muscle out past his pointed muzzle. He rather liked having company after being alone for some time. Especially enjoyable company, for unlike his sister Danica seemed to have a soft sweet personality. He found it easy to get along with her.

"Umm.. by the way, have you seen a pup our age with amber eyes, tawny red fur and white legs? My sister Malia has ventured off someplace again without me. I was looking for her." He kept a curious look over his face while the dark boys eyes radiated a gentle warmth.

Glancing at their surroundings once more just to keep his eyes respectfully away from the girls green ones, Titan listened nodding and still worrying about his sister. Where are you Malia? He thought quietly turning his deep pool blue eyes to the ground where some winged insect crawled over the snow. Though he was feeling a bit relieved when Danica changed the topic. He didn't want to feel bad about making her feel bad while talking about something depressing about her life that he hadn't known about.

"My home is nice. We live in the northern end of a big meadow. In the spring the meadow is filled with flowers and tall grass that is easy to get lost in. Then the flowers go away in summer while the grass grows taller almost like a maze. Then in late summer the meadow turns golden yellow. It's fun to run through and chase the rabbits. " He answered while images of romping around the meadow sprang into his head.

"My pack mates...Well.. Most of them are all fine. My brother is annoying sometimes but he's a great guy. Mom is the best and nicest. Then Inali is great to play fight with. Tokino is an annoying old geezer, but I guess sometimes he makes sense." He stopped there not continuing the answer. It had suddenly dawned upon Titan how few of his pack mates that he actually liked. His mother, brother, and Inali. Tokino barely made that list. Whereas Ash, Minka, Simaea, and that new chick he still didn't even know the name of were all on a "tolerate them" list. He respected most of their decisions but didn't necessarily like them in any way.

"...but yeah you know what's the best about my pack?" He grinned while his tail wagged beating at the air. "We live in a huge den. It has these big stone things that lift up the roof. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly gotten lost looking through all the tall tunnels." Titan widened his smile obviously happy and proud of the place his family called home even if the family itself wasn't doing so well.