Kite had told Mirren she would return soon. She desired to take him with her, but Kite was trying her hand at being thoughtful. She had willingly taken up most of his time the days they had traveled to the Woodlands... Perhaps he had something to attend to. Kite had told him she would not be far, staying within the area. I want to prove my worth quickly, learn the lands you know and gain some knowledge... That was what she had told him. Although Kite had every desire in the world to be beside him at every instant, she did not want any leader to think she would ever take someone out from under them. Even if that was not the case, Kite thought it prudent to be careful.

Kite had not been gone too long. She had traversed through the Fields and cut through the Orchard to get here. All the while, Kite's eye had been to the sky. She observed the pattern of the crow she had followed here, wondering if he would take her to food. Her nose was to the earth, but when her head lifted, she noted the dark figure overhead was gone, flying the opposite way. I should follow. She knew that she should, and yet... she swore she could smell something. Food. Something to take home. Her nose also warned her that bad weather was near... but she had suffered through plenty of storms in her life to feel no anxious stirrings in her gut. Kite was certain she could scout out shelter... and her eyes then take in a tall knoll with a tree crookedly, eerily hanging from its side. Its roots were plenty deep that it could stand in such a way, but one in particular offered safety from the outside elements. It jutted upward, and hung in a protective arch. Kite knew she could weasel into that spot... and so felt better as she walked forward.

But the storm was approaching quicker than she thought. Ominous clouds made Ghastly Woods even more foreboding than it had been upon her entering it. She could not smell snow... only rain. But the clouds and the way the wind nipped at her seemed to promise it. Kite was unsettled by the strangeness of the weather she had not experienced. The maslin of scents had Kite narrowing her eyes in a moment of brief confusion.

And then she turns, heading toward the tree. Kite was not vapid, and knew when moments called for bravery and when they called for survival skills. The storm was too close and approaching too rapidly for her to decide to do anything else. It was a mile away, but her long legs carried her, the promise of her arrival before the storm seemingly guaranteed.

There was a storm approaching, and quickly, and it so happened that he had gotten bored, and felt the need for adventuring, so he was padding through the Ghastly Woods when the storm hit. Not that he minded of course, no, he loves storms. They reminded him of himself, the lightning the physical anger, the thunder his voice, commanding out to others, and the pelting rain, his wrath falling upon those that deserved it. In fact, he was closer to nature than most wolves, as it was the closest thing he had to himself that wasn’t a wolf who held the power and strength to control it, unlike most wolves in the world that he met.

Just as the rain began to plummet to the ground, hitting it like a hammer on a forge, the Young Hellion caught the scent of another wolf. His ears pricked, and his paws swiftly carried his large bulk to the source, before the scent got washed away in the rain. He’d rather be stuck with another wolf for warmth, and possibly company, rather than be by himself. It did get lonely at times, but one got used to after a while, and learned to ignore the loneliness.

Anouke suddenly came upon a dark shape that belonged to a wolf it almost frightened him. Shaking his head, he lengthened his stride so he was just a few paces behind the wolf, which was a few inches smaller than him, and sported a tawny coat. A smirk making its way onto his face, lifting up the corners of his lips, he sped up so that they were next to each other, but made sure there was about a wolf length between them in case the wolf struck out at him, seeing as the rain partly clouded his vision, and mostly likely the other wolf’s too.

“You enjoy spending your time in a storm?”

Too late. Damn. The rain had begun to fall, and Kite grunted due to her displeasure. Her eyes narrowed to block out the rain, and then... downpour. Torrential downpour. The water assailed her senses... and the disgruntled yearling slowed her pace only slightly to be able to make out familiar sights. Unfortunately nothing was too familiar... but, ah! That fallen tree! It wasn't too terribly far off now, then! Her spirits lifted... but barely.

The sound of a voice registered to her after it sounded, and Kite whips her head in the direction of the far-darker than she Anouke. She is unable to withhold the WOAH, from being expressed, her surprise evident. She laughs at her nerves, frayed at their ends due to the current storm, and shakes off her moment.

Sorry, she begins, not at all abashed by her surprise. Really, was she supposed to be expecting someone to swoop in during a storm for casual conversation. Ah, hm, I don't hate it or love it, she shrugs mid-stride, and continues, But I avoid lightning if I can. I'm heading to shelter now, her normal social anxieties were all but there thanks to the storm dominating her mind. I'm certain there's room for two, if you don't have an affinity for truly looking charred, she invites, not wanting him to be reduced to a burnt crisp if she could help it.

The slight rain had turned into a torrential downpour in just minutes, and already his coat was drenched and heavy with rain. Shaking his head to clear the water from his eyes – even though it wouldn’t be of any use until he was sheltered from the storm – Anouke stared at the tawny female padding a wolf length away, a smirk on his face at her surprised expression of him simply appearing near her, without seeming to come from anywhere. That was the problem with all the wolves in the Lore, they were too lots in their minds or helping others to look out for themselves against possible predators, just like him. But he wouldn’t hurt the unintentionally, no, they had to deserve it first. He wasn’t cruel, he was fair and just, but they didn’t understand the way his mind worked, nor the others like him that held the power, and knew how to use it to their full advantage.

A displeased look crossed Anouke’s face at her apology, she did not need to apologize, nor did he take any apologies from anyone, they meant nothing to him, but apparently it did to the tawny female. Dark ears pricking as the answered his query, he nodded thoughtfully, it wasn’t a bad answer, but neither was it particularly good. Never should one answer a question if they were unsure of what was to be said, rather say nothing at all than displease the wolf.

Her next answer, partly to his question, was interesting to say the least, but it wasn’t what he was looking for, chit chat was a waste of precious words, and it was what he had to do to get into their minds and see if they could be useful to both him and the dark she-wolf. “I would be happily pleased for you to guide me to this shelter, miss.” Oh, he was ever the devil wolf, using his wits and charm to beguile wolves to do what he wanted. It was a gift he had been given, and would use it to his advantage.

Kite had no idea that she was being judged so aggressively. Of course, with every meeting came judgment. But Kite was of the mind that if someone did not want to know something, they simply wouldn't ask it from a stranger. Who knew how they would respond? It was why Kite did not approach them if she could help it... but lately, she had found others approaching her. Thus far it wasn't bad. She had met Mirren (ah, Mirren...), Pakuna, Bane... and she liked each of them. They were nice strangers. Of course, she had her share of aggressive strangers who chased her off swiftly away from them when they thought she was too close. Kite wasn't the sort to do that unless threatened, and the dark male did not seem aggressive so far. His question was one she deemed innocent.

That didn't mean she thought of him that way (innocent). Kite had no real thoughts on his person at all. She thought of shelter, and shelter alone. He was polite it seemed, and Kite decided she was glad to help him. Kite did not stop in her trek until the distance was devoured, and moved in silence. Concentration was important.

And by some means of magic, she found the place. Here, she presented as thunder crashed around them, and Kite weaseled her way in while making room for him. There was room for two more, the spot so large... and Kite thought of Mirren, and how she wished that she was here to cozy up with him. She stepped aside to shake out her furs and then moved toward the mouth of the tree opening, blinking the rain out of her eyes and letting the warmth sink in.

The tawny female did not reply to his innocent comment, but instead stayed silent and continued to pad in the direction of the shelter, whatever it was. Anouke did not mind being out in the rain, but he suspected the female did, and so he silently padded next to her, not saying a word or making a sound. But every now and then he glanced at her to see what she was doing. His dark ears were constantly rotating around for any dangers that could be nearby, he was forever careful in the world. It was not a goal of his to be attacked or eaten by a predator, and hopefully the other wolves were the same, but they didn’t constantly look around for dangers like he did. That would be their downfall someday, but as for him, he would survive and thrive onwards.

After what seemed like a few minutes, but could have been sure, as he was not focusing on how long it took, but what route they took, his ears pricked as she presented the shelter. There was a knoll with a tree crookedly and eerily hanging from its side. Its roots were very deep in the ground so it could stand that way, but there was one in particular that could offer safety against the elements searching to make someone’s day or night as miserable as possible. The root jutted upwards, and hung in a protective arch, perfect for a few wolves to hide in.

Thundered crashed around them as the tawny female wriggled her way into the protective arch, also making room for him. Giving a quick shake of his shaggy, dark fur, Anouke hid from the rain too, but sat as far away from the female as possible, while still feeling comfortable. He’d rather not intimidate her and have the encounter abruptly end before it even began. Staring at the female with bright amber eyes, the Young Hellion spoke delicately, making his voice seem friendly. “What brought you out here in the woods during a storm?”

The other was respectable in keeping his distance, and she appreciated it. Kite shifted to nibble at an itch on her foreleg, and when he spoke she stopped. Kite reclined onto her haunches, now sitting. Kite wasn't one to attempt to figure others out, as she had had no reasons to. Kite believed that this man was friendly, if not curious. I was scouting, she informs, I was in the area already when the storm hit. Kite shrugs innocently. The storm was a freak one in that Kite was typically able to know of storms long before they came... and then, how hard and how fast the rain was falling already. Being uphill, she was not too worried yet.

Kite's eyes had yet to leave him, and her own head tilted. You? What had he been doing out in this weather? Then again, if she hadn't been able to foretell the bad weather, could he have known? But perhaps he enjoyed walking through storms. It was dangerous, but some enjoyed it. She had never met any that had but her mother once had.

She idly thought of how many sort of wolves there were. She had met many aggressive ones that had chased her off (unwelcome to the thought of new wolves), and now... kind ones. But no storm walkers or... well, she couldn't think of anything new at the top of her head. Kite would know the new ones when she came across them. In time, she was sure to... and she could not wait. Presently, she was content in this mans presence.

Watching the tawny female intently as she reclined to her haunches, now in a sitting position, just as he was, before replying to his seemingly innocent question. But what he was really doing was attempting to get inside her mind and find out how it worked, and also what set them off. That was always the fun part of encountering a new, unsusceptible wolf, but the downside was listening to their annoying chatter about life and how much they loved it. It sickened him, but he dealt it with it, after all, the quote ‘no pain no gain’ wasn’t said for nothing.

Darkly furred ears twitching at her reply, he gave a slight nod, his mind working to decipher the message in the words. What had she been scouting for? Food? A pack? Other wolves? There were so many possibilities that the Young Hellion discarded the piece of information from his mind, it was too ineffective to use to its full advantage. But the second part of the sentence was too simple for anything to be hidden between the lines, and so he couldn’t use that either.

The corners of his lips twitching up slightly in the beginnings of a smirk at her question of what he was doing out in the Ghastly Woods during the freak storm. With a canted head, Anouke spoke. “I was out exploring when the storm hit too suddenly for me to return home.” Not that he thought of Secret Woodlands as a home, no. Never in his life had there been place that was a home to him, nor would there ever be. Home was with wolves like him that had the power and knew how to use it. That was home.