With the illusion of fresh meat filling her nostrils, Mahle found herself in an open field of hills. "There's no food here.. Dammit!" she scowled, cursing the senses that mislead her. She hadn't eaten much in the past few days so naturally she felt as if she was starving. "Luckily for me.. There's all this snow.. I may be cold and hungry, but at least I'm not dehydrated.. I can't die like this..." She was beginning to regret ever leaving her pack. Maybe just this once she misunderstood what the spirits had told her. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be out here at all. "I've got to figure something out soon, or it could be all over for me.." with each passing moment she became more frantic. The spirits didn't want her dead, she knew that much. They needed her almost as much  as she needed them. She was their balance, or so she thought. "No... I'm supposed to be here... but why?" with lowered hopes, she continued on.

"The amount of hills here sure aren't helping me preserve strength..." She found herself almost gasping for air with every hill she climbed. "I should rest soon... Preferably not here... It's to open, someone could see me.." though there really wasn't much else of an option out there, if she trudged on It'd only be a matter of time before she fainted from exhaustion, She wasn't a dumb wolf, she already knew the consequences. With a sigh, she plopped to the crisp white snow. "This really isn't good..."

Snow gave under her weight, crunching lightly with each step. She had no mission in mind, nothing to beckon her forward, but still she continued. onward. With spring surely on the rise, and the promise of young prey, Celandine spent too much time away from home. She planned on being the first to see the herds returning, for which she'd inevitably be praised. They would have plenty of time come summer to spend readying themselves for next winter. A constant cycle of what was to come. However, it seemed there was a cycle she had overlooked. Cubs. Cubs would be returning to relic-lore with the migrating herds, but her father couldn't really sire pups with Aesire, could he? He didn't love her, and she seemed to have that position in her life already filled. So blissfully, Cella thought herself to be the last Argyris.

Scanning the hilly horizon, a small noise echoed across the open expanse, followed by the undeniable scent of another. Sighing heavily, she redirected herself to head them off. It was her mission, after all, to gather a small army. She hadn't a purpose yet, but someday they might come in handy, and a princess could never be too careful. 

The female was not difficult to spot, her dark coat blatantly obvious against the snow. Her fur color might come in handy during the Summer months, but Celandine was made for Winter. A fact that led quite a few creatures to their doom this season. "Hello, are you alright?" Her honey-caked tone full of feigned concern.

She had just about dozed off before the voice shocked her back to reality, sending fear up and throughout her bones. "Female.. She sounds harmless but.." Mahle hadn't much contact with wolves outside of her previous pack, but she's heard stories of all the cruel things some of them could do. 'Fake it. You're going to have to pretend you're healthy for now okay?' She stood herself up towards the wolf, at first it was difficult to decipher what was her and what was snow. In all actuality if it weren't for the she-wolfs piercing yellow eyes, she might of found herself completely blind to the stranger. "Hey! Yeah, I'm alright. I've been traveling a lot recently so I just stopped for a quick rest.." Hopefully that would be enough, though if the wolf got any closer.. 'I bet I look pretty beaten up... Shit.'

She smiled at the stranger, patiently waiting for her to respond. Patiently waiting for her to leave so she could feel 'safe' again. 'I knew resting here would be a bad idea. Why did I let my body win the fight? Why didn't I just continue on like I was supposed to? Now I have to deal with whatever this brings. Ugh. I'll keep going when I'm done here. I don't have time to make stops like this anyways.. I need to get to... Wherever I'm going.. Where am I going?' and as if matters couldn't get any worse, her stomach let out a roar. She'd forgotten she was so hungry. 'Great.

Already having sized her up, Celandine felt at ease. The girl was more than a little worse for wear, looking as though she'd spent all of her energy just getting to that spot.  Her stomach wasn't as plump as Cella thought it should be, though she had it good living with a pack. Her belly was always full, and if it wasn't, than a cache was never too far away. Briefly, she wondered if the girl was running from something. It would certainly explain why she had quite literally seemed to drop in the most ridiculous of places. Perhaps there was danger nearby. Picking her muzzle up to scent the air, and scanning the area for good measure, she was a little disheartened to find them utterly alone. She lived for danger. 

Smiling, she noticed that the strange girl was a liar. A tool that might have been useful had she been good enough at it. There was a small possibility that she could be trained to harness such a skill, but Celandine had no time for it. "Out in the open?" Such a thing was practically unheard of. A lone wolf succumbing to sleep in such an open expanse, with the only cover coming from meager hills? Suppressing a snort, she wondered if the female truly was an idiot. 

She considered letting the growl of a stomach go unnoticed, but it was as good an opportunity as ever. A favor, for the possibility of a favor some day. "I'm sure I can find you something if you need it." There went that caring voice again.

The wolf was smarter than she had hoped and easily caught on to her simple lies. How could she of been so careless? "I-Yeah. I mean, I never intended on falling asleep. It just sort of happened, horrible mistake on my part. Like you said, I'm out in the open. Predators can easily spot me but.. Vice versa it's the same.  Although You don't seem dumb to me, I'm sure you can tell I'm in no condition to defend myself." If playing the 'I'm okay' role wouldn't work, she'd play the 'poor pathetic injured wolf'. If the girl had any sort of heart, she'd buy into it. "I'm not exactly in my right mind as of late.. Guess I screwed up there, huh?" she let out a light snicker, insinuating that her life being on the line was some sort of joke. 'It was a horrible mistake, what was I thinking exactly?

The stranger offered to find food, normally that would send up immediate red flags but Mahle knew she wouldn't be able to find any on her own. 'I'm in horrible shape... If I decline I could die so... What's the worst that could happen?' she felt so pathetic. What wolf wanders out into the wild without being able to handle herself? "That would be very kind of you." she nodded. "Although I'm a little embarrassed you had to hear my stomach growl like that, I do apologize." She made a mental note to never let it get this bad again.

Celandine did nothing to acknowledged the stranger's explanation, simply because it was not deserving of a response. The tawny woman admitted to her idiocy, and there was no point in denying it. That conversation would get them nowhere, so she left it at that. However, the slight joke at her fragile predicament did illicit a light smile from the pale princess. Finding humor, or at least feigning it in such a ragged state was a feat within itself.

As if on cue, the mouthwatering scent of fresh blood filled the air. Surprised to find that it couldn't have been more than an hour old, Cella set to work on finding the source. Instinct took over, as she allowed the enticing aroma to lead her onward. Pausing briefly to throw a quick, "Hold tight." over her shoulder, the pale youth disappeared over a small hill. It wasn't long before she found the deer, already ripped to shreds. The putrid taste of cat was on the breeze, a smell she knew to belong to a lynx.

Blowing caution to the wind, she approached the kill without fear. Although there had been a predator there earlier, her senses told her it was long gone. Enough of the carcass remained, for at least one good meal, and so she set to work pulling it back. Finding purchase in the snow was not all too difficult, and without the full weight of the animal clinging to the bones, she only lost her grip on it once. Ascending the hill was the hardest part, and even that seemed easy.

Unfortunately, the kill was very fresh, with still-sticky blood clinging easily to her white fur. She was certainly a sight. Clearly one to listen, the tawny fae was still there upon Celandine's return. 'Good' she thought. The plan was in motion. "Sorry, it seemed someone else got to it before I could."

Ironically the sweet fragrance of blood taunted Mahle's nostrils as if signaled by the talk of her starvation, she would have thought her mind was playing tricks on her if it weren't for the reaction of her company. The smell was enough to make any hungry wolf go mad, but it was in her nature to stay as calm and reserved as possible. She wanted nothing more but to dash towards the collation. Ease some of her worry with a full belly, but how would that look to the other wolf? She had to stay in control.. Her body probably wouldn't cooperate with actions like that anyway. "It's best to let her do the dirty work right now." she argued.

She watched the stranger disappear and wondered if she'd truly return with food. Why was she helping her anyways? They were completely foreign to each other, the girl didn't owe her anything. So why? Mahle couldn't help but think this whole thing could be a trap, what other logical reasoning behind all this was there? "If I truly were smart as smart as I say, I'd leave now..." she sighed. She knew she wasn't going anywhere.

Moments later the wolf re-appeared with what seemed to be the remains of a deer. She apologized that it wasn't completely her own hunt but honestly Mahle couldn't of cared less. Food was food at this point. "Thank you very much, but can I really eat this?" She paused for a moment before continuing on, it was time to seek out a little truth. "I'm having a hard time understanding why you're being so kind to me, forgive me." What could the wolf possibly want in exchange for the meal?

A plush white tail skimmed the ground, disturbing the snow, and sending a cluster of snowflakes into the air. All the work of killing the beast had been done by another, while she received credit for feeding the poor loner. A sickly sweet smile planted itself on her lips, looking so sincere it could have rivaled the sun. "You're welcome." Though, she might have been more so, had she clearly possessed some useful skill. However, Cella was sure she could find some use for her in time.

Offering up a light nod of consent, Celandine nudged the carcass, motioning the stranger to eat. "I couldn't watch you starve." She found herself unsure whether that statement held any truth. The youth didn't believe that she had it in her, but there was a small thought, somewhere deep inside her consciousness that might have said otherwise. Shutting it down quickly, she returned her attention to the fae.

"I have forgotten my manners," The Argyris girl could never forget herself. Social ques, and courtesies were hardwired into her brain. This was no exception either. She had chosen against divulging that information so quickly. The tawny stranger looked worn out; Half-starved to death. Fancy titles meant little to a wolf in such distress, but with a full belly, and hope on the horizon, she was much more apt to illicit a better response. "I am Celandine Argyris, Heiress to Silent Moon Plateau, and you are? A touch curious, the girl awaited an answer, eyes intent on catching any lies the woman might pass.

As the girl nudged the carcass toward her she finally came to terms with her choices. On a normal occasion there would be no way in hell she'd eat food from a stranger. Though in reality, if she didn't eat this food she'd probably die anyway, so there really was no point for her not to. She tried to eat as fast as she could while still maintaining a bit of grace, she didn't want to come off as a complete monster. "I'm already beginning to feel a bit better. Maybe meeting this girl was what the spirits wanted from the start." As she finished her meal, she made sure to thank the girl with a smile.

"Celandine... Oh! She's a heiress! No wonder she's so polite! She must hold that title proud to even think of mentioning it though.." Mahle was a heiress before she left her pack, everyone held such high hopes for her. It was a bit annoying over all, not really something she took all too seriously. "But I guess I can see where she's coming from if that's the case..." She pondered for a moment, wondering if giving out this sort of information was really such a good idea, but then again what was the point of lying about it? "I'm Mahle Psyxḗ, former heiress of White Willow Col, nice to meet you Celandine." She bowed in respect to the princess, waiting to see what she'd say next.