Larkcall Lowlands the road laid out before me

"Uh huh."

Askan still didn't really understand what a dog, human or Chihuahua was, nor did he ever think he would. They were just strange words, for all he knew she'd made them up just to mess with him. He wouldn't put it past her, she seemed to be quite mischievous. There was that one time he saw a very loud, strange looking bird in the sky, but other than that he'd never seen anything he couldn't put a name to. If she was telling the truth then Cas surely had led a very interesting life so far, he was almost envious. Almost. He was certain that a life like that had to be tough and full of strife. And seeing how Askan had dealt with his rather minor problems- they weren't minor to him- well, perhaps it was for the best.

"Oh... I see."Askan had a hard time keeping the disappointment out of his voice. It was stupid of him really, what were the chances?

But then she went onto explain that she hadn't actually been around a lot of wolves. What sort of past did she have then? He had a feeling that saying it was unconventional was putting it lightly. Almost suspiciously so.

Moving on, the Yukon wolf listened as she introduced herself. He didn't recognise her name, but that wasn't surprising as she wasn't from his homeland. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. It wasn't anything to get upset about, especially not in front of her, or anyone for that matter. Things like that were best left alone, shoved to the back of his mind where he could ignore it for as long as he could. Askan cleared his throat as he watched her settle down onto the floor. Her movements were stiff, almost pained but she was making an effort to conceal it. Was she hurt? Askan didn't see any physical wounds on her and she wasn't all that skinny. So what was it then?

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, in his usual gruff tone.

Cas realized that most of her words probably weren't going to make any sense at all to the poor man, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure how to explain herself; she wasn't sure if she could at all. She'd lived a life that most wild wolves would, fortunately, never experience in their own lifetimes. That was an oddly comforting thought; that wolves like Askan wouldn't be penned up and kept in tiny cages, never having the opportunity or freedom to run like they needed to. They'd never understand the needles and bloodwork that Cas had had done in the past; never understand that humans were, indeed, stronger and smarter than wolves, with odd contraptions and strange things that they put into a wolf's blood to put them into a sleep so deep that they couldn't wake up until the humans allowed them to. Yes, she decided. It was a very good thing that the wild wolves wouldn't know any of that. The dark-furred wolf seemed disappointed when she said she'd never heard of his family, and though Cas understood that some wolves took great pride in their last names, she'd never been able to understand why. Still, hurt pride was a terrible thing, and she offered him her best attempt at cheering him up. She tapped her nose to his muzzle once more in apology and smiled. "Maybe you can tell me about these Selwyn wolves, then?" she offered, tail wagging back and forth with a sense of pride in the amount of tact she'd used for formulating that sentence. Tact wasn't one of her strong suits. It stilled when he asked what was wrong with her. Blue eyes shot back up to his yellows and she pinned her ears back against her head, slightly ashamed that she hadn't done better to hide it than she had. "That obvious, huh?" she asked, switching back into fake-cheer mode. "I'm just tired. I've done a lot of walking lately." Well, that pretty much explained nothing. And, she decided, Askan likely wasn't one of those wolves who'd freak out over something like this. So... why not share a bit? Wasn't like she had anything to lose but her pride. "To be honest, I've been a little sick lately. Not contagious - don't worry," she was quick to add, in case he thought her as germy or a danger. She put on a smile for the last bit. "I just need a little rest, and I'll be okay." Or... not so okay, but he really didn't need to know that part.

Ohhh her icon thingy looks so pretty <3

It was obvious to Askan and for a moment he had feared that it was contagious. But according to Cas, his fears were unfounded, he was safe from whatever disease or sickness she carried in her blood. He almost felt bad for regarding her in such a clinical fashion, but she didn't seem all that bothered by it, so surely it couldn't be that bad. It meant that he had nothing to apologise for, not that he wanted to or anything like that. If she was sick though, would anyone want to take her in? Sure, she said it wasn't contagious but did that mean she would get better in time, or would she get progressively worse?

If the latter was the case than surely she'd become a burden and in times like this, when it was so cold and prey was scarce could anyone truly afford to be a carer for someone they barely even knew? Not to sound cruel, but if it were up to him he wouldn't allow her into his pack- if he had one. As tactless as he could be, even Askan knew better to say that aloud. That meant that he didn't know what to say though, what was he supposed to do in this sort of situation? He had no idea.

The seconds dragged on and Askan was still unsure. It seemed like a waste of time to him, so instead he went about responding to her first question. A topic he was more willing to approach.

"We're an old clan to the north, in Yukon. We go back at least eight generations. Greatest pack in all of Yukon. Proud and dignified. My granddad let it slip though, got greedy, was weak. Neighbouring packs took advantage of that, started taking our land, hunting our prey and you know what he did about it? Shit all. The Selwyns were dying, starving, or just outright leaving and he didn't do a thing. So my dad got tired of him, and his brothers, cast him out. Took his name from him and started to retake what they'd lost. Took years but he did it, now the Selwyn name means something. It matters." He finished, his head held high and fiery passion burning in his eyes.

I know! I love it <3 Becca did so great with it!

The little wolf listened to the dark man with rapt attention, because this was the very first time she had ever had a story about a family of wolves. Her mother and father, and their parents, and their parents had been bred by humans, with no history to speak of. So, the idea that there were whole families with history and reputations was completely interesting. Cas was more than content to sit at Askan's feet and listen to his tale as though she were a puppy, her tail thumping the ground as he spoke. Her father had never been able to tell her stories like this, because his only memories were of cages, veterinarian's offices, kennels, and the inside of cars and airplanes as he was taken from Alaska to Canada. Nothing about pride and fighting and "the greatest pack in all of Yukon." It was enchanting to the young girl, and she found that she was getting a bit angry at the grandfather in the story by the end of it. "Your grandfather was an idiot. Who could let their own family starve like that?" she questioned, her eyes alight with anger that was drawn out by the passion in which Askan had described the story. "Your father was right to take his name from him. Anyone who could do something like that should never, ever be allowed to lead a pack. If you can't be trusted to even feed your own packmates." She snorted at the end of her statement to punctuate it with irritation. The young wolf shifted a bit where she sat, and glanced at her own paws. She had admitted to a wolf as prideful as Askan that she was ill. She was grateful that he hadn't said anything, but she felt it necessary to prove herself, in some way. So, she got to her paws and met his gaze levelly, her own eyes alight with pride and determination. "I'll make my name matter, too. I don't want to die without anyone remembering me," she stated firmly, her tail raising like a banner. "My last name has never mattered to anyone - or my first name, actually, come to think about it - but I am not weak. I'm not useless, even if I feel sick," she stated with a grin. "I want to be as proud of my name as you are of yours."

Askan had to agree with Castel there. He'd never met his Grandfather, but from the way things sounded he felt as though he wasn't missing out on much. The man had been a failure, in every sense of the word. So whilst Askan usually wouldn't have taken kindly to someone insulting a member of his family, this time he did not. He agreed with her. He wasn't even a Selwyn anymore anyway, for all the good it did they were insulting a nameless stranger. One who was likely dead by now, and good riddance too.

The Yukon wolf nodded firmly, but then his expression softened just so as she went onto explain that she hoped to do the same. She hoped to make the Noor name a meaningful one as well. He knew that it would be an uphill battle, considering her....condition but the fact she wanted to fight it nonetheless was honourable. Askan by no means was an empathetic individual, he rarely made the effort to step into someone elses shoes, but seeing as their names were a cause of concern for them both well.... He sort of got it, maybe.

"You probably won't make it..."He wasn't being mean, just a realist. "But it'd be nice if you did. Legacy is important. Do your ancestors proud. Make good use of what time you have left. Bye."

And with that, Askan turned from her, his curiosity sated for now. He had found out why she had been making such a racket, and it had been simply because she could. Because she had the choice and freedom to. Was Askan as free as her? He wondered, as he made his way back to the field. Could a pack wolf truly claim they were free? It was a curious notion. In all honesty, Askan felt as though he was. He chose to follow his alphas, he chose to come to Relic Lore. No one had forced him, or was making him stay. His decision to become a Rye wolf his his expression of freedom.

The dark man's statement only further fueled the fire of determination within the girl, and she scoffed. "Says you! I'm gonna be great!" she laughed, and bounced forward to touch noses with her new friend before she turned in the other direction. "See you later, Askan!" she called over her shoulder, and she completely ignored the aches and pains in her joints and bones as she trotted off west, toward Stonewatch Timbers. She'd enjoyed her conversation with the pack wolf much more than she had anticipated. He'd been such a frumpy grump at first, but he'd been almost... pleasant? - by the end of their conversation. Maybe that was a stretch, but he'd been pleasant enough for Cas to call him a friend in her head, and for her to hope to see him again at some point, if not only to annoy him. Speaking of, the little wolf turned mischievous blue eyes over her shoulder at her departing companion before she tilted her head back to the sky and released a louder, longer howl to the sky above. Just to get on his nerves.