The maroon and white brute trotted through the plains, his eyes focusing on what was ahead of him, which, to him, was nothing in particular. He gave a small yawn, placing his haunches down upon the ground as the dried up grasses parted. The smell of other prey that happened to have come across the landscape made his nostrils flare, but he paid no heed for he was not hungry, and he did not wish to kill unless he absolutely had to. His bi-colored optics shifted from side to side, wondering if there was anything that could be of use to him or needed his assistance. When nothing had come about, he lied down and placed his cranium upon his forepaws and heaved a small huff. He did miss his family dearly, and the wonder of what they were doing only made him a bit sad, but he could not dwell on the past, he had to focus on the future.

After a couple minutes, he lifted his head and focused on the clouds. His parents were deceased, but he knew they were looking out for him, and he smiled, happiness in his eyes as he thought about the happy things that he had had with his parents before he had to leave his pack. The wind blew past him, and he closed his eyes, smelling the cool and refreshing fragrance of the wind.

The former pack lands no longer smelt of Arcanum, only of those wolves that had crossed it or those that hid in the pack’s carcass, the now empty dens littering the expanse. If she could no longer scent the silver woman how did she ever expect to find her mother’s or brother’s scent here? That did not stop her though, it didn’t stop her every day she returned to the blasted place. Once it had been a place of hatred and her own fear…

Now as she approached the snow covered ground she felt only guilt. She had ran, the call for war had made her turn tail and run. She couldn’t do it, couldn’t look at those injured wolves and know all the horror they had inflicted and then be asked to heal them… more than that she couldn’t refuse. So instead she had fled, hid away cowering in fear that the silver queen would track her down and that the next example would be her… she’d walk away with a missing eye, if she walked away at all.

If she hadn’t run though… well then maybe she’d know where her family was. She refused to give up on them, it was a stubborn naiveté that didn’t allow her to ever give up on them, even when she should. Her father for instance, she would allow him into her life every time he asked,  no matter how many times he left without warning; and here despite the seemingly insurmountable evidence that her family wasn’t looking for her like she was she refused to believe it was true.

Petite golden paws carried her through the snow, numb to the chill. In fact she was just numb, she registered a maroon shape, lupine in appearance and though she caught his scent and subconsciously filed it away she trudged on right past him. Even if her mother were to pop up right now, it seemed likely she’d not recognize her daughter, the golden child that always made time to meet new wolves and make new friends… and now she ignored strangers, she had tried asking if anyone had seen her family months ago… it wasn’t worth the disappointment any more.

Tripping on an unseen dip in the ground the tiny girl plunged forwards into the thin layer of white, and there she lay the hopelessness welling up inside her. Freya curled in upon herself, a soft whine lifting from her lips.

The maroon lupine was admiring the scenery before him. The clouds began to part and the sun shone ever so brightly. The male smiled, happy that the sun had come to try and take some of the chill off of the land, but, the temperatures were still frigid and somewhat unbearable to say the least. Though, what caught him off guard was a small woman who just walked past him like he was a statue, unmoving and not even bothering to glance his direction for a salutations or some other greeting. He tilted his head in question and saw her plop down upon the ground, a small, audible whine had left her. What was causing her sadness?

He approached her, his paws trudging through the snow-barren landscape, his paws crunching on the hard snow and gave a friendly smile. "Sorry to be bothering you right now, but you seem to be depressed. May I ask why you seem so down?" He sat down beside her, his tail wrapping around him as he turned to meet where her head was. "If there is any way that I can help, I can definitely try my hardest to help you whenever or however I can."

Golden lids slid closed, covering emerald eyes as she continued to whine the pathetic sound the first real sense of the hopelessness that had been battering at her since the day her family had disappeared. She had endured threats and guilt and going against her own morality for them, just so she wouldn’t need to be separated from her mother and brother… and it had happened anyways.

She had always known the world to be a cruel place. It only took a look at her father to know there were darker forces at work against them… but she had always assumed that things would work themselves out. They always had hadn’t they? Her father returned on occasion and her mother had even brought new life into the world, a new sister for Freya to look out for…

But that was all taken from her and she wasn’t sure quite where she was going… or even who she was without them.

These thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice. Slowly she opened her eyes and peered up at the wolf she had passed only moments earlier. He was sitting so politely, tail tucked against his paws… Just as Maija’s always had; and his words were so kind… She fought against the liquid creeping at the corner of her eyes and… it spilled over. “I can’t-“ She began, struggling to form words. “I can’t- find them…” Freya sobbed into the ground, tiny form shaking as she finally allowed herself to cry; here in front of a stranger.

Otaktay looked to the wolfess, his eyes showing remorse and sincerity to the smaller feminine creature. She seemed to have lost so much, and it hurt the brute severely that he could not help her in any way. A small sigh escaped him as he, gently, placed a paw upon her shoulder, being sure not to add too much pressure that it would hurt her, but enough to reassure her.

"Sometimes things happen for a reason. Though we sometimes do not know what that reason means, you will always find out in the end," he explained, bringing his head down and looking into her closed audets. "Remember that you are never alone, even though it may seem that way at times. Besides, you seem too kind to be crying right now. Keep your chin held high and a smile on your face," he explained, giving a friendly smile at her. He had cried many times after losing his family, for he understood the sadness and pain that the woman was feeling.

His touch was calming, soothing. She had not had any physical contact with another wolf since she had run and despite the wolf in question being a stranger it felt oddly reassuring to be physically connected to another. Still the slight comfort his touch brought the golden girl did nothing to staunch the emotions pouring out of her in that moment. If anything it only made her sobbing worse. It was a comfort she wasn’t sure she deserved and yet this man she didn’t even know was offering her his sympathies.

He spoke again and though a part of her could respect the validity of his words she was too raw, too hurt to accept what he was saying. It was not what she wanted to hear. She buried her face into the ground. “It’s not fair!” Came her muffled reply, and there was a hint of bitterness to her tone though if she was frustrated with herself or her family she wasn’t sure… maybe she was just fed up with the world shitting on them.

Still his words where kind and as she pulled her face from the dirt and lay her head down on her paws she couldn’t stop the small sad smile that he had managed to pull out of her.

The maroon brute could see the sadness and bitterness in her voice. He understood the sadness she was feeling, and he gave her a friendly nudge upon the side of the neck, trying his best to comfort the dame as best as he could. Sometimes, he did wonder why things didn't have to be fair, for him, or anyone else that had to go through the crap that others had to go through. He lied down beside her, his eyes looking out in front of him, his voice deep yet calming.

"I know how you feel. My Alpha had killed off my father for speaking his mind and what he had believed in. My mother and I fled and after a couple months of staying in a stone den away from the pack, she died from illness. I had been alone for two years, rarely having any contact with any other wolves. I learned everything that I know from experience and what worked for me and what did not." He gave a small sigh and looked to her before continuing, "I am sorry for what you are feeling, and I understand the sadness you have inside of you, but the best is to just let it all out. Holding in everything will make everything worse, and you will only hurt even more." He placed a paw upon her own, trying his best to show sympathy and reassurance for her.