I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís eyed the rushing river, drinking in the sound of swirling, churning water.  This wasn't the best place to try her paw at fishing or crossing the river but wow was it amazing to watch that much water rushing past her.  With a grin Valdís hopped from her perch and strolled along the river bank as if she hadn't a care in the world.  Which was partly true. After drinking her fill up stream and then gorging on the scraps of a bear's kill she was feeling pretty good though that didn't give her any assurance as to where she'd find her next meal or shelter for the night.  

Val eyed the late afternoon sun as it continued dipping downward.  Spring would bring longer days but they were barely out of the cusp of winter.  On top of that she worried about spring storms.  The last thing she needed was to get caught up in some thunderstorm mess.  Keeping alert she continued to scout about for a place to make her den for the night.

Speech

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Ásvor had learned disappointingly little lately. It was harder than she'd imagined to find ways to gain knowledge and education as a rogue when she had little to offer in return. She really ought to find some more hard-to-find herbs to offer up in exchange for lessons. She considered it as she walked, noting the sun had begun its descent below the horizon, and night would soon be upon her. The river offered some vegetation, but not much.. nothing she'd seen thus far seemed remotely useful. Flowers seemed to be the best bet in terms of herbs but experimenting with them wasn't something she was totally comfortable with.

A slight frown etched its way onto the girl's lips as she examined the plants growing by the riverside, but she found nothing of interest. The red-furred tip of her tail twitched in mild irritation as she trudged onward. Her pale blue gaze followed the flow of the river, watching the water twist and turn around corners and over rocks, fluid and effortless. A brief breeze rustled her fur, sending a shiver down her spine as the scent of a stranger touched her nose. Hmmmm. Her pace increased, winding down the river's edge as an unfamiliar form appeared in her vision. Curious, and wanting to know who this wolf might be, she aimed to close the distance between them, the look on her face determined and curious.

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís sighed as yet another potential densite failed to meet her standards. It was spring in the south and she was to aware that storms could pass through and flood the place. She needed something that was on higher ground but everything around here just seemed so flat and she didn't really want to spend the night traveling though perhaps she would have to. Oh, wait, now this was interesting. Valdís moved along side a fallen tree and she paced around it debating if it would do her any good as any sort of block. Leaping upon it she eyed the sky. Yea…. the air was humid and warmer than it should have been. There was a fair chance for rain tonight and she didn't want to travel in it but she didn't want to get drowned in her own den either. At least the tree was laying parallel to the river, perhaps she could dig a den on the far side of it?

She was about to start her digging when she felt eyes on her and she looked up to see another female about her age. She eyed the girl for a moment, one of her ears flicking back. "Can I help you?"

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Ásvor was no idiot - she knew to be wary around strangers, especially ones who seemed a bit larger than herself. Her pace was wary as she drew closer to Valdís, her nose wrinkling as she tipped it up and sniffed the air. Nothing about her was familiar, though her gray markings reminded her vaguely of some of her siblings. Lately she found herself wishing they were together again, though if this was the way the gods intended it, so it must be.

'Can I help you?' she'd ask, and a slight smile would touch her lips. Could she help her? Quite possibly. She was reminded of the time she'd met that woman named Lyre who'd asked if she wanted assistance. These were both odd questions to ask someone, and Ásvor wondered if they were simply out of courtesy rather than actual willingness to help. The girl considered it for a moment, head cocked to the side. "I don't know," she answered after a moment, voice airy. "Can you?"

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís eyed the shorter girl, she seemed well built. Perhaps a fighter as well? As much as Val was interested in getting a scrap or two in she was more concerned about the weather and would prefer to avoid a fight if possible. Her claws dug into the dirt as the stranger spoke. She scoffed. "Well, I don't know. I assume you approached me for some reason. If you're hoping I'll dig a den just so you can drive me off of it you have another thing coming." She started to dig, eyes still on the stranger before she paused, a mischievous grin flitting across her face. "Though…. I suppose if we work together to dig it I'd share." She wasn't sure if the stranger was after shelter but she offered the suggestion. "Or do you need directions? I'm new here so I'm afraid I can't be much help in that area." She shrugged, taking another stab at what the older girl wanted from her but she wasn't ready for 20 questions so she got back to digging, keeping watch on the stranger from the corner of her eyes.

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Amusement danced in her eyes as she assessed the situation. Perhaps she ought to work on being more aware of the sort of mood those that she approached might be in, but it was often hard to resist her own curiosity. Though she wasn't unobservant by any means, she had never quite gotten the hang of asserting much self-control. She found herself grinning though at the stranger's words. She was bold, but not bold enough to do something like that. Maybe she'd be tempted to take over someone's den if it was fairly obvious they'd abandoned it, but.. it wasn't worth risking trying to fight for it.

"That wasn't something I was considering," she admitted with a soft snort. "But I wouldn't mind helping out if you don't mind sharing for the night." She wasn't planning on settling anywhere, not really. She hoped that the gods might show her some sign of what her next move should be, and hopefully sooner rather than later. Asvor offered a gentle shrug, showing she didn't care much either way and she was happy to leave without a fight, too. "I'm not sure directions would be very useful. Not really sure where I'm going," she admitted with a grin. Figuring since she had offered that she was willing to accept help, she positioned herself on the opposite side of Valdís and started to dig. "Name's Asvor, by the way."

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís eyed the girl for a moment as she stated that stealing another's hard dug den wasn't something she'd ever considered doing and after a moment of keen observance Val concluded that she believed the girl. "Oh… ok, well, I believe you then." She felt a little sheepish, aware that she shouldn't judge so quickly but it was hard sometimes. She was used to fighting for every scrap she had and every stranger was a potential usurper to be fought off. Val tilted her head to the side as she considered the girls offer and she grinned softly. "You know what, that sounds good to me. More warmth that way when the sun sets." She could see the practical advantage to sharing and the other didn't give off any threatening physical signs that might make Valdís question the offer.

"My name is Valdís, Valdís Thyre." She moved over a little so that the other girl could start digging. "I take it your a wanderer then if you don't know where you're going? Or are you lost? Not that I'd be much help. I'm new to Boreas and I can't really say I know where I'm going either."

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Perhaps stealing a scrap of food would be easier, and far more reasonable -- at least then she could run. She'd rather find makeshift shelter than have to actually run someone off of their own claimed territory even if it only consisted of a small den. Truthfully Ásvor hadn't learned much in the ways of fighting, and figured she shouldn't learn by initiating a random fight. Probably wasn't the best course of action. Somehow she hoped she could gain the trust of someone and convinced them to give her some lessons, but it'd been hard enough to learn about healing that way, let alone something as involved as fighting. "Sounds like a plan to me, too," she agreed, appreciating her new acquaintance straightforward attitude. She was glad to not have to guess what her companion was thinking... or so she thought. Made things infinitely easier.

"Valdís. Nice name." She spoke honesty, not trying to flatter but stating what was a simple fact to her. It was a nice name -- it had a hard edge that rolled nicely off her tongue, reminding her of the languages her mother had taught her. Sadly she hadn't practiced any of them for a long time, since the wolves in these lands spoke mainly one, it seemed. She wondered how rusty the words would sound on her tongue once she spoke them again. She was glad as she moved aside, happily setting to dig into the soft dirt, unconcerned with the dirt that flew up from beneath her paws to litter parts of her white coat with each movement.

"Yep, I'm a wanderer too," she admitted after a moment, figuring there was no harm in sharing that information. Lying about it would be foolish, anyway, as she carried no pack scent. "Used to live in the far north with my family, but it seems... the world had other plans for us." Weirdly, she wasn't interested in mouthing off to this girl and thought better than to delve into sharing information about her gods and the fact that they had other plans for the Finnvi family, it seemed. "Thought about looking for them again soon now that the weather's getting better." Tracking scents in the north was hard in the brutal midst of winter, among the ever-falling snow drifts, though with spring now here she thought it might be a good time to venture back to her homelands.

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Claws hit against earth and Valdís continued her methodical digging, sending clump after clump of earth flying out behind her. She wasn't quite sure how to take the complement to her name and so she chose instead to say nothing but she glanced at the other woman with interest as she mentioned that she was a wanderer to. Val went back to digging but soon paused again, panting lightly as a frown marked her face. "Yea, I know what that's like…" it seemed fate had other plans for her family as well and now they were scattered about and she was nothing more than a pariah because she had the audacity to survive.

Valdís felt a pang of jealously at Ásvor's words. That she could simply go looking for her family, it made it seem like a fresh start was well within the others grasp, a fresh start Valdís could only dream of it and it made her stomach sick with envy. She cast her thoughts aside. She didn't want them getting in the way of the task ahead.

"Well, I hope you find them. So do you have anything you like to do when you're out wandering? I've been trying to find sparring partners lately and maybe a nice territory I could call home. Haven't found anything that's stuck yet."

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Ásvor considered her name for another long moment, repeating it silently in her mind. "Dís means goddess, doesn't it?" she asked after a moment of consideration, lifting her gaze only briefly to eye her new companion. The methodical rhythm of the digging was soothing, she realized, and she was grateful to let her mind sink away for the time being. It wasn't long before she looked back down to the hole they had started to carve out together, already bigger than she had expected it to be. "Don't tell me you're some kind of goddess, sent to tempt me.." Her demeanor had lightened a bit, and a cheeky grin pulled at her features as she eyed Valdís sideways again.

She wondered if this woman had some connection to her own family. If not by blood, by culture, perhaps? Her name had a strong ring to it and she realized now part of it was a word she'd heard many times before. The thought of being among wolves that shared even a sliver of her culture was.. enthralling, and she found it hard to keep her eyes from straying back to her every so often. Thinking of her family was a bit depressing at times though, since she missed spending time with them and wasn't sure when that might change. She was happy to change the subject for the time being.

"I've been studying a bit of healing on my travels," she admitted, hoping her voice didn't betray the fact that she had been learning considerably less than she wished. "What about you, Valdís?" Other than fighting, of course. The question was a genuine one.The thought of finding someone to spar with sounded pretty tempting too. While she felt she had enough spark to defend herself if she needed, she really didn't know how good she was at fighting, and she wanted to be. "Have you spent much time in the northern lands?" The yearling raised her brows, eyeing her inquisitively. "It's pretty nice up there." Ásvor had always enjoyed the bitter cold of her homelands, the large stretches of snow and ice for miles around. She really did miss it.

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

They were making good progress. Four paws were definitely better than two in this instance and it was a good thing to because it seemed that the sky was beginning to darken and the sudden drop in temperature had Valdís worrying about storms. She didn't want to be caught out in the open if something nasty were to hit. Valdís paused suddenly as Ásvor mentioned the meaning of her name. She was quite surprised to hear it coming from a stranger, especially as that was such an old part of her history, much of it that was now lost to her. "Yes, yes it does. Well, in the case of my name anyway, sometimes it can mean eagle or hearth but my mother told me I was name for the spirits that visit the dead on the battlefield. The goddess that commands them is supposed to protect me but…" she shrugged. "It's a nice story anyway. What does your name mean?" She felt like she should know but so much of the history and culture of her pack was buried with her past though it was strange that she should find hints of it here in this new land.

"Don't tell me you're some kind of goddess, sent to tempt me.."

Valdís giggled. "Ha! That would be something wouldn't it." She winked at the other girl. "I'm not a goddess, not that I'm aware of anyway." Her ears perked up at the mention of healing. "That's a useful skill." Very useful. Valdís was itching to get into more battles but the one thing stopping her was the possible injuries. She was skilled but not flawless and wounds could dampen her ability to hunt and lead directly to starvation. If she had a pack it would be different…

"I'm just wandering mostly, I do mean to work on my fighting but… well I don't want to get in a spot where I get too hurt to hunt and other than that. I guess… I don't know. I haven't really been doing anything but surviving for a long time now."

She fell quiet and focused back on her digging, the words ringing in her ears and sending anger boiling in her throat. That was really all she had been doing hadn't it? Just surviving. At the mention of the northern lands she nodded. "Yes actually, I like the Red Forest quite a lot. I take it you've been up there?"

A loud crack of thunder shook the sky and Valdís scowled. "Well, I think this is good enough, lets get inside." She slipped quickly in the den, not willing to wait for the rain to start falling.

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Ásvor was grateful that Valdís was more aware of the weather than she was. Though she'd known that night was rapidly falling, she hadn't been as aware of the darkening skies and the possibility of approaching storms. Surely she would have been fine searching for a makeshift shelter of her own, but having a real den to sleep in was far more enjoyable and definitely safer.

Her grin brightened as Valdís verified what she had realized about her name, pleased that she was right. "Well, it's a lovely name," she admitted, though her gaze returned to the work they had left to do. "It seems we come from similar cultures, I'd guess. I've heard stories of the same goddess, if you mean Freyja?" She was in many of the stories her mother had told them of, and if she knew of any of those gods she wasn't surprised she knew of Freyja. It was a nice thought, that she might be watching over Valdís. She'd never been told of any gods that watched over her family, though it was hard to imagine them not having some interest in the Finnvi blood.

She frowned slightly when asked what her name meant. "I don't know if it means anything," Ásvor admitted with a slight shrug.   "Though I know Vör is the goddess of wisdom, so that's something." She didn't know if her name was directly related, but it was a pleasant thought nonetheless.

Amusement danced in her gaze was it lifted again as Valdís assured her she wasn't sent here to tempt her. "I'm fairly certain that's what a goddess would say, by the way, but I'll take your word for it," she said, chuckling quietly. Loki surely would have refused such claims if he'd been outed when he'd been disguised as Þökk, she thought as she mused over the story quietly. It was refreshing to be around similar company, and she regretted suddenly that she had not found more wolves to speak with about the gods and goddesses that she'd heard so much about in her childhood. There was too much she didn't know still, and she was hungry for anything more she could learn.

Her new acquaintance said she liked these lands, and Ásvor nodded agreement. "I was born close to these lands, and spent most of my childhood here, until my family's pack disbanded. We held claim to these lands, once." Her voice had a touch of nostalgia to it that she didn't bother hiding. She had loved her childhood, and had spent some time longing to return to the north; she was happy the gods had showed her the way.

It wasn't much longer before they were finished their digging, having formed a pretty decent shelter for the evening. Panting slightly as her tongue lolled from her mouth, she nodded agreement. It wasn't a huge den, but would certainly make for a decent shelter for the night and the promise of the comfort and warmth of another wasn't unwelcome. She spent most of her time alone, only trusting strangers in brief doses and she hoped she wasn't making a bad call with judging this one trustworthy enough to sleep next to. Carefully she slid into the den they'd dug together, finding a comfortable spot against the wall and making room for the other woman to join her.

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís listened with interest as Ásvor spoke of their similar cultures and she felt her cheeks alight with heat as the other complimented her name. No one had ever told her that her name was lovely before. "It does seem they are similar." She nodded eagerly. "Yes, Freyja! Who takes the dead to Fólkvangr! I had almost forgotten… we've lost touch with many of the old legends and traditions." She gazed wistfully at the sky then grinned at the mention of her companions name possibly having something to do with wisdom. "I believe it, you seem very wise to me!"

tucked away nice and warm in the den she hoped they were far enough from the river so as not to incur any of its wrath. It would all depend, she supposed, on how much rain the clouds decided to let loose on them. Ásvor mentioned that she was born close to these lands and spent most of her childhood in the area until their pack disbanded. "Do you think your pack will ever get back together again?" She didn't want to press to much but she was genuinely curious. A loud crack of thunder echoed overhead as the rain fell down in a steady rhythm. "Rats…. I was hoping maybe the rain would just pass us by. What does your family say about the rain? Any interesting stories?"

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Ásvor was used to spending time with others to try to get something from them. Her intentions were normally quite harmless, in the grand scale of things -- a bit of knowledge about herblore or fighting, here and there. Info about the terrain, and about the nearby packs. Her interactions with others were normally framed in a how do I get something out of them? sort of way, but she found herself enjoying Valdís' presence regardless without thinking much about what she could get out of the other woman. It was enjoyable to speak to someone who knew something of the true gods, and she found her mind unusually at ease as they slid into the den they'd dug out and settled in comfortably. It was nice to know someone else knew the same stories, and her tail swatted gently against the dirt at her companion's words.

"I agree," she commented wistfully. "My mother taught me and my siblings a lot about the gods. Sadly our paths went different ways some time ago. There's so much I didn't learn and want to know." It didn't seem that many wolves knew of these stories and of the gods that her family worshiped. She worried that there was much left for her to learn, and hoped someday she might feel as though she truly knew enough to consider herself wise.

She shook her head at Valdís' comment. "You should meet my sister, then," she said, proudly and with another grin. "Her name is Alfrun. She has visions from the gods and goddesses nearly all the time. It's amazing." Once she had envied her sister's ability, but she had learned to accept that they were all given different skills and talents for a reason. She had never had such visions, and she'd learned to come to terms with it.

At the question, her smile wilted slightly. "I really hope so," she admitted gently. She hadn't quite realized how much she had appreciated being surrounded by family and other like-minded wolves until they were gone, and she missed the feeling. Ásvor nearly flinched as their conversation was interrupted by the loud crash of thunder, followed by the rain that had come with it. "I believe I was told it was Freyja's brother Freyr who controls the rain," she tried to recall any stories about the rain itself but came up short. "Though that's sadly all I know."  

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Valdís wasn't overly fond of storms but she had to admit that she loved the sound of the rain.  It was soothing and promising and made everything feel warmer.  It had been awhile since she'd shared a den space with another wolf.  She found herself wondering how she'd gotten here, it had all happened so quickly.  One moment she was eyeing this suspicious woman and the next they were sharing a den and exchanging stories as if they were old friends.  It was strange.  Valdís watched the rain for a moment as Ásvor spoke.  She spoke of her path dividing away from that of her mother and siblings and Val nodded lightly.  She could understand that feeling all to well.  

Valdís turned to gaze at the viking woman at the mention of Alfrun.  She was intrigued but mostly skeptical.  "I'd… be curious to talk to her but, I have to be honest.  I stopped believing in gods and spirits and things like that quite awhile ago."  She shrugged lightly.  It wasn't her desire really to upset or disagree with her new found friend but she didn't care to lie and pretend that the stories she'd been told as a pup were anything but fantastical tales.

She yawned lightly. "I don't mean to end on that note.  I would like to meet your sister but for now I think it's best to get some sleep."  She rested her head on her paws and glanced at the other girl to see if she agreed.

-exit via sleep?-

IF I HAD A HEART I COULD LOVE YOU

Only briefly did she wonder again if she could trust Valdís fully, enough to sleep soundly next to her for the night. She'd gotten this far, so she doubted the girl had ill intentions. Still, she knew she would sleep lightly just in case, though she was far more comfortable than she expected to be, being in such close proximity to someone she'd just met. Ásvor supposed that Valdís was putting just as much trust in her, so maybe she could lighten up a bit.

It was odd to hear her admit she didn't believe in gods and the spirits. Most wolves she knew weren't spiritual, and certainly had never heard of her gods.. she wouldn't push away Valdís simply because she didn't believe. At least she knew a bit about her religion, knew some stories and names, and seemed interested in it regardless. It was a start, at least, and she was still interested despite her lack of belief. "Ah," she breathed in acknowledgement after a moment, trying not to sound too disappointed -- but actually she was less so than she expected. "Well, my other siblings are less.. mystical. Perhaps they'd be more interesting to you." she said, smiling gently. She wasn't quite sure why she brought it up, but she hoped she'd meet Valdís again someday, and that the possibility of her running into her siblings

Either way, sleep did sound good. It'd be best to sleep during the rain and hope by the time they awoke that the weather had cleared up, and she could continue her search for her kin. She realized now that she was quite tired, especially from the effort of digging this den out. "Sleep does sound good, you're right," she agreed softly, her jaws parting in a slow yawn. "Thanks for inviting me to join you, by the way," she offered after another moment. It was appreciated, and had definitely made her night more interesting. With that she too let her head fall to her paws, her eyes closing quickly as she relaxed and let sleep overtake her.

IF I HAD A VOICE I WOULD SING