I'll show you how a heart can never fail

It felt good to escape from pack lands. Frostbite was left in charge and Rory felt like he could relax - even if it was only for a moment. It was an awful feeling that he couldn't be comfortable within his own lands, but the prisoner he'd brought home had changed everything. He was always on edge and barely sleeping because of his need to make sure that the asshole didn't try anything. He knew there were others willing to help, and it wasn't as though he didn't have faith in the members, but all it took was one mistake and someone would be hurt. He didn't want to deal with a situation like that so he was pushing to avoid it ever happening altogether.

A part of him wanted to be a kid again with his mother around to make all the decisions. He refused to resent Faite for anything, but he felt like he'd been robbed of his childhood. Well, he'd been robbed a part of his teen year really. For most children they could have resented their mothers for that - for running off to find some kids that were missing, but it wasn't her fault. He couldn't even be mad at his aunt for not keeping better tabs on her children. It was noble that Faite felt responsible to find them since she'd been alpha when they disappeared. He still missed her though.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. He'd come out here to escape and instead here he was still worrying over things he was trying to escape from. He took a moment to gather an idea of his surroundings and he was surprised to find himself at the knolls. He blinked wearily to make sure there was no one around before he flopped down on the top of a hill to watch the buffalo. They were gathered rather loosely as they meandered across the territory. They were massive and beautiful and at the moment he couldn't help but think about how thrilling it would have been to hunt them.

"Speech"

Kai had started his trek to the north. With winter's arrival, he found himself inclined to follow the herd as was typical of his people - something his father had taught him from a young age, but that he had yet to experience himself. Meeting his cousin recently and climbing the volcano with her had only further solidified his desires. Of course, it likely wouldn't be ideal circumstances to follow them; what he really craved lately was reuniting with his father and finding the Jarvela clan, in following the group for awhile, and yet.. he was hesitant to leave these familiar lands in search of something he was unsure he'd ever find. He took his time heading north, and today he found himself at a vast expanse of sprawling hills. The change in season had made this place look less fertile than he assumed it normally would. It was clear, judging by the scents that he'd passed, that a herd of buffalo was nearby.. they weren't reindeer, couldn't even come close to their splendor, but watching them might at least settle his restless soul for awhile. He was growing tired of his meals consisting of small prey, of rodents and birds when he came across them - though he doubted he'd find a large enough group to take down something as a large as a buffalo, at least a man could dream. It wasn't only reindeer he scented, though. The scent of a stranger - of a pack wolf - touched his nose and arrested his attention from the prey. Curious, Kai increased his pace, meandering lazily up the crest of a hill as he followed the scent trail. The large male was hard to miss, the land not gifted with many trees or foliage to shelter beneath, and Kai headed towards him. His posture was relaxed, his tail high and friendly, and a small smile touched his lips. "Trying to find a way to hunt them yourself?" Kai called out lightly, conversationally - his grin growing as he ambled to close the distance between them, tail wagging slightly.

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

Rory stood with his own thoughts for a while as he studied the herd of buffalo. They were probably the most magnificent creatures he'd ever seen. The deer the pack hunted together had nothing on the massive, and rather fluffy, creatures that towered over the earth. They seemed fearless as they ignored the lone wolf on the crest of a hill. Had there been more wolves with him he had no doubt they probably would have spared him more than a passing glance, but considering he was by himself they had absolutely nothing to worry about so long as he didn't get too close.

It was the herd that alerted him to the presence of the other wolf. A soft snort started him slightly and his head snapped to one of the females as it started shifting away from him. Knowing that it wasn't him who had caused the few who were closer to him than others to shift away, his head turned as he heard another coming towards him. His muscles tensed slightly, pure instinct now, but he relaxed once his gaze rested on a large male with a friendly posture. His own tail waved softly behind him as he offered the other wolf a smile.

"I admit, the thought did cross my mind, but I know there's no way on earth I'd be able to take one down by myself." It was okay with him though to stand and stare at the creatures for a while though. They were a happy distraction from the stresses of home. "Though I could always bring my pack with me to hunt them. It'd be a healthy challenge for us all." He said with a chuckle. A pack excursion actually wasn't a bad idea. A little motivation to get their blood pumping by hunting something harder than they normally did sounded like fun. "I'm Ruaidhrí Adravendi by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Speech"

It was hard to not feel lovely on this beautiful day. Scenery stretched out for miles beyond him, hills as far as the eye would see, with a snow-capped mountain peak somewhere to the north - he eyed the peak for awhile, deciding that he'd head there next. This place, however, was a fine distraction, and the male he'd approached wasn't half bad looking himself, now that he thought about it. Immediately Kai could tell that Ruaidhrí had a sort of peaceful aura about him; the serenity was contagious, and Kai found his smile growing. From the corner of his eye he saw the herd shift, a touch more wary now, but not yet ready to flee. He figured they could run pretty fast, especially once they saw a third wolf approach - then they'd known a hunt was on the horizon. With just the two of them, though, trying to take down such a beast would be foolish. And while he was a bit of a fool at times, he wasn't willing to risk grave injury for a slim possibility of a successful hunt. Amusement flickered in his eyes at the other male's words. "You're right. They do look quite tasty though." Kai felt his stomach rumble in quiet agreement to this particular sentiment, though that thought would be pushed aside for now. He mentioned possibly bringing his pack here for a hunt, and Kai nodded in understanding. Perhaps that was one benefit to having a pack - having more wolves to come together for such grand hunts. Not that even that benefit would sway him, but it was a thought nonetheless. It was far harder to find a big group of strangers to take down prey with you. He took a few strides closer, muzzle dipping in acknowledgment. "Kai Jarvela, at your service," he introduced himself playful, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Ruaidhrí Adravendi.. that's quite the mouthful. Nice to meet you, though."  It wasn't the sort of name that fell easily from his tongue, and he hoped he hadn't butchered it already.

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

The other wolf agreed that they looked tasty and he couldn't help but shoot a forlorn look towards the herd. He wasn't starving, but could imagine they were pretty delicious. He supposed thinking about it wasn't going to help things. Maybe later on down the road, spring maybe, he could bring Lirim back here. It'd be a better challenge than the deer they were used to hunting and it would feed them for a while longer. Plus it'd give him time to think of a way to carry all the meat back from the hunt to the pack lands.

A smile came easily to his face as Kai introduced himself. He'd never heard the name Jarvela before, but maybe he just hadn't been to the right places to find out. It almost made him wish he didn't have all the responsibilities he did. If he didn't then he would have had more than enough time to do the things he wanted to be doing. It wasn't as though he disliked running Lirim, but there was a tiny part of himself that wished the act like a kid at times.

"You just got the shortened version of my name." He said with a chuckle. "It's actually Ruaidhrí Aedan Adravendi-Valentine, but even I don't like saying it." Not that he expected Kai to even remember that, but finding humor in his ridiculously long name seemed like a good way to start off an acquaintanceship. "So what brings you out this way if it's not to hunt?"

"Speech"

A content sigh fell from Kai's lips as he shuffled a bit closer to Ruaidhrí, largely closing the rest of the space between them, as he settled for plopping down on his belly beside the slightly taller male. It'd been awhile since he'd met anyone even close to as large as him - let alone a hair taller - and he was comforted by his presence. He'd met too many wolves that seemed.. unusually small and frail, by his standards; not that he faulted them for their genetic misfortunes. He was simply a bit more drawn to wolves like Ruaidhrí, it seemed. He was pretty sure he'd butchered the boy's name when he repeated it back to him, though he listened a bit closer the second time he said it. "That is quite the mouthful. I think I'll just say Rory and be done with it." He grinned, tilting his head to the side, his expression and loose posture playful. His untrained tongue couldn't fully pronounce the other male's name easily and Rory was what it mostly sounded like to him, not embellished with the nuances of whatever language his name came from - all Kai knew was that it was foreign to him. It was no different than how the way his father said his name, somehow, seemed different than how all the rest of the wolves he'd met said it. To Rory's question, Kai offered an easy shrug. "Probably heading up north soon, for the winter." He'd briefly wandered up there and met one of his cousins, though planned to spend the winter up there more permanently soon. "But something this way caught my eye first." Kai raised his eyebrows, grinning in a playful - almost flirtatious - suggestion, though he'd seen the hills first and Rory second. "What about you? Trying to escape the troubles of your life out here?" His expression softened as he turned a bit to face the other male a bit better. He smelled of a pack, and he couldn't help but wonder what sort of life he lived.

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

Kai shuffled closer, but Rory didn't feel the need to keep his distance so he remained relaxed as the slightly smaller male made himself comfortable. Kai's presence was relaxing and Rory took the opportunity to slowly slide to the ground until his stomach rested across the cool earth below him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and let his ears do all the work as they focused on the sounds of the buffalo grazing not too far away. It was peaceful here - it almost made him consider moving the pack. The hunting would be amazing and the scenery was breath taking, but it wasn't a serious thought and it passed quickly as Kai spoke again.

A light fluttered past his lips as his eyes snapped open again as Kai resolved to just calling him Rory. It was simpler that way after all. His name was more than a mouthful. What exactly had Faite been thinking when she named him? It was a question he'd have to ask her later when she returned from her trip. "Call me whatever you're comfortable with. Most just call me Rory anyways." He said with a grin.

He had to admit he was more than curious about Kai's trip to the north. The idea of spending winter there sounded, well, rather cold. He could understand spending the warmer months there, but why would you want to remain when it was freezing and all snowy? He himself wasn't used to vast amounts of snow and he highly doubted his pelt would be enough to shelter him from the extreme temperatures. Kai on the other hand? Well he at least looked a little more durable. Maybe he liked the colder climate?

He missed Kai's flirtatious gesture, but those kinds of things still tended to fly right over his head. It was probably a good thing too that he tended to be a little ignorant. He couldn't imagine a repeat of his embarrassment like when he'd met Iskra. So it was easy for him to assume that the bison had caught Kai's attention and he didn't give it a second thought.

"Ah, well, I'm just trying to escape some responsibilities for the time being. This looked like a peaceful spot so I thought I'd stop and enjoy it for a while." He explained. "So what makes you want to go north for the winter? Isn't that going to be cold?"

"Speech"

Kai was pleased when Rory settled down to his stomach as well, joining him in gazing across the vast hills at the cluster of buffalo grazing in the distance. It was quite a peaceful place, definitely the ideal location to sit and chat with a handsome stranger, at least for awhile. He found his tail waving gently behind where he lay, as he tilted his head to gaze at Rory again. It was amusing to think of having a name that was so difficult to pronounce.. it seemed his own family tended toward short, hard sounding names that were easy to say even for those unfamiliar with his language. "So then you won't mind me calling you handsome?" He shot him a cheeky grin, wondering if he'd respond well to the more blatant flirtatiousness. If he wasn't interested, then, well.. Kai would happily forget he'd said anything at all. He wasn't the type to push anyone into something they were uncomfortable with; he simply didn't care about hardly anything that much. His brows raised at the mention of responsibilities. "What sort of responsibilities could a young wolf like you possibly have?" As little as he understood of pack life, he didn't exactly picture Rory as a leader, despite his strong pack scent. The wolves who he could imagine following, if he somehow absolutely had to, would be... elders, he supposed. Wolves with lots of experience in hunting and following the herd, wolves who had lived so many years that their wisdom was all but guaranteed. His expression was amused as he faced him, truthfully curious about what he might say. "The north is sort of... where my family comes from," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He was built for colder lands, with a heavy coat and an oversized build. "I'm sure it'll be plenty cold, but that's part of what I'm looking forward to."  He hadn't truly explored the north like he wished he could, so taking an extended visit to northern Boreas seemed as good a plan as any.

I'll show you how a heart can never fail

"So then you won't mind me calling you handsome?"

Oh wow, okay. Rory had only been flirted with once before and that was by Iskra. Needless to say he was rather inexperienced with any sort of attraction and the second time didn't make it better. He instantly felt just as flustered as he had the first go around. It was a good thing his fur couldn't turn red because he was pretty sure he would be redder than his uncle at this point and his uncle was about as red as red could get.

"Oh, um, no, I don't mind." He finally managed to spit out. Lord, was he always going to be this awkward when someone gave him a compliment?

He managed to flash Kai a cheesy grin, one that spoke he was more than a little flustered, but trying to make up for it. He was still trying to get the feeling of wanting to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment to go away when Kai shot him a question. Ooh, distraction!

"Well my mom left when I was a yearling to go track down my cousin since he went missing, so she left me in charge of her pack. I've been running it ever since so it gets a bit stressful. " He explained. Not that he was complaining, but there were times he wished he didn't have so much responsibility resting on his shoulders.

He was far more interested in Kai's reason to go north at the coldest time of the year. He'd come here to escape his own troubles, not think about them, so it was enjoyable to get a peek into someone else's life for a change. A loner's life was particularly interesting to him considering Kai could pretty much travel where he wanted when he wanted to without anything pack related to tie him down. He found himself becoming a little envious of him.

"Well you look more suited to cold weather than I am." He chuckled. "You'll have to tell me how your trip goes. I don't get out of the pack much so I'll be happy for any stories you have to tell."

"Speech"

Rory's reaction wasn't exactly what Kai expected, and he couldn't help himself but let out an amused laugh. At least he didn't seem offended by his remark, perhaps slightly taken aback, but not completely freaked out. Good! By the time he finally responded, Kai was grinning again and chuckling softly.   "Alright, handsome it is, then," he said decidedly, watching as Rory's expression grew less flustered when he'd asked a question. An alpha, huh? His ears flicked atop his head, curious. He remembered his father telling him of the pack leaders he'd met - they'd been quite fine wolves, ones he was pretty fond of, despite their lifestyle. Seemed Kai was having similar luck? Perhaps being drawn to wolves of power was just a family thing...  "Sounds stressful," he agreed without hesitation, shaking his head. Looking after other wolves? No thanks! Responsibility wasn't exactly his forte, especially when it involved the well-being of other wolves.  "Do you like it? Running a pack, I mean?" Genuinely curious, Kai shifted to more properly face Rory rather than the bison that he'd been absently eyeing. Another cheeky grin was offered at Rory's observation about him looking like he was more suited to the north.  "Are you calling me fat? This is all fur, I swear!" He quipped, the teasing obvious in his voice.  "Once I come back, probably after the spring season sets in, I'll be sure to find you. I can't imagine I'll be without a few stories to share. Is your pack nearby?" He raised a brow in question, wondering how he might find Rory again.