She was far from the influence of human beings now, and maybe that was for the best. To the banks of the Rio Grande, Selene traveled. It wasn't the worst sort of walk, especially for a brisk fall morning. Her coat was plush and warm, and she was comfortable enough. A high head and a graceful gait, she decided that maybe it was for the best to stay out of the water. The sun wouldn't crack through the morning chill for a few hours yet, and she couldn't afford to freeze to death. Selene was on her own for now, no healers and no one to protect her. She was going to be alright if she was smart, after all. And smart she was. Moving easily over the ground, her eyes were peeled for all of the most important things in a land. The major features, how fast the water was moving, the grass and the trees and the topography. She was learning as she traveled. The moonscorned explored, taking a deep breath of the brisk morning air. Beautiful. Everything was beautiful. "Talk" "You" Think

This is a nav point thread!

Autumn drove Aerndis further south with winter nipping every so often at her heels in the form of frost on the grass or snow weeping from the clouds. As a young loner she knew she didn't have the stamina to last through the northern winters on her own and so she planned to den somewhere in the south or west while winter moved through the land. She hoped to find a location that would have decent prey numbers.

Aerndis was growing well. With winter she would at last become a yearling and every day brought her closer and closer to growing into her frame. Trotting along the banks of a massive river she was just pleased that the air, though cool, was still and crisp. A haze of pink was just beginning to tint the horizon and she looked forward to the warmth of the sun.

As she traveled along she thought she saw a piece of the night sky shift only to realize it was another wolf. Grinning she bounded toward the other. "Good morning, are you out for a walk as well?"

The river itself was broad and swift... Selene herself didn't recognize it as she maybe should have. At one point, a long time ago, she'd fallen in. Thankfully it was ages away from her mind now... but it was still scary. The moonscorned was lucky to have a brain so kind to shield her from it, but somewhere in the back of her mind was the laugh of a red prince and the races they would have had here too. Lionel. Somewhere in her brain... somewhere far away... But this river. That was something else. Selene's breath was nearly taken away by it, leaving her feeling a little more alive than she did when it started. Stretching low, taking everything in. Even the chill in the air was welcome, bracing, wonderful. Nothing would hold her back, nothing would keep her down. Not now. Not today. Maybe not ever. If Selene was the night sky, the stranger that called out was the very fabric of the galaxy herself. Head cocking to the side, trying to figure out what she was seeing, she listened carefully to the child's words. It was then that the moonscorned's eyes lit up, tail wagging with gusto. "Of course! Would you like to explore with me?" Though she didn't consider herself good with children, Selene would never say no to adventuring with one. They were always the most fun, always had the best observations. Friendly was her game, as always. "Talk" "You" Think

Her heart leapt at the stranger's question and Aerndis nodded eagerly. "Oh yes! I would love to. It'd be nice to explore with someone else. My name is Aerndis, what's yours?" Despite herself she often felt lonely at times. She loved the freedom that being a loner gave her but part of her always longed for a nice warm den and a family to come home to. Well, one day, when she had her own pack that would all change. Maybe then she could allow herself to settle down but that was a long way in the future.

Aerndis skittered along the edge of the river, marveling at its vast beauty. "I think this is the biggest river I've seen in Boreas, what about you?" She had a lot of exploring to do and it was certainly possible there were larger rivers and greater sights to see and she wanted to hear all about them!