Halje was not in Kansas anymore, though she never was anyway.  Far from a Dorothy type, more the Wicked Witch.  The tri colored she-wolf found herself in the near heart of Boreas, this new and strange land she'd come to live on.  Why had she chosen it? She couldn't yet say.  But the varied landscapes and unique faces were a plus as she got tired of the same old same old.  Regardless of the WHY, she was here, here because she wanted to be.  It had been much to her father's chagrin as he had quite a fancy for her.  Did she reciprocate?  No, though to be fair, given the nature of her family, it would not at all be unlikely if she had.  Anyway, she had left in the self-serving manner she had been raised in, before she could come of age and her father decide his liking was enough to make her bear his children.  She rolled her sky blue eyes at the thought.  It was a reaction of annoyance, far from one of disgust.  Her bloodline was known for inbreeding and tight linebreeding, though her great great grandsire, Labyrinth the first, was where the tale of her family really began and in a looser fashion than what he had come from.  Labyrinth took many women, kept few. The ultimate gem of his affection being his daughter Raziel. But that was the stuff of history and she shook her mental history lesson away.   Lithe form wound through the intricate web of undergrowth.  The sky was heavy web of cloud and in the distance volcano stood in silent threat.  She paused to look at it, in persona relating to that volcano more than any of the scenery around her, and yet she turned away and kept on.  The snow was heavy on the ground, crusted over from low temperatures and brisk winds. But at least it wasn't raining.   Ahead a haze swirled through the trees, unrelated to the clouds and not smelling smoky.  Her auburn and black ears tipped forward and the leather of her nose twitched curiously.  The snow thinned the closer she got, trees and bushes showing green even here in the heart of winter.  The trees opened up, revealing pools of mostly clear water.  The liquid shone nearly the same color as her eyes.  It steamed heavily and exuded a warmth that ran through her bones, sending a chill through her body as the cold rose up to remind her it was still winter.  She wandered closer, making a face at the scent that wafted off the water.  Sulfery and thick, it definitely didn't smell drinkable, not that she planned to test it out.   Her black tail swished against her hocks, glancing around before moving to stick a paw into the water.  It was temptingly warm.  Halje Sinjari despised winter, truly.  Still, she wasn't dumb enough to get in.  The warmth would be temporary until she got out soaked the bone with no quick way to get dried off to the skin level.  Maybe if she had a den to burrow into.  She sat down on the rocky edge, tail touching the edge of the snow behind her.  She could at least enjoy the warm steam from the edge for the time being.

Reaching out of the southern region, Carnage crept through the surrounding areas of Erovrare, stretching farther each and every time. While he didn't fancy himself a scout or navigator, a soldier needed to be familiar with home turf  and the areas around it. He would familiarize himself with each and every territory surrounding theirs and then some, regardless if he was assigned to or not. He simply wanted to, mostly for his and Hannibal's safety. Had there been more Kleins around, he'd do it for them too. Today, there was a particular steamy look coming through the tree's that grabbed his attention. Although he had already ventured pretty far away from the forest and shrine, he was be no means walking right up on the hot springs once he'd noticed the haze spreading.

He picked up on the scent of another some time before making it to the hot springs, but had since lost it until he arrived. Spotting the female across the springs, Carthage pretended to pay no mind to her, almost like he didn't know that she was there. He dipped his head down towards the steaming water to inhale the warmth into his nostrils, internally warming himself up a fraction. Snorting back down at it and redirecting the water away, he raised his head yet reclined at the waters edge, still pretending to be unaware of her presence, as if he couldn't see her through the mist.

Unable to tell from his distance and wind direction that she was female, he had found a scent earlier that suggested as such and assumed they were the scent he'd crossed over. Carthage glanced around the springs once more, really looking to focus on something, before just happening to notice her thorough the steam rising off the warmer water. He couldn't tell if she had noticed him yet, but flashed a smirky smile her way just in case.


"Speech!"
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She hadn't been there long at all, having taken a seat only moments ago. As a whole, she wasn't one to stay in one place for long and already her toes were itching for movement and her ears twitching at every little sound. Though she stared at the water and swirling steam that rose from it, anyone with eyes would be able to tell that she was concentrated on the surroundings and not the spring itself. The scent burned her nose and she found it beginning to bug her more than she liked, her lip raised on one side in a half snarl that showcased her top right canine. She tensed her front paws, nails scratching against the rough edge on which she sat. Then in a small burst of rage Halje pushed away from the edge, her rear jumping back behind her. As she moved, turning as she pushed off, her eyes scanned across the pool catching a figure there. Electric blue and a smirk flashed in her vision. As she stopped moving she did a double take, her coat now ruffled as she eyed the male with suspicion. She couldn't smell him from where she stood, honestly she couldn't smell much of anything as her nose burned from the sulfur, but she assumed he was male by the arrogant confidence he seemed to wear and the bulk of him. She took a step forward, the steam growing thick and hiding him as though he'd been a mirage all along. But alas, she was also a curious creature, and now she found herself walking the rim of the spring to find the mysterious figure. The shape was irregular and she found herself hopping a small ravine. As she came around the other side the haze fell to her left and there he was. Not a mirage. "You were watching me," She accused though her tone denoted no tinge of being self conscious nor of being angry about it. The wolf before her was... well... quite a feast for the eyes. His marbled black and white coat was plush, enhanced by winter but full enough to suggest that he had a rather rich summer coat as well. His eyes were similar in color to his own though she would argue that his were far more piercing a color. He was also riddled with scars and she found herself staring at his legs where they were most notable. Her posture was rigid and they stood at equal height to one another, she waited for his response with near bated breath. Who was this attractive interloper? As if an afterthought her nose twitched as she scented him, now close enough that the wind was insignificant in tasting his scent. Maybe not an interloper, he smelled like a pack. She cast a suspicious side glance, wondering if he traveled with others.