She didn't think she had been in this part of the lands before, but there was always a first for everything, right? She didn't really tell anyone where she was going, but at four years old now she didn't feel like she had to anymore. She was no longer a pup or a child, she was a woman and her third heat season did well to remind her of that. While it was irritating at times, she learned to deal with it and not care so much about it. There were no boys in her pack besides her own family (what was left of it), Frostbite's family, and Jewell's family, really. And she supposed the one guy that Celestin seemed to hang out with a lot, but she had never personally met him. And a few others she didn't really care to get to know. Friendships were getting overrated weren't they? In the end, they all left. She felt herself becoming more cynical and uncaring, and she was starting to hate herself for that. She sighed as she quietly moved through the swamp, her paws making a sucking-squelching noise whenever she lifted them. She was glad she wasn't grossed out by mud and swampy things, or else she'd probably have a horrible time here. At least the trees provided some cover from the falling snow though... "Speak"

art by Birmapus

The south was getting far more cramped than he would have liked with not two but three packs, including his own fighting for space. Having his forces caught in the middle unsettled him greatly and as usual the king settled his mind by walking in one of the few unclaimed lands that remained. His mother’s words still rattled in his head and he felt the tremor of a snarl pull at his muzzle at the thought. “Your life....... it will be filled with unhappiness, paranoia, and constantly watching your back” He shook his fur with a small growl at the intruding thought, hating it more because of how true it proved to be, not just from those outside his pack but from within as well. He sneezed and pushed on, keeping his head low as he skulked through the swamp. The sounds of someone else trapesing through the mud caught his attention first and the king moved silently to investigate, a wide grin spreading over his features as he saw the masked woman. “Lovely day isn’t it?” He asked with a playful hint of sarcasm. "Talk"  Thought "Others"

Life was getting boring being simply stuck in the pack, there was nothing to keep his mind occupied. Not even his siblings seem to fill that desire he couldn’t explain. Today he had done perhaps the worse offense to the rules. Boldly crossing that invisible line they called the border and galloping further and further away from the pack. He did have a mission though, he wasn’t blindly leaving the pack for nonsense. He was hot on the trail of one of the older members of the pack, fallowing her because her father was the fighter he wanted lessons from. He figured she was a fighter too and maybe she was going out to fight somebody.

He was a lanky pup taking after his father in size and the height and big paws didn’t help in keeping good balance. He was always tripping and falling, stumbling and fumbling. When he got to the swamps he slowed, finding it harder to fallow her scent in the dampened conditions. Remembering what his father had taught him he took his time, despite being excited to catch up to her. The only good thing now, was the tracks she was leaving in the mud giving him another way to ensure he was still on her trail. He moved slow trying to fallow her trail paw for paw as he tried to be more quiet upon his approach. He knew he was close when he heard someone speaking, but the boy couldn’t keep his excitement at bay. He pushed harder and harder to catch up and by the time he caught up to her he ended up tripping and funneling. Falling face first into the mud beside her front left paw. It didn’t stop him though, even with his coat now painted in mud he got right to his feet looked to her and then looked to this man. Then back at her and grinned.

“Are you gonna fight this guy?” he asked, his tail flinging mud as it wagged.

"Speech"

The swamp was an eerie place to be. It was quiet. Cold. Wet. Muddy. All around unpleasant. But it was one of many places she had yet to explore, so she figured she'd try and do that while she was here. Bi-colored gaze scanned the undergrowth, noticing a muddy log resting in the mud several yards away. Her gaze lingered for a brief second before she started to look away, and from the corner of her noticed that it suddenly moved. She did a double take and stared at the spot. The log was gone. What the...? She didn't know a thing about alligators, so she didn't think anything of it. A voice distracted her from the thought, causing her to whip her head around until she saw a male. The playful sarcasm in his voice was evident. Looking him over, he appeared to be a handsome male. "About as lovely as being covered in mud," She replied with an equally sarcastic and playful tone. When she heard a sudden crash nearby and something popped out and landed by her feet, she jumped back with surprise. "What the--" Well, she hadn't expected that! "Eurus? You followed me?" Then what he said just registered. "Fight...him?" Her gaze was confused. Was she gonna fight him? She supposed she would if she had to, like if the stranger decided to or something. Walk, "Talk" Think