Sota nearly gulped when they reached the edge of the expanse of dense woodland they'd been navigating through. He paused at the edge of a tree branch, peering down into the deep ravine below. It wasn't like they always traveled in the treetops - they just did it as much as they possibly could, when it was feasible - but when they traveled by land they both seemed more comfortable doing it by the cover of night.

But currently it was broad daylight, and they were both growing thirsty. Well, Desota was, and he could only assume Balsam was feeling similarly. It'd been a dry day thus far and there was little moisture left clinging to the leaves above, which only meant one thing.. they've had to find somewhere to stop for a drink. Not that he presumed they'd be lucky with that task here, of all places... the ravine below looked quite dry and not all that welcoming.

Sota paused and licked his lips, leaping onto a branch closer to Balsam and gauging his expression. "So," he started carefully, sniffing gingerly at the air. Of course, they couldn't fully tell if anyone was nearby from this high up, but it was worth a shot. "What d'you think of this place, Balsam? Worth checking out?" He hoped his voice didn't betray his nervousness but he was sure it did, and Balsam would know regardless, but he was trying.

Carefully Balsam stepped down onto a lower branch, his claws and well padded toes gripping the bark and securing him an unbreakable hold. His eyes, like Sota's, roved the territory below. Unlike his companion Balsam had steeled himself for the task ahead. His friend was hesitant and for whatever reason - protectiveness, maybe? - that gave him courage. He couldn't be nervous because Sota was. His dry tongue rasped across his nose as he gazed out over the expanse with a thoughtful expression. At last he glanced over at Sota. For his friend's sake he would be fearless. "Looks like a good place to find a giant." He had an image in his head of them being like trolls; liking the darkness and living in caves. So a big shadowy gash in the ground seemed like a decent place to find a ghastly specimen or two. Balsam clamored down a couple branches and then paused to smirk up at Sota. "Not gonna chicken out on me, are you?" A little ribbing would hopefully be enough to annoy Sota into forgetting his nerves.

They had been seeking something different -- a land that they could clearly say was something out of their normal comfort zone of exploring. But descending into the ravine was proving to be a puzzling task for the massive tri-color creature. Melanthios stood at the edge of the wooded area, gazing down a rocky slope with an uncertain look in their fiery gaze. This path, while it would be possible to descend, did not look to be the most ideal for a creature of their size. No doubt rocks and shit would be shifting as they made their descent…

Was it worth the attempt?

Melanthios considered their options as they eyed the way down. If they did explore the unknown area, well, they could have yet another land explored under their belt. They furrowed their brows. But if they made a wrong move they could up trapped at the bottom of the ravine and left for dead… not exactly a pleasing thought.

‘Shame Gavroche isn’t here… I bet he’d be willing to check it out for me.’ Mela thought to themselves as they reminded themselves of their much smaller cousin. Plus Gav was light enough that he wouldn’t have to worry about destroying the path back up. Though it might take him some time to make it up and down the path…

Mela flicked an ear.

Maybe it’d be worth it.

""

When it came to his own abilities Sota was confident, in the most frustratingly humble sort of way, but when it came to facing the unknown.. well, he wasn't quite so sure of himself. Not that he'd turn back because of his nerves. Well, not unless Balsam did but his bolder friend wasn't known for backing down from a challenge, no matter how terrifying. And this surely wasn't the most terrifying thing they'd face here, Sota was sure of that. "I'll have to agree with you there," Sota nodded in agreement to Balsam's sentiment about this being a good place to find a giant. He knew other wolves preferred to live in the darkness, to dig dens in the dark, damp earth - he'd found a hole to sleep in before when he'd been in a pinch, but nothing beat sleeping under the open sky - and he wondered if Balsam was on to something. Maybe some of them slept at the bottom of this ravine? In his head, it made perfect sense.

His gaze followed Balsam, and his comment earned an eye roll. "As if," he replied smoothly, though his voice lacked the confidence he was striving for. Would he chicken out? Definitely not. Would he find himself quivering in the presence of a giant? Well... possibly, but not definitely. He would likely be kicking himself for deciding to follow Balsam here the entire time, though he doubted he'd truly regret his decision. Either way, he had no clue what to expect when they saw their first giant, and so the sudden rippling of bright red fur below them made him nearly fall off the tree branch he'd been perched on. Quickly he composed himself, eyes widening as he watched the beast moving below them. Okay, that was definitely a giant and Sota was suddenly at a loss for what to do or say. The thought of Balsam somehow taking the tail of a beast so large seemed suddenly laughable, like a childhood story, and he quietly cleared his throat as he looked down to Balsam with a visible question in his gaze - What the heck do we do now?

It took every once of self control Balsam possessed to not gulp audibly when he laid eyes on the giant. With wide eyes he glanced up at Sota and was not surprised to see his friend looking down with a similar expression. They were bigger and stranger than he ever could have imagined. No wonder they lived on the ground; Balsam suspected the titan below them would have broken every branch on the tree if they tried to climb it. He forced himself to think rationally and so sniffed at the air to get a better sense of what they were dealing with. The scent was feminine but the build of the giant was far more masculine than any female he'd ever seen. More masculine, in fact, than most of the lean, tree-climbing males he knew too. This information scared him, honestly. If this was a giantess, what did the males look like? How was he supposed to get a tail off of one of them when he couldn't ever reach it? Balsam glanced up at Sota. His friend was watching. He was going to have to be brave. To Sota, he mouthed, "Spot me." He was going to challenge this giant and see what kind of reaction he got. How they reacted would lay the groundwork for how he handled giants in the future. Hopefully Sota had his back if the giant charged him. Without ceremony he clamored over the branches and through the trees until he was ahead of the red giant. He then leaped down in front of them. On the ground the height difference between them was all the more pronounced. Balsam's intention had been to say something snappy and brave, but as he looked up (and up...and up) to see the giant's face, words failed him. All he managed to do was arch his back and step sideways like a startled cat while staring all wide-eyed at Melanthios.