he was doing nothing in particular.

Whittaker wanted to take a few steps away from his den today. he was turning out to be a cautious fellow, always watching for something to happen before taking a chance. after Mother told him it was fine to roam - only below the ship though because of predators outside - the boy went ahead. he didn't know where the rest of his brood was but today was all about him. he sniffed around, trying to teach himself how to pick up a scent and following it dutifully. one day, he'd be outside and helping with the hunting parties. that was his own simple goal. so maybe he really was doing something, but he didn't consider it to be... important right now?

he knew his own limitations and the limitations that Father had given all the children. something bad had happened and the pups weren't allowed off of Winterfell's lands. he only hoped that his siblings would heed this advice. Father was alpha for a reason; he had everyone's best interests at heart. there! he thought, pouncing the floor as he found a strange smell. it wasn't like the scent of the rich pine trees that the Winterfell wolves had. it was foreign, strange and full of unusual smells he didn't know the names of. Whittaker followed after it, almost bumping into a wolf as he rounded the corner.

startled, he jumped back. his fur bristling along his shoulders, he stared into the tusked face of a large man.

Kai didn't know what the fuck he was doing here. His brief time in captivity had definitely changed him, though even he wasn't completely sure how yet. All he knew was that he was angrier - dwelling on the past wasn't really his forte, but he couldn't help but feel some distaste for what had happened to him and where he had ended up. Here, in Winterfell, repaying a debt for something he hadn't even asked for in the first place. Was indentured servitude any better than being a slave? He really wasn't quite so sure. Running away sounded like a good course of action - Acere had too much to deal with here to chase him halfway across Boreas, right? - but then again he had a feeling he should clear things up with Tyranis first. Where had he been hiding, anyway? Only half trying to find him, Kai sniffed hard at the cold dirt as he trudged around aimlessly, making no effort to conceal the sound of his pawsteps. What the hell kind of place was this, anyway? Perhaps it was some kind of sieidi, a place meant for sacrifice and worship.. though truthfully he wasn't getting much of a spiritual vibe from this place. Kai huffed sharply as he rounded a bend around the stranger structure, nearly colliding with someone. A pup, and a big one for his age, it seemed, though he was considerably smaller than himself. Kai narrowed his eyes at the boy for a moment, his expression not completely unfriendly, but not overly warm, either. Another loud huff left his lips. "What do you make of this place, boy?" Kai asked abruptly after a moment, jerking his tusks toward the ship. "Think it's something left behind by the gods, or something else?" He didn't give a damn if the boy knew what he was talking about or not, and the way he spoke made that much clear.

the man spoke, his tone curt and a bit uncivil compared to the rest of Winterfell. Whittaker felt his eyes narrow slightly but he couldn't exactly tell someone to change their attitude. he was an accepting child, if not a bit shy around people he didn't know. and he certainly didn't know this wolf. "it's a ship" he said, sounding the word out like his parents had taught him. he tried to stare confidently at the wolf even if he didn't know exactly where the ship had come from. Father said it was left by ancient beings called humans. maybe this wolf didn't know the old stories? "people made them. humans. they're all gone now" obviously, else he would have seen them walking around. he shuffled uncomfortably against the cold floor "they made lots of things. we find them... all the time."  he would add-in, gesturing with his skull to the various knick-knacks.

Mother said the ship was important to Winterfell. not only as a border but as something to use and trade the items within. Whittaker tried not to show his unease with the stranger; for all he knew, the man was part of Winterfell's ranks. one day he'd be a ranked member, not just a pup. he'd be a great Ranger or Knight. he just knew it. "who're you?" he asked the wolf, at last, twisting back to look at him. the man had tusks like a walrus. he'd seen them from the ship sometimes, fighting over food and swimming. "I'm Whittaker" he said in his soft tone that would only deepen as he aged. he didn't brag about being the king's son though. he just stated his name, hoping the stranger would give him one back.

"Perhaps it's a ship," he responded, without missing a beat, scoffing slightly. Things weren't always exactly as they seemed - and while he'd heard of those two-legged creatures, he'd never paid much mind to those stories. The sort of stories he was familiar with, and interested in, were of more powerful creators... gods that had lived far longer than humans ever had. "Or I should say.. perhaps it was a ship once. What is it now?" Faint amusement glimmered in his gaze as he eyed the boy, wondering what he'd make of his question. He didn't mean it literally, but he had a feeling the child wouldn't quite catch on. Ah, well. Either way, it was a strange creation, and not one he was entirely comfortable with. It certainly wasn't a place he'd ever want to claim as his own. For a moment he wondered if wolves slept within the confines of this prison, and he decided he couldn't imagine many scenarios where he'd do that - but then again, he hadn't imagined ever being a pack member either, albeit temporarily... and against his will. He should be called a servant, really, but wasn't the world member about the same thing to him? His nose wrinkled slightly at the thought. "Name's Kai Jarvela. Acere thought that I wanted saving, so... here I am," he explained dryly. The full explanation of how he'd come here was probably not something the boy needed to hear. Maybe he could cling on to his childlike innocence for a bit longer, before hearing tales of slavers tricking wolves into traps only to sell them for the highest price. "So, Whittaker, what's your story? You been here long?" He was young - not even a season old yet, judging by his looks - so his question was a foolish one, but it elicited a dry laugh from him regardless.

"it's home" the boy was unphased by the man's arrogance. "maybe a house for you though" Whittaker's salmon pink eyes squinted, noting once more the foreign scent of the strange tusked wolf. his little nose wrinkled slightly. if he was here, allowed to roam around the ship without a care in the world... Father must have allowed him. but speaking of Father, the man introduced himself and claimed that the king wanted him saved. the boy raised a brow quietly but said nothing. it was not his job to question his father's motives. his job was to be a child. just a child. "or a prison." he would add after, seeing the restlessness in the man's eyes. or maybe it was just irritation.

he shook his head, not knowing how long he had technically 'existed' for. one day he woke up and he could see. everything was bright. everything was quite new to him. he had tumbled out of the den with his siblings' excited squealing. that had been a loud day. the boy's ears pinned back as he regarded the man again. "I was born here" he briefly looked behind him to where the family den was before looking back "over there" he didn't have a choice either, being here, but at least he wanted to be here. he wanted to stay with his siblings and parents. "I have lots of sisters. one brother though." Ice, Orca, Winter, Lumi... they were each special to him.

"Father runs the pack" there was a sense of pride in Whittaker's eyes now as he acknowledged Acere. "Mother is a knight" there wasn't a lot to him compared to the other children. he was new to the world and had no ambitions yet. "where... are you from, Mister Kai?"

A house for him, hm? The boy had a sense of humor, apparently. He'd sooner die than be house in this contraption. He slept under the cover of the moon and the stars, not holed up in some artificial den. Kai let out a sharp laugh, one that seemed to display equal parts annoyance and amusement.  "A prison? What, has your King freed me only to hold me hostage once again?" Another chuckle fell from his lips, though this sound seemed less amused than the earlier one. Though he sounded partially like he was joking, there was an air of seriousness to his question that he couldn't hide. But - oh well. His sour thoughts wouldn't do him much good now, not while he was sulking around this ship talking to a pup. One who was born here, he explained, which didn't surprise Kai any - he even glanced over toward exactly where he'd been born. "I would've loved to have some siblings," he admitted lazily. He'd loved his fathers stories of his two twin sisters; sometimes he wondered what his life would've been like if he'd had sisters of his own. Surely one of them would've gotten him out of this mess before Acere could've... ..and Acere was apparently this kid's father. Even more interesting. Kai raised a brow, curiosity shining in his silver gaze. "I'm from... well, I suppose it depends what you're asking. I was born south of here, but my home is everywhere. Even here, apparently," he gestured widely around him with his tusked jaw, beaming somewhat devilishly now. "Do you dream too of exploring the world, or shall you stay in the great north forever? What do you think?"