A large plain stretched out before Svala, green and rich with spring. She strode down into the plains, enjoying the feeling of the grass on her paws. Rocks of numerous shapes and sizes dotted the plain. Some were sharpe and scraggly while others looked to have been warn by the weather into rounder shapes. Svala paused at the base of one that slopped down into the ground. She eyed it for a moment then leapt onto the boulder, climbing up to the top of the rock. The view was wonderful, she felt like she could see for miles. A lake in the distance caught her eye. Maybe she should head over there next. Svala reached over into the left bag of her deer hide sling and fished around until she found what she was looking for. Her jaws seized a stick with an end burnt deep and black. She reached down between her paws and drew a little black 'x' to mark the spot she was on. With so many vast and unfamiliar lands the femme was wary about getting lost. She quickly put the stick away and scrambled down off the boulder to continue in the direction of the lake. She did take a moment to eye the weather. The sky was cloaked in varying degrees of gray as clouds stretched out blocking most of the light. There was one spot though where a few rays of sun managed to peak through. To the west the clouds were darker and more swollen and she wondered if it might rain. Well, that was typical of spring and this area did seem to be thriving. More and more she felt herself drawn eastward and while chatting with another loner she learned there was a pack around in the east some where. She wasn't sure if she'd settle down just yet but it was worth checking out. "Talk" "You" Think

The terrain was flat but craggy beneath Hanako's paws as she moved east, excitement glowing in her eyes as she took in her new surroundings. Rocks were strewn about as far as her eyes could see, some large and imposing like miniature peaks whilst others were smaller and clearly worn down by time and the elements. A strange sense of quietness lingered in this place, heavy but not oppressive, as though even the birds and bees wanted to keep the peace. It was nice though and Hanako couldn't help but feel as if she could hear her thoughts better here, clear and free like the breeze that rolled over the garden. Clambering up onto one of the flat rocks, Hanako stood tall with her shoulders square as she pulled in a deep breath. The salty tinge of ocean air tickled the back of her nose and if she looked hard enough she could see the waves in the distance.

It was only atop her pedestal that Hanako noticed the other wolf wandering around the garden. The stranger moved about slowly, clearly in no rush, but there was a sense of purpose to her actions and the longer Hanako watched her the more curious she became. It was a bit rude, gawking as she was, so Hanako climbed down from her rock and loped on over, hoping that the loner wouldn't mind a bit of company. Even if only for a little while.

Hanako considered herself a bit of an explorer, but in her naivety she didn't realise there were methods and techniques to be learned. In her mind to explore was to just...well, walk about and see the sights and sniff the smells. The intricacies were lost on her, but from the way the loner was wandering about, with what looked like a bag of supplies, it seemed as though she certainly knew her stuff.

"Hey!" Hanako greeted with a big smile, forever favouring the friendly approach. "You an explorer too?"

Svala eyed a rabbit that had noticed her presence and took off running. She imagined this was a good place for a number of small prey animals. She wouldn't be surprised to see evidence of a prairie dog town. There were certainly plenty of good places for smaller prey animals to hide. Svala hoped down off the rock she was on, traveled for a bit more then hopped up onto the next rock. This new rock was a bit rounder and not quite so sharp and jagged as the other, not to mention it was taller. Maybe other animals used it as a look out and that's why it was worn more. Svala tilted her head and marked the rock with another little x. This would be a good one to remember although… perhaps charcoal wasn't the best marker. The rain would likely wash it away but it would stay for a bit so she could work her way back. Svala cast her thoughts to the weather again. It was warm and humid out. Not terribly surprising for spring but it made her wonder if it might rain. There was always a chance the heat from the sun would stir up a storm. She was musing to herself when a voice spoke out to her. She turned to see a brightly colored wolf, much younger than herself. "Oh, hello there! Yes, I am an explorer. My name is Svala. Who might you be?" "Talk" "You" Think

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hanako! Or Hana, whatever you prefer." She didn't mind either way but some people liked to have options, right? She could have gone on with a little more detail but she didn't feel the need to, they were two adventurers, couldn't they bond over that?

Hanako's gaze wandered to the x on the ground. It stood out plain and clear amongst the greenery and grey of the rocks, a black mark to...mark something, she guessed. But what? Buried treasure? She squinted hard at the spot, as if that would grant her the ability to see through dirt, but she soon realised that the mark was just random. A placeholder even.  When it came to navigating Hanako just relied on her senses, it never occurred to her that tools could be used, but Svala seemed to be carrying all sorts of things in her bag. Had she been the real nosy type she would have probably stuck her muzzle in and had a nose about, but Hanako wasn't a pup anymore and she knew better. Not to mention she had manners.  Instead she stepped a little closer, looking at the bag with a curious gleam in her eyes.

"Do you usually explore with that much stuff?"

Svala's gaze swept north from her perch to where the rocky grassland crumbled into a stony beach right where the land met the sea. She wondered what sorts of creatures dwelled along the shore. There certainly seemed to be plenty of small prey in the grassier areas and she imagined that deer might journey here from time to time. She wondered if the soil underneath the grasses was also rocky farther down. At that moment the wind started to pick up. Svala eyed the clouds warily for a moment, noticing that many of them were starting to darken. "Looks like we might be in for some rain." The wind was cool and coming in from the north. It would likely push the clouds toward them but there didn't seem to be too many yet. Maybe the clouds would pass over them and form rain clouds a bit further south. She glanced at Hana and shook her head. "Not always, but I would say I usually do. I don't have a base or home so anything I wish to keep I should take with me." She picked up the stick with the burnt, charcoal end and made a little arrow on the rock toward the beach. A little note to herself. True, the rain would likely wash this all away but the simple act of writing helped her memory. "Would you want to travel together for a bit Hanako? I was thinking of heading east to that lake there but I'm open to suggestions!" "Talk" "You" Think

Hanako hadn't thought much of the dark clouds till Svala pointed them out, she turned a little eyeing the horizon and it's grey palette as she hummed in agreement. A cursory glance around told Hanako that the rain wouldn't sink well into the ground, rather she imagined it'd make the terrain a little dangerous to travel since the rocks would get all slippery. Like everyone else she'd had a few accidents in her time but the thought of slipping on a wet rock and hitting her head made her cringe, reminding her that she really ought to remember how important it was to maintain good footing. Svala's words made sense, any responsible nomad ought to plan their journeys ahead and have supplies to keep them going since they didn't have pack mates to watch their back or help filly their belly. Going it alone sounded tough, not the sort of life Hanako wanted to lead, as exciting as it seemed.

Hanako watched the nomad draw another mark.

"Yeah I'd love to! I've been meaning to stretch my legs and if you could teach me a thing or two...that'd be a bonus." Hanako grinned, her tail waving high.