This was the pale alpha's first wanderings from her new pack, though it wasn't unfamiliar territory. The sun had long left the sky and she felt more than comfortable in the dark and the mist. Lilith was coiled in her usual spot around Recluse's neck, tongue flicking to taste the air as the pair walked... or well Recluse walked and Lilith rode. It was liberating in a way she hadn't known simple wandering could be. Not that Recluse was chaffing under the weight of her new responsibilities but there was stresses she hadn't considered... of course there were... Had she really thought about it all outside of the fantasy of the power? Not really. Which she'd admit was her own failing, but only to herself, never outloud. No she was pretty sure showing weakness was how she'd lose everything she'd worked to gain. But that didn't mean she was't going to enjoy this walk. "Speech"

SHIBA KLEIN

Shiba moved slowly through the mist, glancing back towards Mikko. She knew he was still struggling with a lot of soreness from his mostly healed injuries, so she made sure not to push him too far past what he was capable of. She’d hoped he’d be in better shape by the time they got this close to her family, she doubted his current state would be very appealing to anyone, but she was confident that as he began to rebuild his strength, he could prove to be a valuable asset.

A scnt reached her, and she paused, tipping her head slightly to listen to the sounds. Someone was close, and curiosity pulled her in that direction, until the pale form of a larger woman came into view. Something about the stranger seemed almost vaguely familiar. She didn’t recognize her, but there was something about her scent that made her wonder. "Hello." She called out, standing a ways away, giving her plenty of space to turn away if she wished.

"Speech."

Between the fog and his ghastly appearance, Mikko quietly hoped that his and Shiba's search for her family came up fruitless. He knew he likely wouldn't leave the best first impression on anyone, and the last thing he wanted was to leave a bad taste in the mouths of this woman's kin--especially after she'd been the one who chose to center her life around his recovery. After all, he was having enough of a time catching up on wrapping his head around everything that had led him into her care; to say the least, he wasn't very keen on adding another disaster to that lengthy list....

Fortunately, he was feeling better after a few days of rest and continued to improve with every day after that. Today was no exception; while he wasn't about to complain about Shiba's slow pace, he actually almost felt like he didn't need it. His skin still strained where it was most heavily scarred, protesting any need to stretch and move with him, but beyond that, he could feel his joints and muscles loosening again, his body beginning to remember how things...used to be. Whatever discomfort did plague him, though, he kept it well hidden, intent on standing by his suggestion that Shiba turn her focus to her family. And on ensuring that it looked like her efforts hadn't been in vain. Because they hadn't been. But the others hadn't been there, which meant they had no way of knowing--until she explained herself--all the things she'd had to do just to help him reach this point.

As the fates would have it, his wishes to avoid an encounter were received and answered with the perfume of another wafting past his nostrils. It was as familiar as it was unfamiliar, which could only mean one thing: one of Shiba's was nearby. For now, he said nothing, keeping his speculation to himself as he rolled his shoulders back and clenched his jaw, subtly skimming their surroundings through a single stoic eye. She appeared, then, a pale wolf off in the distance whose silhouette could have easily disappeared in the mist, and he slowed to a halt just behind and to the side of a waiting Shiba, waiting to see if the other would acknowledge her company.

"

table by Lowin art by kara

Cherry gaze fell on a pair of wolves as she walked, and some part of her wondered if she could simply slip past them. But the woman called out, and Recluse caught a whiff of the woman's scent on the mist, a slight familiarity tugging at her mind. She certainly looked the part of a Klein... and her curiosity was piqued. Recluse adjusted her course to approach the pair, drawing to a stop a safe distance away. "Greetings," she returned the woman's greeting, "I am Recluse Ithuriel-Klein, how may I help you?" It was an old name, her bitch of a mother's maiden name included more out of habit than any attachment to that old part of her blood, she was more Klein than anything else, which had more to do with her extended family than anything her father had done for her, still the introduction felt formal, maybe it was her new found alpha voice? "Speech"

SHIBA KLEIN

A few brief moments passed where Shiba wondered if the woman would turn away and disappear in the mist, but as her words cut across the distance, the pale woman turned and started towards her. She could feel Mikko’s presence at her side, and though he said nothing as they waited. He rarely said much, which she sometimes found irritating, but in situations like this she couldn’t help but feel grateful that her companion didn’t feel the need to insert himself into every conversation when his input wasn’t yet needed. Reuniting with her family after her most recent departure could prove to be a delicate situation, and she didn’t think the man knew the meaning of the word. He was all rough edges and blunt speech, which was something she could appreciate under the right circumstances, but now was not one of those times.

The woman spoke, her introduction confirming Shiba’s suspicions, though she wondered where exactly the girl fit into her admittedly large family tree. She’d been absent enough that she’d not had any chance to learn with any level of certainty which of her siblings had found their way here, let alone who’d had a chance to have children. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Recluse. I’m Shiba Klein, a daughter of Hamilcar and Iber." She spoke her parents' names not as a way to declare her status among the family, but to try and quickly convey to the woman before her who exactly she was. She could assume Recluse was a niece based on what limited knowledge she had of who had been around before, but there was no way to be sure without knowing who her parents were. Her hope was that the sooner she was able to identify herself as a Klein, the sooner she could start on her path to rejoining them all and finding her place among them once more.  

"Speech."