Leo's paws carried him across the rocky landscape of the volcano uncertainly. He wasn't sure why he had come out here if he was honest with himself. Searching for Svetlana was a lost cause, he knew that. His time would be much better spent with his children and his pack. But... He couldn't forgive himself if he didn't search every inch of his continent that he could. There were very few places that he hadn't searched at this point, but this area of the east was one of them. Maybe one day he would get around to searching the north so he could finally say he exhausted all of his options. Maybe then he could accept that she was really gone. He sniffed the air around him curiously, partially searching for Svetlana, but also just curious to what other wolves might be around. It didn't seem like the most friendly place to live, but he quickly caught the scents of several wolves. His brows lifted with surprise and he continued on his path, his sapphire gaze on the lookout for any of them. He certainly didn't want to tread on anyone's turf. Besides, perhaps they could tell him if his wife had come this way. "Talk" "You" Think

The female was getting a bit of a reprieve from her duties as a mother thanks to Amaia. Thank goodness for her sister, the femme thought. She loved Ash and Phoenix to pieces, but honestly the little ones were toublemakers. It was tough sometimes, being their mother, but did Carletta regret taking up the duty? No, not at all. She wouldn’t trade this at all. She was happy being their mother. Even if she wasn’t their real mother, something she made sure of that they knew, she was happy raising them.

Carletta would blink, her eyes falling upon a stranger further down the mountain path. Her blue eyes shown though, eagerly calling down to the stranger in an excite tone. “Hello!” Though she spoke the common tongue her accent hung in the air as she jumped down from where she was standing starting towards him with tail wagging lazily back and forth. She tilted her head to the side, approaching perhaps too friendly... But what could being friendly hurt? As if second guessing herself Carletta held back, ears lowering slightly as she looked upon the male.

“Err... It is...” She stumbled over her common, feeling embarrassed already. What was coming over her? Was it the poor interaction that had occurred between that red marked woman after Phoenix took her rabbit? Maybe there was a slight worry beginning to grow about strangers? What if one of her children had done something to anger this one?

Moments later he was surprised to hear a cheerful greeting calling down to him, his eyes getting pulled to the gray, spotted woman in question. He had never seen anyone with markings like hers and he couldn't help but be a little struck by them. They were so cat-like that if he had come across her from a distance he might have mistaken her for one. Her heavy accent didn't go unnoticed either. He watched her curiously, turning to face her as she drew closer. It was easy to see the sudden uncertainty and hesitation that seemed to come over him and he was quick to bring a smile onto his lips as his tail waved behind him slowly, hoping that if he seemed more welcoming she wouldn't feel so uncertain. "Hello there," he replied with a soft chuckle and a dip of his head. He could tell her scent was one of the ones he had smelled in his first investigations of the mountain. "Do you live around here?" he asked curiously, his head tipping slightly to the side. "Talk" "You" Think

His own demeanor seemed friendly however, his tail wagging slowly behind him and a smile upon his lips. The more welcoming nature of this brute eased Carletta’s fears. His common tongue came out easily, far more easily than Carletta’s own. He must have been from these lands, she realized, like the three women she met before. The silver, cat-marked woman let out a soft breath. Good... Hopefully this meeting went smoother, just like when she met the woman from...

Carletta paused. Their scents were similar. A pack scent... She met the man’s gaze, giving a small nod after he asked his question. “Live here, yes.” Carletta explained, giving a nod. “You... Live...” She tried to search for the word. “Others.” She furrowed her brow. No.. That didn’t seem to be the right word though. The female tilted her head to the side. “Met other... Smell like you.” Did that make things more clear? She certainly hoped so.

He was glad to see that she was becoming more calm as he spoke and showed that he wasn't a threat. He liked to think that he was a fairly likeable guy and prided himself on his ability to make friends so it was always good to see that he wasn't completely wrong about that. It became very obvious very quickly that her accent went much farther than the tone of her voice. Her words were broken and she seemed to struggle with them. So she spoke a completely different language then? His head tipped to the side and his expression grew more quizzical as she spoke and he tried to figure out what he meant. He was very patient and he didn't mind letting her figure out a way to tell him what she meant. He smelled like others? When she mentioned meeting someone else that smelled like him it clicked. "Oh! The scent of my pack!" he exclaimed with a grin, his tail wagging again behind him, nodding in agreement. "Yes, I lead a pack actually. It's named Fiori." He paused, growing curious again. "You met someone else that had the same scent?" He wondered if it was someone else from Fiori or just another pack wolf. A very small part of him hoped it was Svet... as much as that hope was useless. "Talk" "You" Think

Carletta watched the male, reading the expression of confusion that crossed his face. She hadn’t meant to confuse him but common was not a language that she picked up easily. It had taken her quite some time to learn what she had. He used a word she wasn’t familiar with in common, but she assumed it described the group of others he lived with. “Pack...” She tried to word experimentally on her tongue, twitching her ears. So he was the one who lead this group of others? A group that called themselves Fiori? Carletta gave a small nod, trying to stash away the info mentally. At his question she gave a confirming nod. “Yes. She... Uh... Fur silver... Black...” Carletta frowned some.“Silver eyes.” The female thought she was doing alright with her broken common tongue. She glanced over her shoulder, towards the den where her sister and the little ones would be. She furrowed her brow, glancing towards the male with a gentle gaze. “Fiori... Pack... Safe?” Carletta asked softy. She knew that things couldn’t continue as they were here. Phoenix’s trouble making streak worried her. Carletta shifted a bit uneasily at the thought of something happening to him. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo racked his brain at her broken description of the woman she had met before. Black and silver fur with silver eyes? Perhaps it was Bright Moon? That was the only one he could think of that went along that description, but he couldn't entirely tell if this woman had actually been from Fiori or not. He could only assume it was Bright Moon. What a small world it was. He was a little surprised by her next question, but he wouldn't hesitate in his answer. He nodded and said, "Yes, I believe it is... I do my best to make sure it is a safe place for my pack's members. We all look out for one another. I'm comfortable leaving my children alone there for a day or two if that tells you anything." He knew he had been lucky in his time as alpha to avoid any attacks on his pack and to have only been challenged for his place once. At the same time though he had managed to protect his pack the one time he was challenged and that was a thing he was pretty proud of. He could tell there was something bothering her and he was sure there had to be a reason she asked about Fiori's level of safety. "Are you okay out here? Do you need a place to stay?" "Talk" "You" Think

Carletta gave a small nod as she listened to the orange and white male speak about this pack, about Fiori. A place where they looked out for each other... A place where he felt he could leave his little ones for a small time. Carletta was immediately interested in this. She fretted for Phoenix and Ashelynn after a couple of close calls... From nearly rolling off the cliff to that rabbit incident. The she-wolf let out a soft sigh once he posed his next question, her ears flicking back slightly once more as she debated how to approach answering the question. "Mi familia..." The woman furrowed her brow. No, that was her native tongue. He wouldn’t understand that! “Family... Four...” She furrowed her brow, taking a breath as she tried to calm herself. If she got frustrated trying to speak in common tongue then she worried she might scare the brute away. How could she make him understand? What were the right words...? “Carletta, Amaia, Phoenix, Ashelynn... Need place...” Carletta continued to frown, tail swishing back and forth slowly with a bit of frustration. “Phoenix... Ashelynn... Eh...” Right, he used the right word! “Children. Phoenix... Ashelynn... Children.” ...and little troublemakers in their own right! “Amaia...” She couldn’t think of the right word for sister in common so she shook her head, motioning towards herself as she spoke the last name; her own. “Carletta.” She let out a soft whine, looking at the brute with hopeful eyes. Did he understand? "Talk" "You" Think

Leo was patient and quiet while the spotted woman across from him struggled to get her message across to him. Even though she had spoken in her own language for a moment it was close enough to common tongue that he had been able to decipher what she might have meant. Mi familia. My family. He couldn't help but notice how pretty her language sounded when she spoke it, but he pushed that thought away for now. He focused completely on her while she continued to work her way through the words in their common tongue. Four family members? That much he picked up on easily and "need place" was easy enough to understand. His brows raised with surprise when she got to telling him that two of them were children. She had children as well? She didn't seem to know the word to describe Amaia, but it seemed that her name was Carletta. He gave her a kind smile when she looked to him hopefully and he nodded, saying, "You have a family with two children, Phoenix and Ashelynn, and your name is Carletta and Amaia is... your sister maybe? A sibling? Did I get all of that right?" He chuckled softly before he went on, "Your whole family is more than welcome to live in Fiori. In fact, I would feel so much better if did. I'd hate to think that you four are out here all on your own." Suddenly he realized that they had been talking all this time and he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, I'm sorry! Where are my manners? My name is Leo." He paused for a second, his head tipping to the side a bit as he considered it. "How do you say 'my name is' in your language?" "Talk" "You" Think

Carletta was relived once more. Seemed Leo was quite intelligent, able to pick up on things quiet easily. She gave an eager nod as he confirmed her relations, recognizing the word sibling and assumed sister was the correct term for a female one. He invited them all to his pack, saying he’d feel better if they came. Carletta perked her ears, feeling excitement fill her. The thought of being around others, and welcoming into a new home again... Maybe it’d be good for Phoenix and Ashelynn too! Not only that, but it might give Amaia some more time to herself too. Something Carletta felt guilty about. She had kind of stolen most of her sister’s free time. “Leo.” Carletta practiced the name on her tongue, smiling a bit more. "Mi nombre es Leo." She was glad that he had wanted to learn about her language. “How say... Name Leo... En Español.” Carletta took a breath, trying to slow down her words so she could repeat his words with her own name. “My name... Is... Carletta.” Her accent was still there of course, but at least she formed a full sentence instead of breaking it down into the quicker, easier to understand bits! Carletta paused, giving a soft whine. “Talk to... My family?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “Leo come?” She couldn’t just agree for them. She at least had to check that it was what Amaia wanted... "Talk" "You" Think

"Mi... nombre... es Leo." he repeated carefully, the words coming out slowly and hesitantly. They didn't roll off the tongue like they seemed to do when she spoke them, but he still gave her a proud grin when he pronounced them without stuttering. Español. Was that the name of the language she spoke? He had to assume so. His tail wagged behind him as she slowly introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Carletta," he added with a small bow of his head. There was undeniably a language barrier, but he was patient and he prided himself on being a quick learner. Maybe if she did end up coming to Fiori he could learn more Español from her and he could help her with her English. His ears perked as she spoke again and brought his attention back to her and the present. He offered her another friendly smile and nodded in agreement. "Of course. Lead the way," he replied with a little motion of his head toward the direction she had been coming from when they first bumped into each other. He had to wonder if her whole family so heavily spoke Español like Carletta. He assumed they did. It also hadn't gotten past his attention that she had only listed her sister and two children as her family. Did that mean there was no mate in the picture? What about the children's father? There were so many questions he had about this whole situation, but first he needed to get them to Fiori or at least make sure they were safe. He barely knew this family, but his conscious and his protective nature wouldn't let them just stay out here on their own. He followed along beside Carletta for a short while till a den and another spotted woman came into view, this one colored with a base of tan and white. If it wasn't for the tan coloring Carletta's sister would have been a twin. He dipped his head in greeting to the other woman as they approached her, glancing toward Carletta when he slowed to a stop. He figured it would probably be for the best if Carletta handled most of the talking if they both struggled with English so he stayed quiet for now, simply giving her sister a friendly smile. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo’s Spanish was slow and hesitant, but Carletta thought that he spoke the words very well for someone who didn’t know the words at a young age. She gave an approving nod, granting him a smile. Her children had that advantage... But she also saw the barrier that knowing Spanish presented for them too. She felt happy, glad that Leo seemed to be glad to have met her. She knew that their language barrier could present problems... But Carletta was willing to work with him if he was wiling to work with her. She started towards the den, glancing back every so often to ensure that Leo was following before her paws lead her to where her family was staying. Gaze landed upon her sister outside the den, the silver-gray femme tipping her head to her sibling. "¡Hola hermana! Esto es Leo. Él uh ... Dirige un ' pack' . Dice que es un lugar seguro ... Necesitamos algo así por Ashe y Phoenix , pero ..." Though her words started out confidently they slowed as she mentioned leaving the mountain, ears flicking back. "No quería que tomar una decisión completa sin consultarle . Sé que ha sido difícil ... Apenas nos trajo hasta aquí y me hice cargo de los más pequeños. Tenía la esperanza ... Que esto le podría dar vuelta un poco de libertad ." Carletta gave a soft whine. "¿Quieres venir con nosotros ?" "Talk" "You" Think

Amaia's ears perked at the sound of paws moving across stone and when she lifted her head to see her sister's easily recognizable form a short distance away. Her brows lifted with surprise when she saw another wolf following along behind her, one she certainly didn't recognize. The kids were - blessedly - asleep and she kind of wanted to keep it that way, so she was quick to get up and meet the two of them half way so their talking wouldn't disturb Ashlynn or Phoenix. Her eyes lingered on the blue eyed man uncertainly as he smiled at her until her sister began to speak, introducing him and explaining why she had brought him here. A pack? She didn't know exactly what that meant, but she could understand "safe place" well enough and could whole heartedly agree that it would make both of their lives easier if the children were at least moderately contained somewhere that could protect them better than the two of them could alone. She was quick to shake her head dismissively and offer her sister an understanding smile when Carletta began talking about how this could give her some freedom back. "No se preocupe por mi libertad, hermana. Estoy feliz de ayudarle con los cachorros. Son una pata completa, pero todavía son una bendición." She paused, glancing at Leo for a moment before looking back to her sister with a nod. "Por supuesto que voy a ir con usted. No podía imaginar vivir sin ti." "Talk" "You" Think

Leo watched in mild awe while the two sisters discussed the possibility of joining the pack. At least, that was what he assumed they were talking about. He caught the word "pack" in there at some point, but the rest of it was a complete mystery to him. The language sounded so much faster than his own did and he was simply amazed that they were able to speak it so confidently. Although he realized while he watched them that this must be the language that they grew up learning. Was this how Carletta and her sister felt when they were listening to someone speak English quickly? He was so busy contemplating the possibilities of a language barrier that almost missed her sister's nod. Well, at least that was a fairly universal sign. He looked between the two spotted women curiously, giving them both a smile. "Have we come to a decision then?" he asked, offering the pair of them another smile. He did hope that the kids Carletta had mentioned before wouldn't be too upset about moving their home all of the sudden. He knew kids didn't handle change as well as adults did at times. He still had so many questions about her children and where their father might be, but he was far less concerned about that and much more focused on making sure their whole family was safe. "Talk" "You" Think

Amaia’s words brought a sense of relief to Carletta’s heart. She breathed in, giving a grateful nod as she looked upon her sister. They would stick together, as a family... Or so Carletta believed. Little did she know that her children, the pups that she had been raising, were to grow wandering hearts like their own mama. It would break her heart to find out and let them go, but Carletta would not cage them. Her bright blue orbs shifted to Leo as he spoke. “Decide yes. My family... Come to Fiori.” Her words were calmly spoken, a warm smile given as she met Leo’s gaze. She felt better about everything now... Looking forward to starting her new life in this “pack” of wolves. She also looked forward to interacting more with Leo; he was kind. Her gaze shifted to Amaia before giving a nod. It was time to go. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo returned Carletta's warm smile when she spoke, his tail wagging gently behind him. "Wonderful! I'm glad to have your family join us." He didn't want to rush them, especially if they had pups to deal with. He knew from experience that children in general were both a blessing and a stress all in one. "You two can take your time and follow me when you're ready. I'll try to leave a pretty obvious scent trail for you to follow, but if you pass through the forest near by you'll find Fiori on the other side. Just look for the waterfalls." He looked to Amaia with a smile before looking back to Carletta again. "It's been a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you both again soon." As long as there wasn't any questions or concerns from the either of them he would dip his head in parting and turn to head back toward home, making sure to brush against trees and such as he went. He really did hope that they followed through with their decision, whether it was immediately or shortly in the future. "Talk" "You" Think