Walk | "Talk" | Think One good trek outside of his home territory seemed to lead to another. The slim grey youth, still growing into his tall, lanky frame, moved stealthily along, silently crossing the border to Mount Volkan and heading off away from the familiar. It was long overdue, he had decided, that he begin searching the territories closest to home. He was a year now, just having celebrated a birthday with the coming of winter, and what better way to prove his advancement in age than by doing something no pup was able to do without dire consequences? He did not know at first where he was going. Only once before had he decided to leave the safety of his mountainous home, and that had been in pursuit of his mother. Advancing in age as she had been, Rune had not been worried about his safety in the least, certain that, with his mother near, the both of them would ensure the other stayed safe. But now he was on his own, directing a course past the delta, past even other territories that he had no name for, and toward some new place that might catch his interest. It wasn't long before Rune found himself becoming increasingly dwarfed by the foliage that grew around him. At the first the grasses increased in height, hitting mid-leg, then shoulder, then upward to the base of his neck. He had even begun stretching his head upward to peer out across the thicket, frosty blue eyes barely able to see ahead. How do you even walk through this place? he grumbled silently to himself, his brow puckered downward in irritation. Eventually the height of the grasses began to descend, becoming more manageable, but what should have been visible of the wintry grey skies were soon partially obscured by the twisting, dark branches of a very large network of shrubs, their arms entwined and, in a way, creating a natural tunnel through which the youth traveled. Rune's annoyance gave way to puzzlement, his black paws touching down with slightly more hesitation. This was unfamiliar ground, and there was no one here from who he could take direction or pick up clues from. He needed to be careful until he could determine the level of danger he faced here, as well as what sort of company might happen upon him as well.

It was becoming more and more obvious to Alamea that she was lost, the grass brushing infuriatingly at her face. She lifted her muzzle to the sky attempting to avoid more foliage in her eyes. The white female growled in irritation as she tripped into a dip in the ground. Alamea flinched and closed her eyes as a blade of grass tore across her face, perilously close to her eye. As such Alamea did not realize right away as the foliage seemed to retreat. Finally she opened her eyes to realize that she need not stretch her neck so as to avoid the various leaves and grasses. For the first time the she-wolf got a good look at her surroundings. Despite it being winter and much colder in most other places the thicket didn't seem to have been affected by the weather much. Alamea became distracted by the world around her and didn't notice the sky being blotted out right away. When she did she found herself even more enraptured by the sudden tunnel she found herself in. The scents of the thicket flooded her senses and underneath that she could just barely make out the scent of another wolf. The humidity in the air made it nearly impossible to tell how far away the other was, but Alamea did not expect to come across him so quickly. She was nearly on top of the other wolf before she even saw him. He could not have been much older than she was which helped to ease the panic which flared up in her suddenly when she had come across him so suddenly. Alamea took a few quick steps back, lowered her whole body and flattened her ears. "Speech"

Walk | "Talk" | Think He spotted the wolf before she saw him, her stark white coat setting her apart from the dull and dark foliage that surrounded them inside the natural tunnel. She was distracted - obviously - her head turning this way and that with her gaze shifting about to take in as much of the shrubbery as she could while she traversed below it. Hesitant paw steps ceased as the male observed her, waiting for her to take notice of him. He stood practically centered upon the path, right in the direction that she traveled, so it seemed unavoidable that they would meet or at least have to acknowledge one another. The thought of it made him nervous. He was so accustomed to taking second fiddle to both his sister and brother that he knew very little about how to keep a conversation flowing smoothly. Desperately did the light grey youth need practice, but he had always been too chicken to actively try. His chance was currently walking right toward him, and still seemed oblivious to him being there. Thinking she might actually walk into him if she didn't look forward soon, Rune took a small step back, his serious expression becoming more stern. She became aware of him just before she reached him, and taking a start, she immediately began to back pedal, drawing herself away from him and in the same instant tucking her body and ears downward. So close he was able to see her much better, and what he saw didn't make the fact he would need to talk in a moment any easier. She was a dainty little thing, smaller than him and more fragile looking, more so than his sister who was the only other young female he was really acquainted with. On top of that, she didn't entirely look too comfortable around him, which only made him feel more awkward. He wasn't anything scary, was hardly going to push her around or be mean or anything. Why was she so afraid? But her coat did draw his notice, a pleasant white that reminded him of the past and present female Vecaan of Tortuga, and as he caught her eyes he realized they were a brilliant, vibrant pink. He also realized, perhaps a moment too late, that he was staring. He blinked, a quiet cough exiting his serious, unsmiling muzzle, before he managed to speak with an awkward, uncertain pause, "You don't...need to do that."

Alamea was very aware of his gaze, his unsettlingly unfaltering gaze. She deliberately avoided looking at him, becoming increasingly self-conscious. It felt like an eternity that they stood there, or that might have just been her. Alamea wondered how long this was going to last, with the male's gaze ever upon her when he spoke. "You don't...need to do that." Alamea slowly began unfolding herself, her ear slowly rising from her skull, she drew herself up to her full height, though her tail stayed pretty low. She shook out her coat a bit and held her head high in hopes of exuding a sort of pride. In truth Alamea was embarrassed, inside she was berating herself for acting like a scared pup. Alamea allowed herself to get a better look at the male, she had been right about his age at the moment he had a slightly awkward look that would most certainly turn into elegance as he aged. He had a few black markings on his back and paws, but his most striking feature were his eyes. She found herself looking at those eyes and actually had to focus on not staring, she tore her gaze away from him and cleared her throat. "I um-" her voice caught and she bit down a growl of frustration. "I seem to be lost." That was a large understatement but he didn't need to know that. She attempted to look aloof, avoiding his gaze. There was of course the possibility that this wolf wouldn't care, but she would be damned if she didn't try. "Speech," Thought, you

Walk | "Talk" | Think His simple statement seemed to do the trick. Rather than cower before him, as if afraid he might strike out at her for no apparent reason, the white she-wolf began to draw herself upwards and out of her lowered stance, still appearing slightly uncomfortable though less fearful. Honestly, he still didn't understand the fear. As far as he was concerned his brother had taken the majority of the fierceness, coupling it with his forward, brazen ways to give him somewhat of an intense personality. In comparison, Rune surely appeared to be lacking. His siblings were not here to overshadow him, however. He was completely on his own, and he wasn't sure how to handle the situation at all. Maia was so much better at conversation than he was, Vixe always ready and willing to take control of the situation no matter what it was. He tried to think as they did, tried to think of something else, clever or otherwise, that he might say to at the very least make small talk if not strike up an actual conversation, but everything seemed to evade him as he noticed her curiously pink eyes fix themselves upon him. His ears minutely turned as if considering falling back against his head in confusion, tempted to fidget in place as she continued to look at him but resisting. Instead he held himself in a still stance, almost rigid, unsure what else to do. She tried to speak, failed at first, and then tried again, this time admitting that she was lost. Drawn by her statement, Rune tore his frosty blue eyes from her to glance around and overhead, the thick, brittle shrubbery so consistent and thick that he could still make nothing out of the skies overhead. Of all the places to get lost, he wondered, this could possibly have been one of the worst. It was far too easy to get disoriented in here, especially if one had been moving so inattentively as he had seen her doing. But he doubted his own ability to be of any help to her. His knowledge about the lands only went as far back as he had traveled, the trail he had left in his wake that he intended to follow back to Tortuga once he had finished his little bit of exploration. Returning his eyes to the girl, his serious expression smoothed a little. "It's easy to get lost in here," he stated lowly, informatively, feeling overall unhelpful and weak as far as conversing went. Vixe was far too imposing, but what he would have given for Maia to be there to help. No. This was a test for him, a challenge that he needed to overcome on his own. Sooner or later he would be forced into many more such interactions, would need to hold his own against others who were not just meek girls like this one. He needed to learn now before he found himself failing as an adult. "I only know how to get home," he answered after a moment, as if excusing his own inability to be of any real assistance to her. But maybe she remembered where she lived. Maybe she remembered in which direction she needed to travel to get home. "Where do you live?" he asked, his tone coming forth easier and with a touch more curiosity now that he had a direction to move in with the conversation. If she knew which way to go once she was free, he figured he could at least get her out of the tangled mess and on her way home if he could do nothing else.

It seemed to Alamea that the young male was no more comfortable than her; this however did nothing to ease her anxiousness. Though perhaps she could blame that on her surroundings, while stunning at first, the tunnel was beginning to make her feel claustrophobic. The she-wolf had to force herself not to look at the canopy above her head; instead she kept her gaze squarely in his direction though she found herself staring over his shoulder more than at him in particular. He seemed to pause, most likely to think about how to help her. Alamea began shuffling her paws eager to be out of the tunnel. "It's easy to get lost in here," Alamea could have laughed.That's an understatement. There was more silence and Alamea wondered if he was going to offer his help but he seemed to be thinking. "I only know how to get home," Alamea realized that, that was probably the best she was gonna get. There was the scent of others upon him and it dawned on her that he was probably part of a pack around here. "Where do you live?" Alamea froze, where did she live? There was nothing she had in reply to that. She had to say something, her mind struggled to come up with a response. "I uh- don't remember. I just joined a pack around here and can't really remember where it is- or what- it is called." Her voice trailed off at the end, even she was aware of how weak her excuse was. Alamea dropped her head a bit and avoided looking at him. Begging him internally not to ask. "Speech," Thought, you

Walk | "Talk" | Think Mentally Rune could have kicked himself for not helping to make the other young she-wolf more comfortable. His awkward pauses and uncertain answers were likely not helping her at all, nor were they doing anything to add points in his favor. As a pup, he had always been comfortable living in the shadow of his siblings, not fighting with either of them for attention. But now having to venture out on his own, to stand for himself rather than with others, he was beginning to realize just how much he had been missing by not trying to mimic their behavior. So he did his best now. The white she-wolf answered at length, looking somewhat harried by his question, and stated that she did have a pack but couldn't remember certain things about it. Like where it was located. Or what it was called. The grey based wolf listened with a growing sense of confusion. How did she not know these simplest of details? Even he had known these sorts of things at a younger age, and knew now how to get back there despite having become ensnared in this disorienting of places. Was there a chance she only said it as a defense, to signify that there were others who kept her well-being in check? Did he really give off the impression of seeming so dangerous? Irritated as it made him feel, his frown deepening slightly, he tried to set it from his mind. What did he care? She was not part of his pack, and the chances of seeing her again once they parted ways was unlikely, particularly since she didn't seem to have any idea of where she was going. And this fact really had no influence on his ability to at the very least get her out of the thicket unscathed. "I can get you out of here," Rune answered, "but you'll have to find your way back to...wherever you're from." His final words were stated with a touch of skepticism, but he made no further comment aside from that. It wasn't his business; it was probably best he kept it that way. "C'mon." Without another word, the blue-eyed youth turned on his heel and began to pace back in the direction he had been walking before being stopped by the girl, ears turning slightly to listen for the sound of her following him. He turned his head slightly, looking to catch her from the corner of his eye, and quietly admired her pristine coat. It really did make her eyes stand out. He slowed his pace slightly, attempting to accommodate for her smaller, shorter gait, and wracked his brain for a moment on how he might encourage further conversation, still wishing to drive away some of the awkwardness that seemed to hang around them. "So...I know you've forgotten where you live...but do you remember your name?" He tried to make the statement sound teasing, but even to his ears it sounded more mocking than anything. He only hoped she had a good temperament and wouldn't hold his inexperience with conversations among strangers against him.

Alamea was avoiding looking at the male, for fear that he might see that she was lying, surely it was evident in her eyes. Lying had never been a talent of hers and though normally she prided herself on her truthfulness, now it was painfully awkward and for once in her life she wished she were better at it. The tunnel was still slowly closing in around her, the shadows growing longer around her, fangs and claws of black reaching to trap her, to rip her apart. She would occasionally glance back up towards the young male, trying to read him to see if he would agree to help her or not. It seemed he was troubled by her response and she berated herself for sounding so foolish. Of course he would wonder about her response, she was old enough that she should know her own pack! Alamea could see the gears turning in the male?s mind; he was sizing her up, trying to figure out what she was hiding. Her worry reached an all-time high when she caught him frowning. Alamea felt time slowly creepy by as she waited for his reply. "I can get you out of here," Alamea breathed a sigh of relief, at his words, "but you'll have to find your way back to...wherever you're from." Alamea picked up on the doubt in his voice but she brushed it off, she was getting out of here that was what she wanted. "That's fine." The grey male began to trot away, Alamea watched him go for a minute before following him. He was leading back the way she had started but she could see that he was ever aware of her, he was listening to her, she swore she caught him looking at her but did not think much of it. She was content to observe him as well, though she was falling behind slightly. He seemed to realize and slowed his pace. "So...I know you've forgotten where you live...but do you remember your name?" His words cut through her thoughts, and she bit back a retort. Irritation at his tone made her frown. "My name is Alamea, " Her response was curt and a bit cold. "and you are..? " "Speech," Thought, you

Walk | "Talk" | Think Of course she took offense. He likely would have too had he been in her position. So much for practicing his communication skills; at this rate his current company was going to abandon him to the thicket and attempt to find her own way out, regardless of the fact she was entirely lost and alone. The embarrassed yearling's blunder only made him turn his frosty blue eyes away with an inwardly directed frown and splay his ears somewhat sheepishly back, the best of an apology the pink-eyed wolf was going to get. Even without seeing her, Rune could feel her eyes digging into him, an unimpressed, offended stare to signify that she had understood him and misinterpreted his question as expected. Fantastic, Rune. Competing with Vixe for irritating a stranger the fastest now. To her credit, however, she still answered, albeit grudgingly. Her name was Alamea, a simple yet descriptive name that Rune decided suited her, or at least what he knew of her. With the way he was going, he hardly expected to learn much more. "Rune," he answered, trying to soften his stoic tone into making up for his earlier failed attempt at teasing, "of the Tortuga." He threw out the name of his pack with a sidelong glance at Alamea, half wondering if the mention of one of the packs that inhabited these lands might jog her memory. Finding a topic that he could easily expand on, he continued, speaking mostly because he could whether Alamea showed any true interest. "It's a pack that sits on a mountain in this area. That way," he added with a quick motion of his muzzle to the left of the path they followed, the mountain hidden by the dense thicket. "Can't see it, but it's a pretty nice place I guess." In all honesty, he had known nothing else and was only beginning to understand the world around him. But he still enjoyed his mountainous home and was content to be there with those he called family. Though he hadn't said much, it was still a lot for him, and he suddenly felt ready to relinquish the reigns of the conversation to Alamea if she wanted them. "How did you get here?" he asked cautiously, turning his head gently to glance her way. Perhaps if she could say little about her pack she could tell about her journey to getting lost in the thicket.