She was lost, to say the least.

The dark woman paused at the side of a mountain, her golden orbs shifting at the scene to take in what stood in front of her. A sigh escaped her lips; it would be too much time for travel if she walked around, nor did she believe her legs were strong enough for that trek. Her head turned back to glance behind her; the tracks that were once left behind by her paws now faded from the snow. Soon enough there would be nothing left for her to see.

Reina needed to move forward.

One black paw followed after the other, and new tracks were made from advancing where the rouge woman located an entrance. She did not bother to hesitate, knowing it was a better option than walking around. Her orbs took a moment to adjust to the darkness when entering the cavern. Reina paused, her gaze shifting around until she saw more clearly. The scent of earth filled her nostrils, but as she moved away from the entrance, it faded. It did not take her long to find a source of light within the cavern.

The sound of her claws scraping against the ground echoed throughout the empty cavern, leaving her to enjoy the lonesomeness that accompanied her.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

Feeling settled into his new home, the Alpha was busy exploring surrounding territories, in search of new members, hunting grounds and also considering claiming another territory for his pack. However, their numbers were not vast just yet, so he was in no rush to establish a new border just yet, which was fine with him. He wanted time to visit new places more than once, to be sure it would be a suitable living area for his pack mates. So, today he was rooting around the Lifeless Caverns, as it was one of the very places he was considering, although he wasn't totally sold on it yet. As his paws carried him to the path that led up to one of the openings of the caverns, he caught scent of a loner. Today, he had hoped to explore alone, uninterrupted by the presence of anyone else, but it didn't really matter. After all, this place was free for anyone to roam, but it was an expansive place as well, so he figured he might not even run into whoever it was that lingered here. The gray-coated brute padded into the caverns, instantly engulfed in darkness and silence. Interesting. It might be the perfect place for his pack to take shelter, especially when winter came upon them. Even now, temperatures were frigid and the weather did as it pleased, blustering about with stormy winds and unpredictable snowfall. Slowly making his way along in the darkness, his eyes soon adjusted as he explored further into the cavern. The scent of the stranger was growing stronger, so with a sigh, he realized he would indeed encounter whoever it was that was here. Ah well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. In fact, perhaps they were looking for a home before winter struck. The shuffling of claws on stone drew his attention, although even as he got closer to her, he barely noticed her in the darkness until he'd nearly walked into her. Her coat was so dark, he hadn't been able to spot her in the shadows. "Sorry miss," he rumbled, taking a step back when he realized how close he'd come to colliding with her, "Didn't see you there. Are you taking shelter from the wind?" He supposed he might as well try to converse in a friendly manner, to see what her purpose was, if she was willing to share it. It had been a while since he'd met someone completely new, so his opening words were a little stunted and lacking, but perhaps she could fill the silence. "Talk" "You" Think

She was in darkness once again. The only source of light she found did not travel with her as much as she’d hoped. It dimmed the further she moved until the dark finally consumed her. Though the rouge woman had no trouble making her way through the cavern, she was careful with her steps. Her long limbs stretched out before her, carrying through the dark caverns where her paws press lightly against the ground. She moved slowly, unsure where exactly she was going, but trusted her instinct to go forward.

It did not take her long to detect a scent within the darkness. Her ears flicked forward, eyes narrowed from inhaling the smell. It was getting closer, but where was it coming from? Her throat grumbled lowly; her pace picked up to search for where the scent originally came from. Reina did not know much of the cavern, and it was the first she had seen it, and hopefully it would be the last. The dark woman felt uneasy; the sky was no longer above her, and she could not see clearly. It left her vulnerable as much as she refused to believe it.

Her golden orbs peered out from the darkness when she spotted a gray male nearly colliding with her. His closeness caused her to bristle, her lips peeling back to utter a low growl. The man’s friendliness surprised her. She stepped away, confused and uncertain of how she could assess the situation. “Shelter?” Reina first said, taking a glance around the cavern then frowned. “This would not make a suitable shelter.” Grumbled the she-wolf, her gaze slowly fixated on the male that stood in front of her.

His scent was different; it carried other scents that did not just belong to him. He must belong to a pack, the type of wolf she does not trust. Her orbs narrowed at the brute, “Tell me then, sir. Where do you hail from?” Reina inquired, the hackles on her back raised and her posture shifted, straightening and prepared to bolt in the other direction. Pack wolves brought nothing but trivial drama; it was best for her to avoid them as much as possible.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

One would think the male might respond to his new acquaintance in an offended matter, but in fact, Xephyris was amused by the woman's mannerism. She was instantly uneasy with his presence, bristling and curling back her lips, issuing a warning in the form of a rumbling growl. It brought him a thrill, causing his own hackles to bristle in response, his thick tail raising up over his back, swaying slowly from side to side. Silver eyes searched over her silhouette, finding it difficult to see the finer details of her dark coat in the shadowy cavern. Gray ears perked forward as she finally spoke, her tone implying that she actually found this place rather distasteful. With a shrug of his shoulders and a grunt, he disagreed with her. He had in fact been visiting this cavern frequently, wondering if it would make a good secondary territory for his pack. "Perhaps if you're picky about what shelters you from the freezing storms of winter," he muttered, eyeing her, wondering if she'd prefer if it were lined with the finest feathers and down of a hundred geese. Saying nothing more for the moment, he remained silent as she asked where he was from. "I am the Alpha of Vyper," he informed the woman, reclining upon his haunches; he sat up tall as he did so, "My pack lives at Soul Sand Cove, not far from here. And you are?" Judging by her previous mannerisms, he was certain he would be met with a sharp tongue, but he didn't worry. He would be all the more amused, for it would remind him of the wolves he'd been raised by - harsh, bitter and always on edge. Meeting wolves such as this always brought him back to his days of youth. Although it was a nostalgic feeling, he knew that he must be cautious. A wolf such as this may be volatile, and she could launch like a deadly weapon at any moment she pleased. So, despite his amusement and apparent careless disposition, his muscles were tensed and ready, his eyes watching her as he waited for a response of any kind. "Talk" "You" Think