Past the waterfall creek and various other landmarks of the northern territories, Aske finally had begun a trek to the north. The summer months made this easier, but it left no fear of travelling deep to where the snow fell all year-round. Still the air held a distinct chill and moisture to it, reminding the wolf of how prideful she was of the dense winter coat she was in possession of. Trees and a dense, enclosed environment reminded her of how far north she was, the sun slowly setting on the distance, unreachable horizon. However, the ashened wolf's attention was soon draw to something in the distance. A spark, a reflection of the light had caught her coppery eyes, drawing her to head towards the cliffside and more rocky terrain. Bands of ores seemed to shine, hit just right by the light and giving away the otherwise well-hidden, obscured cave entrance. Stopping about ten yards away from the entrance, she'd let out a breath of awe, before Aske turned her head towards the trees nearby. Picking up into a sprint, she'd return to the nearest older tree she could find, craning her neck up as she attempted to examine the many branches growing off of it. Despite its age, this particular tree seemed relatively healthy. The wolf frowned to the best of her ability, ears lowering, before she searched around for another old tree- and another, and another, and another. Finally, she found the perfect tree. Or, well, branch rather. Rolling over a few stone steps, she'd run up them and jump onto the tree, digging her claws into the older, sturdy bark. Wolves were certainly not known for an ability to climb trees, but Aske would make the effort either way. Pulling herself up crudely what was basically the equivalent of just a few steps, she'd reach the low-hanging branch and crane her neck and jaw just to reach it. Biting down, she'd release her grip on the tree itself, now dangling dangerously from the branch. Swaying back and forth slowly, Aske eventually caused the branch's support to splinter, beginning to seperate. It was at this point she figured out that this plan of action was, perhaps, not the best one; especially judging from the pain in her neck, and- crack. The old, large branch broke, sending both it and the wolf falling down to the ground in a large, audible moment. Freefalling with a shocked, terrified expression, Aske landed square on her back, bouncing off the ground lightly as the branch with tumbling behind her. Grunting and whining "ow, ow, ow, heck, damn," in vague pain, she'd roll back onto her belly, mentally noting that she was probably alright before pushing herself to stand. The ashened wolf then shook her pelt, doing her best to remove any debris that might have made themselves present. A few steps took her back to the branch, lowering her head to pick up the large, long branch once again and to start trotting back to the cave, mentally processing how she'd turn this not-fully-prepped branch into a torch. She'd probably need more supplies.. ...given the noise made by this entire action and the strange sight of a wolf carrying a large branch perhaps longer then she was, bumping into trees and the like, it was wholly possible her little adventure would draw outside attention if anyone was around. actions "speech"

Korinna was in a foul mood. Never again would she get her hopes up about something she wasn't certain about, she decided. It wasn't as though the fall of Ruina was a huge blow to her, but it left her irritable nonetheless. Following Tyranis was always an option, but it seemed until then she'd been on her own - and she wasn't totally convinced that following anyone at all was such a good idea anymore. She'd always fended for herself, and thus had no real issue with being on her own again, but it didn't make her feel any less disgruntled by the sudden fall of this supposed empire. Hoping that some traveling might get her mind off things, Kori headed north, until she could no longer easily see Mount Volkan towering high in the distance. At least, that was what she thought - until a bit of wind pushed the clouds from view that had been obscuring its peak, which sent her into another annoyed fit.

Fuck it. Fuck that stupid place. What kind of pack would even think to claim a volcano as their territory, of all possible lands? Kori was pretty sure there weren't even any suitable prey there. Huffing to herself, she continued on, trekking through the forest of tall-reaching trees. Briefly tilted her head skyward to examine them, noting the way they leaned on one another, the way their branches were thicker than most. Though a thrill-seeker at heart, Kori had never really been one for climbing and she didn't pay much mind to the odd trees, plunging deeper into the forest and heading east, following the sun as it rose in the sky. She wasn't sure exactly where she was headed, but she'd spent too long in this continent in one place and she'd decided she ought to explore a bit more before settling down anywhere. Or attempting to settle down, she thought forlornly to herself, feeling the corners of her lips twitching into a slight sneer.

Yeah, sure, a failed pack was a stupid thing to be so irritated over but Kori wasn't one known for her forgiving nature - she was fueled by spite, one could say, the failures of others driving herself to improve and better herself where she could. And currently she was thinking of just that, hoping that in her travels she might find some direction or at least something to keep her entertained in the meantime. However, her thoughts were entirely disrupted when she heard something in the distance. The sound of a tree limb creaking and snapping, and something tumbling down, was completely unmistakable, and her interest was immediately piqued. The thought of someone falling from a tree was morbidly amusing to the female with the ashen grey coat, and she simply needed to see the aftermath.

What she didn't expect to see was someone trotting toward the open mouth of a cavern, two ends of a large stick jutting from either side of their body. The branch was much larger than any wolf should be carrying, and swayed and wobbled as the stranger went, taking out small trees and vegetation as she went. Korinna let out a loud, quite audible snort of amusement as she loped closer. "Careful, or you'll poke your eye out with that thing!" Was she actually hoping to warn the stranger of potential danger? No, definitely not, and her voice was void of concern, instead dancing with obvious amusement at the ridiculous sight. Some might think she was laughing with the stranger but she was most definitely laughing at her.