Valkyrie kicked through the field with her eyes fixed on the ground. It seemed every couple of steps she unearthed a new novelty of some kind. Most were little more than twisted bits of metal, but some had smooth edges and straight lines that hinted at purpose. Most things she could only guess at, but there were a few she thought had to be weapons. Those, provided she thought they were weapons wolves could use, she now carried in a deerskin that hung from her jaws. Perhaps she could sell them someday.

She paused to eye a large metal thing half buried in the dirt. Its rectangular frame was held off the ground by four metal circles encased in sun-baked rubber. Valkyrie didn't have the slightest idea what it was and for that reason it deserved to be looked over. She padded closer and place her forepaws on top of one of the metal and rubber circles so she could see over the contraption.

Moving south was like stepping back in time. The farther they journeyed the more the seasons seemed to peel themselves backward. The air was chill but felt more like a cool summer day in the high north. The extensive snow she was used to this time of year was nowhere to be found. It was strange. She frowned. Why on earth had Chaos wanted to move this far southward? What was so great about these lands? She figured she better start looking into it and so she'd left the pack lands to begin getting a lay of the land. So far, she wasn't impressed. Valdís kicked at a small metal ball that rolled and clinked through a barren wasteland full of twisted pieces of monstrous remains. Things this unnatural were the work of humans. She didn't know exactly what they were but she'd heard the stories. If it did not seem to be of nature herself then it was likely the work of humans. She padded over to another piece of fractured metal that caught her eye. It was ragged and sharp and she found herself wondering if perhaps it could be used for something. The click of claws on metal caught her attention. The sound seeming to echo out over the wasteland. She turned to see a woman in the distance eyeing some sort of rectangular box. She trotted over towards the other woman. "Hello, stranger. This is a macabre place of wonders, no?" "Talk" "You" Think

Valkyrie had just reached over the hood of the jeep to swipe at what remained of a windshield wiper when a voice over her shoulder pulled her attention away. Without giving up her position she twisted around to look at whoever was addressing her. "Heil og sæl." The traditional greeting was second-nature at this point and as involuntary as breathing.

Her gaze briefly roved their surroundings as she considered the woman's question. After a beat she agreed, "Indeed it is. If I didn't know better I'd say witchcraft was involved." Fleetingly she thought of the bundle of goodies on the ground beside her, but decided not to draw attention to it by standing over it.

Valdís blinked in surprise at the greeting. She didn't know exactly what it meant but the language fascinated her all the same. Of course if the woman did not speak the common tongue this would be a difficult conversation indeed. Valdís had always desired to learn another language but her young mind had focused itself so much on her fighting prowess she had little time and focus to spare on other pursuits. Perhaps that would change. She couldn't believe she was four years old already. "Indeed it is. If I didn't know better I'd say witchcraft was involved." Witchcraft? Valdís took a few steps closer and gazed at wrecked metal beast. "Perhaps. More likely I would say this is the remnants of human work. But that is a magic in and of itself I suppose. An evil magic." She returned her gaze to the woman. "My name is Valdís Thyre. You speak a most interesting language. What is it?" "Talk" "You" Think

Valkyrie smiled but made no comment as the stranger told her it was likely the work of humans. Her humor was an acquired taste, it seemed, but that was alright. She could live with some wolves not finding her amusing.

As Valdis introduced herself Valkyrie hopped down so she wasn't towering over her. Her name was familiar, not in a we've-met-before kind of way, but in that it was a name she might have heard back home. It had a similar feel to the names she was used to hearing. Valkyrie would have guessed the woman to have similar origins as herself, so Valdis' question surprised her.

She dipped her head in greeting then said, "Gaman að kynnast þér - pleased to meet you, Valdis. My name is Valkyrie Finnvi. It's Icelandic - the common tongue from my homeland."

Valdís shifted her feet as she moved away from a piece of sharp metal protruding out of the ground. One really had to watch their steps in this strange land. The stranger introduced herself as Valkyrie Finnvi and stated that the language she was speaking was Icelandic. She smiled. "It is a balm to my ears. Where I am from my parents spoke a language that was similar. It's nice to hear something other than the common tongue of these lands." She'd been separated from her family before she'd really had a chance to learn of their languages and traditions. Pieces would spring to her memory now and again but she'd always been so focused on the future she didn't give the past much thought until it was too late to learn. "What brings you to these new lands Valkyrie?" "Talk" "You" Think

Valdis' statement piqued Valkyrie's interest. Perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her that other wolves from her homeland (or near it) had ventured into Boreas as well. The stories she'd been told as a child had made it seem like Boreas had been untouched by peoples like hers save for her ancestors who had blazed the trail. Of course it was unlikely to be true, but she'd grown up believing it and childhood fantasies were hard to shake.

 

As for what had brought her here...

Valkyrie answered honestly. "Fortune. My ancestors made their fortune here and I seek to do the same." She regarded Valdis curiously. "How about you, Valdis? If your parents spoke something similar you must be far from home."

""

Valdis found herself wondering who Valkyrie's ancestors were and just what made them decide to seek their fortune here. Further more, what was that fortune in? The lands of Boreas were indeed rich in prey and a variety of landscapes. Her own needs were quite simple and she couldn't quite conceive of what a fortune would be. Though, perhaps she was thinking of fortune all wrong and this was not a matter of material goods. Perhaps it was more akin to destiny. Valdís nodded. "Yes, I am far from home but as I have no home to return to these lands will do." She was already settled into a pack and had climbed the ranks to where she wished to be. Now that she'd confessed her love to Ásvor, perhaps she could start to build a family as well. She stood and shook her coat out for a moment, taking in another glance at this strange terrain. "It was a pleasure to meet you Valkyrie. I'm afraid I need to be getting back to my new home. Fare well." -exit- "Talk" "You" Think