Lackadaisical. "Snarky." 'Cunning.'

Having lived most of her life in hot, arid climates like deserts and plains, Maude wasn’t really used to the ice and cold of the North. She was used to the burn of the midday sun on her back and the sting of hot rocks underfoot, not the bitter nip of icy winds and snow, or how her throat and nose ached just trying to breathe the frigid air.

However, after having spent a good few days here, she’d liked to think she was getting used to it. No one had forced her to come this way, but she was a survivalist first and foremost, and felt deep pride towards that aspect of her life: traveling around to all sorts of places, putting her skills to the test, and triumphing in the face of the harsh wilderness. That being said, she simply wouldn’t allow herself to cowardly turn back at the sight of a new, unfamiliar environment, but instead would insist on pushing forward and adapting, no matter what it takes. Such a lifestyle kept her tough and capable, and may or may not have been a remnant of her travel-weary childhood, where her father had forced her to do the same thing.

Now, she’d learned to block out the cold in the same way she’d learned to block out the sun: ignoring it by keeping her mind on other things and taking shelter wherever possible and necessary. As such, she currently found herself lounging beside one of the few pines that dotted this area, using its broad trunk to block out as much of the wind as it could. As for keeping herself distracted, her sights were currently set on a small cluster of porcupines in the near distance; likely a mother and her children, seeing how the animals were usually solitary. She watched them waddle around and occasionally disappear from sight altogether (must be a den over there), and pondered whether or not she should continue to relax and just enjoy the morning or try to catch one of the rodents and risk getting a face full of quills. For now, she merely waited, amber eyes narrowed in thought, ear occasionally twitching to the sounds around her so as to stay alert.

The windy afternoon, weirdly enough, was a welcome distraction for the oversized Jarvela. The bitter cold brought on by winter's impending arrival was the sort that seemed to cut straight to your very core, but despite the discomfort, it was drawing this particular wolf's attention away from his aching face - something he was very, very grateful for. He found himself thanking the gods for such a welcome distraction today, focusing on today's journey rather than the unexpected pain that had started to ail him. Still staying in the north as he had promised himself he would, today Kai's aimless wandering found himself directly in the middle of a massive pine forest. Kai had a feeling he'd been here before, but then again much of the north looked similar, especially the forested areas. He let out a huff as he walked, his pace finally slowing as he searched for something - anything - to keep his interest. The scent of a stranger definitely intrigued him, and he veered off-course to investigate. Conversation was an even better distraction than the weather was, that he was sure about that much, and he was always intrigued by finding those who cared to journey to the north just before the most treacherous season of the year was due to arrive. Currently the cold was bearable, but he knew soon the snows would begin and existing so far north would become much more difficult - those who weren't ready for it might suffer quite a bit, or be forced further south. Lumbering on, he only paused when he caught the glimpse of who he supposed was the bearer of the scent he'd caught - a lanky tan female, resting at the base of a tree. The scent of the porcupines caught his attention afterward, and he was cautious as he approached, not wanting to disturb the woman nor the prey. "Thinking about a snack?" Kai asked after closing most of the distance between them, his voice laced with amusement as he saw the prickly creatures out of the corner of his vision.

Lackadaisical. "Snarky." 'Cunning.'

In a large, sparsely populated clearing such as this with no other large animals around other than herself, it was easy to hear the approaching stranger's footsteps from several feet away, and  was made even easier by the fact that he apparently had no intentions of being stealthy. Knowing she was not alone, the she-wolf tensed instinctively, ready to leap up and defend herself at a moment's notice should this be a territorial wildcat or one of the many brutish members of her own species that she'd had the misfortune of running into before. However, as she coolly turned her narrowed gaze upon him, drinking in his (notably handsome) features and seemingly relaxed body language, she deemed him as not a threat (so far anyway), and returned her focus to the porcupines, allowing him to approach with nary a complaint or bristled guard hair from herself.

Once he'd finally arrived, she flicked an ear to his question, showing she'd heard, and allowed a brief, thoughtful pause to fall between them before answering, her eyes never leaving the rodent up ahead. When she did speak, it was slow and drawn out, as if she were still pondering.

"I'm thinkin' I'd like a snack," she began, voice low so as not to disturb the food, just in case they were close enough to hear. "but I'd also like to not get a face full'a quills, an' I'm just a bit too comfy under this tree to go lookin' for much else."

Now she turned to face him, a slight smirk on her lips and a playful gleam in the eye that could see him. "Whad'about you? Feelin' lucky?"

It didn't surprise him that the stranger tensed at his arrival - though his posture was far from threatening, he still stood nearly a foot taller than her and most wolves in these lands seemed taken aback by his size. Despite his chaotic nature he wasn't exactly the fighting type, especially when it didn't fall for it, and he always found he generally got more joy out of positive interactions than unfriendly ones - usually. Either way, her nonchalance about his arrival pleased him, and he offered a pleasant enough smile in her direction. "A snack does sound tempting. Can't say I've ever tried one of those before." He settled to his haunches, casting the porcupine a long, thoughtful look. He kept his own voice relatively low, sounding quite contemplative over her observations. A facefull of quills didn't sound appealing, but at least he'd have someone to help pull them out... right? Kai pursed his lips as he considered.  "Imagine if we find a way to flip one or two of those things onto their backs that their bellies might be the safer option to go for. Risky, maybe, but what's fun without a little risk?" Kai shot her a devilish smirk, fueled by her question and his own thrillseeking nature.  "Feeling lucky enough. Promise we'll help pull quills out of eachother's noses if we fuck this up?" It was a very real possibility, but Kai was down for adventure - even if it meant the possibility of a little pain.