Winter fell upon the land quite quickly, catching the pair of brothers a bit by surprise. The chill northern air made Riordan check his worn bag for what he had stored away, and the sight did anything but console him. Dark ears had flattened, bright eyes glancing to his brother before he muttered that he would return in a bit. Snow or not, he had to somehow stock up on the missing herbs... or rather, stock up on anything that he could find. The lake seemed like a good spot to forage first, as it no doubt was a plentiful area in the spring and summer. Perhaps something still gripped onto life as the unforgiving winter descended. Brown nose shifted through the crispy, crunchy, wet foliage around the lake, attempting to snuff out anything at all. Riordan would honestly settle for a gods forsaken dandelion or two. He was hyper-aware of the weight of his bag against his side as he shuffled about, nub of a tail twitching in irritation.

SHIBA KLEIN

Shiba had not seen much of Mikko since rejoining her family, though she assumed he was around somewhere. Perhaps hiding away to remain in solitude as he seemed to prefer, but she didn’t like not having eyes on him when he still owed her. She moved out towards the lake where they had spent some time resting before she found Recluse and learned of Habari, wondering if maybe he had returned here. When she arrived, it was not Mikko she found, but some other large, earthen brute with a wealth of scars, nosing around in the snow. "Looking for something?" She questioned with a lifted brow.

"Speech."

To say he was embarrassed when a disembodied voice spoke to him from seemingly nowhere was an understatement. So focused on his search, he failed to hear another approach, despite the crunchiness underpaw. His frame gave a mild shudder, angular skull immediately popping from the frosted vegetation. Bright, orange eyes found the owner of the feminine vocals, ears coming forward as he quickly glanced over the stranger. Her posture was relaxed enough to allow him to also be at ease. Short tail continued to shift in annoyance, his expression showing the same. "Yes," he said simply, before eventually deciding to elaborate. He was unfamiliar with this area and those who inhabited, so might as well err on the side of caution. "Looking for herbs and the like. If anything is still alive."

SHIBA KLEIN

The man didn’t seem to be aware of her presence until she spoke, his head snapping up suddenly to look her over. She kept a distance, nothing about her stance suggesting she had any bad intentions. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you." He was large enough that she was certain he could handle her quite easily if he thought she posed a threat, so the last thing she wanted was to give him a reason to feel uneasy. He informed her that he was looking for herbs and she nodded slowly. "A bit late in the year to be hunting for herbs, it’s unlikely that much survived the snow, though you may get lucky and find something salvageable still." She glanced to his bag briefly before letting her eyes rove the scars littering his pelt. "You look like the type that would go through herbs quickly, no?" She would ask why he hadn’t gathered more herbs to keep in the bag of his, but based on appearances alone, she could assume it was difficult for the seemingly battle worn beast to keep herbs stored for very long.

"Speech."

He gave a roll of his large shoulders when she apologized, wanting to move past his least favorite part of the interaction. He hated to be embarrassed in any way, but at least it was only just this one stranger. He couldn't help the flattening of his ears when she commented on finding herbs, his expression flattening into a combination of annoyance and frustration, mostly at himself. "Yes. You could say, winter snuck up on me..." He shot a pointed glance at the woman before looking back at the snow covered ground in front of him. "I wanted to look anyway, see what I could maybe find." He moved the shoulder closest to his bag. It was light - not empty, but definitely lacking.

Riordan couldn't help a scoff when she commented on him going through herbs quickly, his orange eyes finding her again. The three scars beneath his right eye twitched, though he was nearly certain it was just in his head. "I do, and it's not just me. My brother often gets into the same... predicaments as me. With winter comi- here, I'd gladly take anything I could find. Sickness is rare for us, but I'd rather be prepared just in case." Another glance over the woman, curiosity starting to finally replace his wounded ego. "And you? Out for a stroll?" Ears came forward as he waited an answer, large paws shifting as he became more comfortable with the current company.

SHIBA KLEIN

He seemed uncomfortable to start, but she ignored it, allowing the conversation to move on and hopefully put the awkwardness behind them. Winter had snuck up on him and she had to admit it had snuck up on her a bit too. Sometimes it seemed to her the world around her lurched forward in spurts while she was still stuck in place. Her family had all grown up and had children, children who were now at the head of the Empire while she had accomplished… nothing. Not yet, at least, but there was still time to change that and she had grand ambitions to turn things around.

He mentioned a brother and she let out a small laugh. She’d dealt with one of his type before and she’d struggled to keep up with the ever present need for herbs. Luckily she’d had the girl Acciona to go and fetch things for her when necessary, but it was certainly not a life she wanted to go back to. Shiba was not cut out for being on her own, she much preferred the comforts that came with being a part of a pack. "A stroll… I suppose you could say that. I’m also looking for something, or someone, but it appears they don’t want to be found at the moment." The thought annoyed her, but she’d give it some time before making the call that Mikko had betrayed his promise to her.

"Speech."

Riordan Courte Do whatever you want... Just don't get caught The blue-eyed woman seemed friendly enough, even offering a chuckle when he mentioned his brother. His stress and unease of this situation was beginning to disappear, the weight (or lack thereof) of his bag also lessening. She was also on the hunt, but for something much different. This, of course, piqued the man's interest - he was ever the nosey type. For a moment, he stopped searching the ground, flecks of snow all over his angled features as he turned to fully face the woman and give his undivided attention. "Someone that owes you something? Or a missing friend or family member?" Riordan silently hoped for the first option, as he got an odd sense of pleasure knowing someone else was indebted and would eventually have to pay. And just how much interested would they owe? Such things excited him, but he forced himself to rein in his thoughts, not wanting to get too far ahead of himself. "Riordan Courte," he offered suddenly, hoping his show of goodwill would be enough to loosen her lips about her own predicament. There was no flourish or any other show of greeting; his name was a simple state of fact, something he extended to perhaps get something for himself. Orange eyes watched her intensely, lips threatening to curl into a smirk at another's misfortune. Talk talk talk is all you do

SHIBA KLEIN

Her purpose for travelling seemed to interest him, and he began to ask questions to dig deeper into why she was searching for someone. Normally she wasn’t the most forthcoming with information when it came to strangers, but she had no obligation to keep it hidden. With any luck, maybe he’d seen the man she was looking for. "He owes me. Quite a lot, actually. His name is Mikko, and if you happen to run into him, I might be able to spare some herbs for you and your brother if you were to get some information to me." Mikko wasn’t in trouble with her yet, but she was not the most trusting and her patience would wear thin soon. Once his debt was paid he could fuck off and do whatever he wanted.

"Shiba Klein." She gave her name in return for his. "Winter is hard, especially as a loner. Will this be your first one on your own?" She’d spent plenty of time off on her own and it had been miserable. She couldn’t imagine living her entire life without the comfort and security that came with a pack, but she knew some preferred to not have to answer to anyone but themselves.

"Speech."

Riordan Courte Do whatever you want... Just don't get caught His lips gave way to the smirk he had been holding in as she explained her quarry, quite pleased that his hunch had been correct. "Mikko's not a name I'm familiar with, but I'll keep a lookout - my brother too. Herbs sound like a fine payment. What's he look like, hmm?" A bounty for a bounty of herbs was enough for Riordan to keep an eye out at the very least. She had asked for information, but what was more informative than the man himself? She then introduced herself, and he tucked away her name, hoping he'd actually remember it. She drove the conversation to the season and his living situation, to which he gave a roll of muscled shoulder. "Not really alone when I have my brother. But without a pack - certainly not the first." He gave a heavy sigh, not really having a good explanation for not having a home other than the pair just not getting along with many others. After a moment, he found a phrase he liked, and offered it as clarification. "We don't play well with others." Another smirk, the corner of his mouth curling into a deep grin, as if he was proud of that fact. Of course it did nothing to make the winters any easier, as Shiba had already mentioned - but he wouldn't dare admit that. "And you? Suited to pack life?" Talk talk talk is all you do

SHIBA KLEIN

He confirmed that he’d not encountered her runaway, but she was glad to hear he agreed to keep her in the loop if that fact changed. "I’d say he’s not so different from you. Earthen in color, scarred, and much later than I am. Though I’d say he’s not quite as… Impressive, as my current company." The last words were spoken with a soft purr to her voice. Shiba had always had a thing for large, battle hardened men and the one before her certainly wasn’t unpleasant to look at. Not that she intended for anything to happen, but a little flirting never hurt.

She shrugged at his correction, reminding her that he had his brother. It wasn’t exactly what she meant when she said alone, two loners were still nothing compared to the security a pack provided. Not just in safety, but in resources. She’d been on her own for quite some time, on multiple occasions, and even when Mikko and his sister kept her company she still felt uncomfortable. "Very much so. I’ve tried living the life of a wanderer and it’s not for me." She wasn’t sure what she thought of the comment about him and his brother not playing well with others, but she thought he was doing pretty well so far. Perhaps his brother was more prickly, though. Or maybe she’d just caught him on a good day.

"Speech."