Densely packed snow crunched beneath paws as the lone wolf wandered closer to the freestanding stones set up seemingly at random in the middle of nowhere. The sun overhead was obscured by a blanket of roiling gray clouds, draining some of the color out of the cold world, a hallmark of the daily trend the weather had taken on in this unseasonably long winter. But despite the cold and dreary day, the light shining in the deep teal depths of the wolf's eyes could not be smothered as he came upon the runestones, excitement abound in his gaze. Milo had recently finished up an expedition out in the Forgotten Isle and collected a few trinkets and artifacts from the ruins there. His satchel was currently filled almost to the brim with some of his collectibles. Soon he would have to find somewhere to store them all or start bartering with the nearby packs to allow him the chance to explore the homes they just so happened to make in these glorious ruins. But for now, he had his mind set on a different task... Before they had parted ways, Plague had told him about these runestones and pointed him in the direction of them. Well of course he had to go check them out now! The old ruins of the Lost Species were just as fascinating as the newer ruins, if not more so! It had been a treacherous trek across the snowy tundra that Auster had been reduced to, but eventually he arrived at his destination. The young brute gazed in awe up at the slabs of granite partially concealed in snow and ice, lifting a paw to trace some of the unusual carvings with an oh so delicate touch as if he were an existential threat to the rock. Amazing... Simply incredible...! He grinned to himself while he began a slow circle of the stone, completely enthralled by its mere existence and unaware of anything else in the world. "Speech" | Thoughts

The girl had decided to make a makeshift den near the rune stones. Being small, she'd repurposed an abandoned den from some other creature and spruced it up with some cured hides to make it comfortable. She wasn't sure how long she intended on staying in these parts, but she was determined to explore all Auster had to offer. It helped that the farther south she went the warmer it was. Not that it wasn't still freezing outside, but she much preferred these temperatures opposed to the below frigid temps farther north into Boreas. It was easier to enjoy her travels when her teeth weren't trying to chatter out of her skull. The rune stones had captivated her attention as well the last time she was here. It was hard to move on to another part of Auster when she had yet to discover their purpose. In the end she'd decided to make the trip out to them again today to see if they would reveal their secret to her. The rolling clouds caught her attention as the wolf dog peeked outside her den. It was still quite cold and she involuntarily shivered as she checked to make sure it wasn't going to start snowing again. Shrugging her shoulders, she headed out of the warmth of her den and padded towards the rune stones. To her surprise, it seemed like someone had beat her there. Wariness of strangers wasn't something that she suffered from she she padded lightly up to the brown and black marked male with a grin plastered over her delicate features. "Have they told you any of their secrets yet?" She called out to the distracted wolf. Maybe he knew something about them that she didn't. She certainly wouldn't mind a lesson in what they could be if he was willing to share. "speak."| "You"

Milo had been so enthralled by fascination for these old granite stones that he scarcely realized anyone else was here with him until a sweet, melodic voice greeted him with a question. Brown ears pricked up on top of his head and he turned to face the smaller wolf dog, the surprise evident on his expression, though it quickly melted away into warm enthusiasm. A crooked smile painted his visage, a chuckle rising in his chest while he turned teal eyes back to the intricately carved stones. "No, not yet. But they will," he said with a certainty only a confident amateur or experienced professional could. Milo liked to consider himself somewhere in between the two. Turning back to face the new company he had unintentionally discovered, he took a couple steps back from the stones and towards her, welcoming her with a gesture of his head for her to come examine the runestones as well. "I've never seen anything like them before, but when I heard about their existence, I knew I simply had to see them for myself!" he explained, following the patterns and symbols with excited eyes. "Fascinating, aren't they? It does strike one's curiosity to think about what they might have been used for or what the carvings mean..." Realizing he had jumped right into a bit of a ramble without exchanging the proper pleasantries, Milo blinked in shock at his own rudeness and gave the girl an apologetic smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, forgive my rudeness. I just get so excited about these kinds of discoveries. My name is Milo. Milo Everec." He placed a paw on his chest and tipped his head in a subtle bow to the lovely russet and cream-furred lady. "It's a pleasure, Miss...?" He drifted off, allowing her to fill in the blank for him and end their exchange as strangers. "Speech" | Thoughts

If her smile could have widened any she was positive it would have spread clear past her face. She couldn't help but find some amusement and joy in the fact that she'd startled him. It was like looking at a taller male version of herself. Oftentimes she found herself so absorbed in whatever she was doing at the time that she ignored the world around her in favor of the thing that had captured her interest. He didn't seem to mind her interruption as his surprise soon melted away into a warm greeting smile. Her fluffy tail swished back and forth lazily as he answered. She hadn't expected him to know what the runes were, but she had been hopeful. Despite the disappointment, the smile didn't fall from her face as she glanced back towards the intricately carved rocks. As he moved away to allow her closer she stepped forward as she gazed up at the structures. She found listening to him speak was quite relaxing and soon she was absorbed in the same enthusiasm he felt. She'd met plenty of wolves, but she enjoyed finding another like herself who she could connect with. She allowed him to ramble without interjecting her own thoughts on the matter; although, she could barely contain her own words. It was only by sheer force of will that she remained silent. Her gaze was drawn away from the stones once more as she looked upwards at the other wolf as she apologized to her. Giggling slightly as he bowed his head to her she dipped her own in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you Milo. I'm Antheia Raekan." Now that they had the introductions out of the way and she had a name to put to the face, she turned back to look at the carvings. "The first time I was here I was almost convinced that aliens had made them." She shared her thoughts. "Though I suppose if something had the right paws for it they could have done it." She lifted one of her own paws as if to emphasize her point and placed it on the object in front of her as she traced one of the lines. "speak."| "You"

Milo was exceptionally good at remembering faces and names, so when the smaller canine introduced herself as Antheia Raekan he would remember it. He was also having a hard time placing what she was. Some parts of her were distinctly lupine, but her overall shape seemed like it was trying to be wolflike but wasn't quite there. Perhaps she was a crossbreed of something? Either way, Milo's speculating was cut short when Antheia turned her attention back to the carved rocks, making a passing comment about how she thought they were made by aliens. The tawny brown brute gave a soft laugh and shook his head at the notion. Not quite aliens, but also not entirely far off either! "You're not too far from the truth," he remarked and came back closer to the stones, examining the intricate detailing carved into their surface. "I strongly suspect this is the work of the Lost Species—albeit some very old work of theirs. They would have the capacity to make things like this." Unbeknownst to him, Milo's bushy tail had also begun a slow pendulum-like wag as the enthusiasm for his studies welled up inside him again. It was just impossible for the young wolf to not be excited when he started talking about the Lost Species and their ruins and relics. There was just so much for him to learn! He cast his cool-hued gaze back to the smaller wolf dog while she giggled to herself and studied the runestones as well. "Are you an archaeologist too?" he asked, wondering if she was a kindred spirit in a bubbly, more compact package. "Have you been studying the ruins across Boreas as well? I've only been to a couple so far, but they're fascinating!" He secretly hoped she was; he would love to have something to rave about with her. "Speech" | Thoughts

She eyed him curiously from the corner of her eyes as he laughed and shook his head at her. Her first instinct was to assume that she was wrong and he was laughing at how absurd it sounded. She hadn't given it much thought when she'd said it, but who else could have left such a remarkable thing than something otherworldly? Her gaze fully returned to him as her attention was fully captured by his statement. She wasn't too far from the truth? So her alien theory was close! She listened closely as he explained the lost species and her brows knit together in confusion. Rather than be rude and interrupt, she listened with a kind patience. He obviously had more knowledge than she did on the subject and she was keen to learn more. She wouldn't do that if she tried interrupting him every five seconds like she wanted to. "I'm not necessarily an Archaeologist." She started off. "I do take interest in the strange structures that have been left behind." She explained. "My father sparked my interest really. He told me of a castle in Auster and from there I've just been scouting around to see everything. There's a garden not far from here that has old crumbling foundations and lots of foliage. It's mostly dead now, but I'm sure it's beautiful in the warmer seasons. But I don't think it's nearly as fascinating as these stones." She'd started to go off on a tangent without realizing it. Finally catching it, she grinned at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess that doesn't really answer your question. I suppose I just like seeing everything that I can. I haven't been to Boreas, but if there's more there then I would love to see them." There was one thing about her was that she loved to talk and having found someone entertaining enough to hold an interesting conversation with ... well she could be a bit too much at times. She was often to oblivious to how excitable she could be and her exuberance for the topic at hand was skyrocketing. "speak."| "You"

Antheia began to explain where her interests in the ruins had originated from, and Milo listened with rapt attention to every word. What started as a short story about her childhood soon turned into her giving him locations of other ruins he could look into. Brown ears pricked up alert atop his head at the mention of more ruins, his tail wagging so fast it was almost spinning in a circle. There were even more ruins around here? There was a castle?! The excitement in his expression was palpable, and by the time she had finished her explanation, he was already raring to go check out some of the other locations. "Oh, I can assure you, there are even more of these ruins up in Boreas. I just came from that way about a season ago, actually!" he replied with a grin back at the smaller lupine. Milo turned his attention back to the rocks, running a paw slowly down the nearest one for a final time, an almost wistful look in his teal eyes. "It must've been nice to have your father spark your curiosity so young..." he said. He wondered what that must be like, having parents that supported your passions and interests. But he had long since repressed that regret. There was no time to be depressed, not when there was a whole world waiting to be explored! "I'm trying to go visit every ruin site I can. I want to learn everything about the Lost Species. What they were, why they disappeared, what we can learn from them..." He looked back to Antheia, the corner of his lips curling upward in a small smile. "Have you been to the large ruins on the island to the east yet? It's much more recent than these, and you can find pictures of your 'aliens' in the flesh over there." He was quite enjoying the companionship of Antheia. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and it made him want to continue to talk, to engage her in constant conversation. What sort of things could they glean from one another if given enough time? They were two intellectuals wandering a vast world alone, advancing their knowledge where they could. It wasn't often that Milo got to meet another soul so in step with him, and it was refreshing to say the least. He sincerely hoped that when they inevitably parted, he would meet her again. Antheia was fascinating! "Speech" | Thoughts

Any anxiety she might have felt about talking his ear off quickly disappeared as his tail waved as quickly as a branch whipping around in the wind. In fact, if she had to guess, he seemed as excited about what she had to say as she was. She imagined most wouldn't appreciate her talking their ears off, but he didn't appear to mind at all. He even had his own input to add. It had never really occured to her to travel to Boreas, but after learning that there were more ruins up north she decided to absolutely had to go. "That's so excting! I'll have to go soon, I've never been to Boreas.." She admitted. Of course with so much left ot explore of Auster she was sure she wouldn't be making that trip quite yet. He wasn't the first one to mention an island to the east and she had yet to make the trip there yet either. She had been hoping the weather would ease up before she made any trips. She wanted to be able to gather herbs as she traveled and she didn't want to battle the elements either. It tended to ruin the fun of an adventure if you were forced to be inside to escape a snow storm. "I haven't been to them yet, but I want to go. You're not the first wolf to mention them to me."She explained rapidly. "Would you want to go with me?" She asked hopefully. Of course she'd go by herself, but it would definitely be far more fun with her newfound friend. He could act like a tour guide of sorts if he wanted to. He was far more knowledgeable about such things than she was. "speak."| "You"

Contrary to many of the other wolves he had run across, Antheia did not seem to mind him prattling on about his studies. If anything, she enjoyed the conversation, and even began contributing her own stories to the mix! It was a refreshing change of pace from the others he'd met who would roll their eyes or ignore him or tell him to shut up. Having someone to converse with without feeling like a bother felt nice. Milo was more than a little surprised to hear that Antheia had never been to Boreas. She struck him as such a worldly canine, it would have been easy for him to assume she had seen far more than just the small southern continent by now. But he did suppose even the most worldly of travelers had at least a few places they had never been to. Ah, and was he not one of those travelers? Still so young, with so much left to see? The world was large and vast, and it would take him a lifetime to be able toes it all—a lifetime he was willing to commit to his studies and the pursuit of knowledge. Admittedly, it could be a lonely road to walk though, and Milo was happy for the company of others along the way, even if it was temporary. As if reading his mind, Antheia asked if he would like to go explore the ruins to the west with her. His teal eyes lit up like fireworks and an excited smile took its place across his face. "I would be delighted to accompany you! I haven't spent much time over there, and there's always more to see, especially in a place like that! Ooooh, maybe I can find some more artifacts too!" he exclaimed, bouncing back in the direction of the island, already putting the Runestones behind him and eager to reach the more modern ruins. He couldn't wait to show her how much bigger they were out there! "Come on, I know the way! You're not gonna believe them when you see them!" Milo crunched his way through the snow back towards the northeast of Auster, anxious to show her around the Forgotten Isle and do some more exploring and research himself. The last time he had been there with Plague, the weather had been too nasty and prevented him from doing much poking around. Maybe as the weather improved, they'd be able to see more together. "Speech" | Thoughts