Up, down, up, down went the dry, browning knolls and with each new incline Royale found himself increasingly more disgruntled. The days had already begun to shorten, taking with it the sunlight as autumn?s vibrant displays darkened under winter?s obvious encroachment. It was only a matter of time before they saw the first flurries of snow and the young wolf was beginning to see where his lackadaisical attitude had gotten him in the past four months. Nowhere, that?s where. He?d been traipsing across the countryside with nothing more than a vague concept motivating his journey. Looking for an established back wasn?t particularly hard; everybody marked their lands accordingly and with perturbing frequency. No, it wasn?t the locating part that was resulting in his current dilemma as a wandering vagabond ? it was him. Loathe though he was to admit his own folly and lacking set of priorities, Royale had let himself get distracted by?well, everything. If he wasn?t terrorizing the local wild life he was running across the hilltops ? much like he was doing now actually ? taking in the sights, convincing himself that he?d settle his business tomorrow. Except every tomorrow ended up being identical to the day before, and the one before that?and the one before that?Did he mention he wasn't very good at setting his priorities? The lanky runner broke over the crest of the final plateau, lips skewed in an uncustomary frown as he surveyed his current location with heavy scrutiny. He?d have bet his lunch (had he any to speak of) that this was the direction where he?d scented recent activity but from the looks of it the only action to be had here happened decades ago. The ruins were coated in a generous layering of dust, walls crumbled against one another and any manner of structural achievement was weatherworn and sanded away. Watery blue eyes darkened in consternation, why had he waited so long! Now he wasn?t even sure which way to turn and by the looks of the darkening skies rain wasn?t too far off from breaking over the steppe. ?Juuust wonderful?? He grunted, exasperated by his own poor scheduling and loping glumly into the shadow of the tilted buildings. Being lost and hungry he could deal with, but having to be wet on top of that would really bring the mode in. Speech,

ooc: I didn't see a name so assumed it was AW, sorry if I'm mistaken!

Though she was a rather sensible wolf most of the time, it seemed rather obvious in some ways that Emer hadn't needed to deal with any real responsibility before. You had to give her some credit and admit that she had clearly done a pretty good job at keeping herself alive, although she was certainly a little thinner than she had once been, she was still completely healthy. The problem here wasn't therefore looking after herself but more in actually planning her next steps. The poor girl had no clue what to do with herself aside from keeping going, all she needed was that good plan and she would likely be able to see it through, but the autumnal coloured female was at a bit of a loss with herself. Back as the leaves were starting to fall she had decided she couldn't return home before winter, and so this aimless wandering simply continued. She had certainly covered a fair amount of land now in her travels, but then she hadn't really let herself stop aside from to rest. It was all certainly rather fascinating to explore the different areas, and if that alone was her goal she was definitely achieving it. Unfortunately though, she would be lying if she tried to claim that this was her ambition, these days she lacked any motivation for anything besides staying alive. The typical thing for a rogue to do would be to join a pack, though Emer couldn't decide if she would rather go home at some point, or settle here. Although she had explored the unclaimed areas, she knew nothing of the various packs in Alacritis. Emer had her next step planned out though, whilst it was only a tiny one, nothing that was likely to seriously change her life she did have something in mind; shelter. The sky was certainly looking rather unsavoury today and she certainly thought it would be better to find some shelter sooner rather than later. Whilst she wasn't scared of a little bit of rain, knowing full well it wasn't going to hurt her, she didn't much fancy having to sleep out in it later and she had a suspicion that the weather wasn't going to be too kind and simply call off the clouds after a small shower. Now the dainty girl found herself outside the battered ruins, they had most certainly seen better days though this derelict state that nature had brought upon it likely seemed far more welcoming to animals than the building that had once stood there. Emer of course knew nothing of it's once glorious state, and as she began to pass the crumbled walls, simply hoped to find some form of shelter in these strange open caverns. The air was quiet, and having travelled in a different direction, for a few more precious moments, Emer would believe herself to be quite alone here.

Emer was not alone in the presumed state of solitude. Royale?s thoughts trickled haphazardly over an amalgamation of theories as to what these remnants of civilization may have been once upon a time. What manner of beast would have found it necessary to construct such structures ? or better yet what became of its creators? He couldn?t begin to fathom what sort of society had existed within these peculiar hovels. Any evidence of its former occupants had long since been scattered, purged by time and scavengers alike until it was picked clean. With nothing but the crumbling carcass to behold it was a wonder that others, loners especially, hadn?t flocked to the makeshift shelters that could be found beneath the crooked stone walls. While he perused the strangely fascinating ruins for further clues of its heritage, the blue-eyed canid jerked violently as a flash of lightning sparked overhead. Oh, right. Royale shot the dark clouds a scornful look but his musing had been successfully derailed by the remainder of the weathers lack of cooperation. All the better too, a quick sniff quickly informed him that his supposed aloneness was not longer the case. The aroma that flitted past his nostrils did not register as one belonging to the few territories marked by the established residents of Alacritis. It harbored the same earthy musk that he presently carried but with a softer undertone that illustrated its originator as female. The sky gave another guttural thrum, the darkening landscape signaling his need to seek out proper accommodations but curiosity won out (was there any doubt?) over necessity and he began tracking it though the sandstone heaps. Paths that hadn?t seen more than the occasional wayfarer were strewn with rubble, the debris proving difficult to navigate a clear route which Royale eventually resigned to clambering over with all the grace of a bloated rodent. He stumbled as he discovered a worthy perk on a somewhat intact structure, its ceiling only partially caved in allowing him to peer inside the vacant dwelling and deem it reasonably safe for entry. An affirming nod and he once again cast his attention to the streets where his eyes singled out the rover from the stretching shadows. Head cocked to the side Royale observed her movements, acknowledging her lack of injury ? something that occurred quite frequently to rogues such as themselves ? and her passably healthy physique. ?You don?t look like you?re from around here.? Not that he was either but she didn?t have to know that. ?Looking for something?? Speech,

The wind began to pick up slightly, and Emer pressed on, unaware of the fact it had now began to carry her scent downwind to another wolf with similar intentions to her own. Still oblivious to the presence of the fellow rogue, she continued without hesitance, to find somewhere to shelter for a while. Had the situation been reversed and Emer been the one to scent the other wolf, it may have been a rather difficult choice for her, between braving the stranger and braving the storm. In some way, it was rather fortunate then that she was to have no say in this decision. A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, its sudden flash momentarily startling Emer who certainly hadn't been expecting it quite so soon, she had settled once more by the time the deep rumble of thunder followed shortly afterwards, simply realising that perhaps the storm was going to reach her earlier than she had anticipated. At least now she was so close to finding some form of shelter, she simply needed to navigate around these ruins and find a part that hadn't entirely caved in upon itself. Maybe she hadn't entirely calmed from the lightning, but the sudden realisation that she wasn't alone probably startled her a little more than it should have done. Waiting out the storm with a wolf she knew nothing about was certainly a bit of a troubling thought, even if she didn't yet know for certain that he was staying, leaving however didn't seem like a particularly welcome thought either as the first few drops of rain began to fall. ?You don?t look like you?re from around here. Looking for something?? His words certainly didn't fill Emer with too much confidence, they didn't sound threatening though equally it was hardly a warm welcome. It was rather likely however that her own cautious behaviour was making the earthen-hued male seem far more dangerous than he was. She reasoned that he certainly didn't look threatening and tried to remain calm. "I'm not. I just wanted to find some shelter."

Such few words had never expressed so much. Well, maybe that was exaggerating things a tad; Roy hadn?t really learned much of anything from the dame?s concise answer in actuality. Had he been a lesser man he might?ve attributed her curt reply as a bid to distance herself from the situation or possibly fearful of his company if she broadcasted too much. The thought of the autumnal-colored female being intimidated by him resulted in a snigger of disbelief before the idea was brushed aside in favor of conversation. Standing tall Roy beamed, eyes narrowing to crescents from the width of his smile. ?Well my dear you?ve come to the right place ? or at least the only place within the next ten or so kilometers!? Paws scraped against the sandstone as he hopped from his vantage point onto another slanted stone slab that rumbled ominously with the additional weight of the boisterous youth who paid it no mind. ?Names Royale, call me Roy cause it sounds really pompous otherwise.? He chirped, wagging with obvious delight. ?Introductions might have to wait though, not sure how much longer this storm?s gonna hold out ya know? Hey!? The quick chattering ended with the wolf sharply turning around, back to the structure he?d already claimed as a possible hideaway. ?If you want you can bunk with me until it passes? I mean, you?re welcome to find your own hole or whatever but you?d have to chance getting wet while you do so.? Speech,

Perhaps their similar sizes meant neither really ought to feel intimidated by the other, and yet despite knowing even her own brothers were larger than the male before her, Emer still found herself ever so cautious. None had ever given her a reason to be quite so wary, she had met a few slightly odd characters on her travels though none had been dangerous. She certainly wasn't about to become too confident and assume that meant she'd be safe with every wolf however, clearly given her view upon this male at the moment. The lack of words on the other hand didn't necessarily relate directly to her nerves, quiet was something that had always come naturally to her. With a friendly smile crossing his face, Emer did feel herself relax a little more. There hadn't really been any sign of a threat and now this cheery behaviour certainly suggested she was in no sign of danger at the moment. At his words, she found herself smiling back a little, though it faded as she took a wary step back upon his landing on the shaky stone. Not worried about his leap down, though instead that at any moment he might come crashing down, and although already a safe enough distance, apparently there was still a reaction that warned her to keep clear of the possible danger. The smile soon returned however as he began his chatty introduction, his behaviour certainly helping her feel a little more at ease. Whilst she had certainly grown used to the life of a loner, it seemed foolish to deny such friendly company for a little while and perhaps even a little rude to outright deny Roy's hospitality, even if the scents suggested this space was new to him as well. Now closing the distance to join Roy she gave a nod of her head in response. "Alright, thank you." She answered politely. "I'm Emer by the way."

She?d said yes! She wasn?t going to leave and that made Roy rather pleased. He wasn?t going to have to be by himself! Not that there was anything particularly wrong with being by himself of course. It just got awfully lonesome when there wasn?t anybody around and had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was afraid of lightning. Nope. Not at all, why would anyone come to such a preposterous conclusion? Were those storm clouds always that close? Ignoring that nagging concern, it took all of his concentration not to start dancing from his excitement. As it was his excess of energy caused the male to twitch amusingly and all but vibrate with happiness. ?This is going to be so totally crash! I promise you won?t regret it! I mean I know I can get a little overbearing with how much I talk but I?ll tone it down if it bugs you. Definitely don?t wanna bug you but hey, if you like to chat we can so pass the time and do that whole ?getting to know one another? thing. Last time I tried to with another rogue I ended up being pretty moded though. He so wasn't feeling the aster.? Realizing he had gone off on one of his tangents Royale sheepishly closed his mouth and shifted toward the mostly intact structure. ?Hehe, like I said, chatty. Speedsters like me get like that sometimes. But it?s nice to meet you Emer! Can?t say that I?ve met many female rogues, I?m thinking you?re all too smart to leave your packs right before winter. Wish I?d thought of that before running off.? He bounded into the building and swiftly took in his new surroundings with hopeless wonder. He?d never come across such strange monuments before but they were certainly convenient if nothing else. Maybe he really would turn this into a secret base and possibly invite others. He could have his own little gang! A band of misfits, wolves who didn?t quite fit anywhere! Perking up it was hard to sit still and suddenly the space seemed much too confined for his liking. He really wished he could go running now but right on cue thunder ruptured the quiet and he stood rigidly in place. No way was he going out there. ?Sooo~ Emer, what brings you way out here? Can?t be for the view, though I am pretty good looking if I do say so myself.? Roy prompted with a cheeky grin, eyes alight with mischief. Speech,

Emer was certainly glad she had made that choice as Roy suddenly grew rather excited, guessing that the alternate reaction had she said no probably would have made her feel incredibly guilty. The happiness was all to clear though, and instead the emotion spread and brought a smile to her features, one that she tried to keep in place as the chatter came, bringing with it a few words that didn't quite sound right. Crash for instance wasn't particularly good, and yet in the way he spoke she assumed he meant fun. Sheepishly he began to make his way inside the shelter and shifting her concentration from the slightly confusing words, Emer made her way to follow him. "No, we're just as capable of making foolish decisions." She responded, correcting his view that females were too smart. After all she would have planned out what she was going to do long before the winter brought her pressure to act quickly which certainly wasn't making this any easier at all. For now though she didn't wish to think about what on earth was her next step, but simply enjoy the company she had for a little while. "I've been wandering since Spring now, just haven't really gotten any sort of plan together." She explained her own situation to him. Emer cast her own little glance around the place as she followed Royale inside. It would certainly do the job for them until the storm quietened down, something that didn't look like it'd be happening very soon as another rumble of thunder sounded outside. Her own thoughts certainly weren't on what else could possibly be done with the place, like most of her dens she saw this as a temporary place, especially as there was no way she could claim this particular one as her own given that Royale had found it first. Perhaps fortunately for the talkative male, she had missed his momentary freeze at the sound of the thunder only shifting her gaze back to him as he had regained his composure and spoken to her once again. His cheeky words momentarily shocked her for a moment, certainly not have expected the moment of vanity, even if only in play. It did however bring a slightly bashful smile as she began to answer the question. "I've no idea where I'm going really. Just sort of happened upon this place." She responded, once more showing that females were indeed capable of not planning. She assumed that perhaps Roy was in a similar position as her given his earlier statement though she thought it polite to ask and let him answer anyway. "What brings you here then?"

Although she denied that females were the smarter sex Royale was quick to disagree ? albeit it went wisely unvoiced. No need to argue with pleasant company right? It was a matter of experience over mere opinion. All the women he had ever encountered were intelligent and crafty vixens that made his head spin with every word and gesture. He was thoroughly convinced that they weren?t as prone to the stupidity that plagued his own gender. They didn?t get into skirmishes over every little thing nor did they appear inclined to be unnecessarily aggressive or feel the need to be the dominant party in most situations. Not like the few males he?d had the ?pleasure? of meeting in recent days. Roy beamed, listening intently as she explained her sudden appearance in the province, her lack of planning ? to which he could sympathize ? and the duration in which she had spent wandering the continent. His grin widened as she turned the question back on him and the boy was quick to take a languorous pose, looking as nonchalant as possible in the fact that he was very much in the same boat. ?Well, I?ve been here only since summer, figured the best chance to join a pack would be when they weren?t worried about food shortages and extra mouths, ya know?? It had been a solid plan. He just wished he?d followed through with parts B and C instead of taking the detour through D, E, and F. The russet speedster flopped onto his side and rolled lazily onto his back, presenting his pitch back belly to the ceiling as he hummed thoughtfully. ?Things had been going well until I just?stopped doing stuff. Okay, I didn?t stop doing stuff. I was doing stuff but just not the stuff I was supposed to be doing. I kinda figured?I had the time. That getting into a pack wasn?t an immediate worry.? He continued, brows scrunching together in thought. ?And then summer turned to fall and I was too pressed for time to actually go scouting the packs and well,? He stretched his forepaws toward the ceiling. ?I ended up here.? Speech,

Should he have voiced such opinions it was of course still rather unlikely that the conversation would find itself diverging into an argument, Emer would have been far more likely to point out perhaps he was simply meeting the best and worst of the females and males equally and left it at that. Of course it was hardly a serious topic though anyway, getting into some sort of fuss about it was rather ridiculous. They appeared to both be in agreement on that fact at least, neither making a further comment on the mental capacities of males and females. They were just equals in her opinion, both in rank and state of mind it seemed. Of course whilst the may have been equals, their personalities were still vastly different. Whilst practically the same question had been voiced each time, Emer's had been considerably shorter than the response that Royale now gave. The various details continued, even having the time to adjust his position to one that certainly suggested he was rather comfortable here now, whilst Emer merely lay herself down on her stomach, in what was a far more respectable manner really. "I know what you mean." She voiced, Royale's incredibly detailed answer indeed confirmed that they were as messed up as each other. And he honestly still felt that females were smarter? "I'm starting to think a pack may have been an issue I should have paid more attention to a lot earlier on." Perhaps the longest statement she had voiced so far, though she found she was oddly at ease. Royale certainly didn't seem a threat to her, he was very friendly and clearly relaxed himself. And the fact that they were so similar, at least in life, was a comforting realisation that she wasn't quite so alone; there was at least one other idiot in the world making the same foolish choices.