It was almost the twilight hours. Edelweiss stepped until she could not any longer. Finally settling for the night, she began to scout the Orchard for a suitable place to rest. There were wide open spaces between each tree, with rotted fruit under the snow she could smell. Her nose twitched at the rancid yet citrus scent. The silvery girl closed the distance easily, her long legs carrying her forward. She stopped near the centre of the location.

Her eyes flickered over the location.

They took in the scene, the still of winter. Between two roots, she would be safe and warm. She began to settle at the base of the fruit tree before she paused. Just as she bundled herself, movement caught her eye. But the girl didn't flinch. She watched as the white shape came closer and closer. Did they see her? Or were they just passing by? It wouldn't matter in the end. He would eventually. Because she was not moving from her spot.

It was a good and acceptable place to sleep. Perhaps if he was kind, she would consider sharing. Edelweiss didn't need nor want trouble, but she'd snarl all the same if someone backed her into a corner. It was nature, after all, to defend oneself from trouble.

"Speech"

Now that he was a year old, he had taken to adventuring a bit more outside of the borders. When Recluse took to her own nightly scouting events, Ghoul took it upon himself to explore the surrounding areas as well. If he hoped to one day be able to take the heir position from his older sister, he had to be well versed in the lands of Boreas. They were short trips typically and this time, he had wandered a bit too far to make it back sooner than a day. Having left his trio of caimans back at home to help protect while he was gone, he felt the ease of loneliness begin to seep in.

Sleep dusted the corners of his eyes as the yearling searched for a place to rest. He would have to explain to his mother that he simply needed a nap before returning back home. Distracted and not exactly paying attention, he didn't see the girl bundled up between the roots. Maybe it was the overwhelming scent of rotting fruit that had masked her location. Or the blinding dazzle of the setting sun behind him. Either way, his large and growing paws stopped in their tracks as his ruby gaze looked her over.

She was staring right at him as if she had been waiting for him. If it had been any other day, he would have simply walked on and let her be. But as twilight began to turn into night and the chill in the air drew tighter around him, Ghoul knew he couldn't keep going on. Flicking his ears back for a moment, he considered what he should do. The girl wasn't small by any means, not much smaller than him actually, so it wouldn't be useful to play the let me keep you warm card. Another moment to consider his options before he landed on one and took a few more steps closer to her.

"Got room for two in there?" He asked with a bit of a shy smile and a few wags of his deer-like tail.

"Ghoul"

She regards him calmly, but openly. A slight twitch of her ebony nose, deeming him a pack wolf by smell alone. The scent of many wolves were on his coat. A bold female, she was not. Clever, true, but not easily suspicious. Her hooded eyes eventually dropped and she settled by herself to the earth. "Go ahead." She at least gave her permission for him to stay around.

Two sets of eyes were better than one. Edelweiss had no squeamish nature; she had curled up with her adopted siblings without a fuss. The family unit had been more or less her home, despite being adopted into the brood. If she started to become shy about curling up with strangers, she'd get nowhere in life. Sometimes, it helps with survival. Like right now. It was far too cold alone.

Even if her coat was thicker than most. Edelweiss curled up with her left side open for another wolf. She stared across the Orchid, silent. If he chose to speak she would answer, but she was not very talkative without a focus.

"Speech"

There was a half-second flicker of surprise across his face as she agreed to let him stay. Her boldness to not even request his name or anything about him made him all the more curious about her. What if he was a murderer? Sometimes he was, but not of wolves, just innocent prey. There's a difference. Tonight, he supposed, would be her lucky night, for all he wanted was a good sleep before moving on back home. It didn't hurt that her own pale grey coat was pretty to look at as well.

Recovering from his surprise, he stepped forward and found himself some room on her left side. Tucked neatly in between the two roots with her, he let his chin rest on his shoulder so he could get a better look at her. They appeared about the same age and her eyes had a nice shade about them as if they were two moons staring out into the sky. Letting out a sigh, he turned his chin slightly out toward the orchard so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable by his ruby stare.

Flickering his gaze around the shadows of the barren trees, it reminded him of home and put his heart at ease. "Do you travel or is this where you reside?" He murmured quietly so as not to disturb the whole forest around them.

"Ghoul"

He would have a question. Of course, it was natural to question strangers. While whatever rank he held had no power in the wilds, beyond his pack, she also had no reason to reply to anything. The lad looked away before he spoke, his red gaze shifting around them. Maybe he was self conscious. "You can look at me" she would state, blunt and not unkind; she preferred wolves looking at her. They were all the same 'rank' outside packs. All the same species "or am I unsightly?"

It was hard to tell if she was asking or joking. Her tune was difficult to read, not hear. It was lyrical and quiet at the same time. A hint of girlishness, due to her age. "I only stopped for the night" she replied to his question, however "I have just arrived in this land, so I do not have a permanent location." She would shrug lightly if able, if not curled all up. She wanted to ask why or if he was just making conversation. If it was the latter, she felt it best to remain silent and let him ask his questions.

"Speech"

Ghoul's cheeks flushed. It wasn't her bluntness that caught him off guard. No, it was the fact that she was okay with him staring at her. Choosing not to respond, instead, he shifted his face back over toward his shoulder so he could meet her gaze. Letting his ruby eyes flicker over her form felt odd. There weren't many non-family member females within the pack so his social skills weren't quite on par with where they should be. Not that he really cared entirely. Their interaction appeared to be going well anyway. And she was indeed nice to look at so he wasn't exactly complaining either.

A low hum vibrated in his throat as he thought about her next words. Where did she come from if she was new to Boreas? How did that even work? As far as he knew, the island was surrounded by water for as far as the eye could see. At least, that's what he'd been told. Tempted to ask, he swished around the thought before disregarding it. Maybe a topic for another time. "I am just starting to explore more myself," Ghoul couldn't think of what else to say. Not wanting to pry too much, but also not wanting to leave the space silent between them, he let out a sigh.

"Ghoul"

She did not know the custom of pack wolves. She didn't know that pups were not allowed outside. She assumed the mothers took them with them to do everything, including hunting. Was that not better, anyway? The children would learn skills from watching their mother, and the mother knew where they were at all times. Edelweiss kept her thoughts to herself though.

The girl knew that things were different here. For many, many reasons. "Where have you explored?" she held his gaze, unflinching and not really caring if he was flustered or not. Edelweiss didn't know anyway, but would she care? Not really. She could not control another's emotions any more than their actions. There was just no use dwelling on such things.

And she hadn't really considered giving her name out yet. Not unless asked directly. The conversation seemed to be in the small start of something, so she didn't waste time over names.

"Speech"

After her approval that it was okay for him to look at her, he held her gaze back. Barely allowing his ruby gaze to blink at all, he enjoyed the color of her eyes. Ignoring the stirring in his stomach as a feeling of hunger from a long day's trek, he took a moment of silence to think about her question. Unlike a lot of wolves, Ghoul preferred to take his time thinking of what he was going to say. Long stretches of silence before he spoke were not uncommon. Emotions got in the way if one was too hasty.

"I know my pack lands like the back of my paw. Our dens reside on the only volcano on Boreas and our private hunting grounds is a large grove at the base of the mountain. Past that, I have gone slightly north to the Battlefield where wolves go to seek spars. I have gone the north on the other side of the great mountain to Firefly Lake which is a lovely area if you go during the summer. I have gone south to the Tall Grass Plains to hunt and the furthest south I have been is Fern Gulley for a festival," the boy let out a whoosh of air. It was the most words he had ever strung along at one time. Waiting a moment to see her reaction, he let his eyes flutter closed before returning his gaze back to her.

"And you?" Ghoul returns the question, genuinely curious if she had been to other places he had not been.

"Ghoul"

She listened as he spoke.

It was confirmed that he had been to many places. Her eyes sparkled with thought, the inside of her mind attempting to paint the picture for her. The lad spoke of a festival, hunting and fighting. Of course. He was young, after all. Of course he would focus on activities over subtle travelling. He directed the question back to her. She paused briefly.

Edelweiss stared at his ruby gaze, unflinching as she began to speak. "To the east, I had come upon a wolf by the falls" she recalled Gimli and Knut "then I had gone south, to where we are now" She broke his gaze, gazing around the location once before returning "I have not gone far. Prey has been decent, despite the season. This world is bountiful and vast." Full of different ecosystems.

Daresay, almost beautiful. "What of this festival? Was it in honour of a deity or thrown due to the season?" Various calls for social gatherings existed.

"Speech"
met wolf (ghoul)

His own gaze lingered on her, unbroken. Even as he felt a weird hiccup in his chest, he chose to ignore it. The quiet and calm lull of her voice was enough to ease whatever began to tingle within his stomach. Ghoul listened to her words and nodded slightly to signal that he understood. Surprised that she was so young and had not yet traveled that far around Boreas, he wondered again where she originally came from. If she wasn't born here upon Boreas, then where? Were there really realms outside of his own?

Drawn back to their conversation as her gaze returned to him, he felt his lips stretch into an awkward expression. "I would suppose you could say it was due to the season," he answered simply. If the "Love Day Celebration" wasn't common outside of Boreas, it would be hard for him to explain. Realistically, he'd only gone because mother had allowed him and his siblings to go. "Once a year, coydogs go to the gulley to host a festival celebrating love," the boy added it on because he felt it necessary. Not that he had anyone to celebrate love with other than his family, but he knew that there was a different type of love others experienced outside of that. "Maybe we can go together next year," Ghoul offered with a shrug of his shoulders, not quite understanding what he really was offering.

"Ghoul"

Ah. So there was more to it than a seasonal festival. Spring brought many wonders to it, along with a tournament. Deciding champions and such. Though the boy did say it was for love - strange that a tournament was aligned with such a thing! Edelweiss assumed it was because the wolves here wished to exercise before traveling to find partners. Even within packs, it could be difficult to find a suitable mate. Especially since most were already related to each other.

"What sort of tournament? A race? A fight?" she was quietly eager to learn all she could before his question caught her off guard. Edelweiss blinked at him before answering, missing social cues as per usual "are there no other festivals closer to this season?" Winter was perhaps one of her favorite times. She felt it was quite odd not to have an event during it to keep warm and friendly "if there are, I could go."

She didn't know what she'd be doing in spring other than practicing skills and traveling. She may not see the lad again.

"Speech"

He was once more curious by her excitement at the idea of a tournament. Was she also a fighter? That would only make things more interesting. Smiling, he nodded his chin against his thigh. "Yes, a fighting tournament," he murmured in response. Blinking his own ruby eyes a few times, he wondered if he would ever see her again. Ghoul nearly didn't answer at first due to the distraction. Clearing his throat as he realized she had asked another question, he glanced at her sheepishly. "Festivals and tournaments happen all the time. Lots of packs host activities for everyone as well if the other creatures in the land don't," Ghoul paused as he thought some more. "There usually isn't a lot of winter festivals unless the packs in Auster do something," his shoulders shrug as he too missed the cues. "Maybe we will see each other at the next one," the boy's voice is hopeful as he looks her over.

"Ghoul"

A fighting tournament, after all. She gazed curiously at him. "Did you do well?" she asked the boy before she realized something. Something important. They hadn't introduced themselves. Moving past the talk of tournaments, festivals, and events... Even packs. She breezed by. "it would be difficult to meet up again if we do not know each other's titles." Ever formal, she mentioned this briskly but with purpose.

"Edelweiss" she shifted slightly in the snow, her tail tapping her front paws to gesture "and, you are?" Strange how she could carry a conversation and not know. It was very strange indeed, for she usually introduced herself right away. Edelweiss stared openly at the lad, waiting. He seemed quite certain he wanted to meet her again, but why? Perhaps he had no friends his own age... Or perhaps he was tired of his family. She could only guess, in the end.

"Speech"

He was about to respond when her face lit up. She mentioned that they didn't even know each other's names. Feeling silly, he wondered how that had transpired? Willing to share a cozy space in a nest of roots, but unwilling to share their titles? Ghoul nearly laughed as he nodded, his own tail flicking back and forth a few times. Edelweiss. It was a pretty name, he liked it. Maybe she'd be okay with him calling her Edel. "Ghoul," he replied with an impish smile. True to his title, in the dead of night, with the light of the moon upon him, one might believe him to be a ghoul. His blended pinkish-white coat was almost ethereal at times, but nothing compared to the ghostly white of his mother. "Does Edelweiss mean anything?" The boy asks curiously as his ruby gaze lingers on hers.

"Yes." Ghoul. Somehow, it fits him. But he asks what her name means and she does not pause. Edelweiss is an uncommon name at best, and she knows many more will have this question before her life ends. She does not shrug or play this off. She accepted this as a fact long ago when her mother gifted her the title. Her own question was lost in the wind. "Noble White." Edelweiss repeats what her mother had told her. Her mostly thick arctic coat was a splash of white and grey. She knows what Ghoul means. There is no question for him regarding that. Why did his mother name him Ghoul? She did not know. She could not know, and frankly, she did not care. It suited him, regardless of the reason. "Edelweiss is also a flower." Found in the alpine regions. A singular hardy plant against the snow. Untouched but also not very outgoing. It suited her too, she supposed, much more than the name meaning. "she speaks"

Maybe one day she would find out why he was named Ghoul. Really, no particular reason, only that his mother preferred creepy and haunting names. He looked her over once more with those ruby eyes as she explained the reasoning behind her name. Oddly enough, it fit her. From the moon-shaped marking on her forehead to the way her thick coat draped over her form. "Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, Edelweiss," he spoke softly as a yawn slipped from his lips. Lowering his chin to rest on his shoulder, he blinked a few times. "Maybe we should sleep and tomorrow I can show you around," Ghoul's voice is quiet as he hides another yawn. Or they would go their separate ways. Whatever she wanted...

There was a slight ghost of a smile. Her head gave a quiet dip as her mind began to lull to sleep. They had stayed up and chatted like old hens, but now it was time to rest. She had traveled so far, so long... Maybe this place would be a final home for her. Edelweiss stifled a yawn as she drifted, letting her head fall back. With Ghoul close by, she slept. It felt strange at first, to allow herself a vulnerable moment with a near stranger. But he had been kind. Eventually, his breathing became normal for her, and she fell deeply asleep. Weariness set in. She entered the realm of dreams, but could not remember what she dreamt of. /end "she speaks"