Corbie hadn't expected to find a companion in Auster, yet the quiet little kinkajou who had guided her through the forest had been very interested in joining her and Tam up north. The kinkajou, with her clever little hands, was experienced in textiles and gardening, and was going to help with the sheep in exchange for Corbie's protection and company. She was surprised at how good it felt to be gathering like-minded creatures to her, and made her start to consider plans for the future that she had never considered before. She'd been so caught up in survival that she'd not considered what it meant to be thriving, to be able to share that with others. It had her in a thoughtful mood as she wandered, Ayar's prehensile tail wrapped lightly around her neck from where the kinkajou perched on her shoulders.

Álarr retreated to Auster when his plans fell through yet again. First Fireside disbanded, then when he went to seek out Abaven he found the pack lands abandoned and the scents of its members scattered to the wind suggesting a disbandment instead of a move. Without a set destination he found little reason to stay in the winter conditions of Boreas. The duality of the seasons meant summer in Auster and a chance to search for unknown herbs and arrange a few more experiments.

Still, he couldn't deny the unsettled feeling. He'd been with a pack all his life and now to be on his own felt wrong some how. True, he'd wandered plenty but it was always with the knowledge that he had a home to return to.

He settled down at the base of a great oak for a brief rest and to give Afi some time to hunt. Brynhildr took the moment to rest, her pale head disappearing beneath a wing. Álarr shrugged his pack off his shoulders and started rooting around for a few vials, his head, apart from his horns, disappearing entirely into the bag as he searched.

Corbie was jolted out of her reverie by the sound of movement and the clink of vials. Curiously she glanced around, finally spotting the black-and-white form of a wolf digging around in a bag. Corbie, who had been enjoying the opportunities to be social that had arisen on this journey more than she had thought, altered her course to intersect with him. But she had a moment's pause when she was close enough to see more clearly - was it a wolf? The horns sticking out of the bag put her in sudden doubt, but the giant's body was certainly wolf-shaped despite the horns. "Hello," she called out softly to him, but then said no more because it suddenly occurred to her that she had had no real reason to be drawn to the man except to socialize, and she didn't know how to continue in that vein without sounding... odd.

A soft greeting caught Álarr's attention and he jerked his head up out of the bag, cursing lightly as one of his horns looped through a strap. He bent his head sharply, using his paws to peel the strap off so he could better see who had called out to him, praying he hadn't made to much of an idiot of himself. "Oh, hello there. Sorry, I hope I am not disturbing you. My companions and I were just passing through and opted for a rest and maybe some food." She didn't smell of pack but he knew some loners were very attached to the lands they inhabited and he wasn't looking for trouble.

Corbie swallowed the smile that threatened at the man's undignified exit from the bag, not wanting to embarrass him further. "Oh, not at all," she declaimed, waving away his apology for disturbing her. "I'm only passing through myself. I live in the west, on the plains. I'm only... well, vacationing I guess you would say." The last was said with a faint laugh. She didn't really know what had possessed her to take off on a whirlwind tour of the continent, but she was very glad she did. It had awakened her from a sleepy sort of life of just existing, made her realize that there was more potential and possibilities for her than she had ever imagined. "I'm Corbie. I was just..." Being nosy? Looking for company? Lonely? "Wondering what you were looking for so intently."

Álarr listened politely as the woman explained that she was passing through on something of a vacation. She introduced herself as Corbie then inquired what he'd been doing. "Nice to meet you, Corbie. My name is Álarr. I was just going to pull out some herbs to make tea, possibly a tincture. I guess I hadn't quite decided. I'll probably need to make a fire either way." He glanced at his bag. It was plenty warm in Auster, even beneath the shade but he would enjoy the glow when night fell and many of his healing crafts required its presence. His gaze shifted from the bag and back to Corbie. "Are you familiar with building fires?" He was always interested in learning new, more efficient methods.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alarr," she said, sincerely. He spoke about having wanted to make some tea, but needed to build a fire. "I'm afraid I didn't think to bring any supplies with me." She sighed. Her decision to travel light had had some consequences already so far this trip - this was just another one. "I didn't bring much thinking I would travel faster and return home sooner. I have sheep getting ready to lamb soon, but this was the only time I could reasonably travel, I'm afraid. Usually I use a chunk of flint with a strap on it to strike an iron chunk. What method do you usually use?" She was curious.