She was returning from Obsidian Beach back to Auster when it happened. Her little adventure with Modesty and her kids, well two of them were and the third wasn't, but anyway. Rheum was trying to take a quick way home when she noticed the snow begin to fall a little heavier. Not wanting to get caught in a storm, she headed straight for Faller's Fjord. Having only been through this way once before, she knew it could be dangerous. Steep banks gave way to a valley with a stream at the bottom. Even though the temperature was dropping as the day wore on, she could feel her throat get parched.

Knowing she had to stop for a drink of water soon, Rheum hesitated. Looking down the slope at the creek below, she wasn't sure if it would be safe. Getting down wouldn't be the problem, it would be getting back up. Continuing along the top of the ridge, small shivers rustling her coat, the young girl couldn't deny her thirst any longer. Her bright yellow eyes looked for a somewhat safe path down. A thin trail riddled with rocks was barely seen under the snow cover. Glad to have traversed narrow paths before, Rheum began to make her way toward the bottom of the fjord. When she was nearly there, a rather slippery rock caught her off guard. Stumbling, her front left ankle twists and she slides there rest of the way down to the creek.

Letting out a whimper as she sits next to the chilly water, she hopes someone will come by soon.

Rheum Genji-Archer

The winters in Boreas, even closer to the southern region, were nothing to be trifled with. The gentle snowfalls and light downcasts could easily pile up, creating frozen mountains of the stuff in as little as a few hours. Having grown up on the charcoal beaches of his home, Rexx couldn’t say he’d quite experienced a winter’s snowy wrath..yet. The more experience he got traveling the continent and bracing himself against the elements would make him all the mlre adapted to anything thrown his way. Or perhaps that was his own hubris talking; not much of a shocker considering the ego his father possessed. He thought highly of himself, placing himself upon a golden pedestal, and it was that sheer confidence that drove him from the serene Pirate beaches towards the fjord. Definitely a coincidence, and definitely not because he was suspicious about his brother and sisters’ absences as of late. Apparently they had been traveling..without him? Something didn’t add up. The burly, tusked yearling - still growing into his large paws and awkwardly tufted adult coat, he bristled against the rising winds and swsths of snow, but was otherwise unbothered. His pelt was thick enough to keep him comfortable, though if he didn’t hurry out of this rough stormy patch soon he’d be swallowed up in the tempest. It didn’t take long for him to reach the edge of the rocky ravine, and suddenly he heard the whine of a creature down below. Ears perked, his eyes narrowed as he picked his way gingerly down the rocky, and rather perilous trail. It was unsuitable for traversing, but it was his only option to get closer to the source of the whines. The source became clearer, an unfamiliar scent reaching his nostrils as he approached a young she-wolf cloaked in magenta and coral hues. Rexx furrowed his brow, bracing himself against another frosty blast of wind. ”Hey, you good? Y’know this isn’t a great place to hang out right now,” Rexx said to her, tilting his head as a slight grin tugged the edge of his tusked lips. ”Can ya get up?” Maybe she had fallen? Hurt her leg? He didn’t see a bone sticking out though - which was his only knowledge of anything first aid related. No bone, no break, right? "speech"

Minutes pass and Rheum begins to wonder if she will have to limp all the way back home. Testing it by gingerly pressing it against the snow-covered ground, she winces. Thankfully it isn't broken but it's twisted enough that she's not sure if she can put weight on it. So she sits, shivering in the cold, whimpering like a weakling as she hopes some knight in shining armor will come save her. It is silly of Rheum to think that, but not terribly long someone does come along.

A pirate in... tusked glory? Her gaze quickly moves to the sound of someone scrambling down the embankment. He looks to be about her age but much burlier and donning a few more mutations than she did. Well, Rheum didn't have any. Compared to her siblings, she was "normal." Either way, she hoped the guy approaching her was nice and going to offer help. If he wasn't, she might actually be in trouble. Trying to hide the fact that she was freezing as she grit her teeth together, she huddled in on herself to try and appear smaller. If she wasn't a threat he wouldn't hurt her, right?

In fact, he didn't. Instead, Rheum met his furrowed brow with a frown of her own. "Oi, You don't say," she spits out in sarcastic Japanese before remembering she's not within the bamboo. Letting out a sigh, Rheum looks down to her twisted ankle. "Apologies, jus' in some bit o' pain. Nah sure if I can,"her accent switches effortlessly as her common tongue matches that of her mother. "Can ye help?" Rheum looks back up with her wide yellow eyes as she lightly lifts her paw as if to say "I'm useless."

anything in italics is japanese

Rexx tilted his head as the mysterious purple girl curled inward, seemingly making herself smaller. Did he really seem so scary to others? Perhaps he did - it was something he took pride in, after all, to be seen as intimidating and dangerous. However, despite all the traits he'd gotten from his father in particular, he also wasn't always a bully. He was actually quite gentlmanly when need be, as in this situation. The poor gal hurt her paw - she was essentially helpless, whether she admitted that or not. Rexx would be as cordial as could be, and hopefully help her out if she so allowed him. She proceeded to murmur something in a strange language, and the burly calico furrowed his brow in clear confusion. She then corrected herself, apologizing as she looked down at the paw that appeared a bit swollen compared to the others. Not that Rexx was anything close to a healer, but he wasn't going to let her succumb to the flurries that continuously rained down upon them. He glanced about, noticing a small cave close to the Fjord's stony cliffs. It was obscured by foliage and just barely visible, but as Rexx squinted through the snowfall he had an idea. "Don't worry about it, I can help!" He said confidently, his nub tail offering an eager wag. He aimed to lower himself towards her side, adding, "Here, uh..you can lean against me if you need to. There's a cave just a little ways away. I can get us there and we can wait for the storm to pass - then we can get ya home!" He grinned, hoping he wasn't looking all too threatening now. Sure, his tusks were formidable and sharp, his crystal spines were a clear cut warning of his capabilities (and why he couldn't roll over like a normal wolf, so sleeping on his back was impossible). But he wasn't all too bad. Even as a Pirate - he could be nice if he wanted to, and generous like he was now. "speech"

Rheum had heard rumors about the Pirates and their shenanigans. That they weren't exactly to be trusted. Apparently, two of them had come to Tojo-kai's borders to harass them at one point. Not that they got far! Her uncle and half-brother were formidable fighters and she never once felt to be in danger. Yet, as she spent time with Modesty, Scald, Deluge, and Sakana traveling around Auster for a little bit, she wondered if the rumors were true. Maybe it was just a few Pirates that were nasty and not all of them.

Even as her yellow gaze assessed the burly boy standing in front of her, she wondered if maybe the others had simply not taken the time to get to know them. Surely if all Pirates were bad, the boy standing before her wouldn't be offering to help her. How could she deny it? The snow that fell around them made the rocks slippery and her coat wetter than it would be if she were moving constantly. Adjusted to the warm and balmy weather of southern Auster, she was not pleased to be shivering constantly. It was now or never. Risk dying and not making it home.

"Ah why thank ya," she says, a shy smile hesitant on her lips. A second or so passes before Rheum leans against his shoulder. "I s'pose introductions are in order. I'm Rheum," she mentions as she tilts her chin up to get a better look at him. Undeniably, his bulk was far warmer than the icy rocks near the stream. It felt nice and she even began to press her cheek against the thick fur around his neck as they slowly made it over to the cave.

Rheum Genji-Archer

Rexx didn't really pay much attention to his how was perceived by others, being a Pirate and all. He was proud of the pack he was born into, though, no doubt; he was happy to be in the company of his father and siblings, all strong in their own right, pillaging packs, raiding, and drinking themselves near half-death when the occasion suited them all. He respected the Pirate King, Sparrow, and loved playing with her children, especially the funny ginger-pelted boy, Ajax. His bladed tail was the coolest tail he'd ever seen! He'd built a life there, his roots firmyl settled upon the obsidian sands so to speak. So he did have no qualms in referring to himself as a Pirate, and knowingly carried its reputation around with him. Though, he didn't think he had to be all rough-and-tough the way many sought out to be. Sure, some Pirates like his father went out of their way to bully others - but the more he grew up and considered it, it only seemed fun to bully others when there was a reason to, a cause - like someone threatening his own family and himself. This strangely colorful girl, shivering, wet, small and helpless in some ways, meant no threat to him. He didn't see a need to pick on her. And she was nice to him, too. Not scared away by his bulk or his tusks or his crystal spines, sharp and deadly as they were. He appreciated that. As she leaned into his shoulder, taking him up on his offer, he plodded along, urging her to keep moving so they wouldn't be frozen in place. The storm billowed downwards from the plateaued crest of the Fjord, the winds picking up and howling past them. He heard her say her name was Rheum in her introduction, and as they reached the mouth of the cave he'd sought out, he tilted his head downward toward her and said in return, "Well, pleasure meeting ya, Rheum! The name's Rexx." As her cheek pressed against the thick pelt of his neck, he briefly furrowed his brow as his face felt a tad flushed. He was confused, for a moment - why was he feeling warm in the face now? She was just cold and yearning to be warm. As one wanted to be in the midst of a harrowing, frigid snowstorm. He pushed that weird flush in his cheeks aside as they made it into the cave, and he gently ushered her inside first, offering to use his burlier frame to shield her from any wayward winds. "Well, here we are," He said. He tilted his head at her curiously, and while he couldn't do much for her ankle, he could make some light conversation. Anything to take their minds off of the storm outside. From beneath his tusks flashed a wide grin, his purple gaze matching the brightness of Rheum's coat. He was curious about her, especially with that unfamiliar tongue she'd spoken before. "I'm curious..what was that language you spoke to me before? I heard there was a secretive pack somewhere down in Auster but I dunno much at all about em. Are you from there?" It was the best guess he had to wager, but with so little information about them besides knowing they existed, he supposed he could only ask someone who'd strayed this far from her abode to garner some information. Nothing underhanded about his inquiry, though, he really did wish to get to know this girl a bit - besides, were they going to sit in awkward silence the whole storm's wake, anyway? "speech"

Rexx. Surprisingly, the name fit the boy. As she fit snugly against his thicker coat, she glanced at his tusks and bright purple eyes. Unsure how or why the name fits him, but it did. She would have responded with another pleasantry about meeting him but her jaw was chattering just a bit too much. Forced to focus on moving through the billowing storm that roared down on them, Rheum kept her eyes on the opening of the cave. Even when the winds picked up, she could still see the mouth of the cave. Thankful she had someone to rescue her, she breathed a sigh of relief when they finally made it.

Peeling herself off of his shoulder, she found somewhere near him to sit so she could assess her ankle. Damn her for not bringing along a med kit. With a furrowed brow, she lifted her paw closer to her face. One ear turned in his direction as he began to chatter toward her. "Nihongo," she responds without so much as lifting her yellow gaze from her paw. Using the other paw to palpate the tender area, she came to the conclusion that it wasn't broken just sprained. Another sigh of relief rushed from her before she looked up at him. A playful smile on her muzzle showed as he mentioned the secretive pack.

"Per'aps I am, per'aps I'm not," the thick accent of her mother's tongue feeds her common language. An odd switch between the two, but when one adult teaches one and the other teaches something else, switching was easy for her. "If I tell ya abou' it, it wouldn' be so secret anymore," Rheum admits with a wink. "Are you a pirate? Ya smell like one," the girl didn't mean anything bad by it. She literally meant he smelled like them as in his own siblings and mother. Maybe she should follow up with that... "I, uh, met a couple of ye not long ago. Tha's actually where I was headed from," her smile is sheepish and tender as she keeps her gaze on him.

Rheum Genji-Archer

Rexx watched as Rheum slipped away from his shoulder and tucked herself into the cave’s interior, nursing her injured ankle. She seemed like she had experience examining limbs and whatnot, but he didn’t reslly care to make that many assumptions about someone he’d just met. Perhaps she was a healer, or maybe she was just worried. The burly yearling circled around, eventually flopping down on his rump on the cave’s sandy floor. His crystal spines face the mouth of the cave - the spines would hopefully shear off some of the harsh winds, and hopefully this girl would feel a bit warmer. Otherwise, he didn’t really know what to do. He had to admit, she was quite nice. He shifted a bit in his seat. Who else could say they saved a girl in distress? Obviously, only him. His siblings just weren’t cool enough! Kidding. He listened as she mentioned..Nihon..go? He blinked. He could only assume this was the name of the tongue she had spoken. He nodded, though still not quite able to wrap his head around it. She seemed relieved after prodding her ankle, so perhaps she was a healer, or knew at least enough to assess herself for a fracture. Super smart. Her own playful responses to her secretive pack only further pried a smirk on Rexx’s own tusked lips. "Well, I for one am an expert secret-keeper. Snitches walk the plank in our pack," He said, his tone clearly playful. "Though, I am a Pirate. Guess that’s no secret. I usually smell like sea salt and a hint of booze." He added, chuckling at the end. Of course nobody actually walked a plank in the Pirates ranks, but it was a fun kind of joke to keep the conversation light and distracted from the harsh storm outside. She then mentioned meeting a few Pirates on her way from where she was headed, and the boy tilted his head curiously. He wondered if she had met his siblings - y’know, the ones that left him high and dry on their own adventures. "What did they look like, if I may ask?” He asked, tone light and simply curious as he glanced down at Rheum. "speech"

The only knowledge Rheum had of Pirates was of the encounter her half-brother had had and what she had learned during her adventures with the group of them. That honestly ended up being little to nothing. So what Rexx joked about snitches walking planks, Rheum’s head tilted slightly. What was a plank? She supposed the question could wait for now since it wasn’t exactly important what a plank was. What she really was considering was telling him more about home. Would her uncle be upset if she did? She raises a brow to him with curiosity gracing her features. “You’ve ‘ad booze? Aren’ ya lil’ youn’ for that?” Rheum questions as her raised brow then lowers for them to knit together as she wonders once more what these Pirates were really like. From experience so far, they weren’t all that bad as some described them to be. Maybe some were worse than others? When he looked down, she gazed up at his brightly colored eyes. Nearly mesmerized, she almost forgot to answer. Clearing her throat, she gave in to the shivers that tried to help her stay warm. “Oh, actually, one of them looked like ya. ‘Er name was Deluge. The other two, Scald and Modesty, looked more like each other. The last one was different. He was all brown. Sakana was ‘is name which is odd cause where I’m from, everyone ‘as names like ‘im. Do ya Pirates have koi wolf among ya?” Rhuem asks as her heads tilts once more as she continues to meet his gaze. Rheum Genji-Archer

To be fair, Rexx didn't really expect her to understand his pirate lingo. They were a unique sort of bunch, and not every wolf had interacted with a pirate ship, among other things. So she probably didn't know what planks were - but he didn't really pay it any mind. Different cultures, different upbringings, perhaps it just took some more talking for them t understand each other more. When she raised her brow at him mentioning alcohol, Rexx chuckled, shifting in his seat as another brace of wind wailed across the Fjord's ravine. "Actually, we celebrate turning one year of age with alcohol - a whole party actually! Because that's kind of the whole thing with Pirates - we party, we plunder, and I dunno. Get drunk, too." He paused, furrowing his brow slightly. Well..did he actually dive into all of that? Truthfully, he didn't perform well in his first raid, but he couldn't say he cared all that much to improve. "But me personally..it's alright, I guess. With my siblings, it's always a fun time." Man, if his father were to hear what he said, he probably would earn a discerning glare of some kind. Just alright. Not the most awesome, amazingly fantastic life, though. When Rheum then mentioned the names, he nodded in recognition, a smile curling his lips again. "Deluge and Scald are my siblings. Modesty's my mom. Sakana's just..somebody I've seen before, but I don't really know him." She then asked if there were any koi wolves in the pack, and it was his turn to tilt his head in slight confusion. He supposed Sakana was an interesting name, too, not one that matched the heritage of other Pirates as far as he knew."Oh..like..those wolves that have all those spots? Not really. Those are the wolves you live with, right? Are your siblings koi-looking?" His own litter was sort of a mishmash of colors, maybe Rheum's litter had the same sprinkling of genetic chaos. "speech"

The wind was slowly beginning to subside. While it was still chilly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as when they first arrived. Their conversation was nice and Rheum was enjoying herself. If she were being honest, she could see herself hanging out with the guy again! He was pretty alright. Yet, there was a niggling anxious feeling sitting in her belly. She had been gone quite awhile and she didn’t want to worry her family. “Yea, I prolly look the most non-koi,” she admits with a shrug. It really didn’t bother her because she looks like her mum and her mum was awesome. “Speakin’ of family, I prolly shoul’ be gettin’ back,” her voice is tentative as she looks up at Rexx. “Meet up again wit’ me sometime?” She smiles before leaning over to bump her shoulder with his. Then before she could change her mind and stick around longer, she gets up and takes off with a subtle limp. Rheum Genji-Archer