Kar was farther from the den he shared with Zanire. The bear was deep in hibernation, and though Kar felt comfort from her presence he had gotten restless. A wolf did not hibernate as a bear did, much to his disappointment. The gray, white, and black brute padded along through the snow to the territory known as the Battlefield. He had only been here once before, when he first entered Alcritia. He had met a female on that day... though she didn't finish the spar with him. 'I wander if any wolves are in the area. It's cold out... but pack skirmishes and such can happen any time... right?' Of course they could. Not that Kar concerned himself with the dealings of pack here in Alacritia. All he cared about were his travelings with Zanire, and the wolves he would meet along the way. But perhaps he should learn a thing or two from other wolves. Fighting had never really been Kar's strong point. He knew defenses, sure, but when it came to applying knowledge in battle he was severely lacking in hands on experience. Coming to a stop Kar lifted his head, green eyes scanning the area around him. Then, raising his muzzle to the sky, Kar howled. He made it clear to anyone who responded that he wanted a friendly spar, nothing more. He didn't want Zanire to freak out upon waking and see him with scars after all. Speech, Thought

Qanik trotted through the snow with more energy than she'd had in a long time. Having met the friendly Aislin and faced with the possibility of being able to join one of the nearby packs, she was feeling mildly optimistic about her life here. Still, the inevitable wait to join was interminable - while she couldn't just join a pack haphazardly with no thought to whether she would be safe, comfortable, and content there, she disliked this lonely purgatory. Constantly at loose ends, useless, a drain to wolf society rather than a contributing member. When the sound of a not-too-distant howl reached her ears, Qanik stopped to listen intently. A friendly spar? That wouldn't be a bad idea. She had let herself get out of practice. Out of necessity, perhaps, but her time for wandering was ending, and what use would a pack find a warrior wolf whose skills were rusty? It was this that convinced her to move closer to the caller, but the sight of the other wolf made her hesitate. The wolf was just slightly taller than she, but young and lightweight. He didn't hold himself with the poise she associated with an experienced fighter. That slim, leggy build spoke of speed, not strength, and Qanik wouldn't want to hurt him. The request had been a friendly spar, after all. Still, the boy appeared to be alone, with no pack scent to indicate he was part of a pack. Alone, inexperienced, he'd be vulnerable. Was it not the right thing to do, to practice with him so that he would be more prepared to protect himself if his speed was not enough. The white wolf stepped forward once more. "Greetings, youngling, she rumbled. "You called for a sparring partner - I am willing to fulfill that request." Speech,