It sleeted a bit. V padded across the field, ignoring the freezing water that came down from the sky and humming songs to herself. Not much here. Just open grass and the occasional crater in the ground. V wasn't sure what had caused these, and no amount of scraping at the frozen ground had helped her solve the mystery. Would have to just live without knowing. Right now it was maybe not such a bad idea to find a dry spot to hang out until the sleet stopped. Although honestly it probably wouldn't and she would just get hungrier and hungrier until she had to go out or start eating her own tail or something. It reminded her faintly of home.

Not really, though. Too much mud for that. The ranger splashed along through it, a smile still hovering on her face because staying positive and her eyes wandering along the horizon in search of some trees or a pile of rocks that might hide a cave. It was as flat as the ocean out there. The brownish winter grass just went along until it ended at a steel-gray sky. The girl's eyes fastened on a flock of geese that went across the horizon briefly before dissapearing. Sighed, watched her breath float off into the sleet, and kept going. This was too boring. If she stopped she'd have to live in this boring for even longer and not get anywhere else. If there was anywhere else to get. She wasn't convinced that this entire country wasn't a weird dream that she was having and she'd wake up pretty soon and it would be summer at the seashore. All her friends would be there. They could play tag.

This time she yawned and decided to look for a hole in the mud to sleep in for a few hours. To this end V put her nose to the ground and started sniffing, following her nose along trails of wild horses that zagged along in the grass and mud. Horses didn't live in caves, though. Or holes anyhow. Neither did geese, which was the next animal she smelled. She found an interesting scrap on the ground; some kind of ragged blue stuff like grass or a feather or something. Picked it up and carried it along. Eventually she stopped looking and settled back into humping along through the field.
Half an hour later and the world was going from a daytime grayish to a nighttime blueish and the sleet had turned to snow, but it wasn't a big deal. V had finally stumbled on a island of trees out in the middle of the grass. Which was good, except that the ranger could still smell despite how cold her nose was and someone else already seemed to be inhabiting these trees. It was too cold to keep moving on, though. They would just have to share. V approached the trees, red eyes hunting through the darkness under them, sniffed twice, and wagged her tail. Maybe they'd trade her scrap of blue stuff and let her stay there. Yeah. She set it down, trapped it under a paw, and barked at the trees for attention.

He was simply wandering now, still uncertain about where to go and what to do with his life. His little island life with Smee was no longer secret, and once they were discovered it was easy to leave it behind. It had no sentimental value to him - it was merely a means to an end, an end that the navigator couldn't help but wonder if he would ever reach. He longed to reclaim his home, to make it what he had always wanted it to be, but who would side with him? Who would go on such a journey and make war with a foreign pack they did not know? No one, he decided. Especially not the packs here. What was revenge worth, anyway? He had lost so much already in this quest, in addition to avoiding friendships and close acquaintances because he knew that none would truly support his quest. The ones who might were the ones he didn't want involved at all. Killian wasn't willing to risk them... And couldn't say he was truly willing to risk himself either. The brute lay curled around himself in the midst of the cluster of trees, his companion silently sleeping atop his side. He was thankful for the marten's warmth now - he had sheltered the creature from the sleet as they had made their way here, and now the favor was being repaid. As he pondered his new life in Alacritia and what it truly meant, a quick bark grabbed his attention. His ears perked to attention as he gently tilted to lower his sleeping friend to the dirt floor before walking leisurely toward the sound. Ruby orbs would meet a set eerily similar to his own as he came to the edge of the cluster. The brute would tilt his head to the side as he examined the small wolf. What's that you have there? His tone was it's usual alluring melody, with a hint of laughter hidden within. A flirt was something Killian seldom knew how not to be. Speech,

Everything was quiet for several minutes. Maybe she'd made a mistake and there actually wasn't anyone in there. V was about to stroll into the grove when someting moved and another wolf appeared from the shadows. Black and brown fur, bright red eyes, male, bigger than her but she was pretty sure she could take him if she had to. V offered him a cocky smile anyway, supposed he was cute and she could be friends with him, and nodded at it. "It's a rare skin," she said. That made sense, honestly, so it wasn't even a lie. What it might be from she didn't know, but if she talked it up and made it valuable he might accept it as a sort of payment or whatever.

Although most wolves didn't seem to be into treasures the way she was. Whatever, she'd make it work. "Want to see it?"

The ranger poked it around with one paw, eyes fixed on the male. Caution was possibly a good idea here. After all, she didn't know him and if he decided to pull a fast one she'd have to move quickly in return. The agouti wolf stayed on her feet and waited to see if he would approach, a little grin on her face. Maybe he wouldn't walk up. It would probably be the smartest thing to do. She was a prety decent fighter, even though she was better with surprise on her side. Maybe she ought to dare him.

Nah. Save that in case she needed to. It was probably improper to start playing mind games with everyone she met. At least, not immediately. Also she didn't have any friends and Abarth had dissapeared at some point in the last few months; it was a good idea to not make an enemy. Especially not right off the bat. V didn't know anyone in this country.

Silently he would examine the small female before him, taking careful note of the few scars that dotted her otherwise plain bodice. It was only her eyes that caught him off guard, a red slightly darker than his that looked to be the color of blood. From her voice she seemed innocent enough, but her composure told him otherwise. Killian, of course, knew better than to assume. After all, his pack had underestimated him before he blinded their heir. He wondered if they had learned their lesson yet. The navigator would glance down at the treasure she set before her as she inquired as to whether he would like to see it. He would take a few cautious steps forward while maintaining a safe distance between them and would see it more closely, as unsure what it could be as she seemed to be. He had seen a vast number of odd trinkets in this place that were unidentifiable to the wolf, though, so he was not surprised by the foreign object in the slightest. It certainly is unusual, he would note in his gentle voice. My name is Killian. You are? Speech,

He came walking up after a minute or two, looking unsure and staring at her and then at the scrap of blue stuff she had. V smirked to herself, red eyes dancing, but stayed still. She'd probably scare him off if she moved fast. He introduced himself in a voice with no particular emotion that she could read. The agouti girl glanced him in the eye curiously. Pretty emotionless. Red, like hers. Not the same red. She hadn't met another wolf with red eyes before. It looked strange. Kind of..abnormal. It made her wonder vaguely if people looked at her and thought she was strange. Although she was, so they'd be right. She'd always been the odd one out and it probably wouldn't change even if she wanted it to.

"Voeu," she replied lightly. "V, if you like." The snow was picking up, so she figured it was a good idea to move things along. "That your place there?" A nod toward the grove of trees, to indicate what she was talking about. In case it was confusing. She twitched wet away from her ears and waited for a response, trying not to appear impatient. It was getting dark, though. And colder. Transactions were so annoying. It was way easier and better to just take what she wanted, but without her lynx companion around it was probably better to play it safe for now. Once they were reunited (if?) she could go back to doing whatever and not asking first.

Would she even be able to read this male? Maybe he'd accept her payment and try to kill her in her sleep. One never knew. Wolves that didn't show any emotions were too complicated and difficult. It was like having a conversation with a lizard.

Well then V, it's a pleasure to meet you. He would nod slightly in the interest of being polite, his gaze shifting every so often between the wolf, her treasure, and the sky. Still under the cover of the outermost trees, Killian was sheltered from the majority of the precipitation and he was thankful for it. He had journeyed through it to reach this place and did not plan on leaving until it was over and done with. The girl would ask whether he had claimed the place and a tiny smirk would dance on his lips. My companion and I are merely resting here for the time being, he would reply, glancing back briefly to rest an eye on the still sleeping marten. He turned back to his conversation and took in the female's soaked features. How would Smee react to the presence of a stranger when he woke? He probably wouldn't, the navigator concluded finally. The rodent didn't react often to anything. With his weaker paw he would gesture toward the trees beside him. You are welcome to join us if you wish to get out of the cold. Plenty of room here. Speech,