Odette had become restless again. Her paws couldn't handle the familiar routes of her pack lands, making her crave for the unknown areas of Alacritis. The travelling gene she had inherited from her family was strong within her, causing her to leave Solstice's safe borders and pursue the lands that she hadn't explored. As the sun slowly rose over the horizon to begin the day, she rose over the last hill within Solstice's borders before descending into the wild. After an hour or two of scouting, Odette finally came across a strange piece of land. She hadn't explored the East in a long time, particularly because her pack was located in the West. The change of scenery made her slow down and her bi-colored eyes looked up to her new surroundings. Winter had stripped any color from the trees, causing their branches to remain naked in the cold breezes. Cautiously, she walked through the forest, listening for any potential signs of others present. When she came to the conclusion that she was alone, she relaxed a little and proceeded to walk to the heart of the territory. Beneath a tree whose branches used to provide shade in the summer, she reclined to her haunches and let the wonder of the new place disappear from her mind. The thoughts she had tried to push away regarding her home's situation finally overpowered her brain. She saw Sibelle's dark frame collapsing beside a worried Cru, defeat and hopelessness ringing through the air. She closed her eyes and saw Cru, restlessly pacing in a circle that would have deepened if he hadn't stopped. She remembered the conversations she had with both wolves, separate because of the turmoil that had occurred between them. All of it came crashing down upon the Solstice warrior and she let it push down her strong shoulders. What could she do to help with her pack's problems? Her ears flicked back and her eyes remained closed as her head was angled to the ground. She had tried to get away from it all, but even her restless paws couldn't manage that. Talk like this

With sick members, Kassander had ventured out once again in the hopes of finding more healing berries still clinging to life. It was interesting - growing up this land had always been a wasteland. A fire had destroyed it long before his birth, and it had never grown back. Yet now it was thriving, the ashes of the former forest nourishing the new growth. That growth was covered by snow now, but it was there. It inspired philosophical thoughts in the new alpha as he wandered, nosing through the layer of snow in the hopes of finding wintergreen. Could it be possible for Ebony to do the same? To rise even greater from the ashes of his mother's old kingdom? Or had it's faltering start, with his mother's abandonment, doomed it to fail? His head rose as he became aware that he was not alone, and his ears went back in embarrassment. "Uh - hello?" he ventured softly, hoping he wasn't disturbing her rest but not wanting to be rude by just leaving without acknowledging her. "Talk" "You" Think

Odette had been so consumed with her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention to anything around her. Being totally lost in her own mind was a sure way to have someone sneak up and attempt to do something bad. Luckily, today was not that day, for the personality of the male was not a fighting one. A soft greeting fell upon flattened ears, of which slowly rose as she turned her head to look at the source. Red and blue eyes naturally sparkled as they fell upon another bi-colored gaze. All negative thoughts were silently booted from her mind. "Hello," she replied, her tones just as timid and soft. For a large two-year-old with a thick winter coat, she may have seemed out of her element with such a voice. A sheepish smile crossed her lips and she rolled her shoulders as she turned to look at more of him. His pelt was a cinnamon brown, splashed with white in all the right places. Darkly trimmed ears perked as she softly cleared her throat and continued to speak. "I hope I didn't interrupt...what you were doing." Talk like this

His approach and his words had brought the attention of the girl, and she glanced to him with a gaze just as mismatched as his own, though his was slightly more faded in color, orange and icy blue to her ruby and sapphire. Her timid voice, so at odds with her husky form, asked if she'd been interrupting him and he was quick to shake his head. "No, not at all. That is to say, I was just looking for wintergreen. I thought some might grow here. It's not really urgent though..." He trailed off uncertainly, not sure if he should ask if she'd like to walk with him... It seemed a bit rude to drag a stranger off on an herb hunt when he'd just woken her up, after all. So instead he set himself down, haunches curving beneath him and his white tail settling neatly around his paws. "I'm Kassander Xanilov. What's your name?" "Talk" "You" Think

The male spoke of his task and mentioned the name of an herb that Odette hadn't thought of in ages. Wintergreen...the mere suggestion of it was enough to make Odette think of the time she had stayed in Valhalla. The herb had been in Erani's stores, protectively hidden within the large cave that once resembled a store of remedies. She was unsure of how the old cave looked now...it was probably cleaned out and nothing of her past was present. As she tried to think of how to respond, he gave his name. She dipped her head in his direction, a royal motion she had become used to after living with Chrysanthe. "Odette Adravendi," she replied, her voice remaining its gentle tone. "It's nice to meet you, Kassander Xanilov..." Her front paws kneaded the ground beneath them as she paused for a second before speaking again. "If you need help finding some wintergreen, I wouldn't mind lending a paw..." She knew it was a risky offer to make, but she didn't want to spend her time thinking about the sad memories of her past and he looked a little lost. "Talk" "You" Think