The End of the World

His tusks had never really been a topic of conversation among his tribe. It was nothing other than a trait he'd been born with, much like his sister's blindness, or Sunniva's slightly smaller stature. If anything, it only reaffirmed what they'd been taught about the gods and goddesses and their connection to the spiritual realm. Still, he was observant and he knew he'd never seen another with such a trait, so he knew it was atypical. Her initial wary response to him was not that surprising, though the bold male was unused to such hesitation when presented with something new. She seemed to soften as he showed he meant no harm to her, and his movements were slow and deliberate as he took a few steps closer, putting them at a distance much more suitable for conversing.

He found himself grinning again at her words. It sounded like she'd left her homeland intentionally, and sounded as though she wanted to be further from home than she already was. A low chuckle escaped his parted jaws at the notion. He wouldn't necessarily imply that he himself wished to be further from home, for home meant family, and family meant everything to him. It was difficult to imagine things being different, though perhaps she was even more independent than he. Still, her words made him think, an inquisitive look cast to her -- and then to the sea again -- as he considered her musings. "Do you think the world has an actual end?" he'd ask, feeling philosophical as he wondered about the deeper meaning of her words. "I mean, you can keep running forever -- but even in death, do you think there is really any sort of end?" And it certainly sounded like she was implying she was being chased by something, that she was trying to escape something from her past... though he dared not pry. And he was unsure where she stood in such spiritual talks, and so he would clear his throat and continue on.

"Your home sounds a bit like my own," he explained with a slow nod. His existence had been characterized by the tall pine forests of the north, of the vast tundras where they would follow reindeer as they migrated during the melting of snow in the spring... it had felt strange to be away from those lands this year, for the first time in his life he had not followed the custom of his tribe. "Though when I think of my home, I think of reindeer,"  he'd crack a smile again at the nostalgia. The relationship the Jarvela clan had shared with the reindeer had not been one of predator and prey, but one of interdependence and coexistence. Things were so much different here... "I am not so used to this sort of coast, either. The beaches in the north are far different than this one."