Prior to her arrival, Muses had never seen a beach, let alone a body of water as expansive as the sea. Even from the grassy region before the black strip of beach, she could see the ocean, undulating waves crashing upon the shore, eternal and endless. It went on for so long that she thought it was impossible to cross, despite having arrived carried on an ocean current. Her mind turned over the possibilities of returning home, and although she had never been very happy to begin with, but it was all she had ever known. At the very least, she missed her full sisters, her litter mates, and her mother dearly. Even if they weren't all dead, she would never see them again; a realization that made her heart so heavy that by the time she had reached the beach, she had broken down into sobs.

It was unlike her to show such wanton sorrow a she fell to her knees, pressing her snout against the black sand to try and force the cries that tore through her chest to cease altogether. She did not want to cry. She did not want to feel sorrow. She did not want to feel fear. Yet all those things felt impossible to ignore when they weighed her down, heavier than any burden she had ever carried before. She felt as if her ribs would be wrenched apart, peeled back to expose her broken heart, so instead of crying, she screamed; a feral sound that caused the birds in the area to take flight, that echoed reds and browns as it persisted long after she finished.

The release was cathartic, however, and she could feel herself growing calmer by the second, until she made no more noise than a strangled sob once in a while, followed by a shaky gasp for air as she tried to regulate her breathing. Streaked with the black sand throughout her fur, and dusted with it across her muzzle, she finally managed to self-soothe, weary and trembling, nested in the warm granules of sand beneath her.

Kai couldn't help but linger near Erovrare's borders, even though it'd been weeks since he'd seen Tyranis. He was utterly unused to feeling attached to anyone in particular... and though he didn't feel an overwhelming need to seek him out constantly, after everything Ty had gone through it was difficult to justify going too far from here. Just in case. Not to mention he was actually getting some enjoyment out of exploring southern Boreas, at least much more than he had in the past - and today his sights were set on the ocean. There was something deeply awe-inspiring about seeing the sea, and admiring the way the horizon seemed to stretch on for a distance he couldn't even begin to fathom. Though feeling small wasn't something the giant male was accustomed to feeling often, it was a feeling he gladly chased whenever he could find it. And today it wasn't far away at all. The briny stench of the ocean touched his nose long before he got to the beach, and he felt his giddiness increase as he traveled south from the swamplands he'd been trudging aimlessly through. He lifted his tusked skull slightly toward the sky, inhaling sharply as he felt the ground shift to sand beneath his paws. The warmth that emanated from the black sand wasn't entirely unwelcome, countered by the chilly sea breeze, a welcome respite from the summer's merciless sun. His tongue lolled happily from his mouth, quite certain that he could taste the salt on the breeze, heading straight to the shoreline - though his attention was drawn away from his present quest by a raw sound that made his ears briefly pin back against his skull. The sound only continued for a moment before it grew softer, and though it quickly faded into nonexistent - no doubt masked by the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shoreline - Kai's interest had been thoroughly piqued. Huffing softly, he lifted his snout higher, scanning the nearby beach to wonder what might be the source of that admittedly distressing sound. After a brief search he found who he suspected might be the culprit, an average-sized female with a pale coat, lying in the sand. Perhaps a better, more selfless wolf might be worried for her, truly worried, but.. Kai simply felt curious. He wasn't totally opposed to helping someone, but he'd be lying if he said it was his first instinct. What sort of trouble had befallen her, if anything? He noted no scent of blood in the air as he trekked a bit closer, tilting his head toward her. "Strange place for a nap," he commented gruffly, angling his head so one of his tusks might lightly nudge her flank unless she pulled away sooner, as if searching for a sign of life.

She was lost in her own thoughts, concentrating on the sorrow that seemed as painful as a physical wound - worse than any physical wound she had ever received, though by those standards, it wouldn't take much. Had she been more observant, more wary of the world around her, she might have caught on to the gentle sound of footfalls crossing the grainy sand, or the presence of an oddly marked interloper that loomed nearly over top of her. The jagged tone of his rouge tinted voice flooded her mind's eye, and was followed by a gentle judge with an unfamiliar object. Spooked by the odd sensation, she muffled a surreptitious snort, and skittered to her paws, flinging obsidian sand everywhere.

Shocked by what she saw, she made no further movement, wide lilac eyes held un-waveringly upon the silver stranger, taking in the sight of him. He stood at least a head taller than her, his sooty coat broken by distinct crimson markings upon his ears, face, and back paws. Jutting out past his lips were two tusks - undoubtedly what had gently pressed against her flank earlier. Suppressing a shudder that otherwise would have ran down her spine, she wondered just what was in the water for the wolves of these lands to look so bizarre.

Although she had not been napping, Muses did not attempt to correct the stranger. It felt wrong to admit that she had been crying her little heart out. "The burden of emotions can exhaust even the most enduring of wolves." She said back, though remained somewhat defensive now in both stance and tone. The grey canine seemed more annoyed than concerned, she thought, and she worried his gruff timbre indicated hostility. She anxiously dug her toes into the sand as fear began to creep up on her, ears pinning against her head as she tentatively began to look for a means to escape, just in case.

Kai could understand introspection, sure, but he was admittedly bad at empathizing with others in many regards. Crying was not something he'd ever personally done, and the number of scenarios that might warrant it were few and far between. It was hard to see a stranger crumpled in the sand and not think oddly of them - it wasn't as though he didn't understand emotion, but just not... like this. His nose wrinkled as he leaned down to nudge her, not too roughly but firmly enough for his touch to be noticed, though he quickly shot backwards when she sprung up. He squinted hard as sand flung onto his coat and into his eyes, exhaling hard from his nose in an attempt to keep it from sneaking into his nostrils. Kai made no effort to slacken his posture, head jerking upright as his tusks angled straight toward her, his grey tail lashing out idly behind him. After a moment she answered him, though not in the way he had expected. He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her poetic words, instead eyeing her scrupulously from behind narrowed lids. "Can they exhaust so much that you can't possibly find the energy to leave this beach?" He asked, a hint of a grin touching his lips. He was teasing, rather than suggesting she had any real reason to leave... she had as much claim to this stretch of beach as he did. His comment was all in good fun, really, but he quickly shook his head. "Ah, never mind, it doesn't matter," he suggested dismissively, quirking a brow as he noted her wary posture. "I won't bite, I assure you," Kai volunteered with a hearty chuckle, that slight hint of his family's native tongue sneaking through into his tones. "Tell me, does this burdened beauty have a name?" She was far too young for him but he didn't mind throwing out a compliment, grinning more widely now as he examined her pale coat.

She squinted hard at the tusked stranger, not sure if he was being sarcastic or blunt; it was impossible to tell if she did not yet know the individual. Giving a surreptitious little snort, she decided that she was, in fact, not going to apologize to the sterling male for accidentally spraying sand in his direction. Instead, she daintily picked her paws up, stepping backwards to put some distance between herself and the tusks that bristled from beneath his lip. "Would you believe me if I said they did?" She retorted, hiking a brow high. Where was a girl supposed to cry her heart out in peace if everyone felt entitled to barge in on it? Yet the male was, wisely, quick to move on, reassuring her that he was merely teasing. Muses flared her nostrils, momentarily unsure. She regarded him with deep suspicion before breaking out into a blinding smile.

"Well then, I'm not sure if I can trust you. After all, predators have teeth to bite with." To prove her point, she snapped at the air, teeth coming together wish a sharp, satisfying click. Despite his odd appearance, it seemed as if she was generally willing to accept him without much more than a hint of friendliness on his part. "This burdened beauty does have a name, which you'll have to ask." Lifting a paw to briefly rub at a wet tear streak on her muzzle, she carefully sat down, and then set her tail neatly over a back paw. "What's your name? Are you a wolf? Shouldn't you be spending such nice compliments on other mature wolves?" Muses had come to know that wolves were more forward here, more willing to ask questions. Inappropriate and insensitive as it was, she was willing to give it a try. After all, she would have to learn somehow.

She seemed so damned bothered by her moment of melancholy being interrupted that it was almost amusing, though Kai carefully stifled a chuckle. If he'd been at all annoyed by the sand being flung in his face, his brief moment of annoyance faded as quickly as it had arrived, easily forgotten. Her question earned a quirked eyebrow. Was she trying to convince him or something, or just being philosophical? She was inclined to think she was aiming for the former, but it was hard to take her too seriously with how indignant she seemed.. at least at first.  "Perhaps. Perhaps not," he added, with a flourish of his tail behind him, revealing his own teeth in a beaming smile at her shifting reaction. The way she snapped her teeth at the air earned a dramatized jerk away from her, feigning fear that she might bite. "You're right, they do. And sometimes they even have tusks, I've heard," he added, jutting his straight towards her, his lips parting in a wider grin around those tusks of his. The truth was, he was still getting used to the things.. at first they'd been a hindrance, but over time he'd learned to appreciate his newfound features - and in a weird way, it made him feel even closer to the kin he had never had the honor of meeting. Ah, so she was playing hard to get? He was feeling friendly enough to bite, especially if she gave him anything to work with.  "Fine, fine. What's your name then, girl?" He asked, a little more brashly, since she hadn't seemed especially fond of his offhanded compliment. "And sure, I could, but I don't exactly see anyone else around here more worthy.. do you?" The beach was empty, besides the two of them, and he cast his gaze around as if to further prove his point. What he did see, the only living thing besides Muses, was a single crab scuttling along the sand nearby... and he gestured over-dramatically to it before casting her a questioning look.

Muses snorted playfully, shaking her head in amusement, though she noticeably shied away from the tusks thrust in her direction. "Well, I haven't yet met any tusked creature I ought to be afraid of." As if to prove her point, she took a brave step forward, ears tilted forward, tail curved upwards and quivering slightly. She was still young, more pup than adult; naive towards most affairs, emotional, and vulnerable. There was still so much of the world left to discover, and so much to learn. "I see a beautiful beach, and a beautiful ocean, and a beautiful sky. Further down, there are trees that have lived long before me, and will live long after me. I am honored you think I am worthy to compete among such wonders." Muses giggled, playing along in what seemed like futile resistance, albeit a tone in her voice suggested that she truly felt marveled by the world around her.

"My name is Mnē—" She stumbled over her words, "—Muses." Her tail raised slightly in a courteous wave. Although she slipped up from time to time, she remained polite, manners ingrained into even her train of thought. Still unfamiliar with interacting with wolves outside of her family, the yearling initially thought to turn her teasing to the topic of the only social hierarchy she had ever known. It was forbidden for any lesser male to gaze upon women of higher status. There had been few males within the pack, and even less ranked higher than any priestess, such as herself. If she was unfamiliar with a brother or cousin, it was safe to say that they were insignificant; it was not necessary for her to know those individuals, though she had never thought ill of them.

A second ponder of the stranger's dark fur and sharp features reminded her that they were completely different. Freed from cultural constraints, she was obligated to behold him as her equal. As she spoke out again, pressing the tusked canine for more information, the thought niggled at the back of her mind. Either her acquaintance ascended to the ranks of the children of a demi-god, or had she fallen completely from grace. She tried not to think about it. "Now it is your turn to reciprocate." It was not often that she demanded anything of anyone, but her curiosity demanded to be sated. "There must be a good story behind how a wolf earned his tusks." There were legends and lore her father often spoke of; how the birds came to fly in the sky, and how the fish came to swim in the sea; how the gods formed the mountains and valleys, and breathed life into a pile of dust, shaping the first wolf.

'I haven't yet met any tusked creature I ought to be afraid of,' she spoke up, taking a step forward, and it took a great amount of self-control to not try to startle her through any means possible - whether by feigning a pounce or simply barking loudly - but he was able to contain himself. Perhaps he had given her enough grief for one day. "That is... until today, right?" Kai quipped, though he was grining. Truthfully he wasn't much of a threat, not unless he really wanted to be. His size, as well as the tusks that extended from his upper jaw, were an intimidating combination... but needless violence wasn't really his style. What'd be the fun in that? He'd much sooner spill the blood of a willing participant in a friend spar of sorts. His mind wandered briefly back to the tournament, the one that had resulted in his torn ear, and he flicked both gently as he swung his head away from her, as if looking at what she was describing. "You're right, there's plenty of beauty here," he conceded quickly. "..and everywhere, really. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder than other times." But he was less interested in musing over the beauty than he was in this strange, youthful female before him. Not that her oddness was a bad thing - no, at least to him, it was quite a good thing indeed. Muses, was her name, and he nodded at her greeting, watching as she examined him in turn. "Ah, fine then. The name's Kai Jarvela." Sometimes he didn't care enough to give a surname, other times he decided to offer it - it made little difference to him whether or not they knew his lineage. If strangers knew anything at all about his family, it wouldn't take long for them to figure out he was a Jarvela himself. He doubted he'd see any recognition in her eyes when he introduced himself. Her next comment earned a hearty chuckle. "Of course there's a good story behind it," he fibbed easily, trying to recall one particular tale his father had told him as a child. For a long moment he considered telling a much more fantastical tale than was close to reality - perhaps he could weave a story about the god Leibolmmai had blessed him with his tusks during a great hunt, or even a more fantastical tale about how he'd been birthed as a weird wolf-boar hybrid. "My father told me a story once about a white reindeer he and his siblings took down," he started, losing the goofy, teasing tone he'd briefly adopted earlier. "To my people, white reindeer - or caribou, whatever you want to call them... they're signs of good luck. They're very rare to find, and most live without ever seeing one. Taking one down when it's time... well, apparently it's a surefire way to bring about eternal happiness." Kai wouldn't get into the finer specifics of the Jarvela tradition of reindeer herding. Killing a young reindeer was rarely a good thing to do, and to not allow a white reindeer to live out its life would surely bring a mountain of bad luck. He wasn't as superstitious as his father, but he still lived by many of his principles, this one included. "I've never seen one myself, but my father did, and he said it was one of the better hunts of his life. He felt truly connected to the universe that night. After he and his siblings ate, that night, he slept soundly and dreamed of someday having a son with tusks just like him," he explained with a faint smile. The tale had seemed silly to him as a child, as he hadn't been born with his tusks, but... miraculously, almost, they had suddenly began to grow in. Somehow he correlated that incidence with the likely death of his father, wherever he was - and though he couldn't be sure, he had an inkling he was right. "I consider them a gift from the gods. A reminder of why I'm here - why we're all here - and a reminder to live life to its fullest." Kai shrugged, though his words had been serious. He doubted she would believe everything he'd said, but he said it with enough conviction that it'd be hard to pretend he was trying to pull her leg.