Kai wore a slightly uncharacteristic frown as he sauntered through the oak forest. While such a sullen look wasn't exactly becoming of him, it was growing harder and harder lately to keep from feeling down. Once he joined Winterfell for two raids, and hopefully stirred up something interesting in the meantime, he'd be free from their clutches - but until then, he felt uneasy. He had no real ties here, though the north was his domain and definitely where he preferred to spend most of his time. So why did staying here feel so constricting? Not here, in this exact forest, but nearby.

At least this was a break from the barrage of Winterfell wolves that he often found himself trying to avoid, when his mood didn't suit the company of others.

He wasn't quite sure how he was feeling today in regards to strangers. Perhaps company might be appealing, but then again... the wrong type of company might be worse than utter solitude. A snort echoed from deep in his nose as he pressed on, trampling over long-decayed foliage in search of something of interest. While he'd eyed the strangely stacked tree branches, considering how some wolves might be able to navigate them with ease, he was decidedly not one of those wolves and as foolish as he could be at times, he knew better than to put himself directly in harms way.

Staying close to the ground was a much better option. Pausing to nose at a large root protruding from the frozen soil, he made to jostle it lightly with one of his tusks before deciding no wolf could possibly make the massive thing budge. He sniffed deeply at it before lifting his head and continuing on, slowly ambling through the towering trees as he cast his silver gaze off into the distance, aimless and unfocused.

She had been exploring. Kuu knew nothing of this world, but the oft-scented paws of wolves creased the earth. She had hunted them, but not advanced, swimming, sleeping and feasting on anything she already found dead, forcing herself to stay healthy. Death, or death from not looking after herself was not an option that the once-priestess could bring herself to consider. She would have seen it as a crime. She shook herself, her silver fur almost silken against her frame before her bright green eyes flickered a little and a sigh spilled from between ebon lips. The trees towered above her and she felt small. Almost inconsequential, if she didn’t know her own worth and accept it as her due. She stretched once, long nails raking at the undergrowth and tearing furrows through the dirt.

Only then did she move, her shoulder brushing against a tree to itch a spot where she could have growled at, unable to reach it from the spot she’d been in. On near-silent feet, she moved forward, her mind occupied with the loneliness that spoke of missing her family – of missing the other priestesses that had become her mentors.

A weaker wolf would have whined, or complained, but Kuutamo would have had her throat ripped from her if she had pitied herself. Her paws continued to move her forward, her muscles moving smoothly across her scant, lean frame. Of course, she spotted the brawler-male when she stepped forward a little further forward. He was clad in shades of grey – but not quite a true monochrome male, red marking parts of his frame. Along with the weird upper teeth that she could see, he would have easily killed her, had she attacked him. As it was, the former priestess stepped forward into view, her green eyes flashing brightly before she spoke, her voice soft as she introduced herself.
Kuutamos. Kuu. She didn’t say much, her head canting a little to the left before she shook herself and straightened up, her eyes fixed expectantly on him.

Surviving was something that Kai knew all too well. Everything he did, for the most part, was to ensure his own survival - even staying in Winterfell for as long as he had, had been something he'd decided to do for his own benefit. Having an entire pack at his heels, if he decided to flee, wasn't at all ideal. Making one enemy was fine, even two was doable, but dozens? He wasn't quite sure that the odds would be in his favor then, and while he was a fool at times, he wasn't that big of a fool. Ensuring he was able to eventually life the life he had been was of utmost importance, and he silently had vowed to himself never to help another soul again, unless there was something in it for him - or unless it was painfully obvious it wasn't some kind of damned trap.

His thoughts seemed to abruptly jerk back to the presence when he noticed that he wasn't alone. Eyes narrowed, lids mostly concealing his silver gaze as he got a better look at her. She wasn't a terribly small thing, though compared to him she seemed quite tiny, hardly a threat at all. He tilted his head as he got a better look at her. The name she offered him - he supposed it was a name, anyway - was a strong name. It reminded him of the north, of the culture he belonged to. "Kai Jarvela," he returned his own name, including his surname in the off-chance she'd heard it before. It was more likely that she hadn't, but there was always a slim chance. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Maybe a distraction wouldn't be such a bad thing. Kai raised a brow, tilting his head a bit further as he regarded her curiously.