Now this was certainly a unique place, like nothing she'd ever seen before. As soon as she'd entered these vast caverns, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was treading in a place even more laden with spirits than usual. Something great had once walked these halls, something that certainly couldn't have walked on all fours like she and her kind. She was intrigued, and her curiosity carried her deeper into the mines. The contraptions here were by far the most unique she'd found, and she wondered if her family would have more insight into what sort of purpose this place had held. Initially there was enough light here to discern her surroundings quite easily, but as she moved deeper into the mines it grew more and more dim. Her eyes would slowly adjust, though not before leaving her plunged into darkness for a long while. She wasn't afraid though - it was a challenge to use little more than the sound of her paws against the dusty stone floors of the mine to navigate, but she wasn't the type to shy away from a challenge, regardless of its difficulty.

Desolate needed to get out of Abaven for a bit, to forget about his absentee mother and brother and take some time to himself to relax. At least, that was what he told himself. He couldn't admit to even himself that maybe his walk north had more nefarious origins, and that he was travelling following the scent of the Winterfell wolves. The boy didn't know what he'd do if he saw the Winterfell woman again, the one who'd tried to scar his face. He supposed he'd only know if and when he even saw her. The walk was long and tiring, and before he reached the Wall that surrounded the northern pack's territory he decided it'd be smart to rest and recover his strength. He took a turn off the path along the mountain and into the mines, seeking shelter from the cold winds that kicked up harder the further north he travelled. The boy was deep in thought as he walked, and perhaps that was how he allowed himself to get so lost. Navigating in the dim lighting was more difficult than he expected, and after what felt like hours of wandering he still couldn't find his way back. It must be night by now, maybe he'd find his way when the light of day could shine back into the mine. With a loud huff he threw himself to the ground where he lay, staring dejectedly into the darkness and pulling his ears tight to his head to muffle the shuffling noises that echoed all around. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

This was no doubt a curious place, surely one that had held great significance long ago. It was hard for her, in all her youth and naivety, to imagine what its purpose might be - but it was obvious it was more than a place meant to simply be explored. Gradually her eyes did begin to adjust to the dim light, and her surroundings became clearly. Occasionally long stretches of cave were filled with odd instruments, some sharp and dangerous-looking, while others were hard to discern. Objects had never really intrigued her as much as places in general though, so she spent little time digging through the rubble. The scent of something suddenly caught her off guard. Another wolf was in here? She hadn't heard anyone enter the caves behind her, but then again she doubted there was only one entrance to this place. Carefully she sniffed at the damp air, trying to find the source of the smell, before trailing after it. Maybe this stranger knew the origins of this place? Either way, figuring out anything about this place - or the surrounding lands - might prove useful to her.  "Hello?" Kiela called out, her voice inquisitive and not the least bit fearful. Maybe her confidence was walking the line between bravery and foolishness, but truthfully that was the Jarvela way, and even stepping foot on an unfamiliar continent wouldn't change the yearling's ways so easily. She was nearly tripping over Desolate before she noticed him, though abruptly paused and cleared her throat for good measure. "Oh. I couldn't see you." Her voice was clearly youthful, though laced with a thick northern accent that couldn't be ignored, as she squinted and tried to figure out precisely where he was lying in the near-darkness.

Desolate was busy soaking up the cold floor and using it to fuel his sad desperation about how much everything sucked right now when a voice called out. He lowered his head instinctively to the floor, his ears pinning against his skull as he peered into the darkness. Even as a yearling and even one orphaned so young, the unfamiliar territory worried him. He knew how to survive alone but not this far from home. If he stayed quiet, would the voice go away? His eyes were barely adjusted to the dim lighting when he felt the stranger nearly topple over him and he skittered to a stand a few feet away. Every muscle in his body was tense and he had to force himself to relax. The voice didn't seem angry or rude, and he had to remind himself he was nearly grown now. "Hello?" He responded, a questioning lilt to his voice. "I'm sorry I- uh, got lost." He watched the other wolf carefully in case she took advantage of his lack of bearings, but otherwise did his best to be friendly. "My name is Desolate. Do you live here?" "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Maybe Desolate was wise to be wary of this place. Even if one came here to seek refuge from the world beyond, who really knew what lie deep in these mines? Though Kiela had just really begun to explore their depths, she had a feeling this labyrinth went on much, much further than she could really comprehend. Though she had no interest in exploring the entirety of these mines she was foolish enough to think she could make a sizable dent in her exploration today, though apparently someone else had similar thoughts. She couldn't say for sure why this yearling was here, nor did she try to imagine it. Nearly colliding with him seemed to have startled him, and she watched as he flinched backwards and away from her. Having no qualms with the distance, she made no effort to close it. "Do not apologize. You do nothing," Kiela brushed off his apology, her voice heavily accented. Did all wolves apologize in these lands for things they did not do on purpose? If anything, maybe she should be the one apologizing, but it didn't feel a scenario that needed forgiveness. "I am Kiela. I am just a visitor. Could a wolf live here?" It was a strange thought - if she was more expressive she might've laughed, but she didn't know whether he really meant in these caves or not. Surely a wolf couldn't live here, not without feeling the wind upon their face and the sun upon their back? What a strange life that would be. But then again, there were so many things she did not know, maybe this was just another one of them.