Though she had started out of the den a little skittish and hesitant, things had changed. Bowen was thoughtful to her own well being, but she was confident in the abilities of her parents to keep the dangers away. So, while she still paid attention to her surroundings in the same manner that her Mom did, she felt much more at ease as she crept around the territory. They still weren't allowed to go very far and they all knew the rules, but they were given a bit of freedom. If they wanted to go further, Moms jackals would accompany them. That's what was happening today. The pair of small canines, still bigger than Bowen, but tiny in comparison to her mom, followed after her. Bowen was on the lookout for things. Treasures. Shiny, unique things. The first day out of the den, the girl had found a shiny rock. The sun reflected off of the brindling in the stone and the snow and russet girl had been thoroughly entranced. She'd taken the stone back inside and found a hiding place at the back of the den where she could keep it safe. Today she was out looking for more things to add to her stockpile. Hopefully she wound find more eye catching items. The elicited a strange feeling within her. Bowen didn't know anything about feelings yet, but she knew that this one was strong. Very strong. "Bowen Arrow"

Sota was healing, slowly but surely. He had yet to venture too far from the hot springs, grateful that his needs were largely being attended to without much exertion on his part, but knew it was about time to break out of his shell and get to know his fellow packmates.  Today seemed a fine enough day for that. Autumn had clearly arrived, adding a pleasantly chilly touch to the air. They were far enough east that the change in seasons wasn't terribly dramatic, but still noticeable. Sota felt lighter than he had in some time as he slowly moved along, veering toward where he knew the falls were. His gait was markedly improved, but not completely perfect - his leg was healing from its break and his limp would likely linger for seasons to come, but he could move without considerably effort now. All in all, things were good.

As he began his afternoon walk, a peculiar sight caught his attention. Two jackals and a small wolf, no doubt a child, who looked like she was looking for something. Perhaps he could help her find whatever it was she was seeking. Wearing a friendly smile, Sota ambled over to the trio, offering a dramatized bow of his muzzle. His nose nearly scraped the ground before he lifted himself upright, tail waving calmly behind him. "Hello there! I do hope I'm not disturbing anything." Sure, she was just a pup, but that didn't mean she had to deal with his company if she'd rather be on her own.

So intent was she on finding shiny, interesting things that she hadn't even heard the grownup approach. The jackals didn't seem to care. They knew that he was pack. The pair lazed about in the shade, one grooming the other. Meanwhile Bowen was sifting through the grass, hoping to be surprising by something unique and interesting. When the voice sounded, the small girl gasped lightly, green eyes going wide. Turning her attention to the small (but still larger than herself) wolf, the child's maw turned up in a beaming smile. His bow made her feel very grownup and ladylike. "Hello!" With enthusiasm that only the young possess, she bounced closer to him, sniffing his nose, her little neck extended. "I'm Bowen! Who are you?" The white and red girl gave her head a little tilt as she asked. Then she continued quickly without even waiting for his name because she had to ask questions as soon as they entered her mind. "Do you know where there are any shiny things?" Viridian eyes glittered hopefully. She turned a circle, fur bristling as she gave a little shake. "I'm hunting for treasure!" Clearly she was very excited about the task. "Bowen Arrow"

The child didn't seem at all bothered by his approach - not that he would've cared if she rather be left alone. Sometimes, especially after leaving home, he got in those moods too. Lately though he'd been craving interaction with others and while he wasn't glad to have broken his leg last season, he was glad that he'd dragged himself here, of all places. So far he was enjoying his time here quite a bit, even deciding that staying here past the repayment of his offered debt might not be such a bad thing. He'd have to wait and see what the future had in store for him.

But right now? He was transfixed by this cute child as she grinned up at him. His tail began to wag a bit more quickly behind him at her enthusiasm, which was quite palpable. "Hello there, Bowen. My name's Desota. But, my friends call me Sota, and so can you!" His more formal name had largely been abandoned in lieu of his nickname, a change that seemed fitting for his new life here in Boreas. He certainly had changed quite a bit since he'd first come here. "Shiny things?" He repeated, letting out a soft laugh. Ah, so she was treasure hunting. She would've fit in great with the Songa.. although their most prized possessed tended to be body parts of enemies and prey animal, rather than shiny things. But no matter. He could play along just fine. "Well then, we better get hunting. You're just after anything shiny?" Sota wanted some clarification before they got started, though he stood up a bit taller and looked very much like he was ready to assist in a treasure hunt.

The grownup gave his name, then told her that she could make his name shorter because they were friends. The child's green gaze lit up and she gave a sort of conspiratorial nod, leaning in closer. "Soooooota. We're friends, so you can call me Bo!" It was like a secret whispered between them. He'd already taught her a new thing, so she wanted him to be the first one to call her Bo out of friendship. Sota questioned her about the things that she was hunting for and the girls brow furrowed slightly. How should she explain? It wasn't just shiny things. It was all things that looked nice and special. Maybe that was what she should tell him? "Well..." she started a little hesitantly, still not sure on how to word it. She could see all of the things in her mind, but it was such a wide variety of things. "Not just shiny. Special things. Things that don't look like any other things. Treasures." She gave Sota a nod, thinking that was a good enough explanation. "My mom gave me a box to put all of my things in. No one else can open it because the things are my things. Isn't that neat?" Bowen was insanely pleased at having her own special treasure box. She slept beside it every night. "Bowen Arrow"

What a sweetheart! He felt his heart swell with joy at her words. "Alright, Bo it is then!" He exclaimed, his grin only growing at her enthusiasm. He couldn't remember spending much time with children before Casper, and now Bowen, but he definitely enjoyed their company more than he expected. It wasn't only because they were close to his size, but something about them was just refreshing - maybe it was their naivety that was refreshing to Sota. The children here seemed to be raised differently than the kids where he came from, and... well, he didn't want to cast any judgements about his home that he thought of so fondly, but this way seemed... different. Better, in certain ways.

He nodded, feigning understanding even if he wasn't entirely sure what she meant by treasure. Not only shiny things, but also special things. Sure, he would work with that. His brows furrowed tightly together in concentration as he listened to her. "That's really neat," he agreed quickly. This concept of treasures - or trophies, as he might call them - was hardly unfamiliar to him. He decided against telling her that the most prized treasures were ones stolen, at least according to his culture. He wouldn't be the one to push a thought on her that could bring her some trouble; he doubted Bowen's parents would appreciate him turning their daughter into a thief. "Can you tell me what you have in it so far, or is it a secret?" He understood if so. Either way, it was time to look for some treasures for her. Waiting to make sure she might follow, he headed slowly in the direction of the falls, limping slightly but moving slowly so he wouldn't strain himself.

Bowen was pretty amazed that an adult was so excited about the prospect of hunting treasure. Everyone else seemed to humor her when it came to treasure hunting, but Sota seemed genuinely interested. He asked what was in her treasure box and the cinnamon swirled girl's face lit up again. "Oh, lots of things! I have a bunch of pretty rocks. Some are shiny. Some glitter. I haaaaaave," She thought about all of the things in her box, green eyes rolling upwards in contemplation. " I have some feathers. I have a little mouse skull that I found. A deer antler. Some flowers." She shrugged and smiled, turning her gaze back to Sota's face. "Just lots of things. Special things." Many of the items that she kept in her box were given to her by her family and friends. That made them special to her. They may not have looked like much to some, but to her they were better than any glittering stone. It warmed her heart to know that her family thought so highly of her. The girl arched a russet brow. "Do you have any family, Sota?" Had his family ever given him treasures? "Bowen Arrow"

She seemed eager to tell him about her treasures, and he nodded, completely interested and not simply feigning it. What a fine Songa she would've made, he thought to himself with a quiet chuckle. She informed him she had rocks, shiny ones and glittery ones, some feathers, a skull, an antler, and some flowers. "Well, that sounds like a lovely collection," he admitted earnestly. He'd had a similar collection in his youth. Snagging little trinkets was a favorite pasttime of the Songa, though as they got older those treasures turned into trophies taken from other wolves. It was part of that lifestyle he found himself not at all unhappy to leave behind. He'd much prefer to find trinkets that were given freely by nature.

After a moment of thought he started off, veering toward the falls. His gait was uneven, but he doubted the child would mind his slow pace as they talked. "I do!" He perked up a little at the thought. "But, they live very far from here. Just my mom and dad - and a lot of cousins," he explained with a little smile. His immediate family was quite small and even now he thought of them often, sure that his parents were still alive and well, no doubt thriving alongside the rest of the Songa. Maybe someday he'd pay them a visit but his path had led them elsewhere and he was sure they'd understand. "How big is your family, Bowen?" Admittedly he wasn't familiar with everyone who resided within The Hallows, let alone who was related to who. Slowly they moved closer to the falls, and Sota caught sight of something potentially interesting up ahead. Loping a bit faster, he upturned a rock with his paw, quickly deciding it wasn't worthy of Bowen's treasure pile, and continued on.