"I never said that! I never even remotely said that." Angry mumbles spilled out of the girl's mouth. Hot, angry tears streamed down her gray face. "But he said, he, of course…" She continued muttering under her breath as she navigated through the dense trees. She was remembering her family more and more in her isolation. Remembering arguments, remembering strife. She sighed and dug her nails into the loamy dirt. A tongue flicked past her teeth, feeling their size and sharpness. She had no idea where she was. Not that she had any idea where she wanted to be, but it had been a while since she looked up.

Even in winter, the scene before her was awfully comforting. A warm halo of orange and deep brown leaves enclosed the space. The scent of long-since fallen fruit drifted through the air. There were berry bushes, too, and some of them looked edible. She began crying harder; it was too much like home, and she was too broken. She kept muttering to herself, crying and feeling absolutely broken.

Though they'd navigated around the perimeter of Wildberry Grove on their journey to Auster, Sota's pack hadn't properly stopped to scope it out. Given that it wasn't too far from their claimed territories it made sense to take a day and scope it out, maybe even bring back some treats for his packmates. With the way the winter was going though he wasn't sure it was be a terribly good time to stock up on anything at all. Though Auster was spared from the most brutal of the season, he'd seen snow here for the first time in his life and he could only hope spring would breathe new life back into the world and that things would begin to blossom again.

Until then, though, Sota found no reason to note be thankful for everything he'd been given. Stumbling into his new pack had been an accident, but certainly a happy one following an unfortunate accident. The tiny, stripe-legged male was simply glad that he had a home, one he felt he could truly flourish in; he had gotten accustomed to living as a rogue but he by no means preferred it. Even now he found himself wondering if he should've brought someone along, but before he had long to dwell on his brief stint of isolation he heard something that sounded suspiciously like.. crying?

Immediately his ears perked and worry began to bubble in his chest. If someone needed help he wouldn't feel right unless he reached out. The more self-interested upbringing of his had long since cracked and splintered; Sota had discovered as he grew older that he was far more caring than some tended to be. Making no effort to conceal his steps, he bounded after the sound until someone game into view. He paused a good dozen strides away, standing tall despite his minuscule stature. "Excuse me, miss?" He gave her a quick bow of his head, brows worried in worry. "Are you alright? I heard -" His voice faltered for a second, wondering if it'd be too rude to admit he'd heard her crying. "I don't want to assume anything, but, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Her imaginary argument with her mother barreled along. The young girl was reliving alternate versions of interactions over and over and over. What she could have said differently, what she wished wasn't said to her. It was all she did while she traveled alone. Leaving home so young and by herself in the fall was risky not only for her physical health but her mental health as well. Even among her abusive family members, she still saw faces, had normal interactions. Alone, she dipped into a slightly unhinged state.

Her deep thoughts took a hiatus when she heard the sound of light footsteps approaching. Instinctively, she flattened her ears, slumped over, and tried to make herself look as demure and small as possible. She didn't want a fight; not right now.

A two-toned creature parted the woods and her yellow eyes stared in fascination. At first, she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at. Was it an arctic fox? No, not quite a fox, definitely a wolf. And somehow, a wolf smaller than she. And a male at that. She stared for a shameful extra second, almost not quite catching all that he had to say.

His concern was touching at first, but immediately guilt washed over. He was probably trying to enjoy his day and got to hear you blubber instead. She sniffed and raised a paw to wipe under her eyes. "I g-guess so. I didn't mean to b-bother you." She said, curling her tail around her paws and hanging her head. A few rogue tears found their way to the ground when she hung her head.

Sota had not been raised to be a selfless wolf, but somehow those traits had flourished within him as he grew older. Since The Hallows had so generously taken him in and offered him a place to heal, both mentally and physically, it was hard not to want to extend the same courtesy to all he came across who seemed in need of aid. He didn't know quite what was wrong with this stranger but it seemed something was amiss, and he wouldn't rest well tonight unless he offered even a small bit of help. His brows furrowed in worry as her posture slackened, looking almost submissive in his presence.

He quickly shook his head, dismissing her concerns. "You're no disturbance at all! I'm just taking a stroll through this place. Recently moved near by and.. this place looks interesting!" Would small talk help? He really wasn't sure if he could help her - or if she even wanted help. Or company. But little Sota didn't mind probing a tiny bit further. At the slightest sign of distress he'd gladly back off; he wasn't known for being terribly persistent or stubborn in general. "You promise you're okay? Not hurt or anything?" If she was he'd have no trouble leading her back to his pack and searching for aid for her. He'd work even harder if he had to, to ensure her health was tended to. Though if it was a matter of the heart he had little in the way of help for her.

Her ears fanned backward. She blinked hard a few times, pushing the tears back hard as she could. Even though he said he wasn't bothered by her, she couldn't shake the nagging thought he was annoyed. "Oh, okay." Meekly she looked to him, soft yellow eyes full and damp.

"Yes, I promise. I'm okay." She said though she didn’t fully trust them herself. "Thank you." She tried to steal another look at him. He was handsome, she had to admit. Unique and so patterned. After a few glances she felt like she was staring, and her eyes went back to the ground in front of her.

After a couple of seconds of silence, she looked back up at the male. He said something earlier, right? Maybe she could get him to elaborate. Cause, Noe had no idea what to talk about. "You moved here recently?" She asked, hoping he might keep the thread of their conversation going.

Sota's brows furrowed tightly together in concern, but his expression seemed to relax and soften as she ensured him that she was okay. He didn't fully believe her - the tears in her eyes were obvious and her voice betrayed that she'd been crying, even if she tried to hide it. Maybe she wasn't completely okay, but as long as she wasn't in any immediate danger he would feel okay shrugging off her bit of crying and pretending it hadn't happened. He'd never been very good at expressing his own emotions, not the type to cry or even appear outwardly distressed, but he knew not every wolf was like him. And likewise, he knew not everyone would want to share all their innermost thoughts with him.

He simply offered her a kind smile. "Of course. What kind of man would I be if I didn't check on someone who seemed to be in distress?" He shrugged it off easily, not believing he'd done anything truly deserving of gratitude. It wasn't like he'd helped her any, unless distraction counted as helping. "Yes, my pack and I moved here from the northern continent. I was born far, far south of here though, but I'd never really explored these parts." He cast a brief glance to the grove around them. It wasn't anything spectacular right now but he had no doubt that at summer's peak it would be brimming with fruit and flowers all around. "My name's Sota, by the way."