Álarr set his pack down and stretched, rolling his shoulders lightly. He'd spent most of his time in the east gathering herbs and tension was settling between his shoulders. Not to mention his paws were getting sore. On his way back to Fireside he found the hot springs and a nice hot dip was just too good to pass up. He stepped lightly into one of the shallower pools, letting his body adjust to the temperature before he slid all the way and settled with his head resting on the edge of the pool. Ahhhh, this was just what he needed. A rustle in the trees caught his attention for just a moment, but it was only Afi who had settled up in a nearby tree for a nap. Álarr smirked. Silly cat didn't know what he was missing.

Despite the fact that she had fully recovered from her illness, Kaija was tired. It felt like exhaustion had wedged itself deep into her bones and refused to take hold, like some kind of fungus seeping deeper and deeper - the very thought of that comparison felt too real now though and made her shudder as she considered it. Today she didn't want to think much though, nor did she really want to be around others, but apparently she'd wandered right up to someone without realizing. "Hey," Kaija called out nonchalantly as she took a few long strides closer. The pools of water up ahead were interesting, like nothing she'd ever seen before... and was that steam? Was the water hot? Well, now that was definitely strange. It wasn't just one pool either, but a whole series of them, surrounded by vegetation that was relatively lush considering the last few months they'd endured. "Feel good or somethin'?"

Álarr rested quietly, listening to the sound of the breeze in the trees above him and the birds singing their spring songs. This was the closest thing he could imagine to a peaceful day. His ears twitched, eyes opening at the sound of something moving about in the vegetation. He was far too comfortable to move however, even when a large, tusked, yearling emerged. She offered a short greeting before inquiring of the water. Álarr lifted his head and nodded. "Yes, nothing like a good relaxing soak for sore muscles. I just wouldn't drink this water." For a number of reasons, bacteria sure, hygiene another. He couldn't imagine drinking water that who knew how many wolves had bathed in.

Even from a distance, this guy looked pretty cool. She'd never seen twisted horns quite like that, she noted, but the strange pools of water were just slightly more interesting to her. Quickly he acknowledged her and answered her question. Cocking her head slightly in curiosity, she took another set of steps toward the pools. Avoiding the one he was wading in, she moved around to a smaller one. Clambering up over the side, trampling some stray vegetation, she slowly tested the water with one paw. It was warm and instantly felt invigorating. She quite nearly breathed a sigh of contentment as she allowed the rest of her body to follow, wading in slowly and searching for a comfortable spot to lower herself. "Name's Kaija, by the way. You from around here? It'd be nice to come here any time you wanted," she mused aloud. Now that her mom had died she felt even less inclined to stay in one place though, that sort of life just wasn't for her, not when there was so much world for her left to see.

She seemed friendly enough and Álarr was content to remain relaxed in the pool. He glanced up at Afi who opened one golden eye to observe the wolves for a moment before going right back to sleep. Álarr had a pretty good idea of what the cat was thinking. Probably something along the lines of stupid canines, who would willingly want to get wet?

He shifted position so he could talk to the yearling, Kaija, more easily. "Nice to meet you. I'm Álarr. I live several territories west of here. I just happened to be herb gathering in the east." He gestured to the leather pack laying on the dry ground near the pool he was lounging in. "What about you? Have you traveled a long way to get here?"

Maybe life would be a little easier if she came here more often. As she ended into the water she felt her muscles almost instantly relax, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Surely the feeling was short-lived but she'd bask in it as long as she could. It was a nice little nook in the forest and she made a mental note to take a trip here with Ophie sometime. Surely the hot water would do wonder on her joints too, maybe even help with the last stages of her healing.

"Alarr. I like the name," Kaija commented lazily. She felt her paw slipping slightly where she stood so she began to slowly wade around, spinning in a wide arc before facing him again. "Kinda. Well, not really. Used to live in Valhalla but I've been on my own for awhile now. Getting used to these parts now."

Álarr grinned contentedly as the breeze picked up just a little and the yearling, Kaija, commented him on his name. "Thank you, that is kind of you to say. I like yours as well. Very similar to one of my nieces. Her name is Katja." He had to pause for a moment. It was niece wasn't it? He could hardly keep up with his family any more. It didn't help that he was born so late in Valentine's life so his age was weirdly juxtaposed with that of Valentine's other children.

Kaija explained that she was originally from Valhalla and he chuckled. "Ahhh… yes, Valhalla. I know where that's at. I believe my cousin," Was Jupiter his cousin? "Once got in a bit of a spat with the alphess there. Are you just out exploring then or looking for a place to eventually settle?"

Alarr explained his cousin had a similar name, and she gave a little half nod, though she felt her focus waning as her body relaxed fully in the hot spring. Slowly her eyes drifted closed, at least for a long moment, before she came back to her senses and peeked across at him. "Doesn't sound like something that'd be hard to do," she said, her voice filled with amusement at the thought. Not that she was a bad ruler, just a protective one. That kind of leadership wasn't a trait Kaija possessed or suspected she ever would. Though she was loyal to a few select wolves she had no interest in ruling over anyone, let along having to make the decisions that went along with it. She let out another content sigh as she took a moment to examine her surroundings a bit more carefully, noting the way the foliage kind of helped seclude the area, making it feel more private and comforting. Maybe that helped the whole healing vibe of the place.

"I'm just exploring. I don't think I'll settle anywhere - world's too big, too much for me to see." And I like too few wolves to be stuck with them forever, she thought to herself. She'd inherited her father's carefree attitude and she'd decided she was best off on her own, listening to no one and not trying to live up to anyone's expectations. Life would be better for her that way.. and for everyone else, for that matter. "You like the whole pack life thing, then? It works for you?" He was older than her, so maybe he had some wisdom she could latch on to, but she wasn't overly optimistic about that.

Álarr stretched out his toes, paddling lightly at the water and enjoying the warmth that flowed around his feet. He'd be almost tempted to just spend the rest of the day here. It was doing wonders for his aching muscles and old sores where the mushrooms had been. He listened as she answered his question, her answer sounding awfully familiar to someone else. "Ahh, you sound like a maned wolf I ran into awhile back. Dragged me around a number of pack lands, got me mauled." He chuckled. It was almost funny now. If worst had come to worst he was certain he could've defeated Sirius and freed both himself and Jynn. He was quite certain the warlord would've seen reason after Álarr threatened to remove his baths with his teeth.

His left ear flicked and he was silent for a moment, seriously considering her question before nodding. "Yes. I like having a set area of stores. I'm a healer and having a packl and makes it easier to have large stores of herbs and the wolf power to guard them. I have more than I could reasonably carry as a nomad."

If Alarr wasn't nearby she decided she'd probably drift right off to sleep, the water was so relaxing. It was rare she spent much time just lounging around these days - she felt restless more than she'd ever felt and she spent most of her days wandering in search of something to entertain herself with. "A maned wolf? Was she real leggy? I think I met her. She was fun," Kaija recalled, though it'd been a long time ago when she'd ran into her, and in retrospect she was pretty sure she'd helped her out nearly getting lost. He explained he liked having a place to store his herbs and guard them. That sounded dreadfully boring, but she withheld her judgment, at least from leaving her mouth. "Hm. Well, whatever," she brushed off the thought, though she sounded almost combative at the thought of him having an opinion that was different than her own. All at once she seemed to snap out of her relaxed stupor though, moving to climb out of the springs and give her coat a hard shake. The air was temperature but felt chilly against her skin with how hot the water had been, and she shivered."See ya around, maybe." She'd definitely be back here when she was in the region and her limbs needed a good soak, but who knew if she'd run into him again. It wasn't terribly likely but that was her life. Without hesitating she headed back the way she'd came, feeling newly refreshed despite the relatively short time she'd spent basking in the hot water.

-exit Kaija-