Even in the thick of winter, there was beauty to be held here. While no birds or frogs graced his ears with their song, Torben strolled carefully into the wetlands that he found interesting. It was around dusk and he was not far from Valhalla's borders, yet he did not feel comfortable enough in the pack's land right now. Still thinking like a vagabond, once a tribesman... He was almost afraid of settling in, waiting for it to be ripped from him again. Peace is what he wanted. Torben approached the large tree in the center of the location, staring up at the height. He may be a dire, a beast of a man, but he was still dwarfed by the willow. The ground was frozen and the wetlands were a bit easier to cross. He could hunt here, find something of value to bring back to Valhalla... Or perhaps he would explore the land that was beyond the plains. He was absorbed in deciding on a task when someone's voice called out. The large man started, whipping his head around to face them. SPEECH HERE 1/3 explore territory (avian estuary)

The transition from day to night was always a mesmerizing sight to behold. Normally the sounds of the day dampened until they gave way to the soft melodies of night. Crickets, frogs, maybe even the rare hoot of an owl provided a brilliant ambiance for the evenings. Or at least they did during the warmer months of the year. Now, however, was a silent evening due to the hibernating insects and amphibians and the long migrated aviary creatures. It was almost as if the entire world was in a spell of eternal slumber. Even the plants and water didn’t dare to move as the cold had frozen most of them to a still state. And despite the eerie silence, the young maiden who refused to fall victim to the land’s spell of sleep found it beautiful. Quietly she traversed the terrain. She didn’t seem in any particular hurry or even like she had a goal in mind either. Instead, she was just traveling to travel at this point of her life. Having landed in this new land merely a few days ago, she was determined to explore the land to its fullest. Afterall, she had an adventurous spirit to begin with. She wanted to see all, experience all, and be able to tell wondrous tales of her ventures one day. This was merely just the beginning of her tales. Eventually however, she found herself approaching a rather large tree. Sure it was barren of leaves due to the weather, but it was still beautiful and a sight to behold. For a few moments, the young lady stood and admired the tree amongst the landscape and just before she decided to move onwards, her jade hued eyes caught movement of another wolf. From there her curiosity got the best of her as she soon began traveling closer. Briefly, the girl kept to herself as she looked over her soon to be temporary companion. He was much larger than her in stature…maybe by about a foot. His coat however was the most striking feature in her opinion. It was pure white much like the color of freshly fallen snow and it even seemed to have a slight radiant glow about it for the parts of it that were graced by the rising moonlight. He also had a collection of scars upon him, but the lass wasn’t one to judge from one’s past. Afterall, she had her own past that she’d wish to leave where it belonged: in the past. “It’s a beautiful evening,” she calmly called out to the male hoping not to startle him too badly as she also made herself visible to him rather than beckon from the shadows. She kept a respectable distance however because she wasn’t entirely sure how he’d respond nor did she want to seem imposing. She was just her in these new lands - no past relations or status to bind her from just being herself - and that was how she preferred it to stay. "speech"

"Aye." That it was. He turned his head back to the tree, knowing she meant no harm. It was easier to trust someone in passing than completely. She didn't seem a threat, even if he knew small wolves could be threatening. There were no fireflies here in winter, but he imagined in his mind's eye there could be. Torben wondered if the wolves of Valhalla came here, or if they passed it by in favor of the moors? Tadpoles and frogs were hibernating here in winter. He had spotted a few eggs submerged, and wondered if they could be revived or if they were truly dead. He didn't know enough about amphibians. The frost seemed to kill all, but foliage burst to life come spring. It wasn't long now until spring could come to this land. He felt it could make it more beautiful, even if he had an easier time in the winter. "Torben" he added for her benefit, turning his attention back to the young woman "and you are, miss?" SPEECH HERE 2/3 explore territory (avian estuary)