For how long, she did not know. How much time had passed, was also not known to her. Angelique found herself running from almost everything. The land she came from was so different than this one. No more were her towering structures. No roof over her head. No class and social structure. Everything here was wild; feral and incomplete. She did not feel at peace, nor particularly safe for that matter. She kept walking until her paw pads were raw, sore, and bleeding. Yuck! she had a thought about when she reached this swamp. Nothing positive to show, and so unsightly. She had been robbed of her belongings upon entrance, her travel companions fleeing as she had. They were all gone - and she did not know how to get to them. If they were lucky, they were safe. Angelique could see no way back, so she strolled forward. Almost at once, her paw slunk into the watery earth. She gasped, feeling her front half go next. Backpedaling, she desperately tried to free herself. Yips and yaps of annoyance, panic, and fear... They were heard in the wind. Sure, she had seen mud before. But nothing as sticky, gross and absorbing as this! "Talk, 'Think.'

Takeshi roamed the swamplands, feeling a bit of a rut. His mother had a new boyfriend, one of his sisters had shipped off to another pack entirely, Ike was busy with her own stuff, and Kuroki had his veritable harem. The Ashen Dragon was the only one without a purpose or others to lean on, it seemed, which was a hard pill to swallow. He knew that walking around wouldn’t fix anything, but it was good to clear his head anyways.

Suddenly, he could hear a series of yapping and yipping in the distance. He paused, auds swiveling forward as his head tilted curiously. It was a canine, and by its tone it seemed to be in trouble. His glowing red gaze turned to glance at his companions, nodding to them before walking toward the sound. Rounding a tree, Take came across the scene of a small dog, or at least small to him, whose front end was sinking slowly but surely into a puddle of quicksand. If one wasn’t familiar with quicksand and the area, it would be easy to fall prey to it.

“Hold on, I’ll help get you out,” the man offered, issuing a swift bark to his companions to tell them to find him a long, sturdy stick. “Just don’t move around too much,” he rumbled.

Speech

Panic filled her body, along with muck and filth. She barely registered the young man as he came across her, but had at least stopped her incessant yapping. A soft whimper escaped as she was pulled deeper and deeper into the mud. She tried to lift her long legs and failed, feeling the weight of the earth against her. Angelique didn't know how long she had left before it swallowed her whole. Lifting her rose-colored eyes, she locked them with a strange-colored individual. She seemed to freeze, and time slowed down, realizing there was another there that was witnessing her pathetic display. She didn't even bother sucking in breath, but her lungs felt almost near collapse at the lack of air. She didn't want to inhale any of this muck. Oh no, she would rather die without that sensation! She didn't seem to understand his words at first, however. Angelique tried again to lift a very heavy limb, trying to reach for this pseudo-savior of sorts. She reached for him, her limb covered in filth. He seemed to radiate some type of light - be it actual or just her wishful thinking. "Talk, 'Think.'

Panic had filled the woman’s eyes by the time their gazes met. A shiver went down his spine as he realized he was looking at someone who fully thought they were going to die. He’d never truly experienced death before, not of a wolf or similarly intelligent animal, and he would rather not experience it any time soon. But, despite his warning, the woman continued to try and splash her way out, his eyes widening as she did so. No, no she would certainly die doing that!

“No, no stop! Hold on,” he called in a panic, looking over his shoulder desperately for his companions. His Akita companion Benjiro sprinted back to him, holding just what he needed in his jaws. He grabbed it and turned back to the canine, grasping the end and sticking the other out to her. His neck strained as he held the heavy thing, leaning to try and get it as close to her mouth as possible. Takeshi’s eyes were wide and pleading as he looked at her, praying she understood to grab the stick so he could pull her to safety.

Speech

No. Stop. Stop. Non? Arrêt? Arrêt? Angelique didn't have the capacity to frown, but her brows furrowed. The young man seemed to be dissuading her from moving. Hesitant, she stopped and wondered if that was the right thing he said. Realization dawned in her pale rose eyes as he moved the hefty branch to her. She lunged for it now, a proverbial olive vine. Gripping it in her jaws, she let herself be pulled out of the muck. She flopped onto dry and solid earth, thanking whatever gods looked down on her. The man would be forgotten momentarily, she lay sprawled on the ground and hacked an undignified amount of mud from her throat. She heaved drily after that, feeling her throat burning from the effort. She had yapped and screamed until raw. The saluki gave a start, covering in filth as she almost gleefully tackled her savior. "Merci! Merci, monsieur!" she bawled in her native tongue, almost close to tears. Her thick sprawling tail flapped in the air, sending mud everywhere. "Talk, 'Think.'

Finally, the woman seemed to get what he was saying. She stopped her splashing, realization dawning on her face when she saw the stick he was pushing out to her. Eagerly, her jaws latched onto the veritable lifeboat he provided, and as soon as contact was made he hoisted back with as much strength as he could muster. But, it didn’t take nearly as much as he thought it would. She was pulled out in one motion, the remaining momentum sending Takeshi staggering back and falling onto his butt, his teeth clacking painfully on the rough bark. He spit it out, lifting a paw to rub his jaw with a wince.

The Dragon Prince watched her spit up watery sand with concern, already preparing himself to swiftly take her to his sister to be looked at. However, that didn’t seem to be needed. Suddenly, she was up on her feet and flinging her mud-logged body at him, her slight frame, light and a full foot shorter than her, basically bounced off of his massive, heavy body. He blinked in surprise as he looked down at her, dodging an airborne slough of mud that flew from her tail. She babbled hysterically in a foreign tongue that he didn’t understand, and it dawned on him why she hadn’t immediately followed his instructions. Did she even speak common tongue?

Takeshi lifted his paw, gently patting her shoulder awkwardly. He had no problem with physical affection when it came to his own family, but strangers were a completely different story. “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” he rumbled, unsure if she would even understand him.

Speech

She was already close to tears, and it did not take much to make her burst into them. Some pearly lines ran down her face for a few moments before she lifted a paw to dainty try and clean them away. It only did as much as smear dirt across her pretty face. "Non!" she began, lowering her head in defeat "e ne suis pas en sécurité..." Angel seemed to take some words in his tongue, realizing he was attempting to comfort her. No, I am not safe. The muck stung her eyes, as did the tears. The saluki suddenly inflated, as if recovering emotionally and physically at once. She huffed now, air escaping her pink lips. The tears left her. She would... She could... No, she could not be alone. Thankfully at least someone was with her, she eyed the man. A wolf. Of course, she heard of the beasts. An urban legend, or even just a legend, back home. She was no fool, and she would not throw a fit. Perhaps she always knew they existed somewhere... "Who... are you?" she asked directly. Her voice was thickly accented. Her words are slow and pronounced. She tried to communicate, marvelling at his unnatural scales at the same time. They did glow. How... like the Paris lights. "Talk, 'Think.'

”Non,” she said, which sounded a lot like no. No? His brows pulled together, confused, his glowing red gaze looking around them to be sure there were no threats approaching that he somehow hadn’t sensed. When there was nothing, he looked back to the small dog velcroed to his chest.

Out of nowhere, she seemed to gather her wits about her, removing herself from him, her pale eyes suddenly meeting his like she hadn’t just been crying. He blinked. Then, she spoke, this time with words he could understand and his expression turned to one of being flabbergasted. “So you do speak common tongue, then,” he said aloud, more to himself than the woman.

“My name is Takeshi, I live in a pack nearby. If you think you need medical treatment, my sister is our healer. She can help you.” It still felt weird to say his sister and not his grandmother. He knew why she had left, and at least he had gotten a goodbye and an explanation from her, but it still hurt all the same. The man hoped she was well, but he also secretly hoped she would choose to stay with Ashen in the end, instead of his traitorous father.

Speech

It was very clear that the young man did not understand her words. Was French such a foreign language in this land? "Oui" she replied to him, giving a nod to his bewildered wonder "though it is not my, um, first tongue" She lowered her long neck, biting back an irritated sigh. Just how far away was home? "I have come from far away." He had been helpful and assisted her... There was no shame in giving such information out, surely? He introduced himself with a name in a language she did not quite understand but had heard before in tales. "Japanese?" she murmured, loud enough for him to hear now. She visibly shook herself free of thoughts "Angelique" the Saluki began, giving a slight bow of her skull. Some panic entered her rose coloured eyes. T-there are packs here? But perhaps that was confusing to Takeshi if she voiced it "I have... not seen a wolf before" instead, she admits this openly. The muddy saluki shifted on her paws, frowning "this is... shocking to me." She shakes her head. "I require a minute of rest, that is all." She politely declined medical treatment. 3/3 - met new wolf (takeshi)