It was strange to be so far away from the castle on her own. But since the outings she had taken with her mother and father, the itch to explore could no longer be ignored. It had taken quite a while for her to cross the grassy ocean of Starlit Plains, but the maple tree forest that bordered the far side was certainly worth the effort. With the coming of spring, life was in full force. The broad-faced leaves overhead jostled with each breath of breeze. The sunlight trickled through the canopy in the thinner spots, causing distinct rays of light to illuminate the forest floor.

She knew this part of the territory was called Wildberry Grove. Rightly so. She hadn't gone to see the meadow yet, but the scattered fruit-bearing shrubs in the undergrowth were enough to assure her she was in the right place. No, Momma and Daddy had explicitly instructed her and her siblings to not leave Hallowed grounds. Even so, Talyssa made the decision to stick close to the border as she wanted to ensure she didn't miss a single thing. On her way back to the castle, she would zig-zag in a grid pattern to make sure she saw everything that there was to see.

Balthier had been out at this time doing his own scheduled patrol of the grove when the familiar form of one of Artorias' children came to view in front of him. Just from their vague encounter before he turned up a humored grin as he made easy steps to catch up to her with just a little shake to his head.

Finally he'd make a close enough distance to her as if something could have happened and he'd be able to jump in immediately to help her, but he didn't think such a thing could happen. "Well, well, pushing your limits again?" He was all in good fun, just a little joke. Though he did wonder if she was allowed to be this far out of the castle by herself. He knew that Artorias and Briar had their own companions out and around the areas to watch the children and just about any pack member would do so without being asked. Even he would. Which was why he was here. He wasn't going to bust her fun of course, he wasn't too outgoing as a young pup himself but he understood the feeling of adventure and things like that. He wouldn't tattle or take it away from her as long as everything was safe.

"Balthier"

The young Carpathius girl was diligent in maintaining a path close to the scent markers that made up the dividing line of wilds and pack lands. While she knew she could not cross the boundaries, there were no rules against looking. Every few strides she would glance towards what lay beyond the outside. But the majority of her attention remained with the territory that belonged to her family. The grove was beautiful in its own way. Different than the other places she had seen, but enchanting no less. She had no doubt that one could easily find themselves lost in the naturally sweet scents that filtered through the undergrowth.

Talyssa was so absorbed in her exploration, she hadn't noticed that she was no longer alone. Not until the tone of his voice broke the ambiance of the forest that surrounded them. A startled gasp rushed her lungs as her pale blue eyes blinked in surprise- her attention whipping around to face her approaching packmate. It took a moment for recognition to strike her as to who the guard was and what he had said. But in the following moments, a playful smirk warmed her features. "I don't think there is a rule against pushing limits." The young girl responded with her own lighthearted observation. Or at least if there was, it had not been articulated to her. "What about you, then? What are you up to today?" She asked, pleasantly curious. Perhaps he was trailing the border as well. Doing a little exploring along the way as she was.

Balthier didn't respond to the way she had, a little jump in herself to his presence. He didn't mean to take her by surprise, but given her age and experience in just these further reaches of the world she was allowed to roam freely in, a little surprise was necessary. That same gentle grin on his maw as she relaxed, and a raised brow when she had said there weren't any rules against pushing limits. "I suppose you're not wrong." It was a little humorous as he was, and as he did before he wouldn't scold her for being out here. There was always the chance of something bad happening, but most of the time everything was under control. And with him here, she'd be safe.

"I'm one of the patrollers today, you seem like you'll be learning one day soon too if you'd like to join me." Better to keep an eye on her and head back towards the castle. The long route, but nonetheless back where no one had to be worried about her. She'd be old enough by the time Artorias blinked his eye to do patrols, leave the Hallowed lands, and just about anything she wanted. Though that probably felt like a lifetime away for her.

"Balthier"

Talyssa hadn't meant for her earlier suggestion to be funny, but she definitely picked up on his amusement to her response. Her cheshire grin took a firm hold over her expression as she pushed further into an intentional playful light. "Well, if I'm not wrong, then I must be right." The young girl declared with bright enthusiasm. In one more quick glance, she first looked toward the direction in which she had been traveling, and then back in the direction in which they both had come. But when he drew his breath to speak once again, her attention snapped back to Balthier. Just in time for him describe his task of the day, and an invitation to tag along! "That sounds like fun! Show me the way!" Talyssa insisted.

Despite her suggestion that he take the lead, the girl couldn't contain her excitement. She skipped forward a couple of strides before looking back to the knight over her shoulder. "What are we supposed to do while patrolling?" She asked, wanting to make sure that she did things correctly.

Balthier didn't bound after her as the excitement got the best of her and she went ahead on the unmarked trail. He stayed true to that very calm, maybe friendly atmosphere about him. He had remembered his younger days in Abaven that were usually filled with learning how to set different traps and how to skin prey from his father. But there was a time when he started following after others to learn the responsibilities of the warriors. He tried to block out the harsh stuff of his past, though he wasn't very successful at it. He did remember the growth Abaven offered and gave him.

He took a slow pace forward, lifting his paw as if insisting she go ahead while she had already taken off just a little ways in front of him. He wouldn't necessarily think so in this exact moment, but he may have been a pretty cool guy. He'd certainly be a cool uncle he thought. "Well, on patrol we walk the borders. Make sure no trespassers whether they be wolf or predator make their way in. There's a few of us that take shifts in each land, and I'm sure you know a lot of us in The Hallows are strong so it's easy to call for help when needed." He explained not really sure if she was retaining all that quick information. He knew she would learn on day, if anything remember the bit he told her now the next time someone went over it with her.

"Balthier"