She was settling in alright at best. It seemed like everyone within the pack just did their own thing... and that was fine. Still, the bonds were looser than Sanna would have hoped. Even if it was a business relationship, she needed to be able to trust anyone who supposedly had her back in a fight. Survival, at this point, was transactional. Her entry to the pack had been transactional. Maybe that was how she'd ended up here. Fuck it, it was her own fault anyway.

All she could do was try. Sanna sighed to herself as she set out across Valta's boarders, browsing the grass for herbs. It seemed to her that boneset was likely to grow out here, if she had to guess. That would be useful enough to have in her kit, especially if she was trying to put roots down. An easy trot across the ground, but not lost in her work. Still painfully alert and aware of the world around her, but foraging all the same. Splitting her focus. Something like that. Afternoon sun on her back, at least the spring had warmed up some.

"Speech"

The warm spring day has drawn Ricin away from the island, enticing the man to stretch his legs and go climb. It is second nature to him; the blue wolf having spent many of his younger days learning each and every goat path on Fenrir’s Maw. He has spent months tracing and retracing them with his nimbly paws until he knew every rough crack and tiny ledge as well as he knows his own paws. That is why he is out today, effortlessly running paths up and the mountain with many no wider than one of his paws.

By the time he puts Fenrir’s Maw behind him and lazily begins to meander back toward Elysium lands, the sun is high in the sky. Ricin paws are a whisper upon the earth, the tall man having long ago grown comfortable with his body. The large stone runes that dot the land bordering his home loom large on the clear horizon and a smile ghosts across his lips. Home. That is what Elysium has become to him and his brother and, for a couple of pups that almost didn’t survive their first six months of life, it feels surreal to know he actually has one.

Silently, he slips through the land, relaxed, confident, and with not a care in the world as he goes. A flash of color in his periphery catches Ricin’s attention and the blue wolf slows as he turns to try and find what he had seen. A wolf, shorter than him, trots through the area, the wolf’s posture tense as its form disappears behind a downed pillar. Something about the wolf intrigues him and the bright blue man adjusts his course to slowly trail after them. Crimson eyes watch them, as they go and he finds himself suddenly yearning to meet them.

Picking his pace up into a confident trot, he lets out a soft ‘woof’ to alert them of his presence. As he draws into a comfortable conversational distance, Ricin clears his throat and softly inquires, “Can I help you find something?” The female seems to be on a mission and the man finds himself uncertain of how to approach such an intriguing creature. Suddenly, he feels very uncertain of himself, the blue male flashes the woman a dopey grin that shows just how insecure he is feeling.


"Ricin Dauner"

Sanna browsed for herbs. She was trying to quiet the war in her head, trying to settle the things she's feeling and thinking. Trying to distract herself. That's been the name of the game, distraction. If she can distract herself, then the bad shit in her head can't take over... right? It can't get her. None of it can get her, not if she doesn't let it. Can't slow down, can't stop. That's how you lose your life.

A woof catches her attention. Sanna's head lifts, narrowly avoiding scraping her head on the rock before her. She scans the world around her, immediately standing up straight-- trying to look taller, bigger. Trying to look less like something someone would want to attack. Sanna is on edge. This is a strange place, filled with strange people. The smell on the man is one she recognizes, Elysium, a friendly pack, the ones that had come for the practice raid a few seasons back. He fixes her with a smile, and there's no threat here. Her hackles lie flat against her back once more, though she's still upright. Self conscious, suddenly, about her stature.

"No." She doesn't need help. "I'm alright, thanks." Right, may as well be at least polite. Not that she typically knows how, but that's... that's okay. Sanna tries to arrange her resting bitch face to something that won't take the wind out of his sails, though. "Am I intruding on something?" Was she intruding, in the way of something? That would be typical, actually. Sanna assesses the man, his blue coat, long limbs. Curious, but reserved.

"Speech"

The beautiful stranger lifts her head, narrowly missing the rock with her head, and the man immediately winces in sympathy. Not because she hurts herself, which, thankful, she didn’t, but because he has bothered the woman while she was looking at something. Ricin’s head ducks slightly as he offers a sheepish grin and inquires if she needs help. The grin slowly morphs into a friendly smile as he realizes that the stranger is on edge, and he drops his head and slumps his shoulders, folding into himself. It is a stance he had learned when he was pup and his mother would scream foul, cruel things at the weak boy. It helps to make him look smaller and that is exactly what he wants to do; be smaller.

Ricin has a kind, caring heart that is beating fast in chest as he hopes the woman will not attack him. As she looks him, her first answer is short, the word clipped and he nods absently to himself while sinking further into himself. She quickly follows that up with a kinder phrase and the smile wobbles but returns to his lips in a slightly duller way. He stands close enough to talk with the woman but far enough away to not be bitten if she wanted to attack him. At her next question, the blue man’s eyes widen and his stutters out, “Wha… what? No! Uh, no you’re not.” The question flusters the already uncertain male.

Taking a deep breath, Ricin calms his inner conflict that tries to berate him and remembers the encouragement that his brother, Chade, always gives him. Finally, he straightens up, unfolding himself until he is standing at his full height. Head dips in an apologetic manner as he admits, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. I only asked if you needed help because I usually hang out in this land. I know pretty much everything that you can find here.” Head lifts back up and warm smile plays across his lips, the uncertain boy who been walking in his skin moments before now replaced with a more confident man.

Lifting a large paw to his chest, the man offers the stranger a respectful bow as he says, “My name Ricin Dauner and I am the Master Wayfinder for Elysium.” Hopefully, that explains a little bit about why he knows the land so well. Paw falls back to the ground as the smile warms further and he adds, “I must admit, I didn’t just want to help you.” He pauses a moment, allowing his crimson eyes to fill with merriment as he bashfully adds, “I wanted to get to know the beautiful woman that was walking in this land.” Heat floods his cheeks and he has to work to keep himself from ducking his head shyly.


"Ricin Dauner"