Ruse backed out of the den she had selected for herself and Requiem with a satisfied sigh. Having someone that could hunt the way he did made getting furs for a bed much easier. She was sure if she asked Scylla nicely her sister would have provided what she needed regardless, but at least she didn't have to do that. She had been so excited to have her independence that she had kind of forgotten how nice it was to have someone to do things for her like her father had when she was little so it was kind of a nice change. Their den was still pretty basic, but it was livable for now so she could focus on getting to know the rest of the territory they were going to be calling home.

She turned and looked out over the falls, the sound of the rushing water reminding her a bit of the constant sound of the ocean she had grown up with on the island. It was a different kind of sound, of course, but it was still a bit nostalgic in a way. It was still mid day so she supposed she wouldn't get to find out what gave the Sunset Falls its name for a while, but it wasn't like she wouldn't have all the time in the world to get very well acquainted with her new home. Following the river up stream toward the biggest of the tiered falls, she was mostly focused on the slope of the land and how it dropped off occasionally to make more small waterfalls the further down it went toward the nearby hot springs–so focused in fact she nearly ran into a pup that was near the falls as well.

She stopped short when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, blinking with surprise when she turned her head to look at the young wolf that was covered in shades of brown with white patches that weren't too dissimilar to the irregular patches of tan that covered her own coat. Now that she was looking at him she realized that he was probably closer to yearling than pup based on the maturity of his features, but he was still a good bit shorter than she was and the way his ears folded over was just so adorable and gave him a youthful look regardless. "Oh! Sorry about that!" she said with a smile, her tail wagging gently behind her. "I got too caught up in looking around I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Ruse, what's your name?"

"Rusalka"

Unlike Ruse, Bancha did not have a den to call his own. Actually, that was what he was doing today. He moved south from the rapids to where the water began to slow and bubble over the cascading hills. While the rapids provided plenty of shade, food, and water, he wasn’t a fan of just how fast the water did run. The constant drumming and thumping of the rapids wasn’t as calming as others believed them to be. At least they weren’t to Bancha.

So as he wandered through the lush territory of Sunset Falls, he explored what possibilities he could have down here. Now that he was nearing a year old, it about time for him to have a place of his own. But where was the question. Would it be over by that old oak tree? With its lofty branches and thick roots. Or would it be closer to the falls, dug into the side of the hill? The options were plenty that much was true.

Bancha was distracted by his exploration that he too didn’t notice the older woman. Not until she was calling out to him that he noticed he was going to walk into her as well. Putting on the brakes, his chin tilting up to meet her face, Bancha smiles. “ Seems I was doing the same!” He laughs, his tail also wagging behind him but a bit more furiously. “ I’m Bancha! It’s nice to meet you Ruse,” he lets out a playful yip, all energy and good mood. “ The falls really are pretty aren’t they?”

BANCHA

The young boy introduced himself as Bancha with an energy that was infectious. She hadn't really been around pups since some of her father's younger kids were pups and back then she had been too young herself to really enjoy their energy. She had been too busy being an angsty young woman that was more bothered by having to share even more of her father's attention than anything else. That was quite a while ago now though and she was starting to see why her dad had so many pups if they were all this cute when they were Bancha's age. She was certain she had been at least.

"They are!" she agreed whole heartedly as she nodded and looked down the tiered slope of the falls again. She had seen several other waterfalls before and even rivers that had dips and breaks in them before, but this was probably the first time she had seen such a series of distinct waterfalls like this. "I just picked out a den just down the hill from here," she mentioned, pointing with her paw back the way she came. "This is a really nice place to live, I think. I'll probably always like the island I grew up on more, but this is a pretty good substitute."

"Rusalka"

His gaze moves to follow Ruse’s gaze down the sloping hills. Each curve of the land allowed the water to tumble so easily as if it were meant to be. Truthfully, he hadn’t been far yet from the territory and the one time he had been, he had been too distracted by other things to notice his surroundings. But as he stands there now, he knows that his heart belonged to the nature around him and he really wanted to see the whole world.

“I found a small cave-den thing behind one of the falls just last week! I was thinking of moving into it since no one else seems to have claimed it,” Bancha adds on, pointing his paw also down the hill slightly but more off to the side toward one of the falls on the outer edges of cascading river. “I’ve only seen islands once and it’s those ones out by the coast. What island did you grow up on?!” His wide eyes turn toward Ruse, impressed that she had grown up on an island.

Ruse followed Bancha's paw to where he was pointing as he spoke about the small cave he had found behind one of the falls and how he was thinking about moving into it. "Nice! We'll practically be neighbors," she mentioned with a chuckle. Considering Bancha was her first real interaction with one of her new pack mates outside of her own family it was nice to have someone so easy to get along with living so close. He asked about the island she grew up on and she began to walk again, leading the way up the slope and toward the other portion of Obscura's territory while she spoke. "I grew up on Alias Island. It's off the coast of Auster, pretty close to the Bifrost," she explained, grinning wistfully as she thought about their old home. She did miss it sometimes! "I'll take you to see it one day if you want!" she offered eagerly. He seemed like the type that would be fun to explore with and would really enjoy the tropical resort where her father's pack used to be–assuming no one else had moved in since then.

"Rusalka"

Bancha is quick to follow Ruse north toward Monument Rapids. He notices how squishy the earth is beneath his paws already as if spring was here. Had there not been frost on the ground this morning? There was no denying the shifting winds felt slightly warmer than they had yesterday. Warmer weather meant easier navigating and that he was very much looking forward to. Plus, if he had a buddy like Ruse to explore with, the journeys would be that much more fun!

"I've only been to Auster once. I'd love to go again! The Bifrost is soooo long, but that island sounds worth walking across it," Bancha speaks excitedly, eyes quickly switching from Ruse to the fading falls that soon turn into burbling rivers and rocky shores.

BANCHA