The steam rose toward the sky slowly as Ludovic padded through the rocky forest terrain. It was winter, and yet the air here did not have the stinging bite of cold. It was relaxing, but he hadn’t even thought of taking a dip yet!

The sulfuric hints in the air tickled his nose, though not enough to drive him off. He assumed something molten was at fault for the warmth, but if it was a danger his instincts didn’t label it as such—therefore it was safe. Logical. As he moved deeper into the main event, the sound of bubbling sang softly to his auds, but daylight was dimming and he didn’t know if there was much more to see here.

Ludo hopped up, paused on a ledge, mismatched eyes peering into his chosen spring. A smile tugged at the corners of his muzzle, tail lashing as he looked on. Peaceful, he thought.

Stretching his stiff muscles out, he moved on with a measured stride, making his way down toward one of the larger pools. His paws found purchase on slick rocks, taking the opportunity to reach down and slip a paw in to test the temperature. Oh. That’s nice. "Not too shabby." he murmured to himself, the words rolling off his tongue with a satisfied growl. Maybe he had time for nice soak…

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma5

The time had come to start searching out new territories for the band to reside in for a while. Their trek to Aspen Dam had been more fruitful than she thought, but it had come at a terrible cost. She had lost her brother to the worm on the Forgotten Isle, it had eaten him, and the shock of it still nearly melted her sense away. Her travels had brought her to the eastern lands of Boreas, looking to move the band to a location where they could perhaps flourish. This new place she found herself in was oddly warm for the time of year, a strange comfort to the pink spotted woman. There were springs everywhere that bubbled away, a bit of a rotten egg smell in the air.

She wasn't feeling well and wondered if a dip in one of these springs would help ease her pains. Moving through the area, the dire woman let her holographic gaze scan the surrounding area, wondering if there was a native she could speak with. Perhaps they would know where the sulfur smell came from, no doubt it was in whatever boiled the water. Her eyes fall to a tri-colored figure off in the distance, leading her to let out a friendly chuff before the other could get into the pool - or so she hoped. Atreyu didn't want to interrupt a bath, but the presence of another did deter her further from getting into one of the pools herself.

OOC: These will get better XDD <3 Had to snag this one ^_^
"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo

A soft chuff, friendly yet… cautious, broke through the steamy air. Ludovic paused mid-motion, one paw still submerged in the inviting warmth of the water while the others remained grounded on the slick edge of the pool. His gaze lifted toward the sound, narrowing slightly as he regarded the figure approaching—an unfamiliar woman, her pink-hued pelt adorned with feline-like markings.

For a beat, he held his silence, curiosity sparking in his emerald and crimson eyes as he tested the air for any lingering traces of others. Finding none, his features softened into an easy, roguish smile. "Oh, hello miss," he called, his boyish tone laced with that playful charm he used so effortlessly. He straightened then, pulling his paw from the water, droplets scattering across the stone as his tail swayed in a friendly rhythm. "Come to relax? You look like you’ve had a bit of a day." His brows furrowed faintly, easy-going humor wrapping around his words. Not meant to offend, he was still learning to shed his mother’s bluntness off in the face of strangers.

"Don’t mind me—just testing the waters." He tilted his head, the gesture a thoughtful one as his gaze lingered on her. He liked meeting new wolves, hearing the tidbits of the world from different maws. It helped him to understand, and helped him refine those social skills his mother taught. Being a good conversationalist was just a part of that.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

The stranger greeted her politely enough, though his next words brought something of a sad smile to her face. She had been having a lot of those days lately that were a bit much, but she was learning and growing into her role as a leader. While they may not have much, her band did have each other despite some of their bonds being newer than others. It was the sudden and vicious loss of her brother that seemed to hold her in a vice made of despair and misplaced aggression. It wasn't the stranger's fault that she ran down this rabbit hole in her mind, his words had resonated a bit more deeply than perhaps had been intended. "I have had a bit of a year, actually. I am not sure warm water could wash away my woes." No, grief seemed as if it liked her just a bit too much.

Maybe it was some sort of curse, losing her family in reckless genocide on her first birthday, losing her brother so close to her second birthday. It was enough to make a wolf's head spin, though Atreyu did her best to hide these feelings from the tri-colored pup. Wanting to change the subject off of her sadness and hardships, the spotted dire woman smiled and nodded as he remarked he was testing the waters. "I wonder what makes the water bubble like that, do you suppose it's some kind of chemical reaction?" She would definitely not be putting herself in these waters, if that was the case. Looking over the pup, she subtly scented him as well, wondering where he had come from - judging by the scents that clung to his pelt he belonged to a pack. Being relatively new to the land had its downsides, not knowing the packs by scent was one of them. Perhaps, one day she would get to know each of them, for now she had to focus on her own band. Holographic eyes meet the mismatched red and green with her question, curiosity plain in her expression.

"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo