What a queer landscape, all rock and rubble, ash and soot. A dainty, ladylike sneeze escaped her, a quiet sound that sounded almost like a kitten sneezing. However, it still sent soot pluming up from the ground below. Her petite creamy paws struck the uneven terrain with a doe like step as her twilight toned optics drank in the ethereal landscape. She half expected one of the dragons from her fathers stories to come charging towards her with fire streaming from it's mighty maw. How fantastic and terrifying it would be, a tale to tell... if she managed to survive. A quiet chuckle trickled from her inky lips, a small smile toying at her cherubic features. Her mind was wandering to all sorts of places as of late, it was such a funny thing when she thought about it. What had been getting into her?

Meandering across the rocky slope, her thick coat began to feel a touch of heat. Well well, what could that be? This craggy peak couldn't possibly be a volcano, could it? Father's stories had always depicted them as constantly trickling up a plume of smoke, lava turning the air above it red as blood and hot as the sun, should it have one day decided to descend from the sky. Were they not as fantastic as her father had made them out to be? Her pace increased, her blue-violet optics shining with curious glee as she trotted carefully upwards. Her tiny frame was a sun kissed blemish upon the blackened and savage landscape, a daisy among brambles.

When she reached the top, the English lady was squinting against the intense heat and being very cautious now. Her delicate tiara would dare to peer over the lip of the crevice. Sure enough, a pool of molten liquid burned fiercely as the sun, and a goofy grin started to grow upon her doll like face. She was finally getting to experience something from her father's stories, and while not as mysterious and wondrous as he told it to be, it was still quite a marvel. She was really making her adventures into adventures now, and would soon have stories of her own to tell her siblings.

image by Luisiana

I can't feel the way I did before

Don't turn your back on me

It seemed she'd toured all of Alacratia lately as she roamed about to visit each pack. Now her footsteps brought her past a familiar landmark, and she couldn't help but stop there as memory drew her like the touch of the gods. This was the place her older sister had lain trapped for long days after the earthquake. Here where she'd come across her, valiantly - or stubbornly - removing her own leg to free herself. Katja studied the area impassively, replaying the scene in her mind, until a sound further toward the volcano's glowing top attracted her attention. Slinking toward it, catlike, she came upon a cream-and-gold girl. "This doesn't seem quite the place for you," she observed coolly, taking in the girl's delicate demeanor. "What are you doing?"

I won't be ignored

Time won't heal this damage anymore

There was a voice beside her suddenly, a figure having materialized from the landscape around her like a ghost. Steel flecked a pelt of stone, and an ebony mask guarded an impassive face. Liquid mercury pools looked out from atop angular onyx cheekbones, startlingly bright and reflective against the darkness of her face. It took a moment for the sun kissed damsel to register the speech that escaped the inky lips of the strange woman, but her brain kick started once more after the quick shock of the femme's appearance. "I'm just seeing the sights, and wanted to see if volcanoes were like the ones in my father's stories." Her gentle, thickly accented melodies would explain with a small smile that could be almost sheepish. She felt like a child suddenly, but that was kind of okay, everyone needed a little bit of time every now and again to be a child once more. Even if just for a moment.

Her gaze had drifted back to the pool of sanguine tinted magma as she spoke, but it returned to the features of the strange woman slowly. Her smile became a little brighter, and her gold dipped banner gave a little flick at her hocks. "If it's not too bold of me to ask, what are you doing here?" She asked with a chuckle, British lyrics tumbling from her maw with the same polite vigor as always. The gunmetal pelt and steel optics of this wolfess seemed at home here, in this dangerous place. The angular build and hard demeanor matched the craggy slopes that led down to the base of the volcano. The petite she wolf was tempted to inquire as to whether or not this stranger lived here, but the scents of somewhere else clung too strongly to the dame's pelt. She had a home somewhere else, that was clear. But where?

Part of her brain wanted her to take a step back from the fae who had visible cords of steel muscle roped about her frame- the hardened expression making a small bit of the dainty English lass want to seek a defensive stature. However, she was not one to fear others, she saw only the good in those she met. It was a gift, and she rather liked it. Pessimism would ruin her adventure. "If I may add, my name is Alice Buxton." She suddenly murmured, realizing she had forgotten to mention that somewhere in their short interaction. Well, no time like the present. "May I ask yours?" Came her next inquiry, quiet and curious. Twilight pools glittered, the heat haze forcing her to blink more often than usual. No matter, it was the fact that she was here that counted. Gold shrouded audits drew forward in the slightest, wondering what exotic titles such a strong looking woman could possess.

image by Luisiana

I can't feel the way I did before

Don't turn your back on me

The golden child, so different from the cold viking, seemed struck by her appearance for a moment before finally answering her question abashedly, though Katja saw nothing of shame in her answer. Why would it be shameful to wish to see things as they were in stories? Stories were... oh, yes, that was right. These non-believers told stories simply as entertainment, with no value to them past that. They knew not stories of the gods and races who reside in such places, but only foolish fictional tales of false heroes made up as bedtime stories. "An elder sister of mine did be injured here of late. I have not had sight nor word of her since. I did come here to remember, and to ask the gods to be with her." Her voice was grave, gold-flecked gaze fixed curiously on the brighter female. She seemed much too delicate and demure of manner for such adventuring, her accent even stranger than most here and speaking of a gentle heritage, but perhaps there was more to her than could be seen at first glance. "I do be Katja Finnvi," she added in answer to the girl's own introduction. "Tis not a safe place for a lady to be alone. Have you no family here?"

I won't be ignored

Time won't heal this damage anymore

The strange lady spoke, her voice accented as severely as the rest of her appeared to be, altogether a fitting set of vocals for the gunmetal pelted woman. The sun kissed femme listened, optics sparkling with curiosity as she drank in the stranger's speech. She had a strange speech pattern, nothing like what the English lass had heard in her travels so far. Well, it was only fair that today should be a day of many firsts, after the luck she'd had in her adventure as of late. The pale coated fae had not seen anyone injured while she had been here, so the stranger's sibling must have left. "Well, maybe if you tell me what she looks like, I can tell you if I see her while I'm out and about?" She would inquire softly, thickly accented tones gentle and hopeful. She was always ready to lend a hand, if even just this small gesture.

An introduction was forthcoming, the exotic name she had sought but moments before revealed. It was not a tongue twister that would trip up her uneducated brain, but it was not something she had heard yet. Lovely, and fitting of the mercury eyed lady. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Katja Finnvi. A very pretty name, that is. Fits you quite well, if I may add." She murmured, an invisible blush rising in her cheeks for the barest of moments. A bashful grin toyed with her inky lips, but she didn't look away from the steel gaze of her conversational companion.

The inquiry of the wolfess was an odd one, but the sentiment behind it was appreciated. Not often someone she met thought her to need protection, but it was usually because she seemed pretty at home in most places. She was one of those wolves that had the authority of stride to convince others she was at home and comfortable everywhere, and no one saw that she was actually from somewhere far away. However, family in particular were not of abundance here, but they were definitely taking over back home by now. "No miss, not that I'm aware. I left home so that my mother and father would have one less mouth to feed, and now I'm seeing what the world has to offer." She replied with a bi of pride glimmering in her blue-violet orbs. She had made a very mature decision a while back, and coming here had yielded some rewards indeed. She'd met strange wolves from all kinds of places, seen odd aberrations in nature, and had a grand old time of it.

image by Luisiana

Katja flicked her tail dismissively at her offer of help. "If she do wish to find me, she will find me. No need have I of looking for her. The gods will see to her, and she is not in need of coddling from I." Her silver gaze sharpened in offended displeasure at her next words, though, declaiming the name to be pretty and to be fitting. Foolishness, and no different than she'd expect from the gently-born. "That you may not. Pretty fills no one's belly, pup, less you plan to sell your body, and I will have none of that," she answered derisively, and her story of leaving home to save her family from feeding her earned no marks either. If they couldn't feed their children, if their children could not feed themselves and their younger siblings at her age, they had no business with them and needed to foster them elsewhere or stop having them. She saw no need to say so, however, as the past was in the past and had nothing to do with her. She just removed her gaze to peer broodingly into the volcano's glow. Always it was the same in these lands. Were the gods withdrawing their favor, to strand her amongst such soft peoples as these?

A dismissal of her offer was of no consequence to the sin kissed femme, she simply nodded her head in acknowledgement and offered only the slightest polite curve of her lips. Well, it seemed she had offended the woman with that offer, which was not her intent at all. However, a distinct feeling came about the woman that if she apologized that would also get her deeper into whatever hole she had just begun digging. A slight flick of her gold dipped plume would be seen at her hocks, and her audits would fall into a more relaxed pose as she regarded the harsh features of the strange woman. She was lovely, that was true, but the aggravation done to the gunmetal wolfess by her compliment told the English doll that Katja either did not care that she was pretty, or did not believe it.
Upon the end of her statement, the cream pelted lass found the answer to be the former of those choices. Well, that was okay, it didn't always have to matter to everyone, opinions were what made the world go round in all it's different way. Another nod in response, this time with a vocal reply. "My apologies ma'am, it was not my intent to offend you. I shall say nothing of the like again." She murmured, dipping her head politely to affirm this. Not that she wanted to please everyone, no, this was not her goal in this response. Alice believed that everyone's wishes should be respected, no matter how odd they might seem to an uncouth eye or ear. Freedom of opinion and thought was rightfully everyone's, so it should be respected and obeyed when possible.
A slight narrowing of the eyes when she spoke again of her reasoning for leaving home told her that story was not going over well with miss Katja. That was okay, her reasoning might not be sound in the mind of the stone furred lady. However, she was not chided or scolded for being a fool, so that was a good thing. Just as she respected the wishes of the moonstone eyed stranger, her own thoughts were being left on their own. Fantastic, that there were others who could think these things as easily as she did.
She would take the dismissive change in attention from her conversation partner that it was time to go, before she maybe said something else to offend her or go against her views of the world. Creamy paws would shift ever so slightly, and her twilight coloured gaze would drift down the slope. "Well miss Katja, I believe I shall take my leave now." She commented, absently looking over once more at the ebony masked features of the other woman. "I wish you good luck in your future endeavors." She said with a small smile, before picking her way down the rock strewn mountainside. Today, she had seen a volcano's innards and met a woman who spoke oddly but firmly. It was a good day, if for nothing else.

-Exit Alice-

image by Luisiana

The girl apologized, then apologized again, for the things she'd said, and Katja just flicked her ears in both acceptance and dismissal. The soft folk of this land just didn't have it in them to understand her family's ways, and Katja was learning to accept that despite the annoyance it posed. Either way, this conversation was over, as the girl excused herself and pranced her way back down the mountain. Katja didn't watch her go, though. Her gaze had lifted to the sky, and her eyes drifted shut as she once more offered a prayer for her sister's safety, promising a sacrifice upon her return to her pack. Speaking of, she must continue on. Opening her eyes once more, she set off down the mountain along a different path than the girl. - exit katja - "Speech."