It was thrashing about, pulling and tugging at the strings here and there. Of course it couldn't escape, the tiny strands of bark were too deeply embedded into its skin. If only something could put it out of it's poor misery. Yet the whining, the crying, the screaming... it wouldn't stop. Not even if he wanted it to. His dainty paws stood at the edge of the bloody line it had left. Floppy ears flailing about as pastel green eyes would stop and stare carefully into the empty eyes it had. Fading away quickly, the dark scene soon was only in the back of his head. Antonio shot his head up, breathing heavily within the dark caverns. His fluffy ears perking up trying to pin point any noises in any direction. A nightmare again, the same one he was faced with the rabbit strangling in some strands of bark. He didn't know why it was so unsettling, any other wolf would think of it a natural thing. They ate rabbits, rabbits were prey, but he was just standing there staring at it. Something about it sent him over the edge of unsettling. Antonio forced his breathing down a little, taking some time to collect himself and return to the reality that was now. The caverns were cool this night, with autumn here it made it much easier with his luscious fur. Though during the summer he shed out some, the Mexican wolf flopped his head on the stone floor puffing out a sigh. That dream was a reoccurring one he had the last few nights. It had only been one week since he left his nightmare of a home. His memories still fresh of the torture he witnessed, yet somehow he wanted to leave it all behind. Part of him was praying to whatever was out there, that his family was okay after the black wolf pack destroyed their home that they so graciously tried so hard to protect. Who was dead, and who was alive, was a complete mystery to him. With how supporting his family was of who he was, he missed them with a deep heartache. Antonio finally pulled his paws out from underneath his chest, to rest just near his cheeks. Pastel green eyes adjusting to the darkness of the caverns where he could see the mouth of the cave and the stars shining in the sky. Raising his head, he opened his mouth slightly watching the small cloud that was his breath leaving his body. Now that the nightmare was done, he wouldn't be able to get to sleep for some time. Boredom was his biggest problem these days, so the man decided to raise himself. Using his muscles to contract and pull his lithe body upwards until he was standing straight tail hanging low behind him. The wolf started to walk in a circle around the mouth, so that his weak and asleep muscles would awaken in case of emergency. Although nearly never was he a fighter, Antonio preferred to stick to the side lines, he never was one to fight. It didn't help that he had somewhat of a disadvantage, he was more equipped to be speaking than physical contact. One of his weaknesses was his lack of communication through body contact. Antonio stopped at the mouth of the cave finally, lowering his head to the ground to dig into the scents of the night air. He could smell pack borders in various directions, but here it was a mix of free wolves. These mysterious lands that the Spanish Canid had stumbled across after some time of swimming, struck him as strange. He didn't know what was in store for him here, what animals lived here, how the wolves were and what language they spoke. Antonio was simply glad he was fast at adjusting to strange places. Also that he could communicate in English even though he preferred his native tongue of Spanish. Antonio sat down at the mouth, looking out at the short grass and sighing. Time to himself, all week, who knew how much more time he would have. After all, since the nightmare was done, he no longer felt the urge to be in a pack. "I speak"

Arda wanted to discover the world around her, wanted to know the lands like she once had and so she had said her goodbyes to her cousin, promising she’d be back soon and had headed out. The world had melted around her, shifting from one type of terrain to another and yet she had not really taken any time to really explore. The time had passed in a dazed blur, skipping from temporary shelter to temporary shelter as she was finally and totally swallowed up in her memories… and regrets. The sun was just dipping below the horizon as Arda came to conclusion she really should have at least tried to explain herself to her parents and siblings. She had been scared, and she would never apologize for that, but she had judged them just as she had been scared they would judge her; indeed never giving them a chance to even learn who she was. But there had been the whispers, she knew they knew something about her didn’t exactly fit into the perfect little picture of a family they had. She wasn’t the rowdy protective brother, instead she was the quiet withdrawn child.   Night had truly fallen by the time the girl became aware of her surrounding, which was really only because she was just now starting to feel the tug of sleep. It dragged down on her limbs and for the first time since setting out that day Arda started looking for shelter. Forest gaze scanned, nose twitching and picking up a stale wet stench, a stagnant cave. Adjusting her course the girl wasn’t aware of the other wolf till she finally looked up, drawing in the feminine form. Ears twitched back slightly and she shifted from paw to paw. Her track record with strangers wasn’t exactly the best and she certainly wasn’t in the mood to be mis-gendered but the wolf was blocking the only entrance to the caves, at least as far as she was aware and she wasn’t about to risk going around to find no other way inside the only shelter for miles. Mustering all the courage she could the girl let out a tiny huffy bark, nervous. ""

The night air was still for the most part, he couldn't even hear crickets. Luckily by the position of the moon, it seemed like the night wasn't completely over. His tail would come to rest near his side as he simply perked his ears around to try and listen. Small paw steps would force him to open his pastel eyes, blinking for a moment when he spotted the lady. Of course, being as he was Antonio never made assumptions about another wolf. He waited to learn, he himself knew how hard it was to be misgendered but it seemed as if she wanted to enter the cave. He was blocking the entrance. "Lo siento(I'm sorry)" he would say at first in his native language. Though quickly switching over just in case. "Please come in, you shouldn't be out in the cold." he moved over to give room to the other and would smile delicately at her. The company was now welcome considering he was too terrified to sleep anyway. As the wolf spread his paws against the stone floor he lowered his head a little, "My name is Antonio." perhaps that would give the hint that he was actually a he. "I speak"

The stranger’s gaze landed on her and Arda did her best not to flinch. She knew what thoughts were running through their head, or at least she thought she did; no doubt the instinctual categorizing was beginning now.  Scent would tell them she was masculine, the shape of her frame would lend itself to this assumption.  Ears pulled back slightly and she dropped her head, avoiding making eye contact as she waited… Alien words would be spoken and she cast a quick glance upwards. The stranger moved aside speaking kind words and Arda managed a timid smile as she pushed in the opening of the cave. She turned to face the other wolf, unsure exactly what would proceed from here. It seemed introductions were in order, he would speak a name. Arda was no scholar she had no real knowledge of other cultures or naming conventions and yet the name she had been given seemed masculine enough. A slightly less timid smile would grace her features this time. "I’m Arda." She settled herself uon her haunches, tail curling neatly around her paws. ""