Rhys was lost. Not the "golly gee, I think I took a wrong turn somewhere back there" kind but the "good god, am I even on the right continent anymore?" kind. When she'd left Imperium Rhys had been determined not to come home unless her mother and brother were with her. Now, over one full season later, she didn't know what to think anymore. She could not - would not - give up hope that they would be found, but it was beginning to feel as if she would not be the one to reunite them. In all honesty she was scared for them. What could have possibly pulled them away from home? Rhys couldn't believe that if they'd gone of their own accord her mother and brother would have simply left without saying good-bye. She refused to think that Rhyme, her very best friend, could abandon her so easily. They'd done everything together as kids. A gasp left Rhys lips as her eyes settled on the familiar form of her brother in the distance. The space between them was great, but she knew him well and there was no mistaking his familiar form. "Rhyme!" she barked gleefully as she ran towards him. So relieved was she that she felt as if she were flying. It was so good to see him, so very good indeed! "Rhyme?" Up ahead it looked as if her brother was walking away from her, his form quickly disappearing in the fog. "Wait! Rhyme! It's me, Rhys! You silly turkey come back!" Onward she raced, leaping over fallen logs and fighting through thick tangles of vine as she vainly chased after the specter. Finally, once it became clear he'd somehow lost her, Rhys slowed and brought her nose to the ground. If she couldn't track him by sight, by god, she was going to hunt him down by smell. There would be no eluding her. She couldn't give up; she'd sort out why he was trying to ditch her later, preferably after she tackled him to the ground. Taking him down wasn't exactly the kind of happy reunion she'd hoped for, but if that was the only option she was going to take it.

The giant male had heard rumors about these woods, that ghosts haunted the daunting forest. The twist and turns always led back to where you had started, no matter what path you took you always ended back at square one. At least, that is what he had heard. Gwen was a religious man, and in his culture souls did not wander the earth after death. They were taken by Feridun or Givi, depending on how their life was lead and which colour they had been given by the goddess. That, however, did not mean that he was not curious. From meeting Irie he had learned that there were a lot more ways of life than the one he had grown up knowing, and it was worth looking into it. Maybe they had been wrong about ghosts and spirits, perhaps one slipped through every now and then. So the tailless wolf stood at the mouth of the maze, carefully stepping in. As soon as he walked into the woods he could feel the shift of temperature, bringing a chill to his very bones. It made him hesitate, but then he heard a voice calling out. His ears perked up as he followed the sound, it sounded like a child. Had a lost pup come into this place and got turned around? It wouldn't be out of the question, he already felt turned around. When the voice grew silent he paused, waiting until she called again, calling someone a turkey. Where there two lost little ones in here? Now growing concerned, he picked up the pace until he fell into a steady lope, his large paws quickly eating up the terrain. He smelled her now, following the path she had taken. Before long he spotted her, sniffing at the ground and seeming to be looking for someone. He slowed when he was still a distance away, letting out a soft woof so he wouldn't startled her. The girl looked like she was just a year old, hardly a few seasons into her first year. He was a bit thrown off by her height though, even though being around tall wolves was something he was used to. It was just... since he had been here he hadn't run into another wolf who stood even near his height, but she was probably just a little bit shorter than he was. From his time in Ardent though, this girl was the biggest he had run into so far. Remembering that he had alerted her to his presence, he blinked his dual-toned eyes and took a few more steps towards her. It wasn't hard to see that she was trying to track someone, most likely the one she had been calling after. Gwenaël tried to remember what he had heard, but he had been so focused on finding her that he hadn't payed attention to her calls. Only thing he had picked up was her calling someone a turkey. Or... was it an actual turkey she was looking for? Unsure, he offered the stranger a smile. He shrugged his shoulders to adjust the wreath of roses that lay just in front of them, with a mild winter he had been able to keep them fresh. "Do you need some help looking for your companion?" he offered, a hint of his accent still in his vocals. He spoke to her as if he would any adult, she wasn't truly a pup anymore. Plus, she might think that he was patronizing her, which was not his goal. "Burn Baby Burn"

Tears of frustration and of relief stung Rhys' eyes as she rooted around in the leaf litter for her brother's scent. She didn't know if she wanted to be mad at him for running or simply glad that he was alive. But why? Why was he running from her? She was yelling at him at the top of her lungs; there was no way he simply didn't know she was there. It was possible that there were baddies lurking about and that somehow he was acting in her best interest, but that idea was so far fetched that she refused to believe it. Why then did he run, and where, if he'd just been here, was his scent? So fixated on her search was she that when the stranger's bark reached her ears Rhys started visibly. Instantly she was aware of the moisture in her eyes. With a sniff and a few hard blinks Rhys cleared her pensive expression and then and only then did she turn to face the stranger. She felt kind of silly for wanting to cry and refused to let anyone see her misty eyes. "Do you need some help looking for your companion?" he asked in a voice tinged with an unfamiliar accent. Feeling that her nose was on the verge of running (those damn tears!) Rhys sniffed softly as she took him in. The brute was big, but to her there was nothing noteworthy about big. Everyone in her family except her mother was big. To Rhys short people were the peculiar ones, particularly those she could step over without the tops of their heads being able to touch her belly. At first glance Rhys didn't find anything particularly troubling about the stranger. Perhaps she should have been alarmed by the idea of being alone with a large male wolf, but she wasn't. It was entirely possible that one day, possibly today, her overconfidence would get her into trouble. "It's my brother," she began. Rhys felt a need to explain why exactly she was running around and yelling like a mad woman. "He was right here, I saw him, but I can't find his trail."

In the way which the child looked at him, he knew that she was no stranger to larger wolves. He would hope not, being that large had to come from somewhere. Although he could remember one litter a lady had back home, just one massive pup when both she and the hunter had been rather small. Shaking away the memory, he had been white and killed, he drew his attention back to the poor girl. She seemed to be trying to hide the fact that she was crying, so he made no comment on it. He didn't react to her sniffles, although sympathy burned inside him. He wished he could just pat her on the head and tell her that it would all be alright. He had always been a strong warrior and the more manly man type, while still a gentleman he wasn't the best with... feelings. When she explained seeing her brother, his ears pulled back slightly. He had heard about this place and the ghosts it held, but he didn't want to tell her that. Should he just humor her and help her look, or would that be more harmful when she couldn't find him. He fell silent for several moments, fighting with himself on what to do. If he told her, she probably wouldn't believe him. She had looked very determined when she went crashing after him and trying to find his scent. Gwen's heart broke for the poor chocolate marked wolf, and as he shuffled on his paws he made a choice. Nodding his head he began to poke around for any scents that may still linger around them. He wasn't too sure he wanted to believe that spirits called this place home, so this was the safest bet. Maybe they would find out together. "I'm Gwenaël, by the way," the giant said, lifting his head to gaze at the girl once more. "I am curious, girl. Do you believe in ghosts?" The deer marked man was trying to keep conversation light, to not give too much away about what he was getting at. He was for sure beating around the bush, unsure if she would be able to pick up on it or not. "Burn Baby Burn"

She couldn't quite put her paw on why, but the dude was giving off iffy vibes. He seemed uncertain and she had no idea why, but it struck her as a bit odd. It was possible he just wasn't a social butterfly, but that kind of contradicted the rest of his actions so far. He had approached her, after all, and he didn't speak like someone who was a little conversationally awkward. So why did he look kinda nervous? Maybe she was just reading him wrong. She was kind of off kilter at the moment herself. Gwenael, huh? That was a cool name! "I'm Rhys." Also, in her book, a cool name, but she was perhaps a touch biased. "I'm curious, girl." Although her expression was somewhat distant, her ears pricked in interest. She was torn; being a social butterfly herself, Rhys would have liked to stay awhile and speak to this oddly accented guy, but her brother was out there somewhere and she needed to find him. Really, it was only manners that were keeping her from bolting off after Rhyme. Had it been any other time she would have loved to stay and chat. Rhys blinked in surprise and then frowned slightly. Ghosts? Here she was looking for someone who was important to her and he wanted to stop her to talk about ghosts? "Um..." The young woman shrugged slowly as she considered his question. Honestly she wasn't sure what he was getting at. Maybe he was crazy and that's why he was acting a little funny and asking odd questions. "I guess so. I've never seen 'em before, but I've heard stories. Supposedly the forest I live close to is haunted by a white witch."