She was red. No, she was russet. The thin woman stared at her reflection in the water, noting blue eyes and her two-toned pelt. Not red, russet. Not blood. She was clean and stared for another moment to confirm this; sighing. Then she lifted her maw and walked away from the river. There was no pride in the woman's step; but there was stealth. Her steps were quiet as a wolf's body could permit and she was cautious. The summer heat was fading, hints of autumn beginning to show in the cooling temperatures. It was nearing evening and her nerves had begun to cool with the weather. She had hunted in the morning; most of her uneasy feelings had begun to quell. She was strong today. There were days where she would spend the whole time fretting. Today she had other concerns.

Dusk fell and she was no closer to finding shelter. The air was cool on her fur and she watched the navy hues begin to settle in. Her eye was drawn to a wispy willow, its long branches hanging down. She headed towards it, intrigued. It was a beautiful creature.

This place immediately was alien and something the purple-eyed man had never come across. Large trees that appeared as if they were crying towered over him like a mink would to a beetle, giving the place an extra look of mystery and eeriness. Varon was a creature not afraid of such nature, but it kept him distracted, orbs constantly darting upwards to see the long branches of the trees dance with a small breeze. Nightfall was soon coming, much quicker than intended - the natural light fading into the distance. One of the first noises that signaled dusk was the croaking of frogs, and up ahead, the Russian could see a small pond filled with several water plants.If he was hungry, perhaps he'd go for a swim, but eyes would droop down slowly, warning the man that he must soon find shelter or be forced to sleep out in the open. Audits immediately pushed forward, muzzle targeting a large willow tree with it's draping branches. It should provide good cover... Walking at an even pace, large paws stepping on whatever was beneath him, Varon found himself under the draped tree, eyes once again staring upwards. There wasn't much time before ears suddenly flickered to the sound of a nearby presence. It was coming closer. Whether it was a meal or danger, the foreigner was prepared to take it head on if it proved to be a threat. Without even seeing whoever was coming closer, Varon let a deep growl rumble through his throat, giving a heads up to whoever was walking his direction. Careful where you walk," foreign tones roughly warned.

A deep growl interrupted her train of thought and the path she was on. The slender woman froze mid-step and glanced through the branches. Her heart-rate increased and blood pumped through her body; setting her nerves on fire. Instinctually she replied with a growl of her own; but it was higher-pitched and less intimidating. A mere reply. Who lingered beyond the willow? Who called out to her? Her blue eyes peered, desperate for the sight of the stranger, for a hint of what danger lingered beyond. She pondered turning away but didn't. "B-be c-careful w-where y-you stand," she finally stammered, a playful banter. It had been a while since she had been so bold with anyone; it brought memories of her brother rushing back. But she didn't enter the willow, heeding his warning. "I'll go," she said, sobering. "I'm sorry." His voice had been rich and accented and she wondered where he came from. She had so many questions about the alluring wolf - but he had made himself clear; she would be playing with fire to go further. She had already said too much.

OOC: Sorry for the wait! I'm having a hard time getting into Val's character

It was clear his warning had been heard, hearing the stutters with a feminine tone, "B-be c-careful w-where y-you stand." Obviously the woman tried to sound a bit confident and playful, but her voice betrayed her, gleaming royal orbs now searching to see who had replied to him. Varon took a step out, the vines curling around him as if they were moving just for him. "I'll go, I'm sorry." It was the strangers back he could only see, scanning over her red and tan small body, making the foreigner amused that she would even attempt to talk back. It was a bad idea to challenge someone, even with words, if they could not back them up with a fight. Varon would watch for a moment, but then an idea came to his head. Perhaps this female was familiar to the land? Maybe she could help him figure out a good hunting spot, or better more fertile lands for a lone wolf, lands that had more smaller prey, as even with his size, it was difficult to take down large deer. Wait," Varon would bark out suddenly, revealing himself fully into the light as he stepped out. It was difficult speaking to strangers, and the man preferred to avoid it as much as possible, but he was defeated in finding lands around here which were not covered in water, covered in sand, or covered in rock. There was a need for some aid. "Do you live here?"