She was no navigator like Arinvi, the fact made obvious in how the small she wolf lost track of her herd. The reindeer were sacred, a belief she held most dear. The gods had blessed her with a coat just like theirs and she willed herself everyday not to squander the gift. She felt like a failure today. The Jarvela were made to protect the herds, and now that she’d lost track of hers who knew what would happen to the weaker and older members that she had been waiting to cull, or the pregnant females that were due to birth with the coming spring.

Akna couldn’t dwell on her shortcomings, nothing could be done for that, she could only move forward and hope that she found sign of what she was looking for. The wind blew over her thick fur and the northern rogue didn’t feel it at all. Her thickly built body was made for the harshness of winters like this. Chocolate brown eyes took in the foreign surroundings and traveled down the gold flecked walls as she searched for any sign the herd had come through here.

While Akna found no luck in tracking her group of reindeer she did find herself at the border of a wolf pack. She was raised to reject the notion of a hierarchy, she was equal in her band. However few their numbers might have been. Kal, Arin, along with herself had equal say in their decisions. They all kept the health of the herd in mind as well as their own desires. They didn’t always agree, but they could always find a compromise.

She looked over the border with disdain, lifting a heavily furred paw as she made motion to keep moving. There was no sign the reindeer traveled through this pack.

Where the hell had Tyranis gone? He hadn't seen much of him since making the trip north with Acere, though he'd been hopeful his absence was temporary. Kai had needed time to rest, and to recover his strength before making any rash decisions. He'd hoped those decisions might be facilitated by Ty's own actions - but he'd seen him at the meeting, and seeing the way he'd leaned into Paradise without so much as glancing his way should've told him what he needed to know. Kai meant little to him, and perhaps that was how it had always been. Maybe he'd just been an escape for the other male, something to lean on whenever Kai showed up - or maybe he'd never meant anything at all. The thought pained him as much as it angered him; how had he been so stupid? How had he not seen this coming? Despite the ache in his heart, he was growing more angry by the day - at himself, for being so blind, and at Acere for making him a slave-in-disguise here, under the guise of salvation. Kai had briefly contemplated playing along, for the sake of Tyranis and not causing him any more trouble, but the fact that he was all but absent now had struck a painfully different chord with him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being played - and he was getting tired of it. Feeling as if he had no say over his fate wasn't something that settled well with the Jarvela. Today it led to his anxious wandering, to the lands that bordered Winterfell's territories to the north. The bitter cold, and the sudden solitude, somehow seemed to ease some of his worries as he moved further and further away from the wolves of Winterfell. This wasn't where he belonged, no matter what his freedom might cost him. He nearly snarled as his thoughts grew darker, though he pressed on. At least the volcano's effects hadn't totally disturbed the north - the rest of the continent was likely struggling, but here winters were always harsh and the heavy ash that blocked much of the sunlight.. well, it wasn't all that different than how things usually were during this season. Bleak and bitter, which he found refreshing rather than stifling. That same frigid wind whipped at his coat as he began his slow descent toward the bottom of the ancient riverbed. Only as he began his journey down the slope did he catch a whiff of an unfamiliar scent, and instant he whipped his head up, silver eyes scanning the horizon for anyone who might be near. If they didn't prove to be good company, hopefully they continued on their way - Kai wasn't in the mood for much bullshit today at all.

Akna wasn’t surprised to find her gaze on the tall stranger as she turned her features from the pack lands and back to the riverbed. His stature, gait, coloration.. everything about him said he belonged to the Jarvela but she was sure that she had never seen him before. The reindeer herder wasn’t given much time to size him up before he realized she was there. She tilted her head curiously as she waited on him to find her.

He looked to be from the motherland, but he smelled of the pack she skirted the borders of. She hoped, for his sake, that she was mistaken in her assumptions. Without fear she took a few steps down the ledge in his direction. Her golden flecked gaze didn’t leave him as she did so, but her movements were done without fear. ”Jarvela?” She called out with curiosity when she was sure her voice might carry over the wind. Her shorted features lifted as she offered a quick nod of greeting. ”Or kadonnut poro?” She pondered as her steps halted.

The she wolf was even more convinced of his membership of the pack with proximity. Even more so she was convinced of her assumption as well. Lost reindeer indeed.

It didn't take long for Kai to spot the stranger. His expression was mostly neutral, though not without a hint of curiosity. The younger female was small, quite unlike his father, but those deep red markings of hers reminded Kai instantly of him. She almost reminds me of myself, he thought quietly, remembering how his own reflection had looked, the few times he'd studied it. Surely it was just a coincidence though? He narrowed his eyes as he examined her, finding it harder to contain the visible interest in his unabashed stare. Her question very nearly allowed the heavy weight of anger and frustration he'd been carrying to lift.. at least for a moment. He paused, taking in her words, though eventually he cracked a wide grin. It'd been a long while since he'd heard his father's native tongue spoken, perhaps since he'd met Mikkal, and he was ashamed to admit he hadn't been practicing it as much as he should've been.  "My father always told me, voit havaita Jarvelan mailin päässä,", he replied, his words likely far more clumsy than her own. Did it surprise him that she recognized him as kin? Not really, but it wasn't something he'd expected today either. "There are no reindeer that way, I'm afraid," he assured her, his excited grin softening. Though perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing. He had no doubt Winterfell would needlessly cull a herd if it happened to wander across their borders, especially to work toward repaying their debt to the slaver that had held him. "I'm Kai," he introduced himself with a slight flourish, dipping his tusked head to the ground before lifting it back up toward her.

His focus on her was similar in hers in him. Their eyes studied each other as Akna drew more near. He seemed to recognize her similarly to how she recognized him. However many generations or miles separated them previously the distance couldn’t touch the recognition the both of them felt. His interest dissipated any hesitation within her that he might be a threat. She was still young and not fully trained but she wasn’t afraid either.

His reaction as she spoke was exactly what she wanted too, his lips turned up into a grin as he recognized the name and contemplated her words. Akna chuckled softly in return, there was no super power in recognizing her kin. The saying was true, she had recognized him from a mile away. His accent was a bit off, but she was beginning to realize that he likely had never been a part of the tribe, and everything he learned likely came from said father.

Akna’s fluffy ears perked as he made known that there were no reindeer within the pack’s confines. Not that the girl had asked about them, she was referring to Kai as the lost reindeer. He would need some intense guidance to get him back on the path the gods intended. ”Akna.” She offered with a quick nod of her own heavily furred head. ”I’m curious why one of my own is here, running with this susilauma.” She pushed gently, wondering what kind of reaction she might get when she called his shortcomings out.

The kinship, something he had no doubt that they shared, was deeply refreshing to him. He doubted anyone could successfully impersonate a Jarvela, and why would they want to, anyway? Surely if she was, her disguise would quickly unravel, but he had no worries that she wasn't exactly who she seemed to be. After a moment he found his grin growing slightly, making no effort to contain the joy he felt around meeting a family member. Akna was her name. For a moment he felt inclined to ask if she knew his father, but it'd been a long while since he'd seen the male and though he believed he'd made it back to the tribe, he doubted he'd lived quite this long. The thought pained him, knowing he was carrying on his legacy was a comfort in itself. If only he could see me now, he thought to himself, somewhat bitterly. He'd never been very altruistic, but his compassion had been his downfall.. and it only continued to be, no matter how hard he tried to fight against it. But enough with those bitter thoughts. That was a problem for another day, not today. "Akna," he repeated, his grin a bit softer now. "A beautiful name." But she seemed to quickly push past all formalities, something he appreciated, asking him plainly why he was here.  "It's a long story, but my stay here isn't permanent," he promised her quickly, though he couldn't shake the feeling that he was having to defend himself.. and against what? A life he hadn't ever wanted for himself. He fought back a slight sneer at the thought. "Though if you have the time I'll gladly fill you in on it." And if not? He wouldn't fault her, though he would definitely be disappointed - but it wouldn't be a surprise if she had better things to do than listen to his stories.

She wondered for a moment how much time passed for Kai since the last time he had seen another of their kin. The way his grin seemed to grow so readily in her presence, when he’d looked so broody before.. Dainty lips offered a smile in return, she worried for his existence here. Even more she was convinced he needed more time with the reindeer.

He was kind in his assessment of her name, it was from her mother’s family before joining the Jarvela later in life. The she wolf never talked about Akna’s father and the woman wasn’t sure who he was. That didn’t mean she was any less devoted to the way of life she was brought up in. Akna nodded slightly with a bit of a smile in answer as he answered her earlier question, kind of.

Kai wouldn’t take up residence here for long, of course Akna couldn’t judge his life choices, but it felt wrong to meet him here under someone’s paw. Warm eyes looked out over the horizon, hopefully Kal and his sister would have the herd situation under control. She’d have to ind them again eventually, but for now why not take her time. At least she knew they weren’t here. ”Tell me, Kai. Of your struggles.” Akna lowered herself to her haunches, attention fully on the tusked Jarvela.

Time with the reindeer would surely do him worlds of good, if only things were that easy. Or perhaps he had simply allowed them to get complicated. Ah, well. Surely Akna would have some advice for him, even if she was quite a bit younger than him and hadn't had as much life experience. He had a feeling she'd merely lived a different sort of life - perhaps a more traditional one than he could ever dream of. He let out a faint sigh, finally dropping to his haunches. "I haven't been here long. I came here just before - the volcano," Kai lifted his head to gesture feebly toward the volcano, wondering if she'd even been in these lands during the eruption itself. Either way, there was no way its effects had gone unnoticed to anyone currently in these lands, "I was taken captive awhile back. Sneaky little woman, she was, and all of her crew," he grumbled in discontent. In another scenario, Kai genuinely thought they might've made decent friends, he and Valkyrie... but now he couldn't picture her without his vision being tainted by rage. There was no way they could've contained my normally.. but they had these complex traps, but anyway-" Did her tactics really matter? Not really. What was done was done, and now he was simply explaining how he'd ended up here. "I was sold to the highest bidder. Yeah, you heard me, a wolf market," Kai scoffed at the thought. He had lived through it and yet somehow it still seemed preposterous that anyone would consider such a thing when they were creatures that embodied freedom. "The male who won me, so to speak, is the leader of this pack - and his nephew, Tyranis, a lover of mine," Kai sighed wistfully. His memories of Tyranis were fond, but slowly they too were becoming clouded with distaste. "The price they paid for my freedom was great. Services for multiple seasons to the slaver and her group, prey animals..." Elaborating didn't matter all that much, it wouldn't help Akna understand his saga any differently. "And this leader, Acere, expects me to stay and help repay him for the great price he spent on me. As if I ever asked him to free me," Kai scoffed quietly. "I know he did it as a favor to his nephew, and part of me wondered if I should play along for Tyranis's sake, but... he has long since gone, and I'm beginning to feel even less inclined to pay a debt that was never my idea in the first place. I feel as though I'm being made a fool," he finished with a faint snarl, turning his gaze briefly back to the lands Winterfell occupied. What was he to do now?

Akna was wise beyond her short not even two years old, but the girl lived without a pack for help. She knew the ways of the earth, and lived by nature’s words. The Jarvela way. He started with the volcano, and how its eruption had disturbed the whole of Boreas, Auster, and beyond. She had not been here for the first part of the eruption, but the ash and clouds in the sky did not escape her notice. She wondered more than a few hours, why the reindeer found their way in this direction.

She settled down and watched him neutrally as Kai explained his story of treachery and being captured and held against his will. Akna couldn’t imagine being a captive, even less keeping or selling captives. The thought was very wrong. She made a note to watch out for sneaky women and their traps.

He was sold as livestock, though she knew the reindeer were like demi gods themselves and were often traded and used as resources, but it was obvious Kai’s experience had been nowhere near the kind and gentle way she moved the herd around. Kai’s desperation was even more obvious as he spoke of love and love lost. The leader wished to be paid back for his generous giving, and Akna couldn’t bring herself to believe it was a fair deal on Kai’s part. He was the one drawing up the short end of the stick, it was not his debt, but the one who promised.

”This debt seems terribly vague.” She told him at first, the price paid was massive, how could one wolf be held responsible for all of that? ”Were you given a time frame, a number of animals to be produced, or battles won?” She asked curiously but also with danger in her voice. Already she couldn’t hold much respect for Kai’s current captor. ”With the one you love gone, do you even owe anything anymore?” She asked with a quirked brow. She didn’t make any comment on his potential foolishness.

Perhaps Akna might have some wise words that might sway him in a particular direction, but Kai already had a feeling he knew what must be done. But something was holding him back - and he couldn't quite discern what it was. He'd learned a lot from this wretched experience; never again would he help another if there was even a chance of is threatening his safety, even a defenseless child. It wasn't worth what he'd lost, even if it hadn't been a trap. He sighed as he finished speaking. his gaze lifting to Akna's. Part of him feared judgement - he knew his father would be disappointed in how this last chapter of his life had unfolded, despite how much his father loved him. Would Akna feel the same, despite not knowing him well? Blood was still blood and it almost always meant a bond, and he already could feel a kinship with her forming. "I believe much has already been paid - the prey and the pelts and the herbs - but he expects me to stay and help replenish them so his pack can continue to thrive," Kai explained with a scoff. Sticking around to regain his strength and to see where Tyranis had gone hadn't seemed unreasonable, but it was hard to imagine a deeper level of participation, not if it was up to himself. "He also lent that woman's group two of his fighters. For a year," Kai went on to explain, almost incredulously, finding it hard to imagine the thought of being lent out as little more than a tool. And it'd all been done for him. For his alleged freedom And for Tyranis, no doubt, who was now nowhere to be found. The hurt that had initially stemmed from his loss had quickly morphed into something much closer to anger. He furrowed his brow, considering his situation in a much more concrete way than he had before. "I've been stupid," he admitted, finding no real shame in confessing that to her. He certainly wasn't without some faults, just as Akna surely wasn't without some of her own, and confessing that out loud wouldn't make him any less of a wolf. If anything, perhaps the introspection would help him work toward living the life he once had. "I've never loved anyone like I loved him. Enough to keep me coming back. Enough to keep me here - waiting." He exhaled slowly, twisting away from her for a moment to gaze into the forest beyond. "And I'm tired of being held back."

His regrets lay plainly upon his large frame, he didn’t hide the shame he felt at the situation he was in. Akna couldn’t blame him, how would she react if she were captured and offered up as no more than a prize heifer to the highest bidder. Akna had no trouble commiserating with her distant kin. At least he admitted most of the debt had been paid off, the physical debt at least. Not that the King didn’t expect Kai to continue adding to the stores that had been depleted. With the eruption, such a task was likely to be tedious at best. She knew that the reindeer would need herded to better pastures, at least where there was sunshine.

”It sounds like you’ve traded slavery.. for slavery.” She muttered softly as he mentioned the members of the pack being promised away for a year. ”I’ve been stupid” She perked considerably at his confession, but after all of it she knew his spirit hadn’t been broken. He had no desire to remain under the thumb of one who would offer such a ‘kindness’ as servitude. She listened empathetically ass he spoke about his love for the King’s nephew. Akna was young, and couldn’t admit to knowing true love, but she felt strongly for Kallik, and knew that she would do almost anything for him.

”Those you love should help propel you further, not keep you behind.” She offered softly as he looked out onto the horizon. She didn’t mean to speak ill of his beloved, but if the man was unable to lift Kai up instead of tearing him down, was the affection worth it? ”You know you deserve more than you’ve been given. Maybe it’s time to return to your roots.” The Jarvela didn’t often throw down deep roots, but their culture and family were bound heavily together no matter where they took up residence.

Kai had never been one good at hiding his emotions - doing such a thing seemed pointless, anyway. The emotions were there, and felt just as strongly regardless of whether he bottled them up or not. He'd grown to learn that nothing was gained by holding things back, and so here he was, bearing his shame plainly for her to see. He was a Jarvela living tentatively under the rule of another, pining over a man who clearly cared little for him, and he knew it went against everything he'd been taught. His life was his own - he shouldn't be influenced so strongly by anyone, even someone he loved. He nodded somberly at her words. They were just what he needed to hear, as much as hearing it pained him. He knew he would love again, and even more strongly; by someone who wasn't ashamed to make their relationship known, by someone who would propel him forward rather than hold him back, just as Akna had said. "You're right," Kai admitted with a sigh. What would his father say if he saw him now? He had no doubt, even at his age, that his father would ring him by his ear and fling him back into the wild where he belonged. Not here, not in Winterfell. But then again... he'd been born in the comfort of a pack, beside his mother, though when he'd been old enough to fare on his own he and his father had set off together. Perhaps his father had even strayed from his roots. But there was always opportunity to return. He knew the Jarvela ways well enough to know that most would always welcome someone back into their world, even if they'd strayed, even if Akna was the only Jarvela he might ever see again. "Perhaps I need time with the reindeer," he mused, finally moving to sit recline to his haunches. "Have you come to these lands on your own?" Kai asked after a moment, quirking a brow. His train of thought shifted suddenly, but he was curious if there were others around - perhaps knowing there were might make embarking on his own again that much easier.

She couldn’t decide if Kai felt relieved at her words or burdened by them. She tried to remain kind no matter, and did her best to try and herd (haha) him in the right direction. Akna knew nothing of his history, but their connection was plain at the nose on her face. It didn’t matter where he came from, where he was now, or where he would go. She was here for him, to help him return to the ways of his blood.

”Perhaps.” She wanted to push him, but not too hard. Strange things happened sometimes when herding the reindeer. The gods worked in mysterious ways. ”Two close friends of mine. They are further up, hopefully they have kept their eyes on the herd where I have not.” She chuckled to herself and the main reason she had run into him. She didn’t know where her charges were, and she knew Kill and his sister would need her help.

”Is there anything I can do for you, Kai?” She asked mostly about his predicament here, but she was willing to offer her services however he needed her. Kai seemed like he could use some support.

Kai had much to think on, and Akna had been a great help to him - he appreciated her guidance quite a bit, even if she was younger than him. She possessed a different sort of wisdom, having been born in the tribe, having been shaped by their ways. It was a kind of upbringing Kai found himself almost envying, though he knew his father had done the best he could, given the circumstances. Turns out finding a woman willing to donate her womb for a good cause hadn't been the easiest task - the thought almost made him chuckle now. His father had been much like him, he knew that now; he'd had a restless soul and a heart that could never truly be satisfied. Perhaps he was lucky he'd even found a woman to bear a child for him at all. Kai sometimes found himself wondering if he'd find any such thing...

His thoughts only temporarily derailed, turning to Akna and their conversation promptly. Two close friends had come here too, and Kai grinned, pleased at the news. "Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to enjoy their company, too," he spoke earnestly. The thought of running into more kindred souls was deeply comforting to him, in his uneasy state. Being so deeply restless was unusual for him, and anything that helped redirect his mind was more than welcome. "You've been more help to me than you know, Akna. Your company is infinitely valuable." He spoke seriously, looking at her for a long. "Unless you need to be on your way, perhaps we could walk together for awhile?"

--exit Kai and Akna?--