Askan regarded the meandering river with a glower, his ears flicked back as his tail lashed with frustration. He wanted to cross, to see what was on the other side but he wasn't sure how thick the ice was, whether it'd be able to support his heft. Even in the best conditions Askan wasn't a very good swimmer, and he knew that wolves who fell into freezing water rarely escaped unharmed. It just didn't seem worth the risk but the idea of turning around and finding another route seemed awfully cowardly. Like he'd let a damn river get the best of him.

With a huff and a puff he paced back and forward, stomping parallel as he wracked his brain. He'd found a narrow section of the river, so he didn't have far to go but even then it would take him more than a few steps to get to the other side. It seemed risky, but his ego shoved logic aside once again as determination roared through his system. He was gonna cross he just had to...do it. Easy. Stepping forward, Askan warily placed his paw out onto the ice, only to recoil as the cold bit at his pads.

"Come on!" He hissed under his breath, slapping his paw back down with far more force than was necessary.

He took one step, then another and another till he was about a quarter of the way across. Slow and steady, with hesitant shuffly steps he moved on, gaining confidence till he was almost walking normally. He was getting cocky, his footfalls fast and thumpy - And then, well you can guess what happens next. His heart sunk in his chest, his ears flicked back in alarm as the crick-cracking of ice hissed beneath his paws. Oh shit, was all he could think.

Winter. Blessed winter storms that brought freezing temperatures and refreshing blankets of snow. It was Raelyn's element. The white of winter acted as her camouflage, hiding her otherwise bright coat and suddenly hunting became vastly different, her success rate skyrocketing. Once she left the inferno that is the south, and began her trek to the north, avoiding pack territories like the living plague, winter became abundantly clear. Snow fell in buckets, shallow flowing water froze, and the air became so crisp her breathing was visible. This season brought the woman closer to her home than she had felt in months, and it made her feel alive once more. But while running into packs was not on her to-do-list, running into other wolves, was. The siren was desperate for live interactions, and while the day started out as boring and uninteresting as the last, fate seemed to shine on the woman as the struggling sounds of another reached her ears. Turning her attention towards the sound, she would become acutely aware of the male's presence, his dark coat sticking out like a thorn against the white background.

A mischievous smirk would pull at her lips before she darted towards the man, her lazy strides turning into quick trots as she meant to cover the distance promptly. Before she got to close, blue eyes watched as the man attempted to cross the ice, and her grin grew. "Enjoying a winter stroll, are we?" She would call out to the male, alerting him of her presence in case he had not seen her approaching. "Fickle thing, water is.." she would chuckle, amused with the sight before her. "Gives us life just as easily as the waters can take it." A dainty paw would be placed on the frozen water's edge, her weeks spent adrift on a arctic slab flooding her mind rapidly. Still, the female push onward, her fear of falling into the ice lost long ago. The familiar sound of ice cracking beneath his paws caught her attention, alerting her to the predicament the male was in. While Raelyn was not normally one to concern herself with the problems of other, isolation can change a female. "If you wish to survive, you must bow to the ice, and even out your weight.." Raelyn would instruct, showing the action by dipping her chest low to the ice, letting her rump hang in the air for a moment for suspense before she would slide herself across the ice, all four paws outstretched. She would tilt her head, waiting to see how the stranger would take her advice.

"Speech"

Askan didn't know where to look. His gaze darted between the fracturing ice and the white banshee that for some reason thought now was a good time to spout poetics. Even when offering him advice she-whoever the hell she was- had to be all enigmatic, he'd only just met her and she was already driving him around the bend. Where had she even come from anyway? One moment he'd been alone out on the ice, the next she was there, in the corner of his vision smirking away like this was show put on for her amusement. She'd told him, quite smarmily too, to get low and spread out his weight and sure...that sounded like it made sense, like it would probably work but Askan was a beast of spite and he didn't want to give her a moment more of satisfaction.

"Don't tell me what to do!" He snarled, hackles raised and eyes blazing.

His tail arched high in an attempt to try and maintain his balance, but he was slipping; his toes were getting wet- and holy shit the water was cold, even colder than he'd feared. Whipping his head around he wondered if he could turn tail and scramble back the way he'd came but by then he was more than half way across. As hard as it was to think, Askan knew that he had to keep pushing on, to get to the other side before it was too late. But he wasn't getting anywhere fast, the more he struggled the quicker the ice webbed and groaned beneath his weight. He knew what he had to do, he knew that she was right but-ughhh. He swallowed his pride like a bitter pile and almost gagged on the aftertaste. He'd listen just this once.

Sinking low, Askan pressed his stomach against the ice and with his legs splayed out like oars he scooted along. Till he finally, finally, was close enough to clamber ashore. With a long, withering breath, Askan climbed to his feet and shook out his coat. All things considered he should have been grateful, should have bowed down and showered the stranger with gratitude but instead the Selwyn squinted at her with outright disdain. Snobbery aside she had seen him in a moment of vulnerability and that was unacceptable!

"Pfft. I'm not going to thank you, if that's what you're after." At the very least he could deny her that.

She knew it was meant to scare her, maybe even offend her, but the snarl that rippled from the man's lips as he struggled against the ice, only caused her to burst out in a sharp fit of laughter. It was a very serious look, one that would normally ward her off, but not in this scenario, not while the female could simply glide across the breaking ice on her slim belly and watch the earthy wolf plunder. Quickly trying to conceal her laughter, Raelyn would call out once more to the male, "Do I look like someone who could force you to do something?" She would grin, her head tilting to the side as she allowed an ear to droop. It was amusing to the woman to have such a beastly brute walking on literal thin ice. She would watch quietly as the stranger fought with his actions, not holding back the giggles that slipped past her lips as his tail would swing wildly behind him. It was like trying to watch a pup walk for the first time... and Raelyn was loving it.

Then all of a sudden, with a rather bitter look on his face, the male dipped low, giving Rae a brief moment to admire his curves, before he slid across the ice with her directions. Ah, sweet victory she would hum to herself as she too made her way across the ice, but stopped short of solid ground, concerned that the aggressive male want to turn his bitterness on her. The way Rae had it figured, someone that close to a frozen grave, wouldn't be too keen on getting back to it. So Raelyn would find herself a strong slab of ice, and sit upright on it, her tail falling over her paws as she watch the male turn his attention back to her. The look on his face.... was down right priceless. "Yes, because I was downright deprived of a stranger's gratitude." She mocked, her voice dripping in amusement and sarcasm. "What is your name anyway? Or should I just call you anything I wish? Perhaps Cold Feet?" Ah yes, that will do. She hummed to herself while she waited for his reaction. If it would be anything like before, it would surely be an entertaining presentation.

"Speech"

Saints above he hated her.

She stood there, all dainty and smug, and just out of his reach. Oh how he longed to lunge over and grab a hold of her muzzle, to shake the smirk from her lips. But she was right, he didn't want to step out onto the ice again, so all he could really do was snarl, snap and puff up like an startled hedgehog. And what a load of good that seemed to be doing, he was merely adding more fuel to her fire. He really ought to have taken a moment to gather himself, to take a deep breath and just cool it. But Askan had never been a man of restraint, he was a leap before you look sort of guy and once again that was biting him in the arse.

Askan swatted her snidery aside with a throaty tsk and a wrinkle of his nose. He refused to look at her, instead glaring at the distant horizon as he imagined all the ways he could tell her to fuck off. Each more visceral than the last. But worse yet, she just didn't seem to know when to shut her gob. In Askan's eyes she seemed deprived of a lot of things, manners for instance, but he was throwing stones in a glass house, wasn't he? Whatever, he didn't give a damn about her, if she wanted to sit out on the ice then he hoped she fell in and drowned. That'd show her.

And then she asked for his name and his gaze begrudgingly lingered on her form once more. Every time she dangled bait in front of him he had inevitably snapped it up like a mindless drone. History was about to repeat itself once more but he snapped his jaws closed in a rare show of restraint, only to faulter not a moment later. At least he could say that he'd tried.

"Shut up!" He snapped and took a step forward, his toes inches from the shore. The ice that she was standing on was thinner than she knew. "What's it to you anyway?"

He would have denied her the world if he could.

Was it cruel to be enjoying this as much as she was? Perhaps, but when in all the seasons Raelyn had lived, did she care? If it brought her entertainment, food, or survival, who cared? True, her usual entertainment with a male included something a little... warmer, but the female couldn't deny the special connection she was making with this stranger. If she could have it, she would spend her whole life time occasionally tracking down the distasteful creature and repeating this transaction. I'm sure he would adore that idea... she mused to herself, disregarding his grumpy attitude and instead finding it extremely interesting that he would not look her way. Perhaps he was hiding a blush? In her youth, males who had interest in her occasionally showed their affection by lashing out, their grumpy nature directed at her but in the end, was an internal struggle with themselves. If this was to be the case with Cold Feet, it would cause the woman's ego to inflate ten fold.

But just as she was about to taunt him on the matter, the male's golden orbs glanced her way, making her pause. She could see the wheels turning behind those gold coins, and the winter fae was interested in seeing just what the male was going to come up with. Much to Raelyn's surprised, Cold Feet lashed out once again, even daring to close the distance between them, if just to the edge of the ice. It was enough to make the female think twice about taunting him further... for now. "Just a formality, really. Normally wolves exchange names after a shared near-death experience, but if that's not your cup of tea, Cold Feet it is." She shrugged, not too keen on having the brute step on her ice. While Raelyn was a slim female, their combined weight would surely be too much for the ice, and the icy water below was just dying for the chance to suck her under once more. Calmly, the female would offer a small smile, "My name is Raelyn, for future reference." She would purr, straightening herself as she peered over the male.

He was a handsome creature for sure, but that sour attitude would surely hinder him from making any meaningful connections, that much Raelyn knew. Normally, nasty brutes would not be of any particular interest to the female, but the amusement was undeniable. Perhaps weeks without entertainment had changed her palette... "I've wandered these lands alone for some time, I guess I simply craved a conversation. You happened to be in trouble, seemed like a fair trade." She explained, though she lacked a reason why she needed to. She never explained herself to anyone she didn't want something from. But what could this male possible offer her? "However, if I had known how mal-tempered you were, perhaps I should have kept walking." She would grin, cocking a single brow at the male. Okay, perhaps she did want at least one more rise out of the brute before she left.

"Speech"

Askan was no stranger to formalities but even then he couldn't say that he enjoyed the farce of it all. Though he'd never admit it aloud, he supposed she had a point, as fitting as it was he couldn't keep referring to her at the white bitch, mentally or otherwise. It was clear that if he didn't give her what she'd wanted she'd keep calling him Cold Feet, or worse yet come up with even more insufferable monikers. But it looped back to the fact that he didn't want to even give her an inch as she'd take a mile, she deserved nothing from him, not even a name. His resolve was firm till she uttered those two words again and he snapped, as was inevitable.

"Don't call me that you-" He didn't even have an insult prepared. His mind drew a blank as a growl rumbled in the back of his throat. And then he paused and took in a long withering breath, for every moment he spent with her he felt his will to live draining away. "Askan Selwyn" There, was she happy now?

His ear flicked in recognition of her name but he didn't notice the sultry shift in  her voice. Askan was pretty obtuse when it came to these sorts of things. Instead he watched her-with some degree of disdain of course- watch him and wondered what her game was. Was she telling the truth, had she hoped for simple conversation, or was their an agenda hidden behind her glacial eyes? Probably. Strangers- not just women, mind you- couldn't always be trusted.

" I wouldn't be so mal-tempered if you weren't such a bitch." He grumbled, insistent that he had the last word on the matter.

There was not enough mental strength in the world to hold back the glorious grin that swept across her muzzle as the male failed to produce a proper insult. Anything, he could have sprouted anything and it would have been less humiliating than having nothing. While Raelyn thought about how exactly she wanted to tease the male on this issue, she would witness his internal struggle, almost painfully obvious, across his features. There seemed to be something going on with the male, as if his soul mood was perhaps not his true nature. Interesting... she would hum to herself before a surprising turn of events had her brows arched and her ears perked. "Apologies, Askan Selwyn, I didn't realize it would be so painful for you to share." Perhaps it was not in good taste, but the winter vixen was caught off guard when he willingly handed over his name, making her think less about her response. She partly expected the male to storm off right away, but something kept him there, just beyond the shore, and Raelyn was dead set on figuring out why.

His foul language only begged her attention, making the female gasp playfully at his banter. "My, such vulgarity, am I truly deserving such treatment, Askan? I thought we were closer than that." She would whine, though the playful glint in her eye shined brighter than ever. After a short moment, she would shake her head giggling softly to herself. "Well, can't say I blame you... and to be honest? I've been called worse." She would grin before finally rising herself from the freezing ice and taking a few cautious steps along the shore, away from Askan, before she would climb onto the earth and away the safety of the ice. She would stand before him, more tense than usual, in case his quick temper turned violent and she would have to make her escape. But something told the female that wouldn't be the case... not yet, anyway.

Narrowing her chilled gaze towards the male, she would debate if toying with the dark brute further would be wise or not. On one paw, it was delightful conversation, rich in banter and spitfire. But on the other, it was becoming abundantly clear that Askan had a temper he could not control, and that was dangerous fire to play with. Raelyn would make a tsk sound with her lips as she shook her head lightly, trying to clear her thoughts. "You're so intriguing, Askan. I don't know what to make of you." She would level her gaze before offering a small smile. "But take that as a compliment; males are often all too easy to figure out." She would chuckle, recalling all those fun memories of her past as if they were the night before last.

"Speech"

Askan snorted at her apology, it didn't sound very genuine but it was likely the best he was going to get from her. And on that note he wouldn't have said it was painful. Grating seemed like far better fit but as tempting as it was he wasn't going to get pedantic over her choice of vocabulary. As long as she wasn't calling him Cold Feet he considered it a victory, or as close as he could get to one anyway. He let her continue on, only half listening as his ears flicked this way and that. Even he was starting to wonder why he hadn't told her to bugger off; or better yet continued on his not so merry way now that he'd crossed the damned river. Maybe- though he'd vehemently deny it till his last breath- he'd gotten a little lonely too.

Was she deserving of all of his venom and burning glares? It wasn't a difficult question to answer.

"I'd say you were, yeah." And then he grimaced, his nose wrinkling at the notion of actually being close, it made him feel icky, like the thought of snuggling up with a skunk. " Ugh you wish."

At least she had some degree of self awareness though, that she knew that pestering him like this was a pretty shitty thing to do. It didn't make him like her anymore but it was somewhat reassuring to know that she knew what she was doing, that she wasn't acting from a place of ignorance. Actually, on second thought that was worse. She knew she was being a hag and kept on doing it, just because she could from the look of it. She stepped closer then, meeting him on solid ground and Askan shot her a quizzical, but typically pissy look. He'd tolerate her as long as she didn't get too close.

He'd anticipated more veiled insults and sarcasm but none came. Instead, the closer she stood to him the nicer she seemed to be? Or at least at first glance it appeared as though she was trying to be nice; all smiley and charming, signals that went completely over Askan's head. She was talking a lot and Askan decided bitchiness aside he didn't know what to make of her either. Wolves were confusing either way but this one was definitely a conundrum. She continued on and mentioned males and ah... Confusion dawned on his features as his brows smushed together. He had no idea what she was talking about.

" Okay??? What are you getting at?"

Alright, Raelyn could admit that his words might have... dented her pride and ego, if only momentarily. His disgusted reaction to being close to the female, well it was downright unnatural. Raelyn, was a damn masterpiece, her body was the temple of a goddess, and she had every right to be treated as such. In response to such disrespect, the ice queen would contort her face into a deep frown, her frosted gaze narrowing into slits. "Don't lie to yourself, it's unattractive." Yes, because that will really teach him, she internal cursed. This was probably the only male within a hundred miles that seemed completely uninterested. Perhaps that was why.. for the first time.. Rae was interested in getting to know him? It simply didn't make sense, it was downright unnatural.. unless.. a realization dawned on her which caused his behavior to come into a whole new light. "Oh.." she murmured, more to herself than to the male. Perhaps.. Raelyn was not his type.

This belief was further enforced as Askan seemed completely oblivious to her charms, completely unaware of her alluding, and the confusion on his features appeared genuine. Pale face dropped of all emotion, and she simply stared blankly at the man, almost dumbfounded by the idea. "I was just saying... uh.. nevermind." Stumbling over her words like a little pup, Raelyn dropped her gaze from his features and turned her attention back to the lake. She had met wolves who had.. particular interests before.. but none like him. His behavior.. his actions.. he truly was an enigma. She narrowed her eyes at the male, trying to see through his foul manners and sailor mouth, trying to somehow see if it was true. "Askan.. do you have a mate?" Perhaps a bit too on point, but going straight to the source would be the quickest way to get her answer and Raelyn was very interested in how Askan would respond.

"Speech"

This conversation was taking a turn for the strange. Raelyn had been all smirky, cocksure and talkative and now she wasn't. Usually he would have appreciated the quiet, would have thanked the Saints for finally shutting her up, but she hadn't answered his question and he didn't like being ignored. He looked at her proper, more than a passing glance, and noticed that her expression revealed nothing. She was playing her cards too close to his chest and Askan didn't even have a hope of reading her. When she finally gathered her words they were clumsy, like they'd spilled off her tongue without much thought.

"Riiight."  He drawled, unconvinced.

At first he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. "Huh?" And then it sank in, like a stone to the bottom of the riverbed.

Askan's brows shot up as his mouth popped open. The hell kind of question was that? As much as Askan tried to smother the memory it reminded him of the time his uncles had lined up a bunch of ladies in front of him and asked him to pick one out to be his mate. Sure, objectively speaking they were all pretty, with demure smiles, soft fur and feminine hips but...so what? Did he really seem the sort to be swayed by that? Besides didn't even know their names yet that didn't seem to matter to anyone. Why did he need a mate anyway? Was he lacking as a man without one? It was insulting, pathetic really, and he would have been insulted once again if the question hadn't been so random and from nowhere.

"Uh what?" And then after a long pause he decided that yeah actually, he was pretty pissed off that she was shoving her nose in his business again. It all accumulated to a general feeling of ???? but mad, not a combination he was very familiar with, to be honest. "I don't see why you think it's appropriate to even ask...but no, I don't." He explained, his anger slow and simmering.

He didn't seem convinced, and Rae couldn't really blame him. She was loosing her grip on the conversation, and she needed to find a way to get it back. She was a carefree female, with no connections, with nothing to weigh her down. If he wasn't so interesting, the white vixen would have found herself half way across the terrain by now, off in search of something new to entertain her. But this Askan.. he had something about him.. a puzzle of sorts. Raelyn was a sucker for puzzles. An uneasy gaze was brought back to the male to seek out his reaction to her question, and damn was she so glad she did. For a moment, the look of pure and utter shock on the brutes features looked like she just told him he was a father... rather than just a simple question. It was hilarious, and Raelyn could not stop the Cheshire grin that spread across her lips in response to it.

Had the roles been reversed, if Askan had asked such a question to her, perhaps Raelyn would have been shocked too. But she found it hard to image she would have been that surprised. After all, how often was a beautiful female like herself left alone to her own devices? Back at home she would have males lining up to be mates, but that was the problem; they were too easy. No challenge, no games, no emotional battles? Where was the fun in that? Raelyn craved a passionate affair, filled with drama and juicy details. She didn't want just any male by her side, but then again, the female had never come across a male worthy of such a title. So what would her response be? Probably something a little more tasteful, but along the same lines as Askan.

No. Just as she had suspected, and now to see if her theory was right after all. "It wasn't appropriate, but you answered anyway." She pointed out, tilting her head at the male with a signature grin. "If you asked me, I would've said that Mates are overrated anyway." She would offer, a genuine smile on her features as she admitted her facts. "I was simply wondering if your charm actually worked on a female, or if I was simply immune." Raelyn mused, tearing her gaze from the brute for a moment before she would try and take a peak back at his reaction. Would he take the bait? Would he get defensive? The winter female could barely contain herself as she awaited his answer.

"Speech"

So what that he'd answered her question, why did it matter? Yet, she was dangling it in his face like he'd screwed up, fallen for yet another one of her traps. Once again he realised just how out of his depth he was, his toes barely skimming the bottom as he struggled to stay upright. It was beyond frustrating, he'd lost control of this encounter long ago but reality was starting to sink in. He ought to leave, right now, but she was at coming him from all angles with a myriad of questions and quips; death by a thousand cuts. It was almost startling how different they were, she was light and he was dark, she was grinning whilst he was glowering like he wanted her dead. And maybe he did, just a little.

"But I didn't ask you." Askan was quick to cut in, hoping that'd stop her short but she continued anyway, just to spite him he supposed.

He had little opinion on whether mates were worth the effort. His parents had seemed happy enough, he supposed, but he couldn't ever imagine anyone wanting to remain by his side. Nor could he really blame them, if he was being perfectly honest. As much as he acted otherwise he knew he was deeply flawed, that his baggage was too heavy of a burden to bear. He just had to pretend that he didn't care, if he repeated the lie enough it'd become the truth, right?

Her next statement was yet another veiled insult, though Askan wasn't exactly sure why it offended him. He didn't care what people thought of him- so he'd claim- nor did he care whether ladies or men found him charming or not. It wasn't like he went out of his way to be all smooth and suave; besides he wasn't even sure if he could act in that manner. It seemed unnatural, like seeing a wolf trot along on it's hind legs. But she was trying to get a rise out him, trying to worm beneath his skin and that was enough to do the trick.
 
"Tcch you're one to talk. You're about as charming as a tick." His nose wrinkled in disgust."And besides, why would I want to charm you?"It was both an insult and an open question. A double whammy so to speak, one that made him feel a little bit smug.

A tick?! Snow white hair bristled at the insult, feeling disgusted, outraged, and a little impressed if she was going to be honest about it. So far, the male had only shown the basic forms of verbal combat, but this held promise. Relaxing the hairs around her neck, the female would stifle a laugh, trying to take the insult seriously, but failing miserably. "That was.. actually pretty funny." She would admit, shaking her head slightly as she chuckled. His question had her head lifting to meet his gaze, curious to the reason behind the question. Sure it was obviously meant to insult the woman once again, but Raelyn would take it more as legitimate challenge. What benefit would Askan have to charming Raelyn? It was a good question, one she didn't have an answer ready for. Of course there was the obvious reasons; she was amazing! Every male should be grateful for even the chance to speak with the frozen mistress, let alone have the opportunity to actual charm her. But this guy was different, painfully so, and if Rae wanted to a decent answer, she needed to provide something he wanted.

But what does a foul tempered, hot headed, sassy brute want out of anyone? The answer came to her as blue eyes glanced around the terrain, looking for ideas. When she realized they were the only ones around... that's when she spoke up. "Because you could use a friend, and if not a friend, at the very least an ally." She would muse, though her face would hold only a faintest hint of a smile. "This land is riddled with wolves, loners and pack wenches alike. Not to mention it's winter, and survival is easier with two." She would add, turning her eyes to the blanket of snow on the ground and gently pushing it with her paw. The chilly cold no longer bother the fae, not after her long weeks afloat on a literal ice burg. She welcomed the cold, for it made the heat of company that much sweeter.

Now that didn't mean she wanted his company, because the woman could think of just about anything else she would prefer, but that was just a simply fact of life. Pack life was a delicacy because it made survival so much easier, to the point they would rarely think about where there next meal would come from. But rogues.. lone wolves.. with no one but yourself to look out for.. that was unheard of. Raelyn's hunting was at it's peak during this time of the year, whereas others with darker coats struggled. The fact that she was even offering such an alliance was a show of how golden her frozen heart truly was.

"Speech"

Hmph. Why was she so surprised that he was witty? Sure, it didn't surface very often but the Selwyn had a pretty sharp sense of humour.

Askan shot her a side glance, sharp and lingering. "I'm not that desperate for company." Which was true enough, if that had been the case he would have likely accepted Sirius' offer and joined the Ashen Armada by now.  "Nor am I incapable of looking after myself." He puffed up at that, shoulders straight and tail stiff. All things considered he wasn't too bad of a shape, not in his beefy prime but he wasn't wasting away either.

Askan knew that travelling alone was a risk and that at the very least he'd have an easier time with it if he had someone by his side, even if only temporarily. But the context of the conversation, the fact that he had to earn the right to her company didn't sit right with him at all. She was the one putting on the offer on the table and yet he had to pay the price? Askan pursed his lips as his eyes squinted in thought. The wind was picking up, rushing over the flat terrain and ruffling his thick winter coat. The weather was getting worse with each passing moment and whilst the Selwyn was accustomed to thin mountain air and rough weather even he didn't just sit around and wait for a storm to hit. More than anything he was tempted to tell her to shove off, to grind her offer into the dirt and be done with her. But once again his nature, or perhaps instincts came to the surface; wolves weren't meant to be alone, not really.

"To hell with charming you." He sneered, flashing his teeth as he turned to leave. He paused for just a moment and glared over his shoulder. "But if you must...you can tag along." That was as nice as he could put it, if she wanted anything more she'd be sorely disappointed.

Of course you are, the woman would muse to herself, knowing all too well how lonely being a rogue could be. Everyone craved the company of others, even foul mouthed, uncultured, grizzly mannered males. But if this was going to work, Rae was going to have to pick and choose her battles, and learn the torturous art of holding her tongue. At his next statement, the woman would watch as the male put on display just how capable he was of taking care of himself... by buffing out his coat? "Nor did I say you weren't." She grinned, taking in his frame all over again since he was so eager to put it on display in front of her. Perhaps solitude had made her standards slip, but the female could hardly resist the urge to hum softly to herself as she drank him in. Delectable dark chocolate swirl, would seem so sweet to have if he didn't have such sour taste. Dragging her gaze back up to his features, she would watch as those gears seemed to grind away, probably puffing out a bit of smoke out the ears, as Askan appeared to think over the idea for a brief moment.

Of course, his immediate answer would be nothing less than a bitter retort, but that was becoming an expected behavior. The act of turning from her, however, was not. For just a moment, the male had Raelyn believing he would really leave her there.. just like that. It was an unthinkable act, and the surprise was clear on her features during those few seconds as her eyes widened and she quickly climbed to all fours. No one had dared to turn their backs on the female before, it would have been an ego shattering moment... had he followed through. Much to her relief, the brute seemed to pause, tossing a rather cold look back at the snow queen, before inviting her to join. Well.. perhaps he didn't put it quite so nicely, but it was an invitation nonetheless. Grinning at the male, Raelyn would use her long slim legs to quickly catch up with the male, offering him a comfortable few feet of buffer before she would reply. "I knew there was good in you." She would muse, as if she had won some undeclared argument, causing a bit of a trot in her steps as she crossed the snow.

"Speech"

-- EXIT unless stopped --