Winter has fallen upon the land, spreading from the cool tips of the continent to the warmest regions. Snow was feared by some, enjoyed by some; for Silent, snow was a joy in her life. As she walked through the cold and icy regions of the North, she could not help but return to where it all started. The woods was where she had encountered Bronze many times over; she definitely hoped Fate would help her again.

By now, she was almost her full height and weight, with some growth required in some small, but important places. Her eyes were brighter, her walk was more steady, and her overall clumsiness was almost gone. She searched with open eagerness for a whiff of his cologne or a flash of blue and gold. Her nose wiggled in delight when she finally caught him and as she approached him, all possible shyness faded as her smile grew and her tail slowly wagged. “Bronze,” she happily greeted, her excitement laced in his name.

Bronze was long since accustomed to the harsh weather of the north. He'd been born and raised here, and he had no doubt he'd likely die here too, regardless of where his journeys took him in the interim. Most of his first year or so of life had revolved around simply learning to survive on his own, and now he'd perfected it, though the life of a lone wolf was often monotonous. Though he wasn't necessarily unsatisfied with this sort of existence, occasionally he found himself wondering if there was more to it than simply surviving and self-improvement.

He'd never considered that his relationships with others outside his family might be part of what else the world had in store for him - at least not until very recently. Hearing Silent call out for him from around a tall redwood tree, his somber mood seemed to brighten almost immediately, and he moved to greet her. It didn't take long to close the distance between them, and a barely-noticeable smile graced his features, which had grown substantially less pup-like as he neared his second birthday. His own tail gave a slow, steady wag of acknowledgment at her presence and he offered a slow nod of his head in greeting. "Silent," he started, his voice practically a low rumble at first. "I trust you've been well?" Not that it'd been too long since he'd seen her; it seemed she intended to stay in the north and their paths had practically orbited one another's as of late, something that he certainly wouldn't complain about.

The first thing Silent always saw about Bronze was his height. It was hard to miss whenever their paths crossed. Each time they had met, he had a growth spurt hit him. Quite frankly, she did not mind it one bit. It felt like his shadow reached hers before his physical being came close and that made her feel small. Though she was already at her maximum height, Silent enjoyed feeling like she could practically be swallowed up by his massive frame. It was a thought she had never considered until this recent encounter.

When they got closer, Silent had to tilt her head up to greet his gaze. The second thing she always saw was Bronze’s eyes. They were an electric blue, a color she had never seen until meeting him. They were bright, but calming when she looked at them. Along with his barely-noticeable smile, Silent thought they were a perfect combination.

His greeting caused her tail to sway gently behind her in honest happiness, creating a soft flow of air around her legs and surrounding snowflakes. His voice was a low rumble like thunder, teasing her ears and making them perk. Bronze then said he trusted she had been well, causing her smile to grow. “I have been,” she honestly admitted. No coyness this time. “I went around a few familiar areas, but I did not stay too long.” Her stomach was full, her coat was clean, and she was bright-eyed. Silent had grown into a young lady, able to take care of herself, but still willing to learn.

She wanted to admit more, but that moment was not the time. “I hope you have been doing well, too?” Even though it was a mirrored question, Silent wanted to know how things had been since their last encounter.

His mood seemed to lighten the instant she came into his presence. Not that he tended to wear his moods on his sleeve for everyone to see anyway, but there was clear relief written across his features and that easy smile, hardly visible but there if one looked hard enough. His gaze fixed on her emerald eyes, happy to just spend a moment reminding himself of her features, from those green eyes to the silver marks that adorned her cheeks and forehead. All traits he remembered but he was happy to be reminded of each time they reunited.

His own tail gaze a lazy wave behind him in unison with her own. "I'm very glad to hear that," he admitted. Even when they were apart, though those times had been less frequent these last few seasons, he found himself thinking of her and hoping she was well. He was almost as glad that her travels hadn't taken her far from these areas because he, at least right now, had no intention of straying far from these lands. "I've been well too. I must admit to feeling a bit restless lately though."

Life on his own was not terrible, not by any means, but part of him missed the structure of a pack at his back... though he feared finding one worthy of his presence. Not something he'd admit out loud to most wolves though for fear of sounding far too arrogant, something that he was not. "Not that I should complain, but I sometimes wonder if there's more out there for me." Almost immediately he felt like he'd said too much. He tended to be a wolf of few words, except around Silent it seemed, and oversharing made him feel uncomfortable especially afterwards.

Life had not been the easiest for Silent, but she was more glass half-full than half-empty. She had no recollection of whom her parents were, nor did she know of any other family. She did not have a permanent home, only temporary safe places to rest her eyes and paws. She was on her own with no one to consider a companion. Yet, Silent had a lot to be grateful for and that was what kept her going.

As she stood in front of Bronze while he admitted his own thoughts and feelings, she listened with an open mind and eager ears. Bronze was one whom did not speak much, but when he did, his words were filled with meaning. She had learned that as they had gotten older and appreciated it more with each encounter. When he voiced that he felt restless, her ears slightly perked a bit more. “Oh?” She asked, curiosity painted across her gentle features.

Before she could ask more, Bronze drove through with his explanation for why he spoke of being restless. That there was something more out there for him, a thought she had not considered, made Silent see him in a more grown light. His uncomfortable face caused Silent to keep smiling, even giving a soft laugh. “There is nothing wrong with admitting how you feel, Bronze.” She took a couple of steps forward, almost breaking his personal bubble, but only just. “I appreciate you more when you tell me what’s on your mind.”

A brief silence came between them, before Silent said, “I also believe that there is something more for you out there - for me, too, even if I wasn’t the first to say it.” A confession made by one who rarely had the opportunity to voice her opinion to another. For silent, it truly felt good.

All things considered, Bronze was a lucky man. He knew where his parents were, even in their reclusive old age, And while he didn't necessarily know where all of his siblings were at this exact moment at least he knew they were alive and well, surviving - and hopefully thriving even better than he was - on their own. He knew things could be worse for him, so complaining about the state of his life seemed foolish, even if he had been feeling a bit restless and underwhelmed with things in his own life lately.

Once he began to speak he found himself worried he was saying too much. As a wolf of generally few words he liked to pick and choose them carefully, and babbling about something that another deemed useless didn't settle well with him. But thankfully Silent didn't seem to react like that. If anything she seemed curious about what he was saying, even a bit interested. His own ears flicked forward as she spoke up, confirming that she shared similar thoughts. If she was thinking the exact same thing as he was though, he was less certain. He paused, clearing his throat before he spoke again.

"I noticed a pack recently claimed the woodlands just south of here. I've been wondering if I ought to see what they're all about." Maybe it'd lead to nothing at all. He was fully prepared for that possibility. But maybe, just maybe, it'd end up being a place he could call home. At least it felt like it didn't hurt to explore a possibility, even if the wolf he'd been just a few months prior may not have ever considered such a thing. "You're welcome to join me - to see what they're like. I mean, if you want to," he clarified quickly.

Silent’s life was one that some would envy, while others would pity. The world was full of different types of wolves, which meant the same for their lives and experiences. She was not knowledgeable of the darker emotions of the world, but she knew they existed. Such things would not approach her unless she searched for them. For that reason, Silent chose to not tempt fate and tiptoe around the shadows that contained such dark things.

One of the highlights of her life was seeing and being around Bronze. The blue boy had grown into a blue man and she was silently impressed with how he carried himself. Her tail flicked behind her slowly as he explained about a recent discovery that was made. He spoke of a pack, whose location seemed safe, and he was interested in checking it out. When he quickly added that she could come with him - only if she wanted - all she could do was grin.

“Sounds like an adventure I cannot miss,” she replied. It wasn’t like she was doing much of anything as a wanderer, anyway. “I have not considered pack life as part of my future…maybe this is the sign that I should.” She waited a few seconds before asking, “Were you wanting to seek it out now? I am open to whenever you are ready.” Whatever he chose to do next, Silent would fall into step.

-EXIT SILENT-