The beach was so boring! For miles, all one would see was sand, sand, and more sand. Maybe some shells and some really rude crabs, but he'd had enough. Scald needed excitement! Adventure! A change of scenery if you will. Now, this rule-breaking pup hadn't exactly gotten permission to leave the beach, but what his parents didn't know, wouldn't hurt them, right? Of course, he was sure one of their companions had followed him, but he had raced ahead as fast as his growing legs could take him. Every time he looked back, he wouldn't see anyone following him up the coastline. Thank goodness! Until he stopped and finally paid attention to where he was. At first, Scald had felt successful in dodging his family and their companions for a little bit of fun. Yet, as his bi-colored eyes glanced around, he wondered where exactly he had ended up. Once packed sand being lapped at by the ocean was now turning into squishy mud surrounded by tall grass. Everything seemed darker here as if the sun didn't shine all the way through the tree tops. Were those even trees? Squinting his eyes as he peered through the shadows, he tilted his nose to the air to scent around. Hardly a wolf scent from what he could tell, but he felt like someone might be watching him. Twirling around with lips peeled back and ears flattened, he calmed when he couldn't find anyone. He wasn't going to be a scaredy cat. No way! He was going to adventure and have a good time! Even if every time he turned a corner, he felt his too-large paws sink a little further into the ground... Or the shadows that kept dancing in the corner of his eyes... Maybe it was the fog? Unsure, the colorful pup continued farther through the swamp; hoping to find some sort of adventure along the way. S C A L D

It was rare to find Nami too far from the ocean at all, even when an intense feeling of wanderlust took hold of her. With a belly full of fish and a renowned sense of optimism about life - maybe it was the change in seasons, or maybe she was just sick and tired of moping around after her journeys in these new lands had proved a bit less exciting as she'd hoped - she was intent on finding something to entertain herself with today.

What she hadn't expected to find, as she headed a little further north, was... more water. It was a pleasant surprise though. It wasn't exactly the sea but this little patch of swampland had pockets of water nearly big enough to wade in, and she was happy to get her paws muddy as she trudged through. The soil beneath her paws though was super squishy and more than once she felt herself begin to sink in more quickly than she expected to, though she was quick on her paws to move to more solid ground.

Her attention only faltered from her little self-imposed journey when the scent of a stranger touched her nose. They were unfamiliar to her, though then again most wolves were, and her interest was piqued. Even more so when she finally spotted the boy, ambling along, quite young too. Maybe too young to be wandering a place like this on his own; she could imagine the way one of these puddles that was deeper than it looked might swallow up an unsuspecting pup. She didn't like that thought at all.

"Hey, hey you!" Nami called out, picking up her pace as she made to close the distance between the two of them. "Are you lost? Or just checking out this place, too?" She wore a goofy grin as she approached, her bobbed tail wagging up a storm, her entire demeanor friendly.

It was no time to be scared. He was in a new place that was so cool and interesting! Pools of water scattered around him as large tree roots extended farther than he had ever seen. Used to the tingle of sand between his toes, the new sensation of mud instead made him quizzical. Lifting one paw to inspect the stinky mud, Scald tried to flick it off before accepting his fate of dirty paws. Continuing farther into the swamp, the sound of someone calling out behind him caught his attention. Turning quickly and nearly slipping as he did so, Scald faced the girl with her goofy grin and wiggling rump. "Lost? I'm never lost!" The pup said confidently as he stuck out his chest and lifted his chin to show he surely had a clue as to where he was. Which was a lie, a big lie, but she didn't need to know that! Wagging his own tail excitedly behind him, he looked back at her with a grin. "I'm checking this place out. Wanted a bit of an adventure, ya know?" Scald looked her over before turning toward the pool of water nearby. "Back home, the water is huuuuuuuge and salty, but this water is not like that. Cool, right?" He asked as he shot another look over to her. "Oh, I'm Scald, if ya wanted to know my name," the boy shrugged his shoulders before he stepped closer to the edge of the pool. Looking down at his reflection, he noticed how murky the water was and how he couldn't see the fish here. S C A L D

Nami wasn't the type either to alow herself to be wary of new places, at least not most of the time. There was no way to not tackle each day and each new place she visited with a sense of curiosity and optimism. Sure, she wasn't a pup any longer but that didn't mean she didn't want to cling to that pup-like attitude even as she grew older. There was no reason not to. Her own grin grew as the pup spoke to her, her own hindquarters vibrating as her bobbed tail began to wiggle at a rapid speed. "Never lost - that's a good mindset to have," she admitted, letting out a soft chuckle.

"I'm here for an adventure too, just like you. Bit of a weird place, isn't it?" She wasn't used to trekking through swamps like this. The land that squished beneath her paws felt strange and soggy, and she found herself wishing it was fresh water rather than waterlogged soil. But alas! She'd make the most of the adventure anyway. "I'm from somewhere that sounds just like that - only it's much colder than here where I'm from. My name's Nami. It's a pleasure to meet you, Scald!" She was clearly enthused to meet the boy and she gave him a little dip of her head. "Are you far from home?"

His nose was inches from the surface of the water as he sniffed at it curiously. He knew of the water that lurked within the caverns, but to see it naturally occurring around the trees was such a different experience. One ear was turned in her direction as she spoke while both of his eyes stayed on the murky waters. Barely beneath the surface, he could see the shimmer of fish. Did they also taste the same as the ocean fish his dad taught him how to catch or would they taste different as well? Lifting his chin, Scald nodded in agreement to her answer. "It is weird. Not sure why it's so mucky here," his nose wrinkled in light disgust as he straightened up and turned toward her direction. "Colder? Huh, home for me never really gets too cold I s'pose," not that he was old enough to have experienced a winter outside of a den yet, but from what he knew, the world was warm all year long. When she asked if he was far from home, the pup turned his chin a bit farther over his shoulder to look in the direction he'd come. "Uh, maybe? I didn't really keep track. I think I'm only a day away?" Scald was more questionable in his tone than he was confident but it earned a shrug either way. "How about you? Are you far from home?" S C A L D

Nami wasn't so sure she'd readily eat the fish here, even though she mostly survived off seafood. Something about the fish that lurked in these swampy waters made her feel a little strange. Surely they were fine but... she'd pass. Not like she was hungry right now anyway. Exploring this place felt way more important than eating right now, especially with some company. The older female was delighted, and made no effort to hide her good mood from him, and why would she?

"I can't say for sure but usually water gets pretty dirty like this when it isn't running… like a river that comes from the sea," she explained. The water here was eerily still. This definitely wasn't the ideal place for any water activity, whether it be fishing or swimming. Briefly she found herself distracted by the fish darting in and out between her paws, nearly getting her paw tangled on a tree root that was obscured below the water's hazy surface. Nami took the opportunity to climb on top of the roots and closer to the tree trunk, her paws dripping wet with muck as she allowed herself a moment to dry off, flicking out dirt from between her toes.

The boy explained his home wasn't too cold - she was glad for him for that. The lands of her youth had been nearly inhospitable at times, the cold brutal and unforgiving. She was grateful for the milder weather here, that was for sure. He explained also that he was only a day away from home, which really seemed quite far fo a boy his age, but she wouldn't press it. "A whole day? Wow - you sound like a real adventurer." Nami grinned, her voice not the least bit condescending. It was clear she meant what she'd said. "Think you'll head back home once you uncover all the secrets of this place? What's the plan?"