For some reason Sota had decided to take a journey across the Bifrost. It'd been a long while since he'd returned to Boreas - and while he didn't intend to travel very far, he did plan on spending the better portion of the day here. Before the sun set he had intentions of heading back toward home, but not long after he made his way to the top of the fjord he realized perhaps he'd made the wrong choice. The cover of the trees had made it difficult to keep an eye on the sky but he saw now just how quickly it had grow dark and foreboding. It seemed a storm was quite literally on the horizon, and approaching fast. Once he reached a higher vantage point, a gust of wind that whipped across the fjord threatened to topple the small man over. He clung tightly to the ground where he stood. He surveyed his surroundings, brows furrowed tightly as he began to consider his options. The storm looked ominous, like it might prove to be more dangerous than a typical afternoon thunderstorm, and he knew he needed to seek shelter - and fast. It was a shame he was so far from home, since the castle would be a perfect place to shelter from whatever inclement weather was about to roll in. But he was stuck here, and he'd have to make do; but he wouldn't start to worry until he had reason to. Words: 244

The ripples along the surface of the water grew more violent as time went on. Standing here would lead to doom if they didn't find shelter - fast. Bex knew a storm was approaching. The change in the wind and the air was quite obvious. The dark sky was a dead giveaway. They smelt moisture, the scent of rain... Seeing as they were still new to this land, they would not tempt the fates by sticking out in the open. The Fjord would be pretty in a still wind, but Bex didn't take the time to appreciate it in the current state. They traveled by the water, attempting to find a cave system. Instead, they found dense foliage deeper, away from the lapping waves. Bex happened to turn their head, spotting a very small wolf. Smaller than even them. But the man's coat was purplish-blue and white, quite striking really. Bex would have enjoyed speaking to him, but alas... Maybe they could manipulate the situation another way. "Hey!" they called out, lifting a paw to wave the man down "there's a bush over here; big enough for two!" Bex stepped to the side to reveal the overgrown foliage. It would indeed house two wolves. It was big enough to easily slip between the roots if small enough; which they both were. The dense leafy shelter would shield them from the storm - hopefully. Bex saw no other shelter to be had and the storm was approaching too quickly for their liking. It was now or never. Would the stranger risk themselves in the open or next to another stranger? Bex tried to appear non-threatening. Rain slicked their coat to their smaller frame, making them feel insecure and annoyed. 530 / 1500

Apparently he wasn't alone here, something Sota would likely be grateful for in nearly every circumstance, but right now the thought didn't settle well with him. Not because he didn't want the company and his caring nature extended to nearly everyone, even those who were complete strangers to him. Hearing a stranger's call, he tilted his head and spun around, searching for the wolf through the vegetation. Once he got his eyes on them he gave a nod of acknowledgment, taking a second to process their words. "Oh, thank you!" Hunkering down with someone so closely wasn't something he'd expected to do but whatever it took to get through this storm he was willing to do. It wasn't like he had a whole lot of options if things got bad... which he feared they might. The sky seemed to be growing darker and darker with each second that passed and Sota wasn't feeling hopeful that this would end up being a quick afternoon shower. Deciding to take the chance, he headed over to Bex and gave a small nod, deciding the situation didn't call for formalities as it might usually. "I'm Sota, by the way - since it seems we're about to get quite close," he joked with a soft laugh. He was grateful they were both quite small, and peering into the bush he noted the tangled roots below that looked like they could burrow beneath, definitely giving them makeshift shelter and keeping the wind from blowing them over if the storm got bad. For now though he'd linger just a bit away from the bush and give Bexley their space until the storm began.

"No worries, love." Their accented tone would tell Sota the honorific was cultural, not a flirt. Bex shrugged a bit, settling down near the smaller man but also giving him space. They didn't exactly try to be a bitch all the time. Sometimes, the situation called for it. Sometimes, they couldn't turn off the sass. This was not a time to be joking about the weather or shelter or what have you. Though they could not help the amused grin at the other's words. "Bexley" They gave Sota, lowering their head to their paws "ah, well, lucky for you... There are worse smelling wolves in the world than I" They huffed in good humor "if I start to stink, do tell me? I'll just run into the rain" And try not to be swept into the river! Rain aside, lightning could hit. Thunder. Fire. Drowning in the waves or burning alive? They'd take their chances fighting the current "I prefer not to, though." They added with a chuckle. Their distinctive smell was pleasant, they thought. If Sota had a problem with it, he could stuff himself into a bee hive. A bolt struck the dark sky suddenly but Bex did not flinch. They stared, unimpressed, at the world above. Seemingly unperturbed. "Does it always get like this in spring?" They asked, turning their pale eyes to Sota with curiosity. Some others had mentioned tornado season, and they did not... Really want to settle here if it was always going to be like this! 1058 / 1500

It was kind of Bexley to offer up a place for him to shelter from the storm - it wasn't like they had any real obligation to help him, so he greatly appreciated it. He gave them a wider grin at their words, his tail betraying his appreciation too as it gave a gentle wag. "Pleasure to meet you, Bexley," he added respectfully. It was a shame they weren't meeting under better circumstances but maybe the afternoon wouldn't be so bad. Just as he spoke he swore he felt the first drop of rain hit his nose. It was hard to be sure though, and he tilted his head to the sky and stared at the darkening clouds for a moment before shifting his attention back to Bexley. At least Bexley had a good attitude, despite the circumstances. "I'm not too worried about that," he admitted with a chuckle, amused at the prospect. Truthfully that was the least of his worries anyway. His attention shifted back to the sky after a lightning strike briefly illuminated their surroundings. Not long after a loud crack of thunder could be heard, close enough to make him flinch a bit. "Honestly, not that I've experienced. It's pretty common to get some nasty weather near the coast, but this looks worse than usual." He gave a little shiver as another gust of wind whipped across the fjord, swaying where he stood. "I live across the landbridge south of here -" Sota gestured across the fjord, wondering if Bexley had seen the stretch of glimmering sand that led to Auster, "-and I guess a picked the wrong day to come this way." Maybe not his brightest idea but the morning hadn't looked like this. It'd been cloudy but not this bad. As if on cue, the rain seemed to start, a lazy drizzle that he knew would only pick up with each minute that passed. Words: 317 Total Words: 1,375

"Well, good" Bex smirked, turning their attention back to the weather, "they say a pretty face can launch ships, and while you're quite fetching I don't feel like being soggy to impress you." They laughed, half serious and half joking. Stormy weather aside, Sota did make for good company. The man even gave information - for free. Something they were not quite accustomed to yet. Were all Boreas wolves friendly? They should make a grand advertisement. Come look at the friendly, not bite-your-face wolves! Free admission to Boreas! Bring a friend! They should have if they had any. Ah well. Sota did remark it was common for coastal storms. They gave a nod. "Oh, I saw there was another continent below us" Auster, wasn't it? "I haven't the chance to take a lookity look though" Bex added honestly - for what that was worth! "is it stormier there, due to it being a tropical place?" Bex could tell from a glance it was more tropical than Boreas. The heat from the Bifrost alone... It wafted from the south. Luckily for the wolf stuck in the storm, it seemed to be one of those sun storms. The sky was dark, but it began to lighten again within a few minutes. Bex rose, sniffing the air. "Well, ciao, love!" They called over their shoulder, wagging a tail "nice to have met you. Probably best to go back, yeah? Especially if Boreas is going to shit on you eventually." They chuckled before moving along, leaving the vicinity and Sota alone. 1500+ / 1500

Bexley's following comment earned another laugh, almost gleeful in nature despite the impending storm that was looming overhead. "I don't blame you one bit. No need to impress me though, your kindness alone has earned you favor in my books." He didn't mean it in a flirtatious way either, no, Bexley was far too young for him - he simply was grateful for their offer of shelter. "It's a lovely place," he admitted, perking up a bit. Auster had been his home for a long time now and he felt fondly about the place. "If you ever end up that far south and need somewhere to stay awhile, feel free to find me - my pack is called the Hallows and we're just to the west after the sand bridge. Look for the big castle, you can't miss it." He knew a stranger with good intentions would always be welcome there, and he grinned at the thought. "It can definitely be stormier than Boreas," he went on to explain. He was fortunate he generally had a safe place to shelter from the storm though, it was rare he found himself so far from home. Though he had somewhere to hunker down as the rain began, it didn't stay for long and he was grateful. Hopefully he could make it home before the weather made any other drastic shifts. "You're right. It's been a pleasure, Bexley - best of luck to you!" His own tail waved and he beamed at the wolf before heading off on his own way, hoping to navigate down the fjord safely and make his way back south, back home. -exit Sota-