Fir remembered the first time she ever visited the tall grass plains.  She was a couple years younger and horrible with navigation.  She'd entered the plains to pick flowers, a simple feat that ended in her being helplessly lost and filled to the brim with panic for a little over 48 hours.  The swampy lady could still remember that wonderful sense of relief she felt when she'd finally made her way out.  It was one of the purest forms of bliss she'd ever felt.  Chasing that high, Fir had made it a thing to come back and get lost from time to time, and for the first few times after it actually worked and the high was achieved.  Unfortunately though all good things must come to an end eventually.  Fir grew older, and as she did her navigation skills grew a bit stronger.  The more she visited the more familiar the location became, an event she'd never foreseen happening.  Now visiting the plains was more for a sense of therapeutic nostalgia than any sort of dope adrenaline rush.

"Tahochona fan kane fan'sh ochona woreona ireap. Tahochona wore fan wan pa'sh. Ha ochkane och kaneona loni Och kane." The algae-like woman spoke to her platypus companion, not bothering to keep her voice down.


”Speech”  ’Thought’
Fennish Translation: Easier to get lost with summer anyway. Easier but not as moist. You like it better now I bet.

I know we're the crooked kind.

Leaving Verdandi behind to scout out other territories, the woman found herself trudging through the plains, almost wincing as her paw squelched into the mud below. Spring had to be her least favorite season, what with all the rain and sludge it left behind. Sure, flowers were nice, but the rest of it? Garbage.  Eventually, the fae became aware of a scent, one that she was unfamiliar with, which was not a surprise, considering she knew very few wolves on this continent. She thought to ignore it, but as she went to move in the opposite direction, Freydis felt her paw disappear into the flooded, muddy mess. Not that way, then. She tried her left, hoping that she might still avoid the stranger, but found much the same there. Perhaps the Gods were willing her to meet this other wolf? Or perhaps it was just a coincidence. "Ugh. Fine." She said to no one in particular as she swiveled toward the stranger.

From a distance she could tell that the woman sported a green-colored coat and a decent set of antlers, much like Freydis herself. She also carried another scent with her.. one that the wolf was unable to place. Was it.. a beaver, maybe? "Hello." She called, hoping that announcing her presence might give the stranger ample time to not startle.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fe vældur frænda rogi.

She stared at her chubby companion in disbelief as he responded to her in a series of chitters that probably amounted to nothing.  "Ha ha lehal lonwan wore loni? Yolwan Wan, och wan kaneay bon wanlor lonwan Och wanlor fan fan me worebon onawore kawore wanworeay. Ha loni mionakane mm morwanhe wanlor. Och och fan kane yolapkane mm ha." the fae erupted, fur raising ever so slightly at the small mammal.  

"Vohfan och loni. Lononakane och fanire." rolling her eyes, Fir directed her attention from Yolwan Wan to the approaching wolf nearby.  "Hello." She repeated, giving the stranger a once over and grinning widely at the discovery of her antler.  Fir loved antlers.

”Speech”  ’Thought’
Fennish Translation: 1. You would bring that up now? Swamp Lard, it has been said already that I care not for the snail versus slug argument. You know where my loyalties are. I will not be swayed by you.
2. Drop it now. There is company.

I know we're the crooked kind.

Freydis didn't spot the strange looking beaver.. duck.. creature.. thing.. until she had closed the distance between the woman and herself, which was a pity, considering she might have given herself a little extra distance if she had known the creature was there. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, fat and round, covered in fur and adorned with a duck's bill. Was it real or decorative? Had the creature ripped it away from the bird and placed it over it's own maw? And it's eyes.. Freydis supressed a shiver as her gaze passed over it's face. So.. so beady. The creature was very unnatural indeed.

The fae scrambled for words, hoping that the stranger wouldn't have noticed the unease that flickered through her spine. "Careful where you step. The mud is deep and sticky back there." Freydis said, tossing her head to motion over her shoulder.
”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fe vældur frænda rogi.

Fir cocked her head and glanced back towards where this new wolf had motioned to.  Of course it was deep and sticky, they were in the midst of prime mud season.  Maybe the stranger was worried that they would trample all over the best spots? "Okeedokee.  I'll have Yolwan Wan grab some for us before we leave then."  is all the swampy canine could think to say before nudging her chunky companion toward the direction of the woman's self proclaimed 'world's greatest' mud.  The creature let out percussion of chirps and made for the outsider with the sweet, cakey aesthetic, to which Fir scoffed before correcting his path. "No time for flirting. Go get mud." she hissed.  So like Yolwan Wan to try to woo any lady Fir found alluring.  What an absolute pig of a man.

"Did you come out here to get lost too?"  Fir questioned, plopping her rump into the soft earth below, not giving a hoot that she'd just damned herself to a weeks worth of dirty ass in mere seconds.  "I think I gotta come back in the summer. I'm havin' a hard time gettin' in the zone today."

”Speech”  ’Thought’
Fennish Translation: n/a

I know we're the crooked kind.

Freydis couldn't help but cock her own head as she mulled over the mossy wolf's words. Yalwan Wan was new, and the idea that it might grab some mud before they left.. well, that just didn't make any sense to the fae. Mud for.. what? Perhaps she'd meant something.. else? Wait. Nope. The stranger confirmed that the mud would, in fact, be going home with them, but that wasn't what caught Freydis' attention. The creature was.. flirting? She shuddered.

"Ah, no." Why would anyone get lost on purpose? "I try pretty hard not to get lost." Which was the normal way of things, Freydis thought. "But if you want to get lost, you should probably go somewhere you've never been." Coming back in the summer wouldn't do the strange wolf any good if she already knew her way around.
”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fe vældur frænda rogi.

Fir squinted slightly at the woman as she spoke.  Weird that she'd intentionally avoid getting lost, but ah well.  To each their own the swamp wolf supposed.  Oh, but the bit about going somewhere new, now that was a good idea!  Or, wait.. Was this maybe an invitation?  Was the stranger asking her out on a date? The fae could feel her cheeks grow warmer as she imagined what it would be like for the two of them to travel somewhere familiar only to the new strange female.  She'd watch as Fir, slightly panicked, attempted to find her way back to any sense of familiarity in the strange new lands... What would Fir call a date like that?  Hmm... maybe something like 'escape room' because there would be plenty of room to try and escape?  Yeah.  That sounded cool.  

"Okay, yeah.  Sure."  Fir tried her best to sound cool and collected, really woo the woman.  "I'm free whenever, really.  We could even go right now if you wanted. "  She raised her eyebrows and waited for a response. Of course, she'd have to tell Yolwan Wan to go back home.  Couldn't have him continuing his shit attempts at sweeping the woman off of her feet after all.  He'd comply though.  He had to if he wanted treats when she got back.  

”Speech”  ’Thought’
Fennish Translation: n/a

I know we're the crooked kind.

Freydis couldn't hide the confusion that forced her brows to knit together as she mulled over what the stranger had just said. Where.. where would they be going? Why would they be going? Then it dawned on her that the moss-colored wolf must have thought it an invitation. She coughed, cleared her throat, and scrambled for a response. "Ah, uh.. yeah, no. I'm kind of busy right now." Was... that the best excuse she could come up with? "I was just.." What? She was just what? "I was looking for my friend, and I really better be looking for her." Sure. Good enough.

”Speech”  ’Thought’

Fe vældur frænda rogi.

"Oh..."  Fir blinked a couple of times, a bit confused by the woman's response but not quite understanding that she was attempting to blow the mushroom wolf off.  "Vell, vhat does she look like? I can help. I don't hafe anything else going on!"  she responded in a strange accent that definitely did not normally belong to her for no reason in particular.  Fir could even enlist Yolwan Wan's help, that way they could find her friend even quicker.  Then she could send both the platypus and her friend back to her house until their escape room date was over.  Easy!  

”Speech”  ’Thought’
Fennish Translation: n/a

I know we're the crooked kind.