She had been promised getting out of the forest to see the rest of the pack lands would be a good thing. As she stared up at the tall obelisk, she was really beginning to doubt that. There was a hustle and bustle about her that made her feel tiny and insignificant. Wolves moved this way and that way without so much as a second glance in her direction. Of course, there were a few that said hello and nodded toward her, but most didn't seem to notice. That didn't bother her so much as the feeling of loneliness did... Maybe if she went and explored the market, she could find someone she knew! Toddling along at a leisurely pace, Ursa made her way down toward the market.

 

   

He'd come to the market armed with things to trade, this time. Were they things he'd scrounged up? Yeah. But scrounging was the way anyone else made their living around here. Better that Erik learn that early... in his mind, at least. The boy moved carefully through the market, his shoulders hunched as he did. There was too much hustle, here. Too much bustle. It was too noisy, and there were too many bodies. The smells of the market, the sounds... Erik detests it.

At least one good thing had come out of the day. He'd walked up to a vendor with a basket of kittens and traded several large fistfulls of porcupine quills (plucked from a carcass that he'd found in the woods) for a little red and silver tabby. She was a fluffy kitten, sturdy, with a dense coat, and nice to pet. There was little consideration for how his family would react to him coming home with a pet, though Erik doubted anyone would mind... other than maybe Otis. Erik still had some stuff to trade away-- a handful of scrounged deer teeth, the remainder of the porcupine quills, and the four large front teeth from the same porcupine carcass.

He'd been rather concerned with making sure his new companion was keeping up. Concerned, distracted, call it what you would. That was to say, Erik wasn't really paying attention to where he was going. He didn't see her, honest. Erik tripped, be it on the girl or a strategically placed hole nearby, and landed with a deep oof. "Furfucksake," he grumbled, voice gravelly. Sprawling for a moment before slowly dragging himself back to his feet, trying to make sense of... whatever that was. Already looking for the things he'd dropped to sweep back into the bag he'd borrowed from Fuji, unaware of his surroundings for the most part.
     
   

 

Ursa had heard that she could find whatever her heart desired at the market. Whether it was food, goods, animals, or supplies, someone there would have it. Not that she had anything useful to trade for such items at the market, but at least she could look. Right? Just looking wouldn't get her into trouble? Well, it would be a good try and if she got in trouble, she would be so super duper sorry! Her parents had told her to find something to do so going there was probably the safest bet...

Until a larger body crashed into her. Around her age, slightly bigger, and masculine in shape, with some other kind of animal in tow plowing right into her and exclaiming something that she hadn't heard before. She blinked as she lay on her back and grumbled from the pain. Reaching a paw up to rub her head, she rolled slightly to spy on the wolf that had collided with her. Had she been in his way? His gravelly voice sounded pretty upset. Her eyes well with tears as she slowly makes her way to her paws. Scooting forward to help him gather the things that had spilled, she stares at the ground to avoid eye contact.

"I-I'm sorry for bumpin' into you," she mumbles under her breath, barely above a whisper. Once his things were gathered, Ursa mustered the courage to ask a question. "What does furfucksake mean?" The innocence in her tone is obvious as she finally brings herself to stare wide-eyed at the boy. Her body trembles as obviously as her shaky voice.

She was shaking, fuck. Trembling before his very eyes... shit. Erik had caused that, he didn't mean to. He didn't mean to upset her, he'd just... oops. And there she was, scrambling to help collect his things back into his bag. "No, 'sokay." The words come out strung together, though his voice is gravelly and cluttered in his mouth. Talking was still hard, and he could feel the burning of his throat when he did.

She... oh. The pup before him was his age, maybe younger. She'd asked him a question, and he'd uh. He'd probably be best off answering it. Erik looked to his companion for some sort of help, something to say, something that probably wouldn't get him in trouble with the girl's parents. Shit, shit, shit. Finally coming up with something to say, words arranged carefully. "'swhat mum says." Right, good enough, especially when said with a shrug. Erik didn't really know what it meant, just that she said it when she needed something to exclaim.

As he finishes gathering the last of the wayward quills and teeth and tucking them into the bag, Erik finally looks for eye contact with the girl. He'd offer a rare smile, just a little one. A grateful smile, to thank her for helping him pick up his things.

"Speech"

What his mum says? Huh. Her mom didn't say such things like that... Well, actually, Ursa didn't know exactly if her mom did or not, but it didn't sound like something she would say. It sounded harsh and bad. Her ears flick backward and then forward as she watches him hurriedly scramble to push everything into his satchel. Something about him was off. It made her brow furrow as she noticed he didn't look her in the eye for a while. And his voice was... gravelly. As if his throat was hurt. Maybe he would like some tea!

Ursa is about to offer him to get some tea from a local vendor when he lifts his gaze up at her. Though her eyes are still slightly watery from the previous moments, she returns his ghost of a smile with a gentle one of her own. Pulling herself up to fully stand once more, her tail gives a few soft wags as she continues to make eye contact. "W-would you like me to sh-show you around?" Ursa asks, her head tilting slightly, unsure if he knew his way around or not.