A mission! No, a quest sounded far cooler. Yes, she was on a quest! A quest to venture into Boreas, seek out Insomnia, perhaps some other packs, and create bonds, ties, relations, whatever word one would want to use, and try to get them to join the coalition. It honestly was brilliant to send Bramble. She was personable, intelligent, well-informed, determined, diligent, all the good things needed for an Envoy. Oh, she might be taking her rank a tad too seriously, but no one needs to tell her that. Let her live her life. It has a purpose now that she won't back down from.

Her mind reels with the different topic of conversations she wishes to go through. As if her brain was one of those old card appendixes that can be flipped and spun around through the alphabet until you find the letter you're looking for. She trains on what she does and doesn't know about Insomnia. Which, to be honest, was very little. Their reclusive activity and lack of communication with The Hallows meant that she had much to learn and plenty of information to gather. Was Medu-

Oof!

Suddenly, Bramble feels her chin slam into the ground. Her eyes squeeze shut, teeth clacking together as she falls flat on her face. Stunned from the collision, it takes her a moment to gather herself and blink away the stars that spun in front of her eyes. Rolling over onto her side, her teal eyes move to look for the culprit. A rock? Where had that rock come from? Wait, there's plenty of rocks here. But that one! Rude. Her muzzle wrinkles as she brings her left front paw toward her face, her right paw touching it tenderly to discover that she's probably sprained her ankle. Scowling to herself, she attempts to sit up and lean against a bigger rock that hopefully won't slip out from under her. What bad luck that would be.

"Speech"

The air was rich with the scent of damp soil, pine needles, and wood smoke, mingling with the faint brine of the distant sea. Aristaios had been patrolling the outskirts of this territory for a hunt when he noticed the commotion ahead. His mismatched eyes caught sight of a wolf tumbling to the ground, and his ears perked up at the sound of the impact. Damn. Quickening his pace, he approached the scene with his usual bold stride, his curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar wolf, and the incident he’d just witnessed.

The surroundings were formidable, he didn’t blame them for a missed step.

As he neared, the sight of an earthy colored female wolf with accents of green, clearly in distress, brought a furrow to his brow. She seemed to be wrestling with the pain in her paw, her emerald eyes flashing with frustration. Her body was tense, her muzzle wrinkled in a scowl as she examined her injury. Aristaios stopped a short distance away, his presence unmistakable, yet he made sure his approach was non-threatening. You couldn’t just walk up to anyone being the size he was and expect them to take kindly to it.

“Hey there,” He called out, his deep, resonant voice carrying a mix of concern and curiosity. “Looks like you took a nasty fall. Need some help?” His Greek accent added a warm undertone to his words, and he offered them a chance to believe he hadn’t seen the actual tripping as it happened. He took a few cautious steps closer, his eyes assessing her injury. His thoughts briefly wandered to the potential dangers she would face alone in this rugged terrain, even on the way out.

Despite his rugged exterior, there was a flicker of real concern in his pale blue and golden eyes. He knew all too well the perils of the wild and the vulnerability that came with being injured. He watched her closely, the way she had sat herself up and leaned against a rock, her movements pained.

“Sorry to say I’m no healer. That paw doesn't look too good. Mind if I take a closer look?” He asked, his tone straightforward but gentle, ensuring he didn't come across as some creep. His body language was open and confident, his posture relaxed but ready to spring into action if needed. Maybe it would put her more at ease. He stood ready, prepared to offer assistance but respecting her space, waiting for her response.

""

She's nursing her injured ankle when a deep, resonant voices carries over to her. How had she been so unaware of his approach? Turquoise gaze lifts quickly, the fur along her spine rising instinctually as she first assesses the stranger. His tone is warm, an influence of a background unknown to her causing curiosity to shift beneath the surface. He doesn't appear threatening, his demeanor very much relaxing and open.

Bramble nods slowly as he suggests that she might have taken a nasty fall and needed help. Though she is typically very social and talkative, she is somehow struck silent as he takes a few more cautious steps toward her. With it being her first time out alone in the wide world of Boreas, and now injured, she felt... small and insecure and weak. How was she to defend herself if she couldn't run away? Couldn't stand on her own four paws? Granted it was probably only a sprain, but even that would still hurt right away.

He respects her space though, even as he asks if he could take a look. At first, she's conflicted, unsure if she should trust him, but what did she have to lose? Perhaps he was truly nice and simply wanted to help a fallen maiden. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt anymore than it does now," she offers, a timid and bashful smile crossing her darkened lips as she continues to stare up at the man from her position on the ground.

"Speech"

Aristaios noted the way her eyes widened, the fur along her spine rising. He paused, allowing her the time to assess him fully. His own gaze remained steady and calm, taking in her every movement and the emotions that played across her features. When she nodded slowly, he took it as a small sign of trust, or at least acceptance. Good enough for him.

As he took a few more cautious steps toward her, he kept his movements slow. The last thing he wanted was to startle her further. He saw the conflict in her eyes, the way she seemed torn between caution and the necessity of her situation. Her words, tentative and accompanied by a bashful smile, brought an amiable smile to his own lips.

“Alright.” He said coolly, fully closing the distance between them with a self assured step. “I'll be gentle, I promise.”

Kneeling down beside her, he extended a paw, allowing her to see it first before he made any contact. His touch was light and careful, as he examined her injured ankle. A careful press here, an attempt to flex the paw there. Finally he spoke, nodding. “Looks like a simple sprain. Had many myself,” The brute murmured, glancing up at her with a reassuring smile. “It could have been worse. All you can do is rest it.” He peered around them, wondering if she was descending or ascending the Fjord.

His mismatched eyes flickered with concern as he looked back down at her ankle. “This isn’t me making a pass at you or anything, but do you want to get out of here?” He offered, his tone light. “I can help you. I don’t exactly agree with leaving a lady out alone while she’s hurt.”

He straightened up slightly, still giving her space to make her own decision. “What do you say? Think you can manage the walk with a little help? Just lean on me and point, yeah?” His offer was genuine, his demeanor open and inviting, showing he meant no harm.


""

The way he approaches with cautious steps is admirable. Bramble couldn't imagine just any stranger being so careful around well, other strangers. Especially ones who were injured. From all the warnings and stories her parents had told her, they had certainly been successful is placing the fear of danger within her heart. Every turn around the corner could mean death and usually by the paws of someone else.

But once he is fully in her personal space, she feels her breath catch slightly. His musky and earthy scent rolls off of him and overwhelms her senses for a moment. She couldn't deny it was a pleasant scent, one she almost kind of wanted to snuggle up next to a fire with and spend the evening gazing at the stars. And the words he says next do have a breathy laugh leaving her lips. "I'm tougher than I appear," Bramble warns him, her bright turquoise eyes watching as he kneeled down beside her.

Holding out her paw to him, she lets him examine the injury with care. She holds back the wince when he presses on it, inhaling a deep, but quiet breath as she recovers from the way of achiness. "Not quite the place to be resting though, is it?" Bramble inquires, her own gaze peering around them to notice how barren and open the bottom of the fjord was. A sitting duck she truly was.

She won't admit aloud that she's thankful for his offer, but she inwardly she is. Looking at him with her big eyes, one of her brows lifts subtly, a smirk shifting over to replace her smile. "You would be missing out if you didn't," she teases now that she's starting to get a sense of herself back as she becomes more comfortable in his presence.

Once he straightens up, giving her space, Bramble pretends to think on it for a moment. "If you are being kind enough to offer," she starts, slowly shifting herself up into a standing position beside him. "But I don't even know your name," Bramble says, another raise of the brow, a question of is this a ruse or was he a true gentleman. "I'll let you help me if I can obtain that," she states after a moment of hesitant indecision. He had been nothing but kind and cautious so there was yet to be a reason not to trust him.

"Speech"

Aristaios couldn't help but admire the woman’s spirit as it began to show, a confidence consuming the caution bit by bit. Though he understood why she might be wary of strangers at first introduction, only a fool wouldn’t be. Her being injured would not make that wariness any better, which is why he was taking such care in maintaining her comfort. It was an easy thing to do, and it wasn’t as though he was a devious brute bent on harming others. He was a hunter, a fighter, a thrill seeker; sure. And he just so happened to have a weakness when it came to helping out the less fortunate.

Her breathy laugh at his assurance made him chuckle as well, as though he found that innate toughness endearing. “I'm sure you are tougher than you appear,” He acknowledged with a nod, his mismatched eyes meeting her bright turquoise ones again as the breeze wafted her scent into his nares. He carefully picked out pine, and… strawberry-apple? Focusing again, he flashed her a winning smile to make her feel more at ease as he finished examining her injury; he did, however, also notice her attempt to hide the discomfort. She had fortitude. Or too much pride to let a stranger see her at her, arguably, lowest. He’d have done the same.

As he watched her, he took in every detail: the way her green markings shifted atop her equally sandy and chocolate coat in the light, the willfulness in her posture despite the injury, and the glint of determination in her bright emerald eyes. Pretty woman, he mentally noted. “No, it's not the best place to be resting, landslides and all. Good place to hunt though.” He agreed, glancing around the rocky and perilous terrain. “But we'll find somewhere safer.” Her smirk and teasing remark brought a chuckle to his lips, his appreciation for her growing with each moment. He leaned in slightly, his eyes twinkling with an impish glint. “Oh? I'm missing out right now, sure. But there’s still time.” His voice dropped an octave lower than his conversational tone, those deep greek vocals rumbling from his chest as he returned her tease two-fold.

When she stood up to think about his offer, Aristaios waited patiently, his expression betraying only his interest in helping her. If she refused, he’d probably have a bad taste in his mouth for a while, or a constant bristle along his nape. But her request for his name brought a warm smile to his face, a pleasant turn of events. “Fair enough,” He said, tilting his head slightly to regard her, shoulders rippling as he positioned himself to be her crutch. “My name is Aristaios Praedātiō, but you can call me whatever you like, if you prefer. My name can leave new friends tongue-tied.” A half-grin, one that crinkled the edges of his muzzle as he threw out the notion of friendship, a jest mostly, to keep the atmosphere light.

He moved closer to her, his body relaxed and supportive. He extended his side, ready for her to lean on him. He gave a hum to signal his readiness, pointing his muzzle forward toward the path they’d need to follow as he mentally mapped the way he’d come. “And now that you know my name, I'll gladly help you, if you’d allow me. We'll take it slow. I'll make sure you get where you’re going safely.” His voice was calm and reassuring, his presence steady and reliable. “But you've got me at a disadvantage here. I don't know your name yet. Care to enlighten me? You could consider it my payment, or... maybe my reward?” Another grin, this time one brimming with confidence and a hint of mischief.

""