The gentle brush of the willows against soft earth was one of the only sounds in that peaceful place. Isolated from the world, it was the perfect place for Irin to have spent the night, curled up against the bark of a tree. Frogs croaked happily, and little splishes and splashes filled the night, making it seem more comforting than it usually did.

Though morning had long since begun, Irin couldn't bring herself to leave her peaceful sanctuary. She found herself seated near the edge of the waters of the pond that the willow grove hid, light gaze focused on the flickering form of a fish that swam through the shallows, oblivious to the presence of a predator. Luckily for the fish, Irin had eaten recently enough that she didn't feel particularly hungry.

Maybe the fish had been born somewhere far away from here. It had probably only been a tiny thing when a bird had swept down to scoop it up and take it back to its nest. The bird had two--no, three little ones, and it was eager to keep them satisfied. But it found that it had bitten off more than it could chew in this fiery colored fish, who flailed and smacked at the bird until the bird let it fall down, down, down to the earth. The fish had been thankful when it found itself hitting water instead of the cold hard earth, and slipped into the deepest waters of this pond to recover from its attempted kidnapping.

Tail wagging contentedly, Irin watched as the fish slipped from view, vanishing into the deeper waters. For the moment, she was blisfully alone, and that was nice. Still, try as she might, Irin couldn't ignore the lurking sense of loneliness in this empty grove.

Azalea moved stealthily through the open, covering the ground with swift and silent precision. She found herself exploring the lands outside of Valhalla more and more. Now that she was officially old enough to wander off without being scolded. Plus it helped that her parents were not in Valhalla but instead in Glaciem. Amber eyes glanced toward the sky, it was nearly noon. How many days had it been since her parents had left for Glaciem? When would they return? Would they return? She couldn' imagine them staying there. They were Valhallans through and through. Suddenly there were willow trees. They swayed in the wind, making an ever present sound that was hard to describe. It was both soothing and annoying, depending on how well you listened to it. Light glared off water through the wispy limbs. She made toward it, eager for the drink. When she reached the water's edge she crouched before it lapping up the pristine liquid. It was amazing. She didn't have time to enjoy the clean taste as her eyes caught something reflected in the water. Someone. A wolf. Azalea looked up, straightening her posture. There was a wolf across the water from her. "Hello." She called, unabashed. In this quiet location she didn't need to be loud to be heard. They were opposite of each other but in plain view. Speech,

There was a soft rustling and Irin stirred, glancing up from the lake, feeling a shiver working its way through her body as her mind began to jump to conclusions. Maybe it was a bear, lumbering and confused, searching for a lost child that had wandered away during her sleep. Except it sounded too small to be a bear. Maybe it was a fox then, tiny and sneaky, and curious about the fish that it had been tracking since he had seen it fall from the bird's talons so long ago. Irin felt a little giggle growing in her chest, only to have it fade immediately when a wolf appeared, padding into Irin's range of vision and speaking as soon as her gaze settled on Irin. She was actually a pretty wolf, Irin had to admit. The red against white looked beautiful, and it made Irin feel almost envious. Still, the female twitched her ears and responded after a few moments. "Helloooo." Irin drew the word out as she examined the other female, who looked to be about Irin's age. Tail flicking slightly, Irin rose carefully to her paws, "Are you from around here?" Irin inquired, head tilting slightly. Maybe she was a wanderer from somewhere far away from here, from mysterious lands that had never known the touch of summer, and instead lived in a perpetual spring, with flowers blooming everywhere. But the catch was that despite the fact that these lands were like paradise, no wolves could be born, and the only way to get new wolves was to snatch them from the world. Maybe that was why this female had left her realm. To seek out fresh blood in the form of Irin. Or maybe she was just an ordinary wolf. Which was kind of boring. "speech"

"Helloooo." The greeting was prolonged and abnormal for a simple hello. She looked away, for a moment wondering if she was being teased. Her eyes went back to the female, looking her up and down. From what Azalea could see, she didn't seem like a threat at all. Likely the same age, the other wolf from here looked straight white with very pale eyes. At her distance she couldn't see the exact color. "Are you from around here?" It was a conversation starter, instantly easing her worried mind. She sat down, "Not here specifically, but Valhalla. Are you of a pack," Azalea questioned, nose tipping up lightly as she sniffed the air. She didn't scent any pack on her, but the wind wasn't in her favor either. ooc: sorry this royally sucks x.x Speech,

The friendly tone of the other wolf went a long way towards getting Irin to relax. She didn't seem particularly threatening, and made no move to draw closer to Irin. So a bit of the tension melted from Irin's frame as she examined the other wolf. "Valhalla? What's that like?" Curiosity flickered in Irin's thoughts as she examined the other female thoughtfully, head tilting slightly. It had to be a pack, judging by the female's next question, but what was it like? Maybe it was a wild place, with no rules or limits, only love and lust and family. The thought wasn't particularly pleasant to Irin. Rules and laws had their place in a pack life. There needed to be some hierarchy, some structure. It was the only thing that made sense. But the massive, sprawling packs that Irin had heard of from her family didn't make much sense. Her pack had been small, and tightly knit with no room for creative thought. They put too much stock in rules. And that was why Irin had left. It took her a moment to remember to respond to the other. "Not anymore," Irin answered the question with a flick of her ears, "I left my family recently and I only just arrived here." These lands were among the first that she had stumbled across, and this wolf one of the first wolves. It was a good thing that she didn't seem toot threatening, or Irin would have been making a hasty retreat towards her old home once more. "speech"