Or are you someone out there,

As the season came, the tundra was facing it's own drop in temperature. Much was already frozen since long-ago, but now she could see the streams were frosting, and the air tinged a bit more cold then usual. Winter was around, and she awaiting to see how Primordial. As she crossed somewhere near Haldis, keeping away from it's borders.. She ended up travelling just a bit out there. A little farther from home then usual, curiosity called for her as the wind wisped through her fur ; and found herself in a quant little forest. 

She could hear the sound of waterfall, her ears twitching as Aries walked through the pines in a mystery of what sort of falls are nearby.

@Alexei

the staff team luvs u

 

 Ever since the move, Alexei seemed to never stop moving. Every day he woke up, as early as he had before, and got to work. Part of it was because there was a lot of work to get down. They needed to rebuild their entire home in the Tundra, with more occupants than before. The other part of it was, if he wasn't moving, then he was shivering profusely. Alexei had traveled a lot in the past, way more and way longer than he would have liked. Of course, his parents would have been thrilled, since the whole point of their group was for their children to go on their way and explore the world — and come home after if they wanted. Unfortunately for Lex, was he could not go back. Obviously, he was in a vastly different realm than the one he started in. But in his whole time of searching, he'd never stayed in snow-claimed places more than just the time it took to pass through — and that had only been once in his life. 

 Now, he's living in one of the coldest places he's ever been, and he is not used to it. One of the things he has to do every morning now is gather a pelt around his shoulders, and get moving before the ice freezes him completely. It may be a bit of an exaggeration, of course, but it was indeed frigid. 

 After his morning routine, the man found himself going through his routine, finding places outside of Tsukiishi to fish, and just to map for himself. Today, he was fishing near a waterfall. One differed extremely from the one in Bluewater Lake. Watching the fast moving water, whilst he waited for them to fight the current near him before he let his front half dive into the water, sinking his teeth into whatever he could, before whacking it on the ground beside him. The one good thing about moving to somewhere cold was he could fish for longer. The cold weather keeping the fish cool enough that they wouldn't spoil as fast. 

 Something caught his eye, and then quickly reassured his nose that someone else was near, and not just a rogue. So far, he hadn't really run into other packs. But it seemed that their time in the shadows was dimming, and others would know they'd moved back. Which wasn't entirely a bad thing, but he was worried for Shiroshika, nervous that old enemies would reappear. Violet eyes found the source of the odd scent, a woman wrapped in snowy colors. "Hello ~" Better to show that he was friendly right off the bat. Which, he was getting better at, a little more of an extrovert — but still for the most part, kept to himself when pack affairs weren't presented. 

the staff team luvs u

She finally emerged from the woods, finding to where the source was. She was right though, to be greeted by a grand waterfall that though was half frozen, and dancing into the cooling waters. Around it was a frosted land, much of snow laid about as there even seemed to be a vague shadow casting behind the partially frozen waterfall.. Aries could swear there seemed to be something more, but her focus had to be turned elsewhere, for her nose and eyes caught another — a man in the distance, whose smell was much unlike Haldis. Someone, that she didn't know!

"Hello there," Aries greeted back with a small smile, keeping her drop in a peaceful distance, "I hope I am not disturbing you.. I had heard a waterfall in the distance and curiosity got the best of me."

the staff team luvs u

 

 Her eyes seemed to dance across the scene, curious of the uncharted nature of her surroundings. Snow blanketed across the land between and all around them. It seemed there were very little places that didn't have the decoration of endless, colorless weather. The woman seemed nice, and that was a weight lifted off his chest. It was much easier to talk without the other party being... rude or of evil intent. "Not at all." Alexei assured her, sitting up a bit more and waving a paw, dismissing the thought. He glanced back at the waterfall, half frozen, half alive. Beating with the current and yet unwavering in flow. Vastly the opposite of any waterfall he'd seen before. 

 "It is quite beautiful." He noted, letting his gaze linger. This one didn't scare him as much as the others. The thing that most scared him about it was the thought of how cold it would be to get caught in. He shivered underneath the extra pelt slung over his shoulders and looked back at her. "Are you hungry? I was just fishing for my home.. Though there will be enough to spare." He planned on staying out here most of the day, fishing until he was worried about how he'd juggle all the fish he'd caught home. Everyone seemed hungrier than usual, — which he should have expected because of their move, and how busy things had been with their resettlement. "Oh, I'm Alexei, by the way." He fretted slightly, always forgetting to introduce himself till the very last second. 

the staff team luvs u

She came closer, his scent more ambient. Aries was gradually noticing that the tundra held wolves that were not of it's origins, he didn't hold that fluff of an arctic wolf, and his colors were unmatching. Black's and whites with a tone of red, that she would say was quite memorizing to see — a deep color, she had not seen any wolves carrying that type of hue before and momentarily realized, most of her world tended to be monochrome. 

"I am Aries," she greeted firstly, with a smile as she settled upon her hackles. A golden gaze looked into the waters, the coldness emitting and a light surprise he was hunting in this realm.. Curiousity got the better of her, and she dipped a paw into it, "I had thought it was colder," the hare admitted, lifting that wet paw and giving it a quick lick to dry so. It was wasn't as cold, and warmer then she had thought.. When a gaze stayed there, she could note the fish swimming along.

"I would love to dine with you, if you don't find it a bother." Her gaze raised to him.

the staff team luvs u

 

 The flow of water, smacking and splashing against rocks and onwards, cutting through the Tundra, was somewhat loud. But Alexei heard her name over the gentle roar of the waterfall. Aries. He'd never met someone with a name like that, but he thought it was beautiful, nonetheless. 

 Alexei watched her come close to the water and let the water caress her paw as she gently dipped her paw into it. He expected her to be slightly shocked by the coldness of it, but she was quite the opposite. She stayed firm in her stance and said something that came off quite shocking to Alexei. "T-This isn't cold to you?" He asked, a look of worry crossing his face. He knew winter had to be worse than what the fall had in store, but he was shaking under this pelt for gods' sake! How much more frigid could this place get? 

 "It's no bother at all, I assure you. I'd really enjoy the company... My pack has recently returned to the Tundra, and I don't know much of anyone outside Shiroshika." He answered with a small smile. It would be nice to find a bond with someone else who lived in the snowland. "Do you have a favorite type of fish? I don't mind trying to go fishing for it.." There were also a few fish spread out by a rock nearby, four to be exact. One of them differed in color from the other three, pink standing out among the brown scales. 

the staff team luvs u

"I was born in the tundra. I have never left it. Although.. It makes it that much more difficult to withstand the heat." When Aries had visited the mountains to deliver news to Vanderfell, the heat was.. A new experience, to say the least. She was born and raised in the land of snow, never stepping out of it — for there was no where else. Yet this place was different, packs closely to the region of the warmer climate and beyond could see plains that stretch for miles.. As she gazed behind her, the grand mountains of the packs stood, where Elsyium and Vanderfell were ; and at the time, unknowingly Shiroshika. Even though passing by, the smell of packs was quite apparent.

Aries then blinked in surprise, at the mention of the pack she was just thinking of! "I am from Duskguard, a pack also in the tundra," she said smiling back, but.. Slightly felt conflicted. Alexai was nice and she tossed such a feelings in the pit of her stomach, "I am not sure about fish species.. Could you tell me some?" She would gaze at the frosted lake, eyeing all the fish she could see — but she didn't know of names and species, and wondered what were the ones swimming in this pond.

the staff team luvs u

 

 It made sense that she had been born in the snow-locked lands of the Tundra. He now realized, with her coming closer, how thick her pelt seemed to be, and how well she blended into her surroundings. It must have been nice... Alexei envied her luscious coat now, but knew that in the long run, he'd miss his reds and blacks, and how short of time it took to dry himself after fishing. "I see... That makes it easier to be used to then." Alexei's maw dropped in a brief chuckle. "I was born and raised in the forest so, all this," He gestured around with the point of his muzzle, "Is very new to me." If she couldn't tell from the way he was dressed, the pelt keeping him mostly warm, with little, sporadic shivers in his legs. 

 Duskguard. The man hadn't heard of it. Obviously, most of Shiroshika — if not all of them, were out of the social loop that was the Tundra. None of them had really been up here... Besides Quicksilver, who'd been scouting it out. Nonetheless, he stored this information for future use. "Oh, how nice. Maybe we'll see each other in passing then." He hoped at least. It wouldn't be so bad to have a friendly face outside of Shiroshika. 

 Aries inquired about types of fish, making Alexei's smile widen. Finally, something he did know about. One of his canines popped out, the right one, when his grin was too wide, and this was one of those moments. Alexei pointed out to the small body of water in front of them. "I'm still learning about Tundra fish. But I do know that in the Winter, there are fish called salmon that swim up the rivers to breed. And they make a wonderful, filling meal. There are also different types. Some gray and some pink.. Their taste is different too. You can sometimes tell where they come from, cleaner waters or more crowded ones, when you eat them." He explained, motioning to the pond, then to the river. It might not be easy for her to tell, but he'd been eating fish all of his life — except in some scenarios where others hunted for him or he was forced to hunt land animals due to lack of water. 

the staff team luvs u

"Perhaps we could hunt here again, although I would like to see if you are skilled in hunting birds like you are in fishing." She said with teasing chuckle. She wouldn't mind to have someone be a hunting companion, and would enjoy to see him again within these veils. Aries already had someone who shared flowers with — and it seemed slowly to her arsenal she was gaining more and more friends.. Though Alexai had knowledge that she was interested in, for the womans soul yearned as a huntress despite such ties with herbs.

As he explained of the fish she was listening and gazing into the cold waters, "would we see any salmon during fall?" she so asked curiously, although he said in winter.. The season would come relatively fast and she wondered if they too would start to show up. If she examined more of the tundra streams, would she see this pink fish? As her tail was curled around her, Aries lifted her paws lightly and put it upon her tail as a 'comfort' of the cold ground.

Her gaze was torn away from the calling of a falcon, swarming above as it called — and dived into the water. She was very curious to what type of fish it would pull up ; and hoped it was the salmon the man spoke of.

the staff team luvs u

 

 A soft wind blew through the trees and dusting off the rocks near the falls, sending snow whispering through the wind, landing on parts of Alexei — and maybe some of the woman's coat as well. It was harder to tell in Aries' alabaster coat, highlighted with grays, whether it sat on top or melted against her heated, cozy form. 

 The mention of hunting birds set Alexei's eyebrows up. He was already pretty bad at hunting deer and rabbits alike. There had been a short period where he did, in fact, try to be good at it — right after the accident. But was quickly discouraged due to the taste of it. But the thought of hunting — even as daunting as it was, had its rewards. It meant that he'd made a friend in the tundra. "I'd love to." The tip of his white tail swished above the snowy ground in elation. "Though I must say, I do make a better fisher than a fowler." He hummed, admittedly. A fair warning for their next adventure. 

 Alexei's smile kept across his lips, happy to continue sharing his knowledge of fishing. Not many wolves found fishing as interesting as he did. "Yes! Of course, most of them will go back to their natural waters, so there won't be as many as there are in the winter. But you will occasionally see them." Violet eyes followed the falcon's motions, diving beneath the water — and in that moment, he coveted the lack of fear the fowl had. Once he'd been the same, once he hadn't had a scar pressed beneath his jawline; fur grown over enough for those not close enough to see that highlight in his eyes miss the little notches where teeth had clasped.

the staff team luvs u

"I'm not particularly expertised in any — it'd be a learning experience for both of us." Although the love of hunt was there ; the memories of her highly failing to hunt rabbits stood clear on her mind. An embarrassment to show not only to the tiger but another pack-mate she attempted to help on a later date.. So was fate, and so was the need in an attempt to jump-start her assumed to be rusty-legs. Maybe it was the falling that caused this delay ; she sure hoped not. She could only be useful so much within the medical sense and slowly felt more grasping she would be needed elsewhere, as the Priestess was one of the best she had seen.

Some snow did speckle on her, she could feel the dampness lightly and licked her shoulders of that. The coldness upon her tongue but was ever so pleasing — born as an arctic wolf and raised as one, she found the mountains awfully warming.. But now that autumn was just around the corner, "perhaps there could be a day we go south together to fish for our packs," Aries offered as she lightly look at the sky for the time.

the staff team luvs u

 

 In Aries confession, Alexei felt a little better about going hunting with her. At least they both wouldn't be expecting much. If anything, maybe they could help each other get better at it. It'd be a challenge, and sometimes the fisherman needed one to keep him on his toes. "Well then, that sounds great, Aries. I'd love to." He hummed, seeming to have perked up a little bit more. After the incident where he got smacked in the face in front of Reiko's son, he found it a little nerve-wracking to hunt in front of someone else. But, with someone else learning together, it'd come about much easier. 

 The mention of returning South made Alexei's tail pick up in pace a little more. It would probably be for the better. Since winter was upon them, an escape to the jagged hills wouldn't be so bad. "Are you sure, though?" When he gazed upon her, he was reminded of the thickness of her coat. Would it be too warm for her there, even at the end of autumn? He'd rather suffer in the cold than make her go out of her comfort zone. He could add an extra pelt or two to the one he had now and be fine... Hopefully. "I don't want you to get too toasty." He says, quirking one eyebrow up at her. 

 "Oh!" A random question popped into his mind, but while he was with someone birthed of the tundra, he figured he might as well ask. "Do you know if the rivers freeze up around here during the winter...?" Part of him now felt odd, his words trailing off. Maybe that's why she'd suggested going to the south in the first place. He could feel his cheeks heat even in the frigid weather from the embarrassment that simmered in his stomach. 

the staff team luvs u

"In truth I never went too far down besides being a messenger. It wasn't too bad due to it being autumn.. I'm quite curious of land that isn't touched by snow." She imagined if the summer hit, the lands would be different for her coat. Born within the arctic and tundrian lineage, she was easily built for the cold with a plump pelt and nothing more — where even water struggles to penetrate at times. But when it came to the regions below, it also soaked the heat up, and eventually to boil the wolf. However.. She didn't know that feeling, because she never went beyond the land of ice and snow.

And then she hummed for a bit, "depends on the area. You'll often find lakes and rivers that are frozen through, but there is also an array of areas that do not. The land is whimsical that way." She would hope the laws of nature at least applied to the primordial lands, for Aries thought everything else was a strange phenomenon. Prey talking to wolves, larger predators joining wolves.. Falling from the sky and the dead re-awakening, the land did not hold anything that was normal, but she hoped nature itself remained at peace.

the staff team luvs u

 

 A frosty breeze penetrated through the small flaps of the pelt he held over his shoulders, making him shiver just a tad. The frigidness of the water still bit at his paws, an aftershock of touching what could be akin to ice. He was sure if the water was still, it would have frozen over by now. Because of the waterfall, he was hopeful that it'd stay plentiful. That this could be one of those whimsical places that stayed ever fueled by continuous motion. 

 Alexei's ears prickled a tad upwards at her curiosity of a land she'd never been. He too, held that certain wanderlust. Though it was undetermined whether or not he liked it — especially since most of his life had been in ceaseless motion in search of a place he'd fit. Somehow, he'd found it. When he was losing hope, there it appeared in the form of an alabaster woman with a coat as fluffy and cozy as Aries'. "Well, I will say, there is a lot more land uncovered in snow than you think. But usually, you can see some of those lands from the mountain peaks. So we won't even have to go far for you to get glances of the plains or maybe even some of the forests in the south." They probably wouldn't be able to see as far as the temperate, due to the lack of cold the more south they went, but she could at least glimpse the different shades of colors that came in warmer areas. Smaller forests huddled up, nearing the mountain spine that wound downwards. 

 The rest of him picked up, the feeling of jittery nervousness fading as she spoke. Good, he didn't seem like too much of an idiot then. Her knowledge made him feel somewhat at ease, now knowing that he wouldn't be exclusively locked to land animals. "Well, that makes me feel a little better. I suppose I'll just have to search a bit for those unfrozen lakes and such." He hummed, making a note to check back here when the cold concrete had its way with most of the still waters. 

the staff team luvs u

"Unfrozen plains are close by?" She was never been anywhere besides the tundra and a bit to the mountains ; Aries didn't realize just off to the right the wide-open plains was within grace. However in general if she attempted to go beyond, it'd be at least a days journey and more, not something that is a minimal effort to return by dusk. The furthest that she ventured was near the peaks of the now-claimed mountains, but had yet to truly step in them. Some part of her was awfully curious to where it was.. All to used to the snowy plains and nothing more. She heard of bison and others that roam its grass, and wanted to see it for herself. A wanderlust of exploration and knowledge, but her heart remained a home.

They both have found a place to belong to — at least so the snow-kissed woman hoped so. 

"Perhaps I can lead you sometime," a golden eye looked toward the sky, "but I should be heading back. I'd love to meet again for a hunt or adventure," Aries said with a small smile toward it. She was awfully wanting to hunt with the man and introduce more about fish and the like ; but she wouldn't mind helping find some unfrozen ponds and lakes near his home.

the staff team luvs u

 

 Even in the frigid air, the wildlife strived around them. Birds of thicker feathers and mammals with dense coats ambled around them, far enough to where they wouldn't be hunted without a fair warning. Alexei found it fascinating — though knowing there was life everywhere, it was hard to imagine so much liveliness in such a bone-chilling place. Each day greeted him with a new creature or new pattern that he hadn't known before.

 "Yes! I mean, they are a little further out. It might take a day or two to see if you really wanted to." From the Tsukiishi, it was a brief trip away. Only a few mountains stood guard between, a threatening feat for those not accustom to them. If she was willing enough, they could go to the edges of those mountains together, or even tread close enough to see the details of the golden grasses. Though he did wonder if those ever faded; if the snow drained them of their color as well as the rest of the world. 

 Alexei met eyes with her own glorious yellows, deepened by shadows and yet different each time you looked at them, looking towards the sky as if there were foreign signs that he could not read nor translate. "That would be very helpful. Thank you." The fisherman's skull dipped briefly in a bow before her announcement of departure. "Oh yes," rhinestone hued eyes glanced back to the little amount of fish he'd caught and then back towards her, "I should probably be heading back too. It was lovely to meet you, Aries. And yes, you can count on it." He assured her. His lips still morphed into a friendly smile, becoming familiar once again, on his maw. "Be safe getting home." And with that, the wolf, wrapped in an elk's pelt, gathered his things, and readied himself for the journey back to the caches of Shiroshika, and the warm embrace of home. 

the staff team luvs u