Galilee had lost track of the days that passed since she had left home. Despite the drama that had surrounded her decision to leave, her actual departure had been uneventful. Farewells were made quietly and without fanfare. The necessary blessings were bestowed, and Galilee made some belated but heartfelt apologies. Even her uncle wished her well; if it was partially a gesture of relief, no-one could blame him. A cousin traveled with her to the northern borders, torn between envy and a desire for her to stay. Eventually he too returned home, and Galilee suddenly found herself alone.

And it had been hard.

As a swift runner and capable hunter, the young Aika woman rarely went to bed hungry. She set whatever pace she desired, and other than a sweet ache deep in her muscles, exhaustion never set in. At first, she had relished in the solitude and the freedom to go where she pleased. Then the loneliness got to her. All her life, the clamor of her family's large pack had been suffocating. Now, she had the best stories to tell and no one there to share them with. And since her isolation was self-imposed, the resulting cup was a somewhat bitter drink.

And Galilee saw many lovely, incredible things as she journeyed slowly northward. There was even beauty in the charred remains of the bleeding souls territories, where the ash and snow danced in passing breezes. Instead of bringing tales home to her siblings, Galilee learned to carefully document her progress in a leather-bound journal that she always carried, even while unshifted. It was a poor substitute, but it suited her needs.

Today, the all-black female was fully shifted into her optime form to better climb down off of the Halcyon mountains. Her closely-cropped hair bore no ornaments, nor did she wear any clothing. A satchel hung carefully over one shoulder, pulled up short so it wouldn't get in the way. She stopped for a moment, her gray-blue eyes scanning the landscape of the Pictou river, which she had been following for the last several days. Now on the other side of the mountain, Galilee wondered if she was anywhere near her supposed destination.

Not at all

The day was quiet and serene, about as normal of a winter day as could be hoped for. The sky was mostly overcast, but periodically the sun made a short appearance from behind a cloud bank. Despite the lack of consistent sunshine, the day was not bitterly cold. Of course it was cold out, but a lack of wind made the chill bearable for any creature with a halfway decent pelt. Galilee was blessed with a particularly thick coat and felt very little of the season's chill. She was well aware of the creaking gurgle of the half-frozen river that cut through the hush of this, the dead season.

The young Aika woman was immediately aware that she had company. A figure with a dark pelt was moving toward the river, his coloration making him stand out against the white snowscape. The lack of wind meant she could only pick up on a few details from his scent, but it was enough to determine gender and that he likely belonged to a pack. Being new to the territory, she had no idea the name or location of said pack, but perhaps she would learn in due course. The male was fully shifted as she was, and she noticed he carried one arm awkwardly, as if it had been recently injured.

It would be good to have company again, after weeks alone on the road. She was glad for the opportunity for some company, and hoped the other wolf would be agreeable. Galilee wasn't too far away from where the male bent for a drink. Making plenty of noise, she let herself down from the boulder she had been perched on, and after bending back a few tree branches, she stepped into full view. "Hallo!" She called a greeting, curious to see just who she had stumbled upon here along the river shore.

Galilee wasn't the most practiced at making small talk with strangers. Her parents had both been world-weary wanderers, adept at meeting friends and making conversation wherever their four feet might roam. With the birth of their children, however, they had settled and an entire lifestyle had changed. Presumably, the idea was to offer the stability and security of a large and well-meaning family. Galilee's upbringing had indeed been secure and stable, but it had also been limited to the lands and peoples of her birth pack. Her parents had done their best to educate their children about the world beyond, even taking them on trips past the borders; but there was a certain limitation to learning in an exhibition-style manner. As Galilee grew older, she took to ranging on her own, but even those trips were short and close to home.

And so, despite her initial greeting and general lack of shyness, she paused a moment before responding to savor her new-found freedom. She could talk to a dozen anybodies without her family's comment: no uncle to urge caution, no mother to encourage. It was a wonderful feeling, and slightly terrifying, and it made her feel, for that brief moment, slightly light-headed. "I was just making conversation," she replied, "although the view isn't half bad either." Like her companion, she did not elaborate on whether she meant the scenery or his physique. Her blue-gray eyes scanned both in one arching sweep, and it was impossible to gauge where, exactly, her gaze lingered.

"Nice to meet you Alaki." She was closer now, a distance at which they might converse comfortably; but not so close as to be threatening or be threatened. "My name's Galilee. I'm a bit of a new arrival -- just traveled through some of the old lands north of here, and then made my way south along the river." A bit too much like small talk for her tastes, but she had been traveling for more than a fortnight. It seemed like a logical thing for her to bring up.