Haunted Wood nobody saw it comin' but the little red devil in me

anyone!  ivy's a moody weirdo, idk (:

The third time Ivy visited Lake Rodney wasn't as eventful as the first two.  She'd intended to stay - maybe attempt a swim to that little island by herself this time! - at least for a while, but her wandering spirit got the best of her.  Early afternoon was met with a decision: should she turn around and head back to Redhawk Caldera or should she roam?  Naturally, the latter was her choice.

The pale gray youth had followed the lake's Eastern shore in the direction of Haunted Wood until said lake became a river.  Intrigued, she proceeded to stroll along the river, not really noticing the late hour.  Night had fallen by the time she was well within the confines of a new territory.  Ivy wasn't totally oblivious to her surroundings.  She was sniffing here and there and taking in everything around her, after all!  But the white bark of the birch trees in this area had sort of an eery look about them with only the moon filtering through their branches to light the way.  She frowned and paused in her journey, deciding that here would be a fantastic spot to stop for a rest.  That way she could get her bearings and decide if she'd hunker down in these dark woods for the night or make the trek back home.

Sighing loudly - though probably not dramatically because no one was around to appreciate the effect - she put her two front paws in the cool water and leaned down to partake in a bit of refreshment.

Birk had been out in the wilds for an extended hunting and tracking trip. There was plenty to do back in caldera and for the most part he was not prone to wandering around, but now and then he had the "itch" and simply had to go out. Get rest from the folks and area around him and come back with new energy and strength. Especially, once alpha female gave birth to the puppies, all forces would probably be needed to take care of them and therefore the chances to wander around would be limited. 

While he had traveled the area quite a lot, now and then he still got lost, and therefore on the evening of 15th June rather than being back at caldera already, he found himself in a forest he had not yet visited or seen. He would have not cared to go in, had he not caught a whiff of a familiar scent - someone from the pack was here too. Curious he followed the trail and soon arrived at the watering point, where one of his packmates was standing and drinking. "Hey," Birk greeted her cautiously, not wanting to scare her.

Her drinking done, Ivy lifted her head and greeted her packmate with a tilted head.  Hey, she murmured, her light green eyes focusing intently on his face.  She knew by smell that he was from Redhawk Caldera, but hell if she'd be able to pull his name out of thin air.  The petite girl cleared her throat and stepped back until both front paws were firmly on dry land again, mostly using the movement to stall for time.

But those few seconds didn't cause her ivory-pelted companion's name to fall from the sky.  She frowned again and had the good grace to look at the ground.  I.. I don't know your name, I'm sorry.  Ivy's admission was quiet, almost embarassed.  Normally the headstrong girl wouldn't give a damn that she didn't know someone's name.  Maybe she was just tired.  It was awfully late..

Birk was relieved, when the girl explained that she had no idea, what his name was. If the situation had unfolded differently, he would have to pretend that he knew hers perfectly well. And as much as he was open about his bad memory, when it came to names, he felt no pride either about this flaw.

"My name is Birk," he replied. "But if you call me a Brick by mistake - I won't take any offence." Though he really preferred the first version of his name. Had more Northern vibe to it. "What is yours?"

Eyes still cast downward, Ivy directed her mildly confused look toward the ground.  Brick, huh?  Well, that was a.. new one.  Okay.. Brick, she commented, the smirk on her face evident even in her tone. Besides, Birk sounded an awful lot like her grumpy grandfather's name and the young girl thought it rather strange to have two wolves with similar names in the same pack.

Clearing her throat, the green-eyed girl looked up to address her late night company properly.  I'm Ivy, she offered, voice still subdued enough to match the quietness of the late hour.  What are you doing out here? she asked with a head tilt for good measure.

Birk winced slightly, when Ivy purposefully used the incorrect form of his name, but brushed the grudge away soon after - he had been the one to mention it in the first place. If he wished to be annoyed, he could be... with himself.

His first inclination to reply to her question was to tell that he was stalking young girls, but that would have been too nasty and made him look like a creeper. Therefore he mustered up a nonchalant smile, stretched and then said: "Hunting giants. What about you?"