Frustrated and slightly out of breath, the white wolf made her way back towards her territory. She had tracked a small family of deer a bit of a walk from it the past day and had come back empty pawed. She'd managed to catch a snowshoe rabbit on her way back, and was now panting from the chase. She wished to eat it, she was hungry and tired, but wanted to take it somewhere safe before devouring it practically whole. 

It wasn't long before the pretty young female came across two scents, both male. One, she decided was a pack wolf. It smelled of the coast and of a strong, distinctive scent. Saltwater, she would assume. The other she assumed was from the same pack, but he scent was not as distinct. She remembered what Lasher had told her about Saltwater, and how he wished for them to be allies. Perhaps the pack was kind, and she would be able to introduce herself and talk up Donnelaith. She couldn't be sure, but she hoped that she could make nice with the neighbors.

When she approached, she realized that one was not near the other. Perhaps these were not wolves of the same pack, and she became slightly more on edge. Her head lowered slightly and her eyes narrowed, teeth gripping the rabbit slightly. It eased her tenseness to see how thin the one was, and she right away pinned him as a loner, not a pack wolf. She let out a light woof, letting her tail wag. She was a midpoint between the two, the tip of a triangle and at what she considered a safe ground. She eyed them both, hoping they would see she was friendly. If they were kind, perhaps she would even share her hare, she decided.

The wolf whom Aria named a rogue, left. She watched as he parted, and in turn picked up her rabbit and headed towards the remaining male since he had let out a friendly chuff. She arrived closer, but still stood a respectful distance further away. "Hello," She woofed after dropping the kill again, her eyes friendly and curious. "My name is Aria," she introduced, her head tilting to one side, "I come from Donnelaith, a pack not too far from here," she added, hoping the wolf would understand her pack as friendly, and a possible ally. She stood quietly, hoping the silence would prompt him to reply with his own name and pack; which she hoped would be Saltwinter, as she had guessed. Her tail wagged in a friendly manner, and she held a smile.

The girl dipped her head, watching him curiously. "It's a pleasure," she woofed, dipping her head. When the male made mention of her rabbit, she only smiled respectfully. It was not her intention to to find a wolf of Saltwinter, and pure luck to have made a kill; no matter though. It was either coincidence or fate, Aria decided, and either way she was here and bore the proper tools, so she would use it. 

"Only your own," she responded vaguely, although it was not a lie. Although the young wolf had spent most of her days in Donnelaith mapping their own territory, she was not from the area and only knew of this pack because her alpha had told her of it. She pushed the rabbit towards him with one paw, a smile crossing her lips again. "It is yours, if you will have it. If you're not hungry you can bring it back to your caches," she woofed, almost as if she was offering advice. She would not have been offended if he didn't take it. She understood the idea of strangers, and knew that for all he knew she could have poisoned it... Although she didn't, and hoped he would see the genuine offer of kindness.

The girl smiled, her icey eyes showing nothing but kindness. Even so, a bitter taste fell into the back of her throat. She was please he accepted it, and even more so that he thanked her for it; practically anyway. It was however unsettling that she would be returning to camp empty pawed. No matter, she could report the male to Lasher and Dante. If she had received any info on the pack she could relay that on as well, although something about this males expression told her she would learn nothing of the sort. Regardless, she listened and responded to the male politely. 

Her ears perked interestedly. "Up the coast?" she echoed, thinking quietly about it. "A gray fellow, perhaps?" she asked curiously, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought. She did not know the male, but she was aware of two males who had tried to gain entry into their pack after the creation of their own failed. Unfortunately Donnelaiths ranks were and still are full, and the males were denied access to the pack. She did not mention this to the male, but smiled and nodded instead. "I'll make sure to do just that," she replied, her shoulders rolling forward a few times as she grew more comfortable where she sat. 

The white girl listened intently, her ears perking as he mentioned the rest of his pack. Was this really true? There was no way that a male so reasonable and kind (somewhat, anyway) could be part of a pack that was to be avoided. She stood still for a moment, unsure of what to say. The only thing she could think of doing what reporting what she'd found to @Lasher . She thought perhaps of Dante or Blue Willow, but knew of Dante's sickness and Blue Willow's litter, and thought not to bother them. 

Aria dipped her head to the male, her white eyes glimmering as she did so. "It was a pleasure," she murmured, and with that turned and left. Without her rabbit. Without an ally. Without a clue of what to think of Saltwinter.