The morning was not a warm thing yet - spring had not yet settled firmly within the wilds - and the cast light from above was streaked with greys and dull blues. The sky was wrought with turmoil, as if to suggest an oncoming storm; the wind clutched at clouds and gathered them together, blanketing across the pale sun as it climbed high. Curled at the base of a mountain, nestled within the roots of some ancient trees, sat the great lump that was Tiarnan. He woke from his sleep with a start, and as his ramshackle dream fell to pieces in the light, he became aware of himself once again. The morning had almost passed him by completely. With a lazy reach of his forelegs, the boy stretched out the kinks that his bed had afforded him and slipped to his paws - standing tall against the dreary backdrop of another grey day.

The salt of the sea tempted him, for he did not know what it was. Tiarnan had never seen the ocean before - his home had been deep inland, within untamed forests and atop vibrant green glens. He could smell water but the salted sharpness of it made him cringe. The boy was curious, but also afraid to some extent. It wasn't like him to baulk at exploration. It wasn't like him to wander alone either - but here he was. He took to striding along the base of the mountain, doing laps to warm his bony limbs and get his blood flowing; his thoughts inevitably led back to how lonely he was, and how much he wished someone could be with him. Khatera, maybe. Or that pale girl that he had caught in the dark.

With a grumpy huff at the dark sky, Tiarnan turned his attention to the forest around him and the mountain just beyond - it loomed above, and from his vantage point at the base there was no knowledge of a greater mountain beyond. He stared in to the abyss of shadows and tangled wood for a few moments before finally plodding towards it, and in to the depths.

An awkwardly hanging branch creased the fur of his head and tugged upon his scruff, collecting a thin tangle of dark hairs against it's moss and cracked bark. The boy pressed on a few more feet, feeling a bit more at ease once he was within the confines of the forest. Paws creased the soft mixture of soil and debris, and he began to climb over a series of fallen logs and various rotting surfaces. The boy slipped on some moss and began to stumble, catching at the bark with his rear claws and steadying himself - but this did not last long at all. For a great beast had woken with the dawn. It came crashing through the foliage with barely any warning, spooking Tiarnan backwards.

His first thought was plateau and he was made more nervous when the heavy scent of rock and pine struck him; they were similar scents to the plateau wolves due to their similar habitat. The sight of the massive creature caught him off guard the most - at first he imagined it to be a giant from his father's pantheon, a Jötun or one of their goliath children. He saw a flash of white and heard the rumbling thunder of her voice, striking terror within him. If it was a plateau wolf he would know to avoid the mountains -- all of the mountains - and keep to the trees as he was naturally inclined to. The stranger's words were curt and hostile, but Tiarnan did not know that they were particularly insulting; he heard them and bowed down, grovelling in the dirt with hopes that it would calm the raging God.

"Déithe dheonú dom a chosaint," The boy spewed forth the liturgy which had been taught to him, butchering it somewhat in the process, but he had never truly known the protective prayers that well; it was this moment that made him realize how desperate he was in his loneliness, and how out-of-place he was within these wilds. "Agus i gcosaint, neart. I neart ... I-I neart, tuiscint," He swallowed dryly as he recite the words, muddying them with his nerves and yet gaining resolve. The boy raised his head and stood as tall as he could, defiant against the stranger who had come upon him. Unable to remember the rest of the Druidic prayer, Tiarnan grew quiet - his jaw clenching as he watched her.

His recitation appeared to curtail the woman's efforts to harm him. She halted briskly and observed, rumbling words to him that he could not identify. A low murmuring accompanied her words, something that made his nervousness remain tangible despite her ceasefire. Had Tiarnan been able to understand, he would have laughed at her - he did not believe in demons or any hellish beasts, only the All-Father and the spirits amongst the forest. They were playful sprites that could be badly behaved, but nothing within fey-kind was so sullied by darkness. He watched her in silence thereafter, unsure of what to do.

The woman reminded him of the pale girl he had met only hours previous - pale and shining despite the murk of the forest, and with eyes as bright as the hot sun. This wolf was indeed more imposing than Bazi, and Tiarnan was not taken in by the newness of her features. He was not charmed by her the way he was by the phantasm-girl; growing stiff-legged and resistant even with the forest sitting idle around him. Tiarnan tried to relax but it was difficult, even with the faith he placed within his parent's gods; they were not his gods, not yet. He did not pray to the witch his mother followed nor the river god of his father. One day Tiarnan would have to make a choice and follow his own path, but that was not today.

Today he was only trying to get out of this situation without harm. If it meant praying to the Jotun woman before him, so be it. And it had worked. Idly, the youth slid in to a seated position and assumed a more submissive posture, his ears jutting out on either side of his black-marked head, and his dark eyes trailing across the ice woman's stout limbs and black toes. Despite his physical agreement to her prowess, to her dominance, there was a shine in his dark eyes which would not be abated; a candle light that would not be snuffed out just yet.

This land he found himself within was a strange one. A world of unfounded hostility and remarkable cruelty of which Tiarnan had only been given a taste - but a taste was all he really needed. She had conquered him easily with a stern word and heavy display of dominance, so he sat. Silent, penitent, though such a subdued display did not ease the agitated woman the way he hoped. The pale creature shouted at him further, making demands in a language he did not understand - but growing less and less powerful, as if her power was being sucked away. When Jinx gave her promise it was upon deaf ears, for Tiarnan had no way to interpret aside from body language, which he now observed with more keen an eye. Her tail lowered, and ears fell back - and Tiarnan was confused by this. He had done nothing but sit and wait; there was no outright challenge, no refusal to obey.

Still, he felt his own power swell. An energy imbibed him that he enjoyed fully, a boost to a child's ego. The boy's eyes fell away from her, no longer eager for a fight. He muttered to himself - "Tá sé seo dúr." - and huffed a soft sigh as he stood up. At full height he was still not nearly as intimidating as the white creature. He carefully stepped towards her, wishing to slip around her massive figure and head deeper in to the forest - testing the limit and seeing if Jinx would allow him passage. As he moved he threw a sharp word her way, assuming she would not understand since so many others failed at hearing him - "Tú féin agus do chineál iad ar fad ar mire. Ní raibh mé chiallaíonn aon dochar."

There was a moment of calm - or something close to it - which passed between them. Had he not uttered the final comments then perhaps the boy would have slunk on by without issue; however, it was not natural for him to escape a situation without running his mouth a little first. And he knew with some certainty that the wolves of Teekon did not understand him. Whatever insult or slur he threw their way would fall upon deaf ears. Except, of course, after he spoke with that belligerent tone that children often direct towards their parents, the white beast rose up to block his path. She was adamant suddenly, and Tiarnan felt his ears fall back upon his head. Repentant to a degree, while he entertained the notion of a stranger who could actually understand him.

When Jinx spoke her heated words, he was once again corrected. Whatever the reason for her hostility it was not because she had been offended by his speech - not in the manner he thought. Quick words were thrown his way and he shrank from them, as he shrank from her. Easing himself low and serpentine, as if smothering the earth would save him from whatever wrath he had summoned from the stranger. His ears did cup the sound of her voice and he heard her enunciate one word, and though he did not understand it, the woman's intentions became somewhat less muddy.

He responded with a sudden blurt - "Name." - which actually came as a surprise to himself; Tiarnan had forgotten all about the sparse bits and pieces he had collected in his wandering, but it came flooding back to him now in his moment of need. "Name," he implored as he rose up again, fierce on the outside while internalizing his fear and doubt. Perhaps if he could label this stranger as something more than a great white bear, he would have something to work with.

She was less hostile after he spoke, and for that Tiarnan was grateful. He wished he could speak further, perhaps befriend this goliath of a woman, but her words continued to flood his ears, useless in their current form. Tiarnan did pick up on a few things - words Bazi had used which stuck out like gems among the detritus of the Teekon language. Through this exchange Tiarnan learned of new words, some which he would most likely relay to the white girl if he ever encountered her again. Her mime act had helped before, after all.

The newly dubbed Jinx posed a question to him, demanding a name more than asking. The boy was willing enough to share. "Tiarnan," he stated for her, unwilling though he was to enunciate the way he had with the nice girl. He found himself comparing this Jinx with Bazi - their size, their demeanor, every little thing. This wolf was older and stronger but nowhere near as nice (or beautiful, he thought with a flick of the ears). To detract from the thoughts that flit through his mind, the boy turned a careful eye upon Gyrfalcon Keep just beyond; motioning with his nose. "Silver-tip?" Is this your home, behemoth?

He would be sure to avoid it in the future.

To linger long in the company of this creature was not a thought that Tiarnan fueled; however, she was complacent now. Motioning as if to tell him of greater detail. He did not know of her correction, despite recognizing a few of the words. The boy peered beyond her - towards the monolith that loomed beyond, showing skepticism as best he could. A furrowed brow, a curled tail, but not a word of agreement nor a single motion in the direction that was implied. With the stranger's calm came a certain... Acceptance. She was no longer hostile and he, eager to escape, took to this without worry; stepping backwards with one swift step, then gradually shifting his body so that he could begin to stride in the opposite direction - but never did he turn his back fully upon her. Tiarnan was young but not stupid enough for that. He was far from confident in the white woman's subdued behaviour - she could easily overpower him in this lulled state, regardless of his intentions. But given the opportunity, Tiarnan attempted to slink off in to the forest - keen on avoiding all of these horrid mountains and the wolves which heavily populated them.