Shelter was sought beneath the canopies, providing a moderate amount of protection from the freezing droplets as they fell; Aningan was not unaccustomed to the cold, nor was he unequipped to handle it, but he found himself disinterested in the rain—snow was one thing, an acceptable occurrence, but rain an entirely different story. He intended to remain there until the weather might shift, alone with his thoughts for the day, but that plan was brought swiftly to an end by unfamiliar summons.

Aningan drew in a breath before exposing himself to the chill of the rain, which he released slowly as a chill crept down his spine. He wasted little time before taking off in the direction from which the sound originated, knowing that the more he moved, the warmer he may remain (although, given the weather conditions, his efforts were likely to be futile).

The young leader arrived at the scene before long, his jog turning into a walk, and then the walk into a full stop once he was near enough to speak. From there, he said, “Salutitsinik,” which was joined by a nod. “Who are you? Why are you here?” His questions were direct—not that he really noticed.

Answers met his questions head-on, save for the other male’s identity. He sought shelter, a place to stay throughout the duration of the storm; his reasoning for requesting an audience was not unexpected but the terms curious. “You only want to stay until the storm is over?” he asked, brows scrunching together. This was his first time being asked for shelter without a home to go along with it, which seemed strange to him. Why only stay somewhere temporarily? Aningan didn’t understand.

There was a change of tune, a request—or more like an offer?—to stay longer. Aningan was further confused by this, trying to figure out exactly what it was that the other male wanted. “Do you actually want to stay?” he asked, eyeing him carefully. The bear was not particularly good at responding to those that wished for a home; he wasn’t sure what questions to ask aside from requesting names. But something about the other male still managed to strike him as odd, making him wonder if he should even provide shelter, let alone an entire home. Would he take advantage of them?

“Who are you?” he asked next. “How did you end up here?” Was he there intentionally, or was it dumb luck? He wondered if he should call for Rosalyn and ask her what she thought.

Following his skepticism came a more in-depth explanation: the male sought shelter and a home, willing to take either that may be offered. Although he still wondered about the other, Aningan did accept his words without any further questioning; it seemed a likely reason, after all.

He introduced himself as Onyx, to which the bear responded by saying, “I’m Aningan.” He listened closely, then, as his tale was told—a faraway home, gone to distance, and luck landing him there. “Can you hunt?” he asked next, considering his course of action. Although initially suspicious of the stranger, he wouldn’t feel right turning away someone that could be beneficial to have around; by gathering more and more hunters, perhaps they would better thrive, even without the plateau’s namesake.

The question took him by surprise—Aningan did not know what a porcupine was, nor if they had quills. But, judging by the male’s tone, he assumed that they must; this assumption was further confirmed by the sharing of his skill set, which included hunting. “If you agree to help everyone here like the others, you can stay,” he decided. “We work together.” No task fell onto a single individual—each helped in their own way, as it always was.

The terms were accepted, followed by a claim to do even more. Then came the offer to hunt, which took Aningan by surprise. “Don’t you want to settle in and rest before hunting?” he asked, brows furrowing. The winter was harsh so far, offering little prey aside from small game. So, whenever someone came in search of a home, he assumed them to need a moment to catch their breath, so to speak, before diving into work. That this male did not seek the same was a curious thing—but, if he were to be insistent, Aningan would not argue with him.

The offer to rest was refused, an eagerness to earn his keep taking its place. Although surprised, Aningan was not against the other male’s wishes. The more that hunted, the healthier the pack would remain; more bodies were bound to mean more may be hunted, although it also meant more mouths to feed. No matter, the young leader nodded his head, accepting the alternative decision. He lingered for a few moments after, wondering if he might be forgetting anything. After deciding that everything was covered, he excused himself to other tasks, leaving their newest member to his own devices.