More and more seemed to find their way to the plateau these days, which made the boy wonder: were other lands just as troubled as their own? Was the prey loath to return all across the region, to the point that it drove those in search of it to new homes? He wondered about it intently, wishing he could see all of the lands from the comfort of his own home. The thoughts plagued his mind as he left the heart of the territory for the outskirts, until they were wiped away clean by the familiar—and reoccurring—scent of the sea.

“Are you from the coast?” was the first question to leave his mouth as he made his approach, although he already knew the answer; yet to find anything that smelled close to the coast, he assumed all salt-infused smells came from it. “What brought you here?” he asked next, wondering if it was a home that she sought, too. The suspicion that, that was her reasoning for being there made him wonder all the more—why were so many suddenly coming from the shore?

Necessity drove her to seek out a home, though the criteria that followed wasn’t something he could say they met. “Like souls?” he questioned, seeking an elaboration. Everyone there seemed different to him, not a single one like another—save for the trio of sisters but, even amongst them, they differed so greatly from one another. But… maybe their differences didn’t matter too much for the stranger?

“This is Rusalka,” he answered, then followed it with a question of his own. “What do you call yourself?” If she wanted to stay there, he at least had to know her name (and some other stuff, too, probably—but Aningan still isn’t very good at interviews).

When she spoke of seeking out those that protected their own, Aningan could almost immediately feel himself liking her just a tad bit more; he wasn’t yet comfortable, that would take time, but she at least seemed like someone that could be trusted. “You’ll help protect wolves that you just met?” he asked, more curious than skeptical. It didn’t seem too far-fetched—but it made him wonder more about her, and what made it easy for her to adjust just like that to a new home and group of individuals.

“I’m Aningan,” he introduced, following her own. He was pretty sure he would struggle with her name the first few times, not that he said anything about it—that would be weird.

When the woman spoke of serving the pack, his brows knitted together with visible confusion: was that how other packs worked, with the members serving it? “You don’t have to serve us,” he said, wondering now more than ever about where it was she came from. “We all work together to take care of each other. You’ll be a part of that.” How she worded it prior made him feel as if they would be taking advantage of her—and he didn’t like that feeling, not one bit.

She questioned whether or not his blessing was given—he found her choice of wording to be strange, unfamiliar, but didn’t linger on it for too long. Nodding, he answered with: “Angittuk, you can join.” Another new face to recognise, another new wolf to familiarise himself with; he was equal parts nervous and excited. “I can show you around if you want?” he offered, remembering how Rosalyn had done the same. If she did it, then he should, too.