Big Salmon Lake I Lost My Heart, My Home is the Ocean

Muirgen's entrance into the Wilds! :D No need to match length.

When she had departed from her home, the cold season had nearly reached it's peak, but then it'd started to slowly fade as her legs carried her farther and farther from shore where she'd been born. It was strange traveling alone, with nothing put her seal skin and thoughts to keep her company, but the young wolf didn't mind so much. It was calm and relaxing, and while she missed her home and family, she knew her leaving had been a good thing for herself. She'd always showed a great interest in seeing the lands and the seas beyond the bay her family lived on, and had been overjoyed when her parents gave her their blessing to travel away. They had, of course, warned her to always beware of strangers and thieves, and to never let her skin out of her sight unless she'd hid it well. It was something she'd be taught since birth, but hadn't needed to worry much while back home. No one stole the skins of others there, which had been her very cautious and weary of others for the first few weeks of traveling. Paranoia, really, but it had faded quickly.

At some point in her journey, Muirgen had wandered away from the sea, and straight through a place that didn't allow any oceans to touch it. It had been a sad discovery for her, as she missed seeing what Lir had given them, but it was all in the name of exploration. She wished to return to the ocean's side soon, but not even the pleasant scent of salt could reach her nose from where she was. How cruel the land was to do this to her, but she did not resent it for that. Instead, she continued forward, seal skin close to her heart, until she crossed over into the Wilds. It was a foreign land, completely new to her, but had caught her interest quickly. The wind was against her back, seeming to urge her forward, and she saw such a thing as a message from Lir himself. He wanted her to continue on her path, as he knew what laid ahead, and wished for her to reach it. At first she didn't know why, and didn't even try to question it, but all become clear the second she saw a source of water.

Muirgen ran towards it instantly, spirits high and hopeful. Her mood faltered slightly when she noticed that it was just a lake, but rose once more when she spotted some fish showing themselves where the ice had thawed. The girl made her way over, placing her skin over he back as she did so, and stopped near a patch of the water. The ice was thin and easy to break, but that could scare the fish away, which left her to keep an eye on a decent sized patch of water. She watched and watched, her only movements the steady rise and fall of her chest. The second a fish came close to the surface, her head shot down and forward, jaws open and wide. There was a loud splash, but when her head rose again, she had a fish clamped firmly between her jaws. The young of her home where always caught to fish before being taught to hunt, which had made her pretty skilled. With a small growl sounding form her stomach, the selkie made her way over to a spot that looked comfortable enough and laid down. The fish was dropped at her paws and her head turned to pull the skin off her back. Muirgen laid the leopard seal skin on the ground, stood, stepped onto it, then laid back down, essentially protecting it from anyone who might try to take her. She then wen to work with eating her catch, taking small, clean bites as her ears swiveled to listen to the world around her.

Several annoyances seemed to haunt Joestar as he journeyed south, but he was determined to power through them. After the escapade at Greatwater the male had camped briefly in the Heartwood, resting and wondering about what was happening in the Bypass while he was away. Oblivious to the motion of the events that seemed to be overtaking the packs of Teekon, Joestar found his own pack to be rather peaceful--at least from his lower ranked perspective. Enough that he trusted all would be well while he felt his way around these foreign territories.

The path the river drove out of the Heartwood led to another lake he discovered to be much smaller to Greatwater in comparison and yet still brimming to life in the crisp season. With a lax jog Joestar made his way around the bank, his nose nudging pebbles aside to in an attempt to find something of interest. The feminine scent he uncovered tilted his head upward in recognition--another wolf. Peering across the ways he noticed her digging into her snack. While he didn't want to come across strong (which was difficult considering he was a Joestar) he was eager to make her acquaintance.

He approached casually his tail swaying behind him in greeting.

Little Muirgen was quick to hear the sound of someone approaching, which made her pause in her eating to look for the source. It didn't take long to see the other wolf coming towards her, but he didn't seem aggressive to her. His motions came off as being more casual than anything, which the girl found off considering they had never once met. She drew her pink tongue over her muzzle to clean it of whatever remains of her snack tried to linger before the other approached, not wishing to come off as some messy eater. That would be gross. While the man drew closer, she made no move to stand up, as she aimed to sue what little weight she had to keep her skin safe. So, she followed him with her sea green eyes, curious about what he might be doing. Was it common for wolves to just approach one another here? Or had he somehow spotted her seal skin and wished to steal it from her? The young selkie would not allow that no matter what, as her skin was her life, her freedom, and her connection to the sea.

While many thoughts swirled so quickly in her head it could make someone sick, she did her best to hold a calm demeanor on her outward appearance. She didn't know how he would react if he knew she was silently worrying and panicking, and she certainly didn't want to find out. Muirgen allowed her optics to flutter shut for a second as she drew in a deep breath, settling her mind and calming herself down. Getting worked up over something that could turn out to be nothing couldn't possibly be good for her, after all. When her eyes opened back up and she released the breath, she brought her gaze to the stranger's face. "Hello..." she greeted, more to test her voice than anything else.

The selkie girl, for a brief moment, wondered whether or not it had been wise to leave her family so early, but she quickly shook those thoughts away. Of course it had been a good decision! She had the desire to explore, to see other lands and seas, and that was what she was going to do! This was only her first encounter with another wolf, and though he was clearly much older than she, Muirgen would not turn tail and run home. She was many things, yes, but selkies could never afford to be cowards.

Despite her attempts to appear calm, Jojo immediately found the girl to be quite strange. He'd come to question the youth about possible information, and she seemed eager to steel and compose herself for some reason? While he liked to think he was quite the intimidating beast (and it was true he was well-muscled), he did not like to consider he may have come across as intimidating or unfriendly. It was enough to bring the man's head to a slight tilt. And of course he immediately shot right to a conclusion--she was hiding something. He made a note to perhaps not undermine her just because she was a woman, after all he had enough trouble with her kind to begin thinking twice.

Clearing his throat he hunched his position somewhat hoping it would help with whatever impression he had made. Are you okay? I did not mean to disturb you. he starts, controlling one of his brows from shooting up at the question, and instead putting on more a frown lined with concerned. Do you live with your pack nearby? Quite assuming that a young girl of her age would not be looking already to settle on her own, at least not when Spring was just beginning to crack the ice. Had one of his daughters thought to do it he would have stopped them quickly in their tracks. Still, she doesn't smell of others, not that he can tell from this distance, but she does have a light fishy perfume, he makes another assumption though that's it's just her lunch clogging his nose.

The girl watched him carefully, her gaze so focused she was unable to miss the tilt of the man's head. Was he confused about something? Had she missed something? She slowly pushed herself up so she was sitting, her half-eaten fish long forgotten. Her interest and attention laid on the male now, finding him to be rather curious. Muirgen never thought for an instant that she might come off as being odd or strange, as she acted in the same manner as the other selkies. She hadn't thought that he might realize she was hiding something, either, which she clearly was. Her seal skin was the hidden item, though it came into view when she sat up. Surely the stranger would not know of it's significance, so she was a bit reluctant to believe he'd try to steal it. He didn't seem too bad of a guy, though his size was not something she ever wanted to be pitted against. All in all, the girl didn't really have anything she could hold against him, so she let herself relax a bit. Only a little, however, as she wanted to be ready to escape if his demeanor ever happened to change.

Questions were quick to make an appearance, not that Muirgen truly minded. "Oh, yes, I am fine," she assured him, giving a quick nod of her head as she spoke. While she'd calmed down quite a bit, her nerves were still on edge. "You didn't disturb me, I am just uncertain of strangers." The young selkie didn't have a problem with telling the truth, as she would want it if their roles were switched. She hoped the man would not take offence to that, but if he did, she was ready to run. She didn't know the land or where she would end up, but being lost was better than having an older, upset wolf at your heels. To his following question, she was pulled from her worrying thoughts long enough to tilt her head. "I do not," she answered. "My parents allowed me to leave to see the other lands and seas for myself. They are not close." Whether that type of information should be given to a total stranger or not, she didn't know, but it was too late to go back now. The words had been spoken, and knowledge of her loner status given.