The Bracken Woods I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

Adeline strolled lazily through the forest in the late afternoon, the sun glinting off her white fur as it shown through the breaks in trees. She almost ran into the borders of the pack at the edge of the forest, but quickly diverted before she crossed them. She wasn't here to make trouble, and that surely would have. 

So far, the climate wasn't all that different from her home, save a little less snow this time of year. But, she supposed that was to be expected since it was further south. She wondered what kind of wolves this land held, and if she'd find another pack to call home. At two years old, she was out on her own for the first time, and though her parents were not mean about it, they were adamant that she go off on her own and find a new place to call home. They had done it with her older siblings, so she assumed it was how things were. 

A stream ahead caught her attention and she altered her course until she was standing at the edge. Lowering her head, she began to drink her fill, all the while her ears twitching as they searched for sounds of another.

The boy had set off into the Bracken Woods to find herbs. It had admittedly been too long since his last excursion; Ali found himself more troubled by the thick bracken and other vegetation than was usual. He struggled to weave between the tangled, sharp ends.
At some point, he tripped. One wrong move had him tumbling forward, face-first into a thorny bush. His eyes snapped shut instinctively; no thorn touched the delicate structures, but the rest of his face was defenseless. They cut shallow tracks into his cheeks, muzzle, and nose-- suddenly all he could smell was blood.
A soft yelp escaped him as he flinched back, pulling sharply from the bush's clutches. He shook his head a few times, eyes watering at the sting, and moved to leave the forest. Quickly.
Alarian noticed a presence, then. He turned, tense and half-expecting to find danger. The boy's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the other wolf standing by the creek, finding it was only--
Korei? Nose-blind and blurry-eyed, the Governor didn't realize he was mistaken. His tail wagged behind him, and he turned his head away to snort blood from his nose. The bush attacked me, I swear!

A yelp had her head lifting as she turned it in the direction of where the sound same. The next moment, a wolf, seeping blood from its face, came into view and spotted her. Adeline remained still, but her eyes expanded slightly as he called her by someone else's name. She looked behind her. Nope, no one there. She turned just in time to see him blow blood from his nose, and though she wasn't repulsed by it, she didn't want to get any on her. 

He seemed friendly enough, but confused, as well. I'm sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else, she replied to him, her voice sweet. She gave him a soft smile, and voiced the question in her mind. Are you alright? She didn't want to laugh at him, but she couldn't hold back a chuckle when he admitted that the bush attacked him.

The boy's ears flattened when the girl began to speak-- he noticed immediately, of course, that it was not Korei's voice. He paused to study her again, taken aback; looking at her, he supposed the features were slightly different...
I'm sorry! Ali blurted, overcome with embarrassment. I-- you look just like my friend.
At her question, another wave of shame hit him. Did he always have to make an idiot of himself? He was silent a couple beats, reaching desperately for something to tell her.
Uhhh, yeah! He settled lamely for the quickest option-- but wasted little time in changing the subject.
So, um... who are you, then? After a beat, he thought to add: I'm Alarian.

He was more upset than she thought he'd be at realizing she wasn't who he thought she was. Her own ears perked the same time as his folded, and she took a few steps forward when he admitted she looked like his friend. I hope that's a compliment, she said with a gentle smile, hoping to lighten the situation a little bit. 

It was obvious he was embarrassed, but she hoped he would get passed it. She could see he was trying to recover by asking who she was. Nice to meet you, Alarian, she responded. I'm Adeline, she offered, her voice soft. I'm new to the area, and was just checking it out, she explained. Are you from the pack at the edge of this forest? She was still too far away to smell his scent, so she really couldn't gauge if he was a pack wolf or a lone wolf.

so sorry for the wait on this

He found he appreciated the grace with which the pale stranger handled the situation; she was certainly doing better than he was. The Governor took a breath and tried to gather his wits. It is, The assurance came without thought or intention beyond passing friendliness— Korei was quite pretty, after all.
It's nice to meet you too, Adeline. Alarian straightened a little, regaining some confidence when she asked about his pack. I am— we're called Bracken Sanctuary. I'm just out collecting herbs, now. Or, I was trying. He couldn't help a slightly rueful smile. Trying was, of course, the key word here.

No worries!

Her smile was genuine when he confirmed that it was a compliment. While Adeline was not vain, it was always nice not to be called ugly! The male seemed to regain his composure and she listened as he spoke briefly of his pack and what he was doing. She grinned as she remembered him trying to collect herbs. If you like, I could try and help out, she offered. Since she was kind of wandering aimlessly anyways, she may as well make herself useful. I don't know much about herbs, she admitted. But, if you describe them, I might be able to help find them.

The woman's offer was unexpected, but not unwelcome; tail wagging, he nodded slightly. I'd appreciate that. I'm looking for borage leaves— they help with fever.
Alarian gestured for her to follow, and led her further into the Bracken Woods. He searched for the words to describe the plant, memory slightly muddled after so long (especially since he had only just remembered he knew this at all)— he hadn't really had any need to use the knowledge until now. And even now, it was only preparation. The plant has purple flowers, and it's kind of... fuzzy. Lots of leaves, too.