Iktome Plains i have begun to admire

for @Heloise || mercenary trade

curiosity and having no strings tying him to a time limit to return to a pack led him towards the coast. the iktome plains is ailill's target, drawn to stay on the treeless expanse that stretches only with clumps of bunchgrass that poke up through snow melt like stubborn weeds. the scent of prey is numerous here, the warm, varying aromas giving him a brief overload of information as he strives to take them all in. the hunter in him feels a bit like a kid in a candy store — wide-eyed and bristling with the anticipation of it all. it's a bit warmer here than it is in the rest of the wilds and the fog that had seemed to plague the wilds for the past couple of days and nights has appeared to burn off. ailill pushes further in the territory, not seeking to actually hunt but instead catalog the herds that linger in the plains, lured and held there by the attraction of the bunchgrass.

taken to wandering the coast as of late, the ivory beast would take note of any changes in the location. indeed, a fog had festered here for some time yet had disappeared just as quick. she parted through the air, as if floating, steps leading her forward. she had no outward goal except save for practice. physically building her body back up since her weary travels. a chore in itself for others, but she welcomed the challenge it brought. 

one of these infamous changes the coast brought was new blood. her eyes focused on the earthen-hued form of the man a few paces away. she noted the black stripe up his spine, reminiscent of one she had met before. though she did not think anything of it; stripes were also common. Heloise said nothing as she neared the man. she only paused to allow him to pass first. her head was held high as she regarded him, eyes solemn and unexpressive at the moment.

suddenly, she gave a jerk of her head. a simple nod of greeting. if he passed by without words, she could attest to the fact she had gifted him a 'hello'.

when ailill is tracking or on the hunt he tends to slip into a one track state of mind. the smells of varying prey animals is prominent and he's set his own mission perimeters and he zeroes in like a sniper filing the world through the crosshairs of their scope. there's one target and the fact that something else is blocking his vision takes him by surprise. it gives him a slight start as the scent of another wolf becomes insistent the closer he unintentionally draws to her and he gives a soft shake of his head to reshape his focus. the warrior in him will not allow him to stay so ignorant to the rest of his surroundings.

if not for the fog earlier in the week burning off and the melt of the snows to expose the terrain they'd blanketed she might've been easy to slip past. as it was, she stands out in contrast to the golden and emerald clusters of bunchgrass. his golden gaze is drawn to her — a quick assessment made as he studies her from afar — she is a pale sylph of a woman, covered in pale pink scars, her head held high. he considers just walking past her but his tracking has been interrupted and that'd be rude.

hey. ailill offers in greeting, foregoing the usual chuff because he doesn't doubt she's aware of his presence.

yes, she is aware of the man. it would be foolish to have her head up her rear. walking around without a care. she was constantly aware of her surroundings. you never knew what could happen. luckily for her, the man seemed to be friendly. she'd blink at him as she regarded the stranger. "well met" she would go into the dance of socializing. each new step was a new treat to be devoured. a rhythm to commit to memory.

he seemed to have stopped whatever he had been doing. her frown was soft, not knowing he had been previously engaged before she interrupted him. he had his nose to the ground... perhaps he had been picking up the scent of prey? "were you hunting?" she would query the stranger, prepared to back away if he wanted his space to track. the scent of two wolves would scare smaller prey in the vicinity.

well met. her response strikes him as posh and for a moment the eloquence of it startles him. he collects himself soon enough, however, and offers her an easy grin. light-hearted and friendly. ailill's vernacular isn't very elegant on most days and he hesitates for a moment in awkwardness, wondering if he should return the 'well met' or not. in the end, as to not come across like he's mocking he decides ultimately not to.

i was just tracking, he says nonchalantly, subtly communicating that his pause on his activities wasn't a big deal. the whole point of being a tracker was the ability to pick up the scent even after he'd lost it; and anyway, he hadn't been tracking with the intention of hunting necessarily. at least, not right away. at this point, he'd mostly been storing information the scent trails had to offer him. i was just gathering information about some of the herds in the area. he cuts himself off before he can get too deep into the mechanics of it. no doubt, she was well aware what it meant to track a herd and didn't need him to mansplain it to her.

what about you? he asks, glimpsing from her to the glade around them, wondering what has brought her to this territory as well. was it a similar vein as his own? or was she just passing through, he wonders.

"I see" she would leave it at that, for it was clear he did not put much stock in his activity. at least the man did not brag about himself. Heloise was not bothered by speaking of hunting; she was still quite new to the Teekons and speaking of the herd patterns would be very useful in her travels. she knew northern animals sought refugee here amongst the wolves. deer, elk, caribou... smaller mammals too. nothing very exotic. 

she would smile gently. "nothing as exciting" loathe to speak much of herself as she was, Heloise attempted to get the focus off of herself. she knew more about herself than others did, and the topic was dreadfully dull. the woman never did bother to brag or coax the talk to her in a conversation. she felt if another wished to know, they would ask directly. "I merely wish to visit all the lands in the Teekons. this is but one stop."