Otatso Wetlands for life is this way

for @Shadow

The loner was in the swamp where she had met friendly sleepy dude. Honestly, the only reason she was even here was the fact that she was exploring.
Funny how when she'd first come to the Wilds she thought she would run right through it and keep heading south. But now she was actually thinking about making her residence in the Wilds. If Coal was truly trying to get his slave again he would of gotten her by now. She had learned in a very short amount of time not to underestimate her slavemaster.
But then Jupiter had helped her to rebel from her slavery by helping to kill the beta slavemaster. She remembered clearly as well that final fiery night, trying to escape along with three of her slave friends, only to be separated by the unpredictable patterns of the flames. She hoped to see Spruce and Jupiter and Rosebud again.
With all these thoughts in mind, she continued through the mud, her quest to explore unfailing.

The silver beast wove through the wetlands with startling silence, his large lithe frame moving swiftly, paws making no sound as they walked. His platinum fur glowed but somehow, a moment later, he vanished. The art of shadow dancing, he had mastered. The brute was on a recruiting mission, he was sure no stupid witless wolf would want to be alone when true winter struck. He was a Northern wolf and even he knew that the power of the icy season was one to be afraid of. And as far as he knew, most wolves here came from green lands, lands that knew no true devastating winter. And this land was green. Nevertheless, when winter struck home, the results would be cold, clean and dangerous. Best stick with pack and family.

Eyes of silver ice gazed from in between the trees, emotionless and cold. Filled with veiled bored interest for he still hadn't detected anyone here yet. A low sigh escaped him, soft and barely audible. Are there even any loners left in these damned wilds he thought irritably to himself. Honestly, he hadn't found any loners since leaving the Bypass in search for Paarthurnax. Six of them. Vector would probably leave to search for his girl and once he realized what he did to her, well he won't be staying. Best case scenario would be for him to leave peacefully. Worst cast scenario would be for them to fight, probably resulting in death for him. A Russian assassin, yes, whatever a Russian was. But Hadrian Nox Angelus Mortis was a Roman, descended from a line of great Roman warriors, descended from the great three gods of Rome. Trained in the arts of deadly combat by his brutal father, the Russian would be a fair opponent in battle, but in the end, he would fall. The gods make sure of it, and if they don't, Shadow would.

The ashen leader stiffened as the wind brought to him a new scent, fresh and young. He rose to his full height, his shoulders set grimly and made to follow the scent trail, never making a sound as his paws sunk into the swamps of the wetlands. It was familiar for he came often to these parts during his time at the Creek, but it had been three months since he came back. Or was it? He didn't keep track of that much time. Shadow smelled her before he spotted her, he stood by the shadows and analyzed her form. Young but youth held potential waiting to be unlocked. "Hello," he called out.

The little loner turned around to the sound of a voice. Tall, pretty thin, and grey with grey eyes. That was strange, but she'd seen weirder eyes before- white eyes. "Hello.." She replied a bit awkwardly. "So... How's ya life goin'?" She asked slowly, even more awkward. Honestly when she wasn't trespassing it was hard to know what to do. Usually nobody was the one to acknowledge her first, except by an attack, threat, or question of what she was doing on their land.

He offered her a smile, it tugged at the corner of his lips. "So... How's ya life goin'?" He didn't even bristle when she asked about his life, Shadow came to accept the fact that he would never have a good life, not even a peaceful one, and that his children would grow up hating him. "Hey, whatsup?" he said in a laid back tone, eyes of the moon gazing curiously at her. "Pretty bad lately, mate left with my kids in her belly and now I'm forbidden to visit her, Alpha's rules. And my own pack's members are leaving, dumb ones, for some unknown reason."

The Roman sighed, but the smile still remained on his face. It was a real smile, the gleam in his eyes going along with it. "What about you? Its dangerous for a wolf to be a loner when winter, its dangerous for anyone." he spoke matter of factly, silver eyes filled with unveiled curiosity.

"Woah, dude. Sorry for ya," she said. If it were not such a personal topic of his she might've said sucks ta be ya, but that would be rude and might hurt his feelings. Not that the loner usually avoided being rude or anything. "I know. But I'm gonna best winter! This'll be my first winter, but I'm gonna live no matta what happens!" She grinned as she puffed out her fur, trying to look twice her puny size. "Ya in a pack or somethin'? Which?" She asked him casually. She didn't know all the packs yet.

"Woah, dude. Sorry for ya," Shadow merely smiled lightly, he hated pity but there was no need for her to know that. She was a pup, but a stranger nonetheless, and he didn't tell strangers what he liked and what he didn't like. she said. "I know. But I'm gonna best winter! This'll be my first winter, but I'm gonna live no matta what happens!" Shadow chuckled softly. "Thought the same way when I was your age too, it was a pretty hard winter for me though, sneaked into pack lands, stole their food, sneaked out. Never caught me, but I survived." Those old times brought back good memories, the times with his brothers and sisters, but he was smart enough not to dwell in the past too often.

"I'm the Alpha of Noctisardor Bypass, its way east of here, about a few days of traveling. If you ever need some place to stay, we're always open, whether its temporary or permanent." This kid looks like she could use some help, but he understood pride, so Shadow did not ask directly.

As the grey wolf explained he had sneaked into pack lands and stole their food when he was her age, she stored it away in her kind for later, if she ever needed it. Probably only from the packs she had liked the least. It wasn't like she had chosen favorites yet though. Her face twisted in confusion. "What's a nacho-scar-door?" She asked the Alpha of the Bypass. Runt had never heard Latin before. In fact, she had almost never heard any other languages, though she knew there were others. "Thanks, Sir Alpha Dude." She thanked the silver Praetor.

The girl drew a smile onto his face as her face twisted in confusion and asked a question, "What's a nacho-scar-door?". Of course she wouldn't understand latin, not many did. "Noctisardor. Its in latin, another language. Noctis means night, Ardor means fire." he explained to her. Silver eyes twinkling in amusement at her words, was this what it was like to have kids? Have them ask questions like these? "You're welcome, I'm Shadow. Whats your name?" he asked her. The Roman figured it would do him no harm to tell her his adopted name instead of Hadrian like he usually did.

edit: wrapping up here. feel free to make a final post.

Nightfire. That, in Runt's opinion, was a beautiful and yet totally epic at the same time name. She wondered what had inspired this Shadow dude to name his place Nightfire, or Noctisardor. Maybe he saw a fire at night. But fires at night only reminded Runt of that last chaotic night in the slave camp, so she shook off the memories and continued. "Runt. Runt Northwind. But ya can just call me Runt, brah." She said with a grin to the silver man. She didn't stop to think about what the alpha might think of her stupid name. With a glance back at him, then towards the sky, she realized she should go soon. "Gotta go, Alpha Shadow Dude. Good luck in Noctis-ardor Bypass!" She called as she turned to go. With a final glance at his strange silver eyes over her shoulder, she headed off towards the Flatlands and Wilderness.