The Bracken Woods Two roads diverged in a wood

Her eyes widened slightly, surprised to hear that the dark wolf had come from the north as well. He was unlike any wolf she had ever met, although it did not occur to Muses that she had been isolated from most of society her entire life. "Oh." If it had not been for the unique tendril of colour from her voice, she would not have noticed that she spoke out at all.

Onai went on to listlessly explain that he had only encountered one other pack in the area. Her ears immediately drooped, for the news came as no comfort. Caves were nice and useful, but they were not a mountain. She tried to imagine a family as big as hers crammed into a cave. The thought was absurd! Muses thought that the only worthwhile trait was that they were nice folk, which put her at ease. So far, all the strangers she had met were good spirits, it seemed. The big, wide world was hardly anything to be afraid of, not like her father always insisted.

"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea to live on my own once winter comes." She danced around the inquiry of wanting to find a pack. Muses did not know exactly what she wanted; only that she had sought to escape, and was not sure if she could ever return. She thought that she ought to find others like her, to find a place that was familiar and welcoming.

"You do not have a family--" Once again, she faltered, but swiftly realized her error. "A pack?" She corrected herself, remembering that wolves in this area did not refer to themselves as a family unit. It was likely that the male was traveling, just like her. Alternatively, he could be one of those creatures that were cursed to wonder for eternity. Muses scrutinized the male, shuddering at the thought of living a life of solitude, forcing her gaze to turn away.