Permafrost Hollows when springtime came, red robin built a nest,

wintersbane's decision to explore further into the permafrost hollow's tunnels is not entirely unfounded. it needs to be done. for the safety of the vartija wolves, for evacuation and strategic exits and entrance purposes. if there was one thing that the sotaherra liked being it was prepared. life was unpredictable — this is a painful truth he acknowledges — but still being prepared for possible situations was in his nature. was the tactician in him; but he has spent the better part of the morning? day? without sunlight he couldn't tell what time of the day it was nor how many hours had passed since he'd descended. he hadn't found a secondary way out ( yet ) but he'd found a cavern with glowworms stretched along the ceiling, dancing like the wisps of the dark wood's grotto in the reflection of the small pool of meltwater.

that is where he lingers, reclining in the glow that resembled a clear, starry night before he takes a drink of the freshwater pool and has decided its time to return to the surface once more. his path is familiar to him — after learning to navigate the labyrinth beneath the dark woods exploring the labyrinth beneath the hollows doesn't hardly seem daunting to the tundrian — but the scent that enters his nostrils isn't. not entirely. he recognizes derg's scent on the girl — confirmation given as his glacial gaze studies her upon his approach, a soft chuff given in an effort not to startle her out of her skin ...if he hadn't already unintentionally done so.

finding your way alright? wintersbane inquires softly, gently, not wanting to spook her and not wanting to assume that she's lost. there is a bit of a loss as to her identity ( because cap isn't sure if derg would've told him about keen or not ) and he's not even sure if she's apart of the vartija — and if not so then what is she doing here? many questions rise to trample over one another in his mind for priority but for now he bites them all back, confident that answers would come in time.