The sun was low in the sky, just peeking over the horizon. The brute had slept in the shadow of the mountain although, so he did not awake until a while later when the sun was soon bright enough. The large wolf yawned widely as he rose from ground at the base of a rather large tree under which he slept. As he looked around he silently cursed himself, he had awoken much later than he thought he would, the mountain's shadow probably tricking his body into thinking it was night time a bit too long. The sun was now just high enough for the long shadow to be just a stone's throw away from where he had slumbered. He stretched his sore muscles out carefully, yesterday had been a long day of travel, and he had spent much of his time bypassing Pumas that he had scented upwind. Every time Kodiak scented one his thoughts went back to the long ragged scar one big cat he had stumbled upon left him with. The wound had been quite large, thankfully he was able to fight off the cat, but just barely. It had been a wonder that wound hadn't become infected, which would spell death for any loner who didn't have knowledge of healing wounds such as himself. As Kodiak stood there reliving that encounter for a few moments after he finished stretching out his muscles, the sun peaked over the mountain, hitting his face and snapping him out of his thoughts. He snorted softly, anything could have snuck up on him at that moment, he had to be more careful.

He took a whiff of the air as a small breeze pasted by him, searching for anything of interest, mostly potential prey however. Prey was the one thing always on Kodiak's mind, food might not be available for several days at a time and in this strange new lands he found it considerably harder to catch anything. Most of the small prey that was everywhere in the forest was too agile for the large wolf to catch, so he never really had much luck with the damned things. As he scented the air, he didn't smell anything worth going after, what he was mostly looking for was deer and other larger prey. Sighing, the wolf took off at a trot, opting to climb the mountain ahead of him to get a better vantage point.

As he approached the mountain at a brisk trot he soon realized it was going to be much harder than he thought. The brute huffed slightly frustrated as he was met with a steep cliff face, this was definitely a lot steeper than any other mountain he has seen. He then looked from left to right, before opting to go around the left side of the mountain to find more passable terrain.

A morning filled with hunting had led Chiara on a wild goose chase with a hare. First it had led her through the forest to a vast field then now it led her to the base of a red mountain. Being a stubborn fae she wasn't about to let that silly bunny go, so she followed it until she lost sight. Her gaze was now shadowed by the shear expanse of the mountain before her. Having never seen such a large mountain the only reasonable thing she thought of doing was to climb it. Grinning to herself at the idea of climbing her paws walked forward as if they had a mind of their own.

A hour later and Chiara was about a third of the way up one face of a rocky ledge. Looking over the cliff sent a acidic taste in her mouth, bad idea. Gulping Chiara looked up and continued to climb. A few times she almost lost her footing, only to find a foot hold and get higher. Realization set in finally when the fae found herself on a wide ledge with no way up or to the side, well this is just perfect. Looking around the fae then realized she was stuck, unless she wanted to go down. Daring to peer down made her head spin, another bad idea. Deciding to rest before planning out her next move the fae sat on her ledge and breathed deeply, trying to clear her mind.

After a few minutes of walking he soon found a narrow, steep path that seemed passable. He paused for a moment tracing up the rocky path for a few moments. Then the large brute shrugged, Well here goes nothing he thought as he started to climb the steep mountain. As he climbed the steep rocky surface he was very careful to snow let his paws slip on the rock. It was slow going however, the large wolf had to be extra careful to retain his grip on the ledge. The edge was so painfully close, and he was so high up by now, he felt as if a slight breeze could throw him off balance and send him down the cliff to his death.

He paused for a moment to look of the edge, as he did vertigo suddenly overtook him, forcing the large brute to look away. At this he snorted softly, in amusement now, mostly to take the edge off his fear. How foolish, he thought, the loner wasn't afraid of almost anything, but something so simple as this put him on edge. He would not let this keep him from climbing the mountain further although, fear was just a trick of the mind.

As he kept climbing, carefully keeping his eyes off the edge he started to scent another wolf, Well that's odd he thought. As he rounded the corner he soon spotted the fae resting on a ledge. The large brute walked up to her purposely making his approach obvious as to not surprise the wolf. As he came upon the ledge he carefully positioned himself closer to the mountain, the fae in between him and the ledge. The brute then titled his head towards the fae, with a crooked smile. "Well, looks like I wasn't the only one who thought to climb this mountain."

Chiara had been sitting on her ledge for so long her tail was starting to go to sleep. Getting a bit uncomfortable her gaze drifted upwards to a tiny out cove that may lead her off this ledge. Turning around so she faced the mountain her muscles bunched and upwards she jumped until she gripped the out cove. Try as she may she couldn't pull herself up and ended up falling back onto the ledge with a loud thud. Cursing under her breath she thrashed her tail then continued to look around.

After a few minutes it seemed her only option was back down until she heard a noise from above her. Quite briskly the noise got louder, making Chiara shrink back at the thought of what it may be. She had smelled pumas out this way and now she was kicking herself for getting stuck like this. With no way to defend herself she was defenseless to whatever came over that bend. Deciding to face it with strength she took the defensive position and rose her hackles to meet her visitor. Ready for anything the last thing she expected was a male to step beside her from a hidden path to her left. Still shrunk back she gazed up at him and held a confused look on her face. His words seemed cocky yet she wasn't about to question help on this mountain. Chiara simply nodded as he placed himself between her and the ledge.

"Oh you know thought I'd see the sights, maybe get stuck out here is all. What are you doing out here? Just hoping to rescue some damsel like me?" She questioned with a rare spark of sarcasm, the sun must be going to her head. Talking back like that was so unlike her the words seemed foreign in her mouth. Looking behind him she saw the tiny path, "Can we get out of here?"

As Kodiak spotted the fae he noted her defensive position. At this he tilted his head slightly at her, a glint of amusement in his eyes for a few moments. He didn't raise his hackles in return, instead standing just across the ledge from the fae in a somewhat relaxed stance. As he glanced around he finally was able to see her situation, she was stuck. At this his amusement intensified, and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. It would seem like an odd situation, perhaps the fae would think he was laughing at her readiness to fight rather than the situation she managed to get herself in? Whatever she thought, he had gotten himself in the same situation unfortunately.

A few moments later the fae spoke a few words, albeit in a sarcastic tone. Kodiak chuckled then, once he did he noticed almost instantly he couldn't remember the last time he chuckled, and usually emotions such as those didn't surface when one was alone most of the time. As she inquired if they could leave the ledge, her eyes falling on something behind him, he noticed there was a small path behind him. Maybe they weren't stuck after all, he thought.

Kodiak stepped aside from the path then glancing at the fae with a slight smirk again, "Ladies first."

The male seemed odd, different then the pack males. Not only did he smell from outside the pack, but his speech was drastically limited. Most of the brutes back home talked her ear off, but this one held back and used more body language then words, interesting. Watching his eyes she saw him glance at a small path behind them. Chiara was about to say something when he stepped aside and allowed her first. Smirking at him she stuck her nose in the air and waltzed forward up the path. After a few minutes of careful stepping she was on a clear spot with a clear view of the main path. Glancing over her shoulder she looked to see if the loner was behind her.

"Who do I have to thank for rescuing me?" She questioned, glancing at him again. Around her was nothing but wasteland, not very helpful if he tried something with her. If this encounter had been when she first arrived her mannerisms would have been very different. Chiara probably would have cowered beneath him, begging him for mercy before scurrying away from him like a scarred rabbit. Now here she stood, tall and at least semi confident of her abilities and what she could do if anything should happen. Waiting for his reply the fae sat down and itched at her shoulder, relishing in the sensation of removing a pebble from her fur.

Kodiak smiled slightly as the fae passed him, snorting softly before turning to follow her up the path. At first the path was slightly more difficult to navigate, especially for the brute with his large paws. The site of the rather large male having difficulty with the climbing could have seemed trivial, but he managed to keep pace the the fae. He didn't recognize her scent, but he recognized the scent of other wolves on her pelt, which meant she was most likely a pack wolf, but what was she doing out here? He was quite sure he didn't cross any pack borders recently, so she had obviously strayed away from her territory. He did not question the fae though, as she did not question him. In a way he found the fae to be quite intriguing. He half expected the small she-wolf to be panicked when she spotted him coming up the mountain. He liked that about this fae.

Kodiak smiled slightly when she turned to question him in the same amused tone that they used so far throughout the exchange, after a few moments he replied smoothly, "Just your friendly neighborhood loner." After a bit more of walking they were nearing the top of the mountain, as could be seen by the narrowing path that winded around the mountain. Once they reached the top the sites were truly magnificent, but Kodiak waited until Chiara commented on the beautiful view. Besides, he didn't come up her to sight see, he figured it would be a good vantage point to see what kind of terrain lay ahead.

Almost annoyed by his response the fae's ears fell back. "Well then loner I thank you for helping me back there. Its nice to know at least some manners lie under that pelt of yours. I for one know when to give someone my name and it's Chiara if it makes any difference." She scoffed turning her gaze to the mountains behind her. With painted colors not known to the fae her green eyes watered in response to the sight. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes tried to soak up every inch of beauty out there, though it was futile. "It's so pretty up here, pity I didn't come here sooner." She commented, more to herself then her loner friend.

Her green eyes broke the trance placed upon them to swing back to her companion. He intrigued her somehow and almost toyed with her mind, wanting to know more. "May I ask why you are up here? You don't strike me as the type that goes mountain climbing for the heck of it." She questioned, even though that was her reason for being out here. "Do you go by anything else loner?" She questioned again as a smirk graced her scarred face.

His response seemed to annoy the fae, as he could tell when her ears fell back. She then thanked him, and said her name in a rather scoffing tone. At this Kodiak smirked slightly, the loner noted he was quite out of practice when it came to actually interacting with other wolves, let alone faes. As she turned to look at reddish mountains now bathed in the sunlight, her green eyes glinting in the sunlight, Kodiak stared at her for a few moments before sitting down and turning his gaze to the site to behold from the top of the mountain. He nodded slightly in agreement to her statement, as his gaze swept across the vista.

He noted that the mountains continued for a little bit longer, and just at the edge of the horizon, the red rocky terrain seemed to turn green again and give way to a forest. That was his goal for today he concluded, if he could make it to the forest it would give him considerable shelter of a tree to sleep under. Giving one last look he turned his large head to the fae who was nearby, just to his left sitting on the rock ledge. She was already looking at him when his gaze met her's, and she sent another question his way. At this he seemed to be amused again, the fae was certainly quite inquisitive. "I came up here to get a vantage point, to decide which direction I should be traveling and to see if I could spot any potential prey." the brute said, his thoughts returning to those pesky rabbits he had so much trouble catching, at her second question he smirked slightly, "You can call me Kodiak." the brute replied.

Sighing under her breath Chiara turned back to the view before her. Relaxed on the top of the mountain she even let her fear of heights leave her as she let her thoughts soar like the wind. Managing to close her eyes for a moment a slight breeze hit her and sent her fur back, whipping it about her face. Feeling so at ease for a moment she almost forgot she wasn't alone, so her moment passed and her eyes opened once again. "Do know where you're going? I know you said you were a loner, but are you looking for a pack?" She questioned curious as to his plans. The fae had lived as a loner for almost three ears, but found her last four months much more enjoyable. Here she had purpose, friends and was far away from the very evil that drove her from her home.

Her loner life had been difficult, but the freedom to do as she wished was well needed. During that time spance no one had ordered her around, made her submit to them or abused her as was custom on a daily basis back home. Home, such a word didn't even fit with her old pack. There was no compassion or caring nature of anyone there, except her brothers before her father brainwashed them. Her younger sister was her only friend, but after she disappeared it left Chiara alone once again. Looking back to the male who now had a name she wondered what sort of past he had, if it was similar to hers at all. Nodding her head was the only expression she gave to his name before her eyes went back to the view. It was a nice name and suited him, but leaving him guessing was proving too much fun.

As he and the fae sat atop the mountain taking in the vista, the brute was actually quite contempt to sit in silence. He felt oddly comfortable around the fae, which he found odd. Kodiak was usually weary of anything and not very trusting. It had been one of the main reasons he survived so well as a loner. His gaze soon drifted towards the far again, she seemed to be enjoying the view as well, the far closing her eyes as a soft breeze blew past them, her fur waving with the wind. At that moment Kodiak was just as at ease as she was and he exhaled slowly. It was truly a rare occur acne indeed for the brute to be relaxed as he was, the fae seemed to have an odd effect on him as he noted.

The brute had seen a few faes in his time as a loner, but most of them were hostile towards him along with the rest of their pack mates, and every time he chanced upon a meeting with a far that was a loner himself, most turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Kodiak was broken from his trance like state then when the fae started to speak again, his ears perking in her direction. At her inquiry Kodiak paused for a moment yawning widely and thinking over the question. Kodiak licked his chops then before replying, "I scented that you were a pack wolf previously," he started, "But I would be interested in a pack, yes." he finishedwith a slight smirk. The brute had usually been denied entry into packs, and at this point he usually tried to avoid their borders, but he figured he would give this one a try, he thought as he gazed at the fae.

Silence fell over the pair, sweet silence. Enjoying the break from speaking Chiara continued to look off the mountain, noting Eden's Hollow far below and the traces of the river where she first met her pack mates. Such happy times could be seen below her, meeting Juno for example or Damon for that matter. Damon, that brute raised so many questions in her mind it started to spin once again. He was the first male to show more interest in her then prey since her arrive, yet his mannerisms still confused her. Naive to the ways of "flirting" the fae had gone dumb to his twisted words and compliments. Be that as it may he was a kind brute and she did consider him a good friend.

Looking back to Kodiak a smile rose on her face. This male as well didn't treat her as she was accustom to, though much different then most. With his little use of words he cept her captivated in what he did say and didn't overly compliment her or try to harm her. As he spoke her smile vanished as she listened. "I think you'll like the pack, most of the wolves are quite friendly and there is plenty of prey there. I came to the pack before winter set in and love it there. Don't get me wrong the loner life I led was nice enough, but having a home and a family, well it can't be compared." Gazing back at the male her gaze soon fell to the ground in her old habit, somethings never changed.

Kodiak nodded slightly as Chiara explained the pack life to him, it seemed nice from how she explained it. She went on to explain how she was a loner previously as well. As she finished though he seemed to frown slightly. The prospect of a home, a family, hadn't hit him until then. "Family..." he said slowly, as if reliving a specific event of his past.

His thought almost instantly went back to his father, the only family he had known, his mother having died when he was still a pup, he had no memories of her. His father had pushed Kodiak hard, taught the young pup everything he knew. Kodiak's father only trained him, pushed him until he could go no more, and then some. Kodiak's early life was mostly training, he wasn't afforded the naive carefree puphood most were granted with. He had been the only surviving pup out of a litter of four. Kodiak had grown to hate his father, with every bone in his body. On the day of his father's death however his father revealed to him he only pushed his son so hard because he loved him, he died at that moment, and Kodiak was left regretting that he didn't return his father's love before he died.

As Kodiak relived these moments he had grown still and silent like a statue. As he shifted to look at Chiara again, he quickly tried to suppress any emotions he might have, he had not truly grieved since then in his loneliness, and he certainly wouldn't allow himself to turn into a blubbering heap now. He nodded slightly then, as if reassuring himself, "Sounds nice..."

Chiara noted Kodiak's few words, for they seemed to hold a hidden meaning to them. Bringing her green gaze to his she studying him, looking for hidden meaning behind what he said. Perhaps he had a family out there or they were dead like so many others' in the pack. Perhaps he had run away from home like she did or get driven out like Creek. Endless possibilities to what his story was danced in her mind and yearned for her to ask, yet her pride and politeness held her back. Instead she simply nodded and looked to the ground again.

Chiara had grown up in a pack where males ruled and faes lay belly up to them. Her mother was brainwashed and gave little affection to Chiara litter of a sister and two brothers. As she grew her sister Willow "vanished" and her brothers soon followed her fathers stern footsteps. After that what Chiara had didn't really seem like a family considering the abuse she endured on a daily basis from her father. The last straw sent her running from the pack at the young age of two to live life as a loner. Pushing the horrible memory away a sigh escaped her maw thinking about her old "family."

Glancing back at the male she saw a hint of some emotion of him, but couldn't decide what. Assuming he was bored with the current conversation the fae dipped into a stretch and perked up. "So, would you like me to show you to the border or have you grown tired of me and wish me away?" She asked, her playfulness coming out in her tone again.

Kodiak, now with his emotions under control, and old memories tucked away regained the same relaxed look about him. He was silently glad that the fae didn't ask him what troubled him, he didn't feel he could talk about such things at that time.

A few moments passed before she spoke again, the same playfulness in her voice. Kodiak smiled slightly at this, turning his gaze towards the view from atop the mountain for a moment. "I would appreciate it if you pointed me in the right direction." he said then, his gaze sweeping towards her again. After a few moments his ears fell back, when he noted the potential error in his words, "Not that I have grown tired of your presence... its just..." Kodiak did not finish his sentence, the loner trying to find the right words to explain himself, but he could not. Having been a loner all of his life was really starting to show at that point. Kodiak just shrugged slightly then. He truly felt he should face Chiara's pack alone, he would rather it be this way then be escorted by the fae to the border.

Kodiak only hoped it didn't seem as if he was trying to push the fae away.

Coming up from her stretch Chiara's small smile quickly vanished as Kodia spoke. So, he was done with her then? Thinking quickly and decided to liven it up a bit the fae shrank back from him and rose to her feet. "Oh I understand completely Kodiak. You rescue me, we talk some and now you grow bored." She said in a tone that didn't really unveil jokingness. Underneath she was laughing and further emphasized her point by glaring at him before turning her back. "The pack territory lies down the mountain and past that band on pine trees. If you go an howl I'm sure someone will come. I do hope to see you again loner, but now I too have grown bored and must leave, you understand right?" She said over her shoulder as she started to walk off from him. The second her maw was out of view a large smirk grew on her face, oh this attitude thing was fun!