Volcano Pack:                 

The mountains are given their name due to the howling winds that blow fitfully past the jutting peaks. It is eternally covered in snow, with a smattering of pine forest arching along one side, a place known for its prone tendencies for blizzards and winter storms, no matter what time of year it is or how warm the weather might be.

Snow sneezed, the small pale white pups fur fluffing out against the frigid temperature. She pressed her ears back and squinted her pale blue eyes against the wind. She could barely make out the outline of the pines that made up the only shelter from the cold. Snow hurried back to the pines and to her home therein, shaking remnants of the ice from her coat as she settled down in her little hollow.

Anja was out and about, roaming freely as she escaped the daily penance of chores she lived while staying with her mother, at the moment far too young to be out and about by herself, certainly not old enough to survive on her own without the aid and shelter of a pack - though she was no pup, Anja wasn't exactly an adult either: she was more of a teenager, and one that was in her early to mid teen years, if others were to judge solely by appearance. Her white coat was sleek and full, shining with the aid and beauty of youth, though her otherwise frigid colored fur was marked with the pale icy tones of blue, the green eyes of old that ran in her particular bloodline of a family dancing in the wind as she bounded with ease through the ice and snow. For Anja was a fire wolf, and often had no qualms with the colder climes - after all, all she had to do was melt the ice beneath her paws if she grew too cold. But she wasn't exactly the most graceful of specimens, though she was certainly beautiful, as evidenced by the awkward and clumsy way in which she tripped over her own paws, tumbling head over heels down the slight incline of the mountain to land in a groaning fur ball of a heap, her back curved into a question mark, chin thrust out, ears every which way, and tail draped over the sleek shape of her lupine head, back paws splayed in the wintery mix of winded air. No, graceful Anja most certainly was not.

Snow lifted her head at the sound of Anja's fall and poked her head out of the hollow. "H-hello?" she barked. "Who's there?" She exited the hole and started to make her way toward the older pup.

Anja groaned softly as she flipped herself back down onto her haunches, sitting up and prying herself out of the snowy drifts that graced the mountains, roughly shaking out her fur as she first fluffed it up, then smoothed it back down, reaching up with one hind leg to itch an ear to satisfaction. Heaving a soft sigh of content with that done, she hauled herself back up and onto her paws, nose to the wind as she looked around, fur prickling with just a touch of unease - something told her she was not alone. There was no scent, for she could not detect one over the frigid nature of the wind, and there was little sound in this muffled realm of downy white and soft nuances of noise, but the voice of the younger being stood out fully as she barked a clear warning, the trembling note of a wavering youth detected in the rough and hoarse edges of the vocal cords. Startled, Anja whipped around, her tail coming up as she let out a surprised yip, her body braced for the worst, expecting something none to pleasant, not the barely discernible approach of a pup whose coat color was nearly the same hue as the glistening world around her. Seeing it was just she and she alone, Anja relaxed, though she raised her green eyes and glanced quizzically around, cocking her head, ears flipping with her movments as she questioned in her gentle, though higher pitched voice, clearly the tone of another youth, "Uh...hi there!" She tried for her best smile, a bright expression that crinkled up the corners of her eyes with mirth and set her tail awag, her teeth gleaming in that all to friendly manner that wolves used when they displayed anything akin to a smile or remotely similar to such an expression, her ears pricking forward with a barely noticed swivel as she responded to Snow's rather timid greeting, hoping that the younger girl hadn't seen her disasterous fall - or that she would question why Anja still happened to have clumps of snow still stuck in the decieving depths of her fur. "I'm Anja, Anja Windwalker. I'm just out and about, exploring while the weather holds true. And hoping it doesn't decide to suddenly hand me a blizzard to get stuck in. Who might you be?" Her voice was charming, her body language serene. It was clear she was no threat, and posed no danger to Snow, but would the pup believe such? Anja didn't know that much about her - well, she didn't know anything about her, really - only that she was out here alone. For seemingly no good reason. And without an adult. Something Anja, at that age, had been unable to do, for her overprotective mother had never let the youngest child out of her sight.

Snow had anticipated a larger wolf, maybe even a hunting patrol or something, but not an adolescent goofing around in the snow. She had been about to turn around when Anja spoke but stopped. "I'm S-snow." She answered with a small stutter from the cold. "Why are you alone?" she asked, hoping Anja wasn't another orphan like her.

(Part one) Anja could tell that she had caught the younger being by surprise when she'd actually turned about and answered her, and while she was a bit surprised that a pup so young was out and about on her own, Anja didn't really question it too much - it wasn't really her business, unless the younger one was in trouble, and then it would have fallen to any available wolf to offer aid or protection, whichever came first or fit the description of such an event. Cocking her head in the other direction at the direct question, Anja chuckled, moving so that she sat upon her haunches instead of standing so tall and proud, though she wasn't too big for one of her age, around average size, if one were honest. Her pale fur matched Snow's in tone almost, save for the icy colorations along her shoulders and upon her forehead, traits inherited throughout her bloodline, though it had never been in blue before - the majority of her family turned out with white fur whose divine coat was marked here and there with intricate designs crafted of red, sometimes in the bloody hue, others in the shading of a brilliant sunset. It was odd that Anja had not taken this coloration, but it didn't bother her - it just meant she was unqiue, and that she was, indeed her own person.

(Part two) Still displaying that friendly nature, as she had not yet lived long enough or been through enough hardship to be truly jaded, seeing as her mother had protected her from most of it, sheltering the baby of her two scant children and the youngest of the pair from all things that might have ruined her spirit or broken her brilliance, Anja was almost always friendly, somewhat chipper, and innately talkative, if a bit shy, at times. Though this often didn't show with the younger generation: she was more apt to act like one of them than she was to display the qualities of a mature adult....or even a teenager, for that matter. Flipping one ear back to catch the distant caw of a crow, a coarse and haggard cry if there ever was one, Anja thought, she replied almost immediately, "I'm just out enjoying some fresh air - away from mother. I'm actually surprised she let me out, to tell you the truth. Usually she prefers I stay in the den, but for whatever reason, she decided today was a good day for me to explore." Anja shrugged, that bright smile having wavered for a moment of puzzlement while she contemplated her mother's motives, then reappearing with a vengeance when she came to the innocent though naive conclusion she had always thus assumed when permitted anywhere away from the den for an extended period of time. "What about yourself? Isn't your mother worried about you? No offense or anything, but you're a bit small to be out here alone. At least not without your littermates."

At the mention of a mother, Snow rolled her eyes. "Don't have one. Don't need one either." She said indignantly, though truth be told the scrap of a pup probably did need one. "You should run back home to yours."

Anja was taken aback by the smaller pup's confession of not having a mother - in her youthful experience in which she had been sheltered from each and everything bad, her innocence selfishly protected by her mother in the hopes that Anja would grow up good and strong, well and beautiful, chipper and perky in her own right, with a light hearted, upbeat attitude that could never be taken down or torn apart, she'd never heard of such an instance, never had an encounter with such a phenomon. Anja flicked her ears as she lifted her head, jaws working for a moment while her tail flopped a bit uselessly over her front paws, feeling the fur along her spine lift in an indignant manner at the tone that Snow had used, despite the fact that Snow was clearly young, and most likely had just figured she could put off the elder teen by being rude - and it had almost worked, before Anja took a deep breath through her mouth and blew it out through her nose, the opposite of what it was she was supposed to do, not that she really cared about proper breathing methods. The blazing summer hue of her green orbs softened as she watched Snow, and the ears dropped ever so slightly, cresting back to rest lightly against the base of her skull as she struggled for something to say, fought for some bit of comforting nonsense, however whimsical it may have been, finally offering in a soft whisper of tone, a gentle notion of a voice, "I'm sorry...I didn't realize you were on your own. And at such a young age." Now that she paused, now that she stopped to consider it, Anja realized it was entirely possible, and highly likely, outside the protection of a pack. She was lucky, no, she was fortunate, that her own mother was still here. The teen looked down cast for a moment, appearing uncharacteristically quiet and timid, lowering her head so that her chin dipped toward her chest, the green shade that were her eyes flicking about the area, as if searching discreetly for some sort of den, her fur smoothing down as she shuffled her paws, unsure of just how to word this next part, or if her mother would even approve - after all, could Anala afford to support not one, but two children? But still, Anja just couldn't leave Snow out here all alone, it simply wasn't an option. If her mother could not care for the little scrap of white colored fur properly, Anja knew she would find someone who would, as neither of them would just leave the babe to fend for herself in this harsh, unforgiving slate known as the world, the biting chill of the mountains already nipping at the two's thick coats, slicing through the downy undercoating that normally provided them each with heat and warmth during the long hours of the night or through the bitter chill of the day, particularly when a breeze happened to blow past with its icy fingers sliding up through the tender delicacy of their respective spines. The soft blue markings that lay against the backdrop of white fur seemed to glow eeriely in the early morning light, almost as if they pulsed with a light of their own, and the youthful teenager of a female suddenly perked once again, her ears coming up as her body straightened and the tail came up to wag behind her in a rather excited manner, her voice turning once again to a happy, nerve grating yip, "Hey, I know! Why don't you come stay with me and my mom? I could use the company, and I'm sure it would be a lot...erm....warmer, than where you currently stay!" Her jaws were open in a smile, her expression disgustingly happy, her ears up and body currently tensed for a bout of excitement, quite obviously ready to stand and bounce in a flurry of movement and activity, spurred and driven only by excitement, for when Snow accepted her offer, for in Anja's mind, there was never any consideration that Snow might have rejected it, that she may have put Anja off on such an offer, insulted by the notion or too shy to accept it - or perhaps too prideful. As was most clearly evident, even to one so young as Snow, it was all to plain that Anja was a bit naive and entirely too blissful, always looking to the bright side in life, perhaps even sometimes just a bit too much.

Snow bristled at the insinuation, not only had Anja's offer put her off, but the way she had said 'and so young' had been downright insulting. Tiny though she may be, Snow bared her fangs at the adolescent. "I don't need your pity." she spat, turning on her heel. "I don't need a pack, and I most certainly don't care if you're lonely." something lingered in her icy eyes, something akin of hope, but it was quickly extinguished and replaced by bitter cold.

Snow growled and stared at Anja. "You don't get it do you?" 

Anja, ignoring the growl, merely stepped craftily in front of Snow, moving under the guise of drawing just a bit closer to better facilitate the conversation before dropping down onto her belly, tucking her hind legs beneath her and splaying the front ones, ears pricked up and forward, the summer hue of her eyes glittering softly in the sparkling light of the snowy drifts surrounding them. Her own white coat nearly blended in with the surrounding territory, save for her icy blue markings, and if it weren't for that, or the fact she was moving, one might have not noticed her at all, or even mistaken her for a snow drift in itself. Her voice, when she answers, is just as chipper. Perky, even, and, to one like Snow, undeniably annoying. Anja herself was sometimes viewed as irritating merely due to how sheltered and how delightful she may have been - though she was a happy go lucky soul, not many had the time or patience to put up with her, and then there was the issue of her naivety. She was quite oblivious to some things, seeing as she had been kept from them as a child, and as a result, there were times when she could come off as a touch insensitive. This was one of those times. She didn't know what had happened to Snow, wasn't at all aware of just what the younger child had been through, yet here she was, talking and blathering on like an idiot, and furthermore, irritating the little one when it was clear - to most others, if there had been anyone watching the entirety of this mere exchange, at least - that Anja had struck a nerve. Entirely without meaning too, one must understand, but a struck a nerve nonetheless. "Nope," she responds honestly, and a bit too quickly - it was easy to take her for what most would call ditzy. And perhpas she was. "Why don't you explain it to me? I've got the time, and it looks like you do too. That is, unless you have a date with some buzzards. Really ugly, unfriendly birds, if you ask me, but then, to each his own, I guess. Or, I think that's how the saying goes." She wrinkles her nose and cocks her head, tilting it to the side as she flicks an ear and scrunches an eye, apparently as if deep in thought while she attempted to recall the exact phrasing, as determined by her earlier experiences and encounters with her mother. A shrug accompanied it as she dismissed the notion, not really caring about it's accuracy - the point was well made and clear, she supposed. In any case, there was no reason to sit and dwell on it. Right or wrong, that was her story, and she was sticking to it. After all, at her tender age, she couldn't be expected to know everything. Perhaps with Anja, what one saw was what one got, but perhaps, on another hand....perhaps not. There was always the possibility she was more intelligent than she seemed and was merely trying to find her way in the world, to grow and learn, and to, eventually, make something of herself. But that would take time and experience, the latter of which, Anja did not have. That would come as she grew, as she learned, as she was permitted to make mistakes and mature from them, and quite frankly, from this point, it seemed as if the youth had quite a bit of maturing to do, a great deal of it, in fact, before she was ready and willing to deal with the focused elements and troubles that were the world. But still, one might give her kudos for trying, if they were feeling generous, that was. If not, they might simply chalk it up to a child being a child, and a particularly aggravating young wolf making a complete and absolute fool of herself. Not that Anja cared - she often wasn't concerned with what others thought of her, and had no use for such pish posh or the negativity of such statements and settlements. She was who she was, she couldn't change that, nor did she want to. She would merely be the best she could be, and if that happened to irritate some, then, oh well. Perhaps as time went on and she grew that view would change, and circumstances would lead her to believe otherwise and to draw differing conclusions, but at this point in her life, this was just how the fae known as Anja Windwalker was. After not even a moment's hesitation, she continued, that same old smirk gracing her lips, that same old light within her eyes, the tail coming up and waving, at first encrusted in snow, the tiny round balls of the stuff spraying about like droplets as she both lifted and wagged it, apparently unfazed by Snow's snippish attitude now that she'd had a moment to grow used to it - and now that she had been able to compose herself, nor did she seem bothered by the stare, or the growl. Ditzy it was then.

Snow shook her head, a motion almost unseen with how her white pelt blended into the surrounding frost and ice. "I'm done here. I'm not going to play babysitter to a wolf that's older than me but too stupid to take a hint." She was tired of this pups games, tired of her immaturity, and tired of her sunny disposition.

Anja shrugged at the insult, really not bothered by it, tracking Snow's movements despite how easily she seemed to blend into the gentle slope of the environement. "Think what you want, but what else are you going to do and where are you going to go?" She asked, rather bluntly. She knew she sometimes irritated people, but as before mentioned, it didn't really concern her. Anja was trying to be nice, and attempting to be friendly, and to bond with the child before her, though that seemed like a hopeless cause. But still, Anja would try anyway, and if she failed, well then, she would pick herself up and try again. It was just who she was and how she rolled, and a natural part of her perky personality. "It's not like you've got chores, and it is way to pretty to sit around and mope all day." She considered just picking Snow up by the scruff and hauling her home, but figured that might not go over to well....besides, she still had time, and it wasn't like Snow could really get away to easily. Sure, she blended into the terrain, but Anja figured she could track her well enough to keep her in sights or at least have a pretty good idea of where she went or where she was headed, if it came down to that. The teenage female was something similar to a grass burr: prickly and irritating in her mirth, but hard to discourage or get rid of, some would say downright near impossible. If Anja was depressed, one could bet it was for an undeniably good reason or a rather serious situation.

"No, I have to make sure I don't freeze my tail off and wasting my time with you isn't getting that done." Snow snapped again, pinning her ears pack. "run home before you get caught in the blizzard little princess."

Anja snorted as she flicked an ear, rolling her own eyes in response to Snow's sharp retort, replying a bit dryly for the first time, showing a bit of sarcasm that one did not quite know she was capable of, given her happy, exuberant nature, but there it was nonetheless. "It's warm where we live, you think we're gonna stay out in the cold? Not even I'm that oblivious." She was seriously considering just picking Snow up by the scruff now and taking her home with her, whether she liked it or not, but she wasn't sure how to best go about it. She'd already insulted the girl, apparently, though Anja wasn't really sure how she had done so, she was only tyring to be friendly, but Snow wasn't returning the favor, and was quite clearly upset with her for some reason. She stood, shaking out her pelt and stretching her limbs, then swished her tail over her back as she arched it down in a delicious extension of her muscles. When she spoke next, it was a bit higher pitched, more along the lines of a squeaking pitch, retorting to the earlier barb about her princess lineage with an almost disgruntled reply of, "Besides, if someone's going to be in trouble during a blizzard, it's you. And I think we're going towards a pack, or at least a larger group of Wolven. Say what you like, but you know you like to have friends. I'm not sure of our final destination though, Mom hasn't told me and i haven't asked. It'd be warmer there for you though."

"I don't care what you and your family do!" She snarled. "For all I care go off and freeze to death like everyone else."