The marshes ebbed and flowed with life, much as the ocean with the changing of the tides. Birds thrummed nervously in the treetops, on the alert due to the presence of the hunters beneath their evergreen boughs. Fish tails and the slimy bodies of frogs slapped the murky waters that festered away like old wounds in the dappled sunlight of mid-afternoon, although they could only be imagined and not seen, shrouded in thick swathes of fog as they were. From deep within the boggy landscape, an alligator's bellow ricocheted off treetrunks and fallen logs, startling Kneph from his reverie. The ghosts that hung beside him grew eventually silent, annoyed at his lack of response much as children lose interest in a comatose plaything. He reveled in this thick lack of haunting, enjoying the absence of taunts and jibes as much as a freshly-killed fawn. It gave him new willingness to engage with the female who watched him so dangerously, eyes narrowed as though his smirk were tailored to stir feelings of anger within her frame when, much to the contrary, he was merely expressing himself in one of the few ways that he could.

After his squeaked explanation, the female seemed to grasp the situation and relaxed noticeably, her muscles fluidly moving back into place, as the tension between them eased. She dipped her head at him and spoke, a note of importance in her voice as she introduced herself and stated her position. So, it seemed she was more than a simple loner like himself. Ah well, her mixed pack-scent would earn her no privileges in the world of the wanderers. Thankfully, she seemed to know as much and expected no extra recognition from him. Instead, she tactfully mentioned her reason for being where she now found herself, an unspoken question burning within her intense gaze. He contemplated her veiled offer, making no move to affirm or decline it. After all, a move so big in either direction could be costly if he did not weigh all his options beforehand. The female grinned wryly at him, suddenly breaking his concentration with a voice laced by sarcasm. He grinned mirthlessly in return. The task was easier than she may believe. However, it would require childish antics on the parts of them both, and he wasn't entirely sure he wished to delve into such folly with one he barely knew. So, instead, he shrugged and blinked as if to say “call me what you wish, it doesn't change who I really am” . That would have to suffice, until the female, Aithne, made it known that she wished to be truly enlightened as to his identity. It wasn't as though his title mattered anyway, drab and short as it was. He doubted she would be impressed by its lack of luster, and he didn't have the desire to strive to impress her anyway.

Aithne's russet markings gleamed as a patch of sunlight fell onto her shoulder, an indication of the slow passage of the sun across the sky. It would soon be evening, and Kneph wondered at the merits of following her home. It wasn't as if he were marshborn, or even particularly partial to the damp and muddy places. However, it had its golden points in the fact that he could lose his unwelcome followers fairly easily in the fog (a fact that had just been proved to him), and so be allowed to forget his curse for awhile. Was it worth it though? If the ess was anything to go by, her packmates wouldn't be the friendly, summer-kissed type. Not that this was a problem, but Kneph would bow and scrape for no wolf and, if it were demanded of him, he would rather fight than give accolades to one who had not earned them. Still, perhaps a trial run would be good. He thought to himself, how he could best go about asking for one.