Morningside Cuesta i lit up from reno, i was trailed by twenty hounds

Pestilence moves in the chill of the night, a sliver of moon high in the sky. The stars outshine it so, soaking into his dark red fur. In the cloak of night, he is nothing more than a shadow, moving on legs that carry a smooth gait despite their length of travel. Pale green eyes scan the open expanse of the newfound territory, the sky lighting the way through until they find the hill cascading through frozen, green grass. Each heavy step crunches the ground beneath him as he moves, pulling away from the group only for a moment to scan. Sitting in the rank below his parents hasn’t fully left him, making sure his flock isn’t traveling straight into danger.

He licks his chops, yellow teeth glistening against what little light is left. There are no signs of life this late in the night and he is content to stop here for a while and get their bearings once more in the morning.

it's been a long journey and she isn't sure if it's over yet; of course, for the horde, there are no ends to journeys. life is a continual process of moving, moving, moving forward, and the change in pace puts a spring in her step. she is finally free of her father's shackles, his clutch on both her choices and her morality, and there is nothing more liberating than that.

tasha comes to a halt beside her brother, glancing over to him as he surveys the open land. he was a good gurkhan for her father, and will make an even better one for her khaganate. she appreciates his company and his insight. for all his ferocity, she loves him, and always will.

"reminds me of home," she croons in the lilting tones of their language, so different from what she has heard along the way. "a good place to settle, to regroup." she understands that it is far from over. that this is only the beginning. but one must have a home base before striking out for conquest. this will do just fine.

Reminds me of home.
 
One ear swivels to greet his sister and it takes a second for him to turn and look at her with a sort of fondness in his gaze. She is the reason they all are out here, searching for something new. Enx had been on his way to take Khagan in the next few years (or if he chose to do so, before then), but when their father turned on his own, he’d felt he can complete his reign easier without them and with a better following.
 
“It does,” is all he says once he looks back ahead of him. His nose points to the sky, staring at the curve of the small moon. He takes a few steps further, traveling closer to the hills of the cuesta. Where they settle for a while is not his biggest concern for he can handle any type of terrain if he has to. A place like this reminds him too much of home to want to settle but perhaps that is enough to drive him, prove that they are better than the wolves they left behind.
 
Enx does not say anything else as he moves, whether or not his sister follows.

she follows him, paws crunching on the thin layer of snow that blankets the ground. it is cold, but not terribly so, and she relishes the temperature, the way her breath fogs in the air. the night is clearer than previous evenings; she can see almost all the stars, twinkling. winking at her.

tasha had been born under spring stars. on the night of her entrance into this world, one had streaked across the sky, leaving an emerald trail. jaqsılıq, they had whispered. a good omen. that, alone, had saved her from certain death, for she was one of a litter of five--four males--and the entire quartet had perished within hours of their birth.

oh, the khagan's wrath was fierce that night! but the stars spoke, giving tashkent her life. but never would her father smile down on her the way he did his sons. her affair with sukh had merely been the final straw.

"do you regret leaving, ağası?" she asks, a cheeky smile stretching her mouth. after all, he had given up the certainty of ruling an empire for this, following his little sister into the wilderness. does he regret the impulse?

One ear twitches back, listening as she follows along. He prefers to do this type of scouting on his own but he does not object to her presence and for a while, she keeps quiet, but she cannot help herself to poke old news. He avoids any talk about it when he can but he supposes he cannot avoid it forever and it’s not like she’s going to let things go so easily.
 
Enx looks back over his shoulder and looks blankly at his younger sister. Leaving with her—and the others—ruins his chances of leading their home. Unless he challenges his father, there’s no telling when that day would come. He’s already been through his share of seasons and it’s his turn, while he’s still young and in his prime. Starting something from scratch has its own allure.
 
“If I regretted it, I would not be here. Nor would anyone else,” he assures her, licking his lips and turning back around. No, everything will be fine. There’s enough of them to make their own name. “Do not worry yourself with such things,” he toys despite the cheeky smirk on her face.

he is so smug, just like olzii. she mocks his tone when he turns around, making a sour, childlike face before letting her visage fall into something impassive. she splits off from him, keeping pace but putting space between them--within shouting distance, but not close enough that he can hear any utterances beneath her breath.

tasha loves her brother; well, as much as she can love anyone, really. does she--truly? there is not much purity to her heart. genuine emotions beyond anger and hunger were always frowned upon, growing up. her mother was a temptress, and molded her into much the same. she is wily, conniving, but beyond it all, she has to concede that she does love enx.

she respects him, anyway, and that is worth more than love in her eyes. he is a seasoned warrior, a good leader. he has proven himself time and again; so what if he is an incorrigible grouch? he is a killing machine, and that is all she needs.

His sister has nothing else to say on the matter and he watches her turn away, moving somewhere neither of them has been. After watching her for a few seconds, he turns and continues on, nose touching the ground every so often. His own thoughts are free of his sister now as he moves, trying to figure out the next thing for all of them. This is not a place they will settle but it will do well enough for a few days.
 
When he locates the highest eye of the cuesta, he finds something of note. He lowers his nose to the opening, dips his head inside, and then back out to see several more along the way. A slight tilt of his head is all he does to consider before turning back, offering a low called howl for his sister to come see.

she is engaged in combat with some kind of large spider when enx's howl distracts her. with a quick but deliberate squish, she dispatches the arachnid and trots his way, shaking the carcass from her paw. tasha draws alongside him, sniffing at the entrance. a smile curves her lips just slightly, and she stares at her brother, brows raised.

good find, tasha says, tone bordering on sarcasm. wonder what kind of devilish things are in there.

she is afraid of the dark. it is a glaring weakness. under the heat of the sun, tashkent is all-powerful; even the full moon brings comfort. but when the clouds roll in, or the moon is thin--or gone--she finds herself racked with fear. she feels trepidation now staring into the dim cavern, and steps back, trying to keep the terror from her face.

He does not wait long for Tashkent to arrive and he gives her a slight dip of his head, as if he hadn’t just seen her. When she’s close enough, he points with his nose to the entrance of the cavern leading deep into the earth (or so he assumes). They may very well be shallow, suitable for a mother and her young, or a captive for their needs. He thinks briefly of Mengu, the only one they’d brought along, and he wishes they’d taken someone else instead.
 
“We can find out,” he tells her and waits, giving her the opportunity to check it out first for herself.

she shakes her head, ignoring the sense of abashment hot and sudden over her sharp cheekbones. "i'll leave it to you, brother," tasha responded, trying to make her voice sound teasing and airy, rather than evidence of the terror she felt. "if you get stuck, i'll pull you out."

if he does, he's on his own, tashkent thought grimly.

instead, she wanders away slightly, gaze raking over the land. they are at the very edge of the cuesta, and it gives an extraordinary view of the valley below. how much of it can they conquer? the possibilities seem endless.

She doesn’t go in when he offers and he snorts, brushing it off. It only warrants a few seconds of suspicion before he brushes it off for something else, shrugging his shoulder and moving on. He’d found one interesting thing in this land and he’s certain they’ll make some kind of use out of it, whether it be now or later. Even if they do not stay here in the cuesta, he can find some gain should they stay in the area or join somewhere nearby. There is much to learn, still, and he steps off to the side and continues onward.

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