Issorartuyok had followed the dark raven through the woodland for several days, stopping only to catch prey or to rest. The heat had proven to be unbearable.
The northerner shouldered his way into the open and upon the base of a handsome mountain. The edges were sharp and rose into a rocky peak with snow at its top. Issorartuyok felt a stirring of desire in his belly. The thought of ice and snow was a reminder of home.
Issorartuyok found a moment of respite from the sun within a shaded crag at the base of the mountain. A scraggly tree grew out and cast an odd shadow at the mouth of the overhang. The wolf drank in the scents, whiskers twitching.
Life with the glacier pack was exactly what Meerkat had thought she wanted: boringly low key. Despite herself, she felt her wanderlust growing. For a few days, she resisted the urge, instead throwing herself into activities that directly contributed to the pack, like marking the borders (snore) or leaving gifts for the pups. She still hoped to one day work her way into the role of coach, officially or otherwise.
But today, she couldn't resist the siren call of the wilderness any longer. For the first time since arriving at Duskfire's borders, she crossed them into the great beyond to the north. Meerkat had never ventured to this far corner of the map and she thrilled at the opportunity to explore some uncharted territory, take in some brand new scenery.
The day's heat chased her into the foothills of a neighboring mountain, panting as she sought out some shade there. Meerkat froze in her tracks when she realized there was another wolf just a few yards away. His dark coat, dappled with paler brushstrokes, played tricks with her eyes and she stared for a moment before remembering her manners.
"Ah, hey, I didn't mean to creep on you. I didn't see you there." She waved her tail a few times. "I'm Meerkat, from the glacier over yonder," she introduced, jerking her head in its direction without ever moving her eyes from the beguilingly colored stranger.
Issorartuyok had not anticipated being approached. The scent of wolf lingered in the surrounding terrain, but the northerner had been wise to remain far from the freshest markings. Issorartuyok had not thought wolves would seek to journey through such heat without absolute need.
The wolf that approached him had her own coat of surprising colors and marks. The northerner regarded her with an intent brown stare and then a slight shift of his weight.
Meerkat, she introduced herself and then offered him information pertaining to where she was from - a glacier not far from their meeting spot. The dappled wolf searched for a moment in the direction of her pack before offering a rough, I am Issorartuyok. From far away.
His coat actually made her think of Wintersbane, which made her heart beat a little faster. He has a wife, Meerkat scolded herself, her glassy eyes trained on the spot just a little to the left of the stranger's face now. For no good reason at all, her mind then leaped to Finley and she felt her insides twist with disgust and shame. Somehow, she'd managed to avoid thinking about that for weeks...
The man's rough timbre broke into her thoughts, causing Meerkat to blink as her gaze focused. The name he gave sounded complex. She tried repeating it in her head, though she didn't dare attempt it out loud. He was from far away, which was as intriguing as it was vague.
Still trying to squash down thoughts of her cousin (yuck) and her Alpha (oops), Meerkat fidgeted a little as she said, "Oh, yeah? What brings you to these parts?"
The wolf named Meerkat blinked at his introduction. The northerner wondered if it was only conversation that had inspired her paws to carry her there. Perhaps she too was drawn by the prospect of frosted stone peaks, for she did say that she had made the glacier her home.
Meerkat was curious in her motion, the blink of her eyes and shifting of facial features. This was curious to Issorartuyok.
When the woman asked him what had brought him to those lands, the northerner stared thoughtfully at her face. To lead, or maybe to follow if there is one good enough,
seemed the only fitting answer that he could offer her.
What has brought Meerkat to these parts?
Information for information.
"To lead," he said first, prompting Meerkat to tilt her head as he continued speaking. Did he mean to simply show up here, claim the territory and found a pack from scratch? Perhaps she should've felt concerned on the glacier's behalf, considering the proximity, but the yearling was way too curious to consider that at the moment.
"Lead?" she couldn't help but wonder, shaking her head lightly as if in apology before adding, "I'm a scout by trade, so I wander from time to time. I'm not up to anything exciting. You, on the other hand..." Meerkat clicked her tongue. "Lead, like a pack? Do you have any followers? Have you led a pack before?"
The answer that Issorartuyok appeared to have sparked some further questions.
Meerkat spoke in a flurry of words. The woman’s sharpness with her tongue reminded the man of his sister Qaniit. Issorartuyok had never been fond of talk and had only learned out of necessity. As he spoke with the wolf from the glacier, he realized that it was wise to have mastered most of their language.
You ask many questions, Meerkat of the glacier.
Issorartuyok shook his head softly and breathed through his nose to taste the aromas upon the wind.
Yes, to lead a pack. Followers can be gathered.
There, Issorartuyok paused and narrowed his earthy stare upon the woman while he considered how to answer her last question. I have led warriors, taught children, even tended to the ill.
Is this not what a leader must do?
Her mouth formed a moue at his comment, wondering if her barrage of questions made him uncomfortable. Before she could ask, Issorartuyok obliged her with a response that, in turn, answered her unspoken query. Ah, shoot.
"Oh, hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not doubting you or your skills," Meerkat said quickly, feeling a bit of a flush as she hastened to explain. "I just wanted to pick your brain. Sorry for all the questions." Her lips twitched into a sheepish smile. "I've never wanted to be a leader, myself, so I just... it's impressive. You sound absolutely qualified, for what it's worth."
She offered another contrite look, then considered backing off and leaving him to it. But he'd entertained her questions, so maybe he wasn't really that bothered by her inquisition. Hopefully her explanation cleared the air a bit too. She was genuinely impressed and her curiosity was authentic.
It occurred to her that she could invite him back to the glacier, though he'd specifically mentioned he'd only follow a leader he deemed good enough. They might share a physical resemblance, yet Meerkat wasn't sure Issorartuyok would be impressed by Wintersbane. She liked him in part because he was so easy on the eyes. And he'd made a lot of babies, which she hoped to help rear. Somehow, she doubted this guy would be won over by these things.
"Are you thinking of settling here?" Meerkat wondered, sticking to a single question at a time now.
Ah, she is quick to recover with speech, as well, Issorartuyok mused to himself. It was remarkable to watch the art of those who were capable of weaving words. The northerner had always believed the common man’s tongue to be capable of cutting sharply if wielded in the right manner.
You have no desire to lead?
the dappled wolf inquired, dark ears swiveling atop his broad skull.
Issorartuyok had not happened across many in his time who were not teeming with ambition. When he had been a yearling, he had believed himself to be welling with all the possibilities of a man. Women too were brimming with capability, even savagery.
There is more land here to see. I will need a home that suits my kind. Northerners, wolves of ice,
Issorartuyok gave to her with a nod.
She shook her head at his own question, not bothering to elaborate out loud. Meerkat had never once set her sights on leadership. She respected those who did, because she knew how much such a role required. But that wasn't what she wanted to do with her life. No, she was happier being somewhere in the middle of the pack, left to her own devices as far as vocations.
Issorartuyok mentioned seeking "lands of ice," which had Meerkat pondering the glacier again. But what if he liked the territory but not the wolf who led it? Would he try to take it from Wintersbane? And the rest of them? Suddenly, her imagination was running wild. She tapped the brakes and took a breath.
"Anywhere should suit, come winter," Meerkat said, pausing thoughtfully for a moment before continuing, "I've traveled the Teekons a lot. And I'd say your best bet is a mountain like this one, only larger. Many of them have ice and snow at their peaks all year round. And I think..." She paused again. "There's an ice field near the coast. It might actually be glacier, I'm not sure. It's due south of Yuèló—uh, Wheeling Gull Isle. A couple miles inland."
Some were not made for the harsh role of a leader. Others were thrust into the position and shaped into what was required. For only a moment, Issorartuyok wondered what the speckled woman would do if she was required to make decisions for those beneath her.
When the fanciful nature of such thoughts became nothing more than nonsense, the northerner returned the burning stare of his earth brown gaze to the girl.
Meerkat was knowledgeable in her scouting, it seemed. Issorartuyok listened with cupped ears as she explained the surrounding terrain with a sharp memory. The large male frowned in a thoughtful way, glancing out in the direction she had instructed. Another glacier, he thought.
You are available to lead, yes? As a master scout, you can show me the way?
Issorartuyok asked pointedly.
She hadn't anticipated his request and, in her surprise, Meerkat felt totally torn. On one hand, her heart leaped at the thought of getting out more. She wasn't really built for stay-at-home life. On the other, she'd committed herself to Duskfire Glacier. And as much as she enjoyed traveling, she felt a tightening in her stomach when she flashed back to all those weeks—no, months—spent roaming the wilds, searching for those lost or even dead...
In the end, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I need to stay close to the glacier. But I can give you more detailed directions if you like. And wish you well on your endeavors." She nibbled at the inside of her cheek as she returned his gaze.
Meerkat’s duty to her pack was stronger than the trade she had boasted. Issorartuyok breathed a deep sigh through his nose. If offered the chance to share his fangs with another, to fight alongside a warrior for a just cause, the northerner would not have been able to decline. Issorartuyok was uncertain if he considered her loyalty a weakness or strength.
Very well, yes.
The man was slightly gruff with his response, but he did not want to venture into the unknown wilderness without a course. Details from a native scout, that was invaluable. If you would provide more detail. Any markers that will help guide me,
Issorartuyok suggested.
He made no attempt to stifle a sigh. It made her feel a little guilty, though a larger part of her found amusement in the blatant expression. She cocked her head, brow raising a little as she observed the contemplative look on his face. She wondered what Issorartuyok was thinking, waiting for him to actually say something.
His eventual reply came out curt and she felt another twinge of guilt, now mixed in with a tiny flare of indignation. She didn't owe him anything, though Meerkat quelled that sentiment. Although she couldn't provide him the service he requested, she was still happy to give him something. She snorted, her mild amusement returning.
"Sure," she replied smoothly, looking away from him for a moment to ascertain their current position more accurately. Meerkat couldn't see the ocean from this side of the mountain, though there were hints of brine on the breeze. She would point Issorartuyok in that direction.
Deep honey eyes captured his gaze again and she said, "Head due west from here. There's a pack along the shore, Sapphique. I can't remember its exact location but I'm sure I don't need to tell you to go around it." Meerkat smiled. "As long as you follow the coastline southwest, you're good. Eventually you'll come across a mountain range, it's called the Sunspires. There's a river just beyond them that runs north to south, for the most part. The ice field is a little west from there, across from a plateau."
She licked her lips, thinking briefly of Phox, Maegi, Mou and the kids. Were they all together, living there still? She wondered if they'd ever make their way to the caldera. What would Towhee think of her long lost brother? And his lies? Meerkat shook her head, trying to get rid of these thoughts. She was here because she needed distance from that whole situation. She didn't want it living in her head rent-free.
The invitation for Meerkat to offer direction was taken with a brilliant stride. As the girl spoke, it had become clear to Issorartuyok that she had not merely boasted her strength in scouting, she had done well to learn the territories that surrounded her home. The burly northerner nodded his head twice as she spoke, listening carefully to each landmark that was mentioned.
If he was swift about it, Issorartuyok believed that he would reach the coastal glacier within the next week, two if he took his time. The northerner was not concerned with hurrying, but he could feel a familiar itch upon his paws that urged him to go.
Issorartuyok bowed his head curtly to Meerkat when she had finished her instruction.
A talented scout. I thank you, Meerkat of the glacier, for your assistance and knowledge,
the large male gave to her in the form of a respectful parting. Knowing that he did not need to remain there, the northerner set his gaze upon the mountains to the west and began his journey.
He offered a compliment with his thanks. Meerkat bowed her head graciously and waved her tail. When she looked back up at him, she said, "I don't think you'll need it but good luck out there... Issorartuyok." His name came out very slowly, syllable by syllable, but sounded at least mostly correct.
Soon, he departed. The yearling turned and walked in the opposite direction, not quite ready to return home. She intended to spend a few more hours out here having a look around, if her thoughts didn't drive her to total distraction.