By the time night had fallen, Crowfeather had only just managed to carry them over the rocky path and into a hollow. Stars already glittered overhead. The seer believed they had been traveling for a long time.
Can we stop here for the night, @Germanicus?
the shadow inquired tiredly. If the soldier declined and wished for them to press on, Crowfeather was not sure how much longer his legs would carry him.
Through their short travel from the forest to the mountain, the seer had kept his nose searching for any signs of Satsu or signs of a pack that had traveled through the area.
germanicus cast an eye about the stout stone walls that had suddenly come to imprison them. he felt held here, claustrophobic.
it glittered with a slight prettiness. the eagle was consumed with a restlessness that would have carried him on for more tireless hours. yet he nodded, and began to cast about for a place to settle.
"do you think we are close?" he asked, wanting to hear crowfeather's voice despite each escalation that happened between them.
The stone around them was a blessing and a curse. The dark wolf feared the thought of the Saints prowling around while they rested in the center. Crowfeather knew that their only other choice was to press on through the hollow and to try to seek out a path on the other side.
Germanicus asked whether the dark guide believed they were close. Crowfeather squinted his eyes at the darkness and sniffed at the air, as though it might spill some of the mountains secrets.
I am not sure. I thought I scented wolf, but it didn’t seem fresh enough. Satsu instructed me to call if I believed we were close,
Crowfeather answered after a moment of thought. Have you scented anything yet?
The shadow's eyes flickered for a moment in the older man's direction before they were ripped away fearfully.
the eagle shook his head. the more time that they spent inside the mountains, the more tension entered his body. he did not know this range at all. in truth, since the time that the pair had left the hinterlands, he had only acted out of instinct. and calling for a wolf known to be saint? he did not enjoy the thought.
this place was unmapped. the hollow was not defensible. and germanicus did not know where the saints had gone, only that their budding outpost lay somewhere close.
a dangerous situation.
"i will take first watch," he said softly, eyes resting with the same brevity on crowfeather.
A fluttering of relief entered the dark wolf. At least, if Germanicus had not scented anything that would cause concern, Crowfeather felt at ease.
Having looked down at the hollow from their rocky trail hours before, the seer had thought that it would have been the perfect hideaway. It had not been until they had entered it that he found the same creeping feeling, like eyes that followed his every movement, belonging to a monster he could not see.
You will wake me when you wish to rest?
Crowfeather asked of him. He knew they needed a watch while they remained in the mountains. It was not something he would argue against.
"i will wake you when it is time to move on," the eagle amended. he did not intend to sleep a moment in this place.
the gaze he gave crowfeather now reflected an apologetic note. it seemed a second in which something might be said, but he only cleared his throat and nodded to the shadow.
"rest well, crowfeather," he said, moving off to put a perimeter between their temporary camp and the rest of the hollow.
The dark wolf blinked rapidly at the answer that was received. He did not like this wary, guarded, tight-lipped version of Germanicus, but he also did not know well enough to say whether he should feel that way. After all, they were nearing the claim to a dangerous pack with wolves who had nearly attacked Crowfeather in the woods.
If Germanicus would not rest, then, I will hunt for us just before we move on. Please, Germanicus, do not let me rest long.
Sadness welled inside of him as he watched the silver guard roam around the hollow, securing their perimeter with a careful sniff and search. Crowfeather watched him until he moved out of sight. The dark wolf breathed a shaky sigh that rattled his frame.
***
the sky had not yet begun to pale with dawn when germanicus woke crowfeather.
"come. let us hunt away from here."
he suspected the boy would still be weary but the centurion had long learned to heed his instincts. "i have found the root of a stream, nestled in the rock. it is secluded there."
germanicus took up the lead with a rangy step, though he paused to wait for crowfeather's true arrival before he pressing on.
Crowfeather dreamed in that sleep.
When he awoke, it was to the rough baritone of the silver guard, ushering him to wake and hunt where they had not rested. The dark seer felt his chest thrum and breathed quickly.
Rising to his long legs, Crowfeather tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. He set to a steady trail after Germanicus. The premise if a stream that had adequate seclusion was fuel enough, but the dark wolf’s stomach rumbled with hunger.
Did you find any wolf scent while you scouted?
"only stale marks. and i believe if we continue to head east, we will be too far within the mountains."
there was apology on germanicus' tongue.
instead the eagle allowed a pause to pass.
"it has been near a month since we began travelling together," the man remarked, watching as their path narrowed to slate and began to climb upward.
Germanicus had been able to scout the immediate area quite well and offered a belief that suggested they should not travel any further east. Crowfeather sealed the words away in his mind and nodded his head gratefully.
When the silver guard spoke again, the seer’s ears swiveled to a point to meet them.
It had been nearly a month since they had met. Nearly one month and yet Crowfeather felt as though they had accomplished so much, traveled such a great distance.
It does not seem that short a time,
he said unthinking.
"time spent with better companions than yourself is time that can never be called a waste." a bit of lore, given to him by a jaded pilus prior many years ago. it had been the last battlefront that germanicus had seen. they had spent the night together. by afternoon, after a bloody battle in which they were routed, all the eagle would carry of that man were these words.
in he breathed, out, focused.
"before dawn, call once for your friend. more than that may alert ears we do not want to hear."
the eagle was once more anxious to be without the protection of a pack. but not for himself.
his eyes lingered upon the shadow.
The quote that was offered brought a smile to the dark wolf’s face. If that were true, Crowfeather believed that his time with Germanicus had been remarkably fulfilling.
Again, their conversation from the night before had entered his mind. Worry clouded the fleeting happiness, storm clouds that tumbled through and poured their water to the earth of his heart.
Germanicus instructed Crowfeather to call for Satsu before dawn would strike them. The shadow looked to him and nodded his head in understanding. He did not wish to have the brindled giant Kynareth find them in the hollow.
Do you think we can get some fish before dawn is here?
He thought of the river Germanicus was leading them to.
"yes." fish were a better choice for a stealthy kill. the water would wash their paws or scent, and fishbones were easily scattered, unlike the viscous and sticky blood of a large skill.
it was welcome, the return of an easier air between them. germanicus meant to ensure it was not jostled.
their path grew steep and downward. the eagle's musculature bunched as he controlled his own descent, picking a laborious but safer route for them both.
Crowfeather’s tail wavered happily at the confirmation. This would mean a chance to cool in the water and to watch the fish from a riverside perch.
Even as the hollow had begun to warm on the dark wolf, Germanicus pushed them further into a steep descent. The shadow could not remain near the soldier’s side, but he was careful to follow in the same steps. The length of his dark legs made him look rather silly as he picked his way after the silver guard.
You really went far,
Crowfeather offered somewhat breathlessly, surprised at the range Germanicus had within his frame.
"i was restless and knew you would call for me if danger came to you." a revelation. a reliance. eventually the skidding trail changed into something more even.
the ground here was ragged. water poured almost from within the mountain itself. high trees clung with exposed roots, and it was among them that germanicus felt they might find their quarry.
the eagle lowered his muzzle and drank steadily from the water which tasted of silt and minerals.
That was true, Crowfeather thought to himself. He would have called out immediately if something had happened in the guard’s absence. Though, it did trouble him to think that Germanicus had been restless in the hollow, the seer was also grateful that they had momentarily moved beyond their difficult conversation from before.
Dipping his head to drink at the water, Crowfeather lapped thirstily. When he had filled his belly with cool liquid, he looked at their surroundings and understood why Germanicus had picked it. They were not likely to be interrupted there.
Crowfeather longed to dip his feet in the river water, but his hunger outweighed the weariness and he circled around the bank to find a place where he might be able to hunt for fish.
as the shadow took up his position, germanicus watched the sky. here there were no forests to break the background. only stone spires and a glittering expanse of stars were left.
in the glow of night not yet surrendered to the sun, the eagle could not help but watch crowfeather. his own forepaws had sunk into the cool earth for a moment of relief from their march.
The dark wolf watched the gentle swaying shapes of the fish as they moved along a still portion of water. He perched his paws upon the edge of the stone at the bank and crouched low to keep his features out of view of the surface.
The first dive granted him nothing and the fish scattered. Crowfeather pulled back, wet dripping from his features. The seer moved up the river and perched again. When the fish had entered the water, he darted and emerged with one clasped in his teeth.
Adrenaline spiked in his figure. Crowfeather danced back on light paws to where Germanicus was and placed the limp fish where he could eat it. The dark wolf then returned to the edge of the water in search of another.
the other wolf was an otter within the waters. even brackish and unlovely as this place was, it did not detract from crowfeather's grace.
germanicus would not eat until the other had fished a suitable portion for himself. and so he waited. somehow the closeness of the rock outcroppings were more acceptable here.
"what would you call this place?" the eagle asked softly, once he had been rejoined by crowfeather.
Germanicus’ query did not land on his ears immediately. Crowfeather was focused on his task.
There were a few seconds in delay before the dark wolf blinked and looked up to their surroundings. The seer had not anticipated naming something like this, not a place. The Starsea had simple names. Names that suited their owner unquestioningly.
River Hollow,
Crowfeather answered, feeling the plainness of it on his tongue.
What would you call it?
For he was just as curious to know what Germanicus thought, if anything, about their surroundings.
river hollow. the shadow put a good deal of thought into his names. by contrast, germanicus could think of this place as nothing more than an ending-point.
"terminus." the fish had invigorated him. he looked to the sky, noting how it was not as dark as it had been. the moon was on its downward step.
"i have not yet found a way from this rock, except to return the way i arrived."
Terminus,
Crowfeather whispered softly to himself.
The shadow plunged into the water and withdrew another fish. With it clasped firmly in his teeth, he trotted back to where the silver guard was and plopped to his belly. At once, Crowfeather looked to Germanicus and then began to tear apart the fish for its tender insides.
Like an ending. It does feel… a bit like we are trapped. Once we eat, I will call for Satsu.
With any luck, they would be close to Akashingo and could be led from the hollow. Crowfeather could hope for nothing else. They did not need trouble.
germanicus ate but tasted little.
he wondered what sort of persons satsu would be. she would find him untrusting, for it was the caldera who had first given them shelter, and the caldera who had warned them.
he looked to crowfeather with a warmer countenance. once more, he would follow the shadow.
The dark wolf did not miss that warm sweep of the soldier’s face. Crowfeather wished he could have swum in it, only lived there in the stern lines of his face and the intelligence of his sunlight gaze.
Germanicus,
the seer began, still picking at his fish with his teeth,
can you tell me about when you were young? What was it like to train to be a soldier?
This felt to Crowfeather to be a large ask, but the shadow could not hold onto the little bits that Germanicus had given him. He longed to hear more of the foreign life that the older man had lived. When had he decided that he would carry the weight of his duty as a man and not a boy?
I think you can either fade it? Or we can just have them chat for a few posts until you get tired of it. <3