Dragoncrest Cliffs and suddenly,

All welcome!
Setting Sequoia Forest, dawn, post-war & post-excursion. Takes place after this.
Time Forwarded to 12/30-1/5

Aure had come up from the shores hours ago, having stayed out in the elements for the better part of the evening. Those who had spoken to her earlier had been able, to some extent, allieve the self-ridden guilt that had occupied her mind. Perhaps it would always linger, in the back of her too-feeling mind. Hell if she knew.

What she did know, despite her hurting conscience, was that she wanted to mingle. Actually mingle. The brana who was so isolated, so unassumingly hiemal, now was Drakru—and wanted to interact. Learn. Grow not just with herself, anymore, but with others. For all her life, she had only ever placed the importance of survival on Vonnaruil or herself—but after that outing with Tux... she wasn’t just concerned with herself, now. Her own survival didn’t matter anymore. The survival of the time and of the memories she’ll create with Drageda matter more than anything. Mean more than anything.

For now, she would put her brother out of mind, and figure out how to subdue Rakk later.

Now, she slowly traced her way around the gleaming expanse of the winter lake; making use of her long, long legs to flurry from boulder to boulder and creating a little game out of it, she supposed. How long had it been since she’d really smiled, or laughed? How many years had swept by since she’d really had... fun?

Most mornings, Antumbra is up before the sun, checking the borders with Vercingetorix or any other wolf she can find. Patrols along the southern border of the cliff and tangle have taken place to keep the Rusalka wolves in check and prevent any further invasion. Someone will always be out there, keeping an eye out, but she knows the borders are miles long and not barriers against their enemies.

She should have gotten rid of them the first time.

This morning, however, she can’t be bothered to get up right away. @Silkie is pressed up against her and she enjoys the warmth from one side but eventually she moves and mouths at his face, urging him up and at ‘em too. Antumbra leaves him behind in Hougeda, though, and slips out the opening and through the foliage. She has confidence her wolves are doing their jobs even when she slacks for a few more hours of rest.

Out in the open, she spots pale movement in the distance. She vaguely recognizes her after sorting through the other white wolves of the cliffs. Their meeting had been brief on the borders and she’s only been noted in the background every so often or talking to @Vercingetorix when she’s pulled him away. Antumbra sets herself out into a trot, making her way around the lake until she reaches the other woman.

Probably a mere stepping stone to most was more-so a ravine to the kru. She wavered on the spot, icicle-claws biting into stone; but her legs should be willowy enough... Lost to herself, she dared to lean further and paw at the obstacle that seemed so far away from her.

Brows notching in concentration, she readied herself as she skittered back as far as she was able to on her snowy claim. In a blink, two reaches, and surge of energy carrying, careening her forward, her plush paws hit the seemingly-impossible crag in a soft rush of snow and triumph. A rare peal of elation left her, looking towards her legs in utter delight. She could always trust herself.

Plain to say, she didn’t notice heda until she turned around, gloating and simpering and all to herself. ”H-Heda,” she squeaked, smug expression vanishing to replace one of timid and trying a hand at being innocent. Hasting off of her new victory, she came to rest on even ground with the regina. ”I was just, ehm, training. Da, training.”

There is not much she knows about the other woman but she’s been around through all the chaos lately and that accounts for something. She can defend herself (unaware she really can’t, the coyote was simply unlucky) and though she hadn’t been there the night of the battle, she helped Rose while the rest of the wolves took care of the invasion. None of it has scared her away, thankfully, and she dips her head when she’s acknowledged.

“Agility and balance, then,” she suggests with a knowing pull of her lips, a hint of a smile. “It is best when training is fun,” she adds, closing the distance between them, turning slightly to hop onto the boulder Aure has just jumped down from and then hops to the next one over. A third hop, and she barely makes it, losing her footing in the back before she manages well enough to scramble to the top. Antumbra turns back, then, to see if her companion will follow.

At Antumbra's words, About to reply, her voice died in her throat as she watched heda take up her former place, and began to... For a moment, Aure stood there, taken aback and unsure. But when Antumbra looked over her shoulder expectantly, she was quick to follow; her mood just as feather-light as it'd been before but subdued for heda's sake as well.

Following suit, her limbs grasped for every landing, until she had deftly come to rest by her shoulder as well. "I agree," she breathed, looking up at the dark female. The soft light of morning limned out their contrasting selves - starlit gaze glancing up into one that seemed like a storm. After all that had happened, with the Sound, with Tux-- she gave a faint shake of her head. Not yet.

Instead, she simply piped, "Want to race?" although she hadn't given light to what would happen to the winner, or loser.

Aure makes the move to jump back on the boulders and hop over twice until she is standing on the same one with her. The closeness causes a hitch in her throat and her ears fall back, briefly, before she forces them up again and to attention. She’s pledged herself back to the commanders, to living the life she’s meant to live, but the lonely feelings have settled in far too easily. Where she had someone there for comfort, or something to give, she has nothing and Aure’s closeness triggers something deep in her chest.

“Okay,” she says and nods decisively. She looks down the arch of the lake, another ten boulders lining the bank. Antumbra turns and hops down carefully from the boulder, mostly needing to put a little space between them. “Let’s start over back here,” she offers, circling back around to the first one and several yards between them for a running start.

Aure nodded as well, loping from their residence and following heda's pawprints; on the way, she took her time, skipping into them so her smaller prints made an impression within the bigger. She bit her lip at it, suddenly embraced by giddiness despite being in the sea-queen's presence. When they'd chosen a spot as the 'starting line', she readied herself, head lowered and tail feathering with anticipation at her hocks.

When Antumbra'd situated herself as well, the pale kru took it upon herself to croon the countdown, "Three -- two -- one ... go!" And then she was pelting off, panting light and swift, letting her limbs stretch to greedily consume snow and loam. Reining in her drive as she scrambled upon the first rock, she went surging through the air to the second one, a bit clumsily and frazzled; an uncommon grin making itself known on her ivory face.

Aure quickly hops down after her, settling up nearby at the chosen spot, and even offers to announce their start. She sets back, legs ready to launch forward, listening to the count down.

Three. Two. One.

Antumbra moves quickly but not quickly enough. Aure is slight and agile whereas she bears hulking mass that slows her down for quick follow. Even the familiarity of the terrain beneath her feet isn’t enough to give her an advantage as Aure surpasses her easily through their game.

When she reached the (vague) point of the finish line, Aure looked over a shoulder to see how far heda had gotten—and her face crumpled into something rather sheepish, leaving her to lower her head with a bit lip. ”Oh, ah...” Waiting patiently for the dark she-wolf to catch up, before giving a modest flick of her tail and falling into step alongside Antumbra.

”How... how have you been faring?” the kru tried, and then started, as if stricken: ”How are your wounds? Have they been aggravating you? I can inspect them, if you would like me to.” Her bright eyes glanced over Antumbra’s battle-born form, a crease of concern deepening between her slim brows. But she held herself back; not wanting to seem ruthlessly fussing, but at the same time unable to not be.

It is no surprise that Aure makes it to the other side. Antumbra isn’t too far behind it does take two boulders for her to catch up. With a swish of her tail and angle of her feet, she hops down with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. The cold air forms smoke in front of her face and she shakes her head, a grin still on her face. It does not matter to her that she has lost. The pale girl is nimble and lithe while her large frame doesn’t hold such grace in a run.

After a moment, however, she gives the girl a bump as she comes around. She wards off any concerns about her wounds. Rose is taking care of them well enough but she is still appreciative. Antumbra offers a second run, sort of double or nothing (not that they’ve placed bets, or anything), but she wants to see it again. And a second time she loses, to no one’s surprise, before she turns in about her business for the rest of the day.