Arrow Lake trommelschlag

mahler dragged his large frame against the boles of a pine bordering diaspora, leaving his scent and tufts of his fur tangled upon the rough bark. to its fellow he did the same; to a third, the man reared up and pawed a visible mark high along the trunk. he was meticulous, silent; he recalled the last patrol of swiftcurrent creek he had ever done, and how the dark woman whose name he had now forgotten had looked at him.
thinking of she-wolves in any fashion caused discomfort to stir in mahler, not the nerves of a boy, but perhaps the wariness of a man who knew his own natural weakness, and wanted to be rid of it. 
the gargoyle turned his mind to other things,  moving slowly along the treeline to mark each with his fragrance.

Her scattered family dominated her thoughts most of the time, and lately she had been considering making a trip back to the glacier just to search for those who were still unaccounted for. Among those whose fates were still unknown were her sisters, and every day that passed strengthened her fear that they had perished under the snow that covered her fallen kingdom. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the fresh scent trail of the lavender-eyed male, and keeping her black nose to the ground, she followed it through the snow until she saw the dark man in the distance. A quiet chuff moved from her chest as she approached, and she fell into step next to her packmate, offering a stiff nod and a brief brush of her shoulder against his in greeting.

takiyok; he nudged the line of her nape as she approached, a single sway of his plume given in greeting. all was well; he allowed himself the mild flush of pleasure her company always engendered within him. "diaspora grows," the man observed, moving between the trees at a pace set for the both of them.
something tugged at the edge of his mind, perhaps a look he had seen stigmata give the winterwhite woman. one of longing. possession. but truly it mattered little whether or not he had spoken for takiyok; what she wished was tantamount.
because he did not feel like asking, because he did not feel like being given an answer he would not like, mahler turned their conversation in a different direction. "vill you go to visit the glacier again?"

She nodded her agreement with his first statement, matching his stride as they moved through the trees. Stigmata is strong and charming, she noted, rolling her eyes a little. He seems to inspire loyalty in many. He had certainly won her over, enough that she was here with no reservations about deferring to him. But then, Mahler had done the same, just in a different way. He seemed to have slowly and quietly worked his way behind her walls without her really even realizing it. 

As always, the mention of the glacier made Taki tense a little. By now, it was a sadness she had grown used to sharing her days with, but it still remained her least favorite topic of discussion. It was only because it was Mahler asking, the one who had found her when the loss was still fresh, that she answered openly. Yes, she offered first, gaze fixed on the snow-covered ground in front of them. I will keep returning until everyone of my family members is accounted for. She sighed a little, uncomfortable with the emotion that leaked into her tone as she spoke. I was thinking of making another trip there soon. She knew she couldn't stay away much longer. She needed to go back and search again.

he noted the tension that his question had brought, but it was too late to take it back. she mirrored his own thoughts upon stigmata, though he would have added a mention of the other's sheer ambition. though it was not a dire thing; it had founded diaspora, after all, and brought to them their members.
rolling his shoulders, mahler listened to takiyok's answer, hearing the undercurrent that lurked there. but her words were open; he gave a nod, keeping his eyes focused upon the snowy trail as well. he had not thought she would be content within the mountain pack with the unknown fate of her family still pressing upon her.
but neither did he wish her to go, and especially not alone if she would carry cubs this season. takiyok had become important to him, as had her well-being. there was no other way but to be direct; the gargoyle blinked once. "if you are vith child vhen you go, or if you are not, i vill accompany you. but only if you wish it." 
once more he reminded himself that takiyok belonged only to herself; she could accept or deny his offer. yet he wished to make it all the same, and somehow uncomfortable, lapsed into silence once more.

She couldn't say that she expected his offer, but she also couldn't say she was very surprised by it either. Her first reaction was to tell him she would be fine on her own. Taki knew her return might be emotional, and she wasn't sure she really wanted an audience for that. But, honestly, it might be nice to not be there alone, although she never say that out loud. Alright, she said quietly, eyes still fixed firmly in front of her. I was planning on waiting until I was with child, she continued, copying his phrasing. For...obvious reasons, Taki finished, giving him a sideways glance. The last thing she needed was to be that far from Diaspora when her heat finally came.

had mahler not known takiyok, he would have seen her as impassive. yet her body betrayed to knowing eyes the inner workings of her mind, and the touch of her hot autumn eyes bespoke a wariness. perhaps he was merely projecting; mahler did not wish to do so. 
her answer was twofold here: yes, she would carry young, and yes she would allow him to accompany her. it was not disappointment that lit mahler with a dulled ember, more a wistfulness he kept carefully buried. "it vill be good to have children in diaspora, takiyok," he murmured softly, the steel of his lilac stare losing its hard edge, if only for a moment.

Yes, it will, Taki agreed. She was honored to be able to mother Diaspora's next generation, even if she was still a little nervous about about giving birth and being responsible for fragile new life. Originally, she had planned to be surrounded by family when she became a mother for the first time. Not that she didn't consider the wolves here to be family now, especially Mahler and Stigmata, but her brothers and sisters were supposed to be here too. She had always assumed Tahani would be with her, helping her though the birth, but now she didn't even know if she was even still alive. She tried to not let her disappointment taint her excitement at having children, but some days she couldn't help it. I always imagined my sister Tahani helping me with the birth, she admitted, gaze lifting from the path to rest on Mahler's face. It will be hard without her, she added quietly, averting her gaze again, uncomfortable with the emotional statement even though she had been the one to bring it up.

long plagued by the death of those he had once loved, mahler very rarely let them come to his tongue. let alone their names. he was not a supersitious man, but to speak of the dead was not something he liked to do. takiyok's gaze came to his again; she spoke of childbirth and things most often left to she-wolves.
it was the proper way, mahler supposed, and he felt the ache that must be in the pale wolf's heart. if allowed, the kapitän reached to brush her shoulder gently, a gesture that lingered a moment longer than necessary to reassure. "i am sorry you have lost those who are close to you."
the man lifted his head, gazing down the path with some focus once more. "i cannot be your sister. but i helped my vife to deliver our children, and i vould be honored to help if you vish my aid." it was somehow difficult to offer, in the face of her pain, but mahler wished takiyok to know that she was not alone in any capacity, even if her soul hurt for her loss.

Normally, sympathy made her uncomfortable; she never knew how to respond, and she definitely didn't want anyone feeling sorry for her, but she found she didn't feel that way now. For some reason, it was different coming from Mahler. His words didn't cause any discomfort--they only soothed the sadness, even if just a little. Thank you, she said quietly, leaning into his lingering touch. 

Her gaze found the ground in front of them once the unexpectedly comforting moment passed, and she listened quietly to his offer. At first, she wanted to decline, feeling uneasy about being that vulnerable around him. She would be pretty incapacitated while giving birth. But she realized she was being stupid and stubborn; obviously she could trust him, and his offer was actually kind of a relief, like some of the stress was eased by knowing he had done this before and would be there to help her. She'd like to say she didn't need help, but Taki had a feeling she would not be thinking that in the moment when she was in pain and didn't know what to expect. I would appreciate that, she answered, a grateful smile gracing her lips for a brief second before it was gone just as quickly.

he wanted to touch her again — it was a growing sensation that rapidly expanded in mahler's chest and coursed through his limbs. he did not, of course; he was a creature of utmost restraint, even when it did not suit him. currently, the centurion was a strong and hale beast, but when she carried young, takiyok would be more vulnerable.
mahler had always assumed that stigmata would father the first litter in disapora, and that the pale woman alongside him would be their mother. it was fitting, he decided, though he could not help feeling rankled by the future weakness of the she-wolf. knowing he was being unfair, both to his kill-brother and to takiyok, knowing it was an affair that did not in the least concern him, mahler pulled his mind firmly from it.
"are you hungry?" came his rolling tones. they were approaching a cache, but if fresh blood appealed to both of them, no reason not to hunt. in his eyes he returned her smile; she was evermore pleasant company.

Want to fade? I'm going to start us one at duskfire glacier. <3

Taki nodded in response to his question, feeling like a hunt would be a good distraction from everything currently plaguing her thoughts. She stopped once they reached the cache, giving it a hesitant sniff before turning her attention to Mahler. Let's hunt, she suggested, offering an energetic nip to his shoulder before trotting away. She threw a quick glance over her own shoulder after a few steps to see if he was following, and assuming he was, she continued to lope forward, occasionally lowering her nose to the ground to search for the scent of anything promising and, as always, thankful for the Kapitan's easy company.

okay! <3

a low growl of pleasure escaped mahler, and he bounded after her with a boyish energy renewing his body. they moved as one, catching scent, exchanging glances, and finding a trail to follow with the practiced ease of long-hewed hunters who have been wrought by both their craft, and the comfort found in the presence of one another.