Morningside Cuesta wachsam

heda had not come home. druid had. he expected that in the care of duskfire glacier, the rivenwood girl would thrive. 
but he had helped to rear her from infancy, and so he worried.
the graf slipped out into the frigid air and marched toward the borderlands of the valley and the taiga. as he drew closer he smelled the manure and the churning of the caribou, heard their lowing.
and beyond, many wolves.
he stood quietly and silhouetted against the daytime snow.

On his way back from the riverside, belly full of fish, and in a better mood than when he began the trek, Kigipigak spotted a familiar figure.

Mahler looked stooped, or substantially older. The hunter called to him with a bark and made his way, finding travel much easier if he kept to the thicker snow he could travel over, rather than through.

the gargoyle was about to call for the girl himself when a familiar pale figure approached. as the snows gave way before the steps of the wolf, mahler saw it was no stranger at all. "kigipigak," he grunted when the two men stood close enough to speak.
mahler felt sharper than he had in some time, though the illness had cost him a toll. the younger man was hale as he had been before. "it is good to see you so vell."

There was more gray to the man's face. It could've just been ice. Some lingering powder from his hiking - but there was a slight sunken quality to Mahler that hadn't been there a year ago. Kigipigak did not read in to it.

You also. The man's tail swayed in a friendly manner as he spoke, settling at his hocks while he looked around the area. Around one ankle was a dried poultice, with some minor bite-marks visible beneath.

There wasn't much around here to investigate and from the look of things, the caribou had not come this way. I have met some of your kin from Rivenwood. They journeyed north to Duskfire. He smiled then. I found my own people within the village Moonglow, and we journeyed to the glacier for hunting. Three girls of yours — they were very eager.

mahler smiled. "i think heda is still vith you." there was no ill-will harbored in him for the younger's departure. it was the way of men in their prime. 
"kukutux came at the end of the fall and treated me for an illness. vere it not for her vork, i do not think i vould be speaking vith you now."
he swung his tail. "how is the hunting this year?"

The travel of moon-woman was not surprising to Kigipigak, but he had forgotten of the woman's trek across the land. He had been so preoccupied with his mourning at the time, and his healing heart, that it had gone unnoticed. Hearing of it now sparked some curiosity within Kigipigak; but he was not from the woman's camp and so he did not investigate further, knowing his place as a hunter.

The topic of caribou brought a grin from him, then.

It goes well! The herd is large and at first, was spread out. Our two camps surround the bulk of their roaming. They are sick, he mentions this with a raise of his brow, wondering if Mahler is aware, perhaps from his daughters telling after their return. They move like their legs are full of stones. Some eat, some drink, but they often forget halfway, or spend time nosing the grass without really eating.

There was enough for Rivenwood too, Kigipigak thought, but did not voice.

kigipigak spoke of sick animals in the herd. mahler could not recall if he had heard of this before. he committed each detail to memory, nodding once. "it reminds me of the foaming sickness," he murmured, thinking of the bites he had seen infected in his time as medic.
"how are the duskfire wolves?" he asked next. there had been no news from the glacier. mahler unfortunately did not know what drastic changes had come to their ally.

The foaming sickness? This was something Kigipigak had never heard of. He did not recall seeing anything on the caribou to suggest it was the same illness, but he would take this tidbit back to Kukutux at some point and ask her about it; perhaps to Lane too, in case either woman had the knowledge he lacked.

As for the glacier - Kigipigak tried to remain neutral as he thought of their recent change in leadership but, he had never been very good at controlling his emotions upon his face. It was there for Mahler to see: concern, a brief sorrow, then something calm.

I am not sure if you knew their leaders well, he started, oddly quiet given his usual boisterous sound. Moonglow arrived to the news that they had passed. I do not know the details, only that their new leaders are my friend Lane and a northern man named Issorartuyok; the glacier mourns for now.

He wasn't sure if Mahler knew the names of the previous leaders or had any personal connection to them, and fell in to the habit of not speaking their names aloud himself, as that was the Moonglow custom.

mahler nodded. "i knew vintersbane for many years. ve ruled a place called sagtannet together. i vas happy to see him head of his own land vonce more."
the man lived on in rivenwood. he had begun to see more of the northern man in abel as the days went on. but this was not his truth to tell. 
"i know lane. she is skilled vith herbs. she is a talented voman and vill make a fine leader."

Yes, she is a fine hunter. Kigipigak agreed openly, fixating on the idea of Lane as he knew very little of her north-bred companion in the ranks.

We have hunted before. Then, she was to be a mother. Yet she could move flawlessly after our target. It was a well fought meal that we shared; an older boar, wise to wolf tricks. The boy did not mean to speak so much of Lane yet the words flowed from him.

He grew quiet when he thought of Duskfire and all that was changing for their village.

We will be singing the death songs to mourn them, and to send them in to the dancing lights, as is the custom of my issumatar — ah, the moon-woman, who leads our village. Have you met Kukutux? Kigipigak was proud of his home and the family he had built within it, even if he remained unwed, and liked to flaunt what he had.

"kukutux saved me from death." mahler did not know why he did not move into the taiga to thank her. some good light had glowed inside him when kigipigak spoke of lane. he was not too old to see the admiration that the young man had for the glacier physician.
it reminded him gently of what his own had been for iana.
"lane treated me for the same illness. i am not surprised to know she is a voman of many skills. and boar even. that is very admirable for you both."

Kigipigak grinned.

It seemed that moon woman was known across the Wilds for her abilities. It brought more pride to his heart than he had words for. He had not thought Lane held such powers too, and wondered for a moment if that was what drew Kigipigak to her. She was a hunter, a leader, and also well taught with medicine?

She was everything.

Perhaps if our hunting goes well at the glacier, I can send some of the meat here to Rivenwood! Kigipigak offered with a friendly wave of his tail. There is plenty to go around. But I am not the leader of the hunt — I will ask the sivullik. Of course, he would not bother if Mahler refused the offer.

mahler nodded. "this vould be very velcome. the healers of duskfire have a personal alliance vith me," he chuckled, thinking of the illness that kukutux had kept at bay. for now. mahler was far too pragmatic to be fully hopeful. he did not know the word sivullik, but found it to be very like the woman and this man alike.
"i hope to see you again, kigipigak. vhen you see heda, please tell her that she is missed in rivenvood." she was safe in the taiga, safer now that he had met this man again. the graf nodded at the tall fighter he had once though to ready for leadership. 

Kigipigak nodded. It would be done; he would seek Shikoba and speak with her, as well as Kukutux, to see if anything could be spared. It would grow the relationship between the village and Rivenwood, which Kigipigak thought was a good idea.

I will tell her! He did not indicate if he meant the sivullik or the girl Heda, and was striding away before he could clarify. He was glad to have run in to Mahler and now imbued with a secondary mission, was eager to return to camp and get to work.

Exit Kigi!