Snowforest Taiga house of the dragon

The pups had begun playing near the den’s mouth, always strictly supervised by one parent or the other. Raider watched in fascination as their eyes cleared and their ears perked. Her own often twitched at their childish vocalizations. They were more of a handful now, yet no less of a delight.

Their growth—and ability to take regurgitated meat—freed up some of her time, which the Alpha female divided between hunting and patrolling. She set out today to find some fresh meat, leaving the trio in @Riley’s care and ignoring the persistent, slight malaise that had come over her the night before.

Her search for small game took her toward the grotto, though Raider lost the trail. She slumped in the shade, feeling worse now. It was neither particularly hot nor sunny this morning, though she felt feverish. Her tongue lolled from her red muzzle in a shallow pant. She could feel a headache coming on.

She wanted to get back to the den and rest, though she hesitated. The mother feared bringing a contagion back to her family. Even if it was just some summer cold, such a thing could be dangerous for the pups. Raider stood, long tail flicking pensively, and began walking toward the small plain they shared with the rise.

qiao’s time by the sea was coming to a close.

she’d secured two totems; the voices of the overworld cautioned her against the use of the first. the latter, the thin fang of the intrepid girl who’d nearly drowned her, had served its purpose as bloodcost for the first of many powerful haka spells.

qiao searched now for the final totem — a tophet for ensouling. given the time of year, she knew she needn’t search king.

today she found herself roaming the taiga’s redburned fringes. a silhouette along the edges drew her close - a she-wolf moving slowly among the plains. qiao scented the air and noted a feverish tinge that spoke of promise; her watchful olive gaze rested on the woman, but out of immense preservation, qiao did not approach.

If she couldn’t return to the den in good faith, the least she could do was provide for her family. Raider worried, though. The pups weren’t completely weaned and still needed her milk. She could keep her distance for a day or so. What if she didn’t feel better by then? She chewed at the inside of her cheek as she wandered further afield.

She tried to focus. Once she made a kill, she would consider what to do next. Ignoring the pounding in her temple, she lowered her head and began sniffing among the grass. Raider found the scent of rabbits and began drooling copiously, even before she managed to nose out a burrow.

For the moment, she didn’t realize she was being watched.

the she-wolf moved on. by her body language, qiao assumed something had caught her attention. her dark red muzzle trailed along the green finery of the plains, her huntress form trained and ready.

qiao had gotten all she needed from this woman already. the priestess stepped back under the cover of a long arm of willow, leaving the stranger to parse hare from meadow undisturbed.

Her nose led her further south. Raider gave the rise a wide berth as she hunted toward the widest stretch of the lowlands. As much as she would like to check in with her relatives there, she didn’t want to risk passing on this illness to them any more than she did her own small family on the peak.

Hours passed without success until Raider was forced to admit defeat. From the edge of the nearby moraine, she called out to let her mate know her location. She planned to return in the morning, assuming she felt better. Don’t worry, she told him, along with, I love you.

Despite her reassurances, she worried as she settled herself among the craggy fringes of the glacier’s ancient warpath. Raider could’ve trekked home and spent the evening at the foot of the mount, though she felt too fevered and weary to make that journey just now. She would rest here a while, then travel back to Dragonspine in the cool dark of the night.

She sprawled in the dry summer dust, closing her eyes and panting. Her breath settled some, though just as Raider was about to drift off into an uneasy sleep, her eyes snapped open. She sat up to nibble at a sudden twinge in her thigh, where the wound had long since healed. She soothed the skin with her tongue, then settled back down with a sigh.