Duskfire Glacier glakoss

follow up thread at the lake? ; backdated feb 5 @Satori

faust moved with purpose, though not urgency, his heavy steps cutting through the frostbitten terrain as he led satori towards the lake. the world around them was silent but for the wind threading through the sparse evergreens, the rhythmic crunch of ice beneath his paws.
the glacier was slow to give up its hold to spring, but the lake—where the water ran deeper, where the ice thinned faster—had begun its thaw. he had taken notice of it before, seen the delicate shoots of lavender poking through snowbanks along its edges. stubborn, persistent things. he supposed satori would appreciate them.
when they reached the shore, he halted, shifting his weight as he looked out across the water. thin mist curled along the surface, where ice met liquid.
do you like it here? his voice was a rumble, low but curious.
he did not explain himself further. he only glanced to her, watching for her reaction, for the way the pale flowers seemed to brighten the cold, grey world around them.

yess, do u mind backdating? :)

Like a fawn, she followed in the wake of the glacier man as they trudged through the snow, paws slipping easily into his prints along the path he forged. Satori had noticed the subtle melt of snow, revealing shoots of the hardiest plants that called the taiga home. 

Spring had been celebrated in the old forest; she wondered if the thaw would spark similar feelings in the wolves of Darukaal, but already she smiled inwardly at the ridiculous thought. 

Before them, the lake stretched like an inland sea, a shell of ice that cocooned the water creatures below. "It's not the forests I'm used to," she admitted, stepping forward to test her weight on the frozen shore. "But I could grow to like it." Bubbles moved beneath the surface, a distant sound like pinging rocks. What was it saying?

faust watched her as she stepped onto the ice, the way her weight shifted, testing the frozen surface beneath her paws. his gaze flickered over the lake, to the faint movements beneath, before returning to her with something that almost resembled amusement.
i'm glad, he said simply, though there was a rough warmth beneath his words.
it was not the forests she was used to—nor was it the great open plains some of them had left behind, nor the mountains others had once called home. but darukaal was something different. something new.
it is the women that must love it here. his voice rumbled low, a teasing note hidden within the gruffness. it was true, in a way—many had followed, seeking something in this frozen land. warriors, wanderers, wives.
his green eyes narrowed slightly, watching her, gauging. would you take a husband? he asked, not unkindly. when your season comes?

More than anything, Satori appreciated his concern, his thought for her happiness here. Turning her back on the lake, she circled back to Faust and settled in the snow nearby with a soft smile. 

"Love is a strong word," her own voice traced with humour, stopped short at his next words. A husband? "I haven't thought much about it." Heart swooped at the lie.

The first time Satori's season had hit, her mother had been there to whisk her away. Her second, however, was yet to come. "Faust, there is something I have- I want to tell you." Brow furrowed, a more serious expression replacing what had once been whimsy, their previous conversation surfacing. "Would you listen?"

his gaze flicks toward her, searching, dissecting the shift in her expression. whatever humor had laced her tone before was gone, replaced with something more weighted. something careful.
faust did not consider himself a patient man, nor one particularly good at reading people, but he was no fool. he knew when words were about to be given gravity.
his jaw tightens, and he glances away, focusing on the stretch of frozen water before them. his paws shift, curling into the hard-packed earth, anchoring himself.
yes, he says, voice low but firm.
he does not turn to face her, not yet. instead, he waits.
tell me.

The brief hold of his gaze was enough, rough confirmation all she needed to hear. Her eyes met his briefly before they stared at the rolling mist beyond.

"Before I came here, I was involved with a man. My sister's husband." Careful words, Satori dared not gage his reaction yet. Would he care? "We...bonded. He was gentle, kind."

Her muzzle turned skyward, wistful as she realised her urge to spill the truth was as much a cathartic ritual for herself as it was a duty to Faust. "He- he died. At my feet. They cast me out for it."

Satori remained almost lost in thought, willing the lakemist to swallow her whole. "So you see - I'm not really cut out for this whole wife thing."

faust listens. he does not interrupt. does not sneer nor let his features twist with the bitterness that simmers beneath his skin.
her sister's husband.
his jaw sets, but he does not speak on it, even as something in his gut coils. it should not bother him. it should not matter. yet there is something raw about the thought of her with another man—one who had already claimed her in ways faust had not.
but he catches himself before the feeling festers. it is ugly. it is undeserved. she is not yours.
instead, he exhales slowly, letting the weight of her words settle between them. she speaks of exile, of loss, and there is something in her voice that reminds him of himself.
so you see - I'm not really cut out for this whole wife thing.
his ear flicks, but he does not argue. he had not been pushing such a thing upon her.
maybe not, he murmurs, his voice even, controlled. he glances at her, a nod, simple but firm. i wasn’t asking you to be.
there'd been worse crimes. worse things that a family could do to one another. fucking a man out of lust— shit. you are not judged for your past here.

His silence was as stifling as it was appreciated, though Satori had not expected him to be as...subtle as she. Yet she had learned to be patient with Faust. Perhaps he may have challenged her morality, questioned further the death of her mountain man - but Satori suspected he'd seen worse in his time

A heavy exhale as he spoke at last. "I know." Had she read too much into his words? She thought of Lousine, the girl-child, his scent thick on her. "Thank you."

The wolves of the glacier were not of the old forest. They were not there for the war, nor the unity of each side. "Guess Darukaal is a fresh start for all of us, huh?" a smile again, genuine this time as her tail brushes against him. Here, she could put that all behind her and focus on what came next.

he nodded, the gesture small but genuine.
i’m sorry. for what happened to you.
the words were gruff, but there was no mistaking the sincerity beneath them. faust was not a man who often offered comfort—he had been raised in a world where survival left little room for softness—but satori had trusted him with her truth. he would honor that.
his eyes drifted to the lake, watching the gentle crackle of thawing ice along its edge. the world here was waking up, slowly but surely, and perhaps they all were too.
fresh start, he echoed, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. sounds good.
her tail brushed against him, and though he made no move to close the distance further, his shoulder leaned into hers—subtle, warm. a silent acknowledgment that she belonged here. that maybe, they all did.