Emberwood jedanaest

she looked for @Suliya in the fire-swept colors of the trees, that the soft mist of the afternoon sought to put out. it would be easy to find grey winter here if she was present, ice diver felt certain of that. for she would be a rain cloud come down to earth!

it had crossed her mind that she might be out in the clearings or up in the heights, watching the herds as they moved and sorted their own among battles.

nakek! friend! she called and felt a girlish excitement twirling about her chest.

the crack of antlers clashing filled the clearing, sharp and resonant, but suliya's ears twitched to the familiar voice that cut through it. nakek!

she turned, her tail swaying happily, steps light as she moved toward the sound. ice diver’s voice carried warmth that was easy to follow, even among the mist and fire-bright trees. her gaze scanned the woods, and soon enough, she caught sight of the familiar figure, her grey coat standing out like the first breath of winter among the autumn blaze.

nakek, she called back, a wide smile spreading across her face. the caribou bulls' quarrel faded to background noise as she quickened her pace to meet her friend. i was watching the bulls fight. they’re always so loud this time of year.

it felt as if seeing an old friend. ice diver might have swept her up, but instead only stood back to appraise her. looked over her health as if she might find anything from the caribou hunts. when pleased with her investigation, she stepped alongside the other woman.

we can keep watching, she jutted her chin out towards where the sounds. and you can explain their actions to me in clan words, no? her teeth appeared in a quick grin before it was hidden again behind scarred lips.

bonding and binding. ice diver sought to make many things good and right with these lessons. not to mention that it was time with a true friend.

suliya’s tail wagged gently as she stood alongside ice diver, comforted by the warmth of her presence. the other’s grin drew a soft smile from suliya, and she dipped her head in agreement, ears swiveling to the distant sounds of the caribou clash.

tsaay qa denidał ts’iigh, she began in lanzadoii, her voice steady and calm. the bulls are challenging each other. she gestured with her muzzle toward the clearing.

then, in lanzadoii, she added, nerrivik-llu atengqerrluni, for food and name. her words carried the weight of their meaning, reflecting the primal drive behind the battle they observed.

she glanced sideways at ice diver, her amber eyes gleaming. it is always the strongest who leads, or so they believe, she translated softly in her own tongue, before returning her gaze to the distant figures, watching as one bull lunged at the other, antlers crashing together like thunder.

her gaze turned out towards the sounds. caught glimpses of them here and there.

"tsaay qa denidał ts’iigh," she implanted this into her mind. that this was what she could say to others when they all witnessed the clashing of great antlers. for a moment she looked to see if she might see the bull she had placed teeth marks upon.

did he still roam among the herds? had another taken him down? if so, wolf or fellow beast? these were not things she could ask in lanzadoii or get answers for, either.

she wished she knew enough already to simply say everything in clan-tongue! her cheeks warm when grey winter looked over to her. it was easier to keep her eyes fixed to the bulls for the moment.

the bulls, she felt like a toddler, clobbering together words from different things to make a sentence! the strongest one. she gestured to the one who currently seemed to be succeeding in the clash of antlers.

suliya's tail gave a small wag as she caught ice diver's words and saw her gaze shift. she repeated softly, tsaay qa denidał ts’iigh, embedding it deeper into her memory.

when ice diver spoke of the strongest, suliya nodded quickly, a flicker of pride warming her chest. ełtsa, very good! her voice was bright, though she kept her eyes trained on the bulls as they clashed, their massive forms moving with both grace and brute force.

the strongest one, she echoed again, this time with a more confident nod toward the dominant bull. tsaay qa nełt’aał. the one who leads. she slowed over the pronunciation slightly, hoping ice diver might appreciate the effort.

her gaze lingered on the bull that seemed to be winning, her thoughts flickering back to the one she'd marked before. perhaps, like this one, he had fought hard to keep his place—or perhaps he had fallen to another. these things, she could only guess, but in the company of ice diver, it felt good to try and understand.

she learned more of the caribou this way, she thought. she had to truly focus on what they did and when to gesture to them for her words. this way the message would be plenty clear between her tongue-in-training and what was occurring out there.

tsaay qa nełt’aał.

the one who leads.

and those words are not caribou exclusive? you might say this to a leader, too? brief humor in her voice before she fell silent. thoughtful, consdering.

she watched as the caribou became locked with one another now. half-tempted to take advantage and yet also wishing for them to exhaust one another first.

suliya nodded, her tail swaying gently as she took in ice diver’s response. it was a good question, one that brought a flicker of humor to her lips. she considered the caribou again, their powerful bodies now locked in a fierce contest, hooves scraping the snow and antlers grinding with strained groans.

not caribou exclusive, she added with a slight smirk, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

then, more contemplatively, she offered another observation. when two fight like this, she gestured toward the bulls, the others wait. the herd does not move until the leader is clear. it is not just about strength—it is about trust. the strongest must be trusted to guide them.

she thinks of sun eater, then to ice diver.

there is a lump in her throat. one that did not allow either common words or lanzadoii to escape her mouth.

for all her excitement and renewal in the last few months, she was suddenly thinking of how it had all come to turn. she thought of sun eater carving out the river until it fit his image. how she had laid in wait and healed, how she had toiled in unease but found that no promise was left unkept. she thought of how he had swung strength around and how eventually she had started to come around.

trust.

she licked her lips for a moment. the caribou antlers grind, grind, grind. if she held her tongue any longer then her own teeth might start to do the same.

how to say trusted?

suliya’s eyes lifted to ice diver, her expression briefly unreadable as she turned his question over in her mind.

to be strong, she said, the words quieter than usual, but steady. her voice carried a weight behind it, as though strength itself was something she was still coming to terms with.

with a fighting heart.

another beat, suliya's gaze found the caribou knocking heads.

if i said — she stopped for a beat. mulling the words over before she rolled them along her tongue. not as smooth, but certainly an attempt. the strongest one. the one who leads. the words felt like she carried stones in her mouth.

weighted and heavy, keeping her grounded.

they know it means they are trusted?

or perhaps she was being told it was not the words, but the acts. that ice diver must remain strong, that she must run alongside the caribou with that fighting heart. she supposed there was no greater way to show trust than that, was there?

suliya tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she considered ice diver's question. her tail flicked lazily behind her, the weight of the conversation settling in her chest like a stone.

she glanced away for a moment, toward the distant trees where the caribou roamed, their presence a reminder of their shared purpose. it’s knowing the path, keeping pace, holding your place when the winds try to knock you down.

her gaze returned to ice diver, steady and unwavering. trust comes with strength. to be strong is to be trusted.

undoubtedly so, yes.

she did not like the rise in her heartrate.

she knew she needed to go hunt now, that her watching and tracking could be acted upon when her flesh felt so ready to act. the bulls here could be driven into the ground in a locked state.

there were also cows, roaming and fattening their forms along the emberwood's bark and dying grasses. the options were almost too plenty!

thank you, was all she offered now. falling into a silence that bordered something deathly still. as if winter had come early to only ice diver.