Broken Boulder he will stand before the throne

vilkas becomes aware of the setting sun in the horizon very vaguely. it doesn't truly dawn on him that dusk is settling over the world until he glimpses up from the his kill's corpse — a plump rabbit — as he sniffs out the food cache to realize that the world has been set ablaze. not literally, of course, but the orange of the defiant sun not yet willing to peacefully surrender to the encompassing shadows of night casts everything in it's fiery glow and the firebrand takes a very brief moment to appreciate it. he is not one for romantic ideals of sunsets or sunrises or any of that garbage and so his seaweed green gaze hastily goes back to his task.

he tucks the rabbit in the cache, rooting out and burying any meat that has the distinct scent of rot clinging to it — vilkas found nothing that smelled rotten to his expectations; a full pack meant that the meat from the caches were more or less fresh. still, he is thorough. satisfied, vilkas moves away from the cache and trudges towards the borders for a sweep.

Patrolling is not a habit of hers, at least not here. The Sanctuary is just that: open, safe, welcoming. Still, she's a paranoid creature and one with territorial instincts at that. 

It's slow-going on three legs but Liri doesn't mind. She finds it relaxing; twilight brings with it a hush to the forest. The sun is brilliant where it burns up the horizon, hot pink and crimson and the deep orange of a forest fire. High above, there are even vivid streaks of violet racing across the deep blue sky. It's as if the world has gone silent in the face of such beauty.

With a happy sigh, the healer patrols knowing she won't sleep for a while yet. It's one of those nights, the kind where thoughts would buzz relentlessly in her skull like angry bees. Her dreams would torment her and again, she would long to go find Kavik. 

She's unsure what's happening between them. She knows it's her own doing with her confusion over Horosk but she hasn't seen the agouti or thought of him for some time. She wonders where Horosk has gone; he's not an a bad guy, just a confusing one. 

Her thoughts are forgotten at movement just up ahead. Liri is frightened for a moment, unsure who or what it is. Upon closer inspection, it's a male who must be a member of the Sanctuary. 

Liri approaches, albeit timidly, on her slow legs. She gives a small chuff of greeting as she falls in next to him.

vilkas is still unsure on how he's going to react the first time that a wolf breaches their borders knowing that that freedom is encouraged and that he is not to engage, threaten or cajole unless aggression is shown towards him first. he believes what he's said to lily ( despite that it might be treason ) that open border policy was a welcoming mat for trouble and he can't help but shake the feeling that there's a ticking time bomb waiting for when someone will come swaggering in and challenge. as a tactician, it is easy to see how this could happen right under the governor's nose and he'd never know, easy to see the paths that branch and splinter off on how such a thing could be accomplished. loudly or quietly. still, vilkas is surprised that it hasn't happened yet. they have the advantage of being isolated and yet in his short time here the ranks have grown and swollen to their capacity ...so perhaps their isolation was beginning to wane.

these are concerns to bring up with alarian once vilkas knows him better ( and certainly vice versa ) for while the firebrand is well versed in aspects of warfare his bringing his concerns up too soon might come off as a challenge in and of itself. it was a delicate situation and not one to be broached by someone whom only held the rank of cipher and who was still, in all respects, new. so, vilkas determines to do his best, figures that he has liberty to shadow anyone who crosses into their borders to ensure they do not take from food caches without permission and supervision and that they do not harass any of the sanctuary members. if strangers came in and out as they pleased, helping themselves to their food caches as they pleased, they could easily starve the sanctuary out of home and hearth. and then there was queenie's unborn cubs to consider. their safety would be compromised and their lives if their food sources were being depleted by wayward strangers.

left ear twitches and smoothly swivels to the side and then slicks back at the sound of approaching footfalls. he is alert almost immediately and draws himself from his thoughts as if he had not been lost in them seconds before. he glimpses over a broad shoulder ignoring the pang of disappointment he feels to discover that it's not lily that approaches. instead of the shadow kissed woman, a woman in a pelt of startling ivory approaches and he notes the timidness in her approach even as she falls in step next to him with a small chuff. she is petite and her body has a patchwork of scars he notes as he assess her from the corner of his eye. he acknowledges and accepts her presence silently, with a slight lift of his chin but mainly by allowing her to remain in step beside him. the raptorial firebrand will not be the first to break the silence — she is welcome to chatter his ear off if she wishes but there is never guarantee he will return the favor. he does not instinctualy adhere to verbal communication though that has become less and less true as of late.

For a moment, they merely examine each other. 

He's tall, though not so much as Kavik, but not overly muscular. Neither is he lean, but a broad and capable sort of person. Flames wreathe him, the color not unlike the evening display above them. When his eyes move to her, she sees that they are green as jade. His appearance reminds her of another, a stranger who inflicted much pain on her, and it makes her vaguely uncomfortable around him. 

Liri knows this is unfair and does her best to hide it. Even so, she has trouble looking at him.

Liri doesn't bother trying to keep up; she limps slowly on three legs unwilling to drag the grotesque one. The fae is getting better at using only her remaining legs to get around and so keeps a steady pace at his flank.

She can sense that though there's no animosity between them, there's little more than indifference. This is not someone she'll likely see again and if for some reason they do cross paths, Liri's inclined to keep trekking. 

His manner keeps her quiet, sensing that he does not wish for speech. Liri patrols silently at his side, sepia eyes on the world beyond.

vilkas does not notice her leg at first and then when he does — for how could he possibly miss it, he chides himself — he wonders idly and in a manner that means he is not curious nor prying enough to ask how it came about. he bites his tongue as if the pain of sharp canines slicing into the muscle might keep the undeniably rude thoughts that flit into his mind at bay. he has to forcibly remind himself that he patrols out of routine and not because it's actually necessary. it's not necessary, not with the sanctuary's open border policy. vilkas assumes that in reality her lame leg would hinder her despite that she keeps up, sticking to his flank well enough; but he's not trying to win a race. his pace is casual and slower than he would normally walk so he does not miss anything. he might not be able to act upon strangers walking all through their claimed territory but that does not mean that he doesn't want to know that they're there ...or have been there. he desires to keep close tabs on the borders knowing that their isolation will not last forever. it never does.

she keeps to his silence, not seeking to break it herself. he doesn't mind and doesn't find it uncomfortable in the slightest though he has the sneaking suspicion that his companion is not entirely comfortable with him. it's a feeling he gets, that nagging rise of speculation as he peers at her from the corner of his eye. if it's true then the raptorial firebrand isn't about to attempt to change her mind.

he pauses abruptly as a scent catches his attention but after snuffling at the ground for a moment he dismisses it and continues forth.

Liri can sense that he has been discreetly noticing her as he seems to be silently taking in everything. But soon, the northron grows used to keeping her eyes away from him and all but forgets his presence. 

It is a comfortable silence, unbroken by either. Occasionally he spots something and Liri too takes notice of whatever it is. She has yet to learn of his interest in Lily; perhaps if she knew of his relationship with the blackbird, Liri might have spoken. 

When some stretch of time has passed, the hour turns golden and the sky is rosy. The healer gives a soft noise of departure and slips away into the forest.

the pallid woman who keeps pace with him well enough and seemingly without struggle — much to his surprise — throughout their patrol never breaks the silence that engulfs them. this does not bother the firebrand though he does find it ...curious. from what he has seen thus far in the wilds most are willing to break the silence whether they find it uncomfortable or they are used to communicating with words. words have always been a necessary evil to vilkas — there are times when verbalizing is unavoidable but their time passes without it and eventually, for whatever reason beguiles her, she departs with a small noise, just as much a stranger to vilkas as she'd been when she first took it upon herself to join him.

he deliberates as he wraps up his patrol with a lift of his leg, and a small, staling area. eventually, heads deeper into the sanctuary with the intent of scrounging up something to eat to quiet the hunger that rumbles insistently in his stomach.