Duskfire Glacier bicycle race

Following her acceptance into the glacier's ranks, Meerkat spent the next handful of days familiarizing herself with the lay of the land. The heights reminded her of both Redhawk Caldera and Moonspear, the views just as breathtaking as she expected. But she found she preferred the territory's lower reaches for whatever reason. There was something so cozy and safe about the lands tucked up beneath the hulking glacier's shadow.

During her forays, the yearling swore she smelled @Eldritch's scent. She meant to track down the woman, though Meerkat hesitated at the same time. She had kicked her habit only recently and was afraid she might get drawn back into misusing poppy seeds. Eldritch wasn't to blame, though the newest resident couldn't help but associate those sour memories with the woman who'd introduced her to their drugging effects.

She didn't actively seek the witch now, though Meerkat didn't have any particular purpose in mind as she wended her way through the woods at the glacier's foot. She was simply continuing her exploration, though she did hope she'd bump into someone from the pack today. Now that she felt settled in, it was time to begin integrating more socially.

<3!!!!

 


El had been in the lower regions of the glacier, coincidentally. 
She too swore she smelled a familiar scent, yet with her potential(?) duties as Delta, she felt that time to investigate was little, anymore. 

Her paws were better now, though, and this made things much easier. 
Glancing a familiar face, Eldritch perked her ears. 

"Meerkat?" 

Her wanderings led her past a large stump that smelled like dried meat. Meerkat sniffed closer, rearing up to peer down into the hollowed space inside it. There were a few carcasses stashed beneath a token layer of brush and leaves. It was just one of many stockpiles, she knew, and she gently pressed backward and fell back onto all fours. She didn't feel right borrowing from the caches just yet.

There was another scent layered around the old, dead roots. Meerkat's pace quickened as she recognized it as the Alpha's. She hadn't had a chance to talk to him since her acceptance, though suddenly she felt a strong compulsion to approach him again. She stood there, trying to come up with some reason to seek out Wintersbane. Perhaps she could ask him if he had any tasks for her.

Before she could develop that idea any further, a black figure stepped out of the nearby trees. "Eldritch! Hey!" Meerkat said when recognition registered. "I thought that was your scent I picked up. I'm glad you found someplace to settle after what happened to Ivory Rose." Padding closer, the yearling said, "I hope you're well?"

So it was her!
The yearling came closer, and in like mindedness, Eldritch also came close, swaying her tail with an extension of friendship. 
"I've been...better. The woods caught fire some months ago. Aerenys and I were seperated and I ended up here after nonstop travel. I haven't found her, or heard anything about her since." Eldritch replied, flattening her ears slightly.

Meerkat met this news with a blink, blurting, "What? When?" But she pressed her lips together and let Eldritch finish explaining about how she had been separated from her friend (or was it her sister?), whom she hadn't seen since.

The yearling frowned, turning this information over in her head for a moment. How badly had the woods burned? Meerkat couldn't recall noticing anything, though she hadn't ventured near there in a while. Was it possible Aerenys had perished in the fire? She knew what it was like to lose someone, then look for them, and the mention of nonstop travel certainly tapped into her empathy.

"That's a lot to deal with, Eldritch, I'm sorry." It was on the tip of her tongue: an offer to help her search for her missing loved one. But Meerkat couldn't do that anymore. In fact, the thought made her recoil inwardly.

"Is there anything I can do?" she wondered in the next breath, fearing that Eldritch may request her help in searching, in which case Meerkat would have to decline. But maybe there was something else she could do to help Eldritch during this tough time, just like the witch had held out a helping hand to her in the past.

Sadness swelled in the darkling, seeing Meerkat react so surprised. 
She saw the sympathy, the powerlessness. 

"There is nothing left to do now. Maybe she survived, but some part of me doubts it. For now, all I can do is cope, and try to move on..." 
Eldritch sighed softly, looking skyward for a moment. 

"I've decided to take up the art of combat, and keep pursuing my medicinal practices alongside." She revealed then, watching for response.

Selfishly, she felt relieved when Eldritch did not request a search party. She seemed resigned to her friend's fate, said the only thing she could do now was cope. Meerkat's ears twitched in sympathy, pricking when Eldritch went on to mention pouring herself into some new hobbies.

Talk of medicines naturally made her think of poppies. Ignoring the slight twinge in her gut, the yearling said, "Developing new and old skills sounds like a healthy coping mechanism," and offered a soft smile. She wondered if she could help with either of these endeavors. Although she didn't fancy herself a fighter and a more pacifist activity suited her better, Meerkat didn't want to tempt fate. Dabbling in pharmaceuticals was another thing she used to do but didn't want to do anymore.

"I know some about combat, since I was raised by a mercenary. Most of my knowledge is theoretical, though. I don't think I'm built to be a fighter, but maybe I could help you practice? And I'm sure I'll learn some things along the way," the sandy yearling suggested, warm brown eyes bouncing between Eldritch's.

To Meerkat's approval of her thoughts on hobbies, Eldritch smiled softly. 

As for the rest...
"I'll take what I can get. Spars or just talking of strategy, I just want to be a protector, a guardian." El mused, thinking briefly of her birth sister...it has been years since she last saw Nyra, and unbeknownst to the both of them ever still, they shared the Teekons with each other. Would they ever see each other again? 
Probably not. Probably as likely as Eldritch thought seeing Aerenys would be.

"You're more than welcome to use me for target practice," Meerkat quipped, her voice trailing off into a thoughtful hum. It definitely wouldn't hurt to brush up on some essential defensive skills, even if she would always remain a rather mediocre guardian herself.

"Oh, by the way, I'm a member here now," she suddenly thought to say, laughing a little, "which you probably guessed. I joined a week or so ago. I haven't met many of the wolves here yet, aside from Wintersbane and Rye. My hope is to get in the resident parents' good graces, as I really wanna work on my coaching trade. So if you have any ideas, let me know."

Meerkat looked around for a moment before her attention returned to Eldritch. "And I've actually been working on mentally mapping the place. Hey, isn't patrolling a key part of being a guardian? Wanna show me the perimeters?"

fade? <3

As the two talked, Eldritch visibly started to brighten up, smiling more than usual as Meerkat offered to help her pursue her goals. Though her loss of Aerenys was definitely starting to take hold in a sinister manner, the support Eldritch has been getting has shown her that not all is necessarily lost. 

The darkness in her soul lightens ever still, as Meerkat suggests a patrol. 
"Sure thing, let's go." She smiled a bit wider, turning to go a direction, pausing a small distance to wait for Meerkat to follow.

Sure thing!

Eldritch seemed keen to do as Meerkat asked. The yearling smiled and nodded, indicating her friend should lead the way. She then fell into step behind her, their conversation resuming as they toured the glacier's boundaries. Although she had to scold herself a little for somewhat avoiding the witch the first few days, she was glad they'd bumped into one another today. Not only was it good to spend some time with one of her new pack mates (who happened to have a familiar face), it left her feeling satisfied as well. Part of why she was here was to work on her counseling and today had been a perfect opportunity in that regard.