Northstar Vale fire in my bones quakes

@Germanicus i heard mereo needs a medic :eyes:

the vale was familiar to her; she had mentioned as much to tessa, meant to be an idle comment as they passed through. but it seemed her sister had plans of her own, and what had been meant as an innocent remark turned into the perfect excuse for them to split temporarily. antha would stay in the vale and take her trip down memory lane, and tessa would... do whatever she was off doing. antha knew better than to ask by now.
she wasn't certain she enjoyed this plan, but the vale was peaceful, at least. antha walked idly through the snow, noting what scents still lingered under the ice. wolves nearby, perhaps... or simply passing through, as she was. or was she? tessa had seemed fond of the place. the witch mulled this as she finished her evening stroll, her thoughts eventually turning toward dinner. a mundane existence for now, but the simplicity was healing.

!!!

the vale was where the saints had been when akashingo and ursus found them.

germanicus returned here for a patrol. but the scents were stale. still he trotted through the quiet and snow-covered place.

but he was not alone. ahead of him, a wolf roamed. he thought the individual to be feminine from their shape alone. the imperator let out a chuff, signalling that she should stop.

he approached to appraise, expression blank.

and he thought wildly of crowfeather.

the powdersoft sound of pawsteps in the snow drew antha from deep thought. she cast a blue-eyed glance over her shoulder and found a man. dark of fur and light of eye; well-built, but otherwise unremarkable. he chuffed to her, and she obliged, turning to face him with a guarded look. hello, the witch greeted simply, watching him. she was suddenly glad to have parted ways with tessa. she stepped forward to catch his scent, noting the mingling of others among it. can i help you?

the stranger was almost painfully feminine. germanicus watched her prowl toward him in the snow. "i am the imperator of mereo. have you claimed this place?"

he did not wish to have neighbors.

the eagle would abide them if necessary, but then again he might also discuss with ruenna the finer points of claiming both places. one day.

it caused an odd glissade to think of her.

he came claiming titles and asking questions, as so many did. but antha had always found it a particularly masculine affliction that made wolves expect a title to hold weight where it held no meaning. clearly he expected to be taken seriously, this imperator of mereo, but antha was not a charitable wolf.
perhaps, she said mildly, studying him. it is well protected, isn't it? and rich with herbs in the spring. a place of competition, no doubt. antha waited, half-expecting mereo's interest in the vale to unfurl in his next words, for he had arrived bearing the banner of his people readily.

germanicus found the indirectness unpalatable. he studied the woman. the vale was indeed protected. and her mention of herbs intrigued him. 

but the canyon was hardly avoidable. it marked traffic through the sunspire. 

"the mountain cuts off one route of escape, and another for view." he motioned to the gigantic spire. akashingo had plundered the vale of its few burdens. 

he turned his eyes again to her.

antha bit back the urge to laugh at the man's observations, seeing now the proud and stiff posture of a military man in his bearing. it made too much sense. through the eyes of a man at war. is that the nature of your mereo? warmongers? invaders? she inquired then, wondering if she was only imagining the thinly-veiled threat in his words. in her mind's eye she saw the blood of witches staining the fangs of soldiers. perhaps not the vale, then. she held power in her own right, but she was no warrior; an invasion would mean the death of her and any sisters she might bring into her fold.

"were you aware that a skirmish was fought here not so long ago?"

germanicus did not rise to her barbs. he felt she must have been part of some conquered personage, to recognize his mien and react to it. 

"it was soldiers who routed a murderer and her company."

germanicus had nothing more to add for the present. if she meant to keep the vale and its herbs, he would rather have her spitfire voice here than the saints.