Nimbus Summit We took a back road

Tuulu had immediately gone to find Isso. They had much to talk about, including Lane's proposal that he be promoted to, and she step down to, beta. He had told his brother back at the glacier that he had no interest in leading, and he wondered how the other Tatkret would take this news. 

Seeing as they had only just arrived home, Tuulu hadn't had much time to explore the territory. But he quickly found a large lake, thinly surrounded by large trees that would surely look beautiful once spring was in full force. He could see evidence of it now as green started to poke up through the snow. 

The northerner took a seat near the water and lifted his head to call for @Issorartuyok. He knew @Lane would be here soon, as well, and they could start discussing everything.

The sound of his brother’s voice was a relief.

Issorartuyok howled in response, telling Tuuluuwaq that he would be there shortly. When he had answered the call, he worked swiftly to track down where the young Tatkret was located. The ground beneath his paws was a blur. The northerner trekked as swiftly as he could.

Tuulu! You have arrived, Issorartuyok greeted his sibling with breathless pleasure. He trotted to an approach and slowed a few steps away from the other figure. A moment of concern crossed his face as he glanced behind his sibling.

Is Lane well?

"Well enough," Lane answered for herself. She trotted up to the pair, bumping Issoratuyok's shoulder in a friendly way before settling herself next to Tuuluuwaq. 

"How was your journey..? --I like this mountain you chose for us, by the way." Lane smiled, quickly glancing to Tuuluuwaq. He had seen more of the lands than she had, she assumed, since he had found this pretty lake. What did he think so far?

The sight of his brother had a grin spreading across Tuulu's face. Isso, he greeted with the same energy. The other Tatkret asked after Lane, concern crossing his face. She— is well, was what he had been about to say, but Lane appeared then and answered for herself. She greeted his brother with a bump to his shoulder before coming to sit beside him. Tuulu smiled at her and brushed his nose lightly across her cheek in his own greeting. 

Lane and I had some time to discuss the future of Atautsikut while we traveled, he told his brother. Well, he supposed the conversation had actually taken place before they left, but no matter. We discussed the two of us becoming the beta pair. He studied his brother's face then, worried he might not be as excited about the decision. Tuulu had told him not too long ago that leading wasn't on his mind, but beta seemed more doable, especially with Lane as beta beside him.

Lane appeared before Tuuluuwaq could answer for her. Issorartuyok bowed his head to his fellow leader, pleased that she had arrived safely. There were fewer things to worry about, now that they had drawn up the rear. A weight had been lifted from the northerner’s chest.

Only to be replaced by a new one.

Tuuluuwaq said that he had talked with Lane, that they had discussed a role as the Beta pair. The eldest Tatkret eyed them carefully, trying as best as he could to keep the worry from his face. Was this what Lane had been suggesting when she had brought up the idea of Issorartuyok remaining behind and allowing her to venture out? She did not want to lead with him. Feelings of inadequacy flooded his body. The man remained silent for a long time.

Have- Have I done something wrong? Lane? Am I not adequate to lead at your side?

The brown of his eyes searched her features.

Tuuluuwaq wasted no time in cutting straight to the chase. A man after my own heart, Lane thought in amusement. 

Issorartuyok reacted in a way that Lane hadn't expected. He took it personally, making it all about himself. It was the reaction of a wolf struggling with his self-esteem, which Lane had never imagined of Issoratuyok. She had let herself get so distracted with the troubles of Duskfire Glacier (not to mention being courted by Tuuluuwaq) that she had missed it when Issorartuyok's self-confidence failed. He had needed her support, and she hadn't even noticed. It was even more evidence as to why they needed a larger leadership team. Things kept slipping through the cracks.

"No, Issorartuyok! It's not like that at all. If anything, it's the opposite. You're more than adequate; I have all the faith in the world in you, and that's a huge reason that I feel confident enough to step down to beta." Was any of this getting through? Lane continued. 

"I volunteered for leadership to lend you support-- to help instill the confidence of the older pack members-- and you just don't need my help anymore, in that sense. Our people trust you and follow you now. You've given us a name, and a beautiful new home.. Atautsikut is your pack." Perhaps Lane had been a good leader to Duskfire Glacier, but Duskfire Glacier was no more. 

Lane looked to Tuuluuwaq. Truly, her feelings for Tuuluuwaq were at the heart of her decision. "Tuuluuwaq and I are..." In love? Could she say that, yet? "--I want to share everything with him, including my position. I want to be equal partners with him and on equal footing. I'm not stepping down from leadership entirely; really, I'm asking for Tuuluuwaq to step up, so he can stand beside me."

A deep breath in, and Lane would offer one final point. 

"This change will leave the position beside you open, so you could do the same with your mate: elevate her, so she stands with you in all ways." Wouldn't Issorartuyok like the sound of that? It was a very traditional way of doing things, and if Lane knew anything about the Tatkrets, she knew they liked their traditions. She and Issorartuyok made a good alpha team, certainly, but it was time to shake things up so that there was room for growth and development. Room for love, for partnership, and for family. 

Lane's steady gaze held the utmost confidence in Issorartuyok. He was clearly being very careful in his selection of his mate, and so she had no doubts that whomever Issorartuyok chose would make a stellar alpha female. "Whoever you choose will have the entire weight of our support-- all three of us. I have complete confidence in your judgement. I have complete confidence in you, Issorartuyok." Lane would finally fall into an uneasy silence, knowing that if she allowed herself to continue to speak she would just continue to make the same points over and over, each time a little more pleading.

Tuulu had wondered if his words would receive some kind of negative reaction from his brother, but the one he gave was surprising. The younger Tatkret thought it seemed apparent that this decision was made with his and Lane's future in mind, not because they wanted to push Isso out of his position. He certainly hadn't done anything to make them think he wasn't fit to lead. Tuulu was stunned, and he looked to his brother with genuine concern; what had made him jump to this conclusion?

Lane took over the conversation then, for which he was immensely grateful. She had a way with words and it would sound better coming from her anyway, since Isso was worried she was unhappy with his leadership. 

He looked at her when she said his name, offering her a soft smile. He wanted all of those things too. Before Lane none of that had been on his mind, but he wanted to be beta with her and have a family with her, if she decided she wanted more children. He hoped Isso would see that now that Lane had explained everything. 

When she finished, Tuulu stepped forward and touched his nose to his brother's shoulder. I would be honored to be your second, brother. But you, and whoever you select for your mate, are meant to be the Alphas of Atautsikut. He just wanted his brother to be happy for them. He wanted them all to be happy here in their new home.

Very well.

Issorartuyok did not like it. His gaze shifted warily between his brother and Lane. They had grown so close to each other. How was it that Tuuluuwaq was so good at building relationships? How was it that Issorartuyok could not find the same ease in his own? The older brother was lost in these thoughts, unaware that he had allowed a stretch of silence to fill the air between them.

It would be wiser for you both to take the Alpha role, as you have made the most progress in your path together.

The northerner swallowed and shook his head.

But I do not wish to argue with people I care about. Not anymore. Why did he still think of Meerkat? She had disappeared after their last talk. Her scent had faded from the glacier by the time they had departed the territory. Issorartuyok was pursuing things with Antha. Still, his failures with Meerkat sat heavy upon his heart. He did not long for her romantically. He only wished that he had been better – or had even been enough.

Whenever you wish to make it happen, I will… support you both.

Issorartuyok nodded stiffly and offered a weak smile. It had always been his spirit’s path, to lead. He knew that Lane would still be there, that Tuuluuwaq would be there, with her. The weight did not lessen. It only grew.

Despite her best effort, Lane was not able to elicit a brightening upon Issorartuyok's features. Lane wondered if Issorartuyok's melancholy was tied less to the changing ranks and more to the fact that they had made "progress in their path together" while he had struggled more with his mate selection. Lane wondered if this attitude was the results of some hybrid of jealousy and low self esteem that had taken root within Issorartuyok. 

"Our feelings for one another don't make us better leaders," Lane insisted, glancing to Tuuluuwaq. "If you haven't made as much progress on your own path as you'd hoped, it's probably because you've been focused on being a leader to our people during an incredibly difficult and turbulent time." Issorartuyok had spent much of his time devoted to guiding the pack's youth after the loss of their father and the search for a new territory that could support them all. He hadn't wasted any time of the frivolities of courting, and in Lane's eyes that made him a better leader, despite the fact that Issorartuyok seemed to think that it somehow made him a worse one. 

Leadership was not a race. It was not a competition. It was a calling-- one that Issorartuyok possessed, and Lane and Tuuluuwaq did not. That's all there was to it. 

"Then we won't argue," Lane allowed when Issorartuyok agreed, albeit reluctantly. "This is what we want." She nodded firmly to both brothers. 

"There is further business," Lane stated hesitantly, venturing to change the subject now that it seemed they had reached an uneasy truce. "Tuuluuwaq and I met with the remnants of Rivenwood. Mahler has left the pack. Those left within Rivenwood are requesting our help to recover the kidnapped children, presumably by force." Lane's displeasure would be apparent to these wolves who knew her well. Her eyes narrowed as she relayed the request, and her tail switched back and forth in agitation. She was not inclined to gamble with the safety of her packmates by volunteering Atautsikut for a war that did not concern them, but Issorartuyok may see things a different way.

Isso's words felt more like he was just capitulating rather than being happy for them. Tuulu couldn't help but be hurt by this reaction; he felt the pain deep in his heart. He thought his brother would be proud of him, but instead he seemed hurt by the whole thing, which confused the younger Tatkret. Leading together should be something that brings them closer, but Tuulu worried it would only create distance between the siblings. 

Still, he was set in his decision. Lane wanted to step down, and he wanted to help carry some of the weight of leadership. 

Of course Lane's words were kind while still getting the point across, something he wished he could do as well as her. Tuulu hadn't even thought to consider his relationship to Lane as something that would make him a better leader. 

He was happy to let Lane continue to be the one who responded to Isso, as Tuulu was pretty still pretty shocked over everything his brother had said. Plus, this was what they wanted and he had no plans to do anything differently. 

The Tatkret was thankful for the change in subject, even if the matter was not a good one. She told him of Rivenwood and what they had learned when they visited. Neither of us feel like we should get involved; we are separated by days of travel and we do not want to go to war when peace is what we want most of all. He shifted awkwardly. But you have final say, of course.

The conversation shifted to Rivenwood and their remaining members.

Issorartuyok did not like the idea of assisting them. He did not know how many of their children had been taken, or to where. Their people had crossed two mountains to escape the hardships that had plagued them in the glacier. It would not do well to round up more members, just to journey back to what they had escaped from.

In the back of his mind, he thought of Heda. He would need to speak to her, would need to discuss taking a trip when spring turned to summer. They could journey together, or with one of the young boys, and could venture to Rivenwood’s grounds to see if their people needed any further assistance. Until then, Atautsikut did not need to leave their mountain – their new home.

We will not go. Not yet anyway. We will not risk the lives of our people after having them journey so far. When spring turns to summer, I may reconsider visiting them to see if they require further assistance. For now, we need to focus on our village. If it was his decision, then this was it. Issorartuyok did not want to risk the lives of his wolves. He would not ask them to make that lengthy journey again, only to face greater danger than they had before.

Now we must grow strong. There will be children in the spring and I wish for this home to be a good one to them.

I'll leave this sitting for another week or two and if neither of you lovely individuals reply, I will go ahead and close it out. <3 I am dreadfully sorry for the wait.