Duskfire Glacier lust

lestan and the white wolfess had driven the herd of mule deer deeper into the glacier.
and what a lovely place it was! by the end of the first day, the amaguk had made his way from the bosk into the greyfall caverns. he stared open-mouthed at the great waterfall which crashed inside the cave system itself!
the explorations here turned up bits of fur, dried pelt, old bones, all things to suggest that though wolves had once lived here, no pack had made it their home since.
the caverns led into a field of ice. it sparkled whitely in all directions. 
and above them in the nightfall that had come! the lights, dancing! lestan was transfixed, and watched the lights until he eventually fell asleep.
dawn found him stiff and cold. he retreated to greyfall and cracked a bone for marrow. he slept again and woke refreshed at a later hour. 
polaris icefield led to a horrifically steep ravine. lestan panted, having almost fallen into it himself. pebbles and pieces of ice clacked loudly down into the deep crevasse. he came away at once and went back to the caves for the third time. 
this excursion led him to the other side of the territory, to the magnificent, fierce sight of duskfire glacier itself. the huge packing of ice fed a completely frozen lake. he only marvelled at it from a distance.
the grotto on the far side intrigued him. lestan went down into it and started up the horrendously treacherous path to the glacier, but two falling spires of ice nearly knocked him off the narrow trail. he retreated at once. maybe another time he would have the bravery and experience for it. he went over the edge of frostfire ridge and down into the little wedge of forest which nestled against meltwater lake. there he caught a young rabbit completely by accident.
it was almost time to return home. how strange and how wonderful, to think of natigvik as such so soon!

Despite wondering, these prior weeks, about his place in the rise, Ashlar tried to continue as usual and without complaint. He should be happy for them all and their happiness, but ever since even Auger had brought a pairing to reside with them, an aching loneliness had captured him. He thought of Ratio. He thought of Chacal. And he thought of Avicus, Prophet tall at her flank. He couldn't resent that she seemed happy. Ashlar did not have that kind of jealousy within him - but that didn't prevent the sting of his own predicament.

Not for the first time, he wondered if ignorance was easier. He'd been happier before he knew.

He didn't want to see the coast, nor did he want to remain in the Rise today. He allowed his restless wandering to carry him north, deciding he could at least track prey movements and see what might lie in the ice fields. Sometimes things perished there and were preserved better, from the hot sun, than anywhere else.

When he arrived, however, he noticed immediately that he was not alone. Ashlar deliberated on joining him, introducing himself and the Rise. Then he deflated and instead simply cast a look about from where he was.

He didn't think a stranger was the right remedy for this ache. Maybe it was better to allow them the fields for today.

can be a cameo unless pulled in!

even in this little grotto there was life. the rabbit had a beautiful buttery pelt. lestan thought it would make a fine gift for sakhmet, and set about skinning the animal as carefully as he was able.
his ears lifted, then his fine head. "who's there?" the natigvik wolf asked aloud. he licked blood from his jaws and hoped he would not have to fight. of course he would, even if badly.
his hackles lifted. he snorted and stood taller in the brush.

Ashlar froze in surprise when they called out, halting with one paw even lifted, mid stride. They didn't sound upset, and he relaxed, as at first he'd feared he had unknowingly crossed a marker. The last thing he needed was to bring conflict to the Rise. He had enough of his own to untangle.

Sorry, I didn't - I was just leaving. He responded quietly, though enough to at least carry to him. I'm Ashlar. He nearly said where he was from, but stopped. If this stranger wished to know, he didn't think it important to hide, but maybe less was better today. He wasn't sure how much he was up for.

lestan visibly relaxed to find that the culprit was only another wolf — and very pretty besides. his face was pinked by the time he finished his hasty perusal of the gilded eyes and rich dark fur. "i'm lestan. um, mayfair. of natigvik, that way."
he motioned back to the mouth of the river, then glanced back to the other wolf. "are you a loner? or just traveling, like i am?"

He didnt seem bothered, though Ashlar was still uncertain. He was so tired of upsetting all of those around him, always unintentionally. Lately he's felt like a complete failure of a friend and it made new friendships harder to enter, guilt gnawing at him around the old.

He couldn't be rude, especially when he knew this name! It had been so long since he'd heard it, and the bard suddenly missed his mother fiercely. Mayfair was mama's name. He said, still softly, but looking at the other man with some renewed sincerity in his smile.

I live in the Rise. I just, um. I don't know. I guess I was looking for supplies. For healing.

Were they family? Did he know mama? Ashlar had questions, but he stopped there. He wondered what was worse - a stranger who let you know when your company was unwanted, or one that was nice regardless? Ashlar couldn't tell yet, but he quietly hoped the stranger would stay a bit now. He wanted to know more.

lestan's eyes nearly bulged out of his head with shock. he padded closer, tail waving gaily. "do you mean to say we are related?" he asked in a genuinely delighted tone. "that's wonderful!"
"where's the rise?" lestan asked after a beat. he was truly too tickled to focus well, and especially now that the smile was lifting some tension on the other's handsome face.
how unsuitable, to think of ashlar as attractive beneath the circumstances! "we have another relative in natigvik. amalia is her name."

I don't know. Ashlar answered honestly, though the other man's obvious delight warmed him to the idea. He'd already enjoyed it, but he was heartened by how glad it made this stranger, to think they might be tied like that. It was her family, I think. There was Uncle Casmir... He didn't remember if the others were family, and it had been so long since he'd been home. But this was home now. Was it possible, to have two?

It's that one, the shorter mountain. Ashlar indicated, then brightened some. It was easy to be distracted now, with talk of family and things that were easy to discuss. His tail waved to think that there were even more of Mama's family here! I've never met any! Not here, at least. Baba had family here who he had not met either, though Gannet did not speak of them much. Mostly because he did not speak much of anything that was not healing and lessons. Ashlar loved him dearly regardless.

What is Natgivik? It had to be another pack, but Ashlar had never heard of them. He only knew the seaside pack upon the Cliffs. That wasn't the name that Chacal had given it.

uncle casmir. lestan did not think he had ever heard such a name! or maybe he had! 
he listened intently to the rest of what ashlar said, still not recognizing the other man's name for the artful chaos it was. "we are down that way. just follow the river." his tail waved again; the gentle eyes blinked over the other's countenance. 
"i have a friend there, amalia. she is a healer too. well, she is learning. but i know some plants, if you would like me to help you look." lestan was hopeful, the edges of his mouth turned up in amusement, to find someone in his own family tree so close to home

Oh, um. Sure. He hadn't come out here with that purpose, but between that and wasting time ("tracking") it was probably the better option. The distraction of the other man was very welcome and the company unexpectedly soothing. Here was a friend who didn't have expectations to disappoint yet.

I'm not sure what grows here. Mostly I gather near the water, or in the meadows that way. He indicated the direction, smiling a bit with shy indecision. He hadn't developed fully into the confidence of his role and anytime he was faced with someone who might know something, it was daunting.

I don't mind learning, if you do. There was a hopeful note to that, echoed by the searching look he gave. He said he knew plants, but did he know of ones Ashlar did not? That would be wonderful!

"lead on then!" lestat exulted. "and, oh! well, she told me about these," he said, plucking tundra daisies. "fever, maybe? and this," he said of lavender patch. "for the stomach. and it smells good."
the latter he placed into his mouth and chewed lightly. "i am not familiar with the plants that come in bulbs. do you?" the cornflower gold of his eyes was warm.

Ashlar led. As he did he watched the other man shyly from the periphery of his gaze, listening as he detailed the plants that he knew. I know ginger, for the stomach. It's... kind of a bulb. He answered, though he did not know if it grew in these places. He was glad to now know an alternative.

There's flowers. I don't know of many that help, but garlic helps against some sickness. And infections, but not if there's bleeding. Baba had told him this would make the bleeding worse. He needed to be careful to use it only when the wound was stopped. It looks like a thick grass, but when you dig it up, it smells... spicy? He lowered his muzzle uncertainly. It's hard to describe.

There were others, he thought, but he couldn't recall them now.

thick, spicy grass? lestan tried to think whether or not he had ever scented such a thing. or seen one! "is it a spicy to sting the nose, or more a pleasant feeling?"
another jest, and his eyes lit with it.
a howl was rising from the direction of natigvik, and with it his name. he sighed a little and smiled ruefully. "you'll forgive me if we pick this up again another time, perhaps?"

It's, uh.... Ashlar was interrupted when a howl sounded, one that seemed to strike his new friend familiarly. The bard lapsed into grateful, awkward silence as he nodded, trying to cool the heat that flushed his cheeks.

He was nice and open in a way that Ashlar wasn't accustomed to anymore. As friendly as Prophet but with an additional, easy warmth that the reserved warrior lacked. Ashlar was smitten.

Okay. Yeah, a... another time. He smiled, then watched the other man go with a glowing gaze. Finally he turned and gathered what he'd found, preparing to make his way back towards the Rise.