Arrow Lake Jol

The lake was frozen at its edges. Icy white fingers stretched out to the center, where the waters had not succumb to the winter chill.

It had taken a great deal of time for the soldier to find his way down to the lake’s shore. The paths from above were narrow, precarious. The snow made footing risky when not downright dangerous. Cad had moved as swiftly as he could. When he had finally found the edge of the lake, he breathed heavily and braced himself against the chill of winter.

It never felt great to return to Diaspora’s former claim, still she did it as often as she could. There was pain here, but there was also solace. She didn’t know her father, she had been too young, but it felt right to be here – in the place she had been born. She felt safe, shielded from the world, imagining a protective spirit over her. She started to talk to him as she drew closer to the lake.

Father?

He never answered, not that she could hear.

I am here, my River.

Father, I tried going back, but I couldn’t. I just can’t forgive him. It hurts to even…

She paused as she reached the lake. There was someone unfamiliar ahead, and she steeled herself to the encounter. The stranger had as much right to be here as she did, yet she still saw him as intruding. River huffed to herself, then padded up to the lake, many deer-leaps to the male’s right. Enjoying the view? she called, though her tone wasn’t exactly friendly.

A woman’s voice drew his mossy stare. The approaching figure was clad in earthy tans and creams that complimented the sharp glint of her eye. She looked as though she had climbed out from the sands of his home and became corporeal. Cad had not missed the tone that she had addressed him in.

Nervously, the young soldier sniffed at the frigid air. There was no claim on the lake. If this sandwalker was seeking to make the territory her own, she had not done a good job of marking it. He had no interest in ruffling her coat. It was nice to have company, he reminded himself.

I am, Cad answered her question earnestly. A smile found his dark lips and drew them upward. The peachy mask upon his face was trained to her. Each prowling step that drew her nearer was captured in his eye. She traversed the frozen terrain with ease. It looked as though she had ventured through the winter elements all her life.

It’s quite a hike. One ear swiveled back. Are you native to these parts?

As River now gazed critically at the face of the stranger, she was struck by the sheer… innocence of his expression. His was a warm, soft countenance against the swallowing silversand of his coat. A pair of eyes, vividly verdant and alert. Kind, despite her eagerness to accost him.

The huntress felt the edge of her protectiveness dull, but her keen and predatory caution remained. She looked at him as if a single wrong move would draw out her teeth, and yet she came closer, unafraid.

Only a single deer-length from him now, she stopped. He was long of limb and angular; strong-looking, if not a bit sad in the corners of his smile. She did not return it.

Yes, she said to his question. I was born here, in the territory of this very lake. Neatly, quietly, she eased into a sit in a display of self-assurance and fragile trust. Her tail, swishing slowly in the snow, invited him to examine her more closely if he dared. You’re not from around here? she asked. She figured only non-natives would’ve posed the question as he had.

Born here, she’d said.

Cad returned his eyes to the scenery, as if looking upon them with newfound reverence. He felt as though he understood the initial callousness of her voice. This was her home.

The lean soldier lowered his peachy face to the earth. He had not intended to intrude on a place of importance. She knew that he was not local. Did he wear it on his face so well? The boy did not intend to leave her without an answer.

I am not. Forgive me for walking into your home.

If she wished him to, Cad would leave. His paws stepped nervously, one right and then one left.

Wh- the young man exhaled through his nose. What’s your name?

River made a small huff, turning her nose out over the lake as he apologized. You’re fine. It was hard to tell him this. A part of her would always want to chase strangers away from this area. A part of her would always want to live the life her father would have wanted, though not for him, but rather for her mother – Ketzia – whose dreams had been dashed away the moment her mate died, just as River’s dreams had been as she watched her own children succumb to illness, one by one. I’m only visiting. I don’t live here anymore.

She supposed she could live here, but what kind of life would she have, existing under the shadow of a ghost? She hadn’t been able to stay where her children had passed; this place would be no different.

Her ears twitched as his paws shifted in the snow, anxious before her. To his question, she turned to look at him again, her silver eyes alighting upon his face; her expression tempered to softness at the timidity of his query. River, she said. River Sandraudiga. What may I call you?

The young soldier felt that her assurance was made from politeness, that she still kept a protective aura over the lakeside, her home. She went on to say that she had only been visiting. The intensity of her approach might have suggested otherwise, but he was in no place to question.

Homesickness filled his belly.

She introduced herself as River Sandraudiga. The name sounded like royalty. He looked at her with wide eyes. With the offered name, he thought it made her more beautiful. The young wolf kept this to himself.

Cad Kin, ma’am. Dark lips formed a warm smile. Your name is beautiful.

The compliment came easily. Cad’s silver tail waved as his eyes danced back to the lake.

Cad Kin. Succinct. Unassuming. Unpretentious… It fit him.

His smile touched her, reaching through the rockface of River’s damnably high walls and tenderizing her further to his presence. The compliment, too, hardly helped her maintain the air of frigidness she had so carefully constructed in all her time alone.

Still, it would not behoove her to cave in to his flattery so easily. Trying to sweet talk me? she accused him, a glint of playful sass in her narrowed eyes.

Oh, I-

Laughter flitted from his muzzle and into the cold air.

And why shouldn’t he try to flatter her? She was lovely, frightening, mysterious.

I suppose I am.

Cad’s peachy features lowered, sheepishness dancing across them. These wolves were so different from the wolves of his home. There was much to be learned. Questions fell like weightless leaves from a tree, playing on the edge of his tongue before he would refrain from asking. It felt like a fine line between charming and sycophantic words. It was an edge he had no interest in testing.

I think it’s important to be honest, Cad admitted quietly to River. Even if it sounds foolish, sometimes.

River watched as clouds of warm air swirled about Cad’s slender muzzle when he laughed. It had been months since she had last heard the sound, and a corner of her mouth briefly twitched upwards of its own free will. She fought it valiantly to retain a smooth line of impassivity, though she could not shutter the light of levity from her eyes.

The innocence of his next words touched her, grabbing at something deep inside that she had done well to hide from the rest of the world. She perceived it as a pinch upon her heart, coming to the realization that she had made herself lonely to precisely keep from having to be honest with anyone.

She was quiet for a moment, observant and guarded. Are you always this philosophical? River would not give him the satisfaction of having softened her. Though, for days – if not weeks – after this encounter, she would think of him, his words, often.

River made him laugh again. She had a knack for it, perhaps.

Cad wondered if his bouts of deep reflection had been strengthened by his amnesia, by waking on the shore in an unknown land. He missed the smell of the sands and the warmth of the sun. He thought of home often. But there were good things to the new lands, as well. The young wolf did not believe he would ever have met a woman like River Sandraudiga in the Spice Sands.

At the risk of losing your company, I’ll say no… I’m not.

Cad was practical, mostly. He liked to take care of others. He liked to know that his abilities could bring good into the world. Honesty mattered to him, so he imagined that it would matter to many. He did not see a need for falseness.

Do you travel alone, River? Or are there fellow wanderers who warm themselves beside you?

It seemed that in mere moments, a softness for Cad had developed in the armor River had so carefully crafted around herself for months. Like long-settled silt stirred up by new waters, she felt a tinge of humor as it touched the edges of her muzzle and produced an elusive smile.

I admire your candor, Cad Kin. She just barely managed to suppress the further formation of a grin.

A soft chuckle, barely audible, fluttered in her throat. She gave him the sight of her profile again, as she looked outward to watch the reflective water ripple beneath a glacial gust of wind. To his question, she flicked an ear and tried not to show any particular emotion. I’m alone. Though a keener eye might notice the faintest tinge of sadness coloring her features.

River turned to look at him, her head tilted. What about you?

The peach-faced boy was enchanted by her smile. His tail waved. No matter how fleeting, he had seen that it was genuine. It was enough. It was more than enough.

Just as quickly as her smile had come, it was chased away. A small shadow cast over her features at the mention of her lonely travel. The medic wished these were things that he could mend with herbs and care. It wasn’t fair. Some believed they were meant to be alone. Cad could never believe such a thing. Everyone deserved the support of someone. The world was much too frightening to traverse by oneself.

I got washed ashore, north of here. I followed the mountain and found a place in the canyon, he motioned toward Mereo. Not on my own. Maybe… somewhat alone, though.

A lost boy in a strange world. Cad drew closer to River.

A stranger in a strange land.

River’s gaze appraised him, flickering with an unspoken sympathy. I get it. His nearness brought forth a flush of warmth she felt even in the winter chill, despite the fact that they had not touched. She could almost imagine what it would feel like to have his figure, like sun-warmed steel and sand, pressed to her side…

She was afraid to dwell on her wants. Nothing she’d ever wanted had worked out for her.

Hunt with me, she said then, her voice soft as if telling him a secret.

River did not need to ask him.

Cad nodded his head, bright and willing. The lightness of his paws carried him closer, closer, until he could smell the foreign parts that clung to her pelt. He wished he could see the lands she had walked. The medic wondered if all wolves were destined to return home?

What would you like to eat?

The silver-furred wolf would do all he could to make sure she had it. Her unspoken thoughts did not play on her features. Cad noted the softness in her voice, the gentle change in demeanor. There was warmth beneath her surface yet.

Mountain goat, always, River answered swiftly. Some wolves preferred the more supple meat of deer, but the marl huntress would always choose to dine on the muscular mountain climbers if given the choice. Something about being able to take down such ornery creatures made her that much more excited to eat them. But since it’s just the two of us, we’re less likely to get gored to death if we find some sheep instead. I’ve seen some nice, fat bighorns around here since there aren’t that many predators in this area.

River turned before they could make contact, before she would find herself distracted by more thoughts of his closeness. She dashed away through the snow, towards the slopes, confident that Cad would not be far behind. Is the land like this where you’re from? she asked over her shoulder, before turning her nose to the rocks in an effort to unearth a recent trail.

She sought to know how experienced he would be in the mountains.

The woman’s answer was swift and knowing. Mountain goat, she said.

Cad grinned, cheeks warming. He had never tasted a mountain goat. The young wolf wasn’t certain if he had even seen one. Following the mountain from the shore, he had seen a number of creatures that traveled the slopes and the high rocks. Their skill had been unrivaled. Would River run along the snowy peaks with the same surefooted grace?

The medic followed her, charmed. She could have led him to the bottom of the sea with her sharpness, with her moments of surprising warmth. Cad could feel his limbs tingle. He kept pace at her side and didn’t dare to pry his mossy eyes from her features.

She asked about his home.

It’s very different, he answered her with a cracking voice. Red stones and sand. Hot winds that blow smells from far away. Not mountains but there are great rocks that rise from the ground and deep canyons with rivers that have the bluest water. Homesickness churned in his belly.

River could hear the heartsickness in his voice, the missing of something irreplaceable and familiar to his soul. His home did sound very different to these lands. Winter whites and greys replacing summer reds and browns; sunbaked winds substituted for an omnipresent chill; crystal blue waters exchanged for dark, murky depths. To him, these mountains must have seemed like faraway lands, nearly the opposite of his personal paradise.

It sounds beautiful. She wondered if being here instead was somewhat of a hell for him.

Usually one to speak her mind, she dared not ask him in that moment, for a selfish fear that the truth might harm her. She could not even bring herself to express the sorrow she felt that he had been torn from it. I’ll introduce you to the mountains proper, whenever you want. Maybe you will find beauty here, too, she offered, even knowing that he had a place already.

River seemed to know the best places to hunt here. The two wolves crested a rocky, snow-covered hill, side by side, then descended towards a trail of upturned snow that had been disturbed less than an hour ago. What did you like to eat back at the red stones? she asked as they investigated the path. A herd of hoofprints extended in a misshapen line before them.

River offered to show him the mountains the proper way. She speculated that he might find beauty in her homeland, too. Cad bowed his head in thanks. If he were bolder, he might have told her that she already had. The fierceness of the woman was enough to hold those words fast in his throat.

As they crested the hill and the disturbed snow drew her eye, Cad stepped toward it and sniffed. He did not know if this was mountain goat, but it had a strong smell. It would be a simple trail to follow, if the snow continued to reveal the path that this creature had taken. Pink tongue flashed across his snout. The medic fixed his green eyes on River and watched her, eyeing the surety of her steps, the swiftness in the ways her eyes would find their next target.

Lizards, he answered her next question daftly. When he realized what he’d said, Cad couldn’t help but laugh. They look awful but they’ve got a good taste. They get real fat in Maofen, too.

Good for you, Cad. Paint yourself out to be a lizard-eater in front of the beautiful girl.

Lizards? River’s head was forced back a little in surprise.



Then her mock skepticism gave way to a genuine smirk when he laughed. She listened to him explain, though the alleged delicious fatness concerning his meal of choice did not exactly sway her opinion. I’ll take your word for it, she teased, tail wagging softly.

The huntress turned to sniff about the multitude of prints, determining their direction while also trying to discern if any scent among them carried even a tinge of illness or injury. These belong to sheep. A small herd, River told her temporary companion. They frequent this trail, because it’s the quickest way through these ridges to the lake. She gestured ahead of them. They’ve gone back recently. We’ll run into them soon.

She led the way forward, easing her gait for the less familiar wolf at her side, should he pause for anything that was of interest to him. So, Maofen? Is that what your homeland is called? There was still a bit of time before they’d need to fall into a hunter’s hush, and River was interested in everything about the foreigner.

I needed a week of recovery after your kudos hahah. <3

What kind of an answer was lizards? Cad was all but horrified before River broke the weight of his fretting with a smirk. It lifted her features, foxish and glimmering for only a moment before she pressed on with their tracking. The long-legged medic followed swiftly, smitten to his core by this woman and the light she carried within her.

Sheep-marks were pointed out. She explained that there was a small group of them, that they would likely find them soon. Such promises were met with an invested bob of his head and a sniff at the disturbed snow. Their prints were distinct and clustered together. Cad hoped to remember them, in case he found similar tracks in his future travels.

It is. A group clustered in the red rock canyon at the edge of the Spice Sands, he answered.

It isn’t known to be a welcoming place. Certainly nothing like what I’ve found in these parts.

Pointed ears and a focused shift of his eyes.

How far have you traveled, River?