Duskfire Glacier i'm just a guy with a boomerang

As Stratos dragged himself through the taiga, of these things he was certain: he was a failure of a boyfriend and a failure of a son.

Ani and Dee had disappeared like the winter snows, their scents some long-lost memory he should have tucked away more tightly than he had. But how could he remember? He had tried to track them through so many places but had found nothing of either of the girls. No tracks, no traces. Just the lonely hills and mountains that had carried him out and back again.

What was he even doing here? He couldn't go back to Moonglow. Anaa would welcome him, of course! But what would he say to her? That he'd lost both brides he'd intended to keep? How could he live with that shame? He couldn't go to Brecheliant either. Because what would he say to them? That he'd failed to track either of their daughters? Or what if they'd found them dead? He was no better off if they'd returned in his absence. If they'd ever had their doubts, they'd certainly know he was not fit to be a husband now.

He couldn't even protect them.

He couldn't even find them.

What was he now but a sorry excuse for a man? Not even a man. He didn't deserve to be called anything but a boy.

He dragged his paws as he trudged along, staring at the ground and in this moment, not really caring who came for him. Not even the glacier in all its glory could make his eyes turn upward.

AW to anyone who wants to interact with sad boy Stratos xD

Fallen Sun trekked onward on his journey, pulled in this direction for no specific reason he could discern. Merely... a feeling that his paws had, tugging him forward. The dark-brown male held one of his paws above the ground, every few steps trying to put weight on it. 

He'd had quite the time getting out of the grotto with all the cute little songbirds with a sore body and sprained leg, but the wolf managed. 

It wasn't where his heart decided he wanted to stay, so he had left and traveled further. 

And in his journey through this taiga, he had yet to spot another wolf, until... now? His nose had picked up another wolf on the wind, and his mind grew as curious as his paws did, limping his way toward the source.

In need of some fresh air, Lilia headed for the Glacier which always seemed to provide her with some sense of solace. She believed it was where she had been born, as the scent of ice was deeply familiar to the girl who had no memory of her earliest life. In her mind, she concocted stories where she painted her parents in many roles. Perhaps they had been negligent, and had simply wandered off. Perhaps they had had to fight off another predator, and had been killed. Perhaps her mother had been seduced by another man, and out of spite, her father abandoned them all. Perhaps her father had become insane, and her mother had had to fight to the death to keep the children from being slaughtered. Morbidly, she liked this one the best; the story where she was the only survivor. 

There would be no sign of them on the Glacier, as it was not, in fact, where she had been born- but she looked, nonetheless, for signs of a skeleton- something that might be a clue, or help her animate her story better. But rather than finding a skeleton, she found the form of a wolf trudging toward the glacier in the distance. Upwind of the injured fellow, she didn't take notice of him, even as he'd begun to track the man with the wildfire pelt the same way she had. 

He looked downtrodden- which meant he might be influenced easily enough. Possibly about her age, too? Not bad looking, she thought, though she felt slightly ashamed to think such a thing when she already vied for the attention of others. Still- this could be totally harmless- plus, he certainly looked like he could use some company. 

"You," She called out softly, as she approached. She bore a light grin, and allowed her tail to wave gently so he might not be so spooked by being approached by a stranger. "Look like you could uthe a bit of an adventure."

A limping gait broke the ground behind him, but Stratos did not turn his head to see if he could spot who followed him.

Could be a cougar. Could be a bear.

He hardly wished to turn even when a lilted voice called for him. But his parent’s teachings were hard to shake — and he did not wish to shake them. They were the one noble thing he had left to carry with him and so, he turned, slow but sure.

It was then he saw them both. Strangers, with nose and voices turned towards him. His gaze flickered briefly to the limping earthen man before turning to the woman who spoke. Dark and spun with a pretty array of golds, like sunshine.

He assumed they must have tracked him together.

What makes you think that? he asked with a crook of his brow. He was sure he looked like someone who wanted to be left alone to his misery. Hardly a face for adventure.

He did not know either of the two or the reason for this meeting of the three. All he knew was that the young male's heart craved friendship of any kind. Maybe something more substantial? But they smelt of other wolves the longer he was near them both, and he didn't think they'd be keen on the idea.

Fallen Sun hung back a bit, taking in the conversation. Quietly, he tried to mimic the noises he was hearing, but none resulted in an actual word.

Woahhhh, tough crowd. He turned toward her reluctantly, and though his gaze flicked past her for a moment, she didn't take it as a hint that there was another to see. He looked hardly amused at all, but Lilia took it in stride, uttering a soft bark of laughter. "If you hafta athk that, then you obviouthly need a change of view," She said. She found moodiness was unbecoming; she hoped to shake it from him with a bit of adventure. 

When she heard soft murmurs, she turned her head sharply to see another, and she bristled lightly. Another fiery wolf, one who hung back with a meek, but hopeful look. She hadn't seen him move to notice the limp. "You wanna go on an adventure, dontcha?" She asked the other, who looked to be about a year older. She turned back to Stratos. "If he thayth yeth, then you hafta come too."

Stratos sighed as the woman spun her pretty words around him. She was chipper, unrelenting. In a way she reminded him of Ani. His heart soured and softened all in one sour patch mess.

He crawled a long look at the other guy who neared them, and decided he looked like the kind who would nod along with a happy grin and agree to any adventure this girl posed. He wasn’t in the mood for silly games. Quite in fact, he could walk right away from them both.

Instead he sighed again. Oh, fine, and with an irritated shake of his head, asked, if he says yes, I’ll go with you on your silly adventure.

And then he would go back to commiserating in peace.

sorry for the wait!!