Permafrost Hollows tu akela hi nahi hai

he'd lingered a bit around the bracken woods and their adjacent territories—but only a bit, and with the constant urge to turn his brain off. the places reminded him of his encounters and fallout with alarian, his failed diplomacy with bracken sanctuary.

a source of shame, for which he kept hidden well within the back chambers of his mind.

but this was new ground, and aditya sniffed along the ice-cloaked chambers at the base of the mountain, intrigued. even in the heat of summer, the glaciation persisted. 

much like the north, which wasn't too his liking. he was a warm-weather fellow, after all.

but he could stay here and admire for a short while. his golden eyes peered into one of the larger caves, and he wondered what treasures (or horrors) might be found within.

Hope grew more and more faint, and Lilia’s love of scouting and ranging faded a bit too, knowing she wasn’t simply seeking to learn, but to find. And by now, she’d lost hope that the Wealda would be found at all. The travel, which took place outside of her normal duties, wasn’t as enjoyable as it had been before. Not when it was tainted by dread.

She thought of the icy caves at the base of the mountain, and wondered if there was any chance Avicus had gone in and been blocked there by a cave-in, or had simply gotten turned around. She approached the entrance, and could smell another wolf in the area- but knowing there was essentially a labyrinth within, she headed in anyway.

She liked the cool air, which reminded her of where she’d been born. It was a reprieve from the summer heat, which always seemed to sink right into the dark fur of her back.

Her claws clicked on the ice as she roved, sniffing and making her way through the underground maze, hoping to find some trace of Avicus there though the smell of the male only grew stronger and stronger.

a scent began to waft through the labyrinth, and his nostrils flared, taking it in. a young woman, somewhat familiar (couldn't be the one he'd ran into in the bracken woods, right?) and alone.

he chuffed, breath fogging slightly amid the ice that surrounded him.

who's there? he called out, lifting his chin.

if the stranger was a threat—and you never could tell—he'd rather get ahead of it.

The man’s voice rang out, wetted with reverb from the icy walls. It was impossible to tell if the shivering in his tone was from nervousness or if it was simply the acoustics of the place. When she spoke, it was slightly slower than she might normally speak, so she might at least appear casual, cool.

”Lilia,” She said, and padded forward cautiously. She still did not know if he was nervous and knew nervous wolves could be dangerous. ”Won’t hurt ya unleth you athk for it,” She said, lightly humorous.

the wolf that emerged from the darkness was cloaked in varying shades of black and brown, with icy eyes and a lisping quality to her voice. just about as young as ani, he thought, and so he gave her a smile in return, shaking his head.

i don't have a death wish, aditya replied, eyes sparkling. not quite yet.

he stepped forward a bit, tilting his head. do you live around here, ladki? your scent is somewhat familiar to me. or, at least, the other smells on you, he amended, a little sheepishly. didn't want to seem like a creep, after all.

Her eyes swept over him, noting quickly that he appeared to be relatively normal- with the exception of the thing he had around his neck. Her gaze narrowed and she bristled, ears flicking back. She raised a brow as he spoke, intrigued by the soft roll of his tongue and the noticeable accent of his well-articulated words. He sounded thoughtful, curious- but she couldn't get past the dark collar sunk into the fur of his neck. 

She stiffened when he stepped forward, though she wouldn't flee just yet. She tried to lift her gaze to meet his, though she kept finding herself watching for any sign of madness. The thing about his neck didn't seem to cause him discomfort, but it was still extremely odd. 

"It'th Lilia," She reminded him, when he referred to her by another name. She felt she was being a bit stiff; maybe he was completely used to the thing he had on. Maybe other wolves had them, and she'd just lived an incredibly sheltered life. "Yuh, I live not too far from here, with a pack," She said. She'd keep it vague until she had him figured out, she thought. It might not have been polite, but she felt it was impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. "What'th that thing around your neck?"

of course, her eyes were fixed on the collar. why wouldn't they be? his own gaze swept down, eyes crossing slightly as he glanced at his existential chain.

i don't know, aditya admitted. i think it's a curse. not to say i'm someone to avoid, he added hastily, grimacing, but maybe i've done too many bad things in my life. anyway, i woke up one day and this thing was here. and i've had it since.

he shrugged, sighing. of course she was curious about it. he wished he had more answers for her.

he gave her a neutral look. what's your pack? he queried casually, cocking his head sideways.

The word curse made Lilia back up a couple steps. She regarded him with narrowed eyes as he admitted he'd done things he seemed to be ashamed of. It didn't add up, unless he'd done something really, truly horrible. She knew the darkness of her own thoughts, but had never been cursed with something like that. She'd hunted down a murderer, once, and that wolf had also not received a visible curse like that. It just...Didn't make sense...And unlike the darkness she knew existed within herself, and the darkness she'd seen in others...She didn't necessarily sense that this guy, Aditya, was really all that bad. 

He asked about her pack, but she was leery to give that information to someone who claimed he'd been cursed. She didn't know if curses were contagious, and if she told him where she lived, maybe he'd go there. "Thorry; I uh, I juth-t don't know what to think about thith...Curthe, thing," she said. "You underth-tan," She prompted, hopefully. She didn't want to endanger those she loved with a curse she didn't understand. "Have you tried like..Confething to all the thingth you done?" She asked.

no sorry needed, ladki, aditya assured her, seeing that the young woman was more than taken aback at his words. i confess every day. but that doesn't change the past.

whew. things were getting heavy here. he grimaced slightly, shaking his head.

i should be on my way, he said. and let you go as well. safe travels, lilia.

he made to move on—unless the girl stopped him. but he didn't think she'd come closer, given her reaction to his alien accessory.

”It’th Lilia,” she corrected again, a bit less patient now that she had to repeat herself. She’d already begun to conclude that if he was cursed, and confession wasn’t helping, he might not be the best company. He suffered, but he didn’t win her pity. Not when he admitted so easily he had done wrongful things. 

He seemed willing enough to continue travelling and suffering, and she’d let him go. Best not to get involved, she thought. She grunted in response, and went on her way.