dreamers of the day are dangerous men

Nochtli had outlined only so much about what had occurred to Tezacoatl; and most of which was ignored by the newly arrived aunt. Her goal wasn't to reacquaint herself with the boy, but to bring him home. His mother had given the task herself - although Xiuhcoatl did not know of her sister's own venture in to the wilds. She would not fail. Failure was not permitted.

Once the dark woman had brought her deeper in to the territory, Xiuhcoatl bid her farewell. She was keen on hunting down her nephew herself, and would acquaint herself with the lands in her passing. It was no Coatl's Rise, to be sure: this land was composed of permafrost, massive sheets of ice, and too much empty space.

What could have drawn Tezacoatl to this dreary location? What did he hope to accomplish here, if anything? The boy's guard had found him, but they had not returned to the Rise in some time - and no word had been sent in their stead. Or, as far as Xiuhcoatl knew, there had been no indication that they were even alive. To find Nochtli in this place was a complete fluke, but it wasn't something Xiuhcoatl would squander.

The gods were leading her towards success. All it took now was a bit of urging from her, the esteemed Beta of the Rise, and the boy would see reason. He would return to the Rise and become it's leader, as his mother decreed and the gods desired. This thought was what prompted the golden woman to pick up speed. She sucked in a cold breath and roamed, seeking out the scent of Tezacoatl - and then, when his silhouette appeared, she barked sharply.

He was moving at a lazy pace (according to her) and paused to look up at the sky; she strayed a glance upwards as well, but saw nothing of interest.  With a scoff, Xiuhcoatl rounded upon Teza's position and came to an abrupt stop, cutting him off. She leveled a chilly expression his way, but did not speak - as if to give him a chance to explain himself.