Black Morass frostbite

tags for ref! me:

the storm has passed, leaving a thick, glossy layer of snow on the ground and an anxious itch in delight's paws. jomyo's leaving for her trip -- if she hasn't already left -- setting into motion a series of events he's been anticipating but still doesn't know how to plan for or what to expect. either way he suspects their days in the forest are limited now. but until his ambar's return the androgyne doesn't know what to do with himself; he tells @Kota and @Queenie he's stepping out for a bit and retraces his familiar path into the sweep. when he gets to the sweep he finds the restless itch in him does not abate and, feeling bold, squeezes into the hideaway just east. delight has never made to explore further than the sweep -- at first because there'd been an active claim here when tindómë was first settled, and then because he didn't want to be out of reach should he be needed at home. 

whoever held claim here has long since gone, taking whatever history they might have shared here with them. such a strange path wolves weave across the earth, he thinks, feeling sentimental, and allows himself a small scoff at his expense. focus on the now, delight, the winding twists of this river as it leads him towards a darkened cliff. ugh, he's not crazy about this place, he decides. it's damp and cold and high up -- oh. the morwinyon pauses, wondering if he'd be able to make out king elk's forest below if he looked from the edge, and, chasing that impulse, begins to move across the mud with delicate, fussy footfalls. of course he has no idea where he's actually going, and his journey is ultimately interrupted by the scent of another -- here? in this gross place?

curiously he casts about for the stranger, feeling a bit silly as he calls out, "hello?" his voice breaking the silence that'd followed him all day.