Sleepy Fox Hollow dreamers, they never learn

that which had transpired with the foxfire had left a bitterness in mahler that he could not shake. around the edges of the hollow he prowled, pushing his barely-healed senses to their limitations while he searched for a way to forgive his failings. mahler weakened on the second patrol, swearing darkly as he forced himself to consume snow and lie himself down for a time. diaspora may have had a besiegte for a leader as of late, but he would not allow them to also have a dead one.
the voice that rose up over the crumbled peaks was familiar, and he lifted his sulking head to listen more clearly. maegi, of blackfeather. guilt again sprung up that he had not visited her again, but the ailment — "bah!" mahler spat, gathering himself up and trudging quickly through the snow to greet the princess.
maegi was not alone; an equally scarred male stood alongside her, the two of them clearly paired in some way. ignoring the spate of jealousy that flared — not of the situation at hand, but that he himself remained alone through his poor choices — mahler lifted his chin, regarding them both with a questing look. "it is good to see you vell, maegi," the gargoyle murmured, falling silent then.