Light the Night

The majority of the travel was an arduous task - even for an adult, but more so because there were four fresh faced children in tow - and they stopped at regular intervals for rest. For the majority of the trek Njal carried their youngest (and heaviest, he had thought on many occasions) child. Larus still hung limply from the careful hold that Njal had upon his scruff. Even though the alpha was a strong and solid individual, the hours of hiking with a pudgy babe hanging from his jaws was enough to tire his neck and shoulders. A few times Njal had tried to get Larus to walk on his own, but the boy would yowl and cry instead of taking after his siblings - sometimes even outright refusing to move. So Njal would scoop him up again, and they would march on.

When the mountains came in to view, they took his breath away. Or they would have, if Larus' fur wasn't clogging the man's mouth. Instead he sighed through his teeth, and the hot air caused the yellow-faced boy to squirm. He looked upon their new home and was invigorated. So they pushed on, until the entire group came to a halt and Tuwawi had his attention with a simple request - and his hard earned name passing from her lips.

"Call the others and claim this land with me, my Palestrike? Together?" He smiled to her, and once again the expression was hidden by the burdensome son; so he carefully deposited Larus in the grass at his paws - listening to him roll and slump towards his sisters - and then gave a gleeful nod. "Yes, my Proudheart. Together." He had told her about the foreigner Hatshepsut, just as she had shared the names of others who offered their alleigance - Skull, Malachi, who knows how many others - and so when she called for them, he simply sat and waited.

Then, it was time. When Tuwawi's head cast back and her howl rose in to the heavens, Njal mirrored her. The mountain and his flame summoned forth their allies, forging a bond with these odd souls. His own deep and hearty voice mingled with the crisp and commanding tone of the alpha female - and together their voices were matched by distant songs, nearby cheers, and the chattering of their excited children.

"Duskfire Glacier is ours," He sang-shouted, "The Sveijarn lay claim together."