Duskfire Glacier Illusions of the sunlight.

He flicked his gaze here and there, seeing where he could go - and found himself overwhelmed with the possibilities of all the places Tuwawi and her pups may have wandered to. The world was far bigger than anything he imagined while in the Vale, and full of more sorrow than he could even count. He thought his family had suffered, with their own plague of cats and the landslide that had killed his brother - but then he had come here.

The youth puffed out a gentle sigh, the sum of his thoughts, and reluctantly drew to his paws. Getting lost in thought would do him no good. There were too many things he needed to do - hunting and gathering, preparing for the winter that settled fast upon them - but just to think on these set worry in the youth. The pack was capable of accomplishing these tasks, but as leader, he felt the pressure to work at them tenfold. There came with this a dreadful stress and a sense of heavy accountability he'd not felt in a long while.

But ignoring these feelings wouldn't do him any good, either, and Malachi prepared to leave his wish to search on the border's edge. But the sound of nearby movement distracted him, and he canted his ears and turned, hackles bristling as he prepared to meet his approacher. He still feared the lynx lived nearby, and were simply waiting for an ideal time to strike again. But as soon as it came, the noise drew away and Malachi scanned the woods that littered the Glacier's base. His eyes fell on a stony form, not far from where he stood, and he felt his hackles lower, though apprehension still stirred within. Malachi had not seen Njal wander far from the den where Maera slept in the days after his return. What had happened that brought him here now? Njal's unexpected presence brought unease to the youth, but Malachi held himself with what confidence he could retain. "Is... everything alright?" He called, wincing at how his voice broke the morning hour.