Nova Peak ε

---

his eyes were soft, watching ayovi draw all details of this space into her eyes. he did not know it, but his own mind reached toward thoughts of a settled homestead; she round with children and he stamping snow from his shoulders at the doorway, bringing freshkill and flowers for the one with the evening in her eyes.

he had tasted battle and blood. he had even showed one side of it to ayovi, in a time that felt far away. and he knew should danger threaten their mountain, blade would be bared in an instant.

but they had not argued! he supposed it was because they had been otherwise occupied.

her paws were deft at the floor. he looked at the markings, then at her. there would be other caverns, feathered with pine and dusted in snow. but here he had seen her eyes light with potential, and here he thought he might be able to immortalize it.

there was more exploration to be done; he needed to search for water sources nearby, so she would not need to travel far. skorpa had not explored the trails above this den; he had not hunted its forests; he had not done any necessary planning, and his throat caught to say ja.

but he wanted that expression painted always to her face.

skorpa, brutish man who worked only in the tangible, now moved in faith, tracing the symbol which ayovi had etched over the icons of them. "hjem."

---