Nova Peak Toquer

it is not the hunter's place to question her, so his golden eyes roam away from her. into the open, where the trees thin upon the slope and grow sparse. down below, the rolling of plains, the open stretch of the taiga's ferocity. in the distance:
rivals.
if they were not allies, then they were enemies. this was his thinking, and he kept it close by; but his teeth would not be the first to raise. he picks his way after her slowing strides, finally, a hum present in his throat which turns into words. peace, he says, if not for you, then for the children.
lorcan's thoughts turn to his own. a year ago, if you told him he would soon be a father, would have settled upon the peak with a wife, he would have laughed. today, it was reality; and he faced conflicting feelings. they were ignored, in the light of something more. it was something more.
if blows should come, i will fight. it is his vow, marked by the dip of his head. not only for mine, but for yours as well.
a gesture of camaraderie that he hoped to last for the coming days.