Northstar Vale pale widows

he had told takiyok where he now resided, and spoken with the dark woman. now mahler returned to diaspora, following the crisscrossed scents of stigmata and others, until the slate creature's dirge rang strong. close.
beneath the promise of pregnant stormclouds, mahler took up his companion's trail, finding stigmata not alone, but cutting a path through the deeper snow. an aureate woman was with him; the two were approached by another, one who rippled with anger.
as the stranger turned away, mahler descended the stone rise and joined the pair to flank stigmata on the opposite side. jaw clenched with the urge to go after the loner, spill his blood scarlet upon the snow for the seeming affront. but it was the herd who drew his attention, and the golden woman who had joined stigmata in his absence.
therefore, he said nothing, merely stared after the strange man for a long moment before churning his own legs powerfully through the drifts.