Duskfire Glacier embracing the starlit fate

It had been some time since Týrr had last visited Duskfire Glacier, and while it was not a literal pile of rubble and smoking ruins it held the same feeling of devastation within him that the literal sense of ruins would. He had taken what was left of their caches that the Sound wolves had not stolen before the war and stored them in Frostfire Glacier's caches though that food was long gone by now. Fresh meat replaced the soured meat if it was left to get to that point. Checking the caches was something that the Amazon Prince did daily, just as he routinely patrolled though there were no borders to mark his territory. He supposed he should not remain so eager to protect what was not yet his, but it was an instinct that he could not turn off. Besides, he took the liberty to invite lone wolves into what would become the heart of the territory in the hopes of cajoling them into pledging themselves to him. He had a strong core behind him, Manuia, Citali and Nochtli. Though he did not know the latter two as well as he knew Manauia he trusted them at their word. He had very little memories to go off of that could confirm that they were actually upon his side but he afforded them the benefit of doubt, nevertheless.

There was great sorrow in the set of his strong, broad shoulders as he stood and simply stared, taking in the lands he had helped to lay claim to, land that he had considered home. The pain had begun to ebb as his new path unfolded before him, but he found that he still missed Tuwawi, though he had long since given up on the hope that she might return. So long as she was happy where ever it was she had went, then Týrr supposed that was all that mattered. He could never forget about his wildfire queen, but Frostfire Ridge and it's conception — and the collection of Amazon women he was gathering — proved to be adequate distractions from his lost affection. 

Still, there was a part of the soon-to-be King that wished that things hadn't changed, that they had remained as they had been, if only because he had no choice but to drawn what little comfort he could from what he knew, his life too centered around what he couldn't remember, what was lost to him. Killing Ragnar had been the start, but few memories had made themselves present and once again Týrr found himself in limbo, stuck between Tezcacoatl's instincts and Týrr's (some-what false) memories.

As much as Posie disliked the cold, he couldn't outright say he hated it. Hate was too strong a word, and he had always been taught to avoid such strong sentiments. Even if he was only describing a place, not a person. The lesson was so well ingrained within the meek boy that he couldn't fathom such a descriptor. No, he disliked the cold. Thoroughly. And no matter how much effort he put in to movement - whether he paced willy-nilly or ran full-tilt through the strange pine forest - he couldn't warm his little self up. When the creeping thoughts of his own demise started to catch in his mind, Posie was startled, first and foremost. Such a grim outlook was not normal for him; but the thoughts of freezing to death where nobody would find him spurred him on. He soon found himself faced with quite a magnificent sight.

As the boy emerged from the snowy forest, his eyes landed upon the view. The glacier spread out for as far as his eyes could see - and as far as his mind could fathom - reaching to the horizon and disappearing in to the distance. 

He gasped audibly, "Woah!" And his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. Who knew such a massive sheet of ice could exist in a place like this? (Clearly Posie didn't understand the laws of nature). "Its so big!" As he exclaimed this, Posie's teeth set in to a noisy chatter. He sucked in a cold breath and tried to chill out (hah), but that was his entire problem. He needed to warm up, not just stand there gawking at the scenery.

The cold did not bother Týrr, and having lived in Duskfire Glacier for however long his time was when combined he had gotten used to it. If he would have never gotten caught in Ragnar's raid he would have never been injured, nor would he have known true cold. There was nothing mild about the winters of the Eldingar Valley, even Coatl's Rise which had resided south of the valley of lightning as both translations named it as. They were frigid, harsh and entirely unforgiving. Nature's way of eliminating the weak so that the strong could prosper; which explained why both cultures that fought for dominance of the entire valley were so strong. The Vikings and the Amazons, two cultures never meant to mix, like water and vinegar. Yet, the blended well enough within him, though Týrr was not so foolish as to believe that the change in his personality was not attribute to the gain of memories. Not all of them, of course, not nearly enough to really even claim he'd regained anything other than brief flashes of knowledge, names and the instance of Nahuatl language but what he had regained had ...changed him. He was not the same amnesiac boy, polite and mild when he'd thought he'd been Ragnar's blood soon, disillusioned by the lies as he'd been having nothing else to tell him any different. Until Manauia found him.

Diplomacy was still his strong suit, but he was more feral than he'd been. Savage and harsh. That had been proven by the fact that he could look Ragnar in the eye and take his life. Even if it had been in retribution for what Ragnar had stolen from him, things that the Amazon Rekkr often feared he would never get back. He would never remember the love of his mother, nor the love he had for her. She was a name to him, and he'd been angry that he couldn't even properly mourn the loss of his memories of her. He had meant much to the Amazon Queen, more than he should have as a male and that was monumental to him, to hold that knowledge and know that he did not feel anything for her simply because he could not remember her. He knew her only by what his guard women told him; and it was awful.

But things happened for reasons, and in this Týrr knew he had to trust. It was as he told Citali and Nochtli, there was no sense in dwelling upon the past. They could not change it. All they could do was focus on the present and face the future — something vast with endless possibilities for the four of them. He would be a King soon, something he would have never known would he have stayed in Coatl's Rise instead of insisting on going on the journey. They would have never allowed him to inherit Coatl's Rise. He would have stayed a Prince forever, always made to follow instead of lead. Despite that he did not fully agree with their traditions he wanted to incorporate aspects of the Amazon life into Frostfire Ridge. How, he had no idea, perhaps herald in the new era for the culture that Quetzalcoatl had intended him to in her home; but he could not do it as  Týrr. He had to do it as Tezcacoatl, and he didn't remember enough to feel that he deserved to bear that name.

Týrr's thoughts were broken by the arrival of company, unexpected as it was. Chocolate brown guard hairs bristled in warning, but when the Amazon Prince's crystalline blue eyes found his companion — very small for a male, he noted as he gave him a quick glance over — he realized the other male's attention was focused upon the Glacier, rising above them like a massive sword of ice, stretching to the heavens. “You should see it at dusk,”  Týrr mused fondly, having determined, for the moment, that the other male was of no immediate threat.

Woow you write novels @_@ shoves tiny posts under rug.

Posie startled as soon as the stranger's voice reached him; he hadn't realized how close he was to another wolf. Almost instantly, his feather boa of a tail snaked down between his hocks, with the tip curling against his belly. His head bobbed down, as if he had been struck, while his ears - and every other piece of him - gave every physical manifestation of submission possible. He turned his attention away from the glacier to coyly watch the stranger, although the size of his eyes did not change. "O-oh, I didn't not-t-t-t-ice you there." The cold made him stutter (or was that fear?).

A strained silence (strained according to Posie) spanned between the two of them, then. After a handful of minutes, Posie tried to drum up enough courage to speak - but he was tongue-tied, initially. His mouth opening and closing like a hinge, trying to find something to say in case Primrose had interrupted something important.

"Do you c-c-come here often?" Nice try, pipsqueak. If only the cold hadn't made communication so hard! (Except, the cold was only one piece of the puzzle that resulted in Posie's awful social skills). He swallowed nervously, finding comfort in the warmth of his own saliva versus the dry chill of the northern air, and glanced back towards the glacier. Play it cool. Play it... Cool...

-bumps in!- Figured he could meet all da Amazons! :D If this is not okay, lemme know!

"Just don't try to climb it after dusk. Gets a bit dangerous then." She smiled, her tail giving a friendly wag in display to the young male. She'd spotted him a bit ago, during his approach, and the dark Amazon had tailed him a bit to discern his true intentions here. Sure, she had come up behind him (quietly), but in truth, she'd been here the whole time. She was keeping tabs on Tezcacoatl afterall. After many days of wandering, she'd returned to her supposed home, only to take up the mantle of sticking near their Prince, even if he wasn't quite aware of it.

A glance flickered his way, gauging his reaction to her presence to determine whether or not he'd rather be left alone right now. No matter. He was stuck with her either way, visibly or otherwise. Her bright eyes turned to the other male once more, a quick smile flashed for him. "We live in this iceland. Nearby anyway." She didn't hide that she wasn't quite a fan of the frosty location, but her Prince's will was the deciding factor, and here, she stayed. "What're you doing all by your lonesome? Especially way out here." He smelled like he'd been alone for a while but Nocta wasn't taking chances. she'd lost the Prince once due to some form of absurdity and she wasn't going to let it happen again.

Most of my long posts are useless fluff, lol. :P And Posie is so cute, jsyk. @Primrose , @Nochtli Edited b/c I shadowposted, also the more the merrier! :D <3

The stranger sunk down almost instantly, as if Týrr had physically reached out and struck him. Initially, the Amazon Rekkr was nothing short of confused, certainly not used to having wolves sink down into absolute submission before him. Rather, he had came to expect the exact opposite, especially when they were fierce Amazon women who stole his bachelor den and occupied it while he was forced to dig one for them (hehe). Temporarily claiming the Alpha's den was a smart move, Týrr had to give it to them but it was awkward being so close to strange women, even if they claimed they were not strangers to him at all. The man in him could appreciate it, but he was too respectful to be a lecher about it; not to mention he feared if he tried to so much as flirt he might find himself missing something extremely vital to him. Thus, the soon-to-be King resisted and more than likely chose the smarter path. Regardless, the submission this stranger showed was pleasing to the dominate feral and he took a moment to appreciate it. “The Glacier is memorizing like that,” Týrr spoke as if to brush away that he'd escaped the other's notice.

“You may rise stranger,” Týrr encouraged the other male gingerly, attempting to make himself look relaxed. He wasn't fully relaxed, mind, being in the presence of a stranger but even so, he was starting to actually feel guilty, especially with the other male stuttering as he was. Whether it was because of the cold or not, Týrr didn't know and had no inclination to ask. “This used to be my home.” Perhaps, in some ways, it still was. Frostfire Ridge had been prime for many reasons, but most of them were selfish on Týrr's part. It was close to Duskfire Glacier, he could see the Glacier at certain places up on the Ridge, and he stayed close with the hope that Tuwawi might return someday. It was a fool's hope, but his infatuation for his wildfire queen had not yet burnt out.

It came as no true surprise to him when Nochtli arrived on the scene, and he offered the dark amazon a glimpse over his shoulder as she neared the two of them. His crystalline gaze flickered once to his unknown, smaller companion to see his reaction before he looked back at the amazon. “Nochtli,” He greeted her. He had been hoping that he hadn't been followed, but given how upset they were about the first time (particularly the amazon who had joined them) he had come to expect it. All Týrr could hope was that it did not make him look like he needed women to fight his battles for him, because he didn't. Not that he wanted to cross any of the Amazon women, renounced as they were for their ferocity in battle. “If it is me you're asking, Nochtli, I was ...sightseeing.” Pining after what he'd lost was more accurate but she didn't need to know that. “I cannot speak for our guest,” As it was, the Rekkr had been curious about that as well. They did not get too many visitors so far North.

Growing up in a litter of seven, with everyone older and bigger and better than you, really takes its toll. At least on Posie, who remained in his submissive posture even after the stranger gave him the social cue to chill out. He didn't. And the boy wasn't even really aware of his ignorance. He wasn't feeling all that confident at this point in his life (although he never really did), and having the big and strong Alpha-type sitting next to him, Posie felt like the bottom rung on the proverbial totem pole. Or worse than that, he was the dirt the totem pole was roosted in!

He listened to the stranger speak, and was giving a tiny nod of agreement to the comment, when a shadow rose up behind the petite wolf. It approached, and Posie was suddenly being flanked by another big, strong wolf. A woman, this time - and her arrival, coupled with her sudden voice, made Primrose jump out of his skin. He was on his feet with his fur sticking out all over, and his tail curling even tighter to his tummy. "Holy balls! Y-you -" Okay, kid, breathe. "You sc-c-cared me!"

Without missing a beat, the first stranger addressed the second.
"Nochtli." Was that a greeting in another language, or the scary shadow's name? "If it is me you're asking, Nochtli, I was... Sightseeing." Ah, a name then. Posie swallowed his fear for now, but remained shivering next to Tyrr. He gave a little nod, and licked his lips.

"Just looking. I've never been in a place like this b'fore." It was very, very different, and very scary. It wasn't a nice place. Pretty, but cold and not nice.

Holy balls. Holy. Balls. Oh, that was good. She was gonna have to remember that one. Right now, the dark girl had to stop laughing. "Oh, man that is gold." Her demeanor was much more relaxed than that of Tyrr's stiffness now that the other had made that outburst. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I'm absurdly quiet when I wander around." Which was quite true. She was a Scout for a reason and part of that was because she was light on her feet, meaning she was almost the perfect spy. If only her toes weren't a brilliant white.

Fiery gaze came to the Prince again as she canted her head in his direction. "Sightseeing," She repeated. ”Fine.” They could talk about it later if they needed to. Judging by the fact that he believed he barely knew her, she knew that he wasn't going to actually confide in her, despite her position, or former position with him. 

Instead, her attention turned to the newcomer again. "Honestly, this is my first time in a snowy place like this too. Before I came to live here, I don't remember knowing anything this cold." The cold wasn't terrible but she preferred the weather of home, of the Rise. "I'm Nochtli and this is..." She stalled, looking at Tezca for a moment. "This is Tezcacoatl. Tyrr, for short. He is my leader." She could at least compromise with what he wanted. 

There was a certain degree of puzzlement that followed the small male's outburst not quite sure what 'holy balls' were or if even such a thing actually existed, though his Scout found it humorous; and in actuality Týrr had to fight the simper of mirth that itched to fully form as it twitched at the corners of his lips though it was at Nochtli's seemed inability to control her laughter at the stranger's outburst of holy balls, and less of the phrase the other male used. There was something pleasant about her laughter, though Týrr brushed it off as nothing more than he was unused to hearing Amazon's laugh. As it was Manauia had been nothing short of resilient and bitter the entire time that he'd known him and on some unspoken principle, Týrr assumed the other women that made up his guard were much the same. Cold. Bitter. “So good in fact that she can usually escape my notice when she's tasked with keeping an eye on me,” Týrr subtly praised Nochtli's talents, offering the dark woman a iniquitous little grin, which morphed naturally into a slight smirk as he turned his crystalline gaze back to their unnamed companion, who still, despite it all, seemed to be pretty frightened. 

“Quite spectacular, no?” Týrr's accented voice mused with a wistfulness tinged to it, as his eyes moved to sweep the Glacier with an unbidden fondness. As for her fine, he let out a light huff knowing that the topic wasn't truly dropped, and did not hesitate to think that with little doubt they would be discussing it on their way back to the Ridge. However irritated having to explain himself was, there was a soft fondness in his gaze when it retouched upon Nochtli as she, in turn, introduced him, using the name that she and her sister's knew him by, and then offered a surprising compromise by giving the stranger the name that he called himself. Ironically, the name that Ragnar had given to him. “Or Tezca, I will answer to any of the three.” A nickname of his childhood, he remembered without really knowing how or why. He supposed it didn't matter, the fact that he remembered it as a nickname was a small miracle afforded to him. Clearly, he couldn't help but think with a slight shift of his weight in the place of the snort he wanted to make, he had too many names, including the monikers related to Odin he'd given. “What should we call you?” Týrr inquired, not unkindly. He was as brutal and feral, savage and ambitious but he was not like this all of the time. Somewhere, buried in the chaos of two identities attempting to fuse together he held compassion.

Which was well and good because shortly after he'd killed Ragnar Lodbrok without remorse, and without doubt he had begun to worry he'd lost it.

The strangers talked for a little bit, jabbing with little quips at one another - like a married couple - and then their sights turned to him. Posie smiled, although the motion was weak due to his face being numbed by the northern air. "My n-n-name is Prrr... Prrr... Primrose!" That took too much effort, darn it! But he was so cold by this point, sitting stationary among the ice. His chattering teeth had made it nearly impossible for him to say anything. "My friends c-call me P-p... Posie, though."

While the boy wasn't known for being subtle, or smart, he did trace a pointed look between Tyrr and his female companion - careful not to stare too long in to their eyes - as if to imply a question. Were they friends? They seemed friendly enough, and hadn't chased him away or anything. The boy licked his lips as if to speak further. Upon tasting the chill in the air, his tongue swiftly retreated and he, buckling down against the ground even further, tried to warm his toes with his feathery tail.

His compliment and his compromise went unacknowledged save for the flicker of an ear in his direction and the brief wave of her tail. Her bright eyes were for the young wolf before them right now, who was trying to smile through clattering teeth. "Aww he's so cute. We should keep him." She grinned again, slinking closer, past "Tezca" to lay next to the other male. "Friends keep friends warm, so we'll call you Posie. " She announced confidently.

Of course, she'd also caught the look he'd shot between the two of them, though she made no mention of their relation. If Tez wanted to explain, he could. "Are you looking for something in particular?" She asked, getting comfy. With her black fur heated from the sun's rays, the girl was a good source of heat. He'd mentioned that he was looking. Was he sightseeing? Or was he sightseeing, like Tezcacoatl was? Lost, maybe? Whatever the answer was, she waited for it, glancing towards her would-be King every so often.

The look that the smaller male sent in Nochtli and his' direction did not go unnoticed by the Rekkr, though Týrr did not chose to capitalize upon it. Even if Primrose would have asked it aloud, he likely would not have answered though it would not have been out of silence.  Týrr didn't particularly know what Nochtli and him were to each other, himself, nor with any of the others, either. Currently he saw them as the babysitters charged with keeping an eye on him. Perhaps that was why he, as Tezcacoatl, had took off in the quick of night, taking all of them unawares. Perhaps Tezcacoatl, like Týrr did not like being thought of as a small child that needed a garrison of women to protect him. Or perhaps it had been for reasons darker and more personal. He couldn't remember and he did not try to pry. As it was, the mere consideration of it had created a dull ache in the back of his skull and quickly he turned his thoughts away from it, the slight quicken in his heart rate causing a small rush of adrenaline to surge through his veins as a stab of panic had radiated within him. This all passed in a matter of seconds, so quick that the panic and adrenaline had subsided by the time that the other male gave his name, Primrose: except to his friends who called him 'Posie'.

It was a girly name, though Týrr was adept at keeping his (rude) opinions to himself, though he could not help the furrow of his brow and questioning look when Nochtli announced that the other was 'cute' and suggested that they should keep him. Keep him? Given Nochtli's stance as an Amazon woman and the belief they astutely held to: that men were good as slaves, entertainment, and strong daughters and that was the extent of it her fawning over the smaller male was a hard pill for Týrr to swallow without loaded suspicion. It was odder still when Nochtli moved forth to close the distance between Posie and herself to curl up next to him. Crystalline eyes studied her wearily but shook it off a moment later. He was not sure if she was being genuine or playing a game with the other male. He did not remember her and thus could not compare her behavior to anything. Perhaps she was a gentle Amazon, though the idea struck him as humorous. A gentle Amazon? Was such a thing even possible? Then again, she had told him she was a Diplomat. She couldn't exactly run around scowling at everything like Manauia did, she had to have the skill set to make friends that the Huntress didn't. “If you are interested I can offer you shelter and food. My pack will soon claim the Ridge,” He gestured towards Frostfire with a subtle sweep of his head in it's general direction. “And there is space available.” There was no obligation, but Týrr saw an opportunity and there was no harm in planting the idea in Primrose's head, in giving him a choice. 

The frail seeming male took off before Nocta could actually settle down, which left a rather bewildered expression on her maw for all of a moment. After that, she fell into a cool, collected demeanor again and looked up at Tez. Eventually, he started to wander again, and Nochtli waited until he was a decent ways away again before shadowing him again, resuming her duty as an Amazon.

Thread fade.