Greatwater Lake things we lost in the fire.

It was an idyllic scene: snow was falling in nearly silent waves, eddying on occasion between the trees. The riverside was not free of winter's effects either, with the sluggish sections thickly frozen over. Revui come to a suitable section and crossed it without thinking; his steps were heavier than usual, but the ice did not budge even so. The young man came to a stop where the river poured in to the lake - there were miles of frozen earth still to cross, but Revui could not manage it. He felt the silence around him and when the wind picked up, sometimes the cold too - but above all, he felt empty.

Father is dead. Arcturus' voice was miles away, but it came again within his mind, breaking the quiet. Father is dead. And Hydra, the new Queen of the mountain; had been for some time. Father is -- The crunch of snow stockpiled on an uneven branch, breaking, collapsing, cut through the memory and temporarily freed Revui from the torment. The beast breathed deeply, a plume of dragon's breath; he looked towards the lake with its many sheets of broken ice across it, and the haze dissipated.

Life in Hoshor Plains was pretty boring, but the outside world was filled with excitement! Today Spica had dragged out @Syrma to play like hide and seek or something. While Syrma was out hiding near the lake, Spica was the searcher and while it was a kinda childish game, she was also eager to do something other than search for stuff to hunt (which was still disappointingly scarce).

When she saw the figure in the distance, Spica gasped and ducked low initially, but he seemed to be out staring at the lake. Her tail twitched in excitement and Spica trotted forward, towards him. Oh, but wait! She hastily stopped, the crunch in her step suddenly halting, and sniffed the air and then the ground. Nothing that smelled like borders, so she wasn't thievin' this time, probably. Syrma and the game they were playing was temporarily forgotten as she approached the other wolf from the side, trying to sneak up on him (but not all that sneaky all in all).

tag for reference

A change had affected Revui in a way he could not understand (and likely would never understand) after reuniting with his family. Beyond the shock of being told he was not worthy of the mountain (a fear made manifest by his own poor decisions), the knowledge that his parents were gone had rocked him to the core. He could not stop thinking about them. Trying to remember their last words with him, or the fleeting moments he had always taken for granted, believing them both to be impervious to time, immortal and powerful. Foolish notions he was being forced to out-grow much too soon.

He was so focused on this task of thinking (which has never come easy to Revui) that he remained oblivious to the signs of life around him. The birds in the trees calling shrill notes as they fled from around him; the sound of the lake's still liquid water catching on the ice as a winter breeze blustered across it; creaking trees, and crunching snow. But when the child came creeping in poor fashion from the shadows in an attempt to strike at him, Revui reacted hastily, turning upon the little body with his teeth bared and fur spiked, so close to his berserker rage --

But he saw them in the last moment. This bundle of fur with his father's eyes, the family resemblance haunting. It was like his thoughts had summoned this creature, and the shock of seeing them made Revui stow his rage. His dangerous grin was hidden promptly and a nervous energy rooted itself behind his typically dulled gaze, focused solely on the child.

The hunting was going puh-ritty well so far. Spica smiled broadly to herself as she snuck up on this unsuspecting shmuck, totally nailing the hunting game! You can do it, Spic! If you can do this, you'll prove that you can be a hunter too! She breathed into the snow beneath her as she continued closer and closer, unbelievably close. A fleeting moment she thought he might be unfriendly but her experience with 'unfriendly' was limited and so retaliation was limited to like, being a snarky at her or shouting at her or whatever. Nothing too big.

Finally she almost reached him. Should she just say 'boo' and expose herself, or actually pounce? In indecision Spica lingered a moment or two but before she could make her decision, before she actually reached him, he turned around, towards her.

There was a terrifying look in his eyes, one of the likes of which Spica had never seen in another wolf's. Her own eyes widened in sudden fear but while she wanted to run, she was instead pinned to the ground. Shit shit shit shit -- But then he stopped, rather than maul her face off, and just stared at her. Spica's breath came out rapidly as she stared at him, and boldly dared to squeak towards him -- Hi. -- Because she was totally not afraid, of course.