Blackfoot Forest microwave popcorn

Meerkat opted for the directest versus the scenic route, figuring they could always take their time on the way back. Eager to make it to the caldera and check on Caracal, she led @Issorartuyok due south at a steady clip. Over the course of nearly two days, they crossed through woods; wended between frozen marshes; and ended up following a winding stream toward a frosty meadow.

On the second night of their travels, she guided them into a thick forest at the foot of the mountains. The place smelled very pungent. Meerkat settled down and pondered whether they should try crossing the mountains in the morning or go around, which would add several hours to the trip.

Tucked up like a loaf of bread against the cold, she fell fast asleep with her head up. She didn't wake when the foxes began calling in the frigid night, though she did instinctively curl toward the only other source of warmth. Without ever waking, she cuddled up quite snugly to Issorartuyok.

A tickle in her nose roused her the next morning. Blinking and rubbing sleepily at her eyes, Meerkat tried to make sense of the blurry blackness. When she began to sit up and realized she was practically draped over her companion, she froze.

Their journey had taken them across a great stretch of land. The further that they ventured from the glacier, the easier the northerner’s gait became. He was pleased to be away from the chilly territory and its members, if only for a short while. The pressure of finding the sickness in the deer herd had settled poorly in the man’s stomach. Issorartuyok could only think of his younger brother and the litter that could have been as full and thriving as his own – instead, Tuuluuwaq was the only survivor, and barely.

When they found the forest and made a bed for the evening, Issorartuyok remained watchful and awake as Meerkat slept. Her features were peaceful. The northerner was warmed by her presence and the light that her spirit offered. Even as the night wore on and the foxes filled the air with their voices, the northerner listened and watched.

It was still dark when he fell asleep. Still an hour or more before the sun would rise and bathe them in golden light. Issorartuyok dreamed of the great white tundra he had left behind. The spirits whispered to him of family, so that when he woke and found Meerkat draped across hid frame, he was moved to chuckle warmly.

Your elbow is becoming one with my rib, scout Meerkat, the man whispered tiredly.

She could feel it when he spoke, a deep rumble that vibrated straight down to the marrow of her bones. Part of Meerkat wanted to fling herself away and apologize for violating his personal space. But even as she unlocked her limbs and began to shift away from Issorartuyok, she winced at the morning air's freezing cold temperature. With a huff, she maneuvered herself into a more prim position but still lingered close by his soft, warm flank.

"Sorry," she still felt the need to say and then, "Damn, it's cold." Pressing her shoulder against him and doing her best to ignore the little tingles in her bloodstream, she raised her forepaws off the ground and rubbed them together for a moment before an idea hit her.

It was beyond silly, yet before Meerkat could overthink it, she thrust both her icy cold paws into the Alpha's nearer armpit. She sighed wantonly at the surprisingly welcoming warmth of it. She wondered how much he minded, though before he had a proper opportunity to react, she withdrew them and placed them back on the frozen ground.

"I'm thinking it's best if we go around the mountains. It'll add a couple hours onto the trip but we're already far enough behind him, it really doesn't matter. And we've been making good time, so..." She spoke to the trees surrounding them at first, then brought her eyes to his face, breath a little fluttery in his throat. "Did you still want to swing by Moonglow on the way back, by the way?"

The chill in the air could be felt even through his thick pelt. Issorartuyok did not mind that Meerkat used him for warmth. The closeness of their bodies allowed for the heat to be shared. It was meant to be that way.

As Meerkat expressed her thoughts on the remainder of their journey, Issorartuyok nodded his head thoughtfully. He thought that she was the expert for charting a course. It was something that he had never paid a close mind to – scouting – as he had focused his skills on defense and honing his body so that he could bring comfort to the members of his village. The northern man admired her skills.

I will follow you, Meerkat. You lead our way and I will be beside you, he answered her carefully.

We will not need to visit the Moonwoman. She waits for us at the glacier. Her scent was upon our borders as we left. Our journey is for your mother and the safety of young Caracal, alone.

Issorartuyok did not know if this would change her plan.

She did her best to ignore the way his words made her heart flip and flop in her chest. Meerkat sucked in a breath, which exploded back out of her along with a surprised, "Oh?"

This meant their trip would be shorter than she'd anticipated. Disappointment swept through her, though it was overruled a little by curiosity. Kukutux would be waiting for them back at the glacier? What was that about? She didn't mind—she would be glad to see her, hopefully Sialuk as well—but it was intriguing.

"We should eat something before we get going," the yearling said, her mind circling back to what Issorartuyok had said a moment ago. She felt warmer for his words. Meerkat smiled and snorted quietly to herself.

Issorartuyok nodded his head, confirming the statement he had offered. There was trust in her skill. She had already proven her scouting abilities to him. In fact, Meerkat had offered him detailed instruction that had allowed him to journey across unknown land and then return to the area where he had met her. The spirits suggested that their fates were tangled, but he had no understanding of this… nothing beyond the fluttering that had grown in his chest.

Food, yes, we must keep ourselves sustained on this journey, the northerner agreed, nodding his head.

The wolf’s dark brown eyes searched the distant wood with interest. He had scented a few trails left by prey animals when they had entered the forest. It seemed likely they would be able to fill their bellies by hunting in the immediate area.

What is it you hunger for?

His choice of words earned another quiet snort from her. She felt her cheeks heat and what felt like fire licking through her veins, though the sensations quickly settled as Meerkat forced herself to focus on the question he'd actually asked.

"Whatever's quick and easy," the yearling replied with a light laugh. "I'm sure there's plenty of options in these woods. I wouldn't call myself an exceptional hunter but I can usually get the job done when it comes to small game. Maybe we can find a rabbit warren or something?"

Rabbits were swift creatures. A large wolf like Issorartuyok had always found difficulty in keeping up with their nimbler movements. He glanced to the scout with a sweeping gaze, sizing her up in his mind’s eye as a hunter of the flighty beasts. The northerner did not imagine she would struggle in the same ways that he did.

Let us search. I have never been good at catching rabbits, he confessed to her with a small nod. The brown of his eyes shifted to his large dark paws. They’re swift and I am large. Issorartuyok laughed, hoping that Meerkat would find humor in his admitting this to her. He realized that he had relied quite a bit on her skill. She led them as a scout, she had provided him with detailed instruction, and now he looked to her to lead their hunt.

Shall we begin?

She smiled and nodded, attention turning to the surrounding forest. Meerkat paused a moment to listen and observe, snout lifting into the air to test it. It was so cold, it made her nose ache, though she found some smells of interest.

Facing Isssorartuyok, she silently mouthed for him to follow her and struck off into the woods, running parallel with the spires to their right. The morning sunlight plunged through the bare treetops, warming the left side of her body. The movement also helped. Soon, she felt much warmer and limber for it.

"Here," she said suddenly, braking to a halt and dropping her head to study some footprints in the mixture of dirt and snow on the ground. "Oh, wait, these definitely belong to a fox," Meerkat said, nose wrinkling at the telltale odor.

Exchanging a quick glance with her companion, Meerkat scuffed a paw over the spot and then headed onward through the woods, still in search of a promising lead.

The scout was their leader and so Issorartuyok followed her as silently as he could. His earthy stare was distracted by the unfamiliarity of the terrain they were on. It was a pleasant place. There were surely herds of deer that would bed down in the woodland. The northerner hoped that they might see one, that their luck would be a fair bit better than he anticipated.

The scent they arrived upon was that of a fox. The sharp smell filled his nose, and he drew his head back with a glance toward Meerkat. He was not opposed to hunting and eating the foxes. He knew that their meat was leaner, stringier. It would still do well to fill their stomachs so that they might press on in their journey, he thought.

The scout scuffed her paw over its tracks, and they continued to prowl through the forest in search of rabbits. Issorartuyok focused, hoping he might catch the fragrance of a warren on the air.

She paused again to sniff at a pile of droppings partly hidden underneath a bush, then moved on when they proved anything but fresh. Not long after that, she saw a flurry of movement ahead through the trees and stopped suddenly. Meerkat trusted Issorartuyok to take her cue and do the same.

Squinting, she made out the shapes of two squirrels fighting one another near the base of a tree. They moved like a whirling dervish, with a sudden outburst of chattering. Meerkat recognized the opportunity and didn't have the time to communicate with her cohort before bursting forward to try to take advantage of the rodents' distraction.

They noticed her and sprang apart with nearly comical speed. Each squirrel darted in an entirely opposite direction, leaving Meerkat to make a split second decision. She lunged to the right, snapping her teeth at a twitching bottlebrush of a tail. And missed.

She stilled and huffed, gazing as the squirrel rapidly scaled the closest tree. It began to loudly scold her, joined by its rival in another tree somewhere behind her and to the left. Meerkat glanced that way, then her eyes sought Issorartuyok with an apologetic smile and shrug.

Meerkat was swift on her feet as she darted after the squirrels who chattered on the forest floor. The small creatures caught sight of her just as quickly, though. Their nimble feet carried them up the bark of the tree where they appeared to chatter down at her, insulted and mocking in their small voices.

Issorartuyok could not help but laugh. The noise filled the air.

The northerner approached where she was at a steady trot. If she wasted her strength in the attempt at food, it would be harder for them to catch something. The man scanned the woods with his eyes, drawing in the scent to fill his nose and mouth. His dark ears swiveled in search of any sounds that would reveal a smaller prey animal to him.

Perhaps the fox would be a better meal, he remarked with a small smile.

He laughed at her, though Meerkat knew better than to take offense. In fact, she dropped her head in mock shame, then grinned and lifted it again. She strode back toward him, ignoring an impulse to press closer and steal more of his warmth.

"Maybe. I don't know if I've ever hunted a fox," she mused. "Their... fragrance doesn't really come across as appetizing. But meat is meat. How about you take the lead?" Meerkat suggested, tapping lightly at the spot between his elbow and shoulder.

Yes, very well, he agreed and smiled warmly at her.

The man searched the ground there and did not find any signs of the cunning creatures. With his nose pointed to the earth, he began to trace their steps back to the original place Meerkat had covered the tracks. He scanned the wooded area to see if he could find a place where it looked reasonable for the fox to make a den. Some of the woodland was thick with brush and would make a perfect place to hide away. The northerner would not have been surprised if there were quite a few foxes hiding in the trees.

A shuffling of movement turned his ears, and he froze in his steps. Several paces ahead of them and in a small clearing was a group of four rabbits. They nibbled on some of the only green bits that were left in the late autumn season. Issorartuyok watched them for a long moment, waiting for Meerkat to approach.

His gaze shifted back to her with a warning – his body shifted into a hunter’s crouch.

With Issorartuyok taking the lead, that left Meerkat to trail after him. It wasn't the first time she'd walked slightly behind him on this journey, nor was it the first time her eyes lingered on his backside. And it wasn't the first time she caught herself and tore her eyes away with a little bit of heat in her cheeks. It probably wouldn't be the last, either.

Suddenly, he called her to attention. She panicked, wondering if he'd caught her admiring his butt. But, no, he had spotted some rabbits. It took a couple beats for Meerkat to react accordingly, sidling softly to his side and mimicking his crouch.

It took a moment, but she joined him in a hunter’s form.

Issorartuyok could see the rabbits mulling slowly in the area. They appeared to have eaten a fair bit of the leaves and greenery they’d found. Their rear ends were surprisingly fat. This was a pleasant sight when compared to the deer that had reeked of death near the glacier. The northerner could feel his mouth water at the sight, surprised at his own hunger.

The hunter prowled forward, assuming that Meerkat would take a position near to him. They could move together and sweep in on the rabbits. If they were quick enough, he was certain he could catch them by surprise and find success. A quick swipe of his tongue flashed across his whiskers. He was ready.

As she further locked into hunter mode, her eyes skipped from one rabbit to the next, counting. It was quick work; there were only four of them. They looked pleasantly plump. Just looking at them awoke her appetite and her blood lust. Saliva began pooling in her mouth, forcing her to lick her chops.

When Issorartuyok moved stealthily forward, Meerkat crept in tandem with him. They would make a bum rush and each do their best to capture one. They needed to get closer first, without alerting the rabbits to their presence. It wasn't going to be terribly easy with eight paws working over the frosty ground.

Right when she felt the perfect window of opportunity opened, she glanced at him. His tongue flashed out and Meerkat took this as a cue. Bunching her muscles, she sprang at the smallest rabbit on the far right of the little group. She sensed all four of them trying to scatter but honed her senses on her chosen prey.

Unfortunately, her second attempt at landing small game proved as unsuccessful as her first. The rabbit fled into a hidden hole and Meerkat drew up, panting, and looked to see if Issorartuyok had enjoyed better luck.

The man did not select the smallest of the rabbits, but the largest. He could see the thick hind quarters of the prey animal and it enticed him.

When Meerkat sprung from their crouched position, he charged in. The northerner only had eyes for his target. As he plowed through the forest undergrowth, jaws spread, he could almost taste the plump little creature on his tongue. In one snap his teeth closed around the rabbit’s leg – a stroke of luck – and he bit down hard. The animal screamed, a horrible noise that filled the air. Issorartuyok ended its suffering with another bite to the throat.

When he turned to Meerkat, she had not been as successful. A glance at where her target had disappeared left him to believe they would not be getting it back. The northerner approached her and tossed his catch to her paws. A smile settled on his features.

I'm faster than I thought, I suppose.

Before her eyes even found him, the rabbit's scream declared his hunt successful. Meerkat's ears flattened momentarily, then pricked again as she watched Issorartuyok trot back in her direction, a particularly plump rabbit dangling from his jaws.

"Well done," she said, eyes sparkling, "and thank you." She bent down to nose at the fresh kill, the fur still warm against her muzzle. "Heads or tails?" Meerkat queried, raising her head again to look at her companion.

Issorartuyok shook his head.

For you. I can continue without eating for some time still, he answered her with a small nod.

The northerner had spent days hunting with others, searching for herds of caribou in the tundra. He had learned how to store fat on his body well enough. If he exercised the same caution and care for his body, he knew that they would be able to journey to the caldera before he would need to eat again. If he was being honest, Issorartuyok knew they would happen upon other prey animals as they journeyed. He only wanted to be sure Meerkat was tended to, in the meantime.

He insisted she should take the full meal, to which Meerkat replied, "Maybe you can go without... but you don't have to." She smiled as she dipped to begin eating. "But your chivalry is noted and appreciated."

She ate until she felt satisfied, not wanting to stuff herself ahead of a long journey. That left some spoils for Issorartuyok, if he wished for a snack after all. In the meantime, the yearling cleaned her chops, then her paws.

"I'm ready to head out as soon as you are," she announced moments later, gaze drifting to the mountains they would be going around. Meerkat's heart did an excited skip when she realized she would be seeing the caldera and her family very soon.

All he did was nod his head and smile at her remark. Issorartuyok would not touch the rabbit until she had eaten her fill of the meat. Even then, he was not a man who favored the scraps of others. His mind was full of the glacier and its people. He worried for them, every second that they were away.

When the food had been cleaned of its meat and Meerkat had cleaned herself, she appeared ready to embark on their journey. The northern man nodded his head to her and swung in the direction they would be traveling. They had many steps to take before they would reach their destination, but Issorartuyok was pleased that he had pleasant company with him. It would make him feel closer to their shared home.