Nimbus Summit hello seattle, i am a mountaineer

The summit reminded him of the caldera a little bit, which made him think of his dad and their last encounter. He frowned thoughtfully, mind wandering to Killdeer even as his feet carried him higher and higher up the mountainside. He wanted to go back and see his pal soon but how would he take the news of Caracal’s… well, his treachery?

He jumped a little when a cloud of vapor suddenly belched up from the bowels of the earth, fogging up the immediate area with a loud hiss. What the dump—! a startled Caracal exclaimed, freezing and staring suspiciously at the steam vent.

An unfamiliar voice drew the dark ears atop the northerner’s head. Issorartuyok squinted through the rising steam to see a ginger coat. The man considered that there would be those who might attempt intrusion on their mountain – Atautsikut was still new. Taking a few steps toward the unfamiliar shape of the young wolf, Issorartuyok found that he smelled of the village.

Greetings, the man chuffed out. You are close to the hot springs. Warm water that remains even when the world has frozen over. As he finished, the northerner closed the space between them and finally got a good look at the young man who stood upon the mountain.

I am Issorartuyok. We have not met, have we?

The boy did appear familiar, but only distantly. It was as though Issorartuyok was looking at him from far away, from a place that he no longer knew. The memory of meeting the boy with Meerkat had flitted from his mind.

He gaped at the natural phenomenon until a voice spoke from nearby. Caracal glanced over at the approaching figure, then did a double take. This was Issorartuyok, the pack’s leader. The yearling quickly bowed his head and tucked his tail, the poster child of respectful submission.

The swarthy Alpha male took a moment to explain about the steam vent, before posing a question. Hello, sir, he greeted in turn. We met once in passing, when I visited the glacier with my older sister, Meerkat, he replied readily, tail thumping tentatively on the ground. My name’s Caracal. Antha and Lane recently accepted me. I’m here to apprentice with Lane.

The young man swiftly moved to show his respect. Issorartuyok studied him quietly.

When Caracal spoke, the memory of their meeting flooded through the northern man’s mind. They had met before. He had been with Meerkat for a short while. The boy had even stayed with them on the glacier for a few days. Embarrassment took the place of his curiosity. Coupling the memory of Meerkat with forgetting the young man’s name burned Issorartuyok’s cheeks.

Caracal… I am sorry. I remember you, now. You’ve joined our group? Issorartuyok felt out of place, suddenly. Lane had proven to be better in most ways. He still did not like her decision to move down to the Beta role. It was a long journey for you, was it not? How are your paws? The northerner huffed a breath of mountain air.

I could use company on a patrol.

No worries! the yearling was quick to reassure the apologetic Issorartuyok. Yeah, just the other day. He huffed a breathy laugh at the Alpha’s surprisingly astute question. He couldn’t possibly know about Caracal’s freshly healed sprain. The boy absently wriggled that paw, thinking of Sialuk for a moment.

Pushing that thought from his mind, he bounced on his red toes when Issorartuyok mentioned a patrol. Sure thing, he said easily, even though he found patrolling dreadfully boring. I’ve been doing a lot of travelling lately, Caracal added conversationally as he flanked the older male, so my paws are used to high mileage. How long have you guys been living here? he asked without pausing for breath.

I am... so so sorry. XwX <3

Caracal was a bright energy. His words were pleasant, his nature was soft and respectful. Issorartuyok had not found himself missing Meerkat for quite some time. It was not until he found himself in the company of the young boy that he thought on the freckled girl. He wondered where she had gone and if she had found her happy ending there.

A scout in the making, perhaps, the northerner commented with a smile to Caracal.

We have not been here for long. The disease in the prey is what drove us to these lands. I wished to have somewhere that the village could thrive, could grow. We were at risk of losing lives on the glacier. Here, we have been blessed by a bountiful land. Issorartuyok was pleased with the mountain and the surrounding hunting grounds. He believed that Atautsikut would thrive. He needed them to thrive…

Tell me of your travels. I enjoy hearing of the world from others.

Like my toon says… no worries!

It was not the first time someone had made that very suggestion to him, nor would it likely be the last. Caracal smiled but didn’t say anything to the passing remark. He was not interested in turning his hobby into a career. He traveled just for fun and wanted to keep it that way.

And it would always remain an interest of his, no matter if he’d planted his feet now. When Issorartuyok expressed interest in hearing about his travels, the boy’s face lit up as he wondered where the heck to start. He assumed the Alpha was more or less familiar with the Teekon Wilds, though Caracal and Killdeer had ventured to many interesting places outside this particular patch of wilderness.

Oh man, I could talk your ear off all day, the yearling admitted with a huff of laughter. I could tell you about the coolest place I’ve ever seen? he thought aloud. You ever seen a waterfall? Like, a really, really big one?

I worries hahah.... <3 I need to embody Caracal.

I am a good listener, Issorartuyok offered to the young man with a warm smile.

He had always enjoyed listening to the passions of others. The northerner enjoyed the spark of light that entered the gaze of someone who was offered to talk about what they enjoyed most.

Caracal asked if Issor had ever seen a large waterfall. The man frowned thoughtfully, drawing his gaze upward and away from the boy. He had seen trickling water fall from high crevices, but he had never seen water fall on its own, or in large volumes. The man was intrigued by this concept. Caracal had easily drawn his attention.

I have not. I have only seen cold winter snow water trickle down from the mountain stone. The brown of his eyes returned to his walking companion. You are a captivating teller. I wish to know more of the water that falls.

He said he hadn’t. Perhaps it was strange to be pleased about this, yet Caracal was eager to paint a picture in his Alpha’s mind’s eye. He drew up the mental image himself, remembering just how breathtaking the falls had looked, even from miles away. Up close, well… they had been beyond description. He would never forget the rumbling that seemed to travel into his ear canals, deep down into his very bones.

Well, there’s this place south of here called Thief River Falls. The waterfall is taller than most trees I’ve seen! It looks super cool—especially from afar—but when you get right up close to it, it’s like standing in the middle of a thunderstorm! Only it’s not scary or anything, it’s just wild. Ten out of ten, I definitely recommend it!

After telling Issorartuyok about that, he prattled on and on and on about all the other places he’d been and seen. He included some stories about the characters he and Killdeer had come across in their travels, like Skipjack and his dumb riddles. Despite all his wandering, Caracal had yet to find the mystical beefalo…

You ever heard of one? he wondered, nearly out of breath after mentioning the strange and likely fictitious creature’s name to his new leader.

The northerner was pleased with the boy’s storytelling ability. He seemed to have a knack for retelling the tales of his ventures. It would pair well with his passion for scouting, or so Issorartuyok imagined. Something more, Caracal’s words were something of an inspiration for the northern man. He would like to see the falling water that the boy had described. He would like to see some of the other places, too. In time, he hoped that he might get to know the young man better.

I have seen brother buffalo, yes. He is a large creature with a sturdy body. Bigger than a bear. Stronger than some, too. Issorartuyok smiled to his companion. He had not corrected the name that the boy had used to describe the creatures. It was not his place to say such things. If Caracal had learned to call them as beefalo, then he would be permitted to continue doing so.

Drawing his head to sniff at the winds, Issorartuyok paused on their trek.

Perhaps you will have a chance to see them for yourself. The winds bring the scents of a new season.

Caracal’s eyes sparkled when Issorartuyok claimed to know of the beefalo, though he used the word “buffalo,” which of course wasn’t the same thing! Trying to hide his disappointment, he opted against correcting the leader’s confusion. It was an easy mistake to make, after all, and the yearling had his answer.

On the subject of buffalos, the Alpha tested the wind and made a comment about seeing a herd for himself. Caracal paused and planted three of his feet, bringing up a hind leg to scratch at an ear as he pondered whether the pack might hunt them. And would he enjoy joining in something like that?

I’ve never been on a pack hunt before, he admitted.

The young scout made a remark that surprised the northern man. He regarded Caracal with a curious glance. Even when Issorartuyok had been a boy, he had been shown the ways of a group hunt. The caribou had been their choice of meat in the great north snows, but he had traveled a large distance to where Atautsikut was settled. He had hunted many other creatures on his journey.

We will resolve that, Caracal. You will hunt with our village. It will be a great honor and a great joy, I am certain. Issorartuyok offered the young man a smile of assurance. Thoughts of Meerkat slipped from his mind. Caracal was making a strong impression of himself. It would wash away any former feelings that northerner had for the dappled girl.

We will invite the Saints to hunt. When the seasons begin to change again, we will invite Moonglow to join us on the mountain. I hope you will join these gatherings. Your presence would be uplifting to all. Of that, he was sure.

He swallowed when he saw the look Issorartuyok gave him. Caracal looked at the ground between his paws. The Redhawks had disbanded right around the time he would’ve started participating in endeavors like that. And then he’d been on the road with Killdeer for a while. The opportunity had never arisen… until now.

The Alpha assured him that he would take part in Atautsikut’s upcoming hunts. His head tipped at the mention of the Saints. His lips parted to ask about them when Issorartuyok went on to mention Moonglow. His head reared back a little in delighted surprise. He thought fondly of Sialuk.

Sounds great! Caracal replied, humming under his breath and getting a little lost in thought as their patrol carried on.

Would you like to wrap and/or archive here? :)

The northerner and the young Caracal continued their trek. Issorartuyok was pleased with the company that the boy provided. In time, he hoped that he might journey the borders with his own children. He hoped, too, that Caracal would be around to share stories with them. As a child, there were few things more thrilling than the stories that were passed down.

When they had bid each other good day, Issorartuyok ventured to Antha. He carried food for her, hoping that they could share in an evening meal together. It would not be long before there would be more mouths to feed.

<3