Whitewater Gorge Hydrogen

@Toula

In this fortunate hour, the wind died down, the snow stopped falling, and a grateful Lycabas plodded along, examining the gorge’s widening mouth from afar. He was too wary to go near the edge, though still took the opportunity to observe the split earth, as it was rare that he got to see such monuments in the true sunlight.

Typically, he would not be out at this time, but the overcast of winter made the brightness of day easy on his sensitive eyes; the wolf found that he didn’t need to travel at night so long as the snowclouds were thick in the sky. His pace slowed, inching closer to listen to the water he could hear rushing far below.

Toula had greeted Ra, and then sought to give a gift to Khonshu. during her travels, a kind stranger had offered to her a lovely stone that shimmered; and while she had hoped to keep it for herself, Toula thought the God that looked after the traveling caravan might appreciate such a thing and the story that had been paired with it.
with one of her attendants watching her with a smile, Toula finished the story before nosing the shiny stone into an area that had been broken open. she watched beneath the surface the traveling water take it, but soon her gaze fell upon what looked to be the perfect stranger passing by.
but he drew closer to the waters now! and she watched him, wondering if he might see the pebble she had thrown into the waters. wondering if Khonshu thought to perhaps bless this traveler with it. He, and the rest of the Divine, worked in mysterious ways!
for now, she minded her own; her mother had by now thought to warn her that not all strangers were kind! she dipped her muzzle into the waters and let a cold rivulet of it drench her foreleg as she began to groom herself. she had watched the ways her attendants could fashion the end of the water droplets to linger at the edge of her fur until it froze there, a soft, frosty dress that provided plenty of insulation!
she could not do all that then, and not alone; so she simply made sure that her furs were in place, and clean. of course they were; her attendant, having seen to that themselves, watched with a knowing eye.

Too leery of the rushing waters to place himself near enough to look down at the water below, Lycabas was grateful to see a small clan of figures ahead. It was a good distraction, so long as they did not chase him away like some of the others. Though cautious from these encounters, the thickset boy was not afraid to continue trying his luck. At least, not in the same sense as he was afraid of the water.

That one’s close to my age. Maybe she’ll be nice. I should introduce myself…

The Voice was usually quiet when he was alone, and he had been alone a lot these days, but now that he could see others, he could hear The Voice again.

But she’s being guarded. That’s not good.

Lycabas hesitated to approach, but he woofed in the girl’s direction, seeking her attention.

he watched her, and her alone. 
perhaps the Gods had sent him to her? or perhaps not! whatever it was, Toula was happy to meet another. she observed as he did that he seemed around her age; another hope to find a friend!
her ears pricked as he greeted her; Toula then smiled as she stood, humming, good morning! is it not a lovely day today? with a wag of her tail. come, sit with me! it is time to break our fast; I have food I can share, her tail waved behind her. Toula was a giver to the people; perhaps this man was one of them, but perhaps not! for her father had set his gaze well beyond Akashingo in considering its his own domain, and she was raised to think the same.
but perhaps he was simply a wanderer! that mattered little to Toula, who would still break bread with him, if he wished it. Toula murmured quietly to an attendant, though she was not left alone in full as they departed to gather food for supping upon.

It was a strange sensation to garner the girl’s attention. To fall under her gaze was akin to finding the warmest patch of sun on a brisk day. She welcomed him near, beside her even, encouraging him with food that he would never turn down. Her guardian did not deter the heavyset wolf from coming to sit beside her either. No reason not to join her…

What’s that polite thing I'm supposed to say? Hello. Lycabas was docile as he rested beside the blond princess, a part of him curious, but his face remained unemotional, as if detached from his thoughts. You said you’re having breakfast? he asked, misunderstanding what a fast was.

he came closer, and she regarded him with bright eyes. he was large! perhaps larger than her dear new friend, @Nils! his eyes were pale and soft, somehow... he reminded her much of Medusa, another friend dear to her heart. but in his own way, he was becoming. his size suited him.
breakfast! she smiled at him, laughing lightly at the combination of the words, and nodded. yes, I suppose that is right, for it was, was it not?! and she had probably heard it referred to as such, for the word felt familiar. easier and less longwinded than breaking my fast.
and he seemed gentle, he observed! she spoke again then, a polite hello, before the attendant returned and place before them a small tray to share. meats of the wild were upon it; hare, vole, an old deer thigh that had been brought with them on the trip. and that was when the attendant announced her to him, you speak with Muat-riya Isetnofret "Toula", Princess of the Red Serpent,
and used to such, she did not bat an eye! her smile only grew brighter as she thanked the one with them then, before she asked, what is your name?

The boy stared at her as she gave a small laugh, his head tilting as if trying to understand what the sound was. He studied the pale gold of her fur, a color not unlike spots of sunshine in the shade, and her darkly lined eyes kept attracting his eye: baubles of blue-green seaglass that danced with the good nature of her mood.

Lycabas turned his head as the girl’s attendant sat a variety of meats before them. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva as hunger touched the corner of his gaze.

Muat-riya Isetno… What? He only comprehended about half the words spoken, and he certainly didn’t understand the concept of a princess or what that meant for their respective statuses.

He looked back at Toula, his eyes wide. Her name was even longer than his! (Not that he could quite remember how to pronounce his own last name; he just knew it contained a lot of syllables.) I don’t know if I can remember all of it… I’ll just avoid saying her name. Yeah, that’s it. Just pretend you know the whole thing. Lycabas, he answered when asked. I have another name, but I can’t remember how to say it. Do you have that problem, too? Is that why your friend says it for you?

Meanwhile, he cast a sidelong glance at the meat lying about their paws. He knew it would be bad manners to assume he could just take anything, so he suffered through being patient.

Lycabas. it was an exotic sounding name. regal, somehow. she studied him with soft eyes, and found that Lycabas was somehow too serious and severe a name for him all at once. she did not know what a more fitting name might be. perhaps something that time eroded and made soft. something like pebble. but he was far mightier than that to behold! such a strange thought!
but it ran away with her. pebbles were lovely; so many different types, and colors. she had left many for Iset, and for Nephthys, of varying hues that Either might enjoy. and she wondered then if the divine plucked this pebble and brought them before her, and called him Lycabas.
she was amused at the thought, and his question, all at once! no—it has always been this way for me, she shares, thoughtful. it did occur to her then that no others were introduced as she was! she too wondered at this; she would need to ask her mother. while she knew she was Amiirad, she had never distinguished her difference in station from any other.
but Toula finds it funny. in truth, I am not sure why—but I have never minded it! she saw his sidelong glance, and gestured toward the plate. please, you are my guest; eat, Toula bid, smilingly.

Oh, Lycabas said out loud to the revelation that she had always been introduced to others, though he wasn’t sure what elicited such a response. He had meant to keep quiet. It just jumped out of him, like a salmon flinging itself upriver. He wasn’t used to being surprised.

I wonder why she even talks at all…

He pondered this for himself, becoming momentarily distracted as the girl implored him to eat. The hungry scavenger didn’t need to be told twice; he bent to grab the largest piece available to him – a chunk of deer thigh – and he chewed through the aged meat with a starved gusto. He had eaten nearly all of it before remembering he was in another’s company.

Why don’t you let them always talk for you? he asked, licking his chops. I, for one, would never bother talking if I had someone else to do it for me.

200 for you! didn't even realize, wow!

Toula watched him eat. unlike her father, she did not think he owed her anything out of this exchange; it was good to make friends, she felt, and she hoped he might wish this too! he seemed delightfully simple, but his ideas were bright she thought. things she had never thought of!
how creative! she celebrated, peering back to the fellahin and brightening at the idea. they anticipated her every need, but not her every word. Toula looked back to the handsome beast of a boy before her. that would be a marvelous thing. but alas, they cannot read my mind, at least not to know all that I would wish to say, she says with a sigh.
but she felt that if they could, they surely would! Toula looked back to him, suddenly wondering, have you no fellahin? it did not occur to her that no others would have any for their own! that her way—the way of Akashingo—was unordinary.

congrats!! and i'm honored to receive this great gift

Lycabas had never before met a wolf like the princess. Not just in her position, with her titles, attendants, and unspoken authority, but in her demeanor. She was unfailingly kind and generous, both of which were beyond his comprehension, and she did not display a single shred of annoyance at his blank-faced inquisitiveness. It was quite the opposite, actually.

Her response made a lot of sense to him, so he nodded. Of course, she would want to say things that others wouldn’t know to say for her… I’d still prefer for them to talk for me, though. They were just different wolves.

What’s that? he asked, unwilling to repeat the word she’d just spoken. This was perhaps indication enough that he had no fellahin.