Firestone Hot Springs dark vacay

set for the 19th, this was gonna be for Ariadne BUT YK-

It had taken a few days of hard trekking to cross the Sunspires. Taqtara, more used to mountains than her sister, had led the way and soon the pair were crossing the river that fed Raventhorpe to the north. They had not spoken about the events prior and, in truth, Ulloriaq had avoided conversing on the topic entirely for fear of what it meant.

By the time they reached the hotsprings, the ravenwoman begged them to pause atop a small rise to catch her breath.

"There is Moonglow in the distance," she raised a paw in the direction of the spine. "Moonwoman lives there, and beyond that is Moonspear." Her attention turned to the east with a smile. "And that," the glacier was as beautiful as it had always been, "is Morningsong."

While her sister set out to hunt, Tulugak remained admiring the view for a while longer.

a hill sloped gently down peppered with rocks and at its top they stood talking loud words which made the ears of sunbathing tk at its base prick up straight in surprise then fast fear and panic and confusion? and fear again so strong it rooted runnerdog to the ground head neck belly tail all flat like old-gum-on-pavement stuck. 

heart beating bam bam bam as confusion? came back because words spoken up above were strange weird familiar and it made side of skull beat just as loud trying to rememberthink.

one left eventually but from small noises up tk could tell other was still there and now something wanted herhim to rise but it wasn't racethinking of escape it was question.

rodyn rodyn rodyn and kktx and ksma and and rick? and some other funny names were in forefront of mind as stiff-legged tk crawled the soft hill until headearssnout poked over curve of it to look at -- gasp -- whitewolfbeastthing. there. menacing.

instead of greeting, tk let out a long sad apologetic whine.

Slowly, Tulugak had gotten used to the presence of her sister. After a long time apart, it had been difficult to know each other again. Then there was the elephant in the room. She was almost certain Taqtara had given up her murderous intent, though she could never quite be sure. There had been plentiful opportunities in the mountains, she told herself - if the glacierwoman wished to end her life she would have done it by now.

The thought made her chuckle until movement caught her eye. 

A wolf? No, its nose was unfathomably long and its ears - were they ears? - were wrinkled and flattened oddly. Her brow raised in further confusion as it let out a pitiful whine. What did it want? 

"Are you hungry, long-one?" tail thumping slowly against the dirt, she tossed a strip of dried deer meet towards the floating head in hopes of luring it out of hiding so she may see more of this curious creature.

large watery pupils wobbled, widened at thump of tail then shrunk at motion of throw. neck extended for snout to take a careful sniff at object thrown then phonescreenblack pupils spread again and with motions involving more tongue than face greyhound nabbed chewed and swallowed.

looked again at the whitewolfbeastfeeder with raised head and eyes shiny with affection for provider of treat.

tk crawled until upper body was atop the hill tail behind making circles in the air, keeping head submissively low ears flopped down.

d-d-d-doyouknowkhkhtx?

For a second, she was sure the creature would retreat as it recoiled swiftly at her offer of food. With baited breath she watched it's neck grow longer and longer... and longer! until the meat disappeared quickly into it's maw.

A reassuring wuf escaped her lips and she lowered her chin until it tickled the grass so her body resembled a snowdrift. Curiosity reignited, she watched as a pair of narrow shoulders emerged, followed by hips impossibly thin and a rats tail that spun like a whirlwind. 

And then, even more impossibly, it spoke! It's tongue was rushed and awkward, but phrased undoubtedly as a question. "Khkhtx.. kuku...tux? You are looking for moonwoman?" But why? What connection did this creature have with moonglow's matriarch?

smile beamed on lips as ears sprang up sharp as a wolf's!

yesyes! snout nodded. ofofofmoonvillageinmountain!

tk crawled just one third of a length to whitewolfbeastfeeder also on belly ( unknown to tk, the mimicry soothed herhis brain ) now more eager to speak.

k-k-- khkhtxhelpedmei-inwinterbeforepast,

 inhale. 

khkhtxknowrodynrodynisisisgoodfriend.  

inhale. 

wantkhkhtxtotellrodynsomething.

the sprinterdog panted following the expulsion of words.

Of moon village in mountain. That much was easy to decipher alongside the creature’s excited confirmation. Keeping her body very still and very calm, Tulugak listened carefully to the next string of sounds so to not miss a single word.

It helped only a little, and she took a long moment to process everything before replying. “This Rodyn - does he belong to a moonvillage too?” The name was familiar, though she wanted to be sure.

“Perhaps I can take your message directly to him?”

oh- oh- yesyes! herhis head rose to nod ears going flop flip flop.

rodyn'sin- in- uhm- in- um- forehead scrunched trying to remember name of place heshe spent a season in.

moontide! came the bark. moonvillagebywater!

is- w-w-willyougovillagemoontide?

It was getting easier to understand them the longer they conversed and, slowly, the pieces were coming together. Though she was yet to meet him, Rodyn was well respected as head of Moontide. If Tulugak recalled correctly, it was he that led the bison hunt last summer.

How long ago that felt now.

“I will go,” she smiled softly, revelling in the sense of purpose given to her by long-one. To Morningsong and then to Moontide; it was high time she paid the seafaring village a visit. “And what is it you wish to say to him?”

tk leapt up into playbow elated elated elated!

say- saysaysay- tell-  

sprinterdog shut up, and gulped. closed hisher eyes a moment. inhaled.

and said as slow as runningtongue could do;

thatwhencomeswinter.

whencomesfirstsnow.

whenitgetstoocold.

fortk.

andwhenican't.

runfastonplainsanymore.

i'llcome.

eyes shot open. drak parts swept to their corners in suddenly worried uncertainty if rodyn would like that at all, leaving crescents of stark white. then shehe looked back quick at the messenger.

ifrodynwillhaveme!

there was brief sad look on dog's face as shehe thought about rodyn no longer being hisher friend.

but! had to be grateful to whitewolfbeastfeedermessenger!

wannatrade? tk leapt up, tail again like a windshield wiper.

rodynrodynteachme! itradeyousomethinglikelikeicatch-

wheeze.

icatchyourabbitbirdsomethingfor-

wheeze.

fortellingrodyn!

herhis tongue lolled out in dumb doggy grin.