Great Bear Wilderness snowheart

frost.

the promise of a cold rain.

akmaaksi chased a grey fox through the wilderness ruled by the great clan of her family.

before her eyes, his tail bobbed, his small paws weaving as he tried to evade the young hunter.

burning with rage, with —

for grandmother had spoken of a place called kvarsheim;

burning with anger that like nantahala she too would go away, akmaaski leapt, charcoal fur filling her airborne bite.

This place enchanted him, these kingdoms of the south. Adrian drew out his days stepping through the great wilderness, wondering ever deeper at the wolves who lived here. Their faces, their values, their customs. Were they anything like the caribou hunters?

No, they were many more. Their reach seemed to sprawl ever onward through the wintering wilds.

And this rusted girl, the second that he found. 

She snared her fox with impressive speed, and Adrian admired the control and command this youth - even so young! -already displayed over skills that took others much longer to learn.

There were great things to be wanted here. He felt it in his bones.

Admirable catch! he praised her with good cheer, I have seen others twice your age struggle with such a chase.

he was the shade of gentle morning clouds, his eyes jovial as the sunwarmed water of anik lake.

panting, the fox still struggling weakly in her teeth, akmaaksi stared up at the man with a possessive darkness in her hawk's-eyes. 

and when the thing ceased its movements, she set it down.

against the earth, it did not look real any longer.

akmaaksi glanced again toward the man, curiosity overtaking her wariness.

She already had the hardened eyes of the hunters of the north; hadn't he seen her stare before? It was riddled with a sharpness that Adrian, too, once wielded.

But her edges softened to what seemed careful attention, a question, though she said nothing, and how could Adrian blame her? He was a stranger, after all!

Ah - apologies, miss, he bowed his head and backed up a small pace, giving her space, and letting her know he had no intent to take her quarry away. I have a tendency to get... overexcited, sometimes. I hail from the north, you see, where the land is unbroken by wilds like these... and he laughed, with a tuck of his head, I suppose I am simply enchanted by these places, and too eager to meet the folk who live here. Which - I presume is true, of you and your family?

he was a wanderer excited to see new things. akmaaksi did not find his enthusiasm relatable, but she had been raised in the mannerly traditions of moonglow long enough to understand a response was necessary.

a paw lifted, motioning toward moonglow. she hoped by now the man comprehended that there would be no words. however, she meant to bring him to gregarious scheming grandmother.

firegirl slung the fox over one shoulder and stepped back along the back, looking pointedly to see that the animated stranger intended to follow.

The realiziation indeed began to dawn that he would hear no words from the girl. None spoken, anyway, yet she seemed to understand him. Silent, but far from feral; far from primitive. Her eyes were rich with intelligence; they alone compelled him to follow.

He was silent for a moment. Gawking, and dumbstruck. As if this could be real! But if he could pinch himself, he would feel this was not a dream, and when the girl turned back to him - mysterious, expectant - he snapped back into the this reality all his wandering had led him to.

Ah - ah! Yes, it would be an honor - it would be my privilege! To follow! To see! To experience the unknown world she would lead him to.

And he followed, the face of @Frederick not once crossing his mind.

Want to wrap up here and start a new thread with Kukutux in Moonglow? :) I'm also happy to keep going if you'd like!

ooc]