Shadowwyn Moor stare down the barrel

the chill in the overcast morning air settles like tiny icicles in ezra's lungs as he stretches and rises to explore the moor — though he does not see the usefulness in lingering here. the land was mostly open — good for hunting, sure — but with little in the way of shelter didn't offer many opportunities to avoid the elements.

a small copse of trees here and there did little to impress him as he moves thru the neutral territory the sun clan currently inhabited; a stop on their travels to their winter destination.

if there were secrets that the moor hid: it hid them well; coveted them. ankhgolden gaze scours the flatland, unsure what he was looking for. the hunting, the traveling keeps him effectively distracted from the demons inside that he does not want to go toe to toe with. and while in their resting days he finds it harder and harder to avoid it.

the open moor stretched wide, the wind brushing against suliya's fur as she moved with the quiet grace of one accustomed to the hunt. the sky above hung low and grey, and the cold bit at her nose, but she did not mind. it was the kind of day that felt alive with possibilities—though, for now, she sought familiarity.

her sharp eyes caught sight of a figure moving ahead, the boy with ankhgolden eyes, alone in the vastness. she adjusted her pace, her path naturally veering toward him, her presence deliberate but unthreatening.

ezra, she called softly, her voice carrying a calm authority. as she drew closer, her head dipped in greeting, her gaze steady. good morning.

there was no flourish in her tone, no unnecessary words—just a simple acknowledgment of his presence. she studied him briefly, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. you’re out early.

his voice reaches him in the tone of calm authority, and for a moment he wonders if he's about to be chided. he turns quickly, golden gaze falling upon ...suliya, he thinks her name is. they'd never had one on one time like now, and ezra tended to remain close to gideon and anselm, determined not to let either of them out of his sight for too long, partially afraid if he did they might be taken from him again.

morning, he echoes back, watching her approach.

am i? asks ezra, mischievousness sneaking its way into his tone; left ear flicking to the side before facing forward once more. vell, he drawls. time sleeping is time vasted.

suliya’s pace slows as she approaches, her icy gaze settling on the young saatsine man before her. his mischievous tone doesn’t phase her, though the faintest curve of her lips hints at some small amusement.

perhaps, she murmurs in agreement, her tone even, steady. but sometimes sleep is its own kind of preparation. even the strongest must rest.

her sharp eyes roam his flame-kissed pelt for a moment, noting the strength in his build, the way his frame speaks of youth tempered by trials. how long have you been among the saatsine? she asks, her voice softening, though it remains edged with her usual coolness. you carry yourself like someone well accustomed to it.

there’s no malice in her words, just a quiet curiosity as she tilts her head slightly, waiting for his answer.

ezra does not counter her logic as she offers it, because he can't. she's right, of course. sleep was essential but also felt impossible when thoughts haunt him like his mind was the ghosts of regret and worry's own personal graveyard; morphing into nightmares that do not allow ezra a peaceful night's sleep.

flashes of them pass across his mind's eye: a black plague dripping from his mother's mouth as she begs him to run, the imagined press of amadeo's teeth at his throat ... ezra barely suppresses the shudder that threatens to slither down his spine.

but he has no intentions of trauma dumping on suliya.

a couple of veeks, ezra admits. my father and brother have been here longer. he offers in explanation. it was because of them he was here ... and though it still physically hurt him to think that he'd abandoned his mother when she might very well harbor the same illness that had taken druid, he knows this is where he is supposed to be.

it was where he wanted to be.

my mother and i traveled, for a bit. searching for my brother and father. before ... he'd known nothing but stability of a rooted home. but maybe he'd always been cut out for the life of a traveling hunter; and maybe in another life he'd be a traveling priest carrying the word of Yahweh, striving for some sort of sainthood.

and you? ezra turns the proverbial tables on her, eager to not linger too long on his ( recent ) past.

suliya watched the young wolf with a quiet patience, her amber gaze steady as he spoke. there was a weight in his words, one that spoke of a boy who had seen too much in too little time. she listened without interruption, offering him the space to speak without judgment.

i've been lanzadoii my whole life, she said after a thoughtful pause, her voice carrying the cadence of someone used to recounting her story in pieces rather than as a whole. but sun eater became my chieftain just last moon.

her gaze softened slightly, though suliya was not one to lean heavily into sentiment. there is comfort in being part of something greater. something with roots and traditions. she tilted her head slightly, studying him. but you already know that, i think.

her tail swept once against the ground, a subtle gesture. your father and brother must be proud to have you here with them. and your mother— she hesitated, but only briefly. —she must’ve been proud of your search for them.

suliya’s gaze lingered on ezra for a moment longer before she shifted her weight slightly, her tone lightening just a fraction. traveling with her, was it like this? she gestured faintly to their surroundings, curious to hear what comparisons he might draw.

speaking of heda brings with it a pain in his chest, an ache in his heart that nothing but time or her appearance will be able to balm. he listens to her as she speaks, not all that eager to circle back to him. but it does, as he predicts.

ezra hesitates, almost wincing.

sort of, answers ezra. it vas ... harder for us. she vas not vell and i hunted for us, and then creeps in the thought that if he'd been a better hunter perhaps he could have helped her stave off illness. guilt and blame use his mind and soul as their battleground. ve did not eat like the sun clan eats.

he is not proud that he could not provide for his mother in a way that he thought he should've.

i am hoping that she is vell enough to join us soon.

suliya tilted her head, watching him with soft, understanding eyes. there was a sadness in his voice, a weight she wished she could lift, if only for a moment. her tail flicked, stirring the snow at her paws, and she took a small step closer, her tone light, teasing, a deliberate attempt to ease his heavy thoughts.

you hunted, you tried, she said, her voice warm. that makes you strong, ezra.

her gaze lingered on him for a beat before she perked up, a spark of energy entering her posture. but no more heavy thoughts, she declared, a playful grin curling her lips. come. let's do something fun. maybe we find the deepest snowdrift and see who can leap the farthest? or we chase the wind until we forget everything else.

she bounded a few steps ahead, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a wag of her tail, her eyes inviting him to follow. what do you say? one little adventure before we face the rest?

ezra lets out a tight smile — more of a terse twitch of his lips into some misshapen phantom of a smile — as suliya declares no more heavy thoughts. if only it were that easy. heavy thoughts and topics linger 'round his shoulders like a vigilante's cape; nipping at his heels like his own personal hellhounds.

but ... he'd come out here in search of a distraction and that was what she was offering him.

let's chase the wind, ezra chooses, not really one for playing much anymore. running offers the illusion of being unchained and unburdened and he sought that in that moment more than anything else.

suliya’s grin spread slow and sly, a flicker of challenge igniting in her golden eyes. then try to keep up, she murmured, her voice soft but laced with mischief.

without waiting for a reply, she darted off, her lean frame cutting through the cool night air like a halo. paws barely kissed the ground as she raced ahead, the wind whipping against her face, carrying away the weight of earlier conversations.

she glanced back once, just enough to see ezra take off after her, his form a blur against the silvered landscape. the chase pulled them both forward, unspoken laughter and pounding hearts chasing away the lingering heaviness.

and for a little while, there was nothing but the wind.

thank you for the thread<3