Whitebark Stream meddleborn

k’edghildza crouched at the edge of the icy stream, her breath curling in soft clouds against the winter air. the caribou fur draped over her back shifted slightly as she moved, revealing the bundled cache she had carried with her—carefully hidden and kept safe during their travel.

the herbs, bundled in delicate wrappings of woven grass, were laid out before her on a patch of frostbitten moss. her sharp eyes moved over them methodically, sorting through what remained of her stock.

fingers of water lapped at the banks, their sound soothing as she counted, checking for any damage from the journey. each bundle was gently unraveled, inspected for freshness and potency before being carefully rewrapped and replaced under the fur.

she muttered to herself in broken lanzadoii, cataloging the uses for each—this one for fevers, another for infection, the smallest bundle for wounds that refused to close.

it was a moment of stillness, of work both routine and sacred, as the world of the north murmured quietly around her.

She was breath-taking. Really. Those legs! When he had first caught the gray shape in his periphery Marius was stricken by the shape of her. Now that he was creeping closer across the snow, he could get a better idea of the rest of her.

She was singing, or something. He couldn't tell what was being said, only that it was soft and had the capacity to draw him closer. Boldly so.

He wanted to call out to her, but wasn't sure if there was a language barrier. She looked like one of those northern women who was equally likely to mantis him in the act - but, not a deal breaker.

her voice, low and soothing, carried a soft valyrian tune—a lullaby she had once sung to her sons. the melody wove itself into the quiet of her task, a small comfort against the endless expanse of cold.

the crack of a branch underfoot shattered her moment of peace. her head snapped up, breath caught in her throat, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. silvers darted toward the sound, narrowing as they fell upon the shape of a lone male. he was bold in his approach, his figure cutting sharply against the snow.

she rose to her feet, her tail curling slightly behind her, not in submission but in measured caution. her gaze locked with his, assessing, as the lullaby fell silent on her tongue.

you watch, she said, her voice firm despite its quiet tone, her accent thick with the cadence of the north. her fingers brushed lightly over the bundle of herbs, though her eyes did not leave him. what do you seek?

Caught!

He wasn't bashful. She looked radiant in her coolness, this figure more winterborn than himself even with his snowy fur.

Her attention brought a thrumming to his pulse.

I appreciate beauty. I seek nothing but to witness it. A sly smile melts across his face, thinking he is so clever. Her discomfort is noted and ignored.

Give her some time to adjust, he thinks - she's bound to find him charming like everyone else he's ever met.

compared to her husband, the towering force of sun eater, this one was slight—puny even. come to me, natsʼelʼaen.

you tread closely to saatsine land, she said coolly, her voice steady but firm, a tone that did not waver as her amber eyes bored into him. she took a step forward, deliberate, her frame large and commanding against the snow’s backdrop.

his smile, so full of his own charm, stirred nothing in her but a quiet, internal huff of disbelief. men, always thinking their words were golden threads to be woven into admiration.

tell me, she continued, her head tilting slightly, the faintest glint of curiosity mixed with her caution. is your appreciation of beauty worth the risk of trespass?

tag for visibility @Sun Eater

She hastily went to name someplace, watching him with such intensity that he should know better, but any attention was good attention; scrutiny only insisted to Marius that he too was beautiful, somehow, and she was only being foolish to deny him. It was all a part of some artful game between man and woman.

Do you not like to be the focus of appreciation? But she was not leaving, and she cried out for nobody, so to Marius these were good signs. I would think someone such as yourself was accustomed to being admired. Maybe those of your home are not comfortable enough to speak on it - but I, who so love women - I can do that. Hm?

Still he felt very clever and not in the slightest bit wrong for his interest. If she did not want him there, despite only speaking and only watching, there was something wrong with her. Who wanders without escort while looking like that?

his tone, his posture—everything about him suggested an inflated sense of self. she studied him with a calm intensity, one that spoke of her experience in dealing with those who mistook interest for entitlement.

you mistake me for someone seeking admiration, she said plainly, her voice steady, carrying the weight of a woman who had no patience for games. she took a step closer, her frame imposing though her expression remained neutral. i do not need the attention of men who know nothing of my world.

her gaze softened briefly, though her resolve did not waver. i am married, she stated with brazen clarity, her words cutting through any ambiguity like the edge of a blade. my sun eater does not share. and neither do i.

she straightened, her stance proud and unmoving. if you wish to admire, do so from afar. but tread lightly near saatsine land.

So she wasn't open to his attention, or so it sounded at first. Neither did she chase him off or prove a handful for him, which boosted his ego in a backwards way.
Sun Eater, she said. Married, she claimed.

All women seek to be seen; if you did not want the attention you would be with your husband always, or caring for his children, hidden from the eye. Fortunately for me! He grinned now, and laughed a low sound which did not carry far among the trees.

Even now the woman was closer, not farther! She had done this. She wanted to be impressive, imposing, and gave in to what Marius desired: a better view, as he coveted that beautiful face with its hard, cold eyes.

It is a compliment! He did not move away, though. She was the one who controlled their proximity and Marius truthfully believed she was enjoying the banter. Where was this husband? This fool who let his woman roam?

his land. his wife.

day dawned and with it a ferocious instinct inside sun eater. he and red leaf had been alone last spring, and there had been no sign of her season.

this year was vastly different. he headed a larger clan, and the wandering males had already begun their roaming.

remaining eye narrowed. an unknown figure moved across the white snows, and near was his mate. nostrils billowed breath. words were being exchanged, but the male did not depart.

a flurry of snow and a cracking growl announced the chieftain of the saatsine, headed in a beeline for the stranger with maiming intent.

teeth bared, she turned her head sharply at the familiar rumble breaking through the trees, her breath curling in the cold air as she caught sight of her husband. the growl carried with it the weight of their bond and the force of his authority. sun eater!

without hesitation, she moved to join him, her steps confident but measured. she played the part of submission, a dance she performed only for him. nuzzling into his shoulder, her nose brushed the charm she had gifted him, still nestled close to his heart.

strange man, she spoke in lanzadoii, her voice steady but filled with veiled disdain, he thinks he can have me!

her gaze flickered briefly to the white male, her expression hard and unyielding, before turning her focus fully to her husband. she trusted sun eater’s judgment, his strength. whatever came next would be decided by him.

Not long after his last words were breathed to life, a rejoinder was bellowed elsewhere. It was a bestial sound; something ragged and possessive, known well among all men, and so Marius was reluctant to linger.

There was a dark shape moving cleanly over snow, and the woman went in pursuit of it. Marius delighted in watching her move — but he was not destined to stay. Better to find an appreciative woman and leave this bitch to her barbarian of a husband.

Off he would go; quick-step drawing his figure back among the drifts of snow and gathered mists.

skip RB, he’ll arrive in a round or two :3

Ridgeback sensed tension and change. It would be months yet before the world came back to life but even in the dead of winter, life had begun to stir. Vagabonds meandered, and with watchful eyes Ridgeback began to patrol the outskirts of their encampment. 

It was the bolting form of Sun Eater that drew his gaze. The dark male kicked up a cloud of snow as he went, luring the wolfdog into a lope, more out of curiosity than anything. 

It was only when he caught sight of two others- still so small and distant that he could barely make out who they were- that he realized a fight was about to break out, and began to dash, knowing that the fight could easily be over before he reached the tumbling forms.

his pursuit was long, a proud run between the caribou that scattered herds and kept the rogue moving fast away.

not until he was satisfied did sun eater glance back for her; his hot breath poured over her ears and down that pretty nape as he raked his teeth possessively through the dark pelt.

sides heaving, sun eater spanned the wilderness with his gaze a final time before he nipped at her shoulder and smirked. "he cannot. show teeth next time. they will come again and again." for ice diver, for sulukinak, for gjalla, for suliya and meleeys. this was the way of things.

her head dipped low, a gesture of both respect and contemplation as sun eater's words rumbled through the crisp air. his presence, commanding and resolute, lingered in the way his breath ghosted over her fur and his teeth grazed possessively.

she felt the weight of his words settle within her, and when she raised her head to meet his gaze, her expression was firm yet questioning. i was not sure if teeth were my place, she admitted, her voice soft but unwavering. i will be more...aggressive.

her eyes searched his, seeking not just his approval but the confirmation that she, too, held a role of strength and purpose at his side. she would meet his expectations, for him, for their saatsine, and for herself.

"teeth are your place." his grunt became a flashing grin; he nosed her cheek again. "wife of the chieftain. k'edghildza to the saatsine. show them!" he exulted, rushing his lanzadoii in the moment.

he tasted the snow, then hiked leg to spray urine where the man had retreated. sun eater was not possessive over land, but as they moved, men would follow. best they understood only death stood for them among his hunters.

The offending male fled, bringing in tow the Chieftan, his wife, and catching up from a distance, the hunter who pursued simply because a game of chase could not be turned down. He had eyes on the man who fled from them, and he stretched out his stride so that he might catch up with his packmates, slowing only when they did though he drifted a bit further than them, so he could stop and investigate the fleeing wolf’s tracks, and log the scent.

He looked then to Sun Eater and Keda, who looked unharmed. He sniffed and shook out his shoulders, grateful for the chance to stretch out into a full run. The Malinois mix still had energy left. Want me to track him? He offered.

yes, husband, she said softly, nodding as his words settled over her like fresh snow. a new wave of confidence rippled through her chest, the warmth of it a stark contrast to the biting cold of the saatsine wilds. k'edghildza stood straighter, her chin lifting as she felt the weight of his expectation, his belief in her.

she turned her head, catching sight of the male in the distance—ridgeback, she thought, recalling the name she’d heard whispered among the hunters. her ears tipped forward, and her eyes narrowed slightly, assessing him. the scent trail left by the fleeing male mingled with the fresh churn of snow underfoot, and she saw how ridgeback lingered, his posture confident, almost eager.

ridgeback, she called, stepping closer to sun eater, her shoulder brushing his as if drawing strength from their bond. she looked to her husband briefly before turning her attention back to the hunter. it might be wise. make sure he do not take caribou. her voice was steady, but she deferred to sun eater’s judgment, knowing this was his domain.

fresh from adrenaline spurred by the presence of another male, sun eater found fight to lay still his guard hairs as ridgeback came along. a loyal hunter, his offer would support saatsine and send him off, away from the woman over whom their chieftain was growing most possessive.

for them she spoke, and he jerked his head in a hard nod. "kill him if he give fight, bloodhunter," came the growling grunt; he refrained from further caresses to his wife but stepped to lead her aside and away, back into the protective shadows cast by those few stunted trees.

his. she belonged to him, and his eye proclaimed this in stark adoration.

Ridgeback’s head tilted at an unnatural angle, hearing the wife of Sun Eater speak first- and in his language. 

How the heck did she learn that fast? 

Of course- she was getting private study with the professor himself. He shook the surprise from his face, took his chieftain’s instructions with a deft nod, and spun on his heel. He dithered only momentarily, shoving his muzzle deep into the tracks the stranger left behind so he might glean the most intimate details left behind by those fleeing pawpads, before he began to charge off after his new quarry.