Moonspear natsukashii

The snows had come in fierce and heavy. She'd gathered up those she could and tucked her brood into a small cave lower in the elevations. It had been her go-to spot after the ice had gotten problematic enough further up the slopes, and this way, it was somewhat easier to make her way to the borderlands to patrol and scavenge fallen prey whenever she was able -- even if staying this low down this often was not really her ideal. Especially not when she had enough else to concern herself with.

After a long, cold restless night, she'd arisen late in the morning (pushing afternoon, honestly) and went to shaking some of the drifted snow out of the way of the small cave's door first. Next, she squinted out into the brightness of it all with a deepening frown. Just about as cold as the day prior, but at least the snows had slowed since the big storm. Maybe, with overhead clouds looking hopeful to break up, they'd see clear skies again soon. She was feeling tired of being so cooped up, and had a good feeling this was not letting her scouting comrades cover much ground either.

Needing a gait with excessive motion to navigate the deep snows, she set out towards the lowest elevations of the mountain's tangled woods to burn her energy before the cold started to set in for nighttime once more.

The weather hadn't given him the time to familiarize himself with the territory as he'd have liked. Instead he'd spent a great deal of time cooped up in relative proximity to Amekaze's rendevouz site in the small, old badger hollow he'd dug out for himself. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but it gave him plenty of time to ruminate on the current status of things. He, the soldier, was now in service to the dark female and her family whom he hadn't even met yet. He didn't even know if they would prove to be worth the risk to his hide.

But the snows were slowing and the clouds slowly breaking up, signaling the end of the long snows. The great pale beast uncurled from his sleep and rose slowly, stretching out his long limbs, and dipping down into a prolonged bow to loosen the kinks in his back. A grunt billowed from his mouth in a vapor cloud, and he cupped his ears towards the lower reaches of the peak. Somewhere, below, the wind carried the scent of wolf, and it was fresh. He couldn't be certain who it belonged to; their scent all seemed to culminate into what he now knew as Moonspear, but it was enough to pique his interest.

The prospective Guardian strode down the trail in pursuit of the scent with his nose down to the snow. It didn't take long for a shadow to materialize a few dozen yards ahead, but the shadow did not reveal itself to be anything other than Amekaze herself. He stopped, blinked, then set off at a quicker clip to catch up with the elusive Alpha female. "The damned weather finally let up," he chuffed as he came within earshot. Janus waved his tail and smiled should she look this way. "Mind if I join you?"

As she moved over the mountain, she missed all the warmth so badly. The instinctual rush for the arctic cold and the novelty of a landscape all dressed in snow and ice had long since run out and staled; she was ready for spring, and soon enough, it should be on its way back. In all her years, and surely true for any that she'd yet to experience, winter would never have her fancy. She liked her water running freely, not frozen, and her mountainside not only a fortress of stone but one draped in lush greenery as well. These barren spindles and bitter, determined evergreens didn't suit her nearly as much. Undoubtedly, the first blooms would be a welcome sight.

His timing.. overall, was good. She did not know so much about the pale-coated stranger yet. He'd come to them at a delicate time, and maybe, in all of their best interest. It was too soon for her to decide that, although it was with interest that she'd regard Janus, pleased to see him out and about as well. Especially considering she had seen no trace of the other recent recruit, dead or alive.

Angling her head just enough to keep an eye on his approach, her tail soon swayed gently. "Finally," she huffed, a mix of frustration and relief on the word. "And not without plenty to remember it by," she griped alongside a sweeping gesture to all this snow. But it would melt. The sun would come out sooner or later then the days grow a little warmer than the last. Hope was a feeble thing still this soon, but perhaps this would be the last hurrah of the winter. "Of course not," the dark alpha replied. "I cannot say I had plans, necessarily. Other than to be out, to move," she shook her furs and continued for their borderlines, to illustrate her point of just wanting to cover ground. By default, when nothing else beckoned her, that meant she'd pick up something useful there.

A hearty guffaw erupted from his mouth and he nodded when she motioned to the snow. She welcomed him openly and he closed the distance between them with a few long strides, keeping a familiar distance but not pushing his luck. He was someone who appreciated personal space, and he reckoned she likely felt the same—at least until he was able to find himself counted fully among the Moonspear populace. He inclined his muzzle towards her and shook the snow from his own pelt only to pursue her at an easy jog, "God," he breathed, "right? Can't wait for spring. Sick of this shit." he remarked as he drew alongside her. 

Janus found himself relatively at ease though his eyes occasionally flittered sideways to check her expression. They were making progress towards the borders judging by the thinning trees, and shallower incline. Instead of keeping silent, he decided to start asking the questions he'd saved since their first meeting. If he was to be their Guardian, he needed to start learning. "How are the kids?" He asked gently, hinting at a deeper understanding of parental frustrations from cooped up, rowdy children.

It was swiftly clear they were on the same page about this. Amekaze nodded wholeheartedly. She shared the sentiment. Spring couldn't get her soon enough for her. It could bring with it the storms and the bugs, she'd rather tolerate that than more of this bitterly cold frozen misery. "Ufg, really. Over it," she scoffed with similar dismay thick and slimy on her words. Winter had worn out its welcome.

On her daughters, the outlook was a bit brighter so her expression could ease away from the frown winter had put on her. "Doing well as I could hope, everything considered.. but I know the weather is all that can keep them cooped up," she said, shaking her head softly. They were old enough that she could no longer expect to confine them, so she did not. But when the temperatures bit this badly, they had little choice -- no matter how robust a group of juveniles they were proving themselves to be. "Just before the temperatures bottomed out, at least one of them was really taking a hopeful interest in getting to scout out into the flatlands too. This has been no good for that," she detailed. Having Charon and Aria away made it worse. Evidently Alya was doing well to inherit her mother's bad luck at timing. "Have you met any of them yet?" she asked, not remembering it being mentioned from them quite so soon but believing it would have come up.. Which if he hadn't, that was fine too. There was no hurry.

Janus was happy when her expression brightened and her tone shifted from irritation to fondness. A prickle of pleasure tapped at the back of his skull, and he shook it off with a casual toss of his head—appearing to simply resettle the fur on his neck with the motion. But he could not silence it completely. He was too happy with how things were going, both with her and with Charon. He knew there was more to Moonspear than the Alpha pair, but his chances of sliding comfortably into the middling ranks were quite high if he remained in their good graces. It would be simple, and perfect—the only thing he really wanted out of life. Simplicity.

The Guardian-hopeful nodded his broad head, and hummed a note of understanding between closed lips. Once more he shook his head, "No, unfortunately. Been too shite out here, and this is one of the first times I've ranged far enough from my hovel to run into anyone else." He admitted with a sheepish smile. "But scouting, you say? Good, honorable thing, that." Janus paused to smile kindly. "If'n I'm not being too bold... in the future, and only if you felt comfortable with it, I could always escort the lad or lass and keep'm safe while they practiced. Would give me reason to explore a bit and learn the lay of the land as well. Hell, they might teach me a thing or two."