Bitterroot Valley tragische
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the gargoyle napped in the afternoon, rising with hunger at the open of twilight. while noctisardor offered good hunting, he also was insistent within himself that he explore the territories roundabout. and so before satisfying his hunger, mahler set out to the valley he had only spotted from a distance.
it was nightfall before he arrived, drinking in the scent of late flowers dying beneath too-cold skies. his muzzle brushed the earth; here he was free to roam forth, and did so at a slow canter, one that quickened, gathering speed until merely for the zeal of it, mahler ran. 
his powerful form gathered the growing darkness; he appeared a great spectre in the coming night, moving swiftly as his heart thrummed with something akin to delight.
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Her external injuries were a little over a week old. The open, swollen bite wounds had eventually began to heal and were now large, scabbed-over areas on her either side of her neck. On the inside, though, there was still a festering mixture of guilt and anger, making her more grumpy than usual, and she was naturally pretty surly. She felt guilty for breaking Sia's trust, but their fight still left her with quite a bit of anger and resentment for her older brother; he just couldn't see the situation clearly, at least that's what she was telling herself for now. 

This was why she had been venturing a little farther than normal after completing her daily duties; she was trying to avoid Sia when at all possible. Being that she was his second, there were times when interacting with him was necessary in order to take care of pack business, but otherwise, she stayed clear of the atausiq.

Tonight, the malguk had traveled to the valley southeast of the glacier. She slowly moved across the barren, rocky substrate, citrine gaze scanning her surroundings for signs of life. She didn't need to look for long; a fast-moving, black and grey form moved across the vale in the distance and was headed right for her. Her snowy hackles raised a little and she let out a frustrated huff, hoping he would stop before he got too close. She wasn't in the mood for bullshit today.
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stop he did, drawing up raggedly some feet away. aware that on a snowier day he might have collided with her, mahler was swift to pass judgement: had she no sense to lead her out of the path of others? the gargoyle did not ponder the idea that she had been within the valley before him; her annoyed demeanour set his teeth on edge. the stony lilac of his gaze found the eldritch firelight of her own, as if some spirit-glow had found its way into her stare, and then he began to walk around her.
perhaps another might find it rude, but the musiker had been given no suggestion that the she-wolf wanted anything to do with him, and so decided arcing around her form in a wide berth was the best option for the pair of them. to another, perhaps it was quite awkward; to mahler, it was simple.
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She watched as the charcoal wolf merely changed directions to go around her instead of coming to a stop. Taki looked at him like he was crazy. What are you doing? she asked sharply in her accented common before he got too far away from her. Who did that? Most would have usually stopped and said something, but apparently he was strange. After the words had left her mouth, she kind of regretting even saying anything. She should have just let him continue on his way, but it was too late now, so she fixed him with a shrewd glare and waited to see what he would do with her words.
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her disapproving voice halted him in his tracks; mahler's wide muzzle swung toward her and he showered the woman with a sullen and cold expression. "i am valking avay," he rejoined crisply. what did it appear he was doing? and why did she care? his charcoal hackles flared, and he lifted his head slowly.
"vhat is it you are doink yourself?" he muttered in his thick accent. she was comely, a dollop of honey in the center of an otherwise bitter flower, but it was her attitude that held his focus, not her pleasing features.
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The malguk's eyes narrowed at his answer. Obviously she knew what he was doing literally, but whatever. I'm patrolling, she answered curtly. My pack claims the glacier west of here, Taki added with a lift of her snowy muzzle in the direction of her home. Patrolling was only a small part of what she was doing, but this stranger didn't need to know that she was avoiding family drama. She studied him for a second. Are you running from someone, she finally asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at him before glancing in the direction he had come. She didn't see anyone other than them, deepening her curiosity and earning him a slightly puzzled look as she met his pale violet gaze once more.
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it had never occurred to mahler once in his life that his literal nature was a source of annoyance for those around him. to be direct was to be wise — if one could not communicate aptly with their peers, the words were wasted. patrolling; a task he did not understand. sweeping forward his charcoal ears, mahler contemplated her inquiry for a long moment.
"no. i run for pleasure." and one he had not felt in some time. he and this fierce woman were soon to be neighbors, it seemed, but mahler was unsure whether or not he should inform her of this. perhaps her pack would take his land, that which he had staked for the future. "i am mahler." 
an apology for his brusque manner — whether or not the pale woman would take it as such remained to be seen.
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Running for pleasure was something she was familiar with, as she often did that herself. But, she didn't know this wolf, and so she had to ask to make sure he wasn't dragging her into his problems. He then introduced himself, and the malguk studied him for a second before finally replying, I am Takiyok. She lifted her muzzle a little, nose wiggling as she drew in his scent. He smelled lone, which made her a little wary. Well, I'd advise you to stay clear of the glacier should your run lead you that way, Taki instructed. Her distrust of outsiders was shared by most of her packmates, and a loner hanging around would surely draw other's attention as well. 

Still, a run sounded kind of nice. The malguk looked at him curiously. Can I join you? she finally asked, surprising herself a little. It was not something she would usually do, but if she was being honest with herself, being on the outs with her brother had proven a little lonely--not that she would ever admit that to anyone. Plus, she was here, so why not?
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he followed the line of takiyok's brilliant gaze where indicated, giving a short nod of assent. where he was scented with nothing, perhaps the barest lingering tendril of swiftcurrent, the fragrance of many were wreathed through her pallid fur. he would heed the woman, and stay far from where her wolves had made their land.
takiyok's inquiry was met with a flat look, albeit one edged with a cool curiosity. he had not expected it from her. giving a low chuff of invitation, mahler circled 'round until he was facing away from the distant glacier. lavender stare fell to the woman; he started off at a sedate pace. and when she had presumably joined him, the gargoyle lengthened his gait into a slow-burning run.
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The malguk met his gaze confidently as she waited to see if he would accept her request. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what had gotten into her; she didn't do things like this with strangers usually, aside from one particular lone wolf, but she was looking for an escape from her inner torment, and running across the plains with this male seemed like a good way to do that.

To her surprise, he eventually agreed, turning and away from the glacier as he issued a chuff. Once he began moving, she trotted to his side, ready to match whatever speed he offered. Soon, they were both sprinting across the valley, and Taki couldn't help answering her competitive streak as she pushed to go faster than the wolf at her side. Her muscles responded easily to her urging, used to her frequent mountain climbing and exploring, and she soon darted in front of the ashen male, shooting him a challenging grin as she passed and hoping he wouldn't make things easy for her.
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he was not surprised to see that she was faster, if somewhat dismayed in himelf. but mahler knew he had not the benefit of hiking across a glacier to harden his muscles. he had been first a creature of shoreline, then one of forest. it was part of why he had chosen noctisardor for his palace-to-be; it demanded more from him.
as did this takiyok.
great speed the gargoyle may not have had, but endurance was the lot of the large beast. steadily he kicked himself into a faster movement, now at her flank, now with muzzle poised alongside her ribcage. expression grim, though eyes lit with some feral satisfaction as at last he began to match her again.
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Her lead was brief as she felt the male come up on her side. With a grunt, she urged her legs to go faster, her muscles protesting a little now but not enough to make her slow any. She pushed ahead again, but she was unsure how long she would be able to keep this pace. She enjoyed the challenge and the exertion, though, and a grin spread across her face as the pair raced across the valley. She quickly glanced back at her opponent wanting to see how close he was now but careful to keep an eye on the ground in front of her for any kind of tripping hazard. The absolute last thing she needed right now was to trip and make a fool of herself in front of some man she barely knew.
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his chest was beginning to ache, but mahler was loathe to admit any sort of weakness to the woman, not when she had evaded his own strides. powerfully, grimly; the gargoyle was somber, strong legs churning at her side. it seemed neither of them was ready to break, not yet, and the musiker was committed to the pitting of swift against swift. onward they ran, some dark delight still beating in tandem with his blood.
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The malguk was stubborn to a fault, so she wouldn't be quitting this race before the lavender-eyed male even if her pace had started to loosen the scabs covering her wounds, making the injuries ache a little. She easily pushed the discomfort from her mind, and she urged her burning muscles to continue carrying her across the vale. She eventually glanced back at her opponent to try and gauge his level of exhaustion but saw only determination on his face. She gave him a challenging raise of her eyebrow and continued pushing herself to go faster, refusing to give up even as her body's protest got more and more uncomfortable.
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all logic told mahler he simply must stop, for his bulk had become ponderous. the glance back into his face was one of challenge; it buoyed him as he continued the rash gathering of speed, his limbs threatening to cramp. a grunt as his flank caught, but the man sensed his opponent was nearing the end of her own stamina. a good match; she deserved the sum total of his ability, and here he gave her the last of it, matching her pace for the next moments shoulder-to-shoulder.
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She felt him when he pushed up next to her, the pair of them finally running side by side. The malguk wanted to keep pushing herself forward, her pride riding her to not be the first one to yield, but her muscles were screaming with every movement, and her lungs were beginning to burn. She was afraid her body might force her to stop if she didn't make the decision on her own soon, which would be a hundred times worse than being the first to slow her pace. 

Still, stubborn as ever, she pushed herself a little more before finally deciding to give her body what it had been begging for. She began to slow until she eventually stopped, her breaths coming out in heavy pants making her chest expand and deflate over and over as white puffs formed around her snowy muzzle. After the few moments it took to collect herself enough to speak, she looked up from the ground to inspect the state of her opponent.
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fade with another round? i have a new one in the works lol

he stood alongside her, ribs heaving with the effort as he drew great draughts of air, and was not unwilling to lower his haunches to the snowy earth with a loud sigh. "how pleasant," mahler muttered when he was able to speak, his gaze settling on takiyok with something akin to delight there. "i have enjoyed your company."
it was one of the highest compliments the gargoyle might pay another; even if she did not take it as such, mahler wished the northerner to hear it all the same. it was rarely that he met another wolf with which he would not mind spending time, if there was hope of a second chance.
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Taki nodded, her breaths still coming out in harsh exhales of white. It was nice to blow off some steam with a hard run. It was even better that she had found someone able to match her pace and endurance, forcing her to push herself further than she normally would. She looked away at his next words, unsure how she felt about the fact that she had also enjoyed his company. Her interactions with strangers usually ended with at least mild annoyance and a warning to stay away from the glacier. But--she couldn't really find a reason to be annoyed with Mahler at the moment. I have also enjoyed myself, she finally said, giving a small shrug before meeting his gaze again, a hint of discomfort flitting across her face at the confession. 

The malguk cleared her throat a little. I should probably get back. It had been fun, but duty called, and she had been away from the glacier for long enough.
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he was content with her admission, not taking a moment to wonder at her lack of comfort. mahler knew he was strange; it had been said often of him. but it did not mire the man in his own tribulations; he had learned to be at peace with himself. 
a grunt of assent sounded as the man lowered his muzzle in a bow. the brilliant firelight of her eyes were met with the stony lilac of his own, and then mahler began to move away, expecting she would head in the direction of the glacier now.
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She watched as Mahler took his leave, wondering if she'd ever see the male with lilac eyes and foreign accent again. As far as strangers went, he was probably the least irritating, she decided. With a shrug, she turned and headed home. If she saw him again, then great, but she learned a long time ago to never expect anything from those who had not earned her trust; life was easier that way. With one last glance in the direction he had disappeared, she sprinted off towards of the glacier.
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