Broken Antler Fen We cannot alter our fate, but we can rise to meet it.

Quote from "Princess Mononoke". I think that the description of the territory fits nicely with the imagery of the forest from this particular Studio Ghibli movie. @Maia

It had taken a little longer for Wraen to get back on her feet and be fit for scouting than she had anticipated. Under Eljay's care her fever had lifted and some of the worst cough no longer plagued her, but some weakness had remained. She grew tired easily and had to stop to catch her breath more often. These signs were all too similar to those she had suffered from earlier in the autumn, right after the hornet attack. Which meant that just maybe her health issues were not isolated to single and independent cases, but had a common underlying cause.

Yet she was a stubborn creature that refused to believe that there was something wrong with her and that it may be a permanent change rather than a temporary one. So, when the day came for her and Maia to go on the adventure called "Let's find that magic forest", she kept up a brave face, was cheerful and excited and masked her own need to rest with care and attention her sibling's healing wounds required. Finding a place to live - one that they actually liked and, which was also practical and could provide for them - was a more difficult task than they had imagined initially and this effectively drew Wraen's focus from her own health to the job they needed to get done.

They purposefully avoided the place Maia had been attacked in and explored first lands east to caldera, then west. The search with pauses inbetween had lasted for few days now and still they had not come up with anything of good use. Wraen had grown a little hopeless and desperate as well, having that sinking feeling in her stomach that eventually she would have to leave Maia at the caldera to live out that happily ever after with Eljay, while she... well, Frosthawks and that flea-tick-heartworm-medicine pack were options to overwinter. "I don't know, Maia," she told her, when they had finally stopped at, what appeared to be a swamp, and she sat down to chew out the snow-ice mix packed between her pawpads. "I suppose we may have been too hasty in promising everyone we will settle nearby."

Maia followed Wraen eagerly enough.  She hadn't ventured out since her ordeal, and while she felt more nervous (and was therefore jumpier) than before, it was easier with her sister along than it would have been alone.  Her injuries were more appearance than anything else now, but as Wraen paid attention to her, she did the same for her sister.  And if she noticed that Wraen was going tired, Maia would call for a stop, even if she didn't particularly need one.

Despite her anxiety around her sister's health, Maia was happy to be out again.  It felt good to be traveling and seeing more of the area, especially when she hadn't been to these parts before!  While Wraen's might have fallen some, Maia's own optimism was somewhat unshakeable.  She really believed what she'd told Eljay a few days before; the who mattered more than the where.  Somewhere would at least be good enough.

There's gotta be somewhere that is at least somewhat okay, right?  She would let Wraen lead the way on the final decision, because she was honestly less picky as a result of knowing less about what made a good pack homeland.  What things do we need?  Like, for sure, can't do without?  She remained standing, watching Wraen thoughtfully.

WC: 212

"It has to have some trees!" Wraen blurted the first thing that came to her mind and whined quitly to herself, when the that piece of ice and snow that had lodged itself between her fingers was removed with a good chunk of hair too. "Plains and meadows are good and great during the summer, but now they are freaking windy and cold," she shivered, thinking about the walk over the plains that had led them down here. Despite her thick winter coat, she still felt as if the gusts of wind had blown right through her and frozen everything that they had met along the way. "When the rain hits - it's bloody awful and you are on plain sight always too," she finished this part of argument.

"Water's important - you need to drink and if there is a sufficient amount of it, you can bet other critters will visit your claim too. But no swamp or marshy areas - wet feet and winter does not mix, and during the summer these will be breeding sites for tons and tons of mozzies," swamps were nice for occasional hunts or leisure activities. To live in one permanently - no. "I liked, when we lived in Sunspire, but there is only so much wolves it can host. I do not want to run in a situation, where we have nothing to eat again. Besides - avalanches are a threat too. You remember that snow-rock-slide at the waterfalls?" she asked referring to a winter, where she and Maia had had their fun exploring such phenomenon. 

"Bramblepoint is a place that is a favourite of mine, but it is unfavourably close to Moonspear. Who knows, when will they decide to branch out again and expand their claim. Maybe they consider it belongs to them already," she sighed, feeling glad that at least no one else but her got to enjoy her personal climbing-tree and watchtower the willow. For the simple reason that once during a storm it had got totally destroyed. "Blackfeather woods are not bad either, but the place has a bad history and we would not want to be associated with that, would it?" she said. 

"A-a-a-a-and - hey, I know this place!" all the while she had been talking, she had not paid close attention to, where they had chosen to stop and rest. She got to her feet and had a good look around. "I think that this was the very first stop I made, when I arrived here an... eternity ago," she told. "I met another lone wolf and I recall that I was so glad to talk with someone!"

Yes!  Maia emphatically agreed on the tree point for a variety of reasons!  She'd always felt better with cover.  The rest of it made a whole lot of sense when Wraen rattled it off, but Maia's brain was spinning by the end of it.  How did she keep all of that straight?  Maia wouldn't have even begun to think of prey... water and trees would have done it for her, but it made perfect sense that you'd want a place that could feed a group as well.  And dry feet?  Right?!  It would be awful to make a home and be soggy all the time.

Maia was just about to ask about Blackfeather, having never heard of the place's history, but she was distracted by Wraen's pronouncement that she knew where they were.  Really?  She'd come in from the west, farther north, and had never crossed down here.  I've never seen it!  Do you think they're still around?  She thought about it a second and immediately realized how ridiculous that would be.  Nah, I suppose not, right... that was forever ago!  Wow.  She gazed about with a new appreciation.  This spot's a little damp, but d'you remember if there were any cool finds here?

WC: 204

"Thank you, Maia - you just made me feel prehistoric," Wraen growled in a good-natured manner, while her eyes traced the surroundings. You could not tell much about it - it being winter and all, but, perhaps, that was the best time to visit. If the forest had something to offer during the worst of seasons, then it had to be a lot better during the summer. 

"I don't recall doing much exploring. No. We talked and we hunted and... then we moved onwards. Never returned here either," she told. "Though... I think that at one point there was another pack located in the vicinity of Caldera, but that was - like you pointed out so kindly - a-a-a--a-a-ges ago," she grinned. 

"Shall we?" she asked Maia, though it was hardly necessary. Her sister would be up to anything she suggested. "If we have made it this far, it is worth a shot. At least to have a look around." And if this was not it, then - hell - Wraen would sleep it off and come up with another idea.

No prob!  Maia responded a little cheekily.  She didn't mind because honestly, it felt like forever since SHE had come there too!  So much had happened... so much traveling, so much moving, and so many changes!  Some of them great, some of them awful.  She looked around as Wraen did, trying to take it in in another light, what it might look like when it wasn't icy and cold.

If someone maybe lived here, it can't be too bad.  Plus, if even you haven't been here, who knows what we'll uncover!  Maia responded excitedly.  She was always up for exploring, but it was almost better when they were both discovering a place together!  Wraen had done so much traveling in the wilds (and Maia too) that it was pretty rare for the pair to come across ground neither of them had walked much before.

We should see if we can picture how it would be, living here, but as if it were the home we dreamed.  Like... where would we keep the dragons?  Maia said, falling in easily with a game for the initial look.  If there was no place for dragons, well... they'd certainly need to move on, wouldn't they?

WC: 201

"Yeah, that's a valid point," Wraen nodded in agreement, looking around first, then getting to her feet and leading the way in the forest. It was not yet that cold for all of the water to freeze, therefore, when her paws were submerged in a shallow pool of cold swampl liquid, the girl scrunched her nose in distaste and leapt to stand on a more solid ground. The rest of the way was better and she had conviently forgotten the first unpleasant moment, when they came to the shores of the large lake that the territory had got its name from.

"Well, judging by the abundance of water - you will have to change the type of dragons you wish to keep. Mountain, fire-breathing kind just won't do. But Swamp Beastlock and Mermish Spiked Horror would feel great here," she told, looking across the lake at the other bank. "And I have a feeling that the Green Grass Dragon of stories already lives here. That fellow prefers to live underground, but I just have this particular inkling in the tips of my toes," she cast a glance at Maia to see, what she had to contribute to their potential dragon breeding grounds.

I think you are exactly right on that!  It felt like just the forest for the Green Grass Dragon to dwell beneath.  There was a weird misty quality to it.  Maybe it was the water, maybe it was just her imagination, but she could totally picture this place being enchanted.  The copse had been pretty, but it had also been a normal forest.  There was something oddly off-kilter about this one as Maia took a closer look around.  The trees weren't as perfect, the ground wasn't as even, and everything kind of added up into the perfect amount of weird.

The fire-breathing kind would be a disaster in any kind of forest anyway, she said, though she didn't dwell on that line of thinking for a lot of reasons.  And I doubt either of us really want to deal with a mountain dragon!  I saw a forest dragon once, I think, with long twisted horns.  One of those perhaps, and one of each of the other to guard the borders.  The swamp beastlock wouldn't take much room and the mermish we can just let prowl around.  She grinned as she pictured a little spiked dragon roaming the borders like a rambunctious pup.  It was adorable!  And really painful probably if annoyed.

No caves yet, though.  She added thoughtfully.  So no endless food, then, it looked like.  Unless there were some they hadn't discovered yet!

WC: 234

"Yeah, let's not bring fire-breathing kind here. Any supernatural and fiery thing," Wraen agreed, because they had already lost one home to fire and then their parents to another. She had not seen most of this place yet, but even if it was not a good fit, she did not wish to see it destroyed either. At some corner of her mind she did realize that they were talking about beings that did not exist, but both had had a very long and tiring day. Several even. They deserved fun to cheer themselves up. 

"Will there be enough for all the dragons and the wolves eat? I think it was better we did not have to compete for food with them," she pointed out. How unfortunate it would be, if their pets took over their owners? "I mean, just imagine, if we ever got to a fight, they would win and they would evict us!" she feigned horror in her voice, but the humorous glint in her eyes gave her away. "Well, there is much of the territory to discover. So far - we have got a forest and a huge lake. There's something interesting," she pointed out to a distant patch of forest, which seemed as if it was dead. 

"Or we can go the opposite way too," she suggested. "You choose, princess Almighty," she said and made a respectful bow. "I shall follow you through fire and water, 'till the world's end..." she paused looked up and grinned. "... only if you catch me. Tag! You're it!" she batted Maia's shoulder and took off. As fast as her deteriorated lung capacity allowed her to.

Ohhh, see!! That's where we have to find something to help with that.  Like... a dirty secret to keep them in line, or something they love so much they couldn't think of turning on us! Dragons were tricky creatures and hard to work with, so they'd need to be tricky as well!! She was enjoying the play a lot, and it felt great to be with Wraen again and joking about this sort of stuff.  After a lot of heavy conversations and difficult thinking, dragons were a welcome change.

Hey!! The princess was supposed to choose! Maia hollered after her, but took off with a wide grin and a happy barking laugh.  She didn't sprint at her full capacity, but ran enough to keep up with Wraen and keep her in her sights.  As soon as she got close enough, she put on a burst of speed to try and catch her.  At that moment, her paws hit a patch of ice, and she ended up biffing it and sliding, spread eagle, on the snow.  She stopped, sprawled out on the light snow, and immediately broke out into a burst of laughter.  Oh.... mg.... I cannot.  She was laughing too hard to get up.  Okay... no ice dragons either....  She added, huffing.

WC: 212

It turned out that both sisters had a hindrance that made the race fair. Maia could not run full speed due to healing injuries, Wraen on the other hand, sensed that her breathing soon grew laboured and she was forced to stop and wheeze just the moment, when the other sibling slipped and fell down. She turned to look over her shoulder, assessed the situation quickly, jumped to her feet and, while still breathing heavily, ambled back to, where her pursuer had been struck down. 

"No, ice-dragons - huh? But, what about very hot summer days. Some ice and snow would do good," she asked, plopping down right next to Maia, glad that the chase was over. Man, it sucked to be sick, it was even worse to think that with her advancing age these minor incapabilities would only grow bigger. Until one day she would be hardly able to move and become a pathetic grumpy mess. Struck by a sudden idea, she leaned down to plough the snow with her muzzle in her sister's general direction. "What do you say - you stay, where you are and I make a snow-wolf out of you?" she asked. "You could scare someone in believing snow beasts, by just springing up from your hideout and lunging at them with a loud roar," all these silly ideas and Wraen was not ashamed of any of them.

Maia's tendency towards jogging over sprinting had more to do with her build and energy than anything else, but the trip had been pretty typical.  She had problems with her paws on a normal day so when ice was added to the mix!? Awful!

We'll keep them to a specific spot in the forest, and a summer dragon in another, so we always have snow AND sun.  Now that was a ridiculous notion.  But how was a summer dragon any less likely than an ice one?

I couuld.  Ooooorrr....  She drew it out while she adjusted so that she wasn't sprawled quite so much, grinning mischeviously at Wraen.  We could both be snow wolves!  With that she flung her paw, launching a smattering of the thin snow at Wraen.  Her aim wasn't great, but some of it might hit!

WC: 139

With Maia by her side Wraen knew she would never grow old. Her body may fail her, but her heart would always be young. The absolute freedom she enjoyed in her sister's company she valued very much. It inspired her, when she felt burnt-out. It gave her a relief, when problems weighed down her too much. And it was pure and unbridled fun. No rules, the sky was a limit. 

Wraen jumped from the spot and snapped at the shower of snow mid-air, and after she landed, quite cat-like, she bounded towards her sister again, intending either to pounce her or embrace her. Whichever would be permitted. Game was on!

Pouncing and embracing were both fair game, so it was quite likely Wraen did a little bit of both!  Either way, Maia would allow herself to be pushed into the snow without a bit of resistance.  Her aim was pretty simple - if she was in the snow, the better to pull Wraen down with her!

So as Wraen pounced, Maia went to embrace her too, hoping to pull her playfully into the snow beside her.  Then they could get to work on making some real snow wolves!

Wraen captured Maia in two graceful moves, but unlike in chess this Queen put up a resistance, before she was taken away from her square. They tumbled down in the snow, made chaos in the board, for a moment not knowing, where was what and how, and then all of a sudden there was a swoosh, a feeling of a free-fall and muted thud. While playing around, they had not noticed a rather deep snow-filled hollow and had rolled right into it.

Not seeing a thing aside the white of snow, Wraen began to squirm around to reassemble her legs such as to be ready to spring and, once her nose caught a whiff of fresh air - she emerged from her snowy-trap like a rocket. With no snow-shoes, she soon sank back, chest deep in snow and began to look around for her sibling. "Oy - sis - are you alive still?" she asked. "Or should I start to rehome your dragons?"

Ohhhhh this was NOT expected!  When Maia flipped them both into the snow, she hadn't thought they'd just keep going.  Unfortunately, she'd landed in it flat on her back, so she was left scrabbling like a demented turtle underneath a veritable pile of snow.  Her flailing legs probably kicked up some amount of the fluff into the air, and it took her a solid minute to right herself enough to crawl her way out and burst forth.

WOAH-LLY WHAT WAS THAT!? She shouted as soon as she caught enough breath.  Quicksand, but snow?!  She hadn't even known snow GOT that deep!  She flicked her ears, definitely having missed Wraen's comment under the pile.

Maia's resurgance from the snowy sea was less graceful as Wraen's had been, but the esthetics of the process mattered to her less than the fact that her younger sibling appeared to be fine. After all both had learned fairly recently that good health was not something to consider as something permanent and it was easy to get hurt. 

"Ahoy, Mrs Yeti," she pranced to, where Maia's head was and planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead. "May I tell you, how absolutely stunning you look?" she teased her with a cheeky grin.

Indeed, Ms. Frost!  Maia responded in a proper tone, but giggled when she licked her forehead. I could say much the same about you!  But I must say, the Wintersmith is rather rude, playing such a prank and then just laughing away.  Maia pulled herself from the snow and still sank in as well, laughing.  Funny! But highly indecent!  The idea that she and Wraen would ever be as proper as that was hilarious in and of itself!

"Do you really think it was his doing?" Wraen asked, stepping back to let her sister rise to her feet. Her merry laughter was contagious, she caught herself smiling at the joke too. "It could have been Trickster Loki - he likes a good joke. And a bad one too for that matter," she suggested, now looking around the place and liking it better by the minute. 

"This place does have a good vibe - I say that encountering mischievous spirits is already a good sign," she told. "And I bet that there are tree elves and spirits right over there. Winter - I have heard - is not much to their taste, but the forest feels just right," she beckoned in the direction of treeline. 

"What do you think, Maia?" she asked.

So long as they behave and mean well, it's perfect!  She looked around with a mock severity, but she couldn't hold it, and continued to laugh.  Tree elves and spirits and wisps too!  I don't think they'll mind us, though, so long as we have a sense of humor and don't bother them.

She pushed forward a few more hops towards the trees that Wraen indicated, her tail setting the snow aflurry behind her.  I love it!  And she wasn't just saying that.  It wasn't the prettiest forest, or the most perfect, but it felt perfectly them.

"I think that between us we can agree that our sense of humour is superb. Other people might not think that way, but why should we care," Wraen grinned. "There have to be a couple of friendly ghosts around here too," she offered, after she thought she had caught sight of, what seemed like a shadow scurrying away quickly and soundlessly. Her eyes might have been playing tricks on her - it was getting dark after all. 

"What do you say, if we camp out here for the night? We can dig a den in the snow - there's no shortage of that material around here," she suggested. "And then we can continue exploring it tomorrow. It may seem a lot different, when under the daylight."

We can wrap this up here. Thanks!

<3

Sounds like a plan!  As long as they dug to the point where they wouldn't wake up completely soggy.  Soon as the sun's out we'll have to check out what kind of daytime spirits are around.  Hopefully they were as playful as the night crew.

She set to digging enthusisastically, fully prepared to do as much of that heavy lifting as Wraen would let her.  She was well suited to it!  And she still didn't want Wraen over-extending herself, however overprotective that might be.