Qeya River pioneers

Pele had already searched Whitebark Stream for traces of her family pack, but there were no scents anywhere near the place. It seemed that those who had once lived there had moved on long ago, and with no hints as to where they might have gone, Pele picked a direction and kept going. She followed the stream back up to the main river, and then went west. It was all ice up here. It was technically spring, but she was in the northern territories of the Teekon Wilds, and up here, it was always cold. Far ahead, she could see a massive glacier, and below it, a half-frozen lake. Even where she stood, she had to watch her step, for the ground was slippery with ice. Not for the first time, she thanked her small stature, for if she’d been heavier, she might have fallen through the ice in several places by now. As she stared up at the glacier in the distance, she wondered vaguely what to do now…

Having taken a brief outing away from the Glacier, Tzila had traveled south, following the route of the river. She was on the lookout for any signs of Rainbow or Cutthroat trout that might be found in abundance in the river. With little luck on the fish, as she guessed it was still too early for them to spawn, she set her sights on a much more likely target. Beaver. The oversized rodents were plentiful in these parts, and infamous for building their dams in streams such as these. Culling their population by one individual wouldn't do any harm. The meat would be a welcome addition in the packs stores, and the pelt, surely appreciated by Imaq or Iana.

With her damp, large prize clutched tightly in her jaws, she looked a little bedraggled with her wet legs and spiked guard hairs from her tussle with the rodent in the water. She hardly minded. After having lived along the shores of Yuelong for roughly a year, she was used to getting wet from time to time. What she did not miss, was the salt air and sand. 

On her way home, she was pleased to see the Glacier come into view, marking the last leg of her trip. What she didn't expect, was to see a lone figure ahead of her, staring off in the same direction. She squinted. The wolf was small, but also dark like her with tints of rust in her coat. Despite her larger size, Tzila had managed to navigate the ice carefully, learning the delicate task of distributing her weight in the right spot, at the right time. So as not to startle her, she called out in a soft whuff  before she would move any closer.

hope yall dont mind imaq..can just be a cameo if that's preferred!

The gilded merle crept forward just an inch or two more, weight held agonizingly in her upper body to keep the snow from shifting around too much or any hidden twigs from crackling beneath her form despite how her ribs and shoulders screamed in protest at the motion. The she-dog hadn't planned on remaining concealed on her trek down the footpaths in search of game but when she heard the somewhat familiar tones of Tzila's call, the shaman had paused to cast searching gems of verdant cerulean about. A peek through the frost-withered underbrush revealed the dark warrior's sinewy figure and that of the firebrand's in her agouti shawl of charred firewood.

Imaq hesitated to encroach upon the meeting, wondering if perhaps the two women knew each other and she should leave them to their reunion in peace. Another, anxious aspect of her mind argued that the girl might in fact be a stranger, maybe even a quarrelsome one though she seemed neutral enough from here. Uncertain, the dove furrowed her brows in indecision and remained hunkered low to the ground where she would keep an eye on her tribe member from afar.