Duskfire Glacier The Fall of the House of Usher

She couldn’t stop thinking about @Tulukiri and her fellow hunters. It drove her to such distraction that Masquerade decided to seek them out by venturing eastward. @Relic was patrolling as she crossed the borders, so she stopped to inform him of her intentions. Her brother raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. She could only hope their mother would—if not approve of this foray—admit to its merits, especially if her daughter returned with spoils.

The rugged terrain of the moraine tested her, though she reached the far side by the middle of the afternoon. She moved instinctively toward the stand of pine she could see ahead, their slender trunks casting long shadows as the sun began its descent behind Masque. She smelled water and sought it, pausing beside a placid lake at the foot of the glacier. It was colder than any water she’d ever touched; she drank so deeply, it hurt her stomach.

Refreshed, the young she-wolf raised her head and decided to send up a howl for Tulukuri, to declare her location and seek the other woman’s—and perhaps an invitation to join in her group’s hunt.

The girl had been tracking the herds again, not because it was her duty to (she was supposed to be tagging out and letting the adults handle it), but because she could not sit still; she needed to work and be useful, otherwise her mind would slip back to thoughts of Tulimaq and the warband, and her yearning for freedom or all the things she had been forced to give up. Rather than think, she chose to work.

There was a small group of caribou milling about the moraine; it was a series of healthy does and a twin pair of bucks, and the burly looking stags looked to be more interested in one-another than in Tulukiri. The sound of a howl - calling for her by name in the opposite direction - was a surprise to the wolf, as well as the ungulates. The does moved at a good pace across the expanse, with the twin stags following and grunting at one-another, heads tilted.

Tulukiri moved off from them to meet the summons. She had not recognized the voice (and thought most of Moonglow was in their scattered camps, but, she was not so attentive that she could assume to know their exact whereabouts). As she moved across the moraine she spotted a figure with a red face, and knew immediately this was not one of her hunting party or those of the visitors.

Hey, kid. She called out to the juvenile, recognizing her from the grotto. You out here all alone? That much was obvious - Tulukiri could not see or smell her guardian, and was perplexed for a moment. What's up?

She moved away from the water, retracing her steps back into the cover of the trees so she did not feel so exposed. While she waited, Masque remained on all fours, every sense attuned to her surroundings. Nobody called in response, though she picked up footfalls coming from an unexpected direction: the moraine.

She moved forward to meet Tulukiri in the middle once she spotted the yearling. Neither the nickname “kid” nor the implication of the question bothered Masquerade. Actually, she bowed her head and lowered her tail, naturally deferring to her elder, even if she was only a young adult.

Yes, she answered simply. I wanted to find you and… She suddenly felt bashful, yet Masquerade needed to push past it. She was here to learn. Would it be alright if I shadowed you while you hunt? I’m good at tracking but I have a lot to learn.

The kid had an exceptionally deep, almost masculine voice but it was clear, too. Tulukiri tried not to let the bass disturb her - but she was surprised. It wasn't her first time hearing this wolf speak either; she'd forgotten, and not expected it.

The question almost went by without an answer while Tulukiri processed everything. She wasn't used to being approached for such things by strangers either (or by those of Natigvik, given her reception) but there wasn't any harm in it.

Sure, she confirmed.

I could use another pair of eyes. C'mon then shadow. She motioned with a shoulder and a toss of her head, turning to lead down the ridge. You have much experience?

Her heart leapt when Tulukiri agreed. Her drooping tail began to wiggle and an immense feeling of gratitude washed through her. When the yearling threw out another nickname, “shadow,” then motioned for her to come along, Masque obediently fell into step behind her.

She thought about the pack hunt, back at the height of summer. She had been terrified by the sheer size of the elk. But she had been smaller then, less seasoned. She was hardly worldly now but Masque had come a long way in building her hunting experience.

Not much, she answered modestly, maintaining a trot and looking keenly ahead, ignoring the slightly painful slosh of water in her belly, with actual large prey. But I stalk, she admitted, a lot.

In fact, nearly all her time was spent skulking around the rise. Even when she wasn’t actively trailing a pack mate or observing prey, Masquerade made a point to move about as stealthily as possible. It was second nature by now, actually. And she thought that might come in handy today.

The kid admitted to being pretty new to things. That was fine — everyone had to start somewhere. They were already a bit ahead of the game, given that they knew how to stalk at all, and that they'd traveled this far from home. Tulukiri remembered the first time she'd seen them - there had been an adult there with them - and now look, they were alone! That was progress.

Well, that'll come in handy, little stalker. She passed the girl a grin and began to lead them along.

This time of year the herds are huge, and on the move. I guess they're looking for food further south as winter comes along, and will keep going that way. As she explained this, she also used the moment to muse aloud, because to be truthful Tulukiri barely thought of anyone beyond herself or her work, daily.

If we're quick and quiet, we can see what's up. Probably not hunt anything today but - I mean, my village hunters are pretty busy doing that, and they've got family visiting to do the same. Maybe someone has found something cool, or we can watch them work?

Tulukiri confirmed that her skills would be put to good use today. Masquerade returned the grin with a small smile of her own, pleased to be able to contribute even as she sought to build her skill set.

She listened astutely when the yearling described the situation with the caribou herd. Masque tried to picture it in her mind: an enormous herd of ungulates galloping together, headed for warmer climes. Soon, she would find out if her mental image resembled reality.

I just want to shadow, Masque reassured with a nod of her head. I learn a lot just by observing. I’d love to watch you guys work.

Alright, c'mon. The girl was eager to get her patrol out of the way, and it would feel faster with company. Tulukiri welcomed having another body around even if they weren't of the village - given that few people of Natigvik actually enjoyed spending any time with her (or so she perceived), the lonliness had begun to creep in (and was in part staved off by her insurmountable work ethic, keeping her busy).

Before long their hiking came to an end. The pace slowed, and then as Tulukiri stopped she looked to the girl, then the shadows among the trees. It sounded like something was moving. It could have been the wind in the boughs wrestling its way through, or something moving among the fallen leaves. Tulukiri motioned for Masque to move along and kept herself alert in case something came lunging from their surroundings.

As she came to a gap in the trees, the tired yellow grass that dominated the hillside tumbled towards a farther view: many antlered heads moving from right-to-left, with some on the fringes bowing to eat. Tulukiri grinned and glanced to Masque again, wondering what would go through her head upon sighting this part of the herd.

Looks like someone's beat us here, she murmured, motioning to a pair of pale figures even further out, keeping to the edge of the herd. Might be my boss, or his cousin. Can't really tell from here. She mused aloud, then went quiet to watch. The caribou moved together like a river and seemed unbothered by the few wolves at their periphery.

They strode along in comfortable silence for a stretch of time, Masquerade slowing and stopping when Tulukiri did. Her head canted questioningly, though she quickly picked up on the sounds which had brought them to a halt. Like her cohort, she listened and tried to identify what they were hearing. Before she could arrive at any kind of conclusion, Tulukiri motioned them onward.

Soon after that, they came to a break in the trees. The ground sloped underfoot in a familiar way, Masquerade maneuvering as easily as a mountain goat as they approached a drop. It was fortunate that balancing came so naturally to her, because the astounding view below them captured her attention entirely.

Masquerade stared for a long time, her marigold gaze leaping from one beast to another, until she grew dizzy with it. She sipped in a breath, quivering with excitement and nerves in nearly equal measure. She could feel her heart thundering against her ribs, her whole body rocking and swaying to its rhythm.

Her companion’s voice earned an inquisitive glance. She followed Tulukiri’s eye line and spotted the pair of wolves in the distance. She wondered if they would make any kind of move while she was here to watch. Masque felt an unexpected flush of camaraderie and inclusion as her gaze swept from them back to Tulukiri.

This, she breathed, is awesome.

She could—and would, in fact—sit at rapt attention for hours.