Bramblepoint k e l t e n t r a u e r

The recent trip to the fen with Aditya had stirred a bit of wanderlust in young Ani. And now that the world had turned into a winter wonderland overnight, she couldn’t resist exploring it. She bounced and flounced her way beyond the caldera’s borders and into the neighboring forest, where she spent long hours admiring the icicles dangling from the bare tree branches.

For all his life, as long as he remembered, Stratos had wished for place of second hunter. He had seen himself here in Moonglow, rising the ranks, stepping into place alongside tataa.

Yet now, he had seen elsewhere. Now, he had seen the outside.

They would notice his absence in Moonglow. Notice, how his trails led more and more outward, and the feeling left Stratos uncertain. Uncertain, yet he hungered for the world all the same.

He saw her under the snow laden trees, as cool as he was bright. Around his age, he mustered, and reminding him much of a bird. Her youth gave him the courage to bound forward without reserve.

It has much beauty here! he said with a grin, noting how she stared at the branches, and using the common tongue, though it felt rusty and accented between his teeth. He would need more practice if he wished to meet anyone outside of Moonglow. This is tingmiaq’s first snow, too?

Her gaze dropped earthward at the sound of paws crunching in the snow. Her eyes widened at the sight of a young wolf whose colors immediately reminded her of a fox. His bright pelt contrasted so starkly against the backdrop of sparkling white, though that was nothing compared to the way his aquamarine eyes stood out like jewels.

Now Ani’s jaw dropped. It was love at first sight… sound, too, when he opened his mouth and spoke to her in a lovely brogue. Her heart fluttered when he called her by some foreign word. She didn’t know what it meant but she wanted to hear him say it again.

It’s so beautiful, isn’t it? a starry-eyed Ani replied a little breathlessly, not quite sure if she was talking about the snow or his face. Yes, it’s one of my first. What does that word mean: tingmiaq? she asked brightly, not quite nailing the pronunciation.

He found himself endeared to her the moment she turned his way, but Stratos had only ever known what it was to have sisters, and he didn't think twice about the feeling. He had no brothers, after all, and the memories of Mojag's companionship had started growing stale. Remnants of a childhood he had begun to grow beyond.

The girl reminded Stratos a little of Callyope, too. He smiled as with wide-eyed wonder, she looked about the world.

"Tingmiaq," he repeated, a trail of laughter in his voice. There was something warm about the way she stumbled about the pronunciation, and he felt less out of place doing the same with the common tongue, which she already seemed well versed in, "my people's word for bird. But now that you speak, I call you qupanuaq instead," he stepped nearer, "songbird," he said, gaze first on her sunlight eyes, before he looked to the icicles to admire them as she had a few minutes before. "Better for you, I think."

His teeth flashed in a smile and Ani felt herself swooning. He said that word again, though she was staring so raptly at his face that she hardly registered it. Fortunately, she tuned in again as he introduced her to a new word, specially picked just for her. “Better for you, I think,” he said and Ani’s paw flew to her heart. She was in love.

Cheeks flushed with pleasant heat, she wracked her brain for some fanciful word to call him, perhaps in her father’s tongue. But she couldn’t very well call this handsome young man something that meant “daughter” or “girl child,” and she didn’t know any others. Anyway, Ani desperately wanted to know his given name.

What’s your name? she breathed. I’m Ani, though you’re welcome to call me ‘bird’ or ‘songbird’ or anything you like, she chirped, fittingly.

Gazing at him in anticipation, Ani found herself overcome with a peculiar urge to close the small distance between them and kiss him on the nose, or perhaps the cheek. A small titter escaped her at the absurdity of the sudden compulsion. She didn’t act on it, though her belly dipped and swooped.

He admired the icicles, intrigued by the way the sunlight shone through them, how they seemed to steal the colours of the world. Stratos, he answered, with another quirk of a smile, and finding the name he had given her quite fitting, in the way her words flitted softly like the birds of the forests and fields.

Qupanuaq is good for you, he said, but Ani is prettier. And he finally stopped looking at the icicles to look at the girl again.

He met her eyes in that moment - something he hadn't quite yet done - and his ears filled with a peculiar hum. She radiated with a golden glow that filled him with sunlight, and his cheeks warmed, despite the frigid air.

Silence fell from his mouth -

until Stratos laughed and shifted his gaze away to turn to the icicles, as though casually admiring them again. I have not seen such huge icicles, even in my village, and he gave her a sideways smirk, if you find biggest, strongest one, bet I can knock it down.

Stratos, she committed to memory. It was a vaguely familiar word, though she couldn’t place it. Ani thought it might have something to do with the sky. Songbirds flew in skies, she mused poetically.

He promptly wiped her mind blank by calling her pretty. Of course, he meant her name, though the words still stole her breath. She shot him a beaming, glowing smile as their eyes met. Gosh, there was only word for his eyes: stunning.

His gaze shifted away as he let out a laugh that made her heart dance. He offered to knock down the largest icicle they found. It gave her pause, because she absolutely didn’t want to destroy something so pretty but she didn’t want to deny this lovely boy.

Oh! I appreciate that but we should leave them be, she countered with a soft smile before eagerly pressing, Where is your village?

His heart sank when she rejected his offer, but what else should he have expected? He imagined Callyope and Ariadne would have both reacted in kind, though the thought of showing off to them had never crossed his mind as it did with Ani now.

Very well. With a little shrug and dismissive raise of his brows to the icicles, he let that idea be. He'd just find another way.

And she gave him the perfect chance.

Oh, it is close! We can see it from edge of the forest, he said, face beaming, and he pranced a few paces in the direction he had come, Would you like to see? Come, follow! and he lowered himself into an inviting bow, half expecting her to reject him again - but he wouldn't give up that easy!

Yes! she agreed readily, teeth gleaming in a grin when he playfully bowed to her.

She was truly interested to see his home and hear all about it too, though she couldn’t resist the invitation to pounce. Ani lashed her tail and sprang at him, batting her paws in the dusting of snow just in front of him. Then, in a moment of mischief, she darted forward and touched her nose to his lip.

It wasn’t quite a kiss, though her eyes sparkled as she leaped backward. They stayed fixed on his face, curious to see his reaction. If Stratos seemed to enjoy the peck, perhaps she would give him something more!

Aha! She wished to come! See, she had not been so hard to win over after all!

Sunlight blossomed in young Stratos' heart at the idea of showing off his homeland to someone other than his cousins. And he felt he had a real good read on Ani, too. She seemed one for adventure and pretty things. And well, well, wouldn't he give her both!

The young knight laughed when she leapt at him and booped him on the lip - thinking little of the gesture, besides the thought that she must have some pretty big guts to her, to get so close to such a stranger's face so early in this friendship game!

She looked at him with those pretty golden eyes of hers, something expectant in her sunshine gaze, so Stratos made a playful bite at the air in front of her before he whisked away, fox-brush tail bouncing in the space behind him, teasing her to chase him to the forest's edge!

She kind of hoped he would be dazzled by the not-quite-a-kiss, so when he gave her an impish leer, snapped at the air between their noses and then darted away, she let out an indignant, Hey—!

But it dissolved into an airy laugh as she bounded after him, determined to capture him and perhaps plant a proper kiss on him when she did. Ani’s heart pounded giddily in her chest as she pumped her legs, following the flashes of red through the snowy woods.

He laughed at her indignation, his youth truly showing. And yet, he felt a certain thrill in their little game of chase, and a yearning flutter for something beyond. As though this were a shadow of something greater - though a happy, bright, and blessed one at that!

Stratos wouldn’t make the game easy for her. He heard her breathe hot behind him and he called back a teasing jeer, you need to fly quicker than that, little songbird! and he laughed, taking a few longer strides before he saw the glimpse of brighter light through the trees ahead.

Only here did he slow, enough for her to catch him and send them rolling into the field on the other side, if she played into his game.

As she ran after him, it occurred to Ani that this was backward. In fairy tales, the man always pursued the woman and kissed her first. She didn’t mind turning things on their head at times, though she decided she wanted more of a storybook quality from this exchange.

The trees grew sparser, giving way to a snowy field. Here Ani caught up with Stratos, unaware that it was by design. But rather than tag him when she reached him, she ran right past him. Now it was his turn to chase her, like how it was meant to be!

By the time they reached the field, Stratos could practically feel Ani's breath on his heels, and the wild boy braced for impact, expecting her to grab him -

and instead, she ran right by.

Startled, Stratos staggered for a moment, eyes wide with surprise. Aya! he exclaimed. She teased him like he had teased her! Her steel grey tail bobbing like a lure, as he'd let his own tail do only moments before.

The boy recovered himself and with a grin chased off after her again, taking the ground in long strides to catch up with this wily girl. And what a strange one she was! And yet, he kind of liked that: her energy, her teasing, the sheer unpredictability.

He would keep chasing across the sunstrewn plain, until he found himself close enough to reach out and catch her.

It wasn’t long before he caught up to her in turn. Ani could hear his panting breaths, keeping rhythm with his footfalls. She sensed his heat at her hip. She ignored the temptation to speed up, particularly now that they were on flat, open ground. Not only didn’t she have a hope of shaking him, she remembered that she didn’t want to!

Rather, she abruptly halted, her posterior dropping as her forepaws skidded a little in the snow. Steering into the slide, Ani twirled around and found herself nose to nose with Stratos, their hot breaths mingling and chests heaving as their gazes caught on one another. It would’ve been the perfect time to properly plant that kiss on him, though Ani waited.