The Floodlands And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you

@Adylaide 

Ulrich supposed this area would be beautiful in the summer, when it was warmer and the water glistened from the sunlight overhead. Wading through water in warm weather sounded pleasant. As it was, in the cold of winter, when these lands were slushy in some parts and frozen in others, he thought they had picked the wrong direction. They'd had to go around a plateau and had decided to go left, and that had led them here, to this... frozen wasteland. Ulrich tried his hardest to steer them to the driest spots, but his paws were numb with freezing water and ice sticking to him between his toes. He was not in a good mood.

Ady followed behind Ully, who took most of the brunt of trailblazing. But despite that he was doing his best to make a way. The simple fact was that it was miserable, she was miserable he was miserable. She was trying so hard to make sure she didn't cause him more harship.

However, her fur because she was so small was weighing her down with ice and water. She was shivering from her head to her toes, despite that she was a wolf. Her nose kept running.

She currently warred between asking him to stop and forcing her way through, to get done. Her fur and her extra layers due to her breeding had helped her some, but it wasn't anymore.

Ul...ul...ully. She shivered. How much fur....fur...ther...until...wewe....can sto....sto...pp?

I figured as small as she is, she's going to be soaked through and even though she has artic fur, eventually she'd get really cold.

Ulrich had been so busy trailblazing, hunting and pecking for the best path through this horrible place, that he had momentarily forgotten about his charge. But at the sound of her voice behind him, her words stuttered through her frozen maw, he turned around to look at her. She was drenched and shivering and, to his eyes, looked about ready to keel over and die from the cold.

Fear gripped his heart in its icy claws, his eyes widening as he took in the state of her. We can stop right now, he said, firmly, trying to hide his abject terror. And then, without giving himself time to think of what he was doing--this was a life or death situation, after all--he went right up to her and pressed himself against her side, offering her his own body heat, what little there was. Walk with me, now. I'll slow down. We must only find somewhere dry... well... dry-ish to stop for a few hours. He could feel her shivering against him, and pressed against her harder. Hoping to distract her from how miserable she surely felt, he said, Help me look for dryer land, somewhere above the water a ways. A hill.

Ady was disgusted that her body was giving out. She was an Arctic Wolf. She should be able to handle this stuff, but years of different conditioning. Of being pampered and catered too, a lot of her ancestors adaptations were not hers anymore.

Ully's stared at her and she knew she must look a fright. He looked scared to death and even sterner than usual. A small breath of relief left her maw as he said stop right now. Though she looked down at the frozen water that sloshed around her toes and legs and belly.

Before she could even fret, he was upon her, body wound tight around her, and squeezing her close as their bodies could allow. She felt her face warm up way to quick for comfort and she blinked fast. She had to remind herself to breathe. Ully never, touched her like this. She warred between accepting the relief and crowing at the small win, at least she felt. Though she was quickly thrown from such thoughts as a pretty intense chill took her over and she spasmed.

She tried to look, truly she did, but all she saw was more open plains and more water. Why is there so much water here? It's not a river? Are there even any hills, Ully?

She sounded so distraught that he felt his throat tighten with emotion. She had gone through so much hardship in such a short amount of time, that the thought of her here, now, freezing near to death in this place, was almost too much for him to bear. She deserved better than this.

No, it's not a river, he agreed, but there probably is one, somewhere in this mess. We must be... fairly low... He gazed around, still searching in vain for somewhere dry to stop. Low, like in a valley, I mean... and a river, or rivers have been flooded, trapping all the water in this place. Or perhaps this was a lake, overrun? I don't know for certain. I cannot see anything in the water, the water is too muddy, or frozen over. He paused, thinking. If there is a lake here, we've been very lucky not to fall in so far. So... probably not a lake, then. He was babbling, he knew, but he was doing it on purpose, trying to keep Adylaide distracted from how cold it was.

They should never have come here. From the moment he had seen the water stretched out before them, he should have insisted they turn back and try going around the plateau to the right instead. He had promised her they could stop soon, but he did not know if that would turn out to be a lie. So far, the water was flat, with nothing rising above it. There was nowhere dry to take a break, and they could not stop here, in the middle of the water, or they truly would freeze to death. Damn it, he muttered, unaware that he had spoken aloud.

Ady wasn't trying to make this hard on him, truly she wasn't. However, she was indeed miserable, but he was not to blame for it. No it was whomever had decided they needed to take her parents lives. Granted and she hated the thought. Her parents had been growing complacent and cruel in their power, but that didn't deserve death. Just perhaps removal, but. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away.

She tried to focus on his words. He was babbling and she couldn't quite hide the smile. It was kind of cute. Though she was absolutely certain that were she to tell Ully that he was cute, he'd probably get all gruff and remove himself from her side. But she was taking in his warmth like a dying woman.

I dd...ddon't want tt...to swim today, sss...so let's avoid lakes hmm? She teased him gently.

His language lay her ears to her skull and she gave a sharp bark of laughter. Ulrich! Such language. But the humor of the moment, cut through the cold, infusing her with momentary warmth, and she giggled high and lilting.

Ulrich's own ears lay flat for a moment, and he looked chagrin. Forgive me, my lady, he murmured. I did not realize I had spoken aloud... I just... How could he say he was worried she might die without terrifying her? We need to get out of this place. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, still pressed against her side. Are you any warmer this way? Is it helping?

Under normal circumstances, such physical closeness would be taboo, forbidden. But he did not care about that now. He would not let her die of the cold if there was anything he could do about it. He kept his eyes on the horizon, looking away from her, ever searching for higher ground. And then... I think we're moving uphill. He searched hopefully for land jutting above the water, but saw nothing. I think this entire area is on a slope. That must mean we are near its end.

A small titter of laughter sang out again and she shook her head. I ddidn't mind it. It was jjjust surprising. 

He did not usually use such language in her presence, keeping up walls at all costs. Though she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy pressing against those walls, trying to make them fall. Make him care more than he wanted to admit. She wasn't certain when this obsession or more so need to be more than just a charge to her body guard had come, but it was becoming more forthcoming as she aged. 

It is. Ththank you. She still chattered a bit, but it was easing up slowly. As warmth went back into her limbs.

It feels ththat way. I stumble mmore.

She lifted brown gaze to the horizon, noticing a stand of trees not much further. Perhaps they could stop there. SO instead of speaking she pressed against him and motioned with her head.

Ulrich was relieved to know that his body heat was helping her, though if he thought too hard about being pressed so closely to Adylaide, it made him feel uncomfortable flutterings in his stomach. He was not used to being so close to a woman--which Adylaide certainly was now. She was no longer the cub he had met years before.

He felt her press against him harder than she was already doing and followed her gaze to the clump of trees. How had he missed those? He must have been so caught up in his worry for her that he had not noticed... Stupid. Good, he said, aloud. We can stop there. Probably it will not be entirely dry, but in this place, we must take what we can get. Come on, now. And he guided her the rest of the way to the trees, his shoulder pressed into her, trying to catch her if she stumbled anymore.

After what seemed several minutes, they finally arrived at the group of trees. The ground here was spongy and still wet, but it was not underwater. This will do, he said, though his mouth was a grim line. He would have preferred somewhere completely dry, though that wish was not to be. Rest, he told her, and sat down heavily himself.

Ady wasn't sure what these feelings that swooped and swept through her were. Especially right now, though she stuffed them aside for the moment. For more pressing matters. Like for instance was she going to die of the cold in this place, that had no home. Would they find a home? And would they ever stop looking over their shoulder?

She used Ully's steady movements to keep her own feet. He was all but holding her up. His sharp edges against her soft curves. It was a bit frustrating and embarrassing in a way. Though she wasn't certain if that was the word for it. 

Ady sat as close to him as he would allow. Perhaps he wouldn't let her touch him anymore, but she could at least pull from his presence a warmth. It would do him good as well to get warmth from her. This way they both would survive.

She looked down over the flood lands and from this vantage point the ice that lay atop the water, was beautiful in it's innate coldness. And where there were cracks it glittered and gleamed.

It's quite pretty from this standpoint, Ully. Look at it.

Ulrich grimaced when Adylaide came and sat down right beside him, still pressed to his side. However, he said nothing; she was probably still freezing, and he would not deny her warmth. Together they sat, dripping, and staring out at the floodlands. He scowled as he stared down at it, thinking only of cold and death, of muck and ice.

"It's quite pretty from this standpoint, Ully. Look at it."

Ulrich shook his head. Pretty? he scoffed. I disagree. This place is an ugly death trap. Feeling awkward, he amended, However, if you think it pleasing to the eye, then go ahead and keep your optimism. Ignore this old man's grumblings.

Ady saw his grimace and frowned. She moved a fraction of an inch away from him. She knew she was pressing her luck, but she really did have a reason this time. She was really cold and he was warm and bigger than her. His entire body encompassed hers and pressed the warmth right in.

Ady laughed. You're such a grumpy gus, Ully!

She shook her head and pressed hard on his footpaw. Seriously look. Breath it in. It's beautiful. And you're not old Ulrich. You are seasoned, perfectly aged.

Ulrich set his mouth into a grim line at being called a grumpy gus. Half of him was serious, and the other half was merely going along with Adylaide. He grumbled nonsense under his breath, pretending to be much more put out than he was. He sighed at her request to really look and take in his surroundings, but he did as she asked, trying to see this frozen wasteland from her point of view. I suppose... the sunlight shining off the ice is sort of pretty, he admitted.

"And you're not old Ulrich. You are seasoned, perfectly aged."

He was caught short, his body stilling completely as he took in her words. Then, slowly, he turned his head to look at her, one eyebrow perfectly raised. So I am what? A piece of meat, then? Do I look... appetizing? Truly, he had no idea that his words could be misconstrued as some kind of double entendre. If he had known, he would never have said such a thing.

Her laughter trilled out of her again at his mouth set in a firm, thin line. He was grumbling and she couldn't stop the nudge to his shoulder, as her head was thrown back in laughter, and her brown eyes closed in mirth. He made her laugh at some of the best times. Here she was feeling sorry for herself and now she was feeling better, and it only took him but a minute to turn her mood around.

I told you. It is very pretty.

His next words and Ady's jaw dropped. Pearly fangs glinted in the sunlight as a tip of her tongue went to one. She had no words at the moment, her brain making a fizzing sound, she swore she knew words a moment ago. 

Mouth agape, eyes wide. Then suddenly she snapped it shut and narrowed pretty brown eyes, in a smoldering look, with tongue still peeking against one tooth. She slowly met his gaze and moved her eyes down, a little bit at a time, then back up.

Ully. You shouldn't ask questions you aren't ready for answers too.

Then she stood and gave herself a shake. She wouldn't press. Though he had opened that door. She lifted her head and began to walk further up hill. Her mask in place, but by god she wanted it to slip. She wanted him to know exactly how such a question affected her. She wanted him to feel this, this crushing weight that had been present upon her since she was two, a weight she was finally realizing slowly what it meant, and he had no idea. So stalwart and stern. He silent protector god if she let him, he could absolutely break her heart. Not that he would, but still.

Her response to his question sent chills down his spine, though for the life of him, he couldn't understand why. Something about her answer made him feel strange and warm and tingly. He opened his mouth, then she got up, shook herself, and walked off. His mouth closed, and he turned to watch her walk away, his brows furrowed in utter confusion. He sat and thought for a few moments.

He had asked if she'd found him appetizing. And she'd said... oh. Oh. But he hadn't meant it like that! But she'd interpreted it like that, and had responded in kind. Surely she hadn't meant that she really would like to eat him, in the literal sense, so the innuendo was all that was left. Well, hell. This was bad. This was very bad.

And yet, she'd gotten up and walked away. Perhaps... perhaps it would be best to simply act as if nothing had happened. That's what she was doing. And, after all, he couldn't possibly... do anything with her. She was his charge. He was her bodyguard, her knight. She was a goddess, and he a simple soldier. Such things were forbidden. In a perfect world, she would have married someone suited to her station, perhaps a noble from a neighboring pack. But not him. So what exactly did she want from him?

He sighed and stood up and followed her farther up the hill, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Words were dangerous right now.