Frostfire Ridge mine is a watery pit

A FR wolf maybe?

A fruitful summer was upon the taiga, but not even the sweet grass or rich prey offered reprieve to the troubled ember as she trekked across the north. No matter how many miles Tuwawi put between herself and the glacier, the weight of deep guilt crushed the Sveijarn. Eventually, she had no choice but to circle South towards Teekon, empty handed and still burdened by her failures. After the lynx had raided Duskfire's den, the red queen doubted life could be any worse... but things had quickly snowballed into a cataclysmic end of her pack. There was nothing to her name, now; not her children, who were most certainly dead, her estranged mate, or even Tartok. 

The life of a lone wolf was hard, even in the best seasons, and she prowled familiar lands for food. Yet, to her surprise, fresh scents marked the ridge. With the sun dipping into a late afternoon, she doubted her ability to traverse the ridge before nightfall, or if it was even wise to cross these lands at all.

Edit: you get my 200th post! :D

The Ridge was coming along, albeit not exactly in the way that Týrr had initially imagined it would. He had thought that more wanderers from the Glacier would seek him out, or that he would be able to even find them but it seemed with the Kingdom's fall they had scattered to the four winds. His efforts to find Tuwawi and her daughter, Maera were in vain and eventually the earthen colored male had to make the call: give up or leave the Teekon Wilds in search of the two fiery colored Sevijarns; his answer would have been simple would he have not sown the seeds and set things into motion with Frostfire Ridge but he had and he had responsibilities to the fledgling pack — responsibilities that he hoped to soon see to fruition as it would become a pack instead of the idea of one. More Amazon women had found him and pledged themselves to his cause, all refusing to leave him despite that he had given them the option. They all seemed to mirror Manauia's thoughts on it: they were staying so long as he was staying and he had no intentions of leaving the Teekon Wilds, even if some of his reason were more selfish than the others. Sure, he had responsibilities but there was always the hope that the missing Glacier wolves might find him. Duskfire Glacier had been a very pivotal event in his life, remarkable and he could not abandon it even though barely anything remained; and he could not explain this to the Amazon's. He tried and each time he failed as they scoffed at the notion. His memories of Tezcacoatl were slow coming, though he remembered small things regularly without knowing how or why but nothing severe and life altering. He might never remember and because he could not mourn for a life he didn't remember it didn't particularly bother him (not that he would ever tell them that).

A familiar scent lingered upon the soft summer breeze as it blew, pleasant despite the overcast of the day, that caused his heart to stutter a beat as he mentally processed it's familiarity and placed a face to it. It was different, of course, without the scents of Duskfire clinging to it but it was still hers. Tuwawi. It was her's but at the same time he rejected the notion even as his large paws carried him towards where her scent intercepted the scent of the Amazon women mixed strongly with his own. Týrr hadn't known what had called her away from them, and did not question it even as he spent weeks trying to find her and her daughter, and had eventually settled upon the assumption that she had made up with Njal and that they were happy...elsewhere. It wasn't his favorite assumption, given his affection for the wildfire queen but it was the one he'd settled on nevertheless. His pace slowed as he approached, her form cutting a crimson silhouette in the shortening distance. His breath caught in the strong column of his throat as his steps slowed to a cease all together, crystalline blue eyes studying her as if she were a mirage. A flame dappled goddess of his imagination. Maybe she was. Maybe he'd finally cracked under the crushing weight of Tezcacoatl's memories as they tried to replace the false memories Ragnar had planted in his head and he'd gone crazy.

“Tuwawi,” He called to her, nevertheless.

woot! :D

Another drew near as the crimson she-wolf mulled over her traveling options. However, Tuwawi was upwind and hardly detected the encroaching man until he was practically in plain sight. Her gaze fell upon his familiar dark silhouette that firmly stood upon the taiga's ridge, two bejeweled aqua eyes set upon a coat of deep chestnut. Tuwawi, he called out as her jaw went slack, astounded that he still resided in the North after all the strife Duskfire had caused. 


"Tyrr!" the ember responded, nearly winded by the shock. There was no hesitation as she cantered towards him, ruddy ears pinned forward as her gaze attempted to decode his expression and posture. He had been one of her most loyal pack members since the Duskfire's first beginnings. Heck, he had even helped her map out the glacial purchase. If anyone had deserved a life filled with peace and promise, it had been Tyrr. After all their work, Tuwawi still harbored so much animosity for so many wolves... however there was nothing but respect and admiration for the stalwart northerner. "I can't believe it," Tuwawi said as she stopped a few feet away, "you're still here! In the Taiga, I mean... I would have thought you moved on. I mean... I almost did." There was shame in her words, but the matriarch was determined to thrive once more. Even the smallest ember could be kindled into a grand fire. Her face softened. "You look, well," she said as her stormy gaze moved across his features, ending upon his marred neck. She bit her lip, ears flattening a bit to either side. 

It was hard to grasp that Tuwawi was not an illusion, that her presence was real; for he had always held the fear that Tezcacoatl's memories would come crashing down upon him with the breaking of the flood gate that held them at bay and allowed them to trickle slowly and that as a result he would end up losing all his sanity. He wasn't sure if it was possible but Týrr wasn't willing to tempt fate. But Tuwawi was real, his name leaving her lips as she moved closer. The Amazon Rekkr had stopped at that point, allowing her to approach and close the distance she had left. Njal was not with her and though Týrr looked for signs of her mate, he did not find any. Having assumed that it was Njal Tuwawi had left them to pursue this came as a slight surprise to Týrr that the ivory coated male wasn't at her side. Not that it would have necessarily went over well with the Amazon for their last meeting, when Njal had tried to take over the Glacier, attempting to reconcile with the wildfire queen before Týrr they had not gotten along; but the Njal that had came back to the Glacier had not matched with the Njal that Týrr had once known, though this was likely only because Týrr had opposed him, ready to step between him and Tuwawi would she have wanted him to.

“I could be saying the same thing,” Týrr rumbled with a soft chuckle, sharing in Tuwawi's sentiments regarding him and moving on. “No, moving on was never an option to the great chagrin of my garrison,” Indeed, the Amazon woman that had come to take him back to Coatl's Rise had found him as immovable as a mountain — lest they desired to take him back to his mother as a corpse because that was the only way he was leaving. Perhaps things would have been different would he have remembered more of Tezcacoatl, of his past; but he didn't. “I'm sorry about the Glacier, Tuwawi,” Ears slicked back to rest against his skull. “By the time I realized that ...what was left of them had scattered to the four winds. And then I deigned to gather up who was left but they, too, have left.” There was nothing left to save, and Týrr felt partially at fault for it. “Manauia is the only one who stayed,” Though that took some convincing for she had realized what the other Amazons who had made their way had yet to: he wasn't leaving. “I searched for you and Maera but,” but he couldn't find either of them. As painful as it might have been for her to hear those things, he felt that he owed her some kind of explanation and that she needed to know that he'd looked for them.

“The Glacier will always be my home but reclaiming it felt disrespectful because it was your kingdom, so I have set my sights to Frostfire Ridge, here. I have gathered a few, though most of them found me, ghosts of my past I suppose.” He offered her a soft smile, tail wagging in jubilation that she was really truly there. That she'd came back. He had hoped for this moment, and perhaps the deities he didn't believe in had been listening. “We are close to claiming it officially, I think; but I do not want to rush the process and make mistakes,” Týrr informed her before he spoke softly. “Will you stay? There is a place for you in Frostfire if you want it.” The choice was her's of course, and regardless of what she chose he wanted her to know that the choice was there. She had done it once for him, after all.

“As do you, Tuwawi,” But then again, she'd always been beautiful to him. So much for his crush going anywhere, it would seem, though Týrr did not dwell upon it. The wounds from the battle with the Sirens had long healed into scars, and the wounds he'd suffered from his death match with Ragnar had been shallow and healed, as well. Which was a good thing because he couldn't imagine how much more Citali could have chided him if he would have suffered heavy wounds from his victory. Wounds were nothing when compared to the alternative which would have had him dying in a pool of his blood instead of Ragnar.

The ember's face brightened as Tyrr rumbled a small laugh, clearly comfortable with this place and her presence so near. His good attitude was refreshing. It had been easy for any wolf of Duskfire to mark her actions as baneful — wolves like Scarlett certainly did — and even though Tuwawi hardly concerned herself with the opinions of others, it was clear Tyrr was, and always had been, on her side. 

Her lips pursed into a tight frown as the northern man recalled how the last members of the glacial pack fragmented. "Don't apologize," she said, voice soft "it is not your weight to shoulder. After the sirens' attack, well... things crumbled. The pack had long been poisoned... Looking back, now, I can clearly see that. It was only  matter of time before everything fell apart." Duskfire hadn't been a haven for her family. It had been a death trap. The few wolves who lingered after her abduction were weak of constitution, and the Sveijarn matriarch had been frustrated with their trite ineptitude. "Thank you... for searching for my daughter," she said, tone somber as her sterling gaze drifted to watch the glacier in the distance. Tuwawi had hunted too, as she had for all her children, but had turned up empty handed as well. Now, she could only pray for her daughters safety and hope that one day she would return to the North. 

The pair didn't linger on the soured topic for long, much to her relief. Tyrr explained his plans for the future upon Frostfire Ridge and Tuwawi noted that ghosts of his past were pledged members of his new tribe. She cocked an ear, curious to learn more about his followers but chose to stave that topic for another time — still too enamored with his presence. Graciously, he extended an invitation to join his band. The ember smiled genuinely, wondering if this was finally her ticket to normalcy and a happy life. "Of course I will stay," she said, taking a moment to admire how strong he had grown in the face of adversity. "I will work hard with the others to see your dream realized, as you had always done for me." She stepped towards him, then, with her red crown dipped respectfully, and licked the soon-to-be-alpha's chin as a sign of deference. 

@Týrr I'm so sorry but I think I'm shadowposting you again xD

She been lurking. Again. Even during the day, if she found the right spot, she was nothing more than a shadow. Almost, she had gone to catch up to him, tired today of lingering in his wake. Another had appeared though, one that had broken the Prince's stiffness with surprising ease. Now, he was a different wolf and, for a moment — one that she would never admit to her sisters — Nochtli could see the shell of Tezcacoatl falling away to reveal a Prince she did not recognize. 

Tail flickering behind her, the dark Amazon listened to what she could hear of their conversation, catching snatches here and there only to quickly piece together the rest. This was the wolf, the female that had claimed his loyalty and, very likely, the reason that he lingered here. She frowned, considering this. Unable and unwilling to draw many more conclusions until she had a chance to speak with him, the Fire sister moved forward to depart from the shadows behind him.

"Ghosts, are we? To my knowledge, I haven't passed on just yet. And even if I did, you'd know because I'd haunt you." She announced herself with her own brand of humor, coming up on her Prince's side. Bright eyes examined the blazing female before them, thoughts and questions circling in her head. She had agreed to aid him though, to join his 'pack' and further his ideations, his dreams that could never come true if he was an Amazon. She wondered about that now.

"Tuwawi, yes? I'm Nochtli, the advisor of T-- his garrison." Not caring that she'd outed herself for eavesdropping (it was her job, after all), Nocta yet held her tongue about the futility of joining Tezca in this endeavor. After a brief, almost unsure pause, she offered a slight smile. "Pleasure to meet you." While she wondered many things, now was not the time. She would save face and meet those of this land that drew her Prince in and held him here. It was becoming quite apparent, however, that he was a willing captive of this place.

All edited. :-) @Tuwawi , @Nochtli 

Týrr offered Tuwawi a soft smile when she told him that he did not need to apologize, despite that he felt like an apology wasn't enough. It might not have been his weight to bear, but he deigned to shoulder it, nevertheless. Duskfire Glacier had been his home and as one of it's subordinate it was just as much his responsibility as it was any leader's. Whatever had happened while he'd been looking for Larus; Týrr didn't know but what he did know was it had doomed the Glacier to fall. It was upsetting to him but his sorrow could not be something he wallowed in. It was time to move on and face forward and slowly Týrr had been working on burying all his grievances. Duskfire was gone and it was never coming back but he had been working tirelessly to build somewhere else, to mark another as his home in the hopes that it would thrive in the way Duskfire had always been meant to. Ruling was in his royal blood, though if blood had anything to do with it he did not know. All he knew was what he would try to do good by them. Killing Ragnar had also buried the largest grievance that Týrr had faced. It put a lot behind him, with justice finally served to the crimes the Viking had committed against him and Coatl's Rise. Though some of the women were worried that the wolves of Stavanger Bay would come to get their revenge but no one could say Ragnar hadn't had it coming. He deserved what he'd got and had been lucky that Týrr had been kind enough to see him off to Valhalla.

“...Maybe someday you will have more children and the Fates will be kinder.” Not that Týrr believed in things such as 'Fates'. He imagined it was quite hard to watch nothing but ill omens attack you and your children from every angle. Tuwawi deserved to be free of those ill omens, she deserved to be a mother again, if it was something she wanted. He hadn't meant to sound insensitive and hoped that he had not come off as such. He wasn't sure what had inspired him to say such a thing, only that he couldn't unsay it. “Or maybe they will bring your first children back. They definitely owe you something.” There was always room to hope, after all (though he has no idea he's ran into Larus twice). Soft surprise overtook Týrr when she spoke that she would stay, as if there hadn't been any other option (or maybe that's how he chose to take it); yet it a joyful surprise. “Thank you, Tuwawi,” He murmured as she stepped closer and licked the underside of his chin. No matter what rank he held though, there was a part of Týrr that would always see her as his queen. Though he'd never actually led a pack before, he felt that he knew what to do. “I promise I will not disappoint you.” It was likely a tall order to keep. At least he could try not to disappoint her; not disappointing the Amazon's was an entire different ballpark and one that he repeatedly failed at each time he resisted their talk of going back to Coatl's Rise.

There should not have been surprise when Nochtli made her presence known; but it gripped the Rekkr, nevertheless by the pull of his brow and the soft startle he gave. With Tuwawi he'd nearly forgotten all about the fact that he was usually being followed by Manauia, Nochtli, Citali and likely now Xiuhcoatl (though he was grateful it was Nochtli and not his aunt that had been tailing him). Crystalline eyes lifted, albeit with some reluctance from Tuwawi, to Nochtli dutifully as the shadow Amazon approached, her humor — becoming known to him — putting him at some ease. “Yes, well..” Týrr murmured briskly but with good nature as he trailed off having no intention of finishing his sentence which would have only been redundant to what Nochtli had already stated. Clearly, she knew it was an expression of speech and he did not literally mean a ghost. With a chagrined smile he turned back to Tuwawi.

He prepared to introduce the shadow but she beat him to the punch, introducing herself to Tuwawi. Normally, he didn't really mind their following him around, having gotten used to it, and saved his complaining about it to rare occurrences, but in this instance he did happen to mind, though he did not speak and deigned not to show it. “They follow me around most of the time, I guess they are afraid of losing me again.” He explained, though he'd never desired to ask why they were so persistent about it. He figured since he fought them tooth and nail on going back to Coatl's Rise that he owed them the boon of babysitting him.

A new excitement fluttered in the ember's breast as she officially allied herself with Frostifre's promising upstart. It was an emotion the Sveijarn had long been devoid of... and one she thought she may have lost somewhere amongst all the strife. Like Tyrr, she sought to come to terms with past, lest be left wallowing in a pool of self pity; though that was easier said than done. One simply couldn't forget  about the tragedies she had endured, but perhaps the important thing was to remember their lessons and strive for a better future. Tuwawi deeply missed her children and still endured the sentiment of utter failure as a mother, but when Tyrr mentioned some retribution may be in her cards, a glimmer of silver lining revealed itself. Her eyes flickered towards Tyrr's aquamarine gaze, thoughts lingering on his words: ...Maybe someday you will have more children and the Fates will be kinder. Or maybe they will bring your first children back. Yes, either of those things would be nice.

Suddenly, a dark creature ebbed from the shadows to join their conversation. Tuwawi's face turned towards their company, ears pricked curiously as she put aside the thought of being blessed with children a second time. She had no qualms for this intrusion... after all, Tuwawi was a stranger to the group save for Tyrr... though she was wholly unaware of their plans to bring him back to Coatl's Rise.

The she-wolf was effeminate but obviously well trained despite her natural, willowy frame. Her fur, black as pitch, stood out against the rich summer colors of the verdant ridge and her eyes burned like autumn leaves. The name, Nochtli, sounded foreign and was spoken with the slightest lilt. Already, this wolf had gleaned Tuwawi's name and introduced herself as an adviser to the quickly-forming band. She smiled, enjoying this new wolf's lighthearted humor. "That's right," she said, confirming her name. Nochtli," Tuwawi repeated with an amicable expression, "the pleasure is mine. Tyrr has invited me to join your group on the Ridge. He and I were once in a pack together... but you two seem to go much further back. Do you hail from the same lands?" she inquired, looking to either of them and wondering if Tyrr had told the tale of Duskfire's fate. It wouldn't be good to start off with a bad reputation. 

She saw the startle she'd given him and it was filed away in that brain of hers, instead commenting on his stated reason for her presence. "We are protecting you. Isn't that what pack mates do for one another?" Her ear flickered. While it was not the only reason, such a description worked for the time being. She would talk to him later, though she would prefer it to be soon.

Her focus turned to Tuwawi again, contemplative and reserved. Why this female? Was she the one that had spurned Tezcacoatl to stay here? Was she the reason that they couldn't go home? A small part of her, hidden away beneath many, many layers of her personality, raged at that thought. The fury of any Amazon burned there but the logistic side of her mind quashed it, kept it quiet. She was adept at maintaining her calm, approachable demeanor. She would learn of this Tuwawi and her history with Tez, and his history with these lands, in time.

But for her all her thoughts, Tuwawi seemed... pleasant. "We do. You are adept to notice in such a small amount of time. I knew him by another name then but... Everyone changes, right?" Whether or not the male had informed Tuwawi of his lost memories, of who he once was, she was unsure and made no further mention. She also did not dissuade the idea of her "joining". A lot of things could happen and with Xiuh formulating, it was only a matter of time. Somehow, that thought didn't please her as it did the others. No matter. Notions to pick over later.

"Your scars. You are a warrior?" She asked for a specific purpose. If she was to join this "pack", even temporarily, the waters would be much smoother if she answered affirmatively, for all Amazons were warriors and it was something the other sisters could at least appreciate.

Wanted to get this post in quick before bed.

Týrr let out a soft huff of disagreement when Nochtli corrected him by claiming to protect him. Though he was not the overly arrogant type he had taken down a Jarl, and not just a jarl but a Berserker — though admittedly he had played dirty coming at Ragnar from his blind side. Regardless, he was not sure he would ever be able to get it through the skulls of the amazon women that had found him that he was not the boy they had been tasked to escort any longer and they did not have to spend their days trailing behind him, keeping an eye on him. He'd much rather they spent their time making new caches or tracking game, or watching their currently imaginary borders. He was a man full grown and did not need their constant hovering. Watching the exchange between Tuwawi and Nochtli was strange for him, a woman of his forgotten past interacting with one that had come into his 'new' life; for it was for now that Týrr and Tezcacoatl were different entities within him, though they had begun to merge into one new and different all together. An fusion that he had no name for. “I believe I mentioned something about my lost memories,” Though the Rekkr had no designs to hold it against Tuwawi if she did not remember. “Some of them may call me Tezcacoatl, it was the name that my mother gave me.” He explained to Tuwawi, in case he hadn't done it before. He couldn't remember exactly what he had told her, or if he'd gone into any sort of detail.

Whether Nochtli and him went back...well it was not anything he could affirm or disprove. He had little choice but to trust them all at their word. While it might have made him suspicious, he remembered enough trickled memories of Tezcacoatl to get the feeling that despite how surreal all of it felt at times, they were telling him the truth. Or, rather, not outright lying to him. As the two women conversed, Nochtli asking Tuwawi about her scars, Týrr fell to silence once more, having nothing to interject at the moment. While he desired to inquire more about Tuwawi's most recent journey he resisted the temptation figuring that there would be time later, and perhaps away from the prying ears of his garrison.

Maybe wrap this up quick so we can get this show on the road? :D

Tuwawi, oblivious to the amazonians' scheme to haul Tyrr back to his birthplace, smirked at their seemingly innocent banter and nodded in agreement towards Nochtli's assertion. Too long, the red woman had been surrounded by spineless company. To have an acquaintance declare such a creed was like a breath of fresh air and gave their new pledge confidence in this garrison's capabilities... no matter how much it irked the prince.

"Tezacoatl," Tuwawi repeated as if to jump start her memory. "Ah, yes... you were telling me. " She paused to reflect upon the new, promising road ahead. "Things do change, in time," she agreed, "I've gone by a few different names, myself. Tuwawi seems to have stuck, though. You two will have to tell me about your home someday... seems like it would be an interesting story." 

She turned towards Nochtli when she inquired about the scar. "A warrior?" she breathed, finding irony in the question. "Yes, I suppose." Tuwawi's shoulders went slack, lungs deflating with a somber breath. A warrior was all she ever wanted to be when she was young. In Kindred, it was a position to be proud of. Yet as the ember had grown, the allure of fighting had lost its luster. The most horrible events in Tuwawi's ended in fighting... and she could be a terrible, terrible creature on the battlefield. 

"A cougar," she remarked, lifting a paw to gesture as the ugly mark, "when I was two. My pack and I took care of him, though." It was the first feline Tuwawi had fought, but it most certainly hadn't been the last. "I've never found myself in the position of warrior within a pack, however" she began to elaborate, "Usually I prefer to lead the hunts. But... it seems conflict always finds me. One way or another." Her sterling gaze moved to Tyrr, then, as she remembered the siren's assault on Duskfire. Killing wasn't beyond her capabilities, and she had quite the aptitude for fighting. 

Sounds good to me! :D

She smiled and it was a genuine thing. This Tuwawi seemed amicable enough and yet, there was something to her, a currently muted fierceness perhaps, that made the dark female retain her judgement. Only time would show her Tuwawi's true self and until then, the Amazon would remain friendly towards her and could only hope that the others would do the same.

Her bright eyes took note of the subtle change in the females posture but she made no comment towards it. Besides, it was explained in the next moment, and her ears flickered backwards against her head to show her remorse in asking. "My apologies. I should have been a bit more tactful." She usually was. There was something about this place that was changing her and as of yet, she wasn't sure it was for the better. "Conflict finds everyone, unfortunately. The best we can do is try and prepare for it." It was a true statement, for even the smallest of conflicts could bring turmoil to one's life. But you couldn't prepare for everything.

Her gaze switched to Tezcacoatl, her smooth voice taking on a humored tone once more. "Are you going to make her stand out here all day or what? Invite her in." Another smile though, this one to signal that her words were in jest. She was not a malicious creature and meant no harm in it, so hopefully, he wouldn't take it that way.

I'll go ahead and archive this! :D

While the two women exchanged words Týrr was contented with simply observing them, observing how they interacted which seemed like any other pleasant interaction with another wolf; though the Rekkr was secretly glad that it was going smoothly. His goal was unity within his ranks and if they were at odds with one another they would never function like a cohesive unit as they were supposed to. Though Nochtli was only one of the Amazons, and Manauia already knew Tuwawi, there was still Xiuhcoatl (he resisted the urge to cringe) and Citali that Tuwawi had to acquaint herself with. A pack was a family, even if none of the wolves that were apart of it shared blood. Blood didn't matter. They shared a bond, brought together by the values of the pack and the leader that upheld them, keeping everything running smoothly under their command. Frostfire Ridge would be a family, if not the kick-butt, dissident family that no one wanted to be on the bad side of. "She will know if it more than me but I don't see why not." The Rekkr responded to Tuwawi's wonder of Coatl's Rise.

“Of course,”  Týrr murmured when Nochtli told him to invite Tuwawi in. He had been working up to it when Nochtli had made her presence known, though he saw the silver lining to it: it was one less wolf Tuwawi would have to seek out. “Come on Tuwawi,”  Týrr invited with a smile sent the wildfire woman's way, “I'll give you the tour.” He gestured inland with his muzzle and began to walk towards the territories' heart.