Windsong Fjord looking for somebody

For @Reyes
Backdated until approx Dec 27th if that's okay?
Partly cloud 5F/-15C

Gitano had held his tongue about Kjors' impending doom the whole time he had been within the Fold with the small family. It had been hard, but he had done it. When @Karina had gone on one of her trips the teen hadn't thought twice until his guides had whispered one little word to him, soon. With the woman still gone he had panicked for an hour or so before he had set out in desperation to bring her home in time. He had been unsure as to what to do about Bennet, the pup would be alone if her father died before they got back but he couldn't very well take her with him either.

In the end Tano had sworn to himself that they would be back in time before anything horrible happened. There was only one rather large problem with this plan, he had absolutely no tracking skills. He had no idea what direction Karina had left in or where she was heading. Instead he had set off in a direction he believed that his guides had sent him in and went north, following the mountain ridge until he reached a fjords. The foothills were steep but he followed along paths that wound through the dense forest, finding this no harder to traverse than the mountain itself had been.

Gitano had wound through these paths for a couple of days before he had given up; his guides had brought him the wrong way. A sense of dread filled him and the teen moved without resting, carrying himself as far and fast as possible until his muscles screamed for mercy and he had to give in. Sleeping for a few fitful hours he rose again just after midmorning, clouds blocking out the sun. Without hesitating even to stretch Tano began moving again, he had to get back. Little did he know it was already too late.

  

Dipping south seemed like a wise plan, at least after his run in with the treacherous air pockets hidden in the lowlands. What kind of hellish place was this, anyways? Why wasn’t continual snow and migrating drifts enough to keep a wolf busy? Day by day, Reyes was slowly growing more convinced that he really shouldn’t have come this way to begin with. Admittedly, he was going to have to live with his decision now – getting back out of Relic Lore and moving somewhere warmer was a months long process, and not a journey a lone wolf should make during the height of winter – but that wasn’t going to stop the swarthy male from complaining.

Apparently, one bad decision just lead to another.

He’d traded the hidden traps in the open fields, sure, but the lowlands rolling hills had been replaced by much steeper slopes, almost as dangerous at the mountain he’d near been snowed in on, and Reyes already knew he was going to have to head back north, and try to find another path out of the lowlands.

Huffing and grumbling under his breath, the male soon caught the scent of another loner – and followed it, quickly. Soon, he came upon Gitano’s shape and chuffed, tail arching over his back as he sought to draw the other male’s attention. “Hey! You know this area, chaco?”

Perhaps if Gitano had not been is so much of rush he would have clued in to his surroundings, mostly the scent of another loner. Not that it would have made much of a difference, a loner wouldn't help him get back to Karina any faster. In fact, stopping to top and make conversation and make friends and tell fortunes would take precious time away from what he was doing. The quiet whisper of soon, soon, soon, soon of his guides ushering him along, urging him to go faster, run longer, get their sooner.

Unfortunately even urging guides whispering in his ears couldn't stop what the gods have in mind. The sound of another's voice broke the spell that had come over him and Gitano attempted to come skidding to a stop in the snow and ice. Paws and blunt claw scrabbled to get purchase on the treacherous terrain but instead the tawny man ended up ass over tea kettle. Splaying out in the snow was quite unflattering and the teen's heart beat dramatically in his chest as he tried to figure out what happened that had landed him in this situation.

Staring up at the dark stranger who had spoken and caused the whole tumbled he scrambled to his feet. Shaking his pelt in an attempt to shed the excess snow and ice he smiled sheepishly, glancing away towards where he should be running, "Uh, not I don't sorry. I'm just trying to get back to the mountain."

For a moment, Reyes simply watched the other loner as he skidded across the snow, not unlike a startled deer. Except he could eat a deer if it broke a leg. Cannibalism, did not sound all that appealing to him, no matter how much his stomach rumbled. If this wolf injured himself, the man wasn’t entirely sure that would leave them – but thankfully, luck was on his side (their side?), and the yearling came to a stop without splintering any bones or painting the snow red.

It did leave one question, however. Why the fuck would anyone want to go back to that awful place? he grumbled to himself, brows knit together as he studied the other wolf. His tail gave a flick. “You ain’t gonna get up this way, chaco,” he snorted softly. The hills were far too steep, and with the snow? It was a damn pipe dream. If he didn’t fall doing stupid things like he just did, the wind would get him. Or the snow. Or being alone. “You know the weather’s just gonna be worse there, right? Just left the damn thing. Snowing like it ain’t ever gonna stop.”

Horrible, wretched, awful place. “You’re gonna starve up there, kid.”