Fool's Gold Chasm triple axel

For @Woya

The cold had settled in for the long haul and somehow it had made Rhaegara more restless, perhaps because basking in the sun was no longer an option, or perhaps because only a year before she had been running for her life. It was strange to think about how fast things had changed. First, she had met Adelard and found a traveling partner to watch her back, and then a small band that had somehow turned into a family, a man who had turned her into a mother. It had been so much in one year that it didn’t hurt to reflect on.

Her life had been a wild one. The tawny mother made her way out of the pack den, finding her way to a nearby pond expecting to be able to crack the water to take a drink… unfortunately that was not the case. When she arrived, she was distressed to see how thick the ice had gotten. The slippery surface could not be broken, by her or any other wolf that she knew of. Buggers. She took a step on the ice, hoping to see if the center of the pond was thinner where she could quench her thirst, trying to remember the tips Woya had given her before she had found out who she was.

Woya was drawn to the same area, but for the ice that choked the water. Ready for one of her favorite Winter activities, she trotted merrily over the snow, stopping short only when she recognized not only Rhaegara's rusty coat, but also that she was attempting to cross the ice. The older woman didn't hesitate to seat herself, eager to watch and see what happened. Did the young mother learn from their first-ever encounter, or would she need to be rescued once again?

An amused smirk took residence on her maw as the show began.

Rhaegara did not notice the woman’s presence, focused solely on the ice. Go with the slip. Despite not noticing her, she heard her voice in her head as she tried to remember the advice she had been given. Balance and patience. She could be patient… not that she often proved it. Going with the slip, keeping tension on the weight falling upon her claws she started to glide towards the center, though she still was a little wobbly in her step because the same tension did not quite carry the way it needed to in her hind limbs, wobbling a little bit before she carefully pulled her hind legs together.

It helped balance her out, and she let out a deep breath that she hadn’t realized that she had been holding. She started to make her way out to the center of the lake to see if she could break through the ice there so she might be able to get water. Worst case scenario, she could look elsewhere, but there was a certain challenge in trying to get it from the lake.

The start was promising, in the sense that Woya would get the comedic display she sought, but the other wolf corrected her mistakes and began to make actual progress, and at a decent pace too. For a beginner. A soft, reflective "hmph" came out with a breath before she lifted herself back onto her paws and continued forward.

The ground transitioned from powder to glass and a grin spread over Woya's muzzle as she kicked off and slid across the ice. The wind created by her momentum ruffled her fur and she gave a giggle as she began to spin, the unevenness of the surface causing her trajectory to arc.

"Practicin'?" she threw out to Rhaegara when she slowed to a stop.

Rhaegara was not aware of her audience until paws could be heard sliding across the ice, her head turning as she found momentary distraction in the woman’s impressive turns and twists. The momentary distraction, of course, resulted in her paws sliding out from under her as her body hit the ice with a thud, air knocking out of her lungs for a moment before she sighed softly, pushing herself back up onto her paws very carefully. “Something like that.” She mumbled as she continued to make her way towards the center of the ice. “I was actually looking to see if the center was as solid as the shore.” She clarified.

There were more important and productive things to do than to skate around on the ice. She didn’t understand why the other woman seemed to enjoy the pastime so much… but then again, Woya was a woman of many mysteries in Rhae’s eyes. “What are you doing out here?” She asked curiously in turn.

Woya couldn't help a grin along with a pinch of quiet snickering when Rhaegara lost her footing completely. The drawback didn't deter her, the woman pushing back up onto her paws and continuing to make her way steadily in the same, straight direction. The smaller woman quirked a brow and watched, curious until her unspoken questions were answered: the other wolf merely wanted a drink. She remained still a moment, before deciding to skate forward, toward the same point that her pack mate spoke of.

"Havin' fun," she answered simply, skidding to another stop at what was roughly the epicenter of the frozen body. Given their differences in slipping skill, it hadn't taken much effort to overcome Rhae in speed. She used her hind legs to kick at the ice, but it didn't give.

"Don't think your odds're good."

Havin’ fun. Truthfully, Rhaegara thought that Woya’s way of having run was scaring her daughter… but she supposed the woman had to have other methods of having fun as well. Her daughter always downplayed it but given that Enera called Woya ‘Scary Lady’ instead of her name, she figured it was a safe assumption to make. She kicked the ice and Rhae watched as it didn’t so much as budge. “Glad somebody is having fun at least.”

The woman was clearly flaunting her abilities, and Rhae was clearly not in the best mood either so they compounded together in a sigh as Rhaegara turned back and started to make her way towards the shore. While the skill Woya had taught her was useful, she was not like the other woman and had no intention of doing it for longer than she had to, let alone for fun.

Woya wasn't surprised that the news turned Rhaegara sour - she couldn't what she wanted. At least, now not without getting back off the ice and wasting time looking for a different water source that wasn't frozen. She had a few in mind herself, and the other woman was just as likely to know of them, but the nice thing to do would have been to throw out some suggestions, maybe even offer to go with her in look. Woya didn't see a thirsty wolf, though. She saw a wolf that needed to loosen up.

"It's a choice, y'know," she told her, skating idly in the same direction. Her impish features had yet to change.

"You could have a little too if you got the stick outta yer ass and actually tried."

(This post was last modified: Jan 10, 2022, 03:29 AM by Woya.)

The woman certainly knew of other water sources, this had just been the closest one when the want had hit her and so she had been hoping to find some there… now it just required a little more effort. She huffed. “So is terrifying children. We all make choices.” She commented as she reached the shore of the lake, stepping off of it.

Rhaegara raised an eyebrow at her. “And how do you suppose I do that? By treating other children like they’re less just because I’m not related to them?” She fired off, quite frankly tired of the woman’s antics from all fronts. “My daughter calls you ‘Scary Lady’. It feels like every attempt I have to teach her is set back by you meddling with her psyche.”

(m) swears

Terrifying children? Woya rolled her eyes at the other woman's dramatics, until she reasserted her claim. Her honey-brown gaze snapped back to lock with Rhaegara's, clearly incensed. What also was likely evident, was the incredulity spread over her features.

What the hell was this wolf going on about, was it all just because she'd dared to stop her precious daughter from holding her nephew's head under water? Apparently not, apparently she'd done plenty of things she didn't know about. Funny. Under many other circumstances she would be flattered to hear that others referred to her as Scary. In this moment, it made her angry, along with the additional accusation that she was straight up fucking with the young girl's mind.

Ruining everything for poor Rhae and her bastard child, like they both wanted for anything in the Chasm.

"I ain't done shit to your fucking kid," Woya snapped back, fangs bared and tail rising above the rest of her spine.

"In fact, I've saved her oblivious ass several times, not to mention helping to keep you both fed and protected like every other wolf here. Don't blame me if you've coddled her so goddamn much she can't handle not being treated like a fairy-fucking-princess every minute of her life."

She didn't correct her right, shouldn't be correcting her at all, but needed to treat her the same as her own niece and nephew, who she actually was responsible for? What the hell did these two want from her?

(This post was last modified: Jan 14, 2022, 09:46 PM by Woya.)