Sacred Grove aim for my HEART

Private RE thread for Marsh.
<i>There is a shooting star tonight.</i>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. The past month had just been one miserable mess. First off, Cali - they'd not got a good start, and he'd carried that annoyance with him. Then Finn, and having to evict her. While the reasoning for it was sound, it wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to do. After that, his nameless friend from Poison Path had come in the middle of the night, and from there everything had gone absolutely wrong. Marsh had been angry with him, and he'd shouted at Ava who had shouted back, and after that he'd fallen into some numb fog where he couldn't really recall what had happened, or what he really felt. He was dimly aware of having tried to kill someone else from her pack, and of Marsh's delivery of a tuft of Poisoned fur, but most of all he remembered poor Fenru. It was after encountering him in the Grove and trying to comfort him that Ice had begun to swim back to the surface of his life, and slowly he'd pieced it all together. Ava had a friend back at the pack, who had been badly beaten by a cougar. Naira, whom he knew was a healer, needed a purple flower - hellebore - to stabilize this friend, and Ava had been tasked to get it. She'd shown up and Marsh had, naturally, wanted to rip her apart. Ice had compromised absolutely everything he held dear, using Marsh's weakness with words against him and while his body had said leave before I hurt you!, his voice had said go, I'll bring you flowers. He'd even been desperate enough to wade through the river, but Marsh had just stared at him so coldly that he'd wanted to sink through the ground and never reappear. Never, ever did he want the copper Second to look at him like that again. Never. He'd left him to shiver on the far side of the river, wading back through, and Ice had spent the night miserable, cold and alone, before taking off with some hellebore in the pre-dawn light and delivering them to Ava. They'd not been able to communicate, had shouted, and eventually both of them seemed to have forgotten what they felt and just stared dumbly at each other, speaking dumb generic words, and they'd parted ways. Ice's main concern seemed to have been that he'd deceived Marsh; Ava's that she'd put Ice in that position. He shook his head, a small, sad smile playing on his face. Was that what being friends meant? Trying to suffer for one another, and not wanting the other to suffer? He wasn't sure. But he remembered the press of Marsh's head against his own at the pack meeting, and how it had given his heart wings again, convinced him that it'd be okay. It'd be alright. He was sitting at the edge of the River, now, but not where it all had happened. He was further north, sitting on the banks, nearly getting his pale paws wet. The sky above was dark velvet, showing light on neither horizon, but speckled full of stars and a sliver of moon. He wasn't watching the sky, though; he still wasn't sure what he felt about the stars, those frigid, tiny, faraway things. He was watching the river, inky black and placid in the windless night. The surface shimmered, but beneath, it just seemed cold and dark and deep, and Ice didn't want to touch it. His own broad features rippled gently on top of the water, his silver eyes shaded in the night. The stars seemed smaller and less imposing in the water, and the moon softer. He liked it. His smile became a little warmer, and his thick tail curled around his left haunch, settling across his neatly arranged paws. He didn't speak; he simply sat there in quiet contemplation, watching liquid time whisper past just beneath his paws. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>The last time that lights had flown in the sky, the song of traitors had reigned from their cowardly home near the mountains, and Marsh had listened to them with bitter anger. Since then, he had clashed with more than one of their foolish members, but ever since his called meeting, there had been none. Perhaps his voice had carried to them as well, or perhaps they had finally realised what was good for them.

The copper beast's trials and tribulations did not revolve around Ice, not purely, but ordinarily they would have focused on nothing but Corinna; the fact that the white guardian featured at all in his thoughts was unusual. But then again, perhaps it was not. Ice had proven himself where dozens past had not. Ice was dependable and truly a part of Swift River, and Marsh appreciated him for it. Once, he had waited expectantly for the challenge to come, but it never had; the white giant had lingered just beneath him, never a threat, always a comfort. Being in his presence was as easy as being alone. Marsh had never shared such a thing with another who was not his designated world - and even if he thought on it now, pondered his own idiosyncrasies, he knew that he did not share the same thing with Corinna. His devotion was an altogether different thing. Ice was an anomaly.

The memory of a black figure, elbow-deep in his river, and strongly spoken words - they haunted him still, though he tried to forget.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>There were no traitors' songs tonight. Slowly his steel eyes followed the lights, uncomprehending of their purpose or reason but he did not care. There were things in life that were simply unimportant to survival, and he was too old to wonder about things that he would never understand. It was one of the reasons why he did not spend much time pondering Ice. Real friendship was not something that Marsh was used to. In fact... when he thought about it, he had probably never experienced it; he had left all the wolves 'like him' when he had followed Albion all those years ago, and ever since he had been <i>Marsh</i>, the wolf who got strange looks far too often, whose name was not even his own, not really. At least here, he incurred respect rather than pity. He should have settled here a long time ago.</font>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>There he was.</font>

Sat quietly by the riverside, Marsh caught a glimpse of white fur, and he wondered how long he had been lost in his thoughts. He was not accustomed to brooding in this way. Indru's subtle rejection had been an intense burden that Marsh had been valiantly trying to ignore, for did he need it on top of everything else? Corinna and her offspring had Marsh's undying protection, and that was what mattered. The father was irrelevant. Marsh refused to linger on it.

But this... this was not so easy. He had not enjoyed Ice's strange behaviour, his distance, his... his lack of being himself. But it had not lasted forever, and now Marsh could not help but wonder about it, and quietly he snorted to himself, finding all of his own speculation and pondering ridiculous and a waste of time. Yet he could not help it.

What to do? The borders were safe, Corinna and her children well guarded, so Marsh had a moment to spare. On a whim, he moved forward, near-silent despite his apparent lack of grace, and came to stand beside the white wolf who stood so much taller, yet had never intimidated him. His ears rolled forwards and he dropped his gaze to the water, where he could see Ice's own eyes were lingering.

Irrationally and abruptly, he wished for something to say.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It was just him and his thoughts, little snakes of ice and snow making patterns in his head. Little snakes of ice and snow with needle-sharp teeth lodged in his heart, little snakes of ice and snow with their cool bodies coiled tightly around his throat. Still, silent, Ice watched his own reflection, those solemn silver eyes staring right back. He was too composed, his posture too neat; that had never been him. He'd always been haphazard, fur a mess, paws sticking out in different directions, smiling, unburdened, tail a-wag... Now he was the mirror image of a wary but elegant fox, not a single tuft of fur out of place. Well, of course there was, but not visibly, nothing you noticed when the rest of him was sleek and smooth in the darkness. With a resigned sigh, he raised one paw and held it gently over the river surface. Coolness lapped against him, and with a look of fascinated concentration did he lower it enough to feel it swirling around his rough pads, tickling at the bases of his claws. A shiver went up his spine; the water was so cold and dark, and here he was, playing with it, holding out his paw as if daring it to take it... Ice ground his teeth together. Never. But he didn't move, just sat there, ears twitching slightly to the nocturnal sounds of the forest. As if in a dream, a second wolf crept closer. Ice recognized his scent, he'd know it anywhere, he recognized the sound of his walk - could he ever forget? Still the Guardian didn't turn, but remained where he was, watching his own eyes and the bridge between water and land - his own paw. A face, muted copper in the monochrome light, showed upon among the ripples just beside his own, and in the water, their gazes met. Ice felt like melting and disappearing with the gentle flow of the river, rocked by the steady presence of the auburn wolf - safe, sound, lov.... ... ed? He remained silent and still for a while longer, before sighing and taking his paw off the water's surface. The breeze, albeit gentle, bit at the water, cooling him beneath the thin skin. He barely noticed it. He was too busy feeling other things, a rush of warmth in his heart. It was fast and fleet in his chest, butterfly-winged, and the world became a painful throb, a worry, a gnawing, biting sensation. Insecurity. But why? He leaned, halfway there, paused, looked at their reflections. Silver fur blended at the edges with copper, and with the unsteady surface, it was impossible to tell if they were truly apart. You, me, us, two, one? A hum, a noise to break the silence, and he wondered once more at the sudden hesitation, the sudden shyness, the way his heart suddenly seemed afraid, hesitant, cautious; he was here, was he not, so there was nothing to fear, was it? He was not here with teeth and claw, he was not here with snarls, so Ice was forgiven, wasn't he? Had he ever been something that he needed to be forgiven for, except the strange distance of the past month? Am I forgiven that, now? Ice had never been hesitant around him previously, had never wondered if a touch was something more, something to be afraid of, something... unwanted. Why now? Why did he feel breathless and afraid all at once? The world was lined in silver moonlight and even the stars were moving, little streaks of light in the dark sky. Ice wanted to relax again, but he was tense; he closed his eyes and moved again, kept leaning, closed the distance. Hyper-sensitive, his skin tingled the moment copper fur brushed his silver one aside, slight, slight pressure; eventually he rested body against body, head cradled in thick neck fur. In his chest, his heart hammered, the pulse in his throat fast and light - he could hear it, feel it, and one eye slid open to observe the reflection now. Still blurry, broken by highlights, one wolf leaning against the other; there was truly no line dividing them now, none at all, unless he chose to move away (pleasedon'tpleasedon'tpleasedon'tIneedyou). In the darkness he spoke, voice barely more than a hushed whisper. "Marsh." .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>He did not understand.

As if in slow motion did Ice remove his paw, but Marsh could not bring himself to look away from those silver eyes, so similar to his own... and yet, all their own.

Marsh was not a wolf accustomed to feelings of enchantment. As a base instinct, he simply rejected them.

Silence reigned, and the copper wolf was gripped by it, unable to move or make any sound to break the incomprehensible tension, the barely-concealed energy which held him in place. He knew that it was not impossible to break free. If he wished it, all it would take would be a shake of the head and he could turn away, and leave it behind. <i>But what was <b>it</b>?</i> Marsh was not alien to devotion. His existence revolved around it, around finding his gravitational centre and then settling into his role as satellite - into his role of <i>whatever you want, make use of me, I'm here to serve you.</i> It was a straightforward existence. He wanted for little, particularly in a moral sense. Marsh was not a wolf plagued by past mistakes, regrets, or emotional torment.

Not usually, at least. It was the reason he did not understand.

Ice moved, then, and for a moment Marsh wondered if he had broken it - but instead, he simply fell deeper, and as the white wolf moved towards him, the smaller wolf permitted it. <i>Welcomed it?</i> It was not possible to have two compasses, two centres. He was Corinna's. Everything she needed of him, Marsh would strive to be; even here, now, he was somebody else's wolf.

Yet... Indru was her wolf also, and Marsh had no intentions of replacing what the Tainn was to his leader. He did not want or need to be her mate. If Corinna could have two wolves... could Marsh <i>belong</i> to two wolves?

The familiar scent was thick in his nostrils, Ice's heartbeat in his ears, and still Marsh stood, as yet unresponsive. He was trapped, but he knew how to escape. He could not decide. He did not understand. What was Ice to him that Corinna was not? Or was Ice merely a poor imitation? He had never felt true cohesion between him and anyone, save maybe his own blood. But that had been such a long time ago. It had been six years since he had stood amongst blood family, amongst wolves who thought and acted like him.

Suddenly, he felt weight of that time, and it near suffocated him. He had never felt ashamed for who he was - <i>what</i> he was - and yet, and yet, and yet -

<i>Marsh,</i> said Ice, and inside Marsh collapsed, his escape route falling out of sight.

A heartbeat later - but whose? they both beat so loud, he could barely distinguish them any more - Marsh leant back into Ice, relishing the solidarity, the comfort. His presence.

<b>"Hhhh,"</b> he breathed, <i>it's been so long, it's a lifetime ago, you don't need to be the same forever, </i> <b>"Hhhn, <i>hhiccccce</i>."</b></blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. .. kept us awake with wolves teeth, sharing different heartbeats in one night... Through skin and fur he could feel heartbeats, one he knew to be the swift, fluttering one of his own chest; the other, was not his. The rush of blood just beneath the skin of his neck did not match the one in his chest, so he knew it to be Marsh's; a twin heartbeat. He was surprised at how fast and strong it, too, was - and somehow, he was not surprised at all. Marsh was a strong wolf. Why should his heart not be strong, too? But why is it beating with the same fervor as mine? Close together, it grew hard to tell them apart, where one beat ended and the next began, from which body the pulse came; all the while he kept staring at their joined reflection, not quite sure what he was seeing.. or why he was seeing it. Four eyes clad in gray glittered upon the surface, but there was only one body. One entity. Half of it leaning, the other half stoic still, tense, but his heart betrayed him even when his eyes did not - his heart, it kept running in his chest and Ice could feel it. He didn't want to stop feeling it, ever. He didn't even question what he felt - he didn't know what it was, why it was, why it whispered nonsense in his head and spun like snow in a storm. To label it would be like trying to capture the stars; impossible, and it would take their charm away, the things which made them special. They were unattainable. Are you? he wanted to ask, but couldn't; simply to ponder the emotion felt like heresy. It was. Wasn't that enough? Wasn't it enough that a fluttering warmth filled him up completely, a light as soft as the moon but as fierce as the sun that suddenly shone upon his soul? It shook yet, as if uncertain if a storm could sweep it away anytime soon, it shook and shivered and quivered, and kept looking at the iron-gray eyes, wondering if the storm was brewing in there. It didn't; the copper wolf relaxed against him, leaned in, and the shakes turned to dance and laughter, like a spring flood, a gentle waterfall. His eyes fluttered shut, his heart beating with more joy and less fear; fire swept through him, knowledge of that he was safe, of something else, mutual consent but to what? His soul still roiled to the mayhem of these things, but there was less urgency to it, and more of contentment - they'd know. They'd figure it out. The heartbeat he felt from the other side promised it, the warmth of his body so near, the sound of his breathing. It all spoke the same promise, and Ice's eyes opened, and gave the same promise in return. Gentle, mellow silver; it still felt so unreal, but there was no doubt in his eyes. This was not the time for doubt. Doubt was not the sound in his heart, nor the thing that rolled off Marsh's tongue as a rasped breath. He felt his ears twitch, and something deeper in his heart stirred. He didn't need more confirmation, but - he didn't know. He didn't know what it was but every fiber of his being tensed, the breath sticking in his throat as his heart beat so painfully, chemicals flooding his body to the point where it felt like he was nearly out of his mind. And the ragged breath came again, "Hhhn, hhiccccce." He felt like crying, like laughing, like falling on his back and licking Marsh's face, like falling facefirst into the river - but the only thing he did, was smile, with his eyes, with his lips, with his heart. Somehow, he still felt like fainting; he leaned more on Marsh, wiggling his paws closer, snuggling up against him slightly more. Pleased, content, but still on internal fire, he whispered again, "Marsh,". .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>A madness descended over them. That escape route was long gone by now, and as they stood there, huddled together, as one reflection in the water - where Marsh could see Ice's joy, and he quietly marvelled at it - Marsh wondered if he would ever find it again. Something had changed, illogically, irrationally, it had changed. He did not know what. He was struck by this madness.

After years of a growing hatred for speech, it had been a powerful compulsion to overcome it. He had not offered a real word in many months - not since Cali had he tried, and it had been a long, long time before that had he last been coherent. He had never felt truly disabled over it, or, at least, not in Swift River, where they took him for what he was.

So what was different now? He had no intentions of reversing the last year and undoing all that hard work. He was not going to re-learn all that he had been busy ignoring. It made no difference in the long-run. So what was different?

He looked upon Ice's reflection then, and saw that smile.

<i>Marsh,</i> said Ice again, and then finally something snapped for the older wolf - a constraint fell away. The escape was gone... and he found he did not care. Whatever relief had washed through Ice came through Marsh next, and suddenly it was all easier. Simpler, yet he still did not understand it. Instead of another garbled attempt at the guardian's name, Marsh snorted. No way was he going to play that game. Instead, he pulled back just enough to reach the other's cheek, where he placed his nose, a gesture that was so familiar, so comforting. Though his lips never smiled, in that moment, his steel eyes held it all. Whatever had just happened, they were okay. They were okay.</blockquote>

My post quality is deteriorating rapidly. /sadface

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. He was warm. Comforting. Steady, despite the rush of his heart. Safe. Air slipped in and out of Ice's mouth, yet the world seemed to only grow more and more distant with each breath. Was he even breathing anymore? Did his body pick up oxygen? Was darkness closing in on him, or was it simply the flutter of his eyelids, lashes blocking the moonlight's path to his pupils? He didn't know, nor did he care. For even though the intensity of the sensation lingered within him, the sense of urgency was gone - his heart beat, powerfully, and he breathed, but the air didn't taste of panic anymore. It just felt - good. Slowly, the world fell back into place, though something had changed, something that couldn't ever be undone. It lay in the air around them, in the feeling of Marsh's body close to his own; it shrouded him in something he couldn't quite place his paw on, but something that felt right. Despite his unsuccessful attempt to goad more words from Marsh he couldn't help but keep smiling, a tiny little gesture that spoke volumes. Again, his gaze drifted down to the inky surface of the cold, dark river, dancing across their joint reflection. It seemed softer around the edges now. Mirrored in the rippling water, Marsh moved aside, slightly, but the warm space between them did not feel empty nor cold to Ice. He wasn't afraid anymore. He knew that he'd come back, even if he walked away - he knew that there'd always be the warmth, that no matter how far apart they were, they were still close. He didn't know why he felt that way, nor if it was the same for Marsh, but for him, he knew that there were no more barriers anymore. They were all gone. There was nothing in his mind to separate his snowy self from Marsh, Swift River's copper beast. He had never attempted to speak in Ice's presence before, but they communicated anyway; they did not need words. Marsh did not need words to prove himself with. He was every bit a wolf in Ice's eyes anyway, and only at one point had his inability to speak and properly understand speech been a handicap. And that was my fault, too. The nose pressed against his cheek banished the thought, and for a moment Ice was content to simply watch them upon the river's surface. But after a moment he craned his neck slightly, their muzzles more parallel than before - and his soft silver eyes fell upon Marsh's, for a heartbeat meeting them. No challenge lay in his own, only a still-confused devotion, and without remorse or constraint he fell into Marsh's steel depths. Once more the world fell away, replaced by gray. He didn't mind. He'd never minded. It felt like eternity had passed, but it could hardly have been more than a couple of seconds; Ice averted his gaze respectfully, and let his ears fall back against his head. Keening ever so softly he gently licked the corner of Marsh's mouth. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>Intimacy - true intimacy - was another foreign concept, and it was only Marsh's incredible self-control and confidence which prevented him from being overwhelmed by this sudden truckload of it. Even with those he dedicated himself so, the relationship was almost always held at arm's length. It was a distant devotion, unerring loyalty but without the need for closeness. Since he did not share blood with anyone, he was more than used to being treated with distrust, at first, and then with appreciation but not... not quite the same as family. It was different, here, where he felt truly needed, but he spent more time out of Corinna's company than otherwise.

Was that why this was different? He and Ice had been oft inseparable, a single entity which kept the borders safe, and he had grown so incredibly comfortable in the presence of the white wolf. Had he not believed that Ice was worthy of that trust, he would have felt uneasy for it.

But he did not. Save for that blip by the riverside, with that dark traitor's bitch, Ice had never given him cause for doubt. Still that night played at the edges of his mind, but he had watched Ice, had kept notice of the scents on his pale fur, just in case something funny was going on. Looking back on it, he could date that night as about the time when Ice had withdrawn inside himself, and as much as Marsh lacked empathy, he could not help but wonder what <i>exactly</i> had happened there. Given the chance, he would run the girl out all the same, but perhaps pay the guardian more attention in the meantime.

It was a blip, though. Staring into those grey eyes, he knew it meant little more.

It was unsettling, relying so much on faith.

The quiet, high sound came from his companion, and Marsh remained silent, watching as Ice's gaze fell away before the gentle lick. He was unable to resist the urge to pass his tongue over the end of Ice's nose, following the grain of hair a few inches up the ghostly muzzle. There his jaw lingered, hesitating, but Marsh was not one for self-consciousness (his trials and tribulations with speech aside - yet he curiously felt no shame about his most recent effort) and so when he pressed his head down, his chin on Ice's brow and muzzle, it was with a steady assurance, a confidence. A promise. Gently he slipped his head down, the sides of their faces brushing as he brought them level, once more watching Ice's eyes, waiting for them to join his again. He did not demand submission now. They were perfect equals.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. He didn't question it. He felt no desire to question it, to label it, to scrutinize it - he was content to feel it, live it, breathe it with every breathe he drew. He had no experience of these things, of concepts spoken fondly of by others; he knew brotherly affection, devotion towards his leaders, the kindness his mother showed him when his father had none. He'd felt drawn to Triell, something that had paled in comparison to this, but he'd also witnessed Triell's attraction towards Volkan, heard it in the syllables, the tone of voice when he spoke of her - he'd seen it, in his passionate fury towards Rhysis. He remembered Corinna, broken when the traitors had fled in the dead of night - remembered the sound of her raw pain, how the overwhelming love of her children had nearly undone her, had nearly caused them to do something unforgivable there in the darkness when Indru was gone. But something, an emotion, a concept, had prevented her, had kept her from doing it - something she called love. Love was what kept her true to her mate even when he was gone, trapped on the other side of the mountains. But when mates happened out of necessity? What were they then? What was this, this which was not mateship? It did not matter. It did not surprise him to realize it, but it felt good all the same to know that it required no labels. Marsh returned the affectionate gesture, and Ice's eyes closed. He did not need words, not when this existed. Nothing beyond the pair of them mattered to him now, not even the river upon whose bank he sat, perched so close to the black depths; his muzzle tingled once Marsh's tongue had passed, the wind chilling the thin skin. It didn't bother him, though. His silver eyes slipped open as the copper muzzle pressed down on his own, another soft whine escaping him. It was not often that Marsh had to remind him of his place, for he knew it perfectly; most commonly it was Indru who rested his muzzle upon Ice's, but this... So simple a gesture, so common, something that made perfect sense, and yet it carried an edge of intimacy that he had never experienced before. It wasn't unsettling, though, but the comfort it gave went so much deeper. It felt warm, too, in a way nothing had ever felt warm. But it didn't last forever. Marsh's head slid down, and he found himself leaning in to the touch, pressing his pale cheek against the copper one. He could feel Marsh's soft breath. It tickled his ear; he twitched it once, before allowing it to burrow in the pale fur on the top of his head. They held still there, both of them, and it felt as if something was missing.. as if he was waiting for something... Cautiously, Ice let his gaze stray onto that scarred, red face again, once more marveling over how their relationship had changed - how it had gone from Ice's quiet decision that yes, there was something charming in those gruff features of his, to this, sitting so close, sharing something that couldn't be described as anything but magical. Soft and silver, his eyes found Marsh's steel ones again, and something in them made the breath stick in Ice's throat. He couldn't look away. He could barely see the details of Marsh's face around his eyes, could barely make out the shades of auburn and the highlights of copper, the few streaks of gray just around his nose. It all disappeared, blurred, and he was trapped by those steel eyes, held, but he was not afraid, did not feel caged; it was something else that made him unable to look away, something he didn't quite understand... Something he didn't need to understand, for it was nothing he would need to explain. It was better to feel it, to live it, and so, on a night when stars fell, he found himself unable to look away. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>It was a strange peace, a peace like he had never known, and yet his gut accepted it without contest, without further question. Ice opened his eyes, and the two pairs of vibrant, monochrome eyes fixated upon each other, and in that moment there was little else.

The shape of Corinna patrolled the edges of his mind, and his duties ever coloured his instincts, but whatever was left of Marsh was, at that precise moment, Ice's, and Ice's alone. It was a thing which had never happened before. Marsh, who was always another's wolf, and yet in this way had always belonged to himself - it was a fresh, untouched part of himself that he shared this night.

A virgin to true, private affection. Had he been a less sure creature, he would have questioned it, doubted it, but Marsh lived and swore by his instincts. Every fibre of him trusted this white guardian implicitly. This bond could only strengthen them.

It was not atypical of Marsh to momentarily brush aside sentimentality and consider how beneficial that would be to the pack in general.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Marsh could not bring himself to break from Ice's gaze, too charged to stomach a disconnect. In this short space of time, it had all changed, and yet everything had fallen into place simultaneously; he did not waste time wondering if this was related to Ice's previous dullness of mood, or just how this strange union had come into being. All that mattered was that it had. The only thing which tainted it was the memory of being beside this river, darkness washing them, and an even darker face lurking on its surface... but he saw no falseness in Ice's eyes, no trickery. Whatever had passed had passed. Everything and everybody that still mattered was safe. The memory was old and irrelevant, and Marsh cast it aside, willing to forgive and forget under the trusting assumption that, in the end, it meant nothing.

After all, everything that mattered was within the boundaries set out by this river. Softly he exhaled, wanting to stay here with this moment that he did not understand and yet made perfect sense. He had not come here to rest, but he was filled with a pleasant lethargy, a willingness to lie here with Ice and enjoy the sound of water.

Corinna and her offspring were safe, surrounded by trusted packmates - by family. Smoothly he sat, keeping his muzzle pressed against Ice until the last, when he broke away - with a flick of his tongue on Ice's nose - and laid against the grass, wishing the warm white body to join his again.</font></blockquote>